IP Addressing Issues

IP addresses are a common way for a hacker to attack your network. It
is imperative that you make certain that the ad hoc mode has been disabled
in your WLAN, since it constitutes a risk that an unauthorized
user can log into your network.

If all your workstations are behind a router, you should assign a static
IP for each wireless workstation so that you know exactly what IP
address is assigned to each person within your organization. If a hacking
attempt does occur, a quick examination of your log will tell you
which workstation has been compromised.

Security concerns that open up a hole in your access control mechanism
involve having DHCP addressing. Even if you have taken the
above statement to heart and have assigned a static IP address to each
worker within your corporate LAN, it is still possible to use DHCP. Most
administrators enable DHCP for convenience and program the wireless
router to assign the same IP address to each workstation based on its
unique MAC ID. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for DHCP to assign a
dynamic IP to a user who is not on the predefined list. This vulnerability
is commonly overlooked because this feature is “on” by default in most
access point devices.