Asus WL-160N user manual Config Encryption, Network Authentication

Chapter 3 - Software Reference

Config - Encryption

This page enables you to configure the Wireless LAN Adapter encryption settings. For data confidentiality in a wireless environment, IEEE 802.11 specifies a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) algorithm to offer transmission privacy. The WEP uses keys to encrypt and decrypt data packets. The encryption process can scramble frame bits to avoid disclosure to others. The WPA/WPA2 is improved security system for 802.11 which are developed to overcome the weakness of the WEP protocol.

Network Authentication

Since there is no precise bound in wireless LANs, the WLAN users need to implement certain mechanism to provide security solution. The Authentication policies in this tab provide protection of different levels such as Open, Shared, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2 and WPA2-PSK.

Open - Select this option to make the network operate on Open System

mode, which use no authentication algorithm. Open stations and APs can authenticate with each other without checking any WEP Key, even if there is. Shared - Select this option to make the network operate on Shared key mode. In a Share Key Authentication system, four-step exchange of frames is required to validate that the station is using the same WEP Key as the access point. WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK- Select this option to enable WPA Pre-Shared Key under Infrastructure mode. It enables communication between your client and APs using WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryption mode.

WPA/ WPA2 - The network is operating in IEEE 802.1x authentication mode. This mode is for environments with RADIUS (Remote Access Dial-in User Service). In a RADIUS environment, five Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) are supported, including PEAP, TLS/Smart Card, TTLS, LEAP and Md5- Challenge.

Chapter 3 Software Reference

ASUS WLAN Adapter 19