Tuesday, June 30, 2009

What is WiFi ? what is different type of wirless network

Wireless, or WiFi, technology is another way of connecting your computer to the network using radio frequency and no network cables.

Wireless works similarly to cordless phones; they transmit data from one point to another through radio signals. But wireless technology also requires that you be within the wireless network range area to be able to connect your computer. There are three different types of wireless networks:

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): WLAN are wireless networks that use radio waves. The backbone network usually uses cables, with one or more wireless access points connecting the wireless users to the wired network. The range of a WLAN can be anywhere from a single room to an entire campus.

Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN): WPANs are short-range networks that use Bluetooth technology. They are commonly used to interconnect compatible devices near a central location, such as a desk. A WPAN has a typical range of about 30 feet.

Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN): WWANs are created through the use of mobile phone signals typically provided and maintained by specific mobile phone (cellular) service providers. WWANs can provide a way to stay connected even when away from other forms of network access. Also, be aware that additional charges are often associated with the usage of WWANs in some locations

Thursday, June 25, 2009

10 tips for improving your wireless network

If Windows ever notifies you about a weak signal, it probably means your connection isn't as fast or as reliable as it could be. Worse, you might lose your connection entirely in some parts of your home. If you're looking to improve the signal for your wireless network, try some of these tips for extending your wireless range and improving your wireless network performance.

Position your wireless router (or wireless access point) in a central location:

When possible, place your wireless router in a central location in your home. If your wireless router is against an outside wall of your home, the signal will be weak on the other side of your home. Don't worry if you can't move your wireless router, because there are many other ways to improve your connection.

Move the router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as metal file cabinets):

Metal, walls, and floors will interfere with your router's wireless signals. The closer your router is to these obstructions, the more severe the interference, and the weaker your connection will be.

Replace your router's antenna:

The antennas supplied with your router are designed to be omni-directional, meaning they broadcast in all directions around the router. If your router is near an outside wall, half of the wireless signals will be sent outside your home, and much of your router's power will be wasted. Most routers don't allow you to increase the power output, but you can make better use of the power. Upgrade to a hi-gain antenna that focuses the wireless signals only one direction. You can aim the signal in the direction you need it most.

Replace your computer's wireless network adapter:

Wireless network signals must be sent both to and from your computer. Sometimes, your router can broadcast strongly enough to reach your computer, but your computer can't send signals back to your router. To improve this, replace your laptop's PC card-based wireless network adapter with a USB network adapter that uses an external antenna. In particular, consider the Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless USB network adapter, which adds an external, hi-gain antenna to your computer and can significantly improve your range.

Add a wireless repeater

Wireless repeaters extend your wireless network range without requiring you to add any wiring. Just place the wireless repeater halfway between your wireless access point and your computer, and you'll get an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. Check out the wireless repeaters from ViewSonic, D-Link, Linksys, and Buffalo Technology.

Reduce wireless interference:

If you have cordless phones or other wireless electronics in your home, your computer might not be able to "hear" your router over the noise from the other wireless devices. To quiet the noise, avoid wireless electronics that use the 2.4GHz frequency. Instead, look for cordless phones that use the 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies.

Update your firmware or your network adapter driver:

Router manufacturers regularly make free improvements to their routers. Sometimes, these improvements increase performance. To get the latest firmware updates for your router, visit your router manufacturer's Web site.

Similarly, network adapter vendors occasionally update the software that Windows uses to communicate with your network adapter, known as the driver. These updates typically improve performance and reliability. To get the driver updates, do the following:
Windows Vista users: Click the Start menu, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update. In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer. Install any updates relating to your wireless network adapter.
Windows XP users: Visit Microsoft Update, click Custom, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.

Pick equipment from a single vendor:

While a Linksys router will work with a D-Link network adapter, you often get better performance if you pick a router and network adapter from the same vendor. Some vendors offer a performance boost of up to twice the performance when you choose their hardware: Linksys has the SpeedBooster technology, and D-Link has the 108G enhancemen.

