Wireless Networking: Introduction, Benefits, And Security Concerns.

5. Wireless Networking

-An Introduction
-Benefits of wireless networking
-Security Concerns.

1. Wireless networking:

Wireless LAN technology conforming to standard 802.11b is being used increasingly as the main standard for corporate internal wireless LAN networks. The bandwidth of 802.11b is 11 Mbps and operates at 2.4 GHz Frequency. The successor of this current 802.11b standard is 802.11a and it is designed to operate at faster speed and at a different frequency. Though 802.11a standard and the technology behind it has become available, 802.11b is still widely used today. Both 802.11b and 802.11a are compatible with each other and many companies deploying dual 802.11b and 802.11a devices.

2. Benefits of wireless networking:

2.1 Useful in organizations such as hotels, hospitals, and manufacturing units that have constraints for laying cables.

2.2 Useful for small and medium companies that intend to relocate their premises according to needs. There are no cabling costs involved when relocating the Company premises when wireless networking is used.

2.3 Wireless networks are also useful for notebook users in an office environment. Having a wireless LAN in place saves mobile users the hassle of plugging into a docking station every time they want to access the network. Instead, they can access the network from anywhere in the building.

2.4 Warehouse Inventory management: It is possible to update the inventory in real time by using notebook computers with barcode readers. The inventory is updated in real time as the products come and go out of the storage space.

2.5 You can use PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) to access the network resources.

3. Security Concerns: Being a wireless network, a wireless LAN has a few security risks that need to be taken care of while designing the network. Typical security risks can be broadly categorized below:

Insertion Attacks- Process of placing unauthorized devices on the wireless network without going through a security process and review.

Interception and monitoring wireless traffic: An attacker can sniff and capture legitimate traffic. By encrypting the data this type of attack can be minimized.

Jamming: Similar to DoS (Denial of Service) attacks, a wireless network may be subjected to jamming, where legitimate traffic gets jammed because illegitimate traffic overwhelms the frequencies, making it impossible for timely flow of legitimate traffic.