What You Need to Know About Working Wirelessly

What You Need to Know About Working Wirelessly:

My husband and I are often on the road, and when we head out we always take along our laptops. We do, though, have totally different reasons for bringing them along. He likes to get online, and needs his internet fix. I, on the other hand, don't go online for anything. I prefer to do things like take notes, write blog posts, articles and things of that nature. Even though I like to go online, I don't do it while traveling. Wondering why?

The biggest reason - security. Many people I know, including my dear spouse, would not hesitate to whip out their laptops whenever they can get online. They particularly love free wireless offerings at hotels, airports, restaurants and coffee houses. I cringe, and hang on tighter to my laptop, disable all network access and say a little prayer for my friends.

If you don't already know, public wireless networks are not always secure. There are people who set up fake wireless networks with the intention of luring people to get on the Internet through them. They call these illegal networks evil twins because they are often set up in the same place as a legitimate wireless network. This confuses some users because they think the network is part of the legitimate service.
Once you get online through an evil twin's network, the operator will try to access your computer. In most cases they succeed. While in your computer, they'll attempt to look for sensitive data. Anything they can use or make money from including your business documents.

Someone who is setting himself or herself up as an evil twin can even go into your computer and install a program that just waits for the right time to steal your information. This secret program will sit quietly as you go about your business online and the minute you enter any sensitive information, it reports this back to the operator. Now that person has access to your account and likely many others since so many people use the same logins for multiple sites. Setting up a wireless evil twin network isn't hard to do, and it's so portable it can be carried in a backpack. People are out there doing this, so this isn't to scare you but to make you well aware of the hazards of using the internet while you travel.

Maybe you're thinking you'll be OK since you have firewalls and and other security settings installed on your laptop. Well, the problem with firewalls, is this. Your firewall security is likely set to high for internet connections but since you are dealing with an evil twin you'll need to remember that the network operator is on the same network as you. Security settings for in-network traffic is usually quite relaxed, allowing anyone on the same network to enter and leave as they please.

Think of a network as a home and each bedroom in the home is a computer. When you allow someone into your home, it is likely they will have access into each and every room. If you locked one of those rooms, it could stop them, depending on what you use and the quality of the room's doors and locks. So the best prevention is to not let people in the house.

You really are safest staying off the internet altogether, but if you must go online make sure you turn up your in-network security settings. Be safe by not opening any emails you are not positive about, and don't log into sites containing sensitive information. There is a commercial I've seen on TV that shows a couple sitting at a bar on the beach paying their bills. This is sending the wrong message so please don't do what they did! If you absolutely must check your email while you're away, try using your cell phone instead.

Lynette Chandler helps entrepreneurs understand and apply the many powerful yet affordable tools are available to entrepreneurs today. Get this free course "How To Use Technology To Improve Your Marketing" today at TechBasedMarketing.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/583286

Top 10 Most Popular Infomercials

Top 10 Most Popular Infomercials: "Who can forget all of the famous pitch lines, gizmos and unintentional hilarity packed into late-night paid programming? Infomercials are showy, earnest and often outright deceptive. What are 10 of the best?

For those insomniacs who've found themselv­es sitting in front of the television at 3 a.m. on more than one occasion, infomercials are entertainment staples. Even if you regularly sleep through the night, you're sure to have caught one of these half-hour or hour-long sales pitches at one time or another.
Who can forget hawkers like Billy Mays (OxiClean), Ron Popeil (Showtime Rotisserie), Matthew Lesko (Free Money) and Billy Blanks (Tae Bo) trying to sell us a cleaner home or a more toned body? These infomercial stars have become celebrities of sorts, as recognizable as the actors in TV shows.

Undetectable Rogue Access Points

The wireless security risk that receives the most attention is that of a rogue access point. Rogue 802.11 devices are most often connected to an 802.3 Ethernet data port by an employee who dose not realize the consequences of his actions. The issue is that the rogue device is now a portal to your 802.3 wired infrastructure. Anyone who can connect to the wireless rogue device now can potentially attack network resources via the wireless portal. WIDS solutions were first developed to detect rogue access point and rogue devices. Not only have WIDS solutions proved to be effective at detecting rouge WI-Fi devices but the same solutions have been extended to automatically disable the rouge devices using a number of published and unpublished termination methods.

