Belkin F6D301 Securing your Wi-Fi Network, Encryption Methods, Wired Equivalent Privacy WEP

Using the Belkin Wireless Network Utility

Securing your Wi-Fi Network

Here are a few different ways to maximize the security of your wireless network and protect your data from unwanted intrusion. This section is intended for the home, home office, and small office user. At the time of publication, three encryption methods are available.

Encryption Methods:

Name	64-bit Wired	128-bit	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi
	Equivalent Privacy	Encryption	Protected	Protected
			Access	Access
Acronym	64-bit WEP	128-bit WEP	WPA-TKIP	WPA-AES
Security	Good	Better	Best	Best
Features	Static keys	Static keys	Dynamic key	Dynamic key
			encryption	encryption
			and mutual	and mutual
			authentication	authentication
	Encryption keys	Added security	TKIP (temporal	AES
	based on RC4	over 64-bit	key integrity	(Advanced
	algorithm (typically	WEP using a	protocol)	Encryption
	40-bit keys)	key length of	added so	Standard)
		104 bits, plus	that keys are	does not
		24 additional	rotated and	cause any
		bits of system-	encryption is	throughput
		generated data	strengthened	loss

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

WEP is a common protocol that adds security to all Wi-Fi-compliant wireless products. WEP gives wireless networks the equivalent level of privacy protection as a comparable wired network.

1.64-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.

2.128-Bit Encryption

As a result of 64-bit WEP’s potential security weaknesses, a more secure method of 128-bit encryption was developed. 128-bit encryption includes a key length of 104 bits plus 24

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