Boomerang: Acoustic Fingerprinting for Network Access Control

As the prevalence of wireless networking has increased, so has the need for easy-to-use methods of securing wireless networks from abuse by unauthorized users. This paper introduces the distinction between the wireless coverage area of an access point, and the wireless service area, over which a network operator wishes to provide wireless service. This paper also presents Boomerang, a system that allows network owners to define the wireless service area through acoustic fingerprinting techniques. Boomerang’s design is unique in that it restricts wireless network access to clients that are within acoustic range of the access point, which is a desirable feature in settings such as coffee shops and apartments. Further, Boomerang can be used in conjunction with existing access control methods such as WPA and WEP to provide further access restriction and confidential communication between clients and the access point.