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Securing your Wireless Network
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
WEP (W
ired
E
quivalent
P
rivacy)
is a common protocol that adds
security to all Wi-Fi-compliant wireless products. WEP gives wireless
networks the equivalent level of privacy protection as a comparable
wired network.
64-Bit WEP
64-bit WEP was first introduced with 64-bit encryption, which includes
a key length of 40 bits plus 24 additional bits of system-generated
data (64 bits total). Some hardware manufacturers refer to 64-bit
as 40-bit encryption. Shortly after the technology was introduced,
researchers found that 64-bit encryption was too easy
to decode.
128-Bit WEP
As a result of 64-bit WEP’s potential security weaknesses, a more
secure method of 128-bit encryption was developed. 128-bit
encryption includes a key length of 104 bits plus 24 additional bits of
system-generated data (128 bits total). Some hardware manufacturers
refer to 128-bit as 104-bit encryption.
Most of the new wireless equipment in the market today supports
both 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption, but you might have older
equipment that only supports 64-bit WEP. All Belkin wireless products
will support both 64-bit and 128-bit WEP.
Encryption Keys
After selecting either the 64-bit or 128-bit WEP encryption mode, it is
critical that you generate an encryption key. If the encryption key is
not consistent throughout the entire wireless network, your wireless
networking devices will be unable to communicate with one another.
You can enter your key by typing in the hex key manually, or you can
type a passphrase into the “Passphrase” field and click “Generate”
to create a key. A hex (hexadecimal) key is a mixture of numbers and
