Wireless Network Tutorial

Whether you commonly administer a wireless area network or you merely find yourself using one on a fairly regular basis, one thing that you often need to be concerned about is security. When it comes to security, wireless LANs have proved in the past to be more difficult to secure than wired connections, but with a little bit of diligence and effort, it can certainly be done.

There are essentially three ways to secure a wireless LAN and they are divided by where the security occurs. The first point of security is known as securing access at the access point level. At this level, the administrator of the system determines who can access the system based on what machine they are using. This is where securing the system via the use of MAC addresses come into play. MAC address are twelve-digit identification numbers that differ from computer to computer and it is often used to identify machines on the system. However, because MAC-spoofing is a common tactic for those wishing to enter a restricted system, this practice is mostly maintained by a small office or for home LAN security.

The second method to controlling who can get on to your network through the creation of a restricted access network. With this type of wireless LAN security, you will impose a password on anyone wishing to get into the network. This type of security is ideal for sites that use a tiered type of security; you can ensure that different passwords have different security clearances and you will be able to restrict access to certain parts of the site or the network in question

Finally, many larger businesses will state that access point restriction or a restricted network are not enough when it comes to their wireless LAN security and simply invest in end to end encryption. With this point of view towards security, you'll find that the encryption occurs at the application layer. With this level of LAN security, every service needs to be verified as well as all the traffic. While this is the most exhaustive level of security available, it is probably more than is necessary for a home user.

The question then becomes, what is the best wireless LAN security for you? The most important thing to keep in mind is that once a person has access to your network, it doesn't take very much for him to get access to a computer. How thoroughly do you trust the people on your network? Even the password or MAC securing can keep most troublemakers out, so remember to keep yourself safe!

Currently, especially when it comes to businesses, wireless LANs have always been considered a supplement to wired systems, but this is mostly due to security concerns. As the technology starts maturing and becoming more secure, there is every reason that wireless LANs will become an industry standard. The convenience of the wireless LAN is difficult to pass up, something that we will start to see as soon as the security catches up!

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