Apple designing airport networks User Manual

 

This chapter provides an overview of the security features 
available in AirPort for Mac OS X.

Apple has designed the AirPort Extreme Base Station and AirPort Express to provide 
multiple levels of security, so you can enjoy peace of mind when you access the 
Internet, manage online financial transactions, or send and receive email. The AirPort 
Extreme Base Station also includes a slot for inserting a Kensington lock to deter theft.

For information and instructions for setting up these security features, see “Setting Up 
the AirPort Network” on page 23.

Security for AirPort Networks at Home

Apple gives you ways to protect your wireless AirPort network as well as the data that 
travels over it.

You can separate your wireless network from the outside world with firewall protection. 
The AirPort Extreme Base Station and AirPort Express have a built-in firewall that 
creates a barrier between your network and the Internet, protecting data from Internet-
based IP attacks. The firewall is automatically turned on when you set up the base 
station to share a single Internet connection. For computers with a cable or DSL 
modem, AirPort can actually be safer than a wired connection.

Creating a closed network keeps the network name and the very existence of your 
network private. The network will not show up in a scan of available networks, so 
prospective users of your network must know the network name and password to 
access it. Use AirPort Admin Utility, located in Applications/Utilities, to create a closed 
network.

LL0214.book  Page 17  Monday, October 25, 2004  4:06 PM