Introduction - D-Link AirPlusXtremeG DI-624 Manual

Introduction

The D-Link AirPlusXtremeG DI-624 High-Speed Wireless Router is a draft 802.11g high-
performance, wireless router that supports high-speed wireless networking at home, at
work or in public places.
Unlike most routers, the DI-624 provides data transfers at up to 54 Mbps (compared to
the standard 11 Mbps) when used with other D-Link AirPlusXtremeG products. The
802.11g standard is backwards compatible with 802.11b products. This means that you
do not need to change your entire network to maintain connectivity. You may sacrifice
some of 802.11g's speed when you mix 802.11b and 802.11g devices, but you will not
lose the ability to communicate when you incorporate the 802.11g standard into your
802.11b network. You may choose to slowly change your network by gradually replacing
the 802.11b devices with 802.11g devices .
In addition to offering faster data transfer speeds when used with other 802.11g products,
the DI-624 has the newest, strongest, most advanced security features available today.
When used with other 802.11g WPA (WiFi Protected Access) and 802.1x compatible
products in a network with a radius server, the security features include:
WPA*: A new security feature, Wi-Fi Protected Access authorizes and identifies users
based on a secret key that changes automatically at a regular interval.
WPA uses TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) to change the temporal
key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of message transmitted over a
network.) This insures much greater security than the standard WEP security.
(By contrast, the older WEP encryption required the keys to be changed
manually.)
802.1x: Authentication is a first line of defense against intrusion. In the Authentication
process the server verifies the identity of the client attempting to connect to the
network. Unfamiliar clients would be denied access.
For home users that will not incorporate a RADIUS server in their network, the security
for the DI-624, used in conjunction with other 802.11g products, will still be much stronger
than ever before. Utilizing the Pre Shared Key mode of WPA, the DI-624 will obtain a
new security key every time it connects to the 802.11g network. You only need to input
your encryption information once in the configuration menu. No longer will you have to
manually input a new WEP key frequently to ensure security, with the DI-624, you will
automatically receive a new key every time you connect, vastly increasing the safety of
your communications.
*WPA will be available Spring 2003 as a free download
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