3Chapter WiFi and Encrypted Hotspot

• Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)


  An abbreviation for "wireless fidelity" & is a trademark controlled by the Wi-Fi Alliance, the trade organization that tests and certifies equipment compliance with the IEEE 802.11 standards for wireless local area networks (WLANs)
• Wi-Fi


  • Allows mobile devices to connect to local area networks
  • Often used for wireless Internet access and wireless
• Wi-Fi connectivity


  1. Device connects to access point

  2. Connection made by radio signals

  3. No need to plug device into network

  4. If network connected to Internet, device can have Internet access
• IEEE 802.11 standards


  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
  • 802.11ac
• IEEE 802.11


  Initial release of the standard capable of transmissions of 1 to 2 Mbps and operates in 2.4 GHz band using either frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) or direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS)
• IEEE 802.11a


  Capable of transmissions up to 54 Mbps and operates in 5 GHz band and uses an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM encoding scheme
• IEEE 802.11b


  Capable of transmissions of up to 11 Mbps and operates in 2.4 GHz band and uses only DSSS encoding scheme
• IEEE 802.11g


  Capable of transmissions up to 54 Mbps and operates in 2.4 GHz band and uses an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) encoding scheme
• IEEE 802.11n


  Capable of transmissions up to 100 Mbps and operates in 2.4 GHz band and uses an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) encoding scheme
• IEEE 802.11ac


  The newest generation of Wi-Fi signalling in popular use, utilizes dual band wireless technology, supporting simultaneous connections on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, offers backward compatibility to 802.11b/g/n and bandwidth rated up to 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band plus up to 450 Mbps on 2.4 GHz
• Advantages of Wi-Fi


  • Does not require regulatory approval for individual deployers
  • Allows LANs to be deployed without cabling
  • Products are widely available and interoperable
  • Prices have lowered considerably
  • Supports roaming and encryption
  • Global set of standards
• Disadvantages of Wi-Fi


  • Regulations on transmission power and interference acceptance
  • 2.4 GHz spectrum is crowded with other equipment
  • Closed access points can interfere with open access points
  • High power consumption
  • Security concerns with public hotspots
• Security protocol that ensures secure internet access through public Wi-Fi hotspot is important
• Existing solutions to the security problem in public Wi-Fi hotspots are mostly user centric
• This paper proposes a security protocol that ensures individual confidentiality during communication in public Wi-Fi hotspots
• Proposed security protocol


  1. Eliminates dependency on pre-shared information between AP and client

  2. Generates Instantaneous Session Key (ISK) between client and AP through secured Diffie Hellman key exchange