One problem with wireless networks is that people who have wireless devices that are within the range of your network can access them. Even if you have set up a password for your wireless network, that password can also be hacked and access to your network can be gained. One way to further tighten up your network security is through MAC filtering.
MAC filtering is a network security procedure that only allows access to registered MAC addresses. A MAC address is the unique ID of a network device; no two computers or network device has the same. What this means is that only registered and authorized machines can access your wireless network. So even if they somehow managed to break or hack your password, they won’t still have access if their address is not registered. This is a very effective way to ensure the network security of your wireless home network.
What you need to do is enable the MAC filtering function of your wireless router or access points. Most routers at present have this function. Next, you need to input the MAC address of the computers in your home network. Getting the MAC address is different from one operating system to another, but this should be found in the properties of the network device. Check your computer’s manual or technical support for the procedure on getting the MAC address.
So, if you’re very particular about the network security of your wireless network, then one thing you can do is to enable MAC filtering in your network.
By: Tiraton Athiwat
Posts Tagged ‘Routers’
Network Redundancy Techniques
November 10th, 2009
When building a network, some considerations must be taken from the point of view ofavailability. In the context of networks, availability means that the network must be operable during the whole day regardless of failures. Thus, some techniques must be taken to make the network available all the time.
In order to develop redundant network one must consider the possible failures that must occur during the network operation. These failures are categorized into two types: link failure and network device failures. In link failures, one cable connecting two computers or two any two devices such as routers or switches can be disconnected and make some of the
network or all of it to be down. On the other end, device failure means that the network device itself is down which could be router, switch, or a hub.
First let us find how to overcome link failures. The solution in link failures is simpler than device failure because all we need to do is to provide multiple links between devices such that when a link is down, other link takes its role. This is simple of course but can lead to problems. This is because when there are more one link connecting the devices the data will find multiple links and the switch will forward the data to multiple links and the receiving end will receive the data more than one time. In addition, looping can occur because the data will be forwarded across the links forever. This will occur because there is more than one path to the destination and because the switch or the hub forwards the data to all ports.
The solution to looping is to use some protocols that block some ports on the switch and open others so that only one path is existed to the destination. This is achieved by what is called spanning tee protocol, which is available on Cisco switches. Notice that the concept of looping and STP are applied only to devices connected through a LAN and not to routers.
Second let us see the other type of failure which is device failure. This type occurs when a network device fails and thus is unable to forward the packets. The failure here can have a big impact on the network if it occurs in the core layer of the network which connects the whole network together. Therefore the solution is suggested to be applied at the core layer where two network devices are connected to the network to forward the data, one is the primary and the other is the secondary If one device fails, the secondary becomes available.
The above technique is configured on the router or the switch depending on what is used. Some protocols are developed to accomplish this function and are available on Cisco devices. When implementing it, one must connect the device at the core which must be redundant to the proper ports of other devices and connect similar device to the rest of the network in the same manner the primary device is connected. If the primary fails, this secondary takes its role.
By: Youssef Edward
How To Protect Your Home Network From Security Threats
October 18th, 2009
Technical computer jargon has become a part of our everyday lives and not only at work but at home as well. If you have setup your own computer network at home you probably know all about wireless cards, routers, and firewalls. Most computer components are easy to install and get set up, making it possible create a safe and secure home network. One Internet connection can mean connectivity for every computer in the house.
However, you need to make sure your network is safe from hackers and viruses, which can destroy computers and result in irreplaceable data loss. Start by reading the manual of each network product you have since they typically go into great detail about security configurations. But there is still more you need to know.
Router Ports
The first thing you should do is rename the standard administrator account and password since it is likely quite common and would be easy to find. Router ports are basically network numbers which is used by some applications to distinguish traffic. For instance, port 80 is used for web browsing and is the standard for HTTP.
In order to make your ports secure you may want to forgo dynamic IP addresses and purchase a static IP address. This means that you can specify which IP addresses generate traffic leaving your network. This is especially important if you have a wireless network since someone next door can potentially use your network to get onto the Internet. By specifying which IP addresses may do that youíre preventing this from happening. This is especially important if you live in an apartment building since using someone elseís network is surprisingly easy.
Port 80 should be configured to accept all incoming traffic. Some corporations specify which IP addresses can come into the network but this is very time consuming and labor intensive. You will also need to open port 25 for outgoing mail (SMTP) and 110 for incoming mail if you are using a desktop email program.
Once you have your router setup as described above youíre essentially good to go. There are some extra settings you may need to concern yourself with such as ftp ports, but this can leave your network open to attack.
Wireless Networks
If you have a wireless network, take security one step further and lock it down. If you have an unsecured network anyone within range can access the Internet via your connection. Not only can this severely slow down your own Internet access, but it is dangerous to have someone surfing and downloading who knows what in your name. Most wireless network manuals explain in detail how to configure your wireless security.
By: Paul Wilcox
