- Use encryption on your wireless network using the
strongest encryption scheme supported by your wireless router and client
computers. Use WPA2-Personal if possible. At a minimum use
WPA-Personal.
- Use a long
random ASCII key longer than 25-characters. I recommend the use of
an online
key generator to generate a long random ASCII key. Here is an example
63-character random ASCII key which can be saved to a flash drive, using Windows
Connect Now [WCN], for later use or to give to guest clients that you
allow to connect to your home wireless network:
S3JYtUK<-s'sIztyK82'-#86^DFzzw=7\B7)g.*s0PX6rm},sZ?>2TX'@q&x:G+
If the client can not use WCN, ie. like a MAC or Linux client for example, the wireless key is in plain text in the \Smrtntky\Wsetting.txt file on the flash drive. Simply copy-n-paste to the client.
Personally I use
WPA2-Personal [WPA2-PSK (AES)] and a 63-character random ASCII key
to protect my wireless network at home.
The real key to good security is
to use strong encryption...
Connecting to wireless networks with Windows
Windows 7
View and connect to available wireless networks
Vista
Connecting to Wireless Networks with Windows Vista: The Cable Guy, April 2006
Windows XP
The New Wireless Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP Service Pack 2: The Cable Guy, June 2004
Windows Connect Now [WCN]
Windows 7 WCN help
To save your wireless network settings to a USB flash drive, insert a USB flash drive into the computer, and then follow these steps:
-
Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type network, and then click Network and Sharing Center.
-
In the left pane, click Manage wireless networks.
-
Right-click the network, click Properties, and then click Copy this network profile to a USB flash drive.
-
Select the USB device, and then click Next.
-
Follow the instructions in the wizard, and then click Close.
Windows Vista WCN help
To save your settings to a USB flash drive, do this:
-
Open Network by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Network.
-
Click Add a wireless device, and then follow the steps in the wizard.
Windows XP WCN help
General Windows Wireless Networking technical information
Wireless
Networking from Microsoft TechNet
Laptop guidance - Firewall and network configuration for public wireless hotspots
Windows 7 or Vista
Make sure the Windows 7 or Vista wireless network type is configured as Public. The following table is from this Cable Guy article.
| Behavior for the Public Location Type |
| For the Public
location type, the assumption is that the computer is directly connected
to the Internet and therefore exposed to incoming malicious traffic from
the Internet. Because of a possible hostile networking environment, the
following default settings are automatically configured for networks with
the Public location type: • Windows Firewall is turned on • Network discovery is turned off • All forms of file and printer sharing are turned off, including file sharing, printer sharing, public folder sharing, and media sharing If you change these default settings, they will be applied to every network with the Public location type. |
Windows 7 or Vista specific help
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Choosing-a-network-location
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Choosing-a-network-location
Windows XP
Run a software firewall on your laptop and have it configured for Don't allow exceptions. That way the laptop is protected from incoming probes all the time which is particularly important at public wireless hotspots. The following screen shot is from a Windows XP SP2 computer running the Windows Firewall.