Source:http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/wirelesstips.aspx

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

How to Secure Your Wireless Network

Wireless Network :- it is a network which is set up by radio signal frequency. wireless network cummnicate among computers and other network devices.It also known as Wifi network or WLAN.this types of networking is increaseing day by day nowadays due to easily in setup.The main advantage is also that no cabling involved with it.we can connect many computer in anywhere in your house and office without any wires.In wireless networking computer send the binary data and it will be encoded to radio frequency and transmitted through wireless router.The network computer get the radio frequency data in binary data after decode the signal.

Before installing a wireless router we have known the requirement and how to setup.One wireless support only one WLAN.We keep in mind that setup of WLAN installation as simple as possible.Most probably try to install our wireless router in a central location within the home and office.Keeps your computer closer to your Wifi networking works.In Installation we have to give the name of network,in wi-fi networking, the netowrk name is often called the SSID.We shared same SSID with all router and computer on the WLAN.

If our Wireless networking instalation is done,we have to keep in mind that,all works not done here.We have to more take some precaution regarding to secure oue wireless networking.Some don't know about it, other just ignore it.if we have an unsecured wireless network the outsider computer people connect to your network, use your connection for downloading illegal stuffs. We takes Example in Xp how we check our unsecured network. Go to 'network connection' and search wireless networks in range.in that windows we should be able to see whether the your wireless network "NAME" to is secure or not.In this you have check the WPA or WEP encryption method also.( Right click on the network, select 'Properties' and then look for 'Encryption type' we have to change this Encryption type or password once in a week.Without Encryption and other protectives measure, any one can use you network and see our wi-fi traffic.we should keep ON the firewall build into your router to prevents from hackers on the internet from getting access code to our Computer and also should run software firewalls on individual PCs on our network.Some goods software also available on net to prevent our wi-fi network like Zone Alarm which is easily available on net free.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Wireless Network Protocol Support

A protocol is a set of rules which is used by computers to communicate with each other across a network.A protocol is a convention or standard that controls or enables the connection, communication, and data transfer between computing endpoints.

On the Internet the set of communications protocols used is called TCP/IP. TCP/IP is actually a collection of various protocols that each have their own special funtion or purpose. These protocols have been established by international standards bodies and are used in almost all platforms and around the globe to ensure that all devices on the Internet can communicate successfully.


There are a variety of protocols currently in use for wireless networking. Arguably, the most prevalent is 802.11b. Equipment using 802.11b is comparitively inexpensive. The 802.11b wireless communication standard operates in the unregulated 2.4 Ghz frequency range. Unfortunately, so do many other devices such as cordless phones and baby monitors which can interfere with your wireless network traffic. The maximum speed for 802.11b communications is 11 mbps.

The newer 802.11g standard improves on 802.11b. It still uses the same crowded 2.4 Ghz shared by other common household wireless devices, but 802.11g is capable of transmission speeds up to 54 mbps. Equipment designed for 802.11g will still communicate with 802.11b equipment, however mixing the two standards is not generally recommended.

The 802.11a standard is in a whole different frequency range. By broadcasting in the 5 Ghz range 802.11a devices run into a lot less competition and interference from household devices. 802.11a is also capable of transmission speeds up to 54 mbps like the 802.11g standard, however 802.11 hardware is significantly more expensive.

Another well-known wireless standard is Bluetooth. Bluetooth devices trasnmit at relatively low power and have a range of only 30 feet or so. Bluetooth networks also use the unregulated 2.4 Ghz frequency range and are limited to a maximum of eight connected devices. The maximum transmission speed only goes to 1 mbps.

There are many other standards being developed and introduced in this exploding wireless networking field. You should do your homework and weigh out the benefits of any new protocols with the cost of the equipment for those protocols and choose the standard that works best for you.

Source:http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/wirelesssecurity/qt/qt_wifiprotocol.htm

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Why is Wireless Security Important.