The problem is that certain types of rogue access points currently go undetected because of the layer 1 analysis limitations of the WIDS/WIPS solutions. The 802.11 radio cards that reside inside a WIDS/WIPS solutions are designed to understand other Wi-Fi signals. Therefore any rogue device that uses the standard Wi-Fi protocols will be detected fairly instantly. (Although devises that use Wi-Fi in non-standard ways such as operating on a non-standard center frequency may not be easily detected). And devices that use other protocols will also not be detected. Examples of these non-Wi-Fi rogue devices include devices that use frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radio protocols. Legacy 802.11 access points that were manufactured from 1997-1999 often used a frequency hopping protocol called 802.11 FH. Additionally, a consortium of mobile wireless vendors called the HomeRF

Working Group used to exist. These vendors manufactured non-802.11 access points that also used FHSS transmissions in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. Although 802.11 FH and HomeRF devices are no longer sold, they are widely available at very little cost on eBay and other auction retailers. Bluetooth radios also use FHSS transmissions in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. Because Bluetooth radios are in many devices that also have Ethernet connectivity (Such as laptops), Bluetooth radios should also be considered a potential rogue threat.

Bluetooth radios can all be used by an attacker as rogue devices and will go undetected by current WIDS/WIPS solutions. In fact, because of this weakness, they make very attractive approaches for someone trying to maliciously install an open port onto your network. The proper tool needed to detect and locate these rogue devices is a spectrum analyzer. Spectrum analyzers can detect all types of non-WiFi radio devices, including frequency hopping radios. In fact, some analyzers can look at the RF signature of the device, and determine exactly what type of non-WiFi radio has been found. Another potential rogue device that can go undetected is an access point that transmits in a frequency range not supported by 802.11 radios. 802.11 radios either transmit in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band or in the unlicensed 5 GHz UNII frequency bands. Non-802.11 wireless networking equipment exists that operates in the 902-928 MHz unlicensed ISM frequency band. Only a spectrum analyzer that sweeps the 900 MHz frequency range could detect this type of device because 802.11 radios do not listen in 900 MHz frequency range.

A Layer 2 WIDS/WIPS solution is still a recommended solution for detection and prevention of many 802.11 rogue devices. But adding a full-time spectrum analysis solution provides for greater detection of a wider range of rogue devices.

Operational advantages

Image via Wikipedia

Wi-Fi allows local area networks (LANs) to be deployed without wires for client devices, typically reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion. Spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless LANs.

Wireless network adapters are now built into most laptops. The price of chipsets for Wi-Fi continues to drop, making it an economical networking option included in even more devices. Wi-Fi has become widespread in corporate infrastructures.
Different competitive brands of access points and client network interfaces are inter-operable at a basic level of service. Products designated as "Wi-Fi Certified" by the Wi-Fi Alliance are backwards compatible. Wi-Fi is a global set of standards. Unlike mobile telephones, any standard Wi-Fi device will work anywhere in the world.

Wi-Fi is widely available in more than 220,000 public hotspots and tens of millions of homes and corporate and university campi worldwide. The current version of Wi-Fi Protected Access encryption (WPA2) is not easily defeated, provided strong passwords are used. New protocols for Quality of Service (WMM) make Wi-Fi more suitable for latency-sensitive applications (such as voice and video), and power saving mechanisms (WMM Power Save) improve battery operation. Air Canada has already announced its plans for providing in-flight Wi-Fi services for its customers.

Operational advantages

Image via Wikipedia

Wi-Fi allows local area networks (LANs) to be deployed without wires for client devices, typically reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion. Spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless LANs.

