Wireless Home Networking - Index of

Chapter 17: Ten FAQs about Wireless Home Networks
Despite those warnings, we say “Never say never.” Most AP and router
vendors operate under a process of continuous improvement, by adding new
features and fixing bugs regularly. One key way that you can keep current
with these standards is by upgrading your firmware. Over time, your wireless
network will fall out of sync with the latest bug fixes and improvements, and
you will have to upgrade at some point. When you do so, follow all the
manufacturer’s warnings.
In Chapter 9, we discuss Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA-2). Many older APs
and network adapters will be able to use WPA-2, but only after their firmware
has been upgraded.
Q: Is NAT the same as a firewall?
If you find networking confusing, you’re not alone. (If it were easy, we
would have no market for our books!) One area of confusion is Network
Address Translation (NAT). No, NAT isn’t the same as a firewall. It’s important
to understand the difference to make sure that you set up your network
correctly. Firewalls provide a greater level of security than NAT routers and,
thanks to dropping hardware costs, are generally available in all routers
these days. The quality of the firewall built into your AP is not necessarily
related to the price of the AP. We recommend checking the reviews of any
hardware you are looking to purchase from sites such as www.cnet.com.
Often, you hear the term firewall used to describe a router’s ability to protect
LAN IP addresses from Internet snoopers. But a true firewall goes deeper
than that, by using SPI. SPI allows the firewall to look at each IP address
and domain requesting access to the network; the administrator can specify
certain IP addresses or domain names that are allowed to be let in while
blocking any other attempt to access the LAN. (Sometimes you hear this
called filtering.)
Firewalls can also add another layer of protection through a Virtual Private
Network (VPN). It enables remote access to the private network through the
use of secure logins and authentication. Finally, firewalls can help protect
your family from unsavory content by enabling you to block content from
certain sites.
Firewalls go well beyond NAT, and we highly recommend that you have a
firewall in your home network. Check out Chapter 9 for more information on
firewalls.
Q: How can I find out my IP address?
First off, you have two IP addresses: a public IP address and a private IP
address. In some instances, you need to know one or the other or both
addresses.
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