You configure security on a wireless network by managing the properties for that wireless network connection. The pros, cons, and details of these various security methods are beyond the scope of this book; what is important is that you know how to configure Windows Vista to match the corresponding settings in use on your network. Managing wireless connection is done via the Manage Wireless Networks applet, which is available, like all other network applets in Windows Vista, via the Network and Sharing Center. To open the Manage Wireless Networks applet, first launch the Network and Sharing Center and then select Manage Wireless Networks from the task list on the left side of the screen.
Right-clicking on an available wireless network connection and selecting Properties opens the Wireless Network properties dialog box. To configure wireless security, select the Security tab. Depending on the type of security and encryption in use, you will see different options on this tab.
Wired Equivalent Privacy
WEP is part of the 802.11 standard and is a means of securing a wireless network. The purpose of WEP is to make the communication between the computer’s NIC and the access point more secure than that of a standard radio broadcast. If the access point you are connecting to is using WEP, you need to configure Windows Vista for WEP and provide the correct security key and key index. To do so, open the Manage Wireless Networks applet from the Network and Sharing Center, right-click the network you want to set up, select Properties, and then select the Security tab. To configure WEP, set Security Type to Shared and select WEP as the Encryption Type. Doing so displays the WEP options.
WEP encryption uses a shared key encryption; that is, you have to enter the same key in the access point and on the wireless client. On an access point, you can enter up to four different keys, only one of which is used to secure the wireless connection. That is the purpose of the Key Index setting; it tells Windows Vista which key you have entered. If you correctly match both pieces of information in Windows Vista to that of the access point, you will be able to connect to the wireless network.
The problem with WEP is that it’s weak. There are numerous, free programs available on the Internet that can crack your WEP encryption in less than 60 seconds, allowing unauthorized users access to your network. Does that mean WEP is useless? It’s like the old saying, locks only stop honest criminals. If you use WEP, a casual user who stumbles across your wireless network probably won’t take the time to hack you. On the other hand, if a malicious user wants into your network, WEP will not stop them from achieving this goal.
Wi-Fi Protected Access
To address the weakness of WEP security, the Wi-Fi Alliance introduced a new wireless security standard called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). If you use WPA, your wireless networks are much less susceptible to hacking. Two types of WPA are available: WPA-Personal and WPA-Enterprise. With WPA-Personal you need to specify a password, on both the access point and the NIC to secure the communication. This password should be long, at least 20 characters, and contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Again, as long as the settings on the access point and Windows Vista match, you will be able to communicate wirelessly.
WPA-Enterprise is a bit more complicated. In order to implement the enterprise flavor of WPA, you need a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server to authenticate your users. Using a RADIUS server also enables you to use smart cards for user authentication. Smart cards add an extra layer of security since that requires you have a physical card and know a password to access the wireless network. This is a solution appropriate only for larger businesses because of its expense and complexity.
If posible, I would like additional information. I enjoyed the Feb 15th “Configuring Wireless Network Security” written by Ben in Security. Ben explained how to drill down to the ‘Security’ tab and select ‘properties’. The article says to enter a long password. However, there is already an 8 byte ‘Network security Key’ magically assigned. I am connecting via a D-Link adptor to my main computer in another room. How was this key/password assigned and, can/should I change this? When I set up my wireless connection, I had to enter my routers ‘pre-shared key’. It is far larger than 8 bytes. Can you point me to further information on the ‘Network security Key’ found under the ‘properties’ of the ‘Security’ tab?