Simple Steps To Secure Wireless Network
Internet wireless connection is a most user-friendly device that allows you to use the Internet without worrying about the chords. You can work on the Web from just anywhere. But it is very important to secure wireless network so as to get the utmost benefit from it. It doesnt need any special skills to secure your wireless Internet. All you need to do is just follow a few simple steps. Lets understand what these are. First of all, you should secure the wireless router and the access points. The routers as well as the access points of your connection should have a default password that is easy to break. This password is required to make any changes in the configuration settings. Thus, it is essential to change the default password as soon as you setup your wireless network. The crux is that you must take proper care to remember this password.
In addition, you should set up the wireless routers and the access points at the center of the home or office. Remember to keep it as far away from a window as possible. This would minimize the leakage from your network path. You shouldnt allow your system to broadcast the Service Set Identifier (SSID). When you turn off SSID broadcast, it ensures that your network is not visible to your neighbor users but is visible to Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) sniffers. You should also enable Wi-Fi Protected Access (WAP) rather than Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP). WPA offers a much better protection for your network. It is easier to use. The newer version WPA2 is even more effective. You should also reduce the WLAN transmitter power. This facility is not available on all wireless routers. In fact, access points dont allow you to lower the power. However, there are some cases where you can have this feature. Most of the wireless routers can be remotely administered through the Internet. But it is not wise to use this feature unless it allows you to define a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address. Generally, it is advisable to turn this administration off unless you are in dire need. You should limit the number of user addresses. This way, you are informed whenever some one tries to log in an unauthorized way. You should also install firewall which supports Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity. These VPNs prevent you from being fooled by malicious association attacks. You should install a RADIUS server. It is one of the methods for authentication. These are expensive tools but you can go for the open sources that are fairly cheap. Besides following the above mentioned steps, you should also turn off the network when not in use. This way you can secure wireless network and make it work for you in the best possible way. |