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Chapter 7: Configuring the Wireless-G Access Point
The Setup Tab
Wireless-G Access Point
Wireless
The selections under this heading allow you to configure the Access Point’s connection to your wireless network.
•
Mode
. Select
Mixed
and both Wireless-G and Wireless-B computers will be allowed on the network, but the
speed will be reduced. Select
G-Only
for maximum speed with Wireless-G products only. The final selection,
B-Only
, allows only Wireless-B products on the network.
•
SSID
. The SSID is the unique name shared among all points in a wireless network. The SSID must be
identical for all points in the wireless network. It is case-sensitive and must not exceed 32 alphanumeric
characters, which may be any keyboard character. Make sure this setting is the same for all points in your
wireless network. For added security, you should change the SSID from the default name,
linksys
, to a
unique name.
•
SSID Broadcast
. Allows the SSID to be broadcast on your network. You may want to enable this function
while configuring your network, but make sure that you disable it when you are finished. With this enabled,
someone could easily obtain the SSID information with site survey software and gain unauthorized access to
your network. Click
Enable
to broadcast the SSID to all wireless devices in range. Click
Disable
to increase
network security and prevent the SSID from being seen on networked PCs.
•
Channel
. Select the appropriate channel from the list provided to correspond with your network settings,
between 1 and 11. All points in your wireless network must use the same channel in order to function
correctly.
•
Wireless Security
. To enable wireless security, through WPA or WEP encryption, select the
Enable
radio
button. To disable such security, select the radio button by
Disable
. To change the security settings for your
network, click the
Edit Security Settings
button. A notification window will ask if you wish to change the
settings. Click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the
Basic Setup
tab.
software:
instructions for the computer
wpa:
a wireless security protocol using TKIP (Temporal
Key Integrity Protocol) encryption, which can be used in
conjunction with a RADIUS server.
wep:
a method of encrypting network data transmitted
on a wireless network for greater security