Introduction

I have a wireless network in my home. I am no Mr. Fix-it when it comes to home projects, so when I had to figure out how to run network cable from the router in the kitchen to my kids rooms, going through walls and floors and around cinder blocks, I sprang for the wireless equipment instead. At first, it was primarily so that I could use my laptop from any room in the house, but as time went by we eventually switched almost every computer in the house to a wireless connection.

Wireless networks provide a great deal of convenience and flexibility, and are relatively easy to set up. Actually, they may be too easy to set up. Some pieces of wireless equipment are almost plug-and-play devices, which might explain why so many people don t read the manual or do their homework to figure out how to secure the network airwaves.

I took my laptop out with me today to work on this book. I had no particular need for a network connection since I was just using my word processor on my computer, but as I drove through the subdivision I watched as my wireless network adapter detected network after network completely insecure and announcing their presence to the world. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm rather than the exception.

This chapter will take a look at wireless network security from two perspectives, and the steps you must take to use it securely in both. We...