User's Manual

Configuring the Wireless 11g Router
54
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) page 55
• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) page 56
The security mechanisms that may be employed depend on the
level of security required, the network and management
resources available, and the software support provided on
wireless clients. A summary of wireless security considerations is
listed in the following table.
Security
Mechanism
Client
Support
Implementation Considerations
WEP Built-in support on all
802.11b and 802.11g
devices
• Provides only weak security
• Requires manual key management
WPA mode Requires WPA-enabled
system and network
card driver
(native support provided
in Windows XP)
• Provides good security in small
networks
• Requires configured RADIUS server,
or manual management of pre-shared
key
802.1x mode
Requires WPA-enabled
system and network
card driver
(native support provided
in Windows XP)
• Provides robust security in WPA-only
mode (i.e., WPA clients only)
• Requires configured RADIUS server
• 802.1x Extensible Authentication
Protocol (EAP) type may require
management of digital certificates for
clients and server