In this lesson,
we're going to discuss a few incorrect configurations
that you may commonly find as issues
within your wireless networks.
This includes things like the wrong SSID being used,
the incorrect passphrase being used,
and an encryption protocol mismatch.
First, let's talk about service set identifiers, or SSIDs.
Now, an SSID is simply a natural language name
that's used to identify a wireless network
in an 802.11 protocol.
For example, if you're at a Starbucks
drinking a latte right now,
you may be connected to their wireless network,
and it's called Starbucks Wi-Fi.
Now, the word "Starbucks Wi-Fi" is the SSID.
In general, I don't see an incorrect SSID
being an issue for most people.
This is because most people connect to a wireless network
by clicking on the name from a drop-down menu
in their Windows or Mac operating systems.
But if you're configuring a device like a network printer
and you're typing in the SSID manually,
you need to ensure that you don't mistype it,
or you're going to get an incorrect SSID error.
Additionally, if you see another SSID
that's similar to yours but it's not yours,
and it's in the same general area as you,
that means there may be an evil twin present.
If this occurs, do not connect to that SSID,
because the wrong SSID, if you connect to it,
will lead to a malware infection
or an on-path attack for your wireless clients.
Next, we have the incorrect passphrase being used.
Now, this one's pretty self-explanatory as well.
If you're trying to connect to a wireless network
using the correct SSID,
and that network requires a pre-shared key or passphrase
for you to connect to that wireless network,
you need to enter the right passphrase or pre-shared key
in order to authenticate to the network.
If you put in the wrong one,
it's not going to let you connect.
Now, remember, a passphrase or a pre-shared key
is used to encrypt and decrypt the data
being sent and received by this wireless network.
If you enter the wrong passphrase
or the wrong pre-shared key,
this wireless client you have
is going to be disassociated from the access point,
and it's going to attempt to, again, reconnect.
So if you have the Saved Password button checked,
it's going to keep trying with the wrong password,
so you need to make sure you put the right one in.
Now, there have been a few cases reported
where users enter the proper passphrase,
but the wireless access point
still is reporting an incorrect passphrase.
In these cases, the solution is usually
to reinstall the wireless network adapter's drivers
inside of Windows,
because they may have become corrupted,
and they're causing the passphrase that you entered
to be incorrectly encrypted
before it's sent to the wireless access point
for that verification.
So if you get an error
stating that you have the incorrect passphrase,
first, double-check your password and try entering it again.
If that doesn't work,
then you should attempt to reinstall the drivers
for your wireless adapter within Windows.
Next, let's talk a little bit about encryption protocols.
Remember, most of our wireless networks
are going to use some form of encryption.
If we're using WEP, we're going to be using RC4
as our encryption algorithm.
If we're using WPA, we're going to be using TKIP
as our encryption algorithm.
If we're using WPA2, then we're going to be using a AES
for our encryption by default.
All right, if you're attempting
to log onto a wireless network
and you get an error that says something like,
"Network security key mismatch,"
this could either mean you entered
the wrong password or passphrase,
or you're using the wrong encryption protocol
for this type of network.
Now, if this occurs, you can try one of three things.
First, you can manually change
the type of protocol that's being used
by manually connecting to the wireless network,
using the Network and Sharing Center inside of Windows.
Second, you can disable any third-party
antivirus tools you may be running,
because they could often cause interference
and cause issues with the wireless encryption protocols
and some network adapters' drivers.
Third, you can attempt to reinstall the wireless drivers
for your wireless network adapter,
as they may have been corrupted over time
and they might need to be replaced.
Now, in general, when you connect to a wireless network,
it's going to be pretty simple and straightforward.
As long as you're using the right SSID,
the right passphrase and the right encryption protocol,
you'll be able to make that connection.
If you believe you entered all of these things correctly
and it's still not working,
it could be a deeper issue within your operating system
or network drivers that needs to be identified and fixed.