Secure & Easy WiFi Setup & Usage - HowTo
Hey guys,
I want to setup WiFi connection in a new lab (a 30' x 20' lab). The connection needs to be:
1. Secure
2. Be a Closed Network
3. Need little configuration to connect to (from Win XP, Linux, OS X)
Req 1 & 2 are easy to fulfil & Apple's Airport does a great job & is easy to use & administer.
#3 is harder.
What I would like to do is identify 3 classes of users
One set of people whose MAC address I know in advance, so this guys whould be able to come in to this lab, open their laptops & get connected.
The second set of people could come to the lab, open a browser --> enter a user name & password (given in the lab) --> be connected (something like a WiFi hotspot, though with encryption; i don't think WiFi hotspot connections are usually encrypted).
A third set of users are those who cannot access the web but still access the internal networked resources of the lab. For them, there is a common user name & password.
SInce this connection could irk my school's computing admins, I will need to address their concern that outsiders could not just sit outside my lab and start using this connection. A connection which is secure, restricts access to those who are not inside the lab (the lab is controlled access), will probably address their concern.
Any ideas on how we setup such a secure & easy to use WiFi connection?
Ashish
1 Comments:
There is a huge industry for this. The best bet is to use NoCat, I have used this before, and its cool, and extensible.
Please never say "Req 1" is easy to fulfil, as long as you are talking about stock 802.11. Not atleast without WPA or using overlayed secure tunnels, which btw quickly becomes difficult to provision.
But since you can control the group, you may be in luck. You can install VPN/tunneling tools on the PCs, which are your permanet users. Don't go for the WEP etc, howsoever large be the XXXbits in the keys.
By
nikhil, at June 10, 2004 7:16 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home