Hardware Information |
|
Wireless Networking, Part 2: Setup and Security
The first installment in this two-part series of Tech Tips provided an introduction to the basic capabilities and hardware involved in wireless networking. In the final installment of this two-part series, we will look at some of the basic setup and security considerations that should be addressed. The physical installation of a wireless network may be easier than a wired network, but the more difficult part is setting up the software and security to make sure everything stays up and running without incident. Although this Tech Tip is by no means an exhaustive resource on configuring a wireless network, it will provide information and pointers that can be applied to most typical installations. Many of these tips are general enough that they may provide some good advice for those utilizing wired networks as well. For the sake of this article, we will assume that the hardware has been successfully installed physically, and that the user is now prepared to set up and secure the system through software. Wireless devices, especially routers / access points, generally include a web-based configuration utility that allows the user to customize the hardware to meet their needs. The hardware will most likely work with minimal configuration, but to make it work so that the integrity of the network is protected may take a few more steps. In addition to the configuration interface provided with the wireless networking hardware, Microsoft has integrated a "Wireless Network Setup Wizard" with the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 that will lead a user of any expertise through the installation of their network. In addition, the "Microsoft Broadband Network Utility" will help them monitor and maintain the network just as easily once it is set up. Change Default Password Routers, whether wired or wireless, require a password for configuring the various settings, and all of them ship with extremely simple default passwords. The first step taken in setting up the router should be to change the default password to something more difficult to guess. Longer passwords that use a combination of letters and numbers are preferable as they make hacking attempts that much more difficult. Change Router IP Address Most routers ship with a default IP (Internet Protocol) address, something like 192.168.1.1, which is utilized by the user for accessing the configuration utility interface, as well as by the network itself for negotiating the LAN and WAN connections. The configuration utility of most routers will include a page that will allow for the default IP address to be manually changed by the user. Although changing the default IP address doesn't provide a great amount of security since it can easily be discovered anyway, it may deter intrusion by local users that may be casually scanning the network. Configure Router or Access Point Use In the first part of this series of Tech Tips, I mentioned that almost all routers intended for home use can also double as wireless access points, and this is generally accomplished by clicking a check box within the control panel software. If a wireless router is being added to a network with an existing router and broadband connection, the new device needs to be set to access point mode. Otherwise, there could be a conflict as the network may not know where to expect the internet connection, since it will now have two routers that both want to serve as the gateway. If the wireless router is replacing an existing router, or is the only one on the network, this should not be an issue as these devices generally ship configured to operate as a router by default. Broadcasting the SSID The SSID, or Service Set Identifier, is basically the name assigned to a particular wireless network. The user can choose just about any name they want, as long as it is less than 32 characters long, and they just need to be sure that all computers on the network are configured to use the same name. Two steps related to the SSID can be taken to help improve the security of the network: First, change the default SSID to a unique name that includes a combination of letters and numbers that doesn't reveal anything personal about you or your network. Second, disable the broadcast of the SSID once all of your computers are successfully connected, even if your router / access point recommends broadcasting it. I have used a few wireless routers, and all of them have a check box in the control panel for enabling/disabling the broadcast of the SSID, and they have all recommended leaving broadcasting enabled. Broadcasting the SSID allows new computers to easily find your network, and then all they have to do is access it given the proper credentials. Broadcasting your SSID puts it out there for anyone within range to see, and it just allows would-be hackers to get one step closer to compromising your security. In a home environment, there are probably few computers that need to access the network, and if more are ever added, you can temporarily enable the broadcast to get them set up. DHCP Server The DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Server is a feature of most routers that makes adding new computers extremely simple. Whenever a new computer connects to the network, the router will assign an IP address to it, instead of the user having to assign an IP address to each manually while sitting at that particular computer. This makes configuring a network very easy, but it also leaves the network