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The points of discussion in this guide are to help a reader setup a wireless home network and to keep it secure.

Today wireless internet connectivity is extending to every form of communication and device. The topic of this is wireless, specifically wireless networking. This is referring to networking communication such as Desktop, Laptop, Media Servers, Netbooks, or Smartphones as well as other devices. This is a discussion and instructions on freeing yourself from the wall or otherwise fully enabling wireless networking. What are the possibilities? What are the consequences and how can I enhance them or lessen them respectively? Everyone has heard of wireless but what exactly is it? This refers to a wireless networking of computers which are titled 802.11A, B, G, and N. The capabilities and range extend from A all the way to N in their capabilities and are created, implemented, and advance through the IEEE. These capabilities are signal range and extension through free standing structures and (walls, other wireless connection protocols such as phones) other obstructions to this transmission.

Wireless Networking and Protocols

The first thing we will discuss here is wireless Ethernet. What exactly it is and what is its projected future? You may initially be connecting in a wirelessly for internet sharing in your household. Hopefully, after I explain the future and current availability; you will then understand why this is not only a convenience, but will also become a standard communication mode. The first IEEE standard for network communication was 802. The 802.3 specification covers Ethernet completely. All the other combinations cover all network protocols and therefore allow manufacturers to make devices that work universally with anything that supports protocol. Wireless is 802.11 alone. The letter following specifies its place in the line hereditarily as a protocol. So if the first was 802.11 the next was 802.11a right. Well not exactly 802.11a and b came out at the same time. However, they operate on different standards. The 802.11a protocol supports a 5 GHz standard, where the b protocol supports a 2.4 GHz wireless standard. Next in the line comes the 802.11g protocol which is of course backwards compatible with the 802.11b standard, but is not compatible with the 802.11a standard. Next in line was the 802.11n standard which is backwards compatible with everything. Therefore it is my suggestion to use 802.11n which doubles the g protocols speed and its distance capabilities as well.

This succession is rather confusing. Basically the g protocol expanded the reach and the speed of the first two protocols (a, b). Now n is doubling gs ability. Why all these different protocols you may ask? As the expansion in the radio signaling equipment in computers expanded and grew in capabilities. The IEEE, which sets electronic equipment standards for interoperability also sets the device interoperability standard for manufacturers. The future of wireless as a set standard is expanding with no limit in site. The newest incorporation is extending to other household devices as well. The first is computers and cell phones. There is also now a wireless USB protocol being standardized by the IEEE. The next devices are HDTV, Security Cameras, and Refrigerators. How nice would it be, to be able to hit your refrigerator over your wireless network and ask it if certain things were there? The refrigerator then reads its contained barcodes and levels and tells you milk is low and you could use some butter! With this protocol it will one day be normal, as will video phone, turning on the washer, and recording a movie playing on TV, all without being at home! The current practice of using a wireless connection to broadcast music and movies from the internet to all compatible devices in a home is also fast becoming a widespread usage pattern.

So you have a Router

The next step is to set up the network hardware and then set up a home network through it. The main issue is to get your equipment operational. The image above of the rear of a router details these connection points. We should plug our broadband modem into the WAN port with a cat5e/6 cable. The LAN ports can be used just like a standard router to hook up Ethernet hardware devices. The antennas broadcast your wireless signal. In some cases you may also have a USB port for connection to a printer. This can also be used for any device such as external hard drives with a USB connection.

We do not want to change this; however, keep in mind security as well as stable and dependable operation. For initial operation it is standard to run the set up disk and get it operational.

Your first step in security should be handled with this initial set up which is changing your administrative password. When you initially start your setup it will present you with this option. I would suggest taking it.

ADMINISTRATION The first rule to remember about a password is to make it alphanumeric which is a combination of letters and numbers. The simplest way to do this is to substitute numbers for letters, such as 1 for I, 3 for e, 0 for O, and make it at least 7 digits long. If someone tries to connect to your network they need the password. You have therefore completed your first step in network security. Once you have your network set up in the default network protocols, the real task of setting up security for the network begins. Have no fear as you have already completed the first step, making your network harder to get into for anyone but those who have the password. It is also a good idea to change them randomly. My suggestion is to come up with four alphanumeric passwords and rotate the password every few months. This will keep you safe and secure in your network and also enhance transmission speeds as well as security for you and your devices. It also guards your equipment and your personal information. This usage will expand and grow as connectivity expands to include more and more devices. Now we will get into direct administration of your router and connected network devices.

The following image is what the log in screen for router administration will look like. The user name will be the one you set up within installation, or will be admin/router name. The opposite may also be true where the user name is the brand name of the router, and the password is admin.

This is generally the same for every new router, so your neighbor or someone within the routers radio signal proximity can also log in to it. That is why I spoke about changing it during setup. The key here is if someone else is able to do this, not only can they monitor and steal information from your computers; they can also disable or otherwise use your internet connection as well.

