1. Tutorial 7:
Wireless Networking

2. • Session 7.1
– Explore the history of wireless networks
– Learn about Wi-Fi, MiFi, and wireless mesh
networks
– Investigate technologies used in personal area
networks
– Learn about wireless wide area networks
– Investigate WiMAX and LTE networks
– Investigate wireless devices and wireless
broadband services
New Perspectives on the Internet, 9th Edition
Objectives
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3. Objectives
• Session7.2
– Investigate security concerns of wireless networks
– Evaluate different wireless encryption methods
– Understand some common security concerns of
wireless devices
– Learn about the different types of attacks on
wireless devices
– Learn how to protect the data stored on a wireless
device
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4. Session 7.1 Visual Overview
Wireless Devices Timeline
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5. The Evolution of Wireless Networks
• A wired connection is one in which a device and the
Internet service provider are connected using a cable
• A wireless connection occurs when data is
transferred to another location without the use of
any wires
• 1G (first generation) wireless networks were the
first wireless technology (1978); an analog cellular
network for voice only
• Text messages contain only alphanumeric characters
• 2G wireless or second-generation wireless is used
primarily for voice conversations and text messages
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6. The Evolution of Wireless Networks
• In 1994, carriers created digital networks, or
Personal Communication Service (PCS), on which
data was transmitted in bits at a rate of up to 14.4
Kbps
• A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a handheld
computer that can send and receive wireless
telephone and fax calls, act as a personal organizer,
perform calculations, store notes, and display Web
pages
• 3G or third-generation wireless networks offer data
transfer rates of up to 2 Mbps and constant
connections
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7. The Evolution of Wireless Networks
New Perspectives on the Internet, 9th Edition
• Mobile devices that combine the functionality of a
cell phone with an operating system are usually
called smartphones
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8. The Evolution of Wireless Networks
• Many carriers have transformed and upgraded their
existing networks by creating 2.5G wireless
networks that deliver faster transfer speeds and
allow you to send files and access the Internet
• A wireless device might automatically connect to a
2.5G network when a 3G network is unavailable
• 3.5G wireless networks or mobile broadband
provide very fast network connections
• 3.5G wireless networks already exist in many
countries and are being planned and tested in other
countries
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9. The Evolution of Wireless Networks
• Some carriers now offer limited fourth-generation
wireless networks (4G wireless)
– Provides very fast network connection speeds
– Delivers high-quality audio and video
– Makes it possible to:
• Move between wireless networks without
losing signal
• Perform multiple tasks on 4G devices (i.e.,
talking on the phone and browsing the Web)
• The ability to process many tasks at the same time is
called simultaneous support
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10. Wireless Local Area Networking
• A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a network
on which devices use high-frequency radio waves
instead of wires to communicate with a base station,
which is connected to the Internet
• Wi-Fi or wireless fidelity is the trademarked name of
the Wi-Fi Alliance that specifies the interface
between a wireless client and a base station, or
between two wireless clients to create a hotspot
• A hotspot is an area of network coverage
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11. Wireless Local Area Networking
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12. Wireless Local Area Networking
• The transfer rate of data is the speed at which data is
transmitted from an access point to a wireless device
• An access point is a hardware device with one or
more antennae that permits communication
between wired and wireless networks so wireless
clients can send and receive data
• The range is the physical distance between the
access point and the wireless device
• A device called a dual band access point makes it
possible to connect devices configured with two
different Wi-Fi standards to the same access point
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13. Wireless Local Area Networking
• A multiple band access point makes it possible to
connect any wireless device to the same access point
• New notebook computers and other wireless devices
are manufactured with Wi-Fi compatible hardware
installed in them and software that locates Wi-Fi
signals and automatically initiates the connection to
the network
• Citywide wireless networks are often called
municipal broadband, Muni Wi-Fi, or Muni-Fi
networks
• MiFi is a small wireless router that provides a
battery-operated, mobile, personal hotspot for
connecting Wi-Fi devices to the Internet
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14. Wireless Local Area Networking:
Wireless Mesh Networks
• Another type of wireless local area network is a
wireless mesh network, which is commonly used to
extend the reach of Wi-Fi hotspots to an enterprise
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15. Personal Area Networking
• Personal area networking (PAN) refers to the
wireless network that connects personal devices to
each other
