Tips On Choosing And Setting Up A Wireless RouterWhen you plan to invest in a wireless router, it would make sense to do a little research before splashing the cash. Primarily, check out the various features on offer, not to mention the manufacturer's reputation in your local market. In order to setup a wireless router we need to first procure a wireless adapter. There are two kinds of adapters—802.11b and 802.11g. If you choose the 802.11g adapter, it would make sense to buy a 802.11g wireless router as one can maximize network speed at 54Mbps. On the other hand, if you are forced to connect to an 802.11b wireless router you will be restricted to a network speed of 11Mbps. This is usually the case when we try to access a public wireless access point. A wireless router is a good idea for those of us who want to remotely connect to our office network. A secure connection, however, requires a technology called VPN or Virtual Private Network. Be warned, one should only buy a router specifically designed for wireless and VPN technology as the ordinary router invariably stumbles at the VPN hurdle. After installation, you will have to update your system with the latest firmware package from the manufacturer. This is because your wireless network is constantly under threat from hackers. The first step towards wireless network security begins by terminating SSID broadcasting. You should also change your default SSID and enable WEP encryption. Last but not least, make sure that you have activated MAC address filtering. Congratulations, you have just deterred the vast majority of hacker threats to your wireless network! However, the war against intruders doesn't end here. The WEP system is riddled with inconsistencies that can be easily exploited by an intruder. Hence, we should deploy the WPA system. To put it in simpler terms, a WEP uses a static key for network traffic leaving it vulnerable to software like network analyzers. On the other hand, WPA replaces the static key with a dynamic key. This system confuses the hacker as the key changes with every data frame. Now we come to TKIP and AES encryption tools used by the WPA system. The TKIP is the second best encryption technique used by WPA while AES is almost foolproof and occupies the top slot for encryption tools. There is also the WPA-PSK or Wireless Protected Area Pre-Shared Key. One can easily install this system by copying the shared key to the router, adapter and the system. If you are still unsatisfied, then you can enlist the help of the RADIUS server. The WPA-RADIUS system is a paid, preliminary scanning and verifying system that authenticates the user before he or she can access the inner network. Linksys is one such company that offers this service for $5.00 per month. Remember, wired security includes NAT or Network Address Translation that takes your public IP address and transforms this into a range of private IPs. It is a common misconception to use NAT as a firewall since it doesn't pay attention to any unnecessary outgoing addresses. |