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Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Installation and Configuration Guide
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Chapter5 Configuring the Client Adapter
Setting Security Parameters
Figure5-4 Profile Management (Security) Window
This window is different from the other Profile Management windows in that it includes many security
features, each of which involves a number of steps. In addition, the security features themselves are
complex and need to be understood before they are implemented. Therefore, this section pr ovides an
overview of the security features as well as procedures for enabling them.
Overview of Security Features
You can protect your data as it is transmitted through your wireless network by encrypting it through the
use of wired equivalent privacy (WEP) encryption keys. With WEP encryption, the transmitting device
encrypts each packet with a WEP key, and the receiving device uses that same key to decrypt each
packet.
The WEP keys used to encrypt and decrypt transmitted data can be statically associated with your
adapter or dynamically created as part of the EAP authentication process. The information in the “Static
WEP Keys” and “EAP (with Dynamic WEP Keys)” sections below can help you to decide which type
of WEP keys you want to use. Dynamic WEP keys with EAP offer a higher degree of security than static
WEP keys.
WEP keys, whether static or dynamic, are either 40 or 128 bits in l engt h. 12 8-b it WEP keys offer a
greater level of security than 40-bit WEP keys.
Note Refer to the “Additional WEP Key Security Features” section on page5-20 for information on three
security features that can make your WEP keys even more secure.