RadioLAN WNR834B user manual Basic Wireless Security Options, Wep

NETGEAR RangeMax™ NEXT Wireless Router WNR834B User Manual

•Security Options

These options are the wireless security features you can enable. Table 3-1identifies the basic wireless security options. For a detailed explanation of these standards, see “Wireless Communications” in Appendix B.

Note: The Security Options displayed in this menu may change depending on the current selection of Wireless Mode.

Table 3-1. Basic Wireless Security Options

Field	Description
None	No wireless security. Only recommended for troubleshooting wireless connectivity.
WEP	WEP offers the following options:
	• Open System
	With Open Network authentication and 64- or 128-bit WEP Data Encryption, the WNR834B
	does perform data encryption but does not perform any authentication. Anyone can join the
	network. This setting provides very little practical wireless security.
	• Shared Key
	With Shared Key authentication, a wireless device must know the WEP key in order to join
	the network. Choose the Encryption Strength (64- or 128-bit data encryption). Manually
	enter the key values or enter a word or group of printable characters in the Passphrase box.
	Manually entered keys are not case sensitive but passphrase characters are case sensitive.
	Note: Not all wireless adapter configuration utilities support passphrase key generation.
	• Auto
	The wireless router automatically detects whether Open System or Shared Key is used.
WPA-PSK	WPA-Pre-shared Key does perform authentication. WPA-PSK uses TKIP (Temporal Key
WPA2-PSK	Integrity Protocol) data encryption and WPA2-PSK uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
	data encryption. Both methods dynamically change the encryption keys making them nearly
	impossible to circumvent.
	Enter a word or group of printable characters in the Password Phrase box. These characters
	are case sensitive.
	Note: Not all wireless adapter configuration utilities support WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK.
	Furthermore, client software is required on the client. Windows XP Service Pack 2 and
	Windows XP Service Pack 1 with WPA patch do include the client software that supports WPA.
	However, the wireless adapter hardware and driver must also support WPA.

Balancing performance factors (throughput, latency, battery consumption, and equipment compatibility) against the value of information on your network, select an appropriate security level. As a minimum, NETGEAR recommends using WEP with Shared Key authentication.

Safeguarding Your Network 3-5

v1.2, January 2007