USING THe BelKIN WIreleSS NeTWorKING UTIlITY
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encryption Keys
After selecting either the 64-bit WEP or 128-bit 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. A hex (hexadecimal) key is a
combination of numbers and letters from A–F and 0–9. For 64-bit WEP,
you must enter 10 hex characters. For 128-bit WEP, you must enter 26
hex characters.
For instance:
AF 0F 4B C3 D4 = 64-bit WEP key
C3 03 0F AF 0F 4B B2 C3 D4 4B C3 D4 E7 = 128-bit WEP key
Write down the hex WEP key from your wireless router (or access point)
and enter it manually into the hex WEP key table in your Adapter's
configuration screen.
N+ Wireless USB Adapter
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WPA
WPA is a new Wi-Fi standard that improves upon the security features
of WEP. To use WPA security, the drivers and software of your wireless
equipment must be upgraded to support it. These updates will be
found on your wireless vendor's website. There are three types of WPA
security: WPA-PSK (no server), WPA (with radius server), and WPA2.
WPA-PSK (no server) uses what is known as a pre-shared key as the
network key. A network key is a password that is between eight and
63 characters long. It can be a combination of letters, numbers, or
characters. Each client uses the same network key to access the network.
Typically, this is the mode that will be used in a home environment.
WPA (with radius server) works best in a business environment, in which
a radius server automatically distributes the network key to clients.
WPA2 requires Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption of
data, which offers much greater security than WPA. WPA uses both
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and AES for encryption.
Setting up your Belkin Wireless router (or
Access Point) to use Security
To start using security, you must first enable WEP or WPA for your
wireless router (or access point). For Belkin Wireless Routers (or Access
Points), these security features can be configured through the web-
based interface. See your wireless router's (or access point's) manual for
directions on how to access the management interface.
IMPorTANT: You must now set all wireless network cards/adapters to
match these settings.
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