How to Secure Your Wireless Home Network

How to Secure Your Wireless Home Network

This article describes a few tips a user can take to help secure his 802.11b/g home wireless network. At least enough to keep honest people honest.

Steps
Enable Encryption on your Access Point. Using 128-bit encryption or higher makes your Wireless Network more secure. WEP and WPA are entirely different encryption schemes. WEP has been proven insecure. Using WPA is recommended because it's more than trivially secure, but is sometimes a bit harder to setup right than WEP is. If you want your network to really be secure, WPA is the way to go.
Set the 'Administrator' password on the router. Anybody who gains access can use the 'default' password to lock you out, or grant themselves more privileges (i.e. disable MAC address filtering or add one more MAC address to the MAC address filtering list so they don't always need to 'clone' your MAC address to get in). If you forget it, most routers have a hardware reset that will restore all of the settings to factory defaults.
Don't use easily guessed Keys, such as "ABC123", "Password", or a string of numbers in order. Use something hard to guess that contains both letters and numbers. Special characters such as !@#$% are not supported by most routers. The longer the key, the better. Using the Passwords Page on GRC.com is recommended.
Change your SSID (Wireless Network Name)from the default to something unique. Don't use your phone number, address, or anything that may identify you. If you leave it 'linksys' (or whatever default) your Windows notebook will automatically connect to every other network it encounters with the same name, and not every wireless network is a good and secure thing to connect to.
Do not disable the 'SSID Broadcast' feature of your Access Point or Router. Although this may seem counterintuitive, and people casually browsing for open networks will be less likely to notice your network, anyone with any hacking experience can easily get that information with special "packet-sniffing" programs so disabling SSID Broadcast won't really improve security. Also, with SSID Broadcast disabled when your computer is trying to connect to your network it will be actively advertising the name of your network and a hacker can set their laptop to pretend to be your router and gain access to your computer. It's also just plain inconvenient to disable SSID Broadcast; connecting computers and wireless printers will become harder and certain connection-enhancing features will be unavailable.
Use MAC Address filtering on your Access Point or router. This registers the hardware address (MAC Address) of your networked devices, and prevents unknown devices from joining or accessing the network (unless they 'clone' or spoof one of your 'allowed' MAC addresses).

Tips
You need to set the same WPA Settings on your Wireless Computer and you may need to manually Add the settings on your Wireless Computer.
Use the 'Shared Key' method of encryption, so that all data passed between clients is encrypted properly.
Check your Access Point or Routers' documentation on how to enable or disable these features.
Disable remote admin, or set up a strong password for the router configuration page.
For more information on wireless encryption, visit, http://www.grc.com/securitynow
A good article on wireless security that also explains the reasons for the counterintuitive advice to not disable SSID Broadcast is http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/wireless/?p=205
You may need to upgrade the Firmware of your Access Point or Router if it doesnt have any of these feature.

Warnings
A WEP network is easily cracked in a minute. See http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3670601 for more info.
If you use a weak key then even WPA can be easily cracked within a day using a combination of special precomputed tables and 'dictionary attacks'. The best way to generate a secure key is to use an offline random number generator or write the entire alphabet in uppercase and lowercase and numbers 0-9 on separate pieces of paper, mix the paper up and randomly pick up pieces and return them, mixing them up again each time; each character you pull out becomes a character in your key.
Be sure to register all devices on your network, including computers, laptops, media players, and networked storage if you are using MAC filtering.
Windows doesn't have individual wireless settings for different wireless domains. This means that the settings that 'share' files at home with your LAN will 'share' files with anybody else's wireless network, even a wireless network masquerading as one you trust.
Disable 'File and Printer Sharing' in the wireless 'Connection Properties' for your portable computer. Only use the 'Client for Microsoft Networks' half of Microsoft's file sharing. This means that your portable must connect to a machine that shares file/folders in order to access things, and that OTHER computers can't ask to connect to your portable to access files on your machine. At least not through Microsoft's 'File Sharing'. Other running services and backdoors may exist.
A user with a 'cantenna' can access your wireless network from a very long way off. Just because your notebook doesn't get a signal on the porch doesn't mean someone else can't access or monitor your network from a mile away.

How to Configure a Router to Use DHCP

How to Configure a Router to Use DHCP

Many people don't want to deal with the hassle of assigning each PC on their network a static IP address. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or DHCP for short, eliminates the need to do this by allowing it to automatically configure IP settings. This manual will be using a Linksys WAP54G router as an example. Other routers will differ.

