Configuring your wireless connections on the WAP is only half the battle. You also need to properly configure the wireless NIC to allow the client to connect to the WAP. As with your WAP, you have three connection methods to configure:
Hardening with WEP
To configure WEP on a wireless NIC, open your network connections, right-click the wireless NIC, and select Properties. Then click the Wireless Networks tab, shown here:
One Step Further: Notice that an available network is already listed. This is a WAP that belongs to one of my neighbors and is broadcasting its SSID. It’s really just that easy to locate an open WAP. To illustrate how easy it is to connect to an open WAP, I have personally pulled over on the side of the road near a residential area to access the Internet and send an instant message to a buddy of mine when my cell phone battery died. You absolutely have to harden your wireless network if you are going to use wireless in your environment.
At the Wireless Networks tab, click Add to add a new wireless network. At the Wireless Network Properties dialog box, enter the SSID of the WAP to which you want to connect. These values must be the same on both the wireless client and the WAP. Select Shared for the Network Authentication field and WEP for the Data Encryption field. Uncheck the box The key Is Provided for Me Automatically and enter the appropriate WEP key, as shown next. When you’re finished, click OK to close the Wireless Network Properties dialog box. Then click OK again to close the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box. In a few moments, the wireless NIC will authenticate with and connect to the WAP.
 This is from Hardening Network Infrastructure, by Wesely Noonan (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, ISBN 0072255021). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now. |
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