Wireless network adapters are now built into most laptops. The price of chipsets for Wi-Fi continues to drop, making it an economical networking option included in even more devices. Wi-Fi has become widespread in corporate infrastructures.
Different competitive brands of access points and client network interfaces are inter-operable at a basic level of service. Products designated as "Wi-Fi Certified" by the Wi-Fi Alliance are backwards compatible. Wi-Fi is a global set of standards. Unlike mobile telephones, any standard Wi-Fi device will work anywhere in the world.

Wi-Fi is widely available in more than 220,000 public hotspots and tens of millions of homes and corporate and university campi worldwide. The current version of Wi-Fi Protected Access encryption (WPA2) is not easily defeated, provided strong passwords are used. New protocols for Quality of Service (WMM) make Wi-Fi more suitable for latency-sensitive applications (such as voice and video), and power saving mechanisms (WMM Power Save) improve battery operation. Air Canada has already announced its plans for providing in-flight Wi-Fi services for its customers.

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How Wifi Network Works

A Wi-Fi enabled device such as a PC, game console, mobile phone, MP3 player or PDA can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet. The coverage of one or more interconnected access points — called a hotspot — can comprise an area as small as a single room with wireless-opaque walls or as large as many square miles covered by overlapping access points. Wi-Fi technology has served to set up mesh networks, for example, in London. Both architectures can operate in community networks.

In addition to restricted use in homes and offices, Wi-Fi can make access publicly available at Wi-Fi hotspots provided either free of charge or to subscribers to various providers. Organizations and businesses such as airports, hotels and restaurants often provide free hotspots to attract or assist clients. Enthusiasts or authorities who wish to provide services or even to promote business in a given area sometimes provide free Wi-Fi access. There are already more than 300 metropolitan-wide Wi-Fi (Muni-Fi) projects in progress. There were 879 Wi-Fi based Wireless Internet service providers in the Czech Republic as of May 2008.

Wi-Fi also allows connectivity in peer-to-peer (wireless ad-hoc network) mode, which enables devices to connect directly with each other. This connectivity mode can prove useful in consumer electronics and gaming applications. When wireless networking technology first entered the market many problems ensued for consumers who could not rely on products from different vendors working together. The Wi-Fi Alliance began as a community to solve this issue — aiming to address the needs of the end-user and to allow the technology to mature. The Alliance created the branding Wi-Fi CERTIFIED to reassure consumers that products will interoperate with other products displaying the same branding.

Many consumer devices use Wi-Fi. Amongst others, personal computers can network to each other and connect to the Internet, mobile computers can connect to the Internet from any Wi-Fi hotspot, and digital cameras can transfer images wirelessly. Routers which incorporate a DSL-modem or a cable-modem and a Wi-Fi access point, often set up in homes and other premises, provide Internet-access and internetworking to all devices connected (wirelessly or by cable) to them. One can also connect Wi-Fi devices in ad-hoc mode for client-to-client connections without a router. Wi-Fi also enables places which would traditionally not have network to be connected, for example bathrooms, kitchens and garden sheds. The "father of Wi-Fi", Vic Hayes, stated that being able to access the internet whilst answering a call of nature was "one of life's most liberating experiences".

As of 2007 Wi-Fi technology had spread widely within business and industrial sites. In business environments, just like other environments, increasing the number of Wi-Fi access-points provides redundancy, support for fast roaming and increased overall network-capacity by using more channels or by defining smaller cells. Wi-Fi enables wireless voice-applications (VoWLAN or WVOIP). Over the years, Wi-Fi implementations have moved toward "thin" access-points, with more of the network intelligence housed in a centralized network appliance, relegating individual access-points to the role of mere "dumb" radios. Outdoor applications may utilize true mesh topologies. As of 2007 Wi-Fi installations can provide a secure computer networking gateway, firewall, DHCP server, intrusion detection system, and other functions.

Image via Wikipedia

A Wi-Fi enabled device such as a PC, game console, mobile phone, MP3 player or PDA can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet. The coverage of one or more interconnected access points — called a hotspot — can comprise an area as small as a single room with wireless-opaque walls or as large as many square miles covered by overlapping access points. Wi-Fi technology has served to set up mesh networks, for example, in London. Both architectures can operate in community networks.

