Home Automation / Networking

1. Home Automation / Networking Presented by George Quintos Mt. SAC Service Learning May 21, 2005

2. Agenda • What is Home Automation? • X10 protocol • Serial to Ethernet networking • Packet sniffing • Use of Ethereal • Installing SSH server • Telnet • Filters • Viewing plain text and ciphertext packets

3. Home Automation

4. What is Home Automation? • Able to control appliances remotely with an on or off power state • Demostration

5. What protocol does home automation use and does it work? • X10 protocol uses the existing power lines in a home as its communication medium. • Sends out a specific signal on the power line. X10 modules connected onto the same power grid respond to the command. • Uses different codes to differentiate each module. Ie A1 – A16 • Have a different wavelength of communication. Homologous to DSL. • X10.com uses the X10 protocol – they did not develop the protocol. • In depth definition of X10 protocol: http://www.x10.com/technology1.htm

6. How much are the X10 modules and where can I buy them? • $12 to $50 • Online • X10.com • Smarthome.com • Outpost.com • Google – keyword: x10 or home automation • Brick and mortar • Frys • Smarthome in Irvine, CA.

7. Serial to Ethernet networking

8. What is Serial to Ethernet networking? • Device servers that convert Serial packets into TCP packet and vice versa.

9. Who uses Serial to Ethernet? • Security companies • Security panels • Manufacturing plants • Serial CNC machines • Tank levels • Information Technology • Connect to Cisco’s console port • RAS – PPP or text dial-in • Printing • Electronic sign banners • Old main frames

10. Serial to Ethernet demonstration • Lantronix device server connected to a Cisco Pix or Cisco Router

11. Packet sniffing

12. What is packet sniffing? • Also known as Network analyzers • A program that analyzes packets on a physical medium such as CAT5 • Can be used to help troubleshoot networking issues or can be used to eavesdrop

13. Some packet sniffing programs • Ethereal – free (http://ethereal.com) • Etherpeek - demo (http://wildpackets.com) • Thousands more online – perform Google search for packet sniffers

14. Ethereal • Freeware • Can run on different types of Operating Systems Let’s install it and have some fun!

15. Installation of Ethereal • Go to http://ethereal.com/download.html • Download the installer and WinPcap

16. Common Ethereal filters • tcp.port==xx - tcp port • ip.addr==xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx  - All packets to and from a certain IP • ip.src==xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx  - Source of IP • ip.dst==xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx  - Destination of IP • && - Will include filters • Follows TCP stream – follows the whole TCP stream in ASCII (by default)

17. Unsecured data across the network • Running Ethereal will expose data stream • Telnet is clear text

18. Securing data across the network • Use encryption • Secure connections such as SSL and SSH

19. The following slides will require you participation – have your computer ready!

20. How to enable telnet • Run services.msc • Right-click on Telnet and choose Properties • Choose manual on the Startup type drop down menu • Click Start

21. Prepare Ethereal to sniff • Run Ethereal and click on first icon on the far left • Choose NIC and click prepare • Check first two under Display options • Click the Capture button when you are ready to start sniffing • Note: If you are using a wireless NIC you will need to be in Monitor mode therefore, uncheck Capture packets in promiscuous mode

22. Sniffing telnet session on the LAN • Run the sniffer – click Capture! • Open command prompt and enter TELNET [your neighbor’s IP address] • Log in with administrative privileges • Perform some commands such as IPCONFIG, CD, Ping, NETSTAT –a, and EXIT • Stop capturing packets

23. Inspecting the packets!Filter telnet packets • In the filter bar type in “telnet” without the quotes • Note: Since we ran telnet at the same time you may have picked up other telnet protocols on the wire. Use telnet&&ip.addr==xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx • You will see a list of telnet protocol packets • Right-click on a packet and choose “Follow TCP Stream” • Blue is the data from the server • Red is what you sent to the server

24. Is there a secure way to telnet to the server? • You can install SSH (Secure Shell) on the server • Note: You will need a terminal emulator such as putty

25. Where can I download an SSH Server and an alternate terminal emulator? • OpenSSH - http://sshwindows.sourceforge.net/ • Putty.exe - http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html

26. Installing OpenSSH • Run setupssh.exe and install it – use defaults • Open command prompt and perform the following command line setup • C:\>cd C:\Program Files\OpenSSH\bin • Create permission file • mkgroup -l >> ..\etc\group (local groups) • mkgroup -d >> ..\etc\group (domain groups) • mkpasswd to add authorized users into the passwd file • mkpasswd -l [-u <username>] >> ..\etc\passwd (local users) • mkpasswd -d [-u <username>] >> ..\etc\passwd (domain users) • net start opensshd

27. Adding a name to the SSH service port – OPTIONAL • When you perform a NETSTAT –a in the command prompt it will show you all the connections and listening ports • Open the SERVICE file located in C:\%systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc directory • Enter a statement such as “SSH-server-P22 22/tcp” • SSH Server default listening port is 22 • If you have SSH server running you will see SSH-server-P22 listening when you enter NETSTAT -a

28. Before connecting to the SSH Server, how about a network sniff?

29. Running Putty.exe • Double click on Putty.exe and it should start running • Enter the IP address of the SSH Server and choose SSH as your port or protocol • Click Open

30. Recap Unsecure and Secure data stream • Telnet – unsecure • SSH v1 and v2 – secure • Uses Diffie Hellman as the key agreement protocol to exchange the secret key

31. The End! Any questions?