Tips for staying secure with wireless.
Most of the following can be done
through the configuration page of your
router or access point. For more
information, you should read the
documentation that came with your
hardware.
Use all the available security
The built-in security standard for
wireless networks is called WEP (Wired
Equivalent Privacy) and is generally
considered to be inadequate for totally
securing wireless networks. Of course,
it’s better than nothing, so make
sure it’s turned on. You will need to
choose a WEP password (the magic key
that does the encrypting and decrypting
of data), so make sure it is a
strong one.
A strong password should be at least
seven characters long and contain a
mixture of upper and lower case letters,
numbers and symbols.
To enter the WEP key for the machines
connection to your wireless network,
right-click on the wireless connection
and choose Properties. Click the
Wireless Networks tab, select the name
of your wireless network and click
Properties. Clear the ‘The key is
provided for me automatically’ check
box,
and type in the WEP key in both the
Network key and ‘Confirm network key’
boxes.
The upcoming replacement for WEP is WPA
(Wi-Fi Protected Access), which is
supported by Windows XP if you install
the free download from Microsoft, The
manufacturer of your router or access
point will be able to tell you if your
device supports WPA.
Use MAC filtering
Each network card has a unique code
called a MAC (Media Access Code)
address. Routers and access points that
support MAC filtering will let you
specify the particular MAC addresses
that are permitted to connect.
Addresses that are not listed will not
be allowed access. If you can’t find
your MAC address on the network card or
its box, start the command prompt (Start
> All Programs > Accessories > Command
Prompt). Type in
‘ipconfig/all’ and press [Enter]. Your
MAC address is the physical Address
number in the Wireless Network section.
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