Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 3.14
SSIDs can be broadcast or not.
To prevent unauthorized users from accessing a wireless network further, you can set up
security for it so that only users who enter the specifi ed code or passphrase may connect.
There are two popular means of encrypting a wireless connection:
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
An older but still used method of encryption that is
controlled by entering a 128-bit or 256-bit key consisting of up to 26 hexadecimal digits.
Two authentication methods are used with WEP: Open System authentication and Shared
Key authentication. (You may need to know which one your router or WAP uses when
setting up a secure encrypted connection on your PC.)
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
A newer type of encryption, more fl exible and secure
than WEP. There are two types: WPA-Personal, which is similar to WEP in terms of
setup, and WPA-Enterprise, which requires an authentication server and is designed for
large networks. There are two encryption protocols: Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
(TKIP) and Computer Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code
Protocol (CCMP). On a typical home network, you would use WPA-PSK mode with TKIP
encryption.
