1 1 00:00:00,670 --> 00:00:03,350 Wireless Networks or WLANs. 2 2 00:00:03,350 --> 00:00:04,460 In this section of the course, 3 3 00:00:04,460 --> 00:00:06,680 we're going to cover wireless networks. 4 4 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,160 Now wireless networks are great 5 5 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:09,930 because they extend your physical network 6 6 00:00:09,930 --> 00:00:11,560 into the wireless domain. 7 7 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:13,870 It can allow your users to run wherever they want 8 8 00:00:13,870 --> 00:00:15,710 inside of a given coverage area. 9 9 00:00:15,710 --> 00:00:17,300 If you think about a college, for instance, 10 10 00:00:17,300 --> 00:00:18,890 you might have an entire campus, 11 11 00:00:18,890 --> 00:00:19,970 including numerous buildings, 12 12 00:00:19,970 --> 00:00:21,060 the outdoor spaces, 13 13 00:00:21,060 --> 00:00:23,550 and everywhere covered by this wireless network. 14 14 00:00:23,550 --> 00:00:24,800 You can just take your laptop, 15 15 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:26,020 open it up at a picnic table 16 16 00:00:26,020 --> 00:00:28,040 and gain access to the world. 17 17 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,750 Now, the popularity of wireless networks keeps increasing 18 18 00:00:30,750 --> 00:00:32,600 over and over and over again. 19 19 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,130 Back in the late 1990s, 20 20 00:00:34,130 --> 00:00:36,570 there were just a few places that had wireless networks. 21 21 00:00:36,570 --> 00:00:38,630 Nowadays, though, we expect wireless networks 22 22 00:00:38,630 --> 00:00:40,110 pretty much everywhere we go. 23 23 00:00:40,110 --> 00:00:41,840 Heck, we even have them in airplanes 24 24 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:43,760 as we fly across the globe. 25 25 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,160 Anytime you go to a coffee shop or a restaurant, 26 26 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:48,270 you can usually expect to be able to pull out your phone 27 27 00:00:48,270 --> 00:00:49,970 and find a wireless network. 28 28 00:00:49,970 --> 00:00:51,250 They're very convenient to use, 29 29 00:00:51,250 --> 00:00:53,910 and they expand your network throughout an entire room, 30 30 00:00:53,910 --> 00:00:55,210 a floor, a building, 31 31 00:00:55,210 --> 00:00:58,370 or an outdoor space using this wireless technology. 32 32 00:00:58,370 --> 00:01:01,010 Wireless networks are definitely here to stay. 33 33 00:01:01,010 --> 00:01:02,710 So in this section of the course, 34 34 00:01:02,710 --> 00:01:06,000 we're going to be focusing on domains two, four and five, 35 35 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,650 specifically objectives 2.1, 2.4, 36 36 00:01:09,279 --> 00:01:11,760 4.2, 4.3 and 5.4. 37 37 00:01:12,620 --> 00:01:15,350 Objective 2.1 states that you must compare and contrast 38 38 00:01:15,350 --> 00:01:17,020 various devices, their features 39 39 00:01:17,020 --> 00:01:19,203 and their appropriate placement on the network. 40 40 00:01:19,203 --> 00:01:21,850 Objective 2.4 states that given a scenario, 41 41 00:01:21,850 --> 00:01:23,130 you should be able to install 42 42 00:01:23,130 --> 00:01:25,090 and configure the appropriate wireless standards 43 43 00:01:25,090 --> 00:01:26,480 and technologies. 44 44 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,810 Objective 4.2 states that you must compare 45 45 00:01:28,810 --> 00:01:31,000 and contrast common types of attacks. 46 46 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,430 Objective 4.3 states that given a scenario, 47 47 00:01:33,430 --> 00:01:35,930 you must apply network hardening techniques. 48 48 00:01:35,930 --> 00:01:38,870 And objective 5.4 states that given a scenario, 49 49 00:01:38,870 --> 00:01:40,230 you must be able to troubleshoot 50 50 00:01:40,230 --> 00:01:42,370 common wireless connectivity issues. 51 51 00:01:42,370 --> 00:01:44,320 All right, that is a lot of different objectives, 52 52 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:46,070 but really in this section, 53 53 00:01:46,070 --> 00:01:48,730 we're going to cover the fundamentals of wireless networks, 54 54 00:01:48,730 --> 00:01:49,890 how they're configured, 55 55 00:01:49,890 --> 00:01:52,270 how to use the different frequencies and antennas 56 56 00:01:52,270 --> 00:01:54,360 and how to best secure them. 57 57 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:55,870 When we look at wireless networks, 58 58 00:01:55,870 --> 00:01:56,840 the most common type 59 59 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,870 is what we refer to as 802.11 or WiFi. 60 60 00:02:00,870 --> 00:02:02,530 Now I want you to write that down in your notes. 