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Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
widely adopted wireless security protocol. Depending on the security
level (64- or 128-bit), the user will be asked to input a 10- or
26-character hex key. A hex key is a combination of letters, a–f,
and numbers, 0–9.
Wireless Protected Access (WPA)
the wireless security. However, not all wireless cards and adapters
support this technology. Please check your wireless adapter's user
manual to check if it supports WPA. Instead of a hex key, WPA uses
only passphrases, which are much easier to remember.
The following section, intended for the home, home-office, and
small-office user, presents a few different ways to maximize the
security of your wireless network.
At the time of publication, four encryption methods are available:
Encryption Methods:
Name
64-Bit Wired
Equivalent Privacy
Acronym
64-bit WEP
Security
Good
Features
Static keys
Encryption keys
based on RC4
algorithm (typically
40-bit keys)
WEP
WEP is a common protocol that adds security to all Wi-Fi-compliant
wireless products. WEP gives wireless networks the equivalent level
of privacy protection as a comparable wired network.
is a less secure, but more
is the new standard in
128-Bit
Wi-Fi
Encryption
Protected
Access-TKIP
128-bit WEP
WPA-TKIP/
AES (or just
WPA)
Better
Best
Static keys
Dynamic key
encryption
and mutual
authentication
More secure
TKIP
than 64-bit
(Temporal
WEP using a
Key Integrity
key length of
Protocol)
104 bits plus
added so
24 additional
that keys are
bits of system-
rotated and
generated data
encryption is
strengthened
19
19
Wi-Fi
Protected
Access 2
WPA2-AES (or
just WPA2)
Best
Dynamic key
encryption
and mutual
authentication
AES
(Advanced
Encryption
Standard)
does not
cause any
throughput
loss
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2
3
4
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