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Chapter 14 Wireless
Basic Home Station VDSL2 P8701T User’s Guide
186
•
Every device in the same wireless network must use security compatible with the AP.
Security stops unauthorized devices from using the wireless network. It can also protect the
information that is sent in the wireless network.
Radio Channels
In the radio spectrum, there are certain frequency bands allocated for unlicensed, civilian use. For
the purposes of wireless networking, these bands are divided into numerous channels. This allows a
variety of networks to exist in the same place without interfering with one another. When you
create a network, you must select a channel to use.
Since the available unlicensed spectrum varies from one country to another, the number of
available channels also varies.
14.7.2
Additional Wireless Terms
The following table describes some wireless network terms and acronyms used in the VDSL Router’s
Web Configurator.
14.7.3
Wireless Security Overview
By their nature, radio communications are simple to intercept. For wireless data networks, this
means that anyone within range of a wireless network without security can not only read the data
passing over the airwaves, but also join the network. Once an unauthorized person has access to
the network, he or she can steal information or introduce malware (malicious software) intended to
compromise the network. For these reasons, a variety of security systems have been developed to
ensure that only authorized people can use a wireless data network, or understand the data carried
on it.
These security standards do two things. First, they authenticate. This means that only people
presenting the right credentials (often a username and password, or a “key” phrase) can access the
network. Second, they encrypt. This means that the information sent over the air is encoded. Only
Table 71
Additional Wireless Terms
TERM
DESCRIPTION
RTS/CTS Threshold
In a wireless network which covers a large area, wireless devices are sometimes not
aware of each other’s presence. This may cause them to send information to the AP
at the same time and result in information colliding and not getting through.
By setting this value lower than the default value, the wireless devices must
sometimes get permission to send information to the VDSL Router. The lower the
value, the more often the devices must get permission.
If this value is greater than the fragmentation threshold value (see below), then
wireless devices never have to get permission to send information to the VDSL
Router.
Preamble
A preamble affects the timing in your wireless network. There are two preamble
modes: long and short. If a device uses a different preamble mode than the VDSL
Router does, it cannot communicate with the VDSL Router.
Authentication
The process of verifying whether a wireless device is allowed to use the wireless
network.
Fragmentation
Threshold
A small fragmentation threshold is recommended for busy networks, while a larger
threshold provides faster performance if the network is not very busy.
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people with the code key can understand the information, and only people who have been
authenticated are given the code key.
These security standards vary in effectiveness. Some can be broken, such as the old Wired
Equivalent Protocol (WEP). Using WEP is better than using no security at all, but it will not keep a
determined attacker out. Other security standards are secure in themselves but can be broken if a
user does not use them properly. For example, the WPA-PSK security standard is very secure if you
use a long key which is difficult for an attacker’s software to guess - for example, a twenty-letter
long string of apparently random numbers and letters - but it is not very secure if you use a short
key which is very easy to guess - for example, a three-letter word from the dictionary.
Because of the damage that can be done by a malicious attacker, it’s not just people who have
sensitive information on their network who should use security. Everybody who uses any wireless
network should ensure that effective security is in place.
A good way to come up with effective security keys, passwords and so on is to use obscure
information that you personally will easily remember, and to enter it in a way that appears random
and does not include real words. For example, if your mother owns a 1970 Dodge Challenger and
her favorite movie is Vanishing Point (which you know was made in 1971) you could use
“70dodchal71vanpoi” as your security key.
The following sections introduce different types of wireless security you can set up in the wireless
network.
14.7.3.1
SSID
Normally, the VDSL Router acts like a beacon and regularly broadcasts the SSID in the area. You
can hide the SSID instead, in which case the VDSL Router does not broadcast the SSID. In addition,
you should change the default SSID to something that is difficult to guess.
This type of security is fairly weak, however, because there are ways for unauthorized wireless
devices to get the SSID. In addition, unauthorized wireless devices can still see the information that
is sent in the wireless network.
14.7.3.2
MAC Address Filter
Every device that can use a wireless network has a unique identification number, called a MAC
address.
1
A MAC address is usually written using twelve hexadecimal characters
2
; for example,
00A0C5000002 or 00:A0:C5:00:00:02. To get the MAC address for each device in the wireless
network, see the device’s User’s Guide or other documentation.
You can use the MAC address filter to tell the VDSL Router which devices are allowed or not allowed
to use the wireless network. If a device is allowed to use the wireless network, it still has to have
the correct information (SSID, channel, and security). If a device is not allowed to use the wireless
network, it does not matter if it has the correct information.
This type of security does not protect the information that is sent in the wireless network.
Furthermore, there are ways for unauthorized wireless devices to get the MAC address of an
authorized device. Then, they can use that MAC address to use the wireless network.
1.
Some wireless devices, such as scanners, can detect wireless networks but cannot use wireless networks. These kinds
of wireless devices might not have MAC addresses.
2.
Hexadecimal characters are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F.
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14.7.3.3
User Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying whether a wireless device is allowed to use the wireless
network. You can make every user log in to the wireless network before using it. However, every
device in the wireless network has to support IEEE 802.1x to do this.
