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Wireless networks have been around for quite a while now and many think there is nothing new to learn. While that may be true for the most part there is a lot that many people do not understand or simply refuse to be educated about. It only takes a few minutes to set up a wireless network for your office, many of these following items are overlooked or simply ignored. If you want a cord free office then it is worth the time spent to configure a secure wireless network.
Encryption is quite the tangled web for most people, they don’t understand it and think that they will never be targeted because who would want inside or on your network. You have a few options, whether to have nothing, WEP, or WPA. WPA is the generally accepted standard nowadays, most wireless routers or access points even have the newer standard of WPA2. This means that you’ll have to have a password to get on the network initially and everyone who wishes to gain access will have to have this password so make it tough and different from your other passwords.
Infrastructure is another big question that many people don’t understand. This is a matter of why you have wireless access, do you want to use your laptop and smartphone on the network with access to network printers and computers. That scenario would require you to place the router or access point within your network so that it has access to the other computers and networked devices. The opposite scenario would require you to have static IPs that would allow you to divide the networks. This makes sense if you would like your clients to have access to the internet but not to your network. These have big security implications as wireless internet is seen as a requirement for many customers.
SSID Broadcast is an ambiguous term to mean your wireless network name and whether you will tell everyone within range that your network exists. Depending on how private you would like to be this is an important option. If you would like to minimize people attempting to connect to your network this is an easy option to turn off. The downside to turning off the option is that you will need to inform your staff and/or customers of the network name. I have never seen this as a problem because if you are protecting your network with encryption you’ll need to tell them the password so what’s one more thing to tell them, it’s an easy way to add another level of security.
MAC Filtering is a great, useful option that is rarely used by firms. A MAC address is tied specifically to the network card in your computer or smartphone, this is similar to your address for your office, there is only one. You can tell your wireless router or access point to only allow devices who are on the VIP list, everyone else is told to go away and is not allowed access. While this seems like a great method of protection, moderate computer knowledge can fake an address and this filtering is also tedious to manage if you were having clients connect. I would only recommend this if you are using a closed network and do not have new computers or smartphones needing access to the network. While a MAC address can be faked, it is another level of protection that can help prevent nefarious people from tampering with your network.
Firmware update is usually forgotten or ignored when talking about network equipment. If you buy a network device today it may have been made as long as a few years ago, so you should check if there is a firmware update available. What is a firmware update? It is simply a software update, just like your computer, as security changes the software will need to be updated. Don’t forget this step, it’s easy, it’s free and if your security is penetrated because you didn’t upgrade then you completely deserved it.
Range is often under calculated meaning that your signal doesn’t reach every corner of the office and will drop connectivity. Look before you buy and consider how much you need, you might need to buy a repeater or setup another wireless network depending on how many people will need to connect to the network.
Interference affects your range and can be avoided by planning out where you put the device, almost any other electronic device can interfere with your wireless router or access point. Cordless phones are especially nasty with wireless devices because often they are running on the same frequency which means they’re both fighting for room just like the highway at rush hour. Thick or concrete walls and floors will also interfere or more less reduce your effective range. While there is no way to overcome these issues short of knocking them down but if you place them strategically near open doorways or a stairwell it usually helps.
Wireless networking isn’t difficult and with a few clicks you can have a secure network and the enjoy the freedom of cutting the cords.
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