• There are two major types of PANs:
– Using infrared technology you can wirelessly
beam information from one device to another
– Bluetooth provides short-range radio links
between electronic devices
• The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) is a group
dedicated to developing low-cost, high speed
wireless connectivity solutions
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16. Personal Area Networking
• A collection of devices connected in a personal area
network using Bluetooth technology is called a
piconet; it can connect two to eight devices at a time
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17. Personal Area Networking
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18. Wireless Wide Area Networking
• Wireless wide area networking (WWAN) makes it
possible to access the Internet from anywhere within
the boundaries of the WWAN
• A WWAN is a wireless network that provides network
coverage to a large geographical area
• To access the Internet using a WWAN, you need a
WWAN PC card for the device you want to use and
an account with the cellular carrier that operates the
network
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19. Metropolitan Area Networking
• A metropolitan area network (MAN) provides
wireless broadband Internet service to large
geographical areas
– Usually in hotspots of several square miles each
– Connects these hotspots using technology similar
to cellular service to create a very large area of
network coverage.
• Two competing MAN standards, both promising 4G
networks around the world:
– Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
(WiMAX)
– Long Term Evolution (LTE)
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20. Metropolitan Area Networking:
WiMAX
• WiMAX (Worldwide
Interoperability for
Microwave Access) is
similar to Wi-Fi but it
operates in a different
radio spectrum and
using a different
network standard
• Creates a connected
area of network
coverage, but in a much
larger area than a Wi-Fi
hotspot (up to 10 or
more square miles)
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21. Metropolitan Area Networking:
WiMAX
• WiMAX uses the 802.16 standards defined by the
IEEE for metropolitan area networks, and broadcasts
in the 2 to 11 GHz and 10 to 66 GHz radio spectrum
• Since 2005, WiMAX has operated in numerous major
metropolitan markets, including New York City
• Because WiMAX can support many types of data
transmissions, it is also used for VoIP, or Voice over
Internet Protocol, which converts audio signals to
digital packets so that you can use a broadband
wired or wireless Internet connection to make local
and long-distance telephone calls
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22. Metropolitan Area Network:
LTE
• Long Term Evolution (LTE) provides 4G wireless
broadband connections at very fast speeds to large
geographical areas
• In the United States, LTE is being developed primarily
for mobile devices
• A femtocell is a base station that uses minimal
power to transmit the LTE signal from a wired
connection, such as a cable or DSL modem, to LTE
devices within its range to increase their speed
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23. Using Wireless Devices to
Access the Internet
• The best way to begin a search for wireless solutions
is to begin with an exploration of the network you’ll
use
• Most carriers offer specific products to work on their
wireless networks
• Some networks, such as those found in airports and
hotels, let you pay a daily fee to use the network;
other networks require a monthly fee for using the
network
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24. Session 7.2 Visual Overview:
Wireless Security Concerns
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25. Security Concerns for
Wireless Networks
• Ensuring the security of the data sent over a wireless
network presents many challenges
• Some of the security challenges are the same
between wired and wireless networks
• Protecting a wireless network is complicated by the
fact that a wireless network sends its data through
the air using radio signals that are subject to
interception
• The most basic security threat for wireless devices is
the theft of the device itself
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26. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
Wireless Encryption Methods
• Encryption is the process of coding information so
that it is not readable by devices or people who do
not have the secret key used to return the
information back to its original, readable state
• Most wireless networks are unsecured
• There are many wireless encryption methods that
provide different levels of protection for wireless
networks
• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a security
protocol for wireless LANs that works by encrypting
data sent over the network
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27. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
Wireless Encryption Methods
• When WEP is enabled, it encrypts the data sent over
the network with a key, or passphrase, that is
entered by the user
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28. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
Wireless Encryption Methods
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a standard that was
developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to address some of
the inherent weaknesses in WEP
• WPA provides better encryption than WEP because
WPA uses a preshared key to encrypt data and
individual data packets are encrypted with different
keys
• Although WPA provides good protection, one
drawback is that all devices in the network need to
use WPA
