Wi-Fi standards and security in Intro to Computing - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Wi-Fi Frequency Bands

Which statement correctly describes the difference between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequency bands?

A Both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz offer the same speed and range but use different channels.

B 2.4 GHz offers faster speeds but shorter range; 5 GHz offers longer range but slower speeds.

C 2.4 GHz offers longer range but slower speeds; 5 GHz offers shorter range but faster speeds.

D 5 GHz is used only for security purposes, while 2.4 GHz is for data transmission.

💡 Hint

Think about how radio waves behave in open spaces and through walls.

The 2.4 GHz band has longer range because its waves penetrate walls better but it is slower due to congestion. The 5 GHz band has shorter range but supports faster data rates.

❓ trace

intermediate

Tracing Wi-Fi Security Protocols

Given the following Wi-Fi security protocols, which one provides the strongest encryption for home networks as of 2024?

A WPA3

B WPA

C WPA2

D WEP

💡 Hint

Consider the latest standards designed to fix vulnerabilities in older protocols.

WPA3 is the newest Wi-Fi security protocol offering stronger encryption and better protection against password guessing attacks compared to WEP, WPA, and WPA2.

❓ identification

advanced

Identifying Wi-Fi Standard from Speed and Range

A Wi-Fi router advertises a maximum speed of 1.3 Gbps on the 5 GHz band and supports MU-MIMO technology. Which Wi-Fi standard is it most likely using?

A 802.11ac

B 802.11n

C 802.11ax

D 802.11g

💡 Hint

Think about which standard introduced MU-MIMO and high speeds on 5 GHz.

802.11ac introduced MU-MIMO and supports speeds up to several Gbps on 5 GHz. 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) is newer but 1.3 Gbps is typical for 802.11ac.

❓ Comparison

advanced

Comparing Wi-Fi Security Vulnerabilities

Which Wi-Fi security protocol is vulnerable to the KRACK attack, allowing attackers to intercept data?

A WPA3

B WPA2

C WEP

D Open (no security)

💡 Hint

KRACK targets a weakness in the handshake process of a widely used protocol.

KRACK exploits a vulnerability in the WPA2 handshake, allowing attackers to decrypt data. WPA3 fixes this issue.

🚀 Application

expert

Choosing Wi-Fi Security for a Public Hotspot

You are setting up a public Wi-Fi hotspot in a cafe. You want to provide secure access without requiring a password but still protect users' data from eavesdropping. Which security option should you choose?

A WPA3-SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals) with no password required

B WPA2-Personal with a shared password

C Open network with no security

D WPA3-Enterprise with individual user credentials

💡 Hint

Consider security that allows individual authentication without sharing a common password.

WPA3-Enterprise provides strong encryption and individual user authentication, ideal for public hotspots. Open networks have no encryption, WPA2-Personal uses a shared password, and WPA3-SAE still requires a password.