Alfa Network AWAP05O User Manual page 96

6
System Configuration
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
AES has been designated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology as
the successor to the Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption algorithm, and will
be used by the U.S. government for encrypting all sensitive, nonclassified
information. Because of its strength, and resistance to attack, AES is also being
incorporated as part of the 802.11 security standard.
The bridge radio band uses 128-bit static AES keys (hexadecimal or alphanumeric
strings) that are configured for each link pair in the wireless bridge network. For a
Slave bridge unit, only one encryption key needs to be defined. A Master bridge
allows a different key to be defined for each wireless bridge link in the network.
Configuring AES encryption keys on the wireless bridge provides far more robust
security than using WEP. Also, a unique AES key can be used for each bridge link in
the wireless network, instead of all bridges sharing the same WEP keys.
Data Encryption Setup – Enable or disable the wireless bridge to use either WEP or
AES for data encryption. If AES encryption is selected and enabled, you must
configure one encryption key for each wireless port link on the wireless bridge. A
Slave bridge supports only one wireless port link, but a Master bridge supports up to
16 links. (Default: Disable)
Key Type – Select the preferred method of entering AES encryption keys on the
wireless bridge and enter a key for each bridge link in the network:
• Hexadecimal: Enter keys as exactly 32 hexadecimal digits (0 to 9 and A to F).
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