The Basics of Wireless Networks
Think about how a wireless network affects the security of your network and your computers. When you have a wired network, you have only one way in more or less. If you put a firewall on the network cable between your computers and the public Internet, your computers are shielded from most unauthorized access.The firewall acts as a traffic cop, limiting and restricting access into your network through that single access point. Now you throw a wireless device on your network. It doesn’t matter if it’s one computer with a wireless network adapter or a wireless router or access point, the results are the same: you are now broadcasting data through the air.Your “access point” is now all around you. Rather than a single point of access that can be easily protected, your access point is now three dimensional, all around you, at various ranges, from the next room to the house next door to the
roadside in front of your home.
Wireless equipment often boasts of ranges over 1,000 feet.The reality is that unless there are no obstructions, the temperature is above 75 and less than 78, the moon is in retrograde and it’s the third Tuesday of the month, the range will be more like 100 feet. But if your wireless data can make it the 75 feet from your wireless router in the basement to where you are checking your e-mail while watching a baseball game as you sit on the couch in your living room, it can also make it the 60 feet over to your neighbor’s house or the 45 feet out to the curb in front of your home. Although standard off-the-shelf equipment doesn’t generally have tremendous range, the wardrivers, a term used to describe actively scouting areas specifically looking for insecure wireless networks to connect to, have homegrown super antennas made with Pringles cans and common household items from their garage that can help them detect your wireless network from a much greater range.
It is important that you take the time to understand the security features of your wireless equipment and make sure you take the appropriate steps to secure your network so that unauthorized users can’t just jump onto your connection. Not only are your own computers exposed to hacking if an attacker can join your network, but they may initiate attacks or other malicious activity from your Internet connection which might have the local police knocking on your door to ask some questions.
A wireless network uses radio or microwave frequencies to transmit data through the air.Without the need for cables, it is very convenient and offers the flexibility for you to put a computer in any room you choose without having to wire network connections. It also offers you the ability to roam through your home freely without losing your network connection.
In order to connect to the Internet, you will still need a standard connection with an ISP. Whether you use dial-up or a broadband connection like DSL or a cable modem, the data has to get to you some way before you can beam it into the air.Typically, you would connect your DSL or cable modem to a wireless router and from there the data is sent out into the airwaves. If you already have a wired router on your network and want to add wireless networking, you can attach a wireless access point to your router.Any computers that you wish to connect to the wireless network will need to have a wireless network adapter that uses a wireless protocol compatible with your router or access point.
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