WiFi Security
WiFi is a technology used to create wireless computer networks based on the international standard called IEEE 802.11. WiFi operational range and distance varies among different manufacturer devices and can be different within limits of tens of meters up to several hundred meters, thus making WiFi the wireless technology of choice for home networking and wireless internet connections. Wireless Network Security standards include WEP and WPA which are two WiFi Security methods used to encrypt data exchanged on the network. WiFi is progressively being used by more and more electronic equipment, including computers, electronic organizers, personal digital assistants (PDA's), game consoles (XBox 360 WiFi, Nintendo Wii and Game Boy Advance) and some cell phones use WiFi to enhance network connectivity options for wireless internet.
What does WiFi stand for
In relation to wireless networking, WiFi is used to refer wireless local-area-networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. The term Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. WiFi networks operate in two ways, in an Ad-Hoc Wireless Network an access point is not needed. Each network client forwards the data it receives to other network clients. Wireless networks operating in Ad-Hoc mode may suffer from performance limitations due to the fact that total network bandwidth is a function of the speed of the slowest client on the network. Ad-Hoc wireless networking is often limited to use in home networks or for simple business wireless internet connectivity. In Infrastructure Mode, the wireless network is managed by an access point. The wireless access point broadcasts the data transmitted to it and network clients communicate through the access point and not directly to each other, thus overall network bandwidth is conserved. Infrastructure Mode is more reliable and can also be extended by linking several access points together.
Wireless Network Security
The critical problem with Wireless Network Security for WiFi is that there is no control over the medium on which data flows. Anyone within range of the WiFi antenna signal can listen. At a minimum, it is advisable to use WEP encryption and MAC address filtering for wireless networks.
SSID
The SSID (service set identifier) or network name identifies the network, giving it a name to differentiate it from other networks. If the SSID is not broadcast then only predetermined users will know it and it immediately becomes more difficult for outsiders to connect to the network.
Setting up WEP
WEP (wired equivalent privacy) refers to the wireless LAN privacy encryption service that provides some of the same characteristics of the physical security inherent in wired or cable networks. Setting up WEP is simple and often automatic with many wireless routers and gateways. WEP is set by default on the LiveBox for example. But WEP encryption consumes relatively more resources and is easily cracked with the WEP hack and WEP crack tools widely available.
WPA Encryption
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is often a better choice for wireless network security because it much less easily cracked. It is recommended to change WPA and WPA2 codes regularly for enhanced wireless security.
MAC Address
Each host on a network has a unique identifier associated with it's network interface card (NIC). With MAC address filtering (or layer 2 address filtering), the wireless router creates a list of MAC addresses of network adapters that it allows to connect to the network. To improve the security of your WiFi network, enable mac address filtering. Filtering can be an effective network security measure, but MAC address filtering vulnerabilities exist because MAC addresses are easily sniffed allowing the filtering to be circumvented through MAC address spoofing.
DHCP
DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) is a network application protocol used to automatically assign hosts with the values needed to communicate on the network. This mechanism is very convenient but also very practical for potential hackers who will not have to guess at the wireless network configuration.
