Understanding Wireless Basics

● Why?
● Standards Associated
● Wireless LAN Technology & RF Bands
● Wireless Transmission
● Wireless Protocols
● Wireless Topology
Why ?
Standards Associated

●
I T U -R reg ula tes a llo c a tio n o f R F ba nds .
●
I E E E s pec ifies ho w R F is m o dula ted to
c a rry info rm a tio n.
●
W i-Fi ens ures tha t vendo rs m a k e devic es
tha t a re intero pera ble.
 RF Bands
● IS M B ands / UNII
900 Mhz - 902MHz to 928MHz
2.4 Ghz - 2.400GHz to 2.483GHz
5 Ghz - 5.150GHz to 5.3GHz and 5.725GHz to
5.825GHz

● Higher frequency higher data rate

● Lower frequency higher distance coverage
 Wireless Transmission
● C S MA /C A (C arrier S ense Multiple
Access /C ollision Avoidance)
● Hidden Node P roblem
R equest To S end / C lear To S end
(R TS /C TS )
● Transmission Factors
● A bsorption
● Reflection
● S cattering
● A ttenuation
● Interference
Wireless Protocols
Problem

Solution
Wireless Access Point
● All devices (AP+Client) in a
same Wireless (LAN) share
same SSID (Service Set
IDentifier)
802.11 Topology
● Ad Hoc/IBSS (Independent Basic Service Set)
Infrastructure
●

Basic Service Set (BSS)


Extended Service Set (ESS)
Client and AP Association
● Beacon
– Router sends beacon at fixed interval of time
● Proble
– Clients request for info from the AP
● Authenticate
– AP requests authentication from Station
● Associate
– The AP allows the Client to connect to network in the
authentication is successful
 Wireless Security
● Threats
– War Driver
– Crackers, Hackers
– Employee ( + Ignorance )

● Attack Types
– MIM
– DoS
War Driving
Authentication Type
● Open
– Does not require any passwords

●
● Pre-Shared Key (PSK)
– Uses a key (password) that is pre-configured on both
the AP and STA
Security Solutions
● Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
– Preshared Keys
– Useds RC4 encryption formula
– 64 bit or 128 bits
– Eask to break

● Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

– Developed to replace WEP weakness
– Can work on device using WEP
– Uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
encryption
● Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2/802.11i)
– Backward compatible with WEP and WPA
– Used on newer devices only
– Uses AES encryption

● Wireless Authentication (802.1x)

– Uses a authentication server to authenticate a
user on wireless n/w
–
● Intrusion Prevention Systen (IPS)
– Used to deny unauthorized access
– Eg: Installment of Rouge Access Point
Extensible Authentication
Protocol (EAP) 802.1x
Wireless Troubleshooting
● Client
– V erify tha t the w ireles s c a rd is ena bled
– M o ve to a “k no w n g o od” reg ion o f the
building
– V erify tha t the c lient c a n identify the
w ireles s netw o rk us ing the ins ta lled w ireles s
U tility
– E ns ure tha t the w ireles s c lient ha s the
c orrec t w ireles s s ec urity info rm a tio n a nd
s upports yo ur s ec urity s ta nda rds
Condt ...
● AP
– V erify tha t the w ireles s a c c es s po int is
running the la tes t firm w a re vers ion

– T es t the w ireles s rec eption ra dius a t

different tim es o f the da y

– V erify yo ur w ireles s c ha nnel c o nfig ura tio n

– C o ns ider the m a teria ls a round a nd c los e to

the a c c es s point