Setting up your wireless router

31

WPA Setup

Note: To use WPA security, all your clients must be upgraded to drivers and software that support it. At the time of this User Manual's publication, a security patch download is available, for free, from Microsoft®. This patch works only with the Windows XP operating system. You also need to download the latest driver for your Dynex Wireless Enhanced G Desktop or Notebook Network Card from the Dynex support site. Other operating systems are not supported at this time. Microsoft's patch only supports devices with WPA-enabled drivers such as Dynex 802.11g products.

WPA uses a so-called pre-shared key as the security key. A pre-shared key is a password that is between eight and 63 characters long. It can be a combination of letters, numbers, and other characters. Each client uses the same key to access the network. Typically, this mode will be used in a home environment.

WPA2 is the second generation of WPA, offering a more advanced encryption technique over WPA.

To set up WPA/WPA2:

1Click Security under the Wireless heading on the left menu. The Wireless > Security page opens.

2 Select WPA/WPA2-Personal (PSK) from the Security Mode list.

3Select WPA-PSKfor just WPA authentication, or WPA2-PSKfor just WPA2 authentication, or you may select WPA-PSK + WPA2-PSKfor WPA and WPA2 as the authentication type.

4Enter your pre-shared key. This can be from eight to 63 characters and can be letters, numbers, or symbols. This same key must be used on all of the clients that you set up. This pre-shared key will allow users full access to your network including shared files and printers.

5Click Apply Changes to finish. You must now set all clients to match these settings depending on the type of access you want them to have.

Note: If your wireless card is not equipped with WPA-enabled software, a file from Microsoft called Windows XP Support Patch for Wireless Protected Access is available for free download.

The file that Microsoft has made available works only with Windows XP. Other operating systems are not supported at this time.

Important: You also need to ensure that the wireless card manufacturer supports WPA and that you have downloaded and installed the latest driver from their support site.

To set up Windows XP Wireless Network Utility to use WPA-PSK:

1 Under Windows XP, click Start, Control Panel, Network Connections.

2 Right-clickWireless Network Connection Properties, then click Properties.