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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 Wired
Equivalent
Privacy
Wi-Fi Protected
Access-TKIP
Wi-Fi Protected
Access 2
Acronym 64-bit
WEP
128-bit
WEP
WPA-TKIP/AES
(or just WPA)
WPA2-AES (or
just WPA2)
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)
More secure
than 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
(insert chart from P74488-A, p.16)
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
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