The ABCs of Securing a Wireless Network

It wasn’t too long ago that wireless networks were exclusive to tech-heads, but now they are quickly becoming more popular than wired networks. When I first moved into my current apartment two years ago, there was one other person with a wireless network in the general vicinity. That number is now at twelve. That’s growth.

But how many know how to set up their network properly? Considering that most people who pick up a wireless router are not tech enthusiasts, it’s probably safe to say not many. The problem isn’t so much setting up a network properly, but setting it up securely, which is a topic Ars Technica tackles in their latest how-to guide.

Discussed are the absolute basics, but they also discuss the differences between WEP, WAP, WPA and WIP. Two of those were made up, so you’ll have to check out the article to find out which ones. It’s a good read though, and one that should be passed along to friends you know who are setting up such a network. The sad fact is though, most people simply don’t care or understand why there is a need for security. If that’s the case, it’s time for you to sit outside their building and start milking their bandwidth!

Wireless networking is on its way to becoming a ubiquitous home technology, but there’s a difference between having a home full of network devices and having those same devices happily sharing a single wireless network. It can be difficult to find a single encryption standard that all the devices can agree on.

Source: Ars Technica