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user will be asked to input a 10- or 26-character hex key. A hex key is a
combination of letters, a–f, and numbers, 0–9.
Wireless Protected Access (WPA)
is the new standard in the wireless security.
However, not all wireless cards and adapters support this technology. Please
check your wireless adapter’s user manual to check if it supports WPA. Instead
of a hex key, WPA uses only passphrases, which are much easier to remember.
The following section, intended for the home, home office, and small office user,
presents a few different ways to maximize the security of your wireless network.
At the time of publication, four Encryption Methods are available:
Encryption Methods:
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility
Name 64-Bit
Wired
Equivalent
Privacy
128-Bit
Encryption
Wi-Fi
Protected
Access
Wi-Fi
Protected
Access 2
Acronym 64-bit
WEP
128-bit WPA-TKIP/AES
WPA2-AES
Security Good
Better
Best
Best
Features
Static keys
Static keys
Dynamic key
encryption
and mutual
authentication
Dynamic key
encryption
and mutual
authentication
Encryption
keys
based on
RC4
algorithm
(typically
40-bit keys)
Added
security
over 64-bit
WEP using a
key length of
104 bits, plus
24 additional
bits of
system-
generated
data
TKIP (Temporal
Key Integrity
Protocol)
added so
that keys are
rotated and
encryption is
strengthened
AES
(Advanced
Encryption
Standard)
does not
cause any
throughput
loss
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
WEP
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