Intro

The Big Dog (a.k.a. BigAkita) asked me to do an article about Wireless Networking and Security since my review of the WarDrivingWorld Platinum WarDriving Kit 5xSpeed/4xDist has received so much attention. I purchased my first Wireless Access Point and Wireless Card last year. With anything in my life that I become interested in, I wanted to learn more about Wireless Networking and thus my search for knowledge began.

Instead of writing something too technical and boring, I decided to start off with the basics, hopefully providing you with some useful information and possibly start to pique your curiosity into the wireless world. There is "Hacking" information contained in this article for information and educational purposes only! I do not encourage any form of "Hacking" since it is against the law!

If there is more interest in this topic, I will be more than happy to write future articles containing more technical information.

So what is wireless networking?

The simple answer is networking without having to run cables all over your home.

What do you need?

First thing you need is a WAP and a wireless card or wireless device that communicates with the WAP.

How does the WAP and wireless card or wireless device communicate?

Via data converted to radio waves using the following frequencies:

802.11 @ 2.4Ghz
802.11a @ 5Ghz
802.11b @ 2.4Ghz
802.11g @ 2.4Ghz

What is 802.11?

It is the wireless network standard named by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The "a", "b" and "g" are the current iteration within the 802.11 wireless network standard.

The next logical question is what is the difference between the "a", "b" and "g"?

802.11b is the slowest and first standard to hit the market which can transmit data up to 11mbs. Now, 802.11a and 802.11g can both transmit data up to 54mbs.

If 802.11a and 802.11g can both transmit data up to 54mbs, why the two standards?

Since 802.11a transmits data at the 5Ghz frequency, the equipment is costly to manufacture so the 802.11g standard was created utilizing the less costly 2.4Ghz frequency.

How do I setup my own wireless network?

You have the option of setting up an open or secured wireless setup. An open wireless network is very simple to configure and setup. On the other hand, there are various options you can choose when setting up a secured wireless setup.

The following is an example of how to setup a wireless network based on Linksys hardware taken from quick install product manuals for each device. I have included this more for reference and visual aids. Setup your wireless card first:

(The following example is taken from the instruction manual of a Linksys WPC54g)

Once you have setup your wireless card you can now setup your WAP:

(The following example is taken from the instruction manual of a Linksys WAP54g)

Once you have completed the setup, test your connection! (At the end of this article I have provided some misc. setting information for your WAP.) Personally I do not like the connection software that comes with the Linksys wireless cards. I use Windows XP Wireless Connection to connect to my WAP. This is a personal choice; you should determine what works best for you.