Dual Band. How does it work?

[The Backlash Cometh]

My router is a dual band, but my laptop can only pick up the 2.4 GHz. Everybody else in the house can pick up the 5 GHz. I all but forgot about the 5 GHz option until this holiday when it came in handy because everybody is home. But I got to wondering, is the 5 GHz an open line I need to worry about? Could someone hack into the 5 GHz and look at my files in my laptop through the network?

[ChromeFoundry]

1. Uses the same encryption standards

as the 802.11b and 802.11g channels at 2.4 GHz

It is just operating on the 802.11a and 802.11h channels at 5 GHz.
The higher frequency allows for more data to be sent over a duration of time, allowing for higher throughput rates.

As long as you are using WPA or WPA2 and have a strong passkey.. you should be ok. If you are handing it out often (your passkey) change it every once in a while so that visiting guests don't have it stored in their devices and automatically connect when they visit, because that is like leaving your front door key, under the mat.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Oh, and thank you very much for your clear and concise explanations!

[ChromeFoundry]

2. and to answer the other question...

yes, the wired, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz are consolidated as a single network at the switch/router. Everything is accessible to all the different mediums - and they are all basically under the same security constraints. Doubtful you have anything to worry about unless you are still using WEP, rather than the newer encryption standards (WPA or WPA2).

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I'm using WPA 2 Personal.

But as I understand it, the protection only applies when I'm connected to the netgear router at home, or other routers which use WPA 2. Otherwise, my laptop defaults to WEP.

Incidentally, how do I change passwords on WEP?

And why can't I access the higher 5 GHz? Do I need to upgrade my modem?

[ChromeFoundry]

5. The encryption type

is defined at the Access Point / Router. The client negotiates with the configuration defined on the network, not the other way around.
Your Netgear router defines the connection policies and encryption standards. The settings do not transfer when you connect to another network.

If you are connecting to an Open Network (like at Starbucks) chances are that they have configured their Access Points to use WEP. This makes your internet traffic easily visible to others. I would suggest that you do not do your banking while connected to an open network...too much risk.

The only way to secure your traffic while connected is to utilize an SSL Tunnel Proxy, a SOCKS 5 proxy or a VPN. I've used BT Guard in the past and they seem to be okay for the price. But that may be overkill for your needs.

Changing the WEP Password (or Key) is done in the router config. If a client has the key cached locally, it will prompt for the new key when a connection is attempted. This can also be manually configured in Network Properties (in Windows) and Manage Wireless Networks... by editing the connection, the cached key can be changed.

You can only connect to the 5 GHz band if your wireless network interface has a radio to support that frequency. A pure B/G/N wireless card cannot connect to the A/H network.... an A/B/G/N will most likely connect to either the 2.4 or the 5 GHz bands.

B/G/N will have better strength over distances and through obstacles, while A/H will have faster throughput over direct line of sight. The 5 GHz frequency does not travel through walls as well as the 2.4 GHz frequencies.

[HopeHoops]

6. If you use WEP (or another standard) then no, they can't get it.

WEP works with damn near everything including MAC and Linux machines. I've had some issues with connecting using the other options. WEP isn't the most secure, but it is sufficient for most home use. The band has nothing to do with the security. It's just a frequency and is mostly a matter of the age of the machine. New routers will respond to all of the bands.