How to set up Wi-Fi wireless network security

One of the big drawbacks of calling Wi-Fi wireless network It is its few, if not none, levels of security in thousands of internet user computers around the world that are constantly having problems to overlook this important matter, there are various ways and specific points to attack this computer problem and thus get a stable security against known spyware or hackers, that's why today we present and explain all the details you should know about this type of wireless network to increase your security.

The great myth of wireless or Wi-Fi networks

Wireless networks cannot have high or acceptable levels of security. IMPOSTOR. These types of networks can be secure and well managed and therefore be very reliable, just like physical and wired networks. For the argument set out at the beginning, which is totally false. Some organizations have simply decided to work without these networks, but today we're going to demonstrate that wireless security is achievable. This type of data transmission network, being of the open type and using the air as the only medium to transmit this type of information, there are many points to consider in order to obtain anti-hacker security.

Security levels in wireless networks

Layer 1: Wireless security and MAC addressing

Each network card has a unique hardware identification number, commonly called a MAC address (MAC Media access control). This number is standard (IEEE 802) and due to the establishment of the MAC-48 format, the addresses are formed by six groups of two hexadecimal digits, separated by a dash (-) or a colon (:), all in the order of transmission of the same , i.e. 01-23-45-67-89-ab, 01:23:45:67:89:ab to show you an example.

This number stored in the configuration of your network card is a globally unique identifier, i.e. it is what identifies your computer, in addition to your IP address. The concept of so-called MAC addressing or MAC filtering in the context of wireless security is used to limit network access to authorized devices. A wireless network access point can be programmed to communicate only with authorized MAC addresses (e.g. computers) and to keep these addresses approved and accessible in a password protected table. As shown in the example image.

Disadvantages with MAC addressing

There is an advantage and, as the case, a disadvantage to this MAC addressing, the advantage is the ease of implementing the MAC, and with this comes the disadvantage that it is very easy to break it. Although the router will be configured to allow only certain MAC addresses onto the network, the MAC address information is not encrypted, even when the wireless access point sends data to connected devices, let alone when it receives it back. Since your MAC address information is not encrypted, it is very easy for a hacker to find out the MAC addresses of connected computers easily and with this comes the danger of damage and loss of private information and not only that, a hacker is able to connect easily to the wireless network.

Level 2: WEP Encryption (WEP and WEP2)

The second key point to consider is how WEP encryption of types WEP and WEP2 since wireless devices usually, in most cases use the so-called WEP protocol (Wired Equivalent Privacy or wireless encryption protocol) to secure the transition of data to safe from possible theft. The WEP standard consists of software algorithms that encrypt both sent and received data between devices and thus keep what is sent secure. There are levels of encryption which will typically be represented in 40, 64 and 128 bits, the more bits there are, the stronger your WEP encryption will be.

Disadvantages with WEP encryption

Sometimes the easy is not the best, it happens with this type of security that despite being easy to implement and being compatible with almost all the routers you find on the market, only creates a security key for encryption and decryption, which maintain the the same password, in simpler words, shares the authentication with which there are many tools on the Internet capable of violating this type of security without the need for acceptance by the user who owns the wireless or Wi-Fi network. known initialization vector characteristic of WEP, which is only 24-bit, which, as we already know, is not enough to keep your wireless connection secure.

Considerations for securing your WEP

Avoid making a simple or meaningful sentence the key. One of the most common mistakes are simple and common phrases used as passwords, which will be easily circumvented by systems specialized in evading this type of simple passwords. Use alphanumeric phrases and insert special characters between each digit (%&#=).

1. Change your password periodically. Sometimes we put a key to our connection that remains static for a long time, this makes the security lose validity over time as the programs that try to break this type of security are constantly improving, so we recommend changing every 2 or 3 months. your password.

Level 3: WAP and WAP2 encryption.

WAP was created on the basis of WEP, how does it differ from the latter level of encryption? Obviously it is made more secure by adding more algorithms and security mechanisms to fight against intrusions. Perhaps the most important improvement over WEP is a dynamic security key exchange mechanism, and with it authentication and encryption mechanisms. WPA uses the RC4 encryption mechanism which is the same as WEP, but WPA uses a longer 128-bit security key length (compared to 104-bit in WEP), and the latter version uses a 48-bit initialization vector of length (compared to 24 bit in WEP) which makes it a more powerful security system in the field of wireless networks.

Disadvantages with WAP

The biggest disadvantage encountered with WPA software is that it is almost mandatory to keep the firmware on wireless access points and wireless client software up-to-date. For example, clients running Windows XP actually require Service Pack 2 and some patches or the addition of the WPA client to their wireless configuration. If you want to know how to install said WAP system, you can find more information in the link by clicking HereYo which will redirect you to the official Microsoft page.

Level 4: The highest level of security: IPSec, VPN.

Up to now we have walked around the advantages and disadvantages of the most used and conventional security levels in the world, from MAC, through WEP and finally WAP, but they are all present and become more pronounced over time; This last layer called IPSec and VPN is the most secure software infrastructure currently in existence with which you can keep hackers well away from your data and wireless networks both at home and in the office.

What makes the security layer so reliable?

IPSec or VPN is a robust network architecture that is quite difficult to break, and the use of encrypted tunneling protocols (for example, IPSec, Secure Shell) can provide secure data transmission over the Internet and the use of cryptographic security. These security measures are active measures located in the IP protocol layer supported by operating system kernels today.

On the other hand, VPN (Virtual Private Network or Virtual Private Network) type security can control which users outside the network system have access or not, this depends on the VPN restrictions. A VPN is nothing more than a gateway to the network that allows authorized users to pass through it, as a necessary condition, before they can access any part of the network, wired or wireless as in our case.

Additional setup recommendations for your wireless network

Using the above security systems or architectures can help keep any access to your wireless or Wi-Fi network secure, but let's be honest, there are many more configurations that can maintain these measures with a greater degree of stability. These are the most used and recommended by our team:

1. Change your router password: Regardless of the type of protocol you're using, nothing helps more than changing the password for the default administrator account that comes with your default router. Before activating the router, be sure to change the login password.

Change the wireless transmission channel: Wireless routers can transmit on different channels. If the access point is configured to communicate using the 802.11b or 802.11g standards, the 2.4 GHz ISM radio frequency band is used. This band is divided into 11 channels which may not be covered in US licensed devices , while in Europe there are 13 channels that have this same feature. Most devices are set by the manufacturer to use channel 11 by default, which is why we encourage you to switch your network to another channel to make your wireless network even more secure from hackers.

• Use a traffic monitor: If you manage a small family wireless network, a simple check of who is accessing it is the solution if you experience slow and unresponsive wireless connections.