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How I survived configuring and securing a wireless LAN - Part 1
6 comments- IT TOPICS:Mobile & Wireless, Networking, Security
How do you correctly set up and lock down a wireless LAN? I've been holding off, but wanted wireless access so that I can work more comfortably and not be at my desk all day. With file sharing on my home network and a family that just had two credit cards compromised in the TJX data theft, however, we're not interested in taking any chances. If we're going to have wireless, we want our computers as secure as humanly possible.
Here's how the project is going so far. Hopefully you can learn from my experience.
Last weekend I pulled out my newly reissued VISA and bought a Linksys Wireless G router. This is one of the most commonly available Wi-Fi routers right now and has all of the security features you need. Now, three days later, it's finally set up correctly. Linksys didn't make the process easy as easy as I'd hoped, but from what I've seen, other brands don't do much better.
Finding a Wi-Fi Router
To get started, I recommend buying a name-brand unit with these buzzwords: MAC address filtering, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) protection and firewall features. I chose a Linksys Wireless G model WRT54G in part because the company is owned by Cisco, a respected enterprise networking vendor, in part because it was one of the few models available locally.
Here's something else I learned: Shop around. When I decided on the Linksys WRT54G, I thought I would pay the going price of $69.99. Then Circuit City advertised a $20 off sale. I hoped to jump at that before it came off special but never got there. The funny thing is, it remained at $49.99 for weeks and weeks. I dropped by my local Staples and saw that they offered the same model $69.99 with a $20 "Instant Rebate." But like Circuit City, the "sale" price wasn't expiring. What's up with that?
Answer: Wal Mart. The local store began carrying the same model. Regular price: $49.99. A store manager at Circuit City admitted that they check the competition each day and match the prices. As long as Wal Mart carries the unit, you get the "sale" price.
Setting Up Basic Security
First off, Don't expect much from the directions in the box. Because the Linksys brand is owned by Cisco I assumed that setup would be easy. I was so wrong. Inside the box I found an FAQ postcard, a registration card and two pieces of collateral advertising tucked into an envelope. The box included no printed manual, of course. The directions on the envelope basically said to insert the installation CD.
Another tip: Find the missing manual on the installation CD and read it because the install routine won't do everything you need to fully secure the wireless LAN (WLAN). Inserting the Linksys CD auto-launches a setup wizard. From there I clicked "next" and started the installation. Another option at the bottom, "User Manual," brought up a PDF document. That option, washed out light gray text on a green background, is easy to miss. If you buy this unit, remember this. You'll need that manual later.
Above all, Don't trust the setup wizard to secure your WLAN. After you finish up the basic install you'll need to go into the settings screen (accessible by typing the Linksys router's IP address from a browser) to complete the job.
The setup wizard walks you through a pictorial for the physical setup of the unit. The service set identifier (SSID), the name wireless devices need to use to gain access to the wireless router. The router broadcasts the SSID by default so that anyone can find it and attach to it. However, you can also make the SSID invisible. Wireless clients must then be configured to know about the hidden SSID and to automatically connect to the device. The SSID is set to "admin" by default, but you can change it to anything else, up to 32 characters. Anything is better than the default. I could have chosen to use a name like "Home" or "Mitchell" for my unit. My recommendation is to chose a random, long alphanumeric text string for the SSID (up to 32 characters but certainly no less than eight) that no one could easily guess.
I protected the router and its configuration utility by replacing the "admin" default password with a strong password. The setup routine asks you to create a new password for access to the wireless router's configuration. The default is "admin." For God's sake, don't use that. While the program prompts you to change the password, it doesn't force you to do so, nor does it encourage you to use a strong password, so make sure you do. I use the free Password Safe program created by security expert Bruce Schneier to store my passwords in an encrypted "vault" on my computer. It's a quick and easy download. If you're not sure what a strong password is, this program will generate one for you.
Next I had to choose between "SecureEasySetup" and "Skip." The former automates setting up security between the router and devices that use Linksys brand Wi-Fi adapters that support SecureEasySetup. I do have one laptop with a Linksys Wi-Fi Wireless G adapter but it does not appear to support this feature. I chose "Skip" - an odd choice of verbiage for an option that means "walk me through the setup."
That brought me to the wireless security setup screen. It asks you to select one of four choices for encrypting wireless traffic between the router and wireless devices, but leaves the user to guess what the the technical mumbo-jumbo means. Right about now you'll wish you had that manual. I read about this stuff every day and even I can't keep it all straight.
Of the options, two are Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocols, which are outdated and should only be used if you have a computer with an old wireless card. Rather than settling for less secure encryption and authentication mechanism, however, your best choice is to upgrade machines with an older Wi-Fi adapter and use the more secure Wi-Fi Protected Access Personal (WPA Personal). Specifically, I chose WPA2 and then created a "key" that will allow computers to decrypt transmitted data. Again, I used a strong password consisting of more than 8 characters (it can be up to 32 characters; the longer the better).
The next screen lets you save or print the settings, register the product and exit. At this point the program ends and you might be forgiven for assuming that you are done. You're not. More on that next time.
Until then, I welcome reader comments. Did I miss something? Is there an easier way for the nontechnical to get the job done? Let me know.
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