Northeastern Illinois University

Authors Salwa Abdelrahim Samia Nur Eldayim Supervisor Prof. Cafatori

Introduction  Who are we ?  What is the project about?  Presentation highlights.

Wireless Networking  What is Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)?

Differences between WLANs and LANs  Privacy issues.  Connectivity issues.  Mobility.  National regulatory requirements.

Similarities between LAN and WLAN  Same Ethernet standard.  Share common network Protocols.

Why Wireless?  Mobility  Flexibility  Ease and Speed of Deployment  Cost Saving  Scalability

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Standards  IEEE Standard.  What Exactly Does Define?  IEEE WLAN Standards.  Decision on Which WLAN Hardware is Best.  Update on New Standards.

802.11b802.11a802.11g Frequency2.4 GHz5 GHz2.4 GHz Maximum link speed11 Mbps54 Mbps Typical link speed4-5 Mbps20 Mbps Optimal throughput6 Mbps32 Mbps Coverage (inside) ft ft ft StrengthsLess expensive, most widely installed base Faster than b, less interference Faster than and compatible with b, price going down WeaknessesLimited bandwidth, interference Expensive, not compatible with b and g, shorter range Less devices to choose from, more expensive, interference a/b/g

Security options  MAC filtering  Disabled clients  Local authentication  Radius authentication  Access control list

Security strategy  open Authentication  pre- shared key authentication (WEP)  web authentication  public key infrastructure (PKI)  802.1X  WI-FI protected access authentication: WPA WPA2 (802.11i)

WEP vs WPA WEPWPA EncryptionFlawed, cracked by scientist and hackers Fixes all WEP flaws 40-bit keys128-bit keys Static- same key used by every one on the network. Dynamic session keys. Per user, per session, per packet keys. Manual distribution of keys- hand typed into each device. Automatic distribution of keys AuthenticationFlawed, used WEP key itself for authentication Strong user authentication, utilizing 802.1x and EAP.

WPAWPA2 Enterprise mode (Business and Government) Authentication: IEEE 802.1x /EAP Encryption: TKIP /MIC Authentication: IEEE 802.1x /EAP Encryption: AES-CCMP Personal Mode (SOHO/personal) Authentication: PSK Encryption: TKIP /MIC Authentication: PSK Encryption: AES-CCMP WPA vs WPA2

Open Area Vs Closed area.  signal range in a free space incur minimum or no loss e.g. a warehouse.  Caution is needed when there are some obstructions in the area e.g. campus buildings.  Loss of 3 db means half of the transmission has been lost.

Obstruction loss of 3.0 DB or more PartitionLoss (DB) Fixed walls3.00 Metal partitions5.00 Exterior walls10.00 Basement walls20.00

WLAN Setup steps  Define Requirements.  Design.  Perform site survey.  Deployment.  Improve the network based site survey results.  Periodic site survey.

Deployment

Site Survey  Preliminary plan.  System requirements.  Analysis features: - Access point location. - Signal strength. - Strongest Access point. - SNR. - Interference. - Transmission Speed. - Signals at channels. - Access point placement tips. - Access point count.

Received signal strength intensity

Campus Project  Available Technologies in the market e.g. Cisco, Alcatel, Aruba, etc.  Why did we choose Alcatel Technologies.  Components Required: -Existing network infrastructure. DHCP, AAA,DNS,VPN. -Clients (PC, PDA, Handset, etc). -Access points. - WLAN switches.

Access points (AP) mounting considerations  Mount AP standing or hanging either straight up or down and above obstructions.  Consider the antenna gain when mounting for proper radio orientation.  Mount AP in the same location as clients.

Continue AP mounting  Position AP in the center of covered area.  Do not position the AP more than 140 feet apart or higher than 16 feet.  Do not mount the AP within 3 feet of any metal obstruction e.g. metal ducts, electric conduit, water pipes, elevator shafts and metal walls.

AP Approach to contain Vulnerability and unauthorized access  Avoid placing AP against exterior walls or windows to avoid leak.  Reduce the broadcast strength of AP to keep within the area of coverage and avoid parking lot coverage.  Change the default SSID and allow AP’s to broadcast their SSID.  Change default management password on AP’s.

Steps and tools for WPA and WPA2 Deployment 1.Security mechanism and credentials. 2.User authentication database. 3.Client operating system. 4.Supplicants. 5.EAP types. 6.Authentication server. 7.Access points and clients NIC card.

Switch administration  Switch features.  Switch configuration management. Using CLI. Using switch web interface.

Monitor Menu

Wlan Menu  New SSID being created

Conclusion Designing a wireless network is not an easy task. Many wireless attributes should be considered throughout the design process:  Following the steps needed to setup a wireless local area network.  Making the right decision in choosing the appropriate hardware and software which are suitable to the coverage area.

Cont,  As wireless regulations continually change it is important to reference the activities of the regularity committees before designing WLAN, nationally this include the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Cont,  WPA enhances data protection and access control on existing and future WI-FI wlan.  WPA2 provides improved encryption with AES and a high level of assurance.  WPA2 able to meet government and enterprise security requirements.

Recommendations  Alcatel with POE.  Deploy Wlan in NEIU using WPA and WPA2.  Periodic site survey.  Documentations for deployment and trouble shouting.  Implement the complete site survey recommendations for AP count.

References  Alcatel internetworking,Inc. Omni Access 4000/4100 introduction, installation, administration and maintenance Student guide  Arunesh Mishra, William A.Arbaugh, An initial security Analysis of the IEEE802.1x standard, 6 Feb 2002  Jeffrey Wheat, Designing a wireless network Mattbews.Gast, wireless network  wi fi protected access,WPA2 and IEEE i  Deploying wi fi protected access (WPA) and (WPA2) IN THE Enterprise, March  Enterprise solutions for wireless LAN security, wi-fi Alliance Feb  wi-fi protected access, strong standards-based, interoperable security for today wi-fi networks, wi-fi Alliance April 29,  15 section/secure.asp TID = 2 wi-fi securitywww.wi-fi.org/open section/secure.asp

Questions?