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Using Your VAIO Computer >
Using the Wireless LAN
Using the Wireless LAN
Using the Wireless LAN (WLAN), all your digital devices with the built-in WLAN fun ction communicate freely with each other
through a network. A WLAN is a network in which a user can connect to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a wi reless (radio)
connection.
The WLAN supports all normal Ethernet connectivity, but with the added be nefits of mobility and roaming. You can still access
information, Internet/intranet and network resources, even in the middle of a meeti ng, or as you move from one place to
another.
You can communicate without an access point, which means that you can communi cate with a limited number of computers
(ad-hoc). Or you can communicate through an access point, which allows you to cre ate a full infrastructure network.
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In some countries, using WLAN products may be restricted by the local regulatio ns (e.g. limited number of channels). Therefore, before activating the
WLAN function, read the wireless LAN regulations guide carefully.
WLAN uses the IEEE 802.11a*/b/g standard or the IEEE 802.11n* draft standard, which specifies the type of technology used. The standard includes
the encryption methods: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which is a security protocol, Wi-Fi Protec ted Access 2 (WPA2), and Wi-Fi Protected Access
(WPA). Proposed jointly by the IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance, both WPA2 and WPA are specifications of standards based on interoperabl e security
enhancements that increase the level of data protection and access control for existing Wi-Fi networks. WPA is designed to be forward compatible with
the IEEE 802.11i specification. It utilizes the enhanced data encr yption Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) in addition to user authentication us ing
802.1X and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). Data encr yption protects the vulnerable wireless link between clients and access points. Besides
that, there are other typical LAN security mechanisms to ensure privacy, such as: password protection, end-to-en d encryption, virtual private networks,
and authentication. WPA2, the second generation of WPA, provides stronger data protec tion and network access control and is also d esigned to secure
all versions of 802.11 devices, including 802.11b, 802.11a, 802. 11g, and 802.11n draft standard, multi-band and multi-mode. In addition, based on
the ratified IEEE 802.11i standard, WPA2 provides government grade security by implementing th e National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) FIPS 140-2 compliant AES encryption algorithm and 802.1X-based authentica tion. WPA2 is backward compatible with WPA.
*See the specifications to find out abou t the configuration of your computer.
The IEEE 802.11b/g standard is a wireless LAN stand ard, using the 2.4 GHz band. The IEEE 802.11g standard provides higher-speed communicat ions
than the IEEE 802.11b standard.