Linux Finally Has A Tool For Encryption Setup With Older Logitech Wireless Keyboards

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Finally Has A Tool For Encryption Setup With Older Logitech Wireless Keyboards

For older Logitech keyboards that operate on a 27MHz radio frequency they may have a new lease on life as well as being more secure thanks to a new Linux utility...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-Logitech-27MHz-Encrypt

[Guest]

Ooh, wireless devices that don't use the crowded 2.4 GHz frequencies? Why aren't these more common?

Many wireless products seem to use 2.4 GHz only, which can face interference from each other, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 3 emissions etc.

[milkylainen]

Ooh, wireless devices that don't use the crowded 2.4 GHz frequencies? Why aren't these more common?

Many wireless products seem to use 2.4 GHz only, which can face interference from each other, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 3 emissions etc.

One thing I come to think of is that 27MHz devices are usually physically larger than 2.4GHz ones due to antenna requirements.
The Logitech 27MHz ones had a bulky receiver IIRC. Logitech unify 2.4GHz is stupid small.
Might be 27MHz is close to other more physical things, so you'd probably get interference from that instead.
Like EMC issues from high power switched stuff.

[M@GOid]

Ooh, wireless devices that don't use the crowded 2.4 GHz frequencies? Why aren't these more common?

Many wireless products seem to use 2.4 GHz only, which can face interference from each other, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 3 emissions etc.

Because this interference you speak of is not really a big thing, at last on line-of-sight peripherals. I have a USB hub with 5 dongles permanently attached side-by-side, one feet away from my ancient 2.4Ghz-only router. Everything woks fine.

What I believe happens is people taking those "nano" wireless dongles and putting them behind a case, sometimes under a table, and want the poor thing to have to power trough all the metal inside the case to reach the also small, low-powered mouse/keyboard/gamepad emitter. Aluminium cases are specially bad in terms of interference. Also, avoid buying a USB hub made of that stuff if you want a interference-free experience.

[Luke]

Many years ago, I had to warn a friend not to use wireless keyboards on an encrypted computer in a security-sensitive situation. I told him an iPhone with another wireless dongle under the dumpster would be all it took to capture his passphrase and then decrypt the machine after a so-called "burglary," which had happened before (only computers taken, cash ignored). That wireless keyboard was put out of service and passphrases changed.

Now I see that even some "encrypted" wireless keyboards would not have fixed this. I trust only a wire, and in crowded areas even that may benefit from a common-mode choke.