Chapter One
Removing the Tethers: Entering the Wireless World In This Chapter
* Understanding the risks and the rewards of going wireless
* Sorting out acronyms and types of wireless networks
* Planning and installing your wireless network
* Administering and troubleshooting
Now is an exciting time for network administrators and users everywhere as we cast off the shackles of our wired world and move into the new frontier of wireless networking. This book shows you the steps to take to accomplish this as seamlessly and reliably as possible while protecting your corporate assets from unauthorized access.
In many office environments, the desk and the workstation it supports is a fixed entity. Every day you come to the office, sit at your desk, and power on your computer, ready to start the day. There is little other choice because your workstation needs a cable from it to the network in order for your applications and Internet support to work. You've been wired for years.
Perhaps, however, you've seen how wireless networking offers your business an opportunity to move beyond the expense of wires and cables into the less expensive world of air and radio waves. You've seen this already with the introduction of cell phones. Can you imagine waiting to reach someone until they returned to the office or home and their old-fashioned POTS?
What's POTS, you ask? Plain Old Telephone Service. Land lines. Cables. Restrictions. In the world today, if you are a teenager, you've never known that it was impossible to reach someone unless he was by his home phone, have you? You've always known about cell phones and probably have one or two yourself. Now you can move your computer into the same wireless world and free yourself from the same restrictions of needing to access a fixed, physical link. You can sit on the front porch and enjoy the sunshine with your laptop wirelessly connected to your local area network and the Internet. This wasn't possible only a few years ago.
Understanding the Risks and Rewards of Going Wireless
Going wireless has wonderful benefits, but wireless freedom comes with its share of problems as well. You need to be aware of these concerns as you move into this fascinating new world. As Oprah Winfrey once said, "I believe that one of life's greatest risks is never daring to risk." What we need to do is take calculated risks, with forethought and intelligent analysis.
What you risk
What types of risks do you face with wireless networking? Are they more or less than the risks you already face with cable-based networks? Chapter 9 provides insight on these risks, with later chapters offering solutions. In a nutshell, the risks in wireless networks are different than in cable-based networks in that physical security, like with door locks and surveillance cameras, helps protect us from the weaknesses in our local area networks. Attackers need to physically connect to the network in order to attack it. Now, I hear many of you saying that this isn't the case, and that dial-up or other remote access points offer vulnerabilities that can be abused. You are right, but this is only one aspect of gaining access to a network; and, if you disallow modems or external access, you are left with physical access as the sole entry point. This is not the case with wireless.
Many of you may recall using television antennae years ago to receive your TV stations. Some of you may still use antennae, especially in the country. This is a wireless model. Pick up an antenna, plug it into your TV, and off you go - free TV! Now you can do that with a computer. Add a wireless modem, an antenna (which may be part of the modem or integrated into the computer), and go looking for wireless signals to connect to and use. Free wireless! Okay, not really. Yes, you can do as we described; however, in many places, using someone else's network is illegal - and doing so will land you in the hoosegow.
In a wireless network, you broadcast your network to the world. "Hello? Here I am. Come and get me." Wireless networks beg to be used (or abused). And this is where they differ from land-line-based networks. Walk on by and see whether you can see a signal and use it. We point out in later chapters how people have been arrested for accessing pornography using the neighborhood wireless access points that were left unsecured and accessible to anyone. You really do not want the police knocking on your door one day asking about illegal network traffic, do you? Well, that is one of the risks of wireless.
Illegal use of your network is your biggest nightmare. This may include the scenario just mentioned or someone hacking into your network to steal commercial secrets. Neither is a good thing. Most of this risk comes from poor design and inadequate use of the security components available in a wireless network. Part III shows you how to properly secure your wireless network from intruders.
The benefits you gain
The benefits of a wireless network can be almost immeasurable. As we mention earlier, can you imagine a world without cell phones now? You almost automatically assume you can reach people any time you need to by calling their cell phone. Now imagine not being tied to your desk to accomplish your work. With the latest tablet PCs, you can roam around the office, from meeting to meeting, tablet PC in your hands, always connected, always available. In addition, you can sit in the cafeteria and grab a coffee and donut while still working on that big proposal. Or enjoy a few days of sun you would ordinarily miss, all while you work diligently away at your job.
Or imagine the usefulness of a wireless connection at the airport while you wait (and wait) for that never-on-time flight. At least now you can do some work, browse the Internet, or connect with other passengers to whittle away the interminable time waiting for flights.
The next few years will bring a revolution in networking, both personal and job-related, as wireless networking becomes de rigueur.
Applications of Wireless Networks
So where will you use this fancy wireless networking? Applications abound. We discuss using it in airports and in the office - major uses for any businessperson who travels. The amount of additional work that can be accomplished is immeasurable, hopefully resulting in added responsibilities and increased compensation for you. At the very least, perhaps it offers you more time with your family. What's that, you ask? How's that? Well, consider the work you need to get done each day and the deadlines you have to meet. You now have the time on the train coming home, the time spent traveling, and all that time you used to spend frustrated while waiting for a flight to get your work done so you can be with your family - instead of your work - when you finally arrive home.
The use of wireless networks doesn't end there though. If Bill Gates gets his way, we will see the wireless world in our fridges, stoves, coffee pots, and house alarms. Wait, some of those are already present.
Here are some other uses you may see:
Home or small office security: Wireless cameras can be connected to your Web site, enabling you to visually check in with the office when you are away. We hope that you do this to view the premises after hours, making sure that it remains locked down and isn't broken into. Of course, there is nothing stopping you, local laws notwithstanding, from checking in on your staff while you are away to make sure they aren't partying.