Wireless security is the prevention of unauthorized access or damage to computers using wireless networks.

Wireless networks are very common, both for organizations and individuals. Many laptop computers have wireless cards pre-installed. The ability to enter a network while mobile has great benefits. However, wireless networking has many security issues.[1] Hackers have found wireless networks relatively easy to break into, and even use wireless technology to crack into wired networks. As a result, it's very important that enterprises define effective wireless security policies that guard against unauthorized access to important resources.[2]

The risks to users of wireless technology have increased as the service has become more popular. There were relatively few dangers when wireless technology was first introduced. Crackers had not yet had time to latch on to the new technology and wireless was not commonly found in the work place. However, there are a great number of security risks associated with the current wireless protocols and encryption methods, and in the carelessness and ignorance that exists at the user and corporate IT level.[3] Cracking methods have become much more sophisticated and innovative with wireless. Cracking has also become much easier and more accessible with easy-to-use Windows or Linux-based tools being made available on the web at no charge.

Some organizations that have no wireless access points installed do not feel that they need to address wireless security concerns. In-Stat MDR and META Group have estimated that 95% of all corporate laptop computers that were planned to be purchased in 2005 were equipped with wireless. Issues can arise in a supposedly non-wireless organization when a wireless laptop is plugged into the corporate network. A cracker could sit out in the parking lot and gather info from it through laptops and/or other devices as handhelds, or even break in through this wireless card-equipped laptop and gain access to the wired network.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_security

Thursday, June 4, 2009

How to Setup a Wireless Newtork

How to setup a Wireless Network:
Wireless network communicate to among computer and other network device. Mostly Wireless network has gotten easy to set up without wires allow to create a dynamic office environment that responds to your business. here we tell you about how to configure the security features of our wireless router or access point. Here are some of the things so that we can protect our wireless network:
What you will need to set up a Wireless Network:
Desktop, Tablet PCs, or Pocket PCs,notebook PCs, equipped with wireless LAN access cards or with built-in wireless support.
A wireless access point:
A broadband Internet connection such as a partial/whole T1 line or a DSL/cable connection for small offices with fewer than 5 people if you plan to share Internet connectivity
Step 1:You connect you wireless access point to the router which supplies your broadband Internet service.
Step 2. Equip all your computers with wireless support.
Step 3:Reset your SSID values to lock down the wireless network
Step4:Configure the security settings on your access points and computers to maximize security
Step1: Your broadband Internet service normally includes a router, which allows you to connect the Internet service with the computers on your network. On a wired network, a standard router, hub or switch shares your Internet connection with your company computers via Ethernet cables. On a wireless network however, the access point replaces the hub or switch to broadcast the signals wirelessly to all of your computers.
To deploy a wireless network, simply connect your wireless access point to your router and it will be ready to share your Internet connection.
Step2: Ensure all of your computers are wirelessly equipped:
For your desktop,hand held and notebook and tablet PCs to communicate over your wireless network,They will need to support the wireless LAN protocol called Wi-Fi.So they can access your wireless network immediately after the installation of an access point.
Access points have compatible protocols,802.11b and 802.11g are inter operable.
Step:3Configure the SSID on your access points and wireless computers:
Wi-Fi access point use to special value as called a SSID to distinguish wireless networks from one another. Access point default setting.
Step4: Configure your access point and cards for maximum security:
After getting your hardware up and running,be carefully review the security options and configuration available to you before communicating sensitive data over the wireless network offer provide the latest in wireless security, including data encryption and user authentication.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

