Meru Networks today introduced RF Barrier, an 802.11-based solution for protecting wireless networks from access by so-called "parking lot attackers" who try to get onto a corporate network from outside the perimeter of the building.
"Meru's RF Barrier product is quite sophisticated, employing directional antennas mounted outside the walls and a special wireless access point (WAP) along the inside perimeter of a building," explains The Inquirer's Tony Dennis. "The WAP inspects the traffic in real time to determine which data appertains to the WLAN being protected and is therefore designated as sensitive. It then tells the directional antenna to block that bit of the RF spectrum. RF Barrier technology then uses the external antenna to block outbound traffic at the RF layer. Would-be attackers are limited in their ability to see useful packet information about the internal network."
"Start-up Xirrus offers a similar capability with the Sharp Cell technology in its Wi-Fi radio arrays that helps enterprises sharply define the edge of a coverage area and limit RF bleed," notes Network World's Joanie Wexler.
The solution will be available starting in September, with a four-antenna starter kit priced at $3,595.
More here from Wi-Fi Planet ... more here from IT Week ... and the press release is here.
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But the problem is that Wi-Fi signals bounce around and a simple 180 degree antenna is no match. If you compared this to turning on a radio, where the noise is everywhere, the only way to really control the broadcast is to put a big tube over the speaker so the sound is confined. That's essentially what we (Ruckus Wireless) do with Wi-Fi.
Meru's suggestion is to effectively scramble internal corporate Wi-Fi signals by mounting APs outside the building (broadcasting in 180 degrees which is next to impossible), thereby creating interference for the would be hacker trying to steal the internal signals.
But most Wi-Fi signal patterns have side lobes and back lobes which tend to project the interfering signal into the internal space where you don't want it. This means that the signals, by definition, will self interfere,to a great extent, with the rest of the system.
Meru's approach (in addition to attacking the 802.11 fair access procedures) purposely creates unwanted and nasty interference, violating the general intent of the 802.11 protocol. This ‘bad, bad neighbor’ behavior would certainly be viewed as very problematic from the WiFi Alliance’s point of view. What if you happened to run your business network on the other end of the unfortunate parking lot of a Meru barrier system? Instead of defending, Meru decided to offend. Not good (unless you have Ruckus smart antennas working for you).
We blogged about this very topic and offered more detail about why Meru's approach is flawed: http://www.theruckusroom.net/2008/08/can-you-really.html