vulnerable, as any new computer detected will be welcomed to the neighborhood and assigned an IP address automatically. Two different approaches can be taken to improve security, as related to the DHCP server: One method, and the best as far as security is concerned, is to disable the DHCP server. This will require that all computers that are authorized to connect to the network be configured manually, but it will prevent unauthorized computers from obtaining an IP address. The second method, which doesn't provide bulletproof security, is better than doing nothing. In general, a DHCP server can support up to 250 computers, and by default leaves a range of addresses readily available for that many to connect. If disabling the DHCP server doesn't seem convenient for a user, they can limit the DHCP server to only provide as many IP addresses as they know they need. If you know there will never be more than five computers connected, limit the range of available IP addresses to a total of five within the configuration utility. Different Levels of Encryption All wireless components support some sort of encryption, which simply scrambles the information being sent across the network so that it can not easily be read by anyone else connected to the network. There are different types and levels of encryption, and a brief overview is provided for them below: WEP, or Wireless Equivalency Protocol, was the first format of encryption available on wireless networks. WEP allows the network administrator to assign an encryption string to be shared by all computers authorized to access the wireless network. The encryption through WEP is either 64bit, 128bit, or 256bit, where the higher number represents greater encryption, and the strings can be generated by the administrator as a series of letters and numbers. WPA, or "Wi-Fi Protected Access," is an improvement over WEP that starts off with a similar master encryption string and then mathematically derives encryption keys to keep the security dynamic. WPA continually changes the encryption keys used for each packet of data, and due to the extra processing required to support this protocol the overall throughput of the connection may suffer slightly. Despite the potential for decreased speed, WPA is considered to be far more robust than WEP, and should be implemented where possible. In some instances, WEP encryption has actually been defeated, making WPA all that more appealing. Although most components support both of these encryption formats, and users can select the type they wish to use from within the control software, not all do. All devices on the network must be set to operate at the same level of encryption, which may mean that some devices will force others to be less secure than they are capable of. For example, a wireless network setup around this router (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=DI-824VUP&cat=NET) could support either WEP or WPA encryption. When two computers are added to this network using one of these network adaptors (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=WN-4054P&cat=NET) in one case, and one of these network adaptors (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PBW006-N&cat=NET) in the other case, things change. Note that the second adaptor does not support WPA; therefore the whole network must now be configured to use WEP to accommodate it. Router Position As discussed in the first part of this Tech Tip, wireless devices can have a range of up to a few hundred feet in free space. When installed inside a home, this range may decrease greatly due to walls, floors and other obstructions, but the signal may still be strong enough to carry beyond the confines of the dwelling. A simple step that may help reduce the strength and reach of the network signal outside the house is to position the router / access point as close to the center of the house as possible. The potential for someone to detect the network from outside the home when positioned like this is now much less than if the router was placed near a window, for example. Final Words There are definitely additional issues that could be considered when setting up a wireless network, but covering these basics will make a wireless network much more secure than it was straight out of the box. Many people are confident that no one would be interested in their home network and feel security is just one more headache of technical mumbo-jumbo that they would rather not deal with. Whether a hacker wants access to personal files on the network or to simply gain unauthorized access to the Internet, a few simple steps are worth the peace of mind to know you are as secure as possible. Jason Kohrs
MORE RESOURCES: Asus vows to improve clarity surrounding warranty claims and astronomical hardware repair costs Tom's Hardware What we know so far about AMD's Zen 5 CPUs Windows Central Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti with memory mod easily beats RTX 4080 in Superposition benchmark - Tom's Hardware Bye Bye, AI: How to turn off Google's annoying AI overviews and just get search results Tom's Hardware Montclair hardware store to close after 131 years in business News 12 New Jersey My Mom and Dad Owned Competing Side-by-Side Hardware Stores. It Was a Lesson in Life. The Wall Street Journal OP police looking for 6 people involved in hardware store theft: WDAF FOX4 Kansas City Hardware Store In Montclair Closing After More Than A Century Montclair, NJ Patch Hardware Center in Paoli shutting down after nearly 73 years The Philadelphia