CompTIA Network+ N10-004: 1.7 – Wireless Communication Standards

| Apr 24, 2009 | Comments 10


Wireless technology is used everywhere, and there are many different standards associated with the 802.11 standards. In this video, you’ll learn about the differences between the a,b,g, and n standards, and you’ll also learn how wireless networks authenticate users and encrypt network traffic.

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Filed Under: CompTIA Network+ N10-004

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  • Jeff

    There was a network in 1970 called ALOHAnet that used radio frequency transmission to communicate. Some of the concepts of the ALOHAnet were used in the development of Ethernet. I guess that you can say that wireless computer networking occured before Ethernet.

    • http://www.ProfessorMesser.com Professor Messer

      How about 18th century wireless networking?

      http://www.boingboing.net/2009/06/20/the-chappe-optical-t.html

      • Jeff

        Mr. Messer you do a great job with these videos. I’ve worked w/ computers and electronics for 25 years (mostly military simulators – computers are used in a lot of places other than IT) and I’m using your videos to update my skills. I can tell that you work with this stuff and don’t just have the book knowledge. Thanks!

  • whisptech

    How come no discussion on TACACS+ ?

    • http://www.ProfessorMesser.com Professor Messer

      TACACS+ isn’t a wireless communication standard, although it’s useful for some authentication standards that are used over wired and wireless networks. TACACS+ and RADIUS are covered in a chapter 3 video on implementing wireless networks.

  • jrob

    FYI, WEP has 128 bit encryption.

    • http://www.ProfessorMesser.com Professor Messer

      Although WEP can use a 128 bit key stream to encrypt data going across the wireless network, I wasn’t referring to the size of the entire key stream in my presentation. The key that you can use for WEP is either 40 bits or 104 bits; as a human, you don’t get to determine the last 24 bits of the encryption key. Those extra 24 bits make up the initialization vector (IV) and allow each session to be uniquely encrypted even though you’re using the same key every time.

      • jrob

        Thank you for clarify that for me. I just to work for Apple Computers and I would tell customers IF you want to use WEP, then you must use 128 encryption. Like what you said in your video, Never, Ever, use WEP ;)

        Happy New Year and have a good day!!!

  • Singh

    thanks a lot Prof. Messer. These are excellent first hand source of info that I needed for my preparation…GOD BLESS YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU PUT-IN :)

  • http://www.ProfessorMesser.com Professor Messer

    Wireless encryption exists to protect the wireless users from the rest of the world; not the wireless users from each other. If you want to protect yourself from other users, you would use some type of transport encryption like a VPN.