Medicine: Imagine a place where doctors can carry a small tablet PC around and access your records instantly from any location. While there, they might send a prescription directly to the pharmacy, bypassing the need for you to take that scrawl they call handwriting to your pharmacy and wait for it to be filled. The nurses could record your vital signs into a wireless device, providing instant access for your physician. Perhaps the doctor will send results to the lab, ask other doctors for advice, and generally serve you better by being fully connected.
Live data updates: Data can be updated live without waiting for staff to return to the office to file paper-based reports on inspections or sales. These staff can just carry their wireless access device and input data, sending it immediately to the main computers for processing, thus speeding up a sales cycle or the collection of data that the business database requires each month.
Business applications: On the business application side, companies like Microsoft, Peoplesoft, and SAP are building wireless into their products, all the better to serve the user and enable faster, more effective data use. Some real estate offices are using wireless to give brokers access to the property-listing database, which can have a dramatic effect on brokers' ability to do their job. For example, suppose a client makes an appointment to look at certain house types, such as bungalows, and the broker meets her with a list of properties fitting that description. Now, suppose that after looking at what's available, the client realizes that she actually wants a two-story home. The broker can immediately dial in a different search rather than rescheduling with the client. Presto, instant sales.
The use of wireless networks will skyrocket in the next few years, we predict, with more and more vendors applying the concept of liberating us from the desk or from manual methods of applying new data to our systems.
Sorting Out the Nets: Do I Need a WPAN, WLAN, or WMAN?
Acronyms are the bane of all professionals. Whether it's a nurse or doctor asking for an MRI or an accountant discussing ROI, you need to know the lingo if you want to be part of the talk. It's the same with wireless networks. There are a number of different types of networks whose classifications are based primarily on the distances they reach. You see in Table 1-1 how they relate to the wired world and to each other.
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) provides standards for everyone to follow. These include standards for wired and wireless networking. The numbers are assigned by the IEEE and quickly become well known to industry users. The 802 series dictates how each format must work. You can obtain lots of interesting information about these standards and their use from various Web sites. One of these is www.dailywireless.org/ index.php. This site includes regular updates on what's happening in the wireless world.
TIP
Impress your friends by mentioning the 802.11 standard that your wireless network uses. It will be either a, b, or g. 802.11b is currently the most popular, but 802.11g is catching on fast.
Let's get personal: WPAN
The Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) consists of close-range wireless activities such as Bluetooth and FireWire. Wireless in this range is based on the IEEE 802.15 standard. Transmission in this network consists of a low range of around 30 feet, or 10 meters. It's right up there in your personal space, sort of like being in a crowd and getting jostled all the time. It uses low power consumption and is an ad hoc network. If you are in range and another device is present, you can reach out and touch it.
This spectrum is designed for interpersonal connections, such as connecting one PDA to another, or connecting a wireless keyboard, mouse, or printer to your computer. It is useful and helps free you from all the cables typically needed to perform these tasks. Data transfer occurs at around 1 Mbps in the Bluetooth protocol.
Many of you already indulge in the Wireless Personal Area Network world with your infrared-equipped PDA that you use to beam information to other PDA users. Others of you wander around airports with a Bluetooth-equipped headset on your cell phone. That we like. It's got to beat having that darn wire hanging around your neck although we are not sure you realize how many people initially think you are talking to them as you chat away.
Other neat uses of this spectrum include connecting your PDA to your workstation or laptop to synchronize data or adding a Bluetooth-enabled modem like those available from Zoom Telephonics. Why a Bluetooth modem? Well, if you travel, you can connect in your hotel with a dial-up line. Although many hotels are moving to wireless connectivity, many have not gotten there yet. So using a Bluetooth modem provides you a degree of that wireless connectivity as you roam around your hotel room or even step out onto the balcony - all while remaining connected.
Another use of this spectrum regards connecting with other laptop users to share files easily and quickly without the need for network cards or cables. Although you can also do this in the WLAN technology, using infrared allows you to quickly share files with another user, with little fuss and bother.
TECHNICAL STUFF
One quick note of clarification: Personal Area Networks (PAN) actually refer to using a near field electric field to send data across various devices using the body as a medium. The term was really meant to be used as it is in Wireless Personal Area Networks. Nonetheless, it is an accepted term now and is used interchangeably. If you want to read an article describing this original use, visit www.wirelessdevnet.com/channels/bluetooth/features/pans.html, a wireless developer's Web site.
The holy grail of wireless networking: WLAN
WLAN is the holy grail of wireless networking for most of the business world. Using the IEEE 802.11 standard, it is the main topic for most of this book. Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) gets you connected to the office with your laptop or tablet PC, allowing you to roam around at work while remaining connected. It won't be long before you're able to tell the boss you are working while standing around the water cooler and chatting with your friends. Look boss, I'm downloading that latest spreadsheet and discussing it with Harry while slaking my thirst.
This is where Wi-Fi - a term sometimes used interchangeably for the IEEE 802.11 standard - originates. This wireless connectivity expands beyond the area of our desks and moves us to further distances. Distances of up to 500 feet are possible with no interference, and even farther distances can be easily achieved using repeaters and additional access points. We guide you through understanding the protocols, the risks, implementing security, and more throughout this book.
You are probably most interested in WLAN, and so we focus on it in this book.
Continues...
Excerpted from Wireless Networks For Dummies by Barry Lewis Peter Davis Excerpted by permission.
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