How to Secure Wireless Help

Mostly WLAN hardware has gotten easy to set up and many users simply plug it in and start using the network without giving much thought to security.here we tell you about how to configure the security features of our wireless router or access point. Here are some of the things so that we can protect our wireless network;
1) How can we Secure our wireless router or access point Through administration interface ,
Mostley we have seen all of the routers and access points have an own administrator password that's needed to log into the device and modify any configuration settings. some of devices use a weak default password like the manufacturer's name, and some don't have a default password at all. we have to set a new WLAN router or access point,firstly we will have to change the default password to something els and we may not use this password very often, the only one way to access the router or access point we may be to reset it to factory default settings which will wipe away any configuration changes we have made.
2) We Don't have to broadcast our SSID.
Mostly WLAN access points and routers automatically broadcast the network's name, or SSID. This will make setting up wireless clients extremely convenient.after that it will make our WLAN visible to any wireless systems within range of it.
3)We will have to enable WPA encryption instead of WEP.
802.11's WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) encryption has well-known weaknesses that make it relatively easy for a determined user with the right equipment to crack the encryption and access the wireless network. A better way to protect our WLAN is with WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). We all know that WPA provides much better protection and is also easier to use.
4) And Rememberone thing that WEP is better than nothing .
If we find that some of our wireless devices only support WEP encryption , We will have to avoid the temptation to skip encryption entirely because in spite of It's flaws,when we will use WEP is still far superior to having no encryption at all. Ifwe willuse WEP, we don't have to use an encryption key that's easy to guess like a string of the same or consecutive numbers also,and we have to see this page need help getting WEp to work.
5) We have to Use MAC filtering for access control,
Use Unlike IP addresses, MAC addresses are unique to specific network adapters, so by turning on MAC filtering wecan limit network access to only our systems . when we will use MAC filteringwe need to find the 12-character MAC address of every system that we will connect to the network, especially if we have a lot of wireless clients or if our clients change a lot.MAC addresses can be "spoofed" (imitated) by a knowledgable person, so while it's not a guarantee of security, it does add another hurdle for potential intruders to jump.
6) We will have to Disable remote administration,
We have seen that Most WLAN routers have the ability to be remotely administered via the Internet. Ideally,we should use this feature only if it lets us define a specific IP address or limited range of addresses that will be able to access the router. Otherwise anyone anywhere could potentially find and access our router. it's best to keep remote

Monday, June 1, 2009

Wirless Network Advantages

Here are some of those advantages in case you are still on the fence regarding why you should go wireless:

If you have looked into setting up, or have set up a home office, or a small business, you’re probably aware of how far technology has come in terms of what’s available to the average consumer. What used to take up a whole room can now fit neatly under a desk. You can have a multi-server wireless network with a handful of workstations and all the bells and whistles. But is this right for you? Maybe not, but a wireless network may be the key to making your workplace more efficient.

A wireless network is a great way to expand the capabilities of any office, large or small. Even a single computer that sits on the same desk will benefit from a wireless set up. I’ll start with the obvious. There are no wires! Going wireless really tidies up your workspace. A wireless router is easy to tuck out of the way, and replaces yards, or miles of cables going across your office. In the early days of wireless, people assumed losing the wires would degrade signal quality or slow down operations. This isn’t true at all. With a wireless set up, your data will go just as fast as it would with a wired set up.

As strange as it sounds, a wireless environment can improve the aesthetics of your office, which improves the mood and morale of you and your co-workers. Having a laptop and being able to go freely through the office is convenient and efficient. Employees will be more motivated to work when they can do so in a comfortable environment. If you ever rearrange your office, or move to the other end of the building, it will be easy to get set right up on the network in your new location. In addition, you can easily add new units or expand without spending a lot of money on expanding your network.

In the business world, a key advantage of setting up a wireless network is the savings. After installing a wireless network, you will quickly see a return on your investment. You won’t need to spend money on cable or maintenance of extra equipment. Wireless routers are available for any budget. Most new computers are set up for wireless as a stock feature. If yours is not, PCI cards are available starting around $20, and enable a PC to run on a wireless network. Wireless receiver cards also available for laptop computers for an average of around $40-50. As with PCs, most laptops come with wireless capability as a stock feature.

wireless network is a great way to improve your work environment. There are many advantages you won’t realize until you make the change yourself. I find myself laying on the couch typing this article right now on my laptop, and that’s reason enough for me.