Channels; Wep & Wpa-Psk; Wpa2-Psk - LevelOne WUA-0614 User Manual

Appendix B - About Wireless LANs

Channels

The Wireless Channel sets the radio frequency used for communication.
 Access Points use a fixed Channel. You can select the Channel used. This allows you
to choose a Channel which provides the least interference and best performance. In the
USA and Canada, 11 channels are available. If using multiple Access Points, it is better
if adjacent Access Points use different Channels to reduce interference.
 In "Infrastructure" mode, Wireless Stations normally scan all Channels, looking for an
Access Point. If more than one Access Point can be used, the one with the strongest
signal is used. (This can only happen within an ESS.)
 If using "Ad-hoc" mode (no Access Point), all Wireless stations should be set to use the
same Channel. However, most Wireless stations will still scan all Channels to see if
there is an existing "Ad-hoc" group they can join.
WEP & WPA-PSK
Both WEP and WPA-PSK are standards for encrypting data before it is transmitted.
This is desirable because it is impossible to prevent snoopers from receiving any data
which is transmitted by your Wireless Stations. But if the data is encrypted, then it is mea-
ningless unless the receiver can decrypt it.
WPA-PSK is a later standard than WEP, and is more secure.

WPA2-PSK

This is a later version of WPA (WPA-PSK). The major change is the use of AES (Advanced
Encryption System) for protecting data. AES is very secure, considered to be unbreakable.
The PSK (Pre-shared Key) must be entered on each Wireless station.
If WPA2-PSK is used, the Wireless Stations and the Access Point must have the
same settings for each of the following:
WPA2 PSK
(Pre-shared
Key)
Encryption
Enter the same value on every station and
the AP. The PSK must be from 8 to 63 cha-
racters in length. The 256Bit key used for the
actual encryption is derived from this key.
The same encryption method must be used.
The most common encryption method is
TKIP. Another widely-supported method is
AES.
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