ISPreview - Top 10 Wireless (Wi-Fi) Security Tips
Top 10 Wireless (Wi-Fi) Security Tips
By: Mark Jackson - July 21st, 2008 : Page 4 -of- 5
"it’s far better to ... manually configure a network connection than to rely on the automatic method"

6. Monitor your Networks Client Connections.

Most wireless Router/AP’s also include an internal feature that allows you to view all the other clients connected to your network, including equipment such as dedicated network printers and file servers. It’s obviously a good idea to monitor this for any unusual activity, although to make the most of it you may need to become more familiar with your MAC and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

The location of this information varies a lot, as does the name, although it’s often called something similar to a “DHCP Client Table”. Failing that, it may also be worth checking for an “ARP/RARP Table”, which can sometimes include similar information.

Example router client ARP/RARP table
Fig.6 - Example router client ARP/RARP table.

Be aware that this information is often cached, which could confuse you with older data if the router hasn’t recently been reset. Some situations and settings may also prevent connected devices and computers from showing up properly. Failing that, useful software applications such as NetStumbler (www.netstumbler.com) and Wireshark (www.wireshark.org) can help locate similar information, although they may require a basic degree of networking knowledge to correctly configure.

7. Prevent Automatic Connections.

It’s possible that your client-side wireless software may have been set to automatically connect with any wireless network(s) within range. This was an especially big problem with older software, although most now offer you the choice to do this before a connection is established.

Suffice to say, it’s far better to leave this off and manually configure a network connection than to rely on the automatic method, which could be used by hackers to trick your computer into connecting with the wrong network. The location of this option differs between applications, although it is usually found under 'Advanced' settings.

Example of disabled automatic connections option
Fig.7 - Example of disabled automatic connections option.

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