Arris NVG599, Administrator'S Handbook

Page: 45 / 228

45
Wireless Security
By default, wireless security is set to WPA-PSK with a pre-defined
WPA-Default Key
.
Other options are available from the Security drop-down menu:
‹
WEP - Manual:
WEP security is a privacy option that is based on encryption between the router and any PCs
(clients) you have with wireless cards. For WEP-Manual encryption to work, both your wireless access point
and each client must share the same wireless ID (SSID), and both must be using the same encryption keys.
See
“WEP-Manual” on page 45 .
‹
WPA-PSK:
Allows you to enter your own key, the most secure option for your wireless network. The key
can be between 8 and 63 characters, but for best security it should be at least 20 characters. If you select
WPA-PSK
as your privacy setting, the
WPA Version
drop-down menu allows you to select the WPA ver-
sion(s) that will be required for client connections. Choices are:
• Both
, for maximum interoperability
• WPA-1
, for backward compatibility
• WPA-2
, for maximum security
All clients must support the version(s) selected in order to successfully connect. Be sure that your Wi-Fi cli-
ent adapter supports this option. Not all Wi-Fi clients support WPA-PSK.
‹
OFF - No Privacy:
Disables privacy on your network, allowing any wireless users to connect to your wireless
LAN. Select this option if you are using alternative security measures such as VPN tunnels, or if your network
is for public use.
Click the
Save
button.
WEP-Manual
You can provide a level of data security by enabling WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) for encryption of network
data. You can enable 40- or 128-bit WEP Encryption (depending on the capability of your client wireless card)
for IP traffic on your LAN.
WEP - Manual
allows you to enter your own encryption keys manually. This is a difficult process, but only
needs to be done once. Avoid the temptation to enter all the same characters.
Key Length
: The drop-down menu selects the length of each encryption key. The longer the key, the stronger
the encryption and the more difficult it is to break the encryption.
NOTE:
WEP is a less current and less secure authentication method than WPA-PSK. It may be required if your wire-
less clients do not support WPA.
NOTE:
WEP is a less current and less secure authentication method than WPA-PSK. It may be required if your wire-
less clients do not support WPA.