WPNT834 Manual: Implementing Appropriate Wireless Security

Unlike wired network data, your wireless data transmissions can be received well beyond your walls by anyone with a compatible adapter. For this reason, use the security features of your wireless equipment. The WPNT834 router provides highly effective security features which are covered in detail in this chapter. Deploy the security features appropriate to your needs.

	Note: Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11b/g wireless networks at ranges of up to 300 feet. Such distances can allow for others outside of your immediate area to access your network.

Restrict Access Based on MAC address. You can restrict access to only trusted computers so that unknown computers cannot wirelessly connect to the WPNT834. MAC address filtering adds an obstacle against unwanted access to your network, but the data broadcast over the wireless link is fully exposed.

Turn Off the Broadcast of the Wireless Network Name SSID. If you disable broadcast of the SSID, only devices that have the correct SSID can connect. This nullifies the wireless network `discovery' feature of some products such as Windows XP, but the data is still fully exposed to a determined snoop using specialized test equipment like wireless sniffers.

WEP. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption provides data security. WEP Shared Key authentication and WEP data encryption block all but the most determined eavesdropper.

WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK. Wi-Fi Protected Access, Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK) data encryption provide strong data security. WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK block eavesdropping. Because these are new standards, wireless device driver and software availability may be limited.

Turn Off the Wireless LAN. If you disable the wireless LAN, wireless devices cannot communicate with the router at all. You might choose to turn off the wireless LAN when you are away and other users of your network all use wired connections.