Inquirer Ace Hardware Reports Increase in Q1 2024 Revenues Hardware Retailing Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and other tech giants are cutting back on headcount—but their spending on hardware and ... Yahoo Finance Canyon ISD brings home hardware at UIL state tennis tournament Press Pass Sports Best Tech and PC Hardware Deals Tom's Hardware Overland Park police searching for suspects in multiple thefts KMBC Kansas City ACE HARDWARE REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2024 RESULTS PR Newswire Intel-powered Aurora supercomputer fails to dethrone AMD-powered Frontier on Top500 list, again — claims spot as ... Tom's Hardware Three-year-old CPU beats Intel's fastest current chip in RAM benchmark — 7 GHz Core i9-11900K tops 8.3 GHz Core ... Tom's Hardware Enthusiast gets Windows XP running on an i486 — merging two dinosaurs from different eras Tom's Hardware Best Webcams for 2024 Tom's Hardware OpenAI's new assistant makes Apple's Siri look primitive, also announces GPT-4o and new desktop PC client (Updated) Tom's Hardware How Much Does It Cost To Open an Ace Hardware Franchise? 1851 Franchise Massive Dell blunder leaks Intel and Nvidia's mobile roadmaps — Nova Lake, Panther Lake CPUs and GENxx Nvidia ... Tom's Hardware Ace Hardware purchases 13 local chain store locations across central Illinois The State Journal-Register Melaco Sisters Hardware & Supplies Player of the Week: Zariell Pollard Lafourche Gazette DisplayPort 2.1 has a serious issue with UHBR-certified cables — it could explain Nvidia sticking with DP 1.4 on RTX ... Tom's Hardware Schoolmeester, Diani bring home hardware for Banks | Sports | forestgrovenewstimes.com Forest Grove News times CPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2024: CPU Rankings Tom's Hardware Western Digital rolls out new 2.5-inch HDDs for the first time in seven years: is 6TB the swan song for 2.5-inch hard ... Tom's Hardware US to increase tariffs on Chinese semiconductors by 100% in 2025 — officials say it protects the $53 billion spent on ... Tom's Hardware Homegrown European processor for supercomputers delayed by a year — chip upgraded to 80 cores, but timeline gets ... Tom's Hardware GPU Price Index 2024: Lowest price on every graphics card from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel today Tom's Hardware If you think PCIe 5.0 runs hot, wait till you see PCIe 6.0's new thermal throttling technique Tom's Hardware Hardware Wildlife Education Center Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Ace Hardware Brunswick | Ads | fredericknewspost.com Frederick News Post URI club sailing team heads to nationals, collects post-season hardware The University of Rhode Island Microsoft offers to relocate nearly 10% of China-based staffers to the US or allied nations — AI and cloud engineering ... Tom's Hardware Hardware visit Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Intel's 1500W TDP for Falcon Shores AI processor confirmed — next-gen AI chip consumes more power than Nvidia's ... Tom's Hardware PS5 Best-Seller, Sales Drop For All Consoles - Europe Hardware Estimates for April 2024 - Sales VGChartz Nintendo Switch hacked to run Windows 11 on Arm, and it's just about as awful as you can imagine Tom's Hardware Intel's new Thunderbolt Share provides file and screen sharing without hurting network performance Tom's Hardware Ace Hardware partners with Webster Parish Council on Aging for fan drive Minden Press-Herald Area softball teams in search of hardware at various state tournaments Moscow-Pullman Daily News Daily Dish with K&K Hardware WHBF - OurQuadCities.com Windows translator makes PC games run on Android — Fallout 4 demoed at 30 fps using Winlator app Tom's Hardware Our newest hardware office in Taiwan The Keyword | Google Product and Technology News Curt's Ace Hardware Ribbon Cutting - Morristown, TN | Local News | citizentribune.com Citizentribune OLED monitor momentum expected to continue — analysts expect 1.34 million units shipped by year end Tom's Hardware Windows 11 24H2 will enable BitLocker encryption for everyone — happens on both clean installs and reinstalls Tom's Hardware 5 Best Hardware Wallets for DeFi in 2024 CoinCodex Asus quotes ridiculous $2750 fee to replace chipped GPU power connector— docs back up claims of egregious repair ... Tom's Hardware Save up to 50% on BBQs, lawn mowers and garden essentials during Home Hardware's massive pre-summer sale Yahoo Canada Shine On Newcomer Campbell Collects Major Hardware in CAA Softball Postseason Honors Colonial Athletic Association Stack Overflow bans users en masse for rebelling against OpenAI partnership — users banned for deleting answers to ... Tom's Hardware Full scan of 1 cubic millimeter of brain tissue took 1.4 petabytes of data, equivalent to 14000 4K movies — Google's AI ... Tom's Hardware |
RELATED ARTICLES