In addition to restricted use in homes and offices, Wi-Fi can make access publicly available at Wi-Fi hotspots provided either free of charge or to subscribers to various providers. Organizations and businesses such as airports, hotels and restaurants often provide free hotspots to attract or assist clients. Enthusiasts or authorities who wish to provide services or even to promote business in a given area sometimes provide free Wi-Fi access. There are already more than 300 metropolitan-wide Wi-Fi (Muni-Fi) projects in progress. There were 879 Wi-Fi based Wireless Internet service providers in the Czech Republic as of May 2008.

Wi-Fi also allows connectivity in peer-to-peer (wireless ad-hoc network) mode, which enables devices to connect directly with each other. This connectivity mode can prove useful in consumer electronics and gaming applications. When wireless networking technology first entered the market many problems ensued for consumers who could not rely on products from different vendors working together. The Wi-Fi Alliance began as a community to solve this issue — aiming to address the needs of the end-user and to allow the technology to mature. The Alliance created the branding Wi-Fi CERTIFIED to reassure consumers that products will interoperate with other products displaying the same branding.

Many consumer devices use Wi-Fi. Amongst others, personal computers can network to each other and connect to the Internet, mobile computers can connect to the Internet from any Wi-Fi hotspot, and digital cameras can transfer images wirelessly. Routers which incorporate a DSL-modem or a cable-modem and a Wi-Fi access point, often set up in homes and other premises, provide Internet-access and internetworking to all devices connected (wirelessly or by cable) to them. One can also connect Wi-Fi devices in ad-hoc mode for client-to-client connections without a router. Wi-Fi also enables places which would traditionally not have network to be connected, for example bathrooms, kitchens and garden sheds. The "father of Wi-Fi", Vic Hayes, stated that being able to access the internet whilst answering a call of nature was "one of life's most liberating experiences".

As of 2007 Wi-Fi technology had spread widely within business and industrial sites. In business environments, just like other environments, increasing the number of Wi-Fi access-points provides redundancy, support for fast roaming and increased overall network-capacity by using more channels or by defining smaller cells. Wi-Fi enables wireless voice-applications (VoWLAN or WVOIP). Over the years, Wi-Fi implementations have moved toward "thin" access-points, with more of the network intelligence housed in a centralized network appliance, relegating individual access-points to the role of mere "dumb" radios. Outdoor applications may utilize true mesh topologies. As of 2007 Wi-Fi installations can provide a secure computer networking gateway, firewall, DHCP server, intrusion detection system, and other functions.

How to Secure Your Wireless Network Connection

If you subscribe to DSL or cable internet service the chances are good that you are using a wireless router. How secure is your wireless router? I will explain in this article what steps to you need to take to insure that you have the most secure home network that's possible. Have you ever gone to "My Network Places" in Windows and viewed all your neighbors' wireless network connections? You will notice that some say secure and some say unsecure. Well you want to make sure that yours' says secure. This is the first step in securing your wireless network connection.

Your first line of defensive is your wireless routers' data encryption. Basically your router takes your data and encodes it so that no one else can intercept your data. Usually the manufactures' default encryption setting is set to off.

The first thing to do is to log into your wireless router (see instruction guide for your router) and go to wireless settings and turn on encryption. There are two forms of encryption WEP which is older and easy to crack and WPA which is the more secure encryption. If your router has a WPA2 encryption then use this one as it is the most recent version. Always use a strong password for your encryption key. A combination of upper and lower case letters and numbers will do the job nicely.

As an added security precaution always use your router's built in firewall. Refer to your router owner's manual on the various settings that are offered. What a firewall will do is prevent any unauthorized internet hackers from accessing your pc. As an added precaution you can also add a software base firewall which will offer many advance settings that may not be found in your router's firewall.

As an added precaution whenever you are not using your computer you can disconnect from the internet by right clicking on windows network icon connection in the bottom right of your task bar and select disable. If you have firewall software installed on your pc, your software will have a similar feature.

One more topic I want to cover and that is public Wi-Fi Hotspots.
Whenever you are in a public area like an airport, bus terminal, public library or any place where there may be a Wi-Fi Hotspot you need to take some precautions.

