Information on Wireless Networks

[liz1978]

Hi, I just wanted to know how secure is a wireless network. I have a network at work of about 10 computers and now my boss wants to go wireless. I need to know (if possible) what would be the best hardware for the network to be completely safe. Thank you.:wave:

Liz

[Spider]

what would be the best hardware for the network to be completely safe.
Cisco routers have firewall chips (hardware firewall, the best) but you need to be more of an industry
insider to configure them. I wouldn't suggest one unless your certified in the field.

D-Link makes routers with firewall chips as well and they would be more along the line of what your after.

All you want out of the router is to make sure it's...
- 802.11G protocol capable (same for your wireless adapters on the client computers, 802.11g)
- WPA encryption capable

Shop around for those three features on a D-Link
1 - Firewalled
2 - 802.11g protocol
3 - WPA encryption capable

[Spider]

10 computers
In the D-Link config you'd...

Block WAN Requests
max client = 10
WPA enabled with key phrase
alter default (in the box) password
no port forwarding
no client enties in the DMZ
firewall enabled

...if I think of more I'll edit this post.

[Spider]

Hi, I just wanted to know how secure is a wireless network. z
As secure as the person who configures it. With all the right settings nobody
gets in. Anyone who says they can...I'll send my WAN IP address to and you
can tell me how many folders I have up front on my C: drive.

[bAdWaYz]

I agree with Spider Cisco stuff is good but a pain in the rump to config...trust me on that. On top of being hard to work with if you don't know how is the fact that its pretty expensive. A dlink or linksys should do the trick for ten computers. The setup he's suggested so far also looks really good. Unless you have a server running web pages or vnc or the like you shouldn't need to forward any ports. I have my wi-fi set with MAC filters too but I'm on the safe side. If you really want to see a locked down setup as z1p about his network hehe its like fort knox.

[oracle128]

It's not a good idea to rely on WPA encryption. With the right tools, it can literally be cracked in seconds. All it does is prevent the casual WarDriver from jacking in. For more security, you will want to allow only the MAC addresses of the computers in the office, but even those can be spoofed with more effort. If you want to go beyond that, you get close to maximum security with Virtual Private Networking (VPN), but they're usually so ridiculously difficult to setup that if you have to ask what kind of security you need, you needn't bother trying to set one up.

[Spider]

WPA...For more security...allow only the MAC addresses of the computers in the office
Yes exactly. Good point.

If your in a position where if your company's database was stolen and this would tumble the
company because the competition has your "facts n' figures" then WPA would be a placebo.

In corporate espionage they don't necessarily have to have a hacker on salary. They bring
them in for the specific purpose of accessing the competitions databases.

Another safety measure is you keep 2 separate networks and one network has the Internet
access and the other network is in no way accessible by the Internet access network. The
vital company info stays on the non-Internet network and no one but the system administrator
and the CEO have admin access to that database network.

So wireless + databases should never be able to see each other.

[liz1978]

Thank you guys for the responses. I'll go shop around for the dlink or linksys routers with the specs you gave me and once I have some in mind, I'll let you know which one is best for my wireless network.

[Spider]

We'll all be here, standing by...