How can I setup security on my Wireless Network?
There are 3 main areas of security that I look at for wireless networks
WEP Authentication ( Wired Equivalent Privacy) is the first security standard being used. Routers support both 40 Bit and 128 Bit authentication. I always recommend the 128 bit authentication. You create a passphrase for example (footballrules) and the wep utility built into your router changes your phrase into a code. You enter the code or the pass phrase (depending on your NIC card) into the application for your NIC card. Because both devices have the same WEP code, your computer/laptop will connect to the wireless router properly and can now gain access to the network.
WPA (WI-FI Protected Access) is a wireless security with greater protection than WEP. WPA setup is very similar to WEP in that you use a passphrase, however as your packets are transmitted WAP changes the encryption on each packet of information that is sent across the network to the router and back again to the computer. Click Here for a definition of a network packet. WPA technology was made available after 2003. So if the router and network card are newer than 2003, you should be able to implement WAP.
SSID (service set identifier) is a code attached to all packets on a wireless network to identify each packet as part of that network. The code is a case sensitive text string which contains a maximum of 32 alphanumeric characters. All wireless devices attempting to communicate with each other must share the same SSID. However you do not need to broadcast your SSID. Routers have a mode where they do not broadcast their SSID. Thus allowing others to not see your network routers. For example you go to Starbucks and startup your laptop. Because they want you to connect to the network provided by T-Mobile, they broadcast the SSID. Your laptop can see the SSID, which allows your laptop to connect to their router. The router gives you an IP address. But if their wireless router did not broadcast the SSID you not see the network available in your connection utility, and would have to take a guess as to the SSID name. At your home or office it is best to not broadcast your SSID. People then will not know that you even have a network. To make this work for you, you must manually put in the SSID name into your connection software (the profile will keep a record of it for future connections) so you build a home or office profile, and connect to the appropriate profile.
Another security tip is to setup on the MAC addresses that you need. Every NIC card has a specific MAC address. This address is unique per NIC card, so no two are the same. If you tell your router to only accept connections from a specific network card, via the MAC address, then only authorized NIC’s can connect.
These three areas will help you have a safe wireless network. Nothing is fool-proof, and you can always change your WEP or WPA passphrases often as well as the SSID name. By mixing and matching these items I am sure that you can have a network that you will feel comfortable using.
