21: Local Area Networking in Software

Print Quick Response Code in Software 21: Local Area Networking

128-bit and then enter a unique passphrase and click the Generate button (or whatever the equivalent button is called on your WAP) Then select a default key and save the settings The encryption level, key, and passphrase must match on the wireless client node or communication will fail Many WAPs have the capability to export the encryption key data onto a media storage device for easy importing onto a client workstation, or you can manually configure encryption using the vendor-supplied configuration utility, as shown in Figure 2185

Try This!

Getting a wireless network up and running can be fun, and it s certainly a useful skill to have, so Try This! 1 2 3 Install wireless NICs in two or more PCs and then get them chatting in ad-hoc mode Don t forget to change the SSID! Once you ve got them talking in ad-hoc mode, add a WAP and get them chatting in infrastructure mode If you don t have a lab, but you have access to an Internet caf (or coffee shop offering wireless) go there and ask someone to show you how they connect Don t be shy! People love showing off technology!

IrDA device support is very solid in the latest version of Windows in fact, there s not much for techs to configure IrDA links are made between devices dynamically, without user interaction Typically, there s nothing to

configure on an infrared-equipped PC Check your network settings to ensure that you ve got the IrDA protocol installed and enabled, and you should be good to go (see Figure 2186) As far as infrared networking goes, your choices are somewhat limited Infrared is designed to connect only two systems in ad-hoc mode This can be done simply to transfer files, or with a bit more configuration, you can configure the two PCs to use IrDA in direct-connection mode You can also use a special infrared access point to enable Ethernet LAN access via IrDA Transferring Files via Infrared File transfers via IrDA are simple When two IrDA-enabled devices see each other, the sending (primary) device negotiates a connection to the receiving (secondary) device, and voil It s just point and shoot ! Figure 2187 shows Windows 2000 s Wireless Link applet Use this to configure file transfer options and the default location for received files You can send a file over the infrared connection by specifying a location and one or more files using the Wireless Link dialog box; dragging and dropping files onto the Wireless Link icon; right-clicking the file(s) in My Computer and selecting Send To Infrared Recipient; or printing to a printer configured to use an infrared port

Networking via Infrared Direct network connections between two PCs using infrared are similar to using a null-modem cable to connect two PCs together via a serial port Modern versions of Windows make this type of connection extremely easy by employing wizards Simply select Connect Directly to Another Computer and follow the prompts, choosing your infrared port as the connection device

An infrared access point combines an infrared transceiver with an Ethernet NIC and translates the IrDA protocol into an Ethernet signal, enabling you to log on to your network and access resources Figure 2188 shows a laptop accessing an Ethernet LAN through an infrared access point

Try This!

If you and your fellow students have a couple of infrared-capable devices, check out the settings for infrared connectivity With PDAs, as you ll recall from 19, the feature is called beaming Try connecting to the other device or devices by sending a file

Bluetooth Configuration As with other wireless networking solutions, Bluetooth devices are completely plug and play Just connect the adapter and follow the prompts to install the appropriate drivers and configuration utilities (these are supplied by your hardware vendor) Once installed, you have little to do: Bluetooth devices seek each other out and establish the master/slave relationship without any intervention on your part Connecting to a Bluetooth PAN is handled by specialized utility software provided by your portable device or Bluetooth device vendor Figure 2189 shows a Compaq iPAQ handheld computer running the Bluetooth Manager software to connect to a Bluetooth access point Like their Wi-Fi counterparts, Bluetooth access points use a browser-based configuration utility Figure 2190 shows the main setup screen for Figure 2188 Laptop using infrared access point a Belkin Bluetooth access point Use this setup screen to check on the status of connected Bluetooth devices; configure encryption, MAC filtering, and other security settings; and use other utilities provided by the access point s vendor