I've gotten me a wireless router (Linksys WAG54GS) and of course, I'm thinking about the security.

I've read this little article, just to start me off

http://netsecurity.about.com/od/hackert ... 004b_2.htm

but I was wondering if you guys have any recommended reads for wireless security?

Also - when I activated the encryption, it made me enter a phrase called a "passphrase" which has generated keys. Now, AFAIK a Key is simply something that allows another PC/recipient to decrypt what I've sent and not anybody else (at least, not without hacking or figuring out the key). So I'm guessing that all it means now, is if someone wants to recieve data from me, they'll have to have put that "passphrase" in somewhere or another on their end in order to be able to understand it if I send it wireless? Or am I bullshitting?

I took a Cisco Wireless class, so I have a fair understanding of how wireless security works. There are a bunch of different things involved, and different security options.

SSID :: This is the ID of the wireless network. Kinda like a domain name. This was the first form of security, since you had to have it to connect to a wireless network. But it's broadcast in plain text, so it's not exactly secure. It's still necessary to set up a wireless network, but don't confuse it with security... it isn't.

WEP :: The first form of real security. I forget the key length...I think it's 48 to 128 bits or something. Maybe 64 to 128. Anyway, this isn't very secure. The key is a 16 character hexadecimal string...in alot of wirless solutions, it's generated by the software based off a key phrase that you enter. That may be what you have. If you don't have any better options, use this, but if you have options for WPA and TKIP, use that instead. This is hackable... given the right equipment (my laptop and wireless NIC) and an active network (lost of packets flying around) I could probably crack your wireless network in a few hours.

WPA :: The newest standard. This is more secure. I believe it uses shared key (various options). You can go up to AES protection, but that's not widely implemented because it requires its own processor to do the encryption calculations. Most wireless solutions that offer it do a WPA/TKIP pair...TKIP has to do with the initial data exchange, if I remember properly. This also has weaknesses, but I couldn't crack your network anywhere as easily as with WEP. So...if you can use WPA, use that. TKIP also uses a passphrase, so you may already be using this.

And that is a very basic primer on wireless security. Glancing at the article you linked, it looks like it covers the basics pretty well.

I lock my network down by MAC address.

Be sure to use that in combination with some other type of wireless encryption. Faking a MAC address is easy.