Quote:
Originally posted by theknife
i was under the impression that it did not matter if our keys were public, because in order for someone else to get on the network, we would also have to load their key. therefore, some intruder could have everyone's key but as long as no one loaded his key, he would never have access. this is not correct?
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yes, that's correct. we've actually tested this today, logging on with the proper network name and a starter ip but without an invited key - the way "someone curious" might try who has been reading this thread for instance. so what happens is you can see the network and the ip's but you can't see any folders or files. you can’t browse or download. you can’t participate; you can’t lurk. you'd have no idea who had what or even if anyone had anything at all. you might be able to tell that some network activity was occurring, but you'd be at a loss to tell what kind it was, plus it’s easy for the network to send up chaff to further confuse the sniffers. finally if you somehow managed to break into a data stream you'd be hard pressed to make sense of it since it's pretty well encrypted with some decently powerful mojo.
but if you keep the name of your network private, outsiders can’t get on at all.
since friends, families and most groups aren’t going to be posting their network names on bulletin boards, let alone their keys (unlike we brave souls here at napsterites) these networks will be humming along in blissful obscurity all over the internet, and exchanging a lot of data easily and efficiently. you can expect this will make a lot of people very happy, and a handful of people very nervous.
welcome to the future. again.
- js.