- Introduction
- Wireless Radio Channels
- Factors Affecting Wireless Signals
- 802.11 Wireless Standards
- Securing Wireless Networks
- Establishing Communications Between Wireless Devices
- Configuring the Wireless Connection
- Access Point Coverage
- Wireless Signal Quality
- Wireless Troubleshooting Checklist
- Infrared Wireless Networking
- Bluetooth
- Review and Test Yourself
- Need to Know More?
Review and Test Yourself
The following sections provide you with the opportunity to review what you’ve learned in this chapter and to test yourself.
The Facts
- A wireless access point (AP) is both a transmitter and receiver (transceiver) device used for wireless LAN (WLAN) radio signals.
- A wireless channel is the band of RF used for wireless communication.
- Many different strategies and protocols are used to secure wireless transmissions, including Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and 802.1X.
- The 802.11 wireless standards can differ in terms of speed, transmission ranges, and frequency used.
- 802.11 wireless standards use the CSMA/CA access method.
Key Terms
- Ad hoc
- AP
- Authentication
- Beaconing
- BSSID
- Channel
- ESS
- ESSID
- Infrastructure
- RADIUS
- SSID
- TKIP
- Topology
- WEP
- WPA
Exam Prep Questions
-
Which of the following wireless protocols operate at 2.4GHz? (Select two.)
A.
802.11a
B.
802.11b
C.
802.11g
D.
802.11t
-
Under what circumstance would you change the default channel on an access point?
A.
When channel overlap occurs between access points
B.
To release and renew the SSID
C.
To increase WEP security settings
D.
To decrease WEP security settings
-
A client on your network has had no problems accessing the wireless network in the past, but recently she moved to a new office. Since the move she has been unable to access the network. Which of the following is most likely the cause of the problem?
A.
The SSIDs on the client and the AP are different.
B.
The SSID has been erased.
C.
The client has incorrect WEP settings.
D.
The client system has moved too far from the access point.
-
You configure a wireless connection using the Bluetooth standard. At what speed does Bluetooth operate?
A.
350Mbps
B.
720Kbps
C.
200Kbps
D.
11Mbps
-
You purchase a new wireless access point that uses no WEP security by default. You change the security settings to use 128-bit encryption. How must the client systems be configured?
A.
All client systems must be set to 128-bit encryption.
B.
The client system inherits security settings from the AP.
C.
WEP does not support 128-bit encryption.
D.
The client WEP settings have to be set to autodetect.
-
You are asked to configure the security settings for a new wireless network. You want the setting that offers the greatest level of security. Which of the following would you choose?
A.
WEP-Open
B.
WEP-Closed
C.
WEP-Shared
D.
WEP-Unshared
-
Which of the following best describes 802.1X?
A.
A port-based access control
B.
A wireless standard specifying 11Mbps data transfer
C.
A wireless standard specifying 54Mbps data transfer
D.
An integrity-based access control
-
You are installing a wireless network solution, and you require a standard that can operate using either 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequencies. Which of the following standards would you choose?
A.
802.11a
B.
802.11b
C.
802.11g
D.
802.11n
-
You are installing a wireless network solution that uses a feature known as MIMO. Which wireless networking standard are you using?
A.
802.11a
B.
802.11b
C.
802.11g
D.
802.11n
-
In the 802.1X security framework, which of the following best describes the role of the supplicant?
A.
Authenticating usernames and passwords
B.
Encrypting usernames and passwords
C.
The system or node requesting access and authentication to a network resource
D.
A control mechanism that allows or denies traffic that wants to pass through a port
Answers to Exam Prep Questions
- B, C. Wireless standards specify an RF range on which communications are sent. The 802.11b and 802.11g standards use the 2.4GHz range. 802.11a uses the 5GHz range. 802.11t is not a valid standard. For more information, see the section “802.11 Wireless Standards.”
- A. Ordinarily the default channel used with a wireless device is adequate; however, you might need to change the channel if overlap occurs with another nearby access point. The channel should be changed to another, nonoverlapping channel. Changing the channel would not impact the WEP security settings. For more information, see the section “Wireless Radio Channels.”
- D. An AP has a limited distance that it can send data transmissions. When a client system moves out of range, it can’t access the AP. Many strategies exist to increase transmission distances, including RF repeaters, amplifiers, and buying more powerful antennas. The problem is not likely related to the SSID or WEP settings, because the client had access to the network before, and no settings were changed. For more information, see the section “Wireless Troubleshooting Checklist.”
- B. Bluetooth is a wireless standard commonly used to interconnect peripheral devices to the computer system. Bluetooth operates at 720Kbps. For more information, see the section “Bluetooth.”
- A. On a wireless connection between an access point and the client, each system must be configured to use the same WEP security settings. In this case, they must both be configured to use 128-bit encryption. For more information, see the section “Wireless Troubleshooting Checklist.”
- C. Both WEP-Open and WEP-Shared are forms of wireless security. WEP-Open is the simpler of the two authentication methods because it does not perform any type of client verification. It is a very weak form of authentication, because no proof of identity is required. WEP-Shared requires that a WEP key be configured on both the client system and the access point. This makes authentication with WEP-Shared mandatory and therefore more secure for wireless transmission.
- A. 802.1X is an IEEE standard specifying port-based network access control. Port-based network access control uses the physical characteristics of a switched local area network (LAN) infrastructure to authenticate devices attached to a LAN port and to prevent access to that port in cases where the authentication process fails. For more information, see the section “802.1X.”
- D. The IEEE standard 802.11n can use either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz radio frequencies. 802.11a uses 5GHz, and 802.11b and 802.11g use 2.4GHz. For more information, see the section “802.11 Wireless Standards.”
- D. MIMO is used by the 802.11n standard and takes advantage of multiplexing to increase the range and speed of wireless networking. Multiplexing is a technique that combines multiple signals for transmission over a single line or medium. MIMO enables the transmission of multiple data streams traveling on different antennas in the same channel at the same time. A receiver reconstructs the streams, which have multiple antennas. For more information, see the section “The Magic Behind 802.11n.”
- C. The 802.1X security framework has three main components. The supplicant is the system or node requesting access and authentication to a network resource. The authenticator usually is a switch or AP that acts as a control mechanism, allowing or denying traffic that wants to pass through a port. Finally, the authentication server validates the credentials of the supplicant that is trying to access the network or resource. For more information, see the section “802.1X.”