User's Manual

Stronger Security

Although wireless networks are easy to use, the main issue lies with security. Even if you enable the security

settings defined in the 802.11b standard, as well as the security settings of your hardware, your network is still

vulnerable. There are a few things you can do to make it more difficult for outsiders to access your network:

● Change the default network name of your WLAN. Every manufacturer's default settings are public

knowledge.

● Do not allow the name of your network to be broadcasted by your access points. This makes it more

difficult for hackers to identify your network.

● Enable Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption, which is the same security feature used by online

shopping websites.

● Change your encryption keys as often as possible. Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), which is

being developed by a IEEE task group, will change the keys automatically.

● Enable MAC address filtering so that each access point can generate a list of approved MAC addresses

for your WLAN.

● If you have a small network, use virtual private network encryption for additional security. If you have a

large network, you may want to install a gateway between your access points and network clients.

Back to Contents Page