A Review of Samsung Laser Toners Samsung laser toner is just as popular as its Hewlett-Packard and Brother counterparts. Samsung is a group of products and services that began in Korea in 1938. Buying a Plasma or LCD TV FAQs This article focuses on frequently asked questions by buyers of plasma and LCD televisions.Q: Does the "plasma" in plasma televisions need to be recharged or replaced over time?A: No. JunxionBox -- WiFi Access Everywhere Now you can more easily access the Internet wherever mobile phone carriers offer high-speed data service coverage.The JunxionBox enables multiple computing devices with Ethernet or Wi-Fi (like laptops, desktops, handhelds and remote computers) to connect with the web through your mobile phone service provider's wireless PC Card modem. Security Risks and Ways to Decrease Vulnerabilities in a 802.11b Wireless Environment IntroductionThis document explains topics relating to wireless networks. The main topics discussed include, what type of vulnerabilities exist today in 802. Ink Cartridges - A Humble Beginning Computers and their accompanying printers were huge years ago. In the past toner reservoirs and toner cartridges were used instead of ink cartridges like those used now. ATA vs SATA Hard Drives: ATA versus SATAThe performance of computer systems has been steadily increasing as faster processors, memory, and video cards are continuously being developed. The one key component that is often neglected when looking at improving the performance of a computer system is the hard drive. Introduction to Dedicated Servers A dedicated server is a single computer on a web-hosting network that is leased or rented, and dedicated to just one customer. A service provider monitors the computer's hardware, network connectivity, and routing equipment, while the customer generally controls and maintains the server software. Laptop Notebook - Inexpensive Business Laptops Laptop Notebook - Your Portable OfficeIn much of today's business world, portability and mobility are the keys to success. Having a laptop notebook computer provides business men and women with portable computing capability, and these notebooks help them take their mobile business functionality to a new level. Does Size Really Matter In Our Digital Age? Well, we've all seen the advert, but that's not what I want to talk about, so get that out of your head straight away. No, let's think about what many call the "Queen of Arts" - namely painting. Would You Like An Extended Warranty With That? Should you buy an extended warranty with your laptop? You may not want to think about it now, but sooner or later, something is going to break down on your laptop. When it happens, the big question will be who gets stuck with the bill, you or the manufacturer. USB Drive Popularity So many people have small USB drives today, but what is the attracting of owning one?USB drives are very small rewritable storage media for your PC, they can be anywhere from 32 megabytes well over a gigabyte! Despite their growing storage capacity and lowering cost, they can quite literally fit on your keychain! To give you an idea on the size of these drives, they are roughly 3 inches long, under an inch wide and weight almost nothing!USB drives use one of the most common ports on the back of personal computers, the USB port has been in place for many years, and almost every computer built within the last 5-7 years should have a USB port on it. Most new computers have these ports installed on the front of their cases for easy access!USB drives require no additional software to make them work with a new computer, you just plug it in, and a few moments later a new drive will appear in the list of available drives (in My Computer). Review of Popular Wireless Headphones Just about everyone would I agree, I think, that wires on headphones are just about the most annoying wires associated with any electronic device. When you listen to music you don't want to have to stay in anyone one place, and you don't want to have to worry about cords tripping you are pulling your headphones down. Small Computers Today, small form factor computers demolish the myth that bigger PCs are faster. Specially designed SFF computers from Ovi PC, like the Prometheus, deliver tower-crushing performance in one-third the space, and at the fraction of the price. HIPPA Goes Mobile and Wireless for Hospitals and First Responders It appears we need to further streamline health care and HIPPA now in effect is quite a nightmare trying to comply with and implement without making a mistake and possibly being sued as the trial lawyers testing the law. The Malpractice insurance rates may go up again. Personal Asset Preventive Maintenance Software Personal asset preventive maintenance software exists to help people manage and maximize the value of their assets. Common types of personal asset preventive maintenance software deal with taxes and investments. Choosing a Tape Drive Tape drives remain the leading technology used by organizations for backup and archiving. However, the plethora of tape drives on the market can make choosing the appropriate tape drive a confusing task. Laptop and Notebook Theft Prevention Laptops or Notebook computers are an expensive personal and business asset that are highly sought after by both small time thieves and large complicated theft rings. Keeping your laptop and notebook computers safely in your possession should always be in the back of your mind. Video Display Video displays are most recent technique used in both outdoor and indoor environments.Video displays are used to display live actions at either sporting event, cultural show, or any industrial event. Sony vs. Olympus: Digital Voice Recorders Digital voice recorders have become increasingly popular over the last few years, as they offer a relatively cheap and reliable alternative to older cassette voice recorders. Digital voice recorders use memory - much like the memory used in your personal pc - to record sound, rather than tape cassettes. What Everybody Should Know About An Inkjet Printer: The One-Year Cost Of Printing You can purchase an inkjet printer for as little as $39. With a rebate, it may even be less. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |