Wireless Network Tutorial

One of the more popular advances in home Internet use has been the introduction of wireless network use. By using a router, you can essentially have multiple computers running from the same single connection, whether it's desktop computers, laptops, and even game consoles. However, there is one problem with wireless Internet use, and that's the security of it. After all, if you can log onto another network thanks to a wireless router, then it's clear that other people can too. This is why it's important to have network security encryption in place, to protect you from unwanted and unauthorized users.

To do this, you'll need to use either one of the two pieces of network security software that specialize in network security encryption, and which should normally come complete with the wireless router that you purchase:

· Wired Equivalent Privacy, or WEP. When wireless networking first became really popular, this was the software that everybody used to keep his or her shared information safe. It was (and still is) a good system - however, it had some flaws in its make-up, and this allowed hackers to break it. You can still use it today, but it's been superseded by an improved version.

· WiFi Protected Access, or WPA, is the more recent incarnation of the WEP software, and as such has taken care of the problems that the previous version had. It has superior data encryption tools, and as such is the more preferred option for providing your network security encryption.

Setting up network security encryption is relatively straightforward, and all you need to do is follow the instructions that come with your routing device. This will allow you to set up wireless network security implementation for your specific system, as opposed to just being a generic guide for all models.

However, one thing that you will need to be careful of is that you don't have WEP and WPA conflicting with each other and canceling each other out. For example, if you're using the WPA version, you need to ensure that it's set up as WPA and that alone. If you have your network set to recognize the WEP settings only, then the better WPA will lower its security settings and run at the WEP ones instead. And that will obviously open up your network to the kind of security problems and attacks that WEP was weak against in the first place.

After you've worked out what wireless security encryption model you need to use, you're almost there. All you have to do next is to make sure that your wireless devices have the same information and settings; otherwise your security will do its job and stop you accessing the network. Great for unauthorized users, but not very practical when trying to log on yourself!

Whatever version you use, whether it's the older WEP or the newer and superior WPA, it'll ensure that you have adequate network security encryption protecting your machines and network. That in itself has got to make wireless network security measures worthwhile.

Contact Us | Privacy Policy |