Wireless Security; Wep; Wpa-Psk - D-Link DSM-G600 Instruction Manual

DSM-G600 User's Manual

Wireless Security

The DSM-G600 offers 3 types of wireless security - WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is a method of encrypting data for wireless
communication intended to provide the same level of privacy as a wired network.
To gain access to a WEP network, you must know the key. The key is a string of
characters that you create. When using WEP, you must determine the level of
encryption. The type of encryption determines the key length. 128-bit encryption
requires a longer key than 64-bit encryption. Keys are defined by entering in a string
in HEX (hexadecimal - using characters 0-9, A-F) or ASCII (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange – alphanumeric characters) format. ASCII format
is provided so you can enter a string that is easier to remember. The ASCII string
is converted to HEX for use over the network. Four keys can be defined so that you
can change keys easily.
Example:
64-bit hexadecimal keys are exactly 10 characters in length.
(12345678FA is a valid string of 10 characters for 64-bit encryption)
128-bit hexadecimal keys are exactly 26 characters in length.
(456FBCDF123400122225271730 is a valid string of 26 characters for 128-bit
encryption)
64-bit ASCII keys are exactly 5 characters in length
(DMODE is a valid string of 5 characters for 64-bit encryption)
128-bit ASCII keys are exactly 13 characters in length
(2002HALOSWIN1 is a valid string of 13 characters for 128-bit encryption)
WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access - Pre-Shared Key) is a Wi-Fi standard that
was designed to improve upon the security features of WEP (Wired Equivalent
Privacy).
WPA has improved data encryption through the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
(TKIP). TKIP scrambles the keys using a hashing algorithm and, by adding an
integrity checking feature, ensures that the keys haven't been tampered with.
The key or passphrase is an alpha-numeric password between 8 and 63 characters
long. The passphrase can include symbols (!?*&_) and spaces. Make sure you
enter this key exactly the same as on your access point or wireless router.You may
also enter a hexadecimal key (using characters 0-9, A-F).
WPA encorporates user authentication, which is generally missing in WEP, through
the extensible authentication protocol (EAP). EAP is built on a more secure public
key encryption system to ensure that only authorized network users can access
the network.
D-Link Systems, Inc.
Using the Configuration Utility
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