Not all home or work networks are safe. One or more of the other users of your home network may, for instance, have accidentally downloaded a key logger while playing an online game or downloading some clip art.
To help ensure that a home or work network is safe to connect to, make sure that it has the following:
• For wireless networks, a wireless connection encrypted with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA or WPA2). (WPA2 is preferred because it is more secure than WPA.)
• For all networks, a firewall or other device with network address translation (NAT), which is connected between your computer or wireless access point and your cable or DSL modem (see Figure 10.4).
Many modern cable and DSL modems include both NAT and wireless capabilities, built in. Wireless routers, in addition, are also often capable of acting as NAT devices. Our recommendation is that, if you have a broadband connection, you have some form of NAT capability between the modem and your computer—either directly (built in to the cable/DSL modem) or as a standalone device.
FIGURE 10.4
Make sure that your network has a firewall between your computer or wireless access point and your modem.
In Figure 10.4, you can see an example where the NAT device and the wireless router are separate from the cable/DSL modem,
-
:: Search WWH ::
Custom Search