Introduction - D-Link Air Xpert DWL-AG650 Manual

Introduction

The D-Link Air Xpert DWL-AG650 Tri-mode Dualband Wireless Cardbus Adapter is an
802.11a/802.11b/draft 802.11g high-performance, wireless adapter that supports high-
speed wireless networking at home, at work or in public places.
Featuring a breakthrough all-in-one tri-mode dualband design, the new D-Link Air Xpert
DWL-AG650 is a next generation laptop PC adapter that connects to 802.11a (in the
5GHz band) and draft 802.11g networks (in the 2.4GHz band) at 54 Mbps and 802.11b
networks (in the 2.4GHz band) at 11Mbps.
When used with other 802.11a or 802.11g devices, the DWL-AG650 will achieve data
transfer rates of up to 54Mbps. 802.11b devices will communicate at 11Mbps.
In addition to offering faster data transfer speeds when used with other 802.11a or draft
802.11g products, the DWL-AG650 has the newest, most advanced security features
available today, using the draft 802.11i security standard. These additional security
features are optional. You may choose to continue using the familiar WEP security, or
you may not wish to utilize security features at all. However, if you do choose to use the
DWL-AG650's powerful security features with other WPA (WiFi Protected Access) and
802.1x compatible products in a network with a RADIUS server, the security features
will 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 ensures 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.
Users that choose not to incorporate a RADIUS server in their network may also use the
optional enhanced security features, or they may wish to continue using the standard
WEP security, or they may choose to use no security at all. However, if you do wish to
experience the enhanced security of the DWL-AG650 in conjunction with other draft
802.11i compatible products, without a RADIUS server, the Pre Shared Key mode of
WPA will assign a new security key every time the DWL-AG650 connects to the draft
802.11i Access Point. If you choose to enable the enhanced security features of the
DWL-AG650, you need only to input your encryption information once in the configuration
menu. No longer will you have to manually change the WEP key to ensure security -
with the DWL-AG650, you will automatically receive a new key every time you connect,
vastly increasing the safety of your communications.
*WPA will be available Q3 2003 as a driver download
TM
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