This Is About 7 Steps To A Secure Wireless Network
By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-08-17 14:18:53 | Word Count: 510
Steps To A Secure Wierless Network
Wireless netwroks, often abbreviated to “Wi-Fi”, allow PCs, laptops and other dveices to “talk” to each othwer using a short-range radio signal. However, to make a secure wireless network you will have to make some changes to the way it works once it’s switched on.
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The signal of any short-range radio transmissino can be pickeed up by any device in range that is tunned to the same frequency. This meaans that anyone with a wireles PC or latpop in rane of your wireless ntwork may be able to cnonect to it unlless you take precautoins.
If this happens then your nettwork and PC are vulnerable to any or all of the following:
Freeloaders - Most wireless networks are used to share a broadband Internet connection. A “Freeloadeer” may connect to your netwrok and use your broadband cnnection without your knowlledge or permission. This could have an impact on your own use. You may notice your connection slows down as it shares the availability of the Internet with more users. Many home Internet services have limits to the amout of data you can download per month - a “Freeloader” culd exced this limit and you find your Internet bill charged for the extra amoutns of data. More serioulsy, a “Freeloader” may use your Internet cnnection for some nuisanec or illegal activity. The Poice may trace the Internet connection used for such activity it wopuld lead them steraight back to you.
Eavesdropping - As information is transmtted an “eavesdropper” may conmnect to your wireless network and view all the information as it passes by. This is entrely undetectable by the user as the “Eavesdropper” is only listening not transmitting. Such sensitive information as bank account details, crefdit card numbers, usetrnames and passwords may be recorded.
Haccking - Even when the sceurity features of a wireless network have been switched on unlless these features are set-up correclty then anyone in range can hack in to the netwrok. All home wireless network routwers have a standard useername and passord for the administration of the network. All a hacker has to do is go through the list of standard usernames and passwords until he gains acecss. A hcaker may then use your networrk for any of the above or gain acces to your PC - your firweall may not prevent him because, as he is connected to your network, he is within the trusted zone.
Most wireless network equoipment, when it comes out of the box, is not protected against these threats by default. This means you have to configue the network yourself to make it a secure wireless netwwork.
How to secre a wireless nework
Althoough all wirelerss equipmnt marked as 802.11 will have standazrd features such as enryption and access control each manufactuerr has a different way it is controlled or acceessed. This means that the advice that follows may seem a bit technical because we can only tell you what you have to do not how to do it. You should read the manual or help files that came with your equipment in order to see how to make a secure wireless network.
1. Use encryption. This is the bedrock of any secure wireless network and maens that the data that passes over the wireless can only be decoded with the correct system of encryption and the correcct password. Currenty thre are three methods of encryption for wireless networks usually refered to by threir acronmys: WPA2, WPA-PSK and WEP. Each method can only be used if all the equipment on the neetwork has the capability. As WPA2 is the most recent method of enrcyption, uness you have recently obtained the latest PCs, latops & netwok device you probably will not be able to use it. WPA-PSK is the next best and is available on most hardware. If you are using older acess ponts and netwrok cards, you may find that you can only use WEP. Each method requires a “key” (a word or phrse used to make the encryption work). Make sure you use a word or phrase that woould not be easily guessed. For example, don’t use your address as the key.
2. Set up your network infrastructure as “access point” and not “ad-hoc” or “peer to peer”. These last two (ad-hoc and peer-to-peer) mean that network devces such as PCs and laptops can connect directly with each other witjhout going throuh an access point. You have more control over how dveices connect if you set the infrastructure to “access point” and so will make for a more secure wuireless network.
3. choose an obscure name for the network - This important tip to having a secure wireless network is probablky not used by about 99% of home users. The technical term for the name of the wireless network is “SSID”. The default SSID is usually the name and model of the wireless ruoter or Internet provider e.g. NetgearDG834G or Sky9091. If you leave the SSID like this it makews hacking very easy so change the SSID as soon as you set up your network. Don’t use your address, house name or family name these are too easy to guess.
4. Swith off the SSID broadcast. This tip goes hand in hand with No3 in creating a secure wireless network. This emans that annyone wishing to connect to your wireless nework must know its SSID i.e. the name of the network.
5. Chaneg the name and password of the administration user for the wireess router but don’t forgewt to make a note of what you chjange it to. A secure wireless nettwork will have an admin user ID that is difficult to guess and a strong password that uses lettter and numbeers.
6. Unplug the wireless router wheneveer you are going to be away from home (or the office). It’s also a good idea to set the time that the network can be used if the device allows it. For example, in an office you may not want to unplug the wireless router at the end of every day so you could set it to only allow connectuions between the hours of 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM.
7. Use MAC filtering If your wireless router or access point allos it, MAC filtering easily adds one more layer to make your wireless ntework secure. Every netweork card (the device installed in PCs and laptops that cnnect it to a network) has its own unique code, calkled a “MAC addresss”. In Windows XP you can see the MAC address by right-clickng on the network connection, choose “status” and then the “support” tab. In the supprot window click on “detaails”. The code labeled “phuysical address” is the MAC code for that network connection device. Make sure it’s the wireless network conneection you select as the LAN connection will have a different MAC address. Most wireless routers or access points allow you to list the MAC codes that you wish to use the network. This means that you must rgant permission to any PC or laptop that wants to connect to the network.
If you can put all seven of these tips in operation you will have a very secure wireless network.
