WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN. LANs are inherently more secure than WLANs because LANs are somewhat protected by the physicalities of their structure, having some or all part of the network inside a building that can be protected from unauthorized access. WLANs, which are over radio waves, do not have the same physical structure and therefore are more vulnerable to tampering.
WEP aims to provide security by encrypting data over radio waves so that it is protected as it is transmitted from one end point to another. The Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) feature uses the RC4 PRNG algorithm developed by RSA Data Security, Inc.
If your wireless access point supports MAC filtering, it is recommended that you use this feature in addition to WEP (MAC filtering is much more secure than encryption).
Technical Specifications
Standards:
IEEE 802.11b compliant
IEEE 802.3
Wireless Data Rates:
1/2/5.5/11 Mbps
Data Modulation Techniques:
BPSK (1 Mbps), QPSK (2 Mbps), CCK (5.5/11 Mbps)
Operating Range:
Up to 825 ft
Radio Signal Type:
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
Media Access Protocol:
CSMA/CA (Collision Avoidance) with ACK
Security:
RF Frequency:
2412 MHz - 2484 MHz (Japan Band - 14 channels) 2412 MHz - 2462 MHz (North America - 11 channels) 2412 MHz - 2472 MHz (Europe - 13 channels)
2457 MHz - 2462 MHz (Spain - 2 channels)
2457 MHz - 2472 MHz (France - 4 channels)