F5D7631-4_Manual
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5. Protected Mode Switch
As part of the 802.11g specification, Protected mode ensures proper operation of
802.11g clients and access points when there is heavy 802.11b traffic in the
operating environment. When Protected mode is ON, 802.11g scans for other
wireless network traffic before it transmits data. Therefore, using this mode in
environments with HEAVY 802.11b traffic or interference achieves best
performance results. If you are in an environment with very little—or no—wireless
network traffic, your best performance will be achieved with Protected mode OFF.
Encryption/Security
Securing your Wi-Fi Network
Here are a few different ways you can maximize the security of your wireless
network and protect your data from prying eyes and ears. This section is
intended for the home, home office, and small office user. At the time of this User
Manual’s publication, there are three encryption methods available.
[Insert the following as a table. See Pg49 of P74490-A]
Name64-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy128-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy Wi-Fi
Protected Access-TKIP With Protected AccessAcronym64-bit WEP128-bit
WEPWPA-TKIPWPA-AES 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.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
WEP is a common protocol that adds security to all Wi-Fi-compliant wireless
products. WEP was designed to give wireless networks the equivalent level of
privacy protection as a comparable wired network.
64-Bit WEP
64-bit WEP was first introduced with 64-bit encryption, which includes a key
length of 40 bits plus 24 additional bits of system-generated data (64 bits total).
Some hardware manufacturers refer to 64-bit as 40-bit encryption. Shortly after
the technology was introduced, researchers found that 64-bit encryption was too
easy to decode.
128-Bit WEP