ZyXEL Communications WAP3205 WPA, Table, Weakest, WPA-PSK, Strongest, RADIUS SERVER, NO AUTHENTICATION

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

The types of encryption you can choose depend on the type of user authentication. (See User Authentication on page 85 for information about this.)

Table 30 Types of Encryption for Each Type of Authentication

	NO AUTHENTICATION	RADIUS SERVER
Weakest	No Security
	Static WEP
	WPA-PSK	WPA
Strongest
	WPA2-PSK	WPA2

For example, if the wireless network has a RADIUS server, you can choose WPA or WPA2. If users do not log in to the wireless network, you can choose no encryption, Static WEP, WPA-PSK, or WPA2-PSK.

Usually, you should set up the strongest encryption that every wireless client in the wireless network supports. For example, suppose the AP does not have a local user database, and you do not have a RADIUS server. Therefore, there is no user authentication. Suppose the wireless network has two wireless clients. Device A only supports WEP, and device B supports WEP and WPA. Therefore, you should set up Static WEP in the wireless network.

Note: It is recommended that wireless networks use WPA-PSK, WPA, or stronger encryption. IEEE 802.1x and WEP encryption are better than none at all, but it is still possible for unauthorized devices to figure out the original information pretty quickly.

When you select WPA2 or WPA2-PSKin your WAP3205 v2, you can also select an option (WPA Compatible) to support WPA as well. In this case, if some wireless clients support WPA and some support WPA2, you should set up WPA2-PSKor WPA2 (depending on the type of wireless network login) and select the WPA Compatible option in the WAP3205 v2.

Many types of encryption use a key to protect the information in the wireless network. The longer the key, the stronger the encryption. Every wireless client in the wireless network must have the same key.

10.3.1.3 WPS

WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance. WPS allows you to quickly set up a wireless network with strong security, without having to configure security settings manually. Depending on the devices in your network, you can either press a button (on the device itself, or in its configuration utility) or enter a PIN (Personal Identification Number) in the devices. Then, they connect and set up a secure network by themselves. See how to set up a secure wireless network using WPS in the Section 8.3 on page 59.

10.3.1.4 WDS

Wireless Distribution System or WDS security is used between bridged APs. It is independent of the security between the wired networks and their respective APs. If you do not enable WDS security, traffic between APs is not encrypted. When WDS security is enabled, both APs must use the same pre-shared key.

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	WAP3205 v2 User’s Guide