The next step is to set up security, either look at your routers paperwork or open a DOS command prompt in WINDOWS (click START , choose RUN then type CMD in the run bar, and hit enter).This will open a DOS window. Now type ipconfig in the dos window and hit enter. You are looking for the default gateway. This address is important; for it is the routers internal address, if you type this address in an address bar of a browser, the routers login will open.

After you login you will see a screen like the preceding image. The options for this device (the router) are contained here. The first option to click is the Wireless option on the left hand side taskbar.

Then the screen will change to one similar to the following image.

When this image is displayed the wireless mode as demonstrated in the previous image is your first concentration. I prefer N only but you must make your choice based on the capabilities (802.11 A, B, G, or N) or the combination thereof, supported by the devices, that you wish to connect to or enable internet connection with, through the router.

This will be your next and final screen, the wireless security screen. You get to this screen by choosing security after clicking and expanding the wireless bar.

There are many choices in your security mode that deserve an explanation. The first is WEP-open. This stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy and the security is open. The WEP-auto is your routers default setting; this is also not advised as it is the same security as open in general terminology. The other options will be WPA (more secure than WEP), WPA-PSK (PSK; this stands for Pre Shared Key, it should ask for this password when turned on) WPA2, and WPA2-PSK. My suggestion is WPA2-PSK security level with a long (7-14 characters) password (I use 10 characters).

SUCCESS Now we have a working wireless network. The next step is to go to your wireless devices and confirm that you are able to connect. The router should be named whatever you chose to name it during setup. When you connect on the first attempt it will ask for the long password you gave during WPA2 setup. This password will then be saved as the default password for that specific wireless connection. As I said before I suggest changing your password at least every 2-3 months. The best plan for this is to come up with a varied alphanumeric password list of at least 4. Then you can change your password every 3 months. Always keep a list of your passwords in case you forget what you used. I hope you enjoy your wireless network. I also recommend Wireless Home Networking for Dummies for easy to follow and complete information on usage of expanded devices and applications. This publication fully covers wireless from an Access Point, in WINDOWS or a MAC as well as many other subjects that were not covered. These include Gaming, Entertainment Centers, VOIP, Bluetooth, and Mobile usage.

ADVANCED There are a few more steps to enable as much security as a home router allows. These tips are in no way a necessity; however, they will also not slow down or otherwise compromise any aspect of your wireless network. In fact in many cases they will do exactly the opposite. By giving specific access to your intended devices only will enhance these aspects of your network. The first step is often spoken of as a major point, but if your network is totally secure this is not an issue. Basically this will make your wireless connection invisible which takes away some of its advantages. This step is disabling the broadcast of your SSID. What this does is makes your routers network invisible. Therefore, you would need to know your network name and login information to get in. If someone already knew this information security on the router was flawed from the first step. To do this on any wireless network you must log in to the routers administration page just like in the previous steps. Then you will go to the wireless network, and then to basic, one of the steps in wireless basic will be broadcast network name (SSID). To disable this you make the choice of no, and therefore instruct your router not to broadcast you networks availability. The caveat here is you must

know your network SSID passwords etc. to log into it at all. I personally do not use this step. The next step is to address each connection or enabled device on your network singularly. I find this to be a much more adept step in security for any network. When a router allows initial connection for administrative use or functionality to any specific device; it only does this by a specific network address. Then even if someone can see your network, the router will not allow a random device to connect. This step is disabled by default because for initial connection and setup of a router connections must be automatic and not specific to a single address. The first step to do this is to find your devices specific network address. To do this you will click your start button, then the run option and type CMD, and then hit enter. This will open a dos prompt, the same as we did in the initial setup of the router. Next you will type ipconfig and hit enter. You will find your wireless adapters address (Ex: 00:11:EA:3B:44:55), which will be a 6 double number or alphabetic character sequence as shown in the example. The final step will be to find wireless MAC filter in the Wireless security option on your routers administration page and then you will enable this security protocol. Finally, type the MAC address as an allowed MAC address. This will set your router to only allow access to the listed addresses. The main issue with doing this

is finding all the addresses for each device you want to allow on your wireless network. However, unlike the no addressing option mentioned before, your network will still be visible to all wireless devices. I truly hope that you found this guide to be helpful in creating your wireless network. I will also tell you the internet is nothing but a vast field of knowledge. Use the network we just created to tap into this gargantuan library. It contains everything you ever wished to know and more! Make sure to apply as much security as you can. It does not slow down your computer or network connection. The added security just creates another layer a network intruder must go through to use your wireless router or access point.

"The public needs to realize that all they're doing is making it harder on me to go find the bad guys," said Mr. Gilhooly, the former Secret Service agent. "How would you feel if you're sitting at home and meanwhile someone is using your WiFi to hack a bank or hack a company and downloads a million credit card numbers, which happens all the time? I come to you and knock on your door, and all you can say is, 'Oops.' " http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/19/technology/19wifi.html?ex=1268888400&en =51d90e7518bba5d6&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

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