How to tighten your wireless networks security

Wireless networking, also known as wireless fidelity or WiFi, opens a whole new realm of low-cost mobile computing. Many homes, businesses and public places now feature WiFi "hotspots" to provide Internet access to people with laptops, tablets, PDAs or other wireless computing devices. However, this also opens up your network to any unwelcome users, ranging from people looking for free Internet access to intruders trying to compromise computers on the network.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• documentation/user's manual for your router
• <br>your client's MAC addresses
• <br>anitvirus software

1. Familiarize yourself with the technology and terminology. WiFi is a wireless network access protocol (a WLAN protocol). The coverage area can often be quite large and extends in every direction. All traffic broadcast on the network can be received by anyone in the coverage area. To combat this, there are two major encryption standards in use: WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (WiFi Protected Access). Both of these are encryption protocols; WPA is the newer and stronger of the two.

2. Configure your router not to broadcast the SSID and tell your users to manually configure the SSID in their network settings. Each WiFi router broadcasts a small ID string called an SSID (Service Set Identifier) which is used to differentiate it from other WiFi routers in the area. Each router works a little differently so check your device's documentation to learn how to configure your router not to broadcast the SSID. While this will prevent casual intruders from finding the network and accessing it, persistent and skilled intruders will probably be able to find the SSID.

3. Enable encryption. Depending on your router, enable WEP, WPA or both. These protocols encrypt all the traffic between the routers and the clients. This will prevent people from intercepting packets and obtaining information such as passwords for email addresses, network services and websites. Each client on the WiFi network will need to manually configure the encryption key in her network settings.

4. Use secure protocols and use encrypted versions of as many protocols as possible. Using protocols with strong authentication and encryption when possible will help to secure any network, not just wireless networks. For example, use SSH (Secure Shell) instead of telnet since telnet transfers unencrypted data, while SSH transfers the same information in encrypted format. A more practical and everyday example is using a web address beginning with "https" as opposed to "http." It's the same site, but the "https" version is encrypted.

5. Use MAC filtering. When there are only a small number of clients using your wireless network, you can configure your router to only accept clients from a pool of known MAC address. MAC addresses are which are unique to each computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware that using MAC filtering adds extra work every time a client must be added or removed from the network. Many routers also limit the number of MAC addresses that you can add to the filter list.
• Remember to install antivirus software. This may seem unrelated to wireless networks, but the dynamic and far-reaching nature of wireless networks means a virus or worm can (and will) spread much faster. A virus or worm infection can not only compromise clients and servers on the network, but generate a large amount of network traffic slowing down everyone, including people who aren't infected.