Wireless Networking for Peripherals

Wireless Networking Overview

A wireless local area network (WLAN, also known as “wi-fi,” for wireless fidelity) is a collection of two or more computers, printers, and/or other devices linked to each other by radio waves. It uses these radio waves to communicate information from one device to another.

To connect a computer or other device to a wireless network, the device must have a wireless network adapter. The peripherals that support wireless communication use an internal networking component that contains a radio.

No cabling is necessary between networked computers and devices that use wireless technology, although it is highly recommended the use of a cable during setup and installation of any peripherals, and does not support wireless setup.

Network Topology

There are two types of wireless network communication:

In an ad hoc network (also called independent or peer-to-peer networks), all devices communicate directly with one another.

In an infrastructure network, communications are routed through an access point, which handles both communication and security for all devices associated with it. Access points are frequently also connected to an Ethernet LAN with a cable.

Users who are simply trying to print (or scan/copy/fax etc.) from a laptop or PC to a printer or All-in-One may frequently use ad hoc mode, since it simplifies equipment needs. Customers who are trying to connect to another LAN, trying to share an Internet connection, or have a combination of more than six PCs and other devices on the network, will need to set up their networks in infrastructure mode. In either case, connection between the peripheral device and the user’s existing, working wireless network – helping the user to set up a network for the first time is beyond the scope of support.

Standards

Wireless LANs conform to an international group of standards known as 802.11. Standards are simply a set of communication protocols agreed upon so that equipment designed and manufactured by different vendors can talk to each other. Agreed-upon protocols include, for example, such things data transmission rate and encoding method, radio broadcast frequency band, etc.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE, or “I triple E”) develops standards for a wide variety of computer technologies. Networking standards have been assigned the number 802, while wireless networking standards have been assigned the number 11. Wireless networking standards therefore use the designation 802.11. (Ethernet uses 802.3.)

Improvements have been made upon the first 802.11 standard, which now include 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. For the most part, equipment on the same network must be built using the same standard. At this time wireless peripherals use the 802.11b standard, which is currently the most commonly used standard. It offers speed and functionality similar to Ethernet, and broadcasts in the 2.4 GHz frequency band.

Note that an 802.11 (wireless) network can connect to an 802.3 (Ethernet) network.

Wireless Network Components

Hardware

Wireless network adapter: There are three types of wireless network adapters. All include either an integrated antenna, or (as in the case of Mac adapters), connect to an antenna built into the computer.

A wireless PC card slips into a laptop PCMIA slot.

A wireless PCI card is installed into an available slot inside a desktop computer. In most cases it consists of a sleeve or card holder, and a PC card radio that slides into the sleeve.

A wireless USB adapter is a separate device that plugs into a free USB port on the computer (or USB hub).

Wireless Access Point: A wireless access point is needed for networks set up in infrastructure mode. In cases where a wireless network connects to an Ethernet network, the access point is connected to the Ethernet hub via Ethernet cable.

Software

A driver is needed for the wireless network adapter and for the attached peripheral.

The network operating system is included in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

SSID

To be on the same wireless network, all devices must reference the same Service Set Identifier, or SSID. The SSID, also known as the network name, is a character string that identifies the network and is attached to the header of transmitted data packets. The SSID prevents access to the network by any device that does not have the SSID.

Consult the peripheral’s user guide for information on setting the SSID for the peripheral. The SSID is set on the computer using the configuration utility for the wireless network adapter.

Security

Wireless networks are more vulnerable to hackers than wired networks, because any passer-by with a laptop and a wireless network card can theoretically tap into a wireless network.

Helping a customer to set up security or make decisions about the best kind of security to put in place is beyond the scope of support for the customer support agent. However, it is helpful to know the extent of the potential exposure:

The contents of any networked drive can be read by a successful attacker. If a printer or All-in-One includes a photocard reader AND is installed on a wireless network, the contents of the card can be read while the card is inserted in the card reader.

The contents of any file being broadcast from one wireless device to another can also be read by a successful attacker. This means that a document being printed can be read (during the actual transmission only). A document being scanned to the computer can also be read during transmission.

To hinder the success of would-be intruders, peripherals can be configured to use one of two industry standard security options: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) listed below. The security configuration for the peripheral must match that of the existing network.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) Configuration

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) provides security by encrypting the data sent from one wireless device to another. Devices on a WEP-enabled network use WEP keys to encode data. If your network uses WEP, you must know the WEP key(s) it uses. Use the peripheral’s Embedded Web Server to configure the peripheral to use WEP, and to set the WEP key.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) Configuration

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) provides security by doing the following:

• Encrypting the data sent from one wireless device to another. WPA automatically changes the encryption keys after a certain time interval, making the wireless network less vulnerable to intrusion.

• Controlling access to network resources through authentication protocols. WPA requires either the use of an authentication server (best suited for enterprise networks) or a pass phrase known to all devices on the network.