Dual-Band Wireless A+B Broadband Router
89
Instant Wireless
®
Series
88
Appendix C:Configuring
Wireless Security
The Router offers two wireless security features. The basic feature is Wired
Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption, an encryption method used to protect
your wireless data communications. WEP uses 64-bit, 128-bit, or 152-bit keys
to provide access control to your network and encryption security for every
data transmission. To decode a data transmission, each point in a network must
use an identical key. Higher encryption levels mean higher levels of security,
but due to the complexity of the encryption, they may mean decreased network
performance.
You may also have heard the term “40-bit” used in conjunction with WEP
encryption. This is simply another term for 64-bit WEP encryption. This level
of WEP encryption has been called 40-bit because it uses a 40-bit secret key
along with a 24-bit Initialization Vector (40 + 24 = 64). Wireless vendors may
use either name. Linksys uses the term “64-bit” when referring to this level of
encryption.
The second wireless security feature is 802.1x. The IEEE 802.1x standard spec-
ifies authentication methods for a wireless client, such as a PC, to access a net-
work, so network security is enhanced. Based on the Extensible Authentication
Protocol (EAP), 802.1x designates how a client accesses a network server, fre-
quently a RADIUS server, with the Router acting as an authenticator. When a
network uses 802.1x, the identity of the client is verified before the client is
allowed network access.
For example, a wireless user may use one of the authentication methods to
access a wireless network protected by an authentication server. The user’s PC
sends a request to the Router (an access point can be used instead). The Router
sends an identification request back to the PC. After the PC sends the Router the
identification message, the Router forwards the identification message to the
server. If the server accepts the identification message, then the PC is permitted
access to the wireless network.
Background
Note: WEP encryption is an additional data security measure and not
essential for router operation; however, Linksys recommends the use
of WEP encryption.
Step Two: Pinging for a Web Address
While the IP address returned above would work as your e-mail server address,
it may not be permanent. IP addresses change all the time. Web addresses, how-
ever, usually don’t. Because of this, you’re likely to have fewer problems by
configuring your system with web addresses rather than IP addresses. Follow
the instructions below to find the web address assigned to the IP address you
just pinged.
1. At the DOS command prompt, type ping -a 24.53.32.4, where 24.53.32.4
is the IP address you just pinged. Information such as the following data
will be displayed.
C:\>ping -a 24.53.32.4
Pinging mail.msnv3.occa.home.com [24.53.32.4] with
32 bytes of data:
Reply from 24.53.32.4: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=127
Reply from 24.53.32.4: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=127
Reply from 24.53.32.4: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=127
Reply from 24.53.32.4: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=127
Ping statistics for 24.53.32.4:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0%
loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
2. Write down the web address returned by the ping command. (In the exam-
ple in Figure C-2, mail.msnv3.occa.home.com is the web address.) This
web address is the web address assigned to the IP address you just pinged.
While the IP address of mail could conceivably change, it is likely that this
web address will not.
3. Replace your ISP’s abbreviated server address with this extended web
address in the corresponding Internet application (web browser, e-mail
application, etc.).
Once you have replaced the brief server address with the true server address,
the Router should have no problem accessing the Internet through that Internet
application.
Figure B-2
