Introduction - D-Link AirPlus XTREME G+ DWL-G650+ Manual

Introduction

The D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G+ DWL-G650+ Wireles s Cardbus Adapter is a 802.11g
high-performance, wireless adapter that supports high-speed wireless networking at home,
at work or in public places.
Unlike most network cards, the DWL-G650+ provides data transfers at up to 8X (compared
to the st andard 11 Mbps) when used with other D-Link AirPlus Xt reme G products. The
802.11g standard is backwards compatible with 802.11b products.This means that you
do not need t o change your ent ire network to maintain c onnectivity. You may sacrifice
some of 802.11g' s speed when you mix 802. 11b and 802.11g devices, but you will not
los e the abilit y to c ommunicate when you inc orporate the 802.11g standard into y our
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 DWL-G650+ has the newest, st rongest, most advanced security feat ures available
today. W hen us ed with other 802. 11g WPA (W iFi P rotect ed A ccess ) and 802. 1x
compatible products in a network with a radius server, the security features include:
WPA*: A new s ecurity feat ure, Wi-Fi Protected Access authorizes and identifies
users based on a secret key t hat changes automat ically 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 muc h great er securit y t han the s tandard WE P sec urit y. (By
contrast, the older WEP encryption required the keys to be changed manually.)
802.1x*: Authe nti ca ti on is a firs t line of defense agains t int rus ion. In the
Authentication proces s the server verifies the identity of the client attempting to
connect t o the network. Unfamiliar client s would be denied access.
For home users that will not incorporate a RADIUS server in their network, the security
for the DWL-G650+, used in conjunction with other 802.11g produc ts, will still be much
stronger than ever before. Utilizing the Pre Shared Key mode of WPA, the DWL-G650+
will obt ain a new security key every time it connec ts 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 DWL-
G650+, you will automatically receive a new key every time you connect, vastly increasing
the safet y of your communications.
* Available Q4 2003 as a free download
TM
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