How Secure Is Your Wireless Network? Safeguarding Your Wi-Fi LAN

Beyond Security: Managing the Network

Keep in mind that once basic security steps have been taken, most of the concerns for home deployment revolve around user access controls. Most consumer grade access points simply do not address any of these issues. In their most common configurations, these APs provide a wide area network (WAN) port on one side (connected to your cable modem or DSL), a 4-port switch on the other side for any wired machines that you want to connect, and, finally, there will be an 802.11 radio acting as a bridge between the wired and wireless worlds. These devices typically provide a variety of services including routing, NAT, and a DHCP server, all controlled via a simple Web-based user management interface. The idea behind ...