For wireless networks, you can store the user names and passwords for each user in a RADIUS
server. This is a server used in businesses more than in homes. If you do not have a RADIUS server,
you cannot set up user names and passwords for your users.
Unauthorized wireless devices can still see the information that is sent in the wireless network,
even if they cannot use the wireless network. Furthermore, there are ways for unauthorized
wireless users to get a valid user name and password. Then, they can use that user name and
password to use the wireless network.
14.7.3.4
Encryption
Wireless networks can use encryption to protect the information that is sent in the wireless
network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot
understand the message.
The types of encryption you can choose depend on the type of authentication. (See
Section
14.7.3.3 on page 188
for information about this.)
For example, if the wireless network has a RADIUS server, you can choose
WPA
or
WPA2
. If users
do not log in to the wireless network, you can choose no encryption,
Static WEP
,
WPA-PSK
, or
WPA2-PSK
.
Usually, you should set up the strongest encryption that every device in the wireless network
supports. For example, suppose you have a wireless network with the VDSL Router and you do not
have a RADIUS server. Therefore, there is no authentication. Suppose the wireless network has two
devices. Device A only supports WEP, and device B supports WEP and WPA. Therefore, you should
set up
Static WEP
in the wireless network.
Note: It is recommended that wireless networks use
WPA-PSK
,
WPA
, or stronger
encryption. The other types of encryption are better than none at all, but it is still
possible for unauthorized wireless devices to figure out the original information
pretty quickly.
When you select
WPA2
or
WPA2-PSK
in your VDSL Router, you can also select an option (
WPA
compatible
) to support WPA as well. In this case, if some of the devices support WPA and some
support WPA2, you should set up
WPA2-PSK
or
WPA2
(depending on the type of wireless network
login) and select the
WPA compatible
option in the VDSL Router.
Table 72
Types of Encryption for Each Type of Authentication
NO AUTHENTICATION
RADIUS SERVER
Weakest
No Security
WPA
Static WEP
WPA-PSK
Strongest
WPA2-PSK
WPA2
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Many types of encryption use a key to protect the information in the wireless network. The longer
the key, the stronger the encryption. Every device in the wireless network must have the same key.
14.7.4
Signal Problems
Because wireless networks are radio networks, their signals are subject to limitations of distance,
interference and absorption.
Problems with distance occur when the two radios are too far apart. Problems with interference
occur when other radio waves interrupt the data signal. Interference may come from other radio
transmissions, such as military or air traffic control communications, or from machines that are
coincidental emitters such as electric motors or microwaves. Problems with absorption occur when
physical objects (such as thick walls) are between the two radios, muffling the signal.
14.7.5
BSS
A Basic Service Set (BSS) exists when all communications between wireless stations or between a
wireless station and a wired network client go through one access point (AP).
Intra-BSS traffic is traffic between wireless stations in the BSS. When Intra-BSS traffic blocking is
disabled, wireless station A and B can access the wired network and communicate with each other.
When Intra-BSS traffic blocking is enabled, wireless station A and B can still access the wired
network but cannot communicate with each other.
Figure 81
Basic Service set
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14.7.6
Preamble Type
Preamble is used to signal that data is coming to the receiver. Short and long refer to the length of
the synchronization field in a packet.
Short preamble increases performance as less time sending preamble means more time for sending
data. All IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless adapters support long preamble, but not all support short
preamble.
Use long preamble if you are unsure what preamble mode other wireless devices on the network
support, and to provide more reliable communications in busy wireless networks.
Use short preamble if you are sure all wireless devices on the network support it, and to provide
more efficient communications.
Use the dynamic setting to automatically use short preamble when all wireless devices on the
network support it, otherwise the VDSL Router uses long preamble.
Note: The wireless devices MUST
use the same preamble mode in order to communicate.
14.7.7
WiFi Protected Setup (WPS)
Your VDSL Router supports WiFi Protected Setup (WPS), which is an easy way to set up a secure
wireless network. WPS is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance.
WPS allows you to quickly set up a wireless network with strong security, without having to
configure security settings manually. Each WPS connection works between two devices. Both
devices must support WPS (check each device’s documentation to make sure).
Depending on the devices you have, you can either press a button (on the device itself, or in its
configuration utility) or enter a PIN (a unique Personal Identification Number that allows one device
to authenticate the other) in each of the two devices. When WPS is activated on a device, it has two
minutes to find another device that also has WPS activated. Then, the two devices connect and set
up a secure network by themselves.
14.7.7.1
Push Button Configuration
WPS Push Button Configuration (PBC) is initiated by pressing a button on each WPS-enabled
device, and allowing them to connect automatically. You do not need to enter any information.
Not every WPS-enabled device has a physical WPS button. Some may have a WPS PBC button in
their configuration utilities instead of or in addition to the physical button.
Take the following steps to set up WPS using the button.
1
Ensure that the two devices you want to set up are within wireless range of one another.
2
Look for a WPS button on each device. If the device does not have one, log into its configuration
utility and locate the button (see the device’s User’s Guide for how to do this - for the VDSL Router,
see
Section 14.5 on page 182
).
3
Press the button on one of the devices (it doesn’t matter which). For the VDSL Router you must
press the
Wifi
button for 10 seconds.

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