61 61 00:02:02,530 --> 00:02:04,250 When you see 802.11, 62 62 00:02:04,250 --> 00:02:06,330 this is the standard for wireless networking, 63 63 00:02:06,330 --> 00:02:07,770 known as WiFi. 64 64 00:02:07,770 --> 00:02:09,590 There are several standards underneath that, 65 65 00:02:09,590 --> 00:02:11,800 and we're going to talk about them in this section. 66 66 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,508 This includes 802.11a, b, 67 67 00:02:14,508 --> 00:02:17,767 g, n, ac and ax, 68 68 00:02:17,767 --> 00:02:19,130 but we're going to get into those 69 69 00:02:19,130 --> 00:02:20,660 in a separate video. 70 70 00:02:20,660 --> 00:02:22,660 There are also other wireless options out there 71 71 00:02:22,660 --> 00:02:24,210 that you may find in use. 72 72 00:02:24,210 --> 00:02:25,430 Most of those are going to be used 73 73 00:02:25,430 --> 00:02:26,990 for Personal Area Networks, 74 74 00:02:26,990 --> 00:02:28,980 things like Bluetooth, Infrared, 75 75 00:02:28,980 --> 00:02:30,250 Near-field communications, 76 76 00:02:30,250 --> 00:02:31,980 Ant+, and Z-Wave. 77 77 00:02:31,980 --> 00:02:32,813 On the other hand, 78 78 00:02:32,813 --> 00:02:35,210 we also have some wireless options that exist for us to use 79 79 00:02:35,210 --> 00:02:36,840 in Wide Area Network connections, 80 80 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:38,790 things like Cellular and Microwave, 81 81 00:02:38,790 --> 00:02:41,460 Satellite and High-frequency radio networks. 82 82 00:02:41,460 --> 00:02:43,790 But if you're dealing with a Local Area Network, 83 83 00:02:43,790 --> 00:02:45,910 you're almost always going to be using WiFi, 84 84 00:02:45,910 --> 00:02:48,890 which consists of those 802.11 standards. 85 85 00:02:48,890 --> 00:02:50,660 Now, when you're dealing with wireless networks, 86 86 00:02:50,660 --> 00:02:52,540 there are really two ways you can do it. 87 87 00:02:52,540 --> 00:02:54,630 You can operate in what's known as Ad-Hoc mode 88 88 00:02:54,630 --> 00:02:56,180 or Infrastructure mode. 89 89 00:02:56,180 --> 00:02:58,190 With Ad-Hoc mode, each wireless device 90 90 00:02:58,190 --> 00:03:00,220 is going to communicate directly with the other, 91 91 00:03:00,220 --> 00:03:02,680 without the need of a centralized access point. 92 92 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,030 This is very much like a peer to peer connection 93 93 00:03:05,030 --> 00:03:07,870 where two devices don't need to rely on a centralized switch 94 94 00:03:07,870 --> 00:03:09,330 or server to communicate. 95 95 00:03:09,330 --> 00:03:10,790 Now, Ad-Hoc mode works great 96 96 00:03:10,790 --> 00:03:12,480 if you're doing something simple like gaming 97 97 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,150 or doing a simple file transfer. 98 98 00:03:14,150 --> 00:03:15,760 But if you want to be able to connect to 99 99 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,670 and be able to get out onto the internet, 100 100 00:03:17,670 --> 00:03:19,210 you're probably going to need to use something 101 101 00:03:19,210 --> 00:03:20,460 better than Ad-Hoc. 102 102 00:03:20,460 --> 00:03:23,150 And that is why most people use Infrastructure mode. 103 103 00:03:23,150 --> 00:03:25,080 Now Infrastructure mode is when you communicate 104 104 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,320 through a centralized access point or router, 105 105 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:28,210 and it's going to look a lot 106 106 00:03:28,210 --> 00:03:30,310 like a star topology, essentially. 107 107 00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:31,160 All of your devices 108 108 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:32,750 are going to connect back to the access point, 109 109 00:03:32,750 --> 00:03:35,110 and then from there they gain access to your network 110 110 00:03:35,110 --> 00:03:36,380 or the internet. 