Securing Your Wi-Fi Network - Belkin DESKTOP CARD F5D7001 User Manual

Using the Belkin Wireless Setup Utility
Securing your Wi-Fi
Here are a few different ways to maximize the security of your wireless
network and protect your data from unwanted intrusions. This section is
intended for the home, home office, and small office user. At the time of
publication, three 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 (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
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.
64-Bit WEP
64-bit WEP was first introduced with 64-bit encryption, which
includes a key length of 40 bits plus 24 additional bits of
system-generated data (64 bits total). Some hardware
manufacturers refer to 64-bit as 40-bit encryption. Shortly after
the technology was introduced, researchers found that 64-bit
encryption was too easy to decode.
128-Bit WEP
As a result of 64-bit WEP's potential security weaknesses, a more
secure method of 128-bit encryption was developed. 128-bit
encryption includes a key length of 104 bits plus 24 additional
Network
®
128-bit
Encryption
128-bit
Better
Static keys
Added security
over 64-bit
WEP using a
key length of
104 bits, plus
24 additional
bits of system-
generated data
15 15
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
Protected Protected
Access Access
WPA-TKIP WPA-AES
Best Best
Dynamic key Dynamic key
encryption encryption
and mutual and mutual
authentication authentication
TKIP (temporal AES
key integrity (Advanced
protocol) Encryption
added so Standard)
that keys are does not
rotated and cause any
encryption is throughput
strengthened loss.
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