Make sure that your pc's software firewall is turned on and that your windows file sharing is turned off.
Never use the internet to log into your bank account or any other service that requires the use of passwords. You need to take this precaution to make sure your Wi-Fi connection is not being monitored to record your keystrokes.

Always turn off your Wi-Fi radio when you are not at a Wi-Fi hotspot. This will prevent hackers from using your pc to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection and accessing it directly.If you follow these few simple steps you will have a much more secure pc connection and less of a chance of being hacked into and having personal information stolen. As always nothing is 100% secured but these steps will give you much better security than what you had.

Wireless Networking: The Cutting Edge Of Technology

One of the fastest growing and most exciting technologies these days is devices that use some sort of wireless network. Wireless networking has allowed almost anyone to use many different devices in a way that not too long ago was unheard of. The most exciting thing about wireless networking is that the development of new technologies is only just beginning. 

A new wireless protocol, 802.11N, should be released later this year, which will allow wireless networks to connect over longer distances, and at faster speeds. With this new advancement companies will be able to allow all of their users to connect to the network wirelessly.

This new protocol, coupled with recent advancements in secure connections to wireless networks, will allow businesses to perform tasks wirelessly that they have never been able to do before. Companies utilizing this new protocol will also be able to save quite a bit of money trying to hard wire their offices, by using less wireless routers to do the same task that wired routers did in the past.

Wireless networks have become a very important part of many businesses, because you can construct a wireless network that is separate from your main network that only allows visitors access to the internet and not to any of your precious information. This will also allow you to setup places for visitors to connect to the internet that do not require a desk to be setup or a dedicated computer setup for their access. Instead you can utilize a sitting area and a laptop to achieve the same functionality, without the security risks of someone connecting directly into your network.

Many of the reasons why wireless networks were a faux pas in the past have been addressed and now wireless networks are looked at more and more as a viable alternative to a hard wired network. The best thing about wireless networks is that many new technologies are being released every year that extend the functionality and availability of this fascinating new technology.

The new technologies that are available to construct, and connect to wireless networks is unbelievable. You can connect to a wireless network with a laptop through Wi-Fi, GSM, and even through satellite data cards. Many businesses are creating free hotspots that allow their patrons access to the internet to conduct business, or just send a friend an email.

Many car manufacturers are now offering satellite broadband internet access from within a certain distance of the car, so that people can get an internet connection while they are traveling. Many new types of cell phones and PDAs will allow you to check your email, get your contacts, your calendar, and even access certain web pages right from the phone.

Right now many web pages are not easily viewed, or fully functional on a cell phone or PDA, but many programmers and web designers are working on making their web sites more accessible from all forms of wireless devices.

Many other forms of wireless devices are now being developed that will allow information to be obtained in real-time over great distances. RFID has revolutionized process chain management, because now businesses can track their product from manufacturing to delivery, and everywhere in between. New technologies have been developed recently that allow RFID wireless networks to be formed that can calculate distances between the different devices contained within the network. This will allow a sort of "smart" network to be formed that will allow the devices to "know" when one is on the move, or if one has been lost.

Another very important development in recent years is the use of GPS tracking and navigation. Now we have the ability to know exactly where our products are, and where they are going so we can ensure shipment delivery in a timely manner. When all of these wireless networks are tied together an efficient and productive business can be sure to follow. Wireless networks are a must in this new on-demand world that we live in. If you do not keep up with the times, then you will be quickly left behind.

How to Optimize Your Wireless Network Channel

When you use a wireless network at home, range and performance can be influenced by a lot of factors. The location of your wireless router as well as the location of your PC and/or laptop can make a lot of difference. Concrete walls also have a strong influence on Wi-Fi signals, so too many concrete walls in between the communication devices will reduce the signal strength, and as a result, the performance. But range and obstacles are not the only possible problems with wireless networks. What about your neighbors? If they are using a wireless network, chances are, you are both using the same frequency, which would cause interference and again loss of signal quality. Since wireless internet access is so common these days, it's better to check that too.