111 111 00:03:36,380 --> 00:03:37,840 This is the traditional WiFi 112 112 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:39,770 that you're probably used to in a coffee shop, 113 113 00:03:39,770 --> 00:03:41,340 your home or your office, 114 114 00:03:41,340 --> 00:03:43,980 because everything's going back into this infrastructure 115 115 00:03:43,980 --> 00:03:45,420 where you have other network infrastructure 116 116 00:03:45,420 --> 00:03:47,430 like routers and switches and firewalls 117 117 00:03:47,430 --> 00:03:48,263 that support it 118 118 00:03:48,263 --> 00:03:50,800 and help get your traffic out to the right place. 119 119 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,610 Now, when you're using Infrastructure mode, 120 120 00:03:52,610 --> 00:03:54,160 you have to have some kind of a device 121 121 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:55,890 to bring all those wireless devices 122 122 00:03:55,890 --> 00:03:58,640 and connect them to your physically wired network. 123 123 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:00,480 This is where the concept of a WAP 124 124 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,070 or Wireless Access Point comes into play. 125 125 00:04:03,070 --> 00:04:04,810 Now, this is commonly referred to as a WAP, 126 126 00:04:04,810 --> 00:04:05,643 like I said, 127 127 00:04:05,643 --> 00:04:07,980 or you might hear it abbreviated as an AP 128 128 00:04:07,980 --> 00:04:09,450 or Access Point. 129 129 00:04:09,450 --> 00:04:11,980 These devices are used to extend your wired network 130 130 00:04:11,980 --> 00:04:13,630 into the wireless domain. 131 131 00:04:13,630 --> 00:04:14,910 Now a Wireless Access Point 132 132 00:04:14,910 --> 00:04:17,340 is not going to interconnect different networks though, 133 133 00:04:17,340 --> 00:04:19,440 because it's not considered a router. 134 134 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,710 Everything that connects to that Wireless Access Point 135 135 00:04:21,710 --> 00:04:24,030 is going to be treated as if it was connected to a hub 136 136 00:04:24,030 --> 00:04:25,520 using copper cables. 137 137 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,070 Essentially, this means that all your wireless devices 138 138 00:04:28,070 --> 00:04:29,740 are going to be in the same collision domain 139 139 00:04:29,740 --> 00:04:31,850 and the same broadcast domain. 140 140 00:04:31,850 --> 00:04:34,370 So what's the benefits of using an access point? 141 141 00:04:34,370 --> 00:04:36,760 Well, it's going to allow you to connect your wired network 142 142 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,660 into the wireless domain and expand your access. 143 143 00:04:39,660 --> 00:04:40,580 When you do this, 144 144 00:04:40,580 --> 00:04:42,850 you can have one or multiple access points 145 145 00:04:42,850 --> 00:04:44,520 that are connected to your domain. 146 146 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,400 For example, you can see that circular device here. 147 147 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,020 That's actually the access point I'm using in my building. 148 148 00:04:50,020 --> 00:04:51,580 Because our building is a little bit larger 149 149 00:04:51,580 --> 00:04:52,870 and we have concrete walls, 150 150 00:04:52,870 --> 00:04:55,330 we have to have multiple access points working together, 151 151 00:04:55,330 --> 00:04:56,760 so we don't have a drop in coverage 152 152 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:58,350 as we walk through the building. 153 153 00:04:58,350 --> 00:05:00,000 We have three different floors of the building 154 154 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,230 and each one of those has an access point on it 155 155 00:05:02,230 --> 00:05:04,590 that gives us full coverage throughout that building. 156 156 00:05:04,590 --> 00:05:06,130 These access points all work together 157 157 00:05:06,130 --> 00:05:07,570 and they hand off the client 158 158 00:05:07,570 --> 00:05:09,030 from access point to access point, 159 159 00:05:09,030 --> 00:05:10,090 as you walk around the building 160 160 00:05:10,090 --> 00:05:11,970 or go up or down the stairs. 161 161 00:05:11,970 --> 00:05:12,940 Now we're going to talk later 162 162 00:05:12,940 --> 00:05:14,490 about how this actually works 163 163 00:05:14,490 --> 00:05:15,680 and how these handoffs happen 164 164 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,710 from access point to access point in a separate video. 