Is my wireless router secure? WEP and WPA questions.

I have the Linksys WRT54GL and use the Intel/Proset 3945abg.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1133202177241&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Some wireless client software allows me to create a WiFi Profile for that particular access point and once I connect the first time with the correct WEP value for that wireless access point, my experience is that future connections through that profile (created and safed) are 'automatic'
I asked about gaming because I was wondering about what difference if the security took some small 'hit'

Oops, I also do not do gaming.

What brand and model of access point?
Do you do gaming?

I just got setup for WPA2 and performance seems to still be really good.  I guess there is not much harm in playing it safe.  My laptop is set to automatically log and I do not have te rekey the password.

JCL, just to hit on your initial post:

1) SSID broadcast is a worthless security measure and often negatively affects performance.  it's also a pain for your neighbors. consider turning it back on.

2) MAC filtering is not an effective security measure.  Anyone can listen to and see all the data that you send.  Furthermore, MAC IDs can be spoofed in a matter of seconds to let anyone on to your network.  Filtering takes the most time to setup and maintain and offers almost no benefit, unless you're using it for local rules.

3) If you can use WPA2 then use that and don't worry about filtering, SSIDs, transmit power, or any other "security" measures.

That is the first I have heard about "SSID disable" negatively impacting performance.  Has anyone reputable proven this or written an article?  If so, what is the logic for the negative impact?  I agree, it probably doesn't matter if I enable SSID it if I already have MAC2 protection.

I don't see the harm in also having MAC filtering on, since there is only one MAC address I need to maintain.

Google is your friend.  Here's a reputable article: http://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/docs/html/communities/WLAN/wp_ssid_hiding.pdf

There are plenty of threads on broadbandreports if you want more information and or views ... google works as well.

And you're right, MAC filtering doesn't hurt anything and isn't hard to do in a single client environment -- but you still gain nothing from it from a security perspective

How can I check to see what my neighbors are using for the channel - using Windows XP?  Also, I sent an email to Linksys tech support to see if disabling the SSID broadcast could hurt performance.  This is the response I received (doesn't mean they know what they are talking about, of course):

Dear Valued Linksys Customer,

Thank you for contacting Linksys Technical Support.

Disabling the SSID broadcast of the router will not degrade its performance. It will just simply hide the router’s signal. In that way, a wireless computer won’t show that it’s picking up the signal. For a wireless computer to connect to a network where broadcast is disabled, a profile must be created. Once the computer reboots, it will search for the profile and connect to it automatically.

If you have any further questions, feel free to visit our knowledge base at http://www.linksys.com/kb or send us an e-mail at support@linksys.com so that we can assist you. Once you get to the Knowledge Base section, either type in the Answer ID or the keywords under Search Text and click Search.

Thank you and have a nice day!

Sincerely,

Ma. Rowena O. Cabungcal
Badge ID 11827
Linksys - A Division Of Cisco System, Inc.
Website: http://www.linksys.com

I have viewed the available wireless networks in WIN XP, but I cannot find where they show their channels?  All I can see is their SSID broadcast.  If there is something else I need to do, please let me know.

Try 'Properties' and 'Advanced' including using RIGHT mouse button (right-click) to explore.
Somewhere you may find a long list of adjustments that can be made, among which you may see 'broadcast channel'

to make it easier, use a tool like netstumbler ... it won't find the hidden ones, but it does a good job