Here's How You Can Improve Your Wi-Fi Network! Depending on the location of your equipment, you can try to change the direction of your antennas. If your router has a built-in antenna, consider hanging it on a wall instead of placing it horizontally on a cabinet to change antenna direction. Most routers will come with instructions on best positioning for maximum range. If you want to further optimize the range and performance of your wireless network, you might need to change the frequency of your WiFi communication. There is a dedicated bandwidth for WiFi networks, in which multiple channels are defined. The problem is that many vendors configure their hardware to use a default channel. Typically this is channel 6, since it is the middle of the range (1 to 11 in the US, up to 13 for Europe).

To find out if you need to change your wireless network frequency, you need to know what channel you are using and if the other channels are better. There are many tools available for this, and one of them is called NetStumbler. The current version is 0.4. The program can be installed with the default options. Once you start the application, it will automatically start a scan of the wireless networks in your surroundings. In the results pane, you can see all detected networks grouped by MAC address, SSID or channel. The colored icon in front of the MAC address indicates the signal strength. Using these details, you can first check how many networks are using the same channel as you are. You will need to know your SSID of course (either printed at the bottom of your wireless router, if it came from your ISP, or check the network settings on your computer's wireless card).

Ideally, there should not be (too) many wireless networks on the same channel, but if there are, you want to make sure they have low signal strength. If there are too many wireless networks on the same channel, try changing the channel to improve your wireless network range and performance. This needs to be done in the wireless router or access point. The hardware will come with instructions on how to change the WiFi channel. Your laptop or PC's wireless card will automatically switch to the new channel. If you are using a laptop, you can also use the program to see where your signal strength is best. Move around with the laptop and see which location in your house has the best signal strength. You can use the colored icon as well as the 'signal' columns to assess the network quality. Make sure the network scanning is active to ensure the values are updated while you move around.

Using these Wi-Fi tips, you can easily improve your wireless internet access speed, or solve problems with your wireless internet connection.

High-capacity Wi-Fi coverage

Image via Wikipedia

We left off last time with a discussion of challenges that crop up when trying to design a WLAN for a high-density environment. Using a traditional multi-cell architecture, the main challenge is tuning the power of the APs appropriately so that there can be many small coverage cells. The trick is making sure users have plenty of aggregate capacity to share while avoiding the co-channel interference that lurks when lots of APs occupy a relatively small space. Now, what about single-channel and array architectures?

You likely know that Meru offers a single-channel architecture approach. The upside of this setup, whereby all APs in a shared domain are tuned to a single channel, is that the WLAN controller coordinates client-to-AP associations. It determines which client transmits when and for how long and when the AP transmits and for how long. With this kind of “big picture” control, it’s easier to avoid the interference problem.

However, Meru APs run at full power, which means that fewer APs are used in a manufacturer-recommended network design than with a multi-cell design. Thus a high degree of uplink and downlink transmission coordination is necessary in order to deal with a high-density client environment.

Devin Akin, CTO at Wi-Fi training and certification company CWNP, recommends appropriately spacing out APs on the same channel to create multiple collision domains so that the aggregate system bandwidth shared by users remains abundant.

Finally, there’s the “array” approach to covering high-density environments. Xirrus makes a 16-radio controller with an integrated directional antenna array, which provides a ton of capacity. It avoids co-channel interference by the fact that the antennas concentrate and focus their energy in wedged directions of about 20 to 25 degrees each. Each wedge can get the full 54Mbps connect rate of 802.11g or 300Mbps connect rate of 802.11n.

Meru makes some arrays, too, the AP440 (802.11n) and the RS4000 (802.11a/b/g) in which radio 1 represents one layer tuned to one channel, radio 2 represents a second layer tuned to another channel, and so forth. However, these arrays use omnidirectional antennas. As such, they emit RF energy that overlaps, so you need to test the systems to see whether interference arises simply from the physical proximity of the radios, antennas and power.

A similar issue would likely arise if you attempted to deploy more than one Xirrus 16-radio array within a given coverage area, because at that point, those radios, too, would start to overlap in the directions that they send RF energy.