Introduction

Welcome to Caution! Wireless Networking: Preventing a Data Disaster. Wireless networking is quickly replacing Ethernet networks in many of our homes and offices. The pace of adoption of Wi-Fi technology has been remarkably quick, primarily because wireless networking equipment is easy to set up and use. In fact, in most cases it’s less complicated than setting up an Ethernet network.

Unfortunately, the downside to user-friendly Wi-Fi gear is that the majority of people setting up wireless networks in their homes or offices are not securing them correctly, if at all. Unlike Ethernet networks that require a user to be attached or plugged-into the network, Wi-Fi networks broadcast their signal in all directions, allowing anyone with a wireless adapter to access the network. If you haven’t taken the time to secure your Wi-Fi equipment, you may be sharing your files and Internet connection with your neighbors, or worse, hackers.

There are plenty of wireless books available that address basic wireless networking or the setup of specific products. In this book, I focus on the security and safety consequences of using these devices and try to explain these issues in a manner that’s helpful to new and intermediate wireless users.

I won’t discuss specific brands or provide step-by-step instruction for setting up your access point or router; my goal is to illuminate you about the risks associated with your new wireless equipment and provide some solutions for improving the security on your network. Using this book you’ll learn the following things:

• How TCP/IP networks work

• How Wi-Fi networks operate

• Why wireless technology is insecure

• How you are vulnerable

• How you can protect your computer and networks

Once you have a basic understanding of the topics covered in this book, I hope you’ll be interested enough to learn more about them. Continued education is one of the most important things that you can do to maintain security of your computer and network.

Whom This Book is For

If you’re an average computer user — beginning or intermediate — and you’ve recently installed your own wireless network, then this book is for you. You don’t need to be a technical guru to benefit from the information I’ve presented inside this book. While a general knowledge of computing and familiarity with basic networking and Internet concepts is desirable, Part I provides an intro to networking that will have you up to speed in no time.

This book is for beginning or intermediate computer users who need a better understanding of the security issues surrounding wireless networks, and how to address them on their own network before they become a victim.