Typically for home users, Home Wireless Network Security might be the last thing on their mind when setting up a wireless network. And while they might not see why anyone would want to go mucking around in their personal files, they don’t want to leave their computers completely unsecured. As a general rule, you should employ a level of security that corresponds to the sensitivity of the data on your network.
There some reasons to implement Home Wireless Network Security such as:
- Mostly people store their critical files, personal financial data and medical history on their computer hard drive
- Sharing the internet connection bandwidth with others you don’t know them well would not be reasonable since you don’t signup for broadband internet for free.
- You don’t want someone churning out spam from your PC or from your e-mail address.
Wireless security is inherently easier to crack than wired networks because there’s no need for a physical connection to your network. Data transfer occurs over the airwaves, and that makes accessing it easier. That’s why you need to implement Home Wireless Network Security in place.
To implement Home Wireless Network Security to make your data safer, you can take a few precautions to increase the level of security on your network.
Firewall
A firewall is a system that controls the flow of traffic between networks and provides a mechanism for protecting hosts against network based security threats. It should be noted that Firewall cannot control (and protect against) traffic that does not flow through the security gateway (eg. a dialup modem will bypass any firewall), nor can it protect against internal or authorized attacks. Typically if you build your wireless network at home based on the wireless routers, they include the function of dual firewall feature (NAT & SPI).
So if you use the wireless router, basically your home wireless network security will be well served by the firewall built into your wireless access point/router.
Software firewall
A software firewall, such as those made by BitDeffender, McAfee, Symantec, and Zone Labs, can also keep data from going out of your network onto the Internet. Software routers are sometimes called personal firewalls because they are installed at each machine (you don’t need a network to use a personal firewall). But for a much better protection of your home wireless network security, you can install each of the computers with software firewall.
Wireless Encryption
To help secure your home wireless network security, you can implement the wireless encryption. Wireless encryption can help make your network safer by scrambling data sent by your wireless network adapter so other wireless network users won’t accidentally or purposefully connect to your network.
WEP (wired equivalency privacy) is used on wireless networks to secure data. You choose a string of text, called a key, which is combined with the data sent over your network to make it indecipherable to anyone who does not have the key. WEP is used by legacy wireless standards 802.11b/g devices.
Besides WEP, WPA/WPA2 can be used. WPA/WPA2 is the newest industrial wireless encryption embedded to the new wireless devices that use draft 802.11n standards.
Enabling encryption is quite simple. You need to set up encryption by changing a setting at both the network adapter and the access point, if you use one. Then you enter the same passphrase, which generates a key (sometimes called a pass key) at each computer and at the access point, using the software utility that comes with your wireless networking hardware.
Router Filters
In addition to WEP and or WPA/WPA2 wireless encryptions for home wireless network security, you can use filters that your router likely provides to allow only the network adapters you own to access your network.
Each network adapter you have, both wireless and wired, has a unique number burned onto the hardware’s chip. You can configure your router to only let your adapters on the network by entering this number, called a MAC (media access control) address, into the software that comes with your router.
Viruses and Your Network
Viruses can spread quickly over a network, so your best defense for your home wireless network security is to install antivirus software on each computer on the network. antivirus software today is offered with low price, less than $50 that can help keep your computers free of viruses.
Home Wireless Network Security – Summary
Wireless networking by its nature requires more security than a wired networking technology, such as Ethernet. You can use some security methods, such as using a router and firewall to keep unauthorized users from gaining access to your network from the Internet. You can also use WEP, WPA, WPA2 to encrypt data over your wireless network. If you use a router, you can set up the router to only allow network adapters that you select to have access to your network. Finally, make sure each machine on your network has antivirus software installed, and be diligent in downloading up-to-date lists of circulating viruses, or your software will be of little use.
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