Steps
Connect to your router (by typing 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 into the URL bar) and log in. Check your user manual or documentation if you do not know the log-in credientials.
Make sure you are in the Setup -> Basic Setup category.
Scroll down until you see 'DHCP Server' - if it is disabled, select 'Enable'
If you want, you can change the number that the DHCP IP assigning starts. This is optional, and is totally dependant on personal preference.In this picture, the maximum number of DHCP clients is 3. You may need to increase this number according to how many people will need a dynamic IP address on your network. Once the max is reached, no one else can get an address until one expires!
Use the DNS servers provided to you by your ISP, or use the following DNS servers: 205.152.37.254, 205.152.132.235, 205.152.132.23; There are many DNS servers out there. It's best to use your ISP's if possible.
Scroll down and click 'Save Settings'
Open up the network configurations for the computers on your network (Control Panel -> Network Connections -> Local Area Connection or Wireless Connection) and select 'Obtain IP address automatically'

Tips
Refer to your product manual for instructions for your specific device. You should be able to follow this as a rough guide for most devices.

Warnings
Enabling DHCP on an unsecured wireless network is a big no-no. Doing so enables anyone to connect to it without any knowledge of networking and steal your bandwidth.
Make sure you have physical access to your network device in case you have to reset it back to factory defaults.

Things You'll Need
Router
Computer
Network Cable or Wireless LAN Card

How to Tell If an Outside User Is on Your Wireless Network

How to Tell If an Outside User Is on Your Wireless Network

Wireless security is very important these days. You don't want anyone stealing your bandwidth or getting into your network to perform malicious attacks on your computer. This is a guide to help you know when someone else is on your wireless network. Since every wireless router is different, this article will discuss the basics and use one of the most popular wireless routers, the Linksys WAP54G as an example. The steps for your router may differ. This guide assumes you are connected to your router (either through a network cable or over its wireless signal) correctly.

Steps
Open your web browser and input your default gateway's IP address. To find this:

Go to Start > run, and type cmd
Type ipconfig next. It will list the default gateway here. Once you have your default gateway address, open your web browser and type it in the URL bar.
Input your router's username and password.

Default for Linksys products is usually username: (blank) password: admin
Default for Netgear routers is Username: admin password: password
Default for Dlink routers is Username: Admin; Password: (blank).
Default UNs and PWs can be found sometimes under the router, on the label or using google.
If you are having trouble finding the UN and PW then try http://www.portforward.com this website is usually used for opening ports for torrent programs and games,but when it shows you how to open your ports it tells you the default UN and PW for the router. The router list is HUGE.
If you are using the default username and password, go to the Administration tab to change it to something more secure. From the Router's user interface you will probably have a setting to log Users going through the router enable it if not already.
Get a pen and paper, and use the steps shown above finding the default gateway to find your MAC or also called physical address of all computers/devices that use wifi/wireless in your home or that will be using it and write them down. From time to time check the log to see if any unknown addresses show up. If so, then someone is leeching off your internet. MAC/physical addresses are unique hexidecimal code that identifies each Network card inside every PC that uses Ethernet. No two MAC addresses are the same.

Finding who is on your network
Navigate to the Setup tab.
Scroll down until you see 'DHCP Server' if it is enabled, continue to the next step.
Click on the "Status" tab and then on "Local Network" just below the main tabs.
Click the button that says "DHCP Clients Table". This list will tell you the computer name of everyone connected to your network on DHCP (DHCP automatically configures a computer's IP and DNS settings)

Tips
If you are concerned about people connected to your network, click the Wireless tab then click on Security and enable WEP or WPA (recommended). Everyone that wants to connect will need the WEP or WPA key to connect. Note:WPA (wifi protected access) is stronger.
If you want to deal with assigning your own IP address, disable the DHCP server on your router. You will have to assign your own internal IP address, but it will keep some people out that do not know your subnet (or how to do it)
Use a different subnet. This will keep people guessing if your DHCP server is off. To do this, just change the router's IP address (on the Setup page) to something other than default (192.168.1.1). Try 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1
Installing a firewall will HELP prevent cracking of your computer
Enable MAC address filtering. Only allow MAC addresses of computers you know.
Once you're connected to your network, disable the broadcast option. This will stop the router from broadcasting its name. You will still be able to connect, since you know the name.

How to Virtualize Your IT Environment

How to Virtualize Your IT Environment

IT professionals dream of robust networking environments that exist in a dynamically expanding and contracting dream world. They want their networking environments to be capable of processing weekly payroll, end of month commissions and end of year accounting. This kind of server “morphing” is possible through Server Virtualization.

