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Wi-Fi's 5 Step ProgramWireless networks are only as secure as their weakest link
url:http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/0704/0704_5.shtml

In this article author talks about how important the security issue is when using wireless internet access. Demands for wireless access are accelerating rapidly. However, most laptops are not configured for Wi-Fi security and there is no plug-and-play, secure Wi-Fi access, so the potential for help desk problems are multiplied. In addition, no one is clear about who could be held liable for any guest’s security losses. Without a doubt, the potential for big problems is mounting. The author asked some leading hospitality CIO and executives about their experiences and how it could be improved.
Distinct internal and guest networks.
There has to be a separate wireless network between the guest and the hotel. Separate wireless network has to be provided to prevent guest being able to use the restaurant and hotel network (vice versa). Supporting access to corporate’s Virtual private network (VPN) for business traveler’s can be implemented to gain better security.
Give guests Agreement and passwords.
Apart from business travelers who uses VPN through wireless internet, many hotel guests would expect to have an internet access with some security. By providing an ID and a password adds some security level to the property. However guest must agree on access agreement that informs them of internet access security risks and frees the hotel from liability if security problem occurs.
Secure the network at each point
Closely monitoring security on all levels, separating guests from each other on the network also adds security against hackers or any kind of viruses. A system that alerts the customers and the staff can also be applied and increase the security level up to a certain point.

Security issues always arise when using wireless. In this article the author clearly made some points how the security level could be improved and distributed to the customers without disturbing other local or hotel networks. Nowadays, hotel guest uses and access to wireless internet on daily basis, some sort of security level has to provided to maintain in the market and also to create excellent guest value. One step the author mentioned was, providing passwords. Providing passwords can limit the internet users from students who are lounging around the lobby area where the guest should be. Wireless internet access with password would increase the guest security level up to a certain point. However, as the author mentioned, hotel must have an agreement that the guest are using the wireless internet access with their own risk. I like this idea very much since it can eliminate the users who are trying to use wireless access without paying any cost at all. Another idea that I liked was Securing the wireless network at each level by closely monitoring. This would definitely raise the security level. Every network is on its own (which would be easy to monitor and block whenever risk occurs) and whenever the system detects a virus, just by warning the guest additionally to the staff would definitely prevent it from any dangers.

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Understanding Basic Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Security issues
By Eric Janszen
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/953561

Summary

The author simply describes how important the security and performance issues would be if a property uses the wireless local area network (WLAN).

Security
By using wireless, the property could save a lot of expense that were used to spent for installing and also fixing hardware’s whenever there were defections( loose patch codes, broken connectors and etc). Nevertheless, the security issues arise, as the wireless networking (WLAN) can be hacked easily from the parking lot or the street outside the WLAN property. As the author mentioned in this article, all sensitive applications can be protected and improved with additional security systems such as internet protocol security (IPsec) providing a range of different user authentication and data encryption options so that each user can be given the appropriate level of security for their particular applications.

Performance
WI-FI network shares a fixed amount of bandwidth among all the users. Because this network system serves the users as first come, first served base, it is crucial to make sure that all the users have enough available bandwidth no matter how far or close the user is from the access point. By using QOS (quality of service) built into LAN, it would distribute the signals evenly among all the users, furthermore the working efficiency would increase.


Reflection
I personally think if wireless technology is used appropriately it would benefit the hospitality industries. Applying the wireless technology to the local area network with higher level of security with enough bandwidth that would distribute data’s to users evenly, would benefit the whole property. I predict that many properties would use wireless technology to keep their competitive advantage and maintain in a higher position from the tier market. Ever since, the security is one of the utmost issues when using wireless, wireless network needs to built which offers different levels of security level to meet varying user needs, ranging from simple user name access with no encryption through to a full Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) for sensitive user. In addition, with the high level of security, other features such as quality of service (QOS) within the network have to be developed to provide and allocate bandwidth fairly among the whole network users. However, as the technology improves everyday, the secure level increases. A system that will protect and secure the network with a fluent seamless roaming would have to built or updated whenever it is possible to protect it from any danger.