ZyXEL Communications NBG-418N v2, User Manual

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Chapter 6 Wireless LAN
NBG-418N v2 User’s Guide
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6.3.4 Encryption
Wireless networks can use encryption to protect the information that is sent in the wireless
network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot
understand the message.
For example, if users do not log in to the wireless network, you can choose no encryption, Static
WEP , WPA-PSK , or WPA2-PSK .
Usually, you should set up the strongest encryption that every wireless client in the wireless
network supports. Suppose the wireless network has two wireless clients. Device A only supports
WEP, and device B supports WEP and WPA2-PSK. Therefore, you should set up
Static WEP in the
wireless network.
Note: It is recommended that wireless networks use WPA2-PSK, or stronger encryption.
IEEE 802.1x and WEP encryption are better than none at all, but it is still possible
for unauthorized devices to figure out the original information pretty quickly.
When you select WPA2-PSK in your NBG-418N v2, you can also select an option ( WPA
Compatible ) to support WPA-PSK as well. In this case, if some wireless clients support WPA-PSK
and some support WPA2-PSK, you should set up WPA2-PSK and select the WPA Compatible
option in the NBG-418N v2.
Many types of encryption use a key to protect the information in the wireless network. The longer
the key, the stronger the encryption. Every wireless client in the wireless network must have the
same key.
6.3.5 WPS
WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance. WPS
allows you to quickly set up a wireless network with strong security, without having to configure
security settings manually. Depending on the devices in your network, you can either press a
button (on the device itself, or in its configuration utility) or enter a PIN (Personal Identification
Number) in the devices. Then, they connect and set up a secure network by themselves. See how
to set up a secure wireless network using WPS in the
Section 5.3 on page 44 .
6.4 General Wireless LAN Screen
Use this screen to enable the Wireless LAN, enter the SSID and select the wireless security mode.
Table 16
Types of Encryption for Each Type of Authentication
NO AUTHENTICATION
Weakest No Security
Static WEP
WPA-PSK
Strongest WPA2-PSK