either IEEE 802.1x/Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

 

authentication or pre-shared key (PSK) technology. It provides a

 

high level of assurance to enterprises, small businesses and

 

home users that data will remain protected and that only

 

authorized users may access their networks. For enterprises that

 

have already deployed IEEE 802.1x authentication, WPA offers

 

the advantage of leveraging existing authentication databases

 

and infrastructure.

 

WPA-PSK– It is a special mode designed for home and small

 

business users who do not have access to network authentication

 

servers. In this mode, known as Pre-Shared Key, the user

 

manually enters the starting password in their access point or

 

gateway, as well as in each wireless stations in the network.

 

WPA-PSK takes over automatically from that point, keeping

 

unauthorized users that don't have the matching password from

 

joining the network, while encrypting the data traveling between

 

authorized devices.

 

WPA2 – Like WPA, WPA2 supports IEEE 802.1x/EAP

 

authentication or PSK technology. It also includes a new

 

advanced encryption mechanism using the Advanced Encryption

 

Standard (AES). AES is required to the corporate user or

 

government users. The difference between WPA and WPA2 is that

 

WPA2 provides data encryption via the AES. In contrast, WPA

 

uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).

 

WPA2-PSK – WPA2-PSK is also for home and small business.

 

The difference between WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK is that

 

WPA2-PSK provides data encryption via the AES. In contrast,

 

WPA-PSK uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).

802.1x Setting

When you have set the Authentication Type to Open, Shared,

 

WPA or WPA2, you can also enable IEEE 802.1x setting to use

 

the authentication server or certification server to authenticate

 

client users.

Encryption Mode

None – Disable the encryption mode.

 

WEP – Enable the WEP Data Encryption. When the item is

 

selected, you have to continue setting the WEP Encryption keys.

 

TKIP – TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) changes the

 

temporal key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of message

 

transmitted over a network.) This insures much greater security

 

than the standard WEP security.

 

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