Nowadays, the development of technology It has been one of the fundamental pillars when it comes to simplifying different actions for Internet users. Well, there are numerous solutions that exist to carry out any day-to-day task in a simpler and more effective way. However, this is also considered a point against the privacy of people on the Internet.
Given that, with so many tools available, illegitimate individuals have different tricks at hand to succeed in intercepting the communications of their victims and, thus, carry out their illegal actions on the network. For this reason, the fears that communications are spied on by unauthorized third parties, have increased significantly in wireless or WLAN networks.
For this reason, information security professionals have focused on creating new alternatives so that people have the possibility of safeguard its integrity. One of these alternatives, is based on linking a device to a WiFi network, being a process that works from association and transmission. In this post, we will explain How they operate and how this link is carried out.
Association and transmission of a WiFi network How do both processes work?
While it is true, today, wired networks are ahead of the vulnerability of being intercepted by unknown individuals, even if it does not seem true. Therefore, users of this type of network are less at risk of being spied on by other people.
Which, does not occur in wireless networks or WLAN because the transmission medium is shared by all teams, that is, the air. This is mainly because a computer that works on a normal wired network only needs to be plugged into the Ethernet cable to function properly. Meanwhile in Wifi, obligatorily, two phases are established for its correct operation, which are: Association and transmission.
Given their relevance, here we will explain what they are about and how they work:
Association
First, the association phase is carried out. In it, the user is in charge of selecting the SSID to which you want to connect and with this, the wireless card proceeds to contact the AP that offers said SSID. So, both negotiate different characteristics based on communication.
Furthermore, in this process, the AP has the possibility of request an authentication type Through which you can decide if it is appropriate to admit your association or not. This is normally based on an alphanumeric password that the user has to enter in order to work with him, which it is registered in the AP configuration. For its part, authentication provides three types that can freely choose wireless networks.
These types are:
- Open: As its name allows us to discern it, it is a kind of authentication where there is no restriction when it comes to being formalized. For that reason, any team will have the possibility to associate with the AP.
- Shared: In this case, a password must be used to authenticate. Taking into account that, the password to encrypt will be the same one used to authenticate.
- Secure access: Unlike the previous case, different keys have to be used, that is, one password to encrypt and a different one to authenticate. Valuing that, the user simply needs to know the authentication key. Meanwhile, the encryption key will be produced during the association process, automatically.
- MAC authentication: Corresponds to an authentication class in which the AP manages a MAC list authorized. Therefore, these will be the only ones that have the possibility of linking.
Transmission
Once the AP association process is fulfilled, starts the phase of transmission in which talks are established with the AP, essentially. Considering that, if in this phase you want to prevent a third party from intercepting the exchanged packets to know the information you transmit, it will be necessary that activate the encryption of each packet, both the client and the AP. In addition to this, when establishing conversations in the AP, it accepts several combinations thanks to the fact that the type of encryption is negotiated during the association.
Said combinations refer to:
- Open authentication and no encryption: Is that which used in public places to connect to a network without security. Therefore, the operating system issues alerts so that the user knows that they will connect to such a network.
- Open authentication and encrypted transmission: Unlike the previous combination, this offers encrypted transmission. Therefore, it is the most common scheme of the first WiFi networks.
- Shared authentication and encrypted transmission: Considering that it is considered as a very vulnerable authentication, is considered a bad combination. Taking into account that, third parties will be able to obtain access to decrypt the communications of any computer connected to that AP, because they know the key.
- Secure authentication and encrypted transmission: Basically, it is defined as one that use a different password for each thing and, for that reason, it has been classified as the best solution of all. In this case, the most famous is WPA.
Learn step by step how to associate any device to a WiFi network
Generally speaking, it is very easy to link or associate any device to a network Wifi to take advantage of the scope and speed it offers. Considering that, thanks to this, your device can automatically connect to the WiFi network in question, as long as it is available and the device has the relevant functionality enabled for it.
Thus, we explain the step by step to follow to make this association correctly:
- First of all, you have to start with activate the WiFi function of your device, from the section dedicated to it (this will depend on the equipment and its operating system).
- Next, they will show you all the available options and in that list, you have to find the name of the wireless network (SSID) you want to link your device to.
- When you locate it, click or tap on the SSID to connect. In any case, you have to make sure to connect the wireless equipment to the main network in order to acquire full access to the Internet and the network, of course.
- After selecting the wireless network in question, it is time to click or press on “Connect” (Connect).
- Next, they will ask you to enter the security key, so you have to write it correctly. Once that is done, select the option again “Connect”. If it is a public network, skip this step.
- After that, after a few seconds, your device will have connected to the WiFi network in question and while it is within reach, it will automatically reconnect on future occasions.