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Wireless: Security
Security Mode
Unless one of these encryption modes is selected, wireless transmissions to and from your wireless
network can be easily intercepted and interpreted by unauthorized users.
WEP
A method of encrypting data for wireless communication intended to provide the same level of privacy
as a wired network. WEP is not as secure as WPA encryption. 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. A default key is selected for use on the network.
WPA-Personal and WPA-Enterprise
Both of these options select some variant of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) -- security standards
published by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The WPA Mode further refines the variant that the router should
employ.
WPA Mode: WPA is the older standard; select this option if the clients that will be used with the router
only support the older standard. WPA2 is the newer implementation of the stronger IEEE 802.11i
security standard. With the "WPA2" option, the router tries WPA2 first, but falls back to WPA if the
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