NETGEAR FVS318N manual Wireless Data Security Options, 111

ProSafe Wireless-N 8-Port Gigabit VPN Firewall FVS318N

Wireless Data Security Options

Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11n wireless networks at a maximum range of 300 feet. Typically, a wireless VPN firewall inside a building works best with devices within a 100 foot radius. Such distances can allow for others outside your immediate area to access your network.

Unlike wired network data, your wireless data transmissions can extend beyond your walls and can be received by anyone with a compatible adapter. For this reason, use the security features of your wireless equipment. The wireless VPN firewall provides highly effective security features that are covered in detail in this chapter. Deploy the security features appropriate to your needs.

Figure 55.

There are several ways you can enhance the security of your wireless network:

•Restrict access based by MAC address. You can allow only trusted computers to connect so that unknown computers cannot wirelessly connect to the wireless VPN firewall. Restricting access by MAC address adds an obstacle against unwanted access to your network, but the data broadcast over the wireless link is fully exposed. For information about how to restrict access by MAC address, see Restrict Wireless Access by MAC Address on page 120.

•Turn off the broadcast of the wireless network name (SSID). If you disable broadcast of the SSID, only devices that have the correct SSID can connect. This nullifies the wireless network discovery feature of some products, such as Windows XP, but the data is still exposed. For information about how to turn of broadcast of the SSID, see Configure and Enable Wireless Profiles on page 115.

•WEP. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption provides data security. WEP shared key authentication and WEP data encryption block all but the most determined eavesdropper. This data encryption mode has been superseded by WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK.

For information about how to configure WEP, see Configure and Enable Wireless Profiles on page 115.

•WPA. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) data encryption provides strong data security with Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) or a combination of TKIP and Counter Mode with

Wireless Configuration and Security

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