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29. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
MAC Address Filtering
• Each manufacturer of network interface cards adds a
unique number, called a Media Access Control
address (MAC address) to identify the device
• A wireless network can be protected by designating
the devices allowed to connect to the network
• The MAC address for detachable network interface
cards is usually printed on the card or USB device
• A MAC address appears in the format
00:00:00:0A:0B:0C, as a combination of digits and
letters
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30. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
Disabling the SSID Broadcast
• When a wireless router or access point sends out its
signal, it also broadcasts its service set identifier
(SSID) as a way of identifying the network’s name
• The SSID makes it possible for roaming devices to
discover the network and enables you to log in to the
correct network
• Wardriving is a malicious activity that involves
driving through a neighborhood with a wireless-
enabled notebook computer with the goal of locating
homes and businesses that have wireless networks in
order to gain access to them
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31. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
Changing the Default Login
• One of the most serious mistakes that home users
make when installing a wireless network is the failure
to change the default login for a device
• This makes it possible for anyone who already knows
the manufacturer’s generic default login information
to access the wireless network
• When you install a wireless network, make it a
priority to change the default login and password
• Keep your login in a safe place
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32. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
Changing the Default Login
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33. Methods for Securing Wireless Networks:
Using Software to Protect Wireless Networks
• Larger wireless networks with many different devices
connecting to them can supply an additional layer of
security by running software that:
– Prevents unauthorized network use
– Protects against different kinds of security threats
– Monitors the network for other types of problems
that might affect the network’s reliability and
performance
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34. Understanding Security Threats
to Wireless Devices
• Wireless devices are subject to over-the-shoulder
attacks, in which an unauthorized person uses his or
her physical proximity to your device to attempt to
get your login information, passwords, or other
sensitive data while you’re working
• When working in public places, be aware of where
other people are located in proximity to you and
your device
• Most security experts advise against activities such
as online banking, checking email, and online
shopping in public places
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35. Understanding Security Threats
to Wireless Devices
• An evil twin attack or café latte attack is when a
hacker gathers information about an access point
and then uses that information to set up his own
computer to impersonate the access point
• When you use a free public hotspot, the data you
send is not usually encrypted or secure and so it is
subject to hackers using sniffer programs
• A man-in-the-middle attack (MITM attack) occurs
when transmissions that are being sent between two
devices are intercepted by a third party
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36. Understanding Security Threats
to Wireless Devices
Security Concerns for Bluetooth-Enabled Devices
• Bluejacking occurs when an anonymous message in
the form of a phone contact displays as a text
message to a Bluetooth device
• Bluesnarfing occurs when a hacker with special
software is able to detect the signal from a Bluetooth
device and gain access to its data
• Bluebugging occurs when a hacker gains access to
the Bluetooth device and its functions
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37. Understanding Security Threats
to Wireless Devices
• To protect a Bluetooth device from an attack, you can
disable the device’s Bluetooth feature so that its
signal is invisible or in undiscoverable mode
Security Risks with Smartphone Applications
• Smartphones have an operating system that can run
programs, also called applications or apps
• The predominant operating systems for smartphones
are Apple iOS, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS, and
Google Android
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38. Understanding Security Threats
to Wireless Devices
• An app might contain malware or other security
threats that seek to gain access to the user’s device,
or perform other tasks that might somehow
compromise the security of the device
• Smartphone users should be especially careful when
installing apps that require login information
• Jailbreaking (on an Apple device) or rooting (on an
Android device) is unlocking the operating system on
a device in order to disable the device so it can run
apps from other providers
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39. Methods for Securing Wireless Devices
• Make sure that the operating system installed on the
device is always current
• Check usage statistics to look for unauthorized usage
• Lock your device with a password and set the device
to lock after its use
• Disable the autoconnect feature for connecting to
Wi-Fi networks; this prevents an unknown network
from connecting to the device without permission
• Avoid storing login information and passwords on
the device
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