In previous articles, I describe two methods for securing an air-link in today's wireless network environment consist of encryption and authentication. This article goes into more detail on what types of encryption and authentication are available, which is best and how to activate them on a wireless network.

Most of the latest wireless network devices manufactured let you set up both encryption and authentication in one step. You determine a network key phrase (also known by the following phrases interchangeably - network password, shared secret keyword, network pass phrase or any variations thereof).

This shared secret key phrase is a secret set of numbers, letters and/or symbols you create and is only provided to those users that are authorized to access your wireless network. With a shared secret key or pass phrase, you are able to perform both security functions:

Authenticate - Users that take the key phrase and install it on their wireless network configuration panel are allowed to access the network. Any user attempting to access the network without the proper key phrase will not be granted access into the wireless network.

Encryption - Your shared secret phrase is also the pass phrase used to encrypt all wireless data before transmission and enables the information to be decrypted at the point of reception. Any user that is able to receive your transmitted RF signal will only see gibberish on their computer because they do not have the key required to decrypt the contents of the transmission.

The two primary methods of providing authentication and encryption in today's wireless networks are Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). There are additional methods and even multiple versions of these methods but these two methods are the most popular and prevalent among today's wireless equipment.

The first method, WEP, is the older of the two and is very vulnerable to hacking. Almost any novice computer hacker with a good antenna attached to a wireless adapter and a free software utility, available for download in a number of locations on the Web, can break this form of security. There are certain encryption flaws that make it easy for a hacker to break your shared secret phrase (the WEP key) and gain unfettered access to your wireless network, your Internet connection and your computer(s).

WPA is the modern recommended solution for locking down your Wi-Fi network to unauthorized access. As mentioned earlier, there are a number of versions and variations on WPA but you want to use one of them as they provide a greater level of security than WEP.

So as you continue to work through your wireless network configuration and design, security needs to be a high priority when it comes to selecting your hardware. Make sure ALL your hardware is WPA compatible and that they all have the same level of security. WEP is better (barely) than nothing but always opt for WPA security for your hardware and network configuration.