165 165 00:05:18,710 --> 00:05:20,130 For the exam, I want you to remember 166 166 00:05:20,130 --> 00:05:23,000 that Wireless Access Points extend your wired network 167 167 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,440 into the wireless spectrum. 168 168 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:25,970 So they're going to act like a hub 169 169 00:05:25,970 --> 00:05:27,190 and a media converter, 170 170 00:05:27,190 --> 00:05:28,920 converting those radio frequency waves 171 171 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:30,020 to ones and zeros, 172 172 00:05:30,020 --> 00:05:30,860 that can be transmitted 173 173 00:05:30,860 --> 00:05:33,490 over copper cabling of your wire network. 174 174 00:05:33,490 --> 00:05:36,370 Next, we have what's referred to as a Wireless Router, 175 175 00:05:36,370 --> 00:05:38,360 and this is a slightly different device. 176 176 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,290 Now what's the difference between a wireless router 177 177 00:05:40,290 --> 00:05:41,760 and an access point? 178 178 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:43,120 Well a wireless router 179 179 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,210 is going to act as a gateway device. 180 180 00:05:45,210 --> 00:05:47,030 And it's also going to act as a base station 181 181 00:05:47,030 --> 00:05:49,190 for your wireless networks to communicate with. 182 182 00:05:49,190 --> 00:05:50,720 This is the big difference here. 183 183 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:52,070 When you're using a wireless router, 184 184 00:05:52,070 --> 00:05:53,360 instead of an access point, 185 185 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,350 you have this additional routing capability 186 186 00:05:55,350 --> 00:05:56,770 inside the device. 187 187 00:05:56,770 --> 00:05:58,260 Now, most people when they go to the store 188 188 00:05:58,260 --> 00:05:59,470 to buy a wireless device, 189 189 00:05:59,470 --> 00:06:01,060 they're going to get sold something marketed 190 190 00:06:01,060 --> 00:06:02,560 as a wireless router. 191 191 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,670 This is really a combination of several devices, 192 192 00:06:04,670 --> 00:06:06,160 all in one box. 193 193 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:07,800 For example, you can see here 194 194 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,160 that I have a Quantum Gateway Wireless Router from Verizon. 195 195 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,530 If you have a Verizon Fios connection in your house, 196 196 00:06:13,530 --> 00:06:14,830 this is likely what you're using 197 197 00:06:14,830 --> 00:06:16,170 to connect to the internet. 198 198 00:06:16,170 --> 00:06:17,630 This one is a singular device 199 199 00:06:17,630 --> 00:06:20,150 that has a wireless access point built into it. 200 200 00:06:20,150 --> 00:06:21,120 And in addition to that, 201 201 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:22,470 there's a router built into it. 202 202 00:06:22,470 --> 00:06:23,680 And in addition to that, 203 203 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:25,510 there's a four-port switch built into it, 204 204 00:06:25,510 --> 00:06:27,230 and it also has a firewall built in, 205 205 00:06:27,230 --> 00:06:28,780 and it has a fiber modem. 206 206 00:06:28,780 --> 00:06:29,940 All of these different devices 207 207 00:06:29,940 --> 00:06:32,360 have all been combined into the single small office, 208 208 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:33,860 home office user device 209 209 00:06:33,860 --> 00:06:35,690 that is now sold as a wireless router 210 210 00:06:35,690 --> 00:06:37,760 or a wireless gateway. 211 211 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:38,650 So on the exam, 212 212 00:06:38,650 --> 00:06:41,430 remember a wireless access point is just that. 213 213 00:06:41,430 --> 00:06:42,430 It's an access point 214 214 00:06:42,430 --> 00:06:44,240 that's going to extend your physical network 215 215 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,270 into the wireless domain and it acts at layer one, 216 216 00:06:47,270 --> 00:06:49,950 but a wireless router or wireless gateway 217 217 00:06:49,950 --> 00:06:51,660 is going to be a combination device 218 218 00:06:51,660 --> 00:06:53,790 that acts as a wireless access point and a router 219 219 00:06:53,790 --> 00:06:55,123 within the same box.