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Using Your VAIO Computer
✍
In some countries, using WLAN products may be restricted by the local regulations (e.g. limited number of channels). Therefore, before activating the
WLAN functionality, read the
Safety Information
carefully.
WLAN uses the IEEE 802.11a
*
/b/g standard or the IEEE 802.11n
*
draft standard, which specifies the used technology. The standard includes the
encryption methods: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which is a security protocol, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), and Wi-Fi Protected Access
(WPA). Proposed jointly by the IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance, both WPA2 and WPA are specifications of standards based, interoperable security
enhancements that increase the level of data protection and access control for existing Wi-Fi networks. WPA has been designed to be forward
compatible with the IEEE 802.11i specification. It utilizes the enhanced data encryption TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) in addition to user
authentication using 802.1X and EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol). Data encryption protects the vulnerable wireless link between clients and
access points. Besides that, there are other typical LAN security mechanisms to ensure privacy, such as: password protection, end-to-end encryption,
virtual private networks, and authentication. WPA2, the second generation of WPA, provides stronger data protection and network access control and
is also designed to secure all versions of 802.11 devices, including 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n draft standard, multi-band and multi-
mode. In addition, based on the ratified IEEE 802.11i standard, WPA2 provides government grade security by implementing the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) FIPS 140-2 compliant AES encryption algorithm and 802.1X-based authentication. WPA2 is backward compatible
with WPA.
* See the online specifications to see whether your model supports the IEEE 802.11a standard and/or the IEEE 802.11n draft standard.
The IEEE 802.11b/g standard is a wireless LAN standard, using the 2.4 GHz bandwidth. The IEEE 802.11g standard provides high-speed
communications, faster than the IEEE 802.11b standard.
The IEEE 802.11a standard is a wireless LAN standard, using the 5 GHz bandwidth, and provides high-speed communications of up to 54 Mbps.
The IEEE 802.11n draft standard is a wireless LAN standard, using the 2.4 or 5 GHz bandwidth, and provides high-speed communications of up to 144
Mbps
*
on the 2.4 GHz bandwidth or up to 300 Mbps
*
on the 5 GHz bandwidth.
* Actual communication speed varies depending on your access point settings and so on.
Your computer may employ the Intel
®
Next-Gen Wireless-N technology
*
compliant with the IEEE 802.11a/b/g standard and the IEEE 802.11n draft
standard.
* Employed only on models that support the IEEE 802.11n draft standard.
