User manual LINKSYS WMCE54AG

[. . . ] ® A Division of Cisco Systems, Inc. Dual-Band Dual-Band Media Center Extender 5 GHz 2. 4 GHz 802. 11a 802. 11g Wireless A/G User Guide WIRELESS Model No. WMCE54AG Dual-Band Wireless A/G Media Center Extender Copyrights and Trademarks Specifications are subject to change without notice. Other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U. S. A. This product is protected by certain intellectual property rights of Microsoft Corporation. [. . . ] So, keep the following in mind whenever you are setting up or using your wireless network. Security Precautions The following is a complete list of security precautions to take: 1. To ensure network security, steps one through five should be followed, at least. NOTE: Some of these security features are available only through the network router or access point. Refer to the router or access point's documentation for more information. Appendix B: Wireless Security Security Precautions 25 Dual-Band Wireless A/G Media Center Extender Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks Wireless networks are easy to find. Hackers know that in order to join a wireless network, wireless networking products first listen for "beacon messages". These messages can be easily decrypted and contain much of the network's information, such as the network's SSID (Service Set Identifier). Here are the steps you can take: Change the administrator's password regularly. With every wireless networking device you use, keep in mind that network settings (SSID, WEP keys, etc. ) are stored in its firmware. Your network administrator is the only person who can change network settings. If a hacker gets a hold of the administrator's password, he, too, can change those settings. Change it often Most wireless networking devices will give you the option of broadcasting the SSID. While this option may be more convenient, it allows anyone to log into your wireless network. Wireless networking products come with a default SSID set by the factory. (The Linksys default SSID is "linksys". ) Hackers know these defaults and can check these against your network. Change your SSID to something unique and not something related to your company or the networking products you use. 26 Appendix B: Wireless Security Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks Dual-Band Wireless A/G Media Center Extender Change your SSID regularly so that any hackers who have gained access to your wireless network will have to start from the beginning in trying to break in. MAC Address filtering will allow you to provide access to only those wireless nodes with certain MAC Addresses. This makes it harder for a hacker to access your network with a random MAC Address. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is often looked upon as a cure-all for wireless security concerns. Again, this can only provide enough security to make a hacker's job more difficult. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is the newest and best available standard in Wi-Fi security. Pre-Shared Key gives you a choice of two encryption methods: TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol), which utilizes a stronger encryption method and incorporates Message Integrity Code (MIC) to provide protection against hackers, and AES (Advanced Encryption System), which utilizes a symmetric 128-Bit block data encryption. RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) utilizes a RADIUS server for authentication and the use of dynamic TKIP, AES, or WEP. [. . . ] Customers located outside of the United States of America and Canada are responsible for all shipping and handling charges. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE LIMITED TO THE DURATION OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. ALL OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF NONINFRINGEMENT, ARE DISCLAIMED. Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitation may not apply to You. [. . . ]