Wireless networking technology is becoming increasingly popular but at the same time has introduced many security issues. The popularity in wireless technology is driven by two primary factors - convenience and cost. A Wireless local area network (WLAN) allows workers to access digital resources without being locked into their desks. Laptops could be carried into meetings or even into Starbucks cafe tapping into the wireless network. This convenience has become affordable.
Wireless LAN standards are defined by the IEEE's 802.11 working group. WLANs come in three flavors:
802.11b
Operates in the 2.4000 GHz to 2.2835GHz frtequency range and can operate at up to 11 megabits per second.
802.11a
Operates in the 5.15-5.35GHz to 5.725-5.825GHz frequency range and can operate at up to 54 mega bits per second.
802.11g
Operates in the 2.4GHz frequency range (increased bandwidth range) and can operate at up to 54 megabits per second.
When setting up a WLAN, the channel and service set identifier (SSID) must be configured in addition to traditional network settings such as IP address and a subnet mask.
The channel is a number between 1 and 11 (1 and 13 in Europe) and designates the frequency on which the network will operate.
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The SSID is an alphanumeric string that differentiates networks operating on the same channel.
It is essentially a configurable name that identifies an individual network. These settings are important factors when identifying WLANs and sniffing traffic.
SSIDs
The SSID is a unique identifier that wireless networking devices use to establish and maintain wireless connectivity. SSID acts as a single shared password between access points and clients. Security concerns arise when the default values are not changed, as these units can be easily compromised. A non-secure access mode, allows clients to connect to the access point using the configured SSID, a blank SSID, or an SSID configured as "any."
Wireless LAN standards are defined by the IEEE's 802.11 working group. WLANs come in three flavors:
802.11b
Operates in the 2.4000 GHz to 2.2835GHz frtequency range and can operate at up to 11 megabits per second.
802.11a
Operates in the 5.15-5.35GHz to 5.725-5.825GHz frequency range and can operate at up to 54 mega bits per second.
802.11g
Operates in the 2.4GHz frequency range (increased bandwidth range) and can operate at up to 54 megabits per second.
When setting up a WLAN, the channel and service set identifier (SSID) must be configured in addition to traditional network settings such as IP address and a subnet mask.
The channel is a number between 1 and 11 (1 and 13 in Europe) and designates the frequency on which the network will operate.
49
The SSID is an alphanumeric string that differentiates networks operating on the same channel.
It is essentially a configurable name that identifies an individual network. These settings are important factors when identifying WLANs and sniffing traffic.
SSIDs
The SSID is a unique identifier that wireless networking devices use to establish and maintain wireless connectivity. SSID acts as a single shared password between access points and clients. Security concerns arise when the default values are not changed, as these units can be easily compromised. A non-secure access mode, allows clients to connect to the access point using the configured SSID, a blank SSID, or an SSID configured as "any."