Steps
Server Virtualization – The First Steps
Assess & Validate: Conduct an environmental assessment to define each department’s server processing needs. Deploy custom configured resource/environmental auditing agents to poll all servers to identify current totals of: CPU, memory, adaptors, and file/system capacity and total used and unallocated disk space (be sure to account for all archive file space as it often takes up 30%-40% of all data storage - much of it in duplicate and triplicate form). During this same assessment you would also identify; CPU, memory and adaptor usage peaks, read, write, and wait cycle peaks, and identify all data that has not been accessed over extended periods of time.
Rationalize and Critique: Critique your current server environment. Identify and consolidate processing-compatible applications to single servers, or you can virtualize your existing multi-server environment to share processing attributes from a common pool. Only the second choice will aid you in the reduction of purchasing new servers for every new application. As a result you would increase utilization of your existing servers from a typical 10 - 20% to a more effective and efficient 40 -50%. More importantly, you drastically decrease your “unexpected” outages while turning your one-to-one, limited-growth environment into a completely flexible and scalable solution without throwing out your existing investment.
Identify all mission critical servers. Leave those servers in a one-to-one relationship for your heavy-hitting applications such as SAP, PeopleSoft, Siebel and large OLTP databases (such as Oracle). Then, consolidate your non heavy-hitting applications (File and Print, Exchange, SQL, etc.) and virtualize the remaining servers to form a common pool of hardware resources. Finally, configure the above mentioned CPU, memory, and adaptor resource pool to be shared with the heavy hitting servers/ applications – whenever it is needed.
Stop Investing
Look around. Imagine the amount of gas that would be saved if we would all carpool with at least one more person. Stop thinking the only solution is to buy another server; chances are you are not taxing the existing servers you already have. Start “carpooling” your data and available resources!
Tap into your existing hardware pool and reduce the number of servers you feel you have to buy simply to increase on-demand processing capacity. Odds are high that you don’t need to add a server to increase your CPU and/or memory horsepower. In fact, if your IT environment is typical, you not only may not need to add to your existing server pool, but chances are you would be positioned to cascade much of your existing servers and reduce your related server budget for years to come... starting today!
Autonomic Computing: In the very near future, many of today’s production-level servers will not only be virtualized, but will be configured for and capable of performing internal performance audits or “automated health checks” (from I/O processing needs at the CPU and memory level to page and buffer credit settings at the kernel level). They will automatically adjust and/or reconfigure themselves according to their immediate system needs and be able to virtually morph - growing and contracting at will - to meet almost all on-demand needs - all with either pre-designed human involvement (decision making points – particularly when you are just starting your deployment) or, eventually, without any human intervention at all.
Virtualizing your servers will enable them to identify their own CPU, Memory, and adaptor requirements. They will reach out to idle servers and borrow capacity in order to complete immediate tasks. Then, without human prompting, these virtualized servers will return the capacity when it is no longer needed.
The ultimate goal of server virtualization is autonomic computing; capacity on-demand that provides an effective road map for managing your information systems… regardless of size, processing demands, resource needs, time of day or night, or human availability.

How to Find the MAC Address of Your Computer

How to Find the MAC Address of Your Computer

This article describes a quick method to find the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the network adapter or adapters installed in your computer.

Step

Windows
Click on the Start Menu.
Click on 'Run...'
Type 'command' without quotes and press Enter.
At the command prompt, type 'ipconfig /all' without quotes. (space between g and /)
Alternatively, if using Windows XP, you can use the command 'getmac'.
Your MAC Address is listed under 'Physical Address' as a series of 6 groups of two digits, letters and numbers, separated by dashes,

Alternate Windows Method
Open "Network Connections"
Select your Local Area Connection and right-click, select "Status".
In "Support" tab, click "Details".
Your MAC Address is the "Physical Address" listed in Network Connection Details.

Linux
If you're running Linux, use the ifconfig command. You may need to reference it from your /bin or /sbin directories.

Mac OS X
Choose "System Preferences..." from the Apple menu. Then select "Network." Double-click on "Airport" or "Built-in Ethernet" depending on how you access the Internet or your network.
Notice that your MAC Address is called an Airport ID or Ethernet ID.
Try the linux 'ifconfig' method in Terminal.app. This will work on MacOS X since it uses the Darwin kernel (based upon BSD).

Tips
Your MAC Address can also be found with third party networking utilities, or by checking the network adapter properties under Device Manager.

Warnings
It is possible to temporarily change your MAC address with appropriate software, if your hardware allows it (older hardware may have the MAC permanently burned in). This is known as "MAC address spoofing", and is generally not recommended unless you need it. Since the MAC is needed to find your computer at a local level, changing your MAC address will tend to confuse the router. This is only useful for pretending to a router that you are using a different computer.

