Millions of homes in the United States currently have wireless computer network devices. In fact, agreeing to important technology analysts over 34 million homes will have passage to wireless for Internet passage by 2009.
Wireless networks at home offer some conveniences that make them an curious selection for the home computer user: multiple computers can share a broadband relationship without the need to run network cabling throughout the home, and laptop computers can be carried colse to both indoors and exterior on the deck or patio to supply "anywhere" connectivity.
Network hardware vendors such as Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link have whole lines of wireless passage points, network cards, and accessories marketed directly for home use. Most consumers, however, have exiguous idea of the inherent protection issues they are bringing home with that wireless passage point. It is surprising just how many home-based wireless networks are lacking in even the most basic security, with technology analysts estimating half of the home wireless networks in the United States are operating with no protection at all.
Without the allowable protection measures in place, introducing wireless networking into your home could present a major protection and privacy issue for you and your family. If your home Pc or laptop-the one containing your personal financial data and electronic mail-is on a security-lax wireless network, and that Pc has not been properly secured with the newest operating theory patches and protection updates, then your financial data and personal correspondence may de facto be viewed by anything close sufficient to your home to passage your wireless network. Additionally, your instant messaging conversations and email traffic may be transmitted in the clear, as well.
Many wireless users setting up a new wireless home network will rush straight through the factory instructions to get their Internet connectivity working as fast as possible. While the excitement is understandable, it is also quite risky as numerous protection problems can result. Taking the time to understand the basics of the technology and how to keep your network regain are considerable to protecting the personal and confidential data on your home computer and network. While technology limits ensure that no wireless network can be 100% secure, there are steps you can take to make it much more difficult for malicious users to compromise your home wireless network.
While this new wireless technology makes life a exiguous easier, the lingering demand remains: is it secure?
Wireless Networking Primer
Wireless networking (often referred to as WiFi, or Wlan devices) is based on one of some industry-standard technologies, typically referred to as the 802.11a, b, and g standards. These standards define the data replacement rates and the frequencies upon which data rides the airwaves. The 802.11b protocol operates at 2.4 Gigahertz (Ghz) and 11 Megabits (Mbps), while 802.11a runs at 5Ghz and 11Mbps. 802.11g devices control on the same frequencies as 802.11b, but have higher data replacement rates of 54 Mbps. Basically, each of these specifications provides different frequencies for wireless (or radio) communications, thereby contribution different capabilities in signal drive and range.
Wireless network devices can typically recapitulate in one of two modes: Managed and Ad-Hoc. Managed mode allows a device to act as a "node" on a network, just as a Pc connecting to the data network. These nodes recapitulate with servers, printers, and other resources on the network in what is known as a client/server relationship. The Pc is the client in this scenario. In the wireless world a device in managed mode connects to a wireless passage point (or Wap) to connect to resources, and the passage point acts as a communications bridge between the wireless device and the rest of the network (which can consist of wired systems, as well as other wireless devices.)
A device placed in Ad-Hoc mode does not need an passage point to help it talk to the rest of the network. Ad-Hoc mode places the device in a "peer-to-peer" mode, allowing the device to act as its own passage point to which other wireless devices in Ad-Hoc mode can attach. Wireless protection standards were adopted early on, and were soon found to be flawed and ineffective.
Wep (wired-equivalent privacy) is today the acceptable method for protecting a wireless networking data transmission. While other technology and standards-such as 802.1x and
Eap-are being positioned to replace the shortcomings of the Wep protection model, Wep today is still the most widely deployed method of protecting wireless networking communications.
During the inception of the 802.11 standards for wireless networking, the Ieee had to settle a fundamental issue of wireless security; communications using this protocol are vulnerable because they use radio signals straight through open air space, as opposed to electrical signals straight through fulfilled, wires. The Wep acceptable was created to address this liability. It was supposed to make wireless networks as incommunicable as wired networks by using 40-bit and 128-bit encryption. Wep technology provides a means of encrypting the data communications taking place between a wireless networking device and a wireless passage point, or two wireless networking devices (depending on which mode is being used, Managed or Ad-Hoc.) Typically the devices are designed to supply up to 128- bit encryption, which in itself is fairly secure. However, due to a lack of peer recapitulate or some other misstep the "equivalent privacy" is not so incommunicable after all. Wep can be broken very fast after conference 100 Mb to 1,000 Mb of data with freeware sniffers ordinarily distributed on the Web.
A sniffer is a computer linked to a network with its Nic placed in "promiscuous mode" (or "listening mode"). This allows that particular sniffer to eavesdrop on any transportation passing along that network, and view the data contained within the packets. Even if the transportation is encrypted, any person with a wireless Nic and a laptop can regain data, and in three to 30 hours break the Wep code using freeware utilities. This means the e n c r y p t e d " p r i v a t e " communications are no longer private. Development things worse, range is not our friend. A wireless network is vulnerable to this type of intrusion from points far beyond the business parking lot or the house next door. Ten dollars' worth of parts from Radio Shack and a Pringles potato chip can be used to make a directional antenna, and boost a wireless network device's 100-foot range to about 10 miles in a direct line of sight. As it stands today, the prospect of protection and privacy assumed when using Wep in reality falls short of that expectation. Wep is de facto broken, and therefore unreliable as a means to regain communications.
Wireless protection at Home
While most home-based networks use wireless passage points that offer some form of data encryption like Wep, what you understanding was regain may de facto be de facto overcome by any tech-savvy hacker having the tools and time to crack your Wep key. "The photo you paint is pretty frightening. If Wep isn't a good solution for securing my home-based wireless network, then what is?" The answer: common sense. With a exiguous understanding you can de facto augment Wep with some "in home" protection practices that will develop your home-based w i r e less network against eavesdropping. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Never attach a personal computer that contains personal financial or family data to a home-based network via wireless. Most wireless passage points come with a 4 or 6-port Ethernet switch built right in. Always connect these types of Pcs to the network with a acceptable Ethernet cable. That ensures that all communications to and from this Pc are secured within a wired connection.
2. Make sure that all of your home-based Pcs are up to date with protection patches and fixes from the operating theory vendor (most often Microsoft).
3. If possible, convert the Wep key on a scheduled basis. Come up with a new key every month or two, and make sure the key is long sufficient and complex sufficient so that it is not de facto guessed. Never use your name, house address number, or other de facto guessed data in your Wep key or as the Ssid string in your wireless network devices.
4. If your wireless passage point offers the potential to "turn down" the signal power, sacrifice it as low as inherent for your needs. The lower the signal output, the smaller the range of the passage point. Out of the box most passage points transmit a distance of over 1000 ft. This is far more range than is needed if you use wireless in your home office.
5. Always power off your wireless passage point when not is use. Remember that all traffic flowing over your Internet Dsl or cablemodem relationship is traceable back to you, and in most legal situations is your responsibility. If a neighbor over the street is using your unsecured wireless passage point at night while you sleep to download illegal material such as child pornography, these downloads are traced back to your Dsl or cable modem.
Finally, as with all Internet communications, never say or recapitulate anything in an email, instant message, or chat conversation that you wouldn't say in a communal forum. Unless you are using developed encryption technology or secured communications channels there should be no prospect of privacy in your Internet communications. If you need to say something of a incommunicable or personal nature, take the conversation to a voice phone call.
Wireless Networks - What You Should Know