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Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility
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Wireless Protected Access (WPA) is the new standard in
the wireless security. However, not all wireless cards and adapters
support this technology. Please check your wireless adapter’s user
manual to check if it supports WPA. Instead of a hex key, WPA uses
only passphrases, which are much easier to remember.
The following section, intended for the home, home office, and small
office user, presents a few different ways to maximize the security of
your wireless network.
At the time of publication, four Encryption Methods are available:
Encryption Methods:
Name 64-Bit Wired
Equivalent
Privacy
128-Bit
Encryption
Wi-Fi Protected
Access
Wi-Fi
Protected
Access 2
Acronym 64-bit WEP 128-bit WPA-TKIP/AES WPA2-AES
Security Good Better Best Best
Features Static keys Static keys Dynamic key
encryption
and mutual
authentication
Dynamic key
encryption
and mutual
authentication
Encryption
keys based
on RC4
algorithm
(typically
40-bit keys)
Added security
over 64-bit
WEP using a
key length of
104 bits, plus
24 additional
bits of system-
generated data
TKIP (Temporal
Key Integrity
Protocol) added
so that keys
are rotated and
encryption is
strengthened
AES
(Advanced
Encryption
Standard)
does not
cause any
throughput
loss
WEP
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.