How to Boost a Router Signal

How to Boost a Router Signal

Wireless routers typically have ranges of 100 feet or more, however there are many factors that can lower this range, making your signal and signal strength lower than you might like. Interference can be caused by metal, other signals and other devices that use wireless frequencies like cell phones and microwave ovens. There are many methods you can use to boost your signal strength.

Steps
Check for interference
Replace devices in your home that can interfere with network traffic on the 2.4GHz frequency range. These devices include many cordless phones, microwave ovens, and the like.
Check your signal strength with these devices on and off to determine if they are the cause of your signal problems.
Buy a wireless network analyzer to track down the source of interference.
Change your signal channel
Routers can broadcast on a series of channels, between one and eleven. Change to a channel that will allow your router a clear signal between other wireless networks.
Use a software utility to analyze which networks are using which channel.
Configure your system for an unused channel.
Reposition your Router.
Raise the router up as far as possible to increase the effective broadcast range.
Move the router away from any metal including metal shelving, filing cabinets and similar common objects.
Move the router closer to the receivers, if possible.
Raise your transmit power.
Check your router's documentation and configuration utility for the ability to change the Xmit power of your router: the amount of power it uses to transmit the signal. generally you can boost this number by up to 50mW, however you do risk overheating or damaging your router.
Replace the Antenna.
Unscrew and replace the broadcast antenna on your router with a model that delivers more power. Not all routers allow for new antenna to be attached, but many do.
Install a Repeater.
Purchase a repeater. A repeater is a piece of hardware that acts like a wireless network expander. The repeater takes the signal from your router and boosts it to increase the range.
Wireless repeaters are increasingly common and affordable and will probably be available in your local computer store, or on the Internet.
Install a Wireless Amplifier
Purchase and attach a wireless amplifier, also known as a booster, directly to your router. A booster can be more affordable than a repeater as they only increase the strength of your existing signal, rather than the strength and range.
Use a bi-directional amplifier to increase both your inward and outbound speeds.
Make a Reflector with Tinfoil. Note that a tinfoil router may boost your signal, but will also make it more directional.
Cut a tinfoil circle with the tinfoil on the inside of a piece of paper or some cardboard large enough to wrap around the router. If you want to get fancier than this, cut a shallow parabola and put the hole for the antenna at the focal point.
Place the tinfoil circle over the router.
Place the antenna in the center of the circle or parabola.

Tips
Older and traditional homes have walls made from wooden studs, while newer construction in office buildings, malls and condominiums are often constructed with metal studs in the wall. metal studs can interfere with a router signal quite badly, so consider your building type when diagnosing your signal.

Tips
Older and traditional homes have walls made from wooden studs, while newer construction in office buildings, malls and condominiums are often constructed with metal studs in the wall. metal studs can interfere with a router signal quite badly, so consider your building type when diagnosing your signal.

Warnings
Do not overheat your router.
Remember: in some states this can be illegal so do you homework first.

Things You'll Need
Router also known as an access point.
Tinfoil
Paper or cardboard

How to Set up DHCP Network Settings on Windows XP

How to Set up DHCP Network Settings on Windows XP

Depending on your operating system the following instructions for Windows XP may vary.

Steps
Click on the start button
Go to settings and left-click on "Network Connections"
You should see an icon labeled as "Local Area Connection". Right-click on that icon, left-click on "Properties" (There may be more than one network connection, depending on how many network cards you have in your PC. "Local Area Connection" indicates a wired Ethernet port, whereas "Wireless Network Connection" is for various types of wireless network connections including WiFi.)
A window pops up, in the middle you will find a list of items, one of which is "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)". Left-click on it and then left-click on the Properties button.
A new window will pop up, select "Obtain IP address automatically"
Also select "Obtain DNS server address automatically"
Click OK and close the previous windows.

Tips
To make sure you are receiving a proper IP, go to start and left-click on "Run" and type in 'cmd', hit Enter.
In the black window (Command Prompt) type "ipconfig" and then hit Enter.
You should receive an IP address appropriate to the device you are connected to.
If you are receiving an IP address that is not valid, type "ipconfig /release" then hit enter. This will set your IP address to 0.0.0.0
Then type "ipconfig /renew" this should set your IP address to the proper IP address.

Warnings
If directly connected to your modem, you may need to check with you Internet Service Provider (ISP) to determine what the IP address should be.
If connecting through a Router or Firewall check the user manual for the appropriate IP address you should be receiving (typically it would begin with '192.168.'[NOTE: This address is denoted by the IEEE as a private network address])
If your computer is connected to the internet, use the DHCP server. For IP addresses on a private network, you probably don't have access to a DHCP server and should contact someone to set up your private network.