internet tip: WIFI and Security
WHAT?
WIFI (short for wireless fidelity) is the common term to describe wireless networking. Getting on the internet without any wires connected to your laptop. Apple macintosh users call wifi 'airport' as thats what apple calls their wireless products. It's a lot easier then saying 80211.g which is the technical term for one kind of wireless signal. Wifi basically is what you want if you want to use your laptop to surf the net on your deck with a cool glass of lemonade. It's as simple to setup as connecting two things:
1. a wireless router (connects to your cable modem and allows the data to be sent wirelessly to your laptop)
2. wifi card for your laptop (this will allow your laptop to receive the wireless signal being sent by the router - if you don't already have one, any current apple laptop comes with the wireless card already installed as do some windows laptops these days).
Some high speed internet providers like Qwest in Seattle actually give you a wifi ready router with your internet service, so all you would need is a wifi card for your laptop. Cal your internet provider and ask if they do this. There are currently two popular flavors of WIFI. G and B. G is the newer and more popular so I would stick with that for now if you're looking to buy. Almost any brand will do, and linksys or dlink are usually good brands.
SECURITIY
After connecting your router and getting it working with your laptop, your next step should be making sure to setup security for your wifi connection. The data being sent wirelessly could actually be captured by hackers that are adept enough, and of course neighbors could easily steal your wifi internet if you haven't setup a few things.
There are three things you should know how to enable with WIFI to make it secure:
1. enable WPA or WEP encryption
2. Turn off Service Set Identifier (SSID)
3. Change the administrator password to the wireless router
This is something you would have to look at your manual on how to do, as it's different for every brand of wifi gear. Basically (1) means you encrypt data sent between your laptop and the wifi router so it's harder for any snoops to see that data. (2) means that the name of your wireless network is not broadcast to the world. So if I'm your neighbor and I do a quick search for wireless networks, I won't see your network as a choice to sign into. (3) makes your router more secure as a lot of the default passwords hackers already know and could use to log into your router if they are able to get onto your network.
There is also another feature called MAC that stands for Media Access Card, and it would allow you to setup a link between your laptop (or any WIFI computer in your house) and the router and ONLY those devices would be allowed onto the network.
You will need to read the manual that came with your wireless router to learn more about these features.
Some additional links to read about it:
About.com Wifi Article
WI-FI.org Article
Worried about Wifi? Cnet.com Article
WIFI (short for wireless fidelity) is the common term to describe wireless networking. Getting on the internet without any wires connected to your laptop. Apple macintosh users call wifi 'airport' as thats what apple calls their wireless products. It's a lot easier then saying 80211.g which is the technical term for one kind of wireless signal. Wifi basically is what you want if you want to use your laptop to surf the net on your deck with a cool glass of lemonade. It's as simple to setup as connecting two things:
1. a wireless router (connects to your cable modem and allows the data to be sent wirelessly to your laptop)
2. wifi card for your laptop (this will allow your laptop to receive the wireless signal being sent by the router - if you don't already have one, any current apple laptop comes with the wireless card already installed as do some windows laptops these days).
Some high speed internet providers like Qwest in Seattle actually give you a wifi ready router with your internet service, so all you would need is a wifi card for your laptop. Cal your internet provider and ask if they do this. There are currently two popular flavors of WIFI. G and B. G is the newer and more popular so I would stick with that for now if you're looking to buy. Almost any brand will do, and linksys or dlink are usually good brands.
SECURITIY
After connecting your router and getting it working with your laptop, your next step should be making sure to setup security for your wifi connection. The data being sent wirelessly could actually be captured by hackers that are adept enough, and of course neighbors could easily steal your wifi internet if you haven't setup a few things.
There are three things you should know how to enable with WIFI to make it secure:
1. enable WPA or WEP encryption
2. Turn off Service Set Identifier (SSID)
3. Change the administrator password to the wireless router
This is something you would have to look at your manual on how to do, as it's different for every brand of wifi gear. Basically (1) means you encrypt data sent between your laptop and the wifi router so it's harder for any snoops to see that data. (2) means that the name of your wireless network is not broadcast to the world. So if I'm your neighbor and I do a quick search for wireless networks, I won't see your network as a choice to sign into. (3) makes your router more secure as a lot of the default passwords hackers already know and could use to log into your router if they are able to get onto your network.
There is also another feature called MAC that stands for Media Access Card, and it would allow you to setup a link between your laptop (or any WIFI computer in your house) and the router and ONLY those devices would be allowed onto the network.
You will need to read the manual that came with your wireless router to learn more about these features.
Some additional links to read about it:
About.com Wifi Article
WI-FI.org Article
Worried about Wifi? Cnet.com Article
posted by Ross @ 12:02 PM
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