Shared Wireless Access

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the Wireless-Fidelity (WI-FI) network, a term for a high-frequency wireless local area network. The paper explains its advantages of allowing home and office users to create wireless local networks, which connect two or more computers to each other with a faster Internet line. The paper discusses, however, how these advantages come at a cost, most notably the difficult of preventing unwanted, shared wireless access. The paper explains the difficulties involved in securing wireless networks.

From the Paper:

"Wi-Fi networks are challenged by issues related to performance, interference and immature standards. However, security is by far the largest issue for users to consider. In a cabled network environment, a person must obtain physical access to a network outlet to gain access to the network. Access to the wireless network, on the other hand, is available within the operating area of the wireless base station which may be up to several hundred feet. Thus, the possibility of unauthorized access is a serious problem because anyone with a wireless data interface can gain access to the shared network."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ethical dilemmas of unsecured networks. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:4n6xx5jhPTwJ:www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/~fguerin/teaching/CS5038/assessment/essays_from_2006/groupK/WiFi%2520Essay.doc+%22open+networks%22+ethics&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=24
• Issues with wireless networking at CWRU. (2001, February 14). http://tiswww.case.edu/net/engr/wireless/issues.html
• Local govts. target Wi-Fi piggybacking (2007, January 9). ZDNet Government. http://government.zdnet.com/?p=2828
• Marriott, M. (2006, March 5). Hey neighbor, stop piggybacking on my wireless. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/technology/05wireless.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5089&en=de3c127408552e0a&ex=1299214800
• Savvas, A. (2006, July 10). IT firms admit struggle to secure wireless Lans. ComputerWeekly.com. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2006/07/10/216815/it-firms-admit-struggle-to-secure-wireless-lans.htm

More papers on Shared Wireless Access:

• Analytical Essay # 128455 : "Ethics of Wireless Access"
• Essay # 63512 : "Wireless Internet"
• Research Paper # 93156 : "Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Wardriving"

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