14 2 Support information for installing to a wireless network ENWW
Authentication
Type
Type of authentication in use:
● Open System (ad-hoc and infrastructure): no
authentication.
● Shared Key (infrastructure only): WEP key is required.
● WPA-PSK (infrastructure only): WPA with Pre-Shared Key.
Authentication verifies the identity of a user or device before
granting access to the network, making it more difficult for
unauthorized users to access network resources. This security
method is common on wireless networks.
A network using Open System authentication does not screen
network users based on their identities. Any wireless user can
have access from the network. However, such a network might
use WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption to provide a
first level of security against unauthorized users.
A network using Shared Key authentication provides increased
security by requiring users or devices to identify themselves
with a static key, which is a hexidecimal or alphanumeric string.
This key is shared by all users of the network—that is, every
user or device uses the same key. WEP encryption is used
along with shared key authentication, using the same key for
both authentication and encryption.
A network using WPA-PSK authentication provides significantly
stronger security. It uses dynamically changing encryption keys
through WPA (TKIP).
Note Open systems shared key or WPA/PSK
authentication is entered using the
embedded Web server.
Encryption Type The type of encryption in use on the network:
● None: no encryption is in use.
● 64-bit WEP: a 5-character or 10-hex-digit WEP key is in
use.
● 128-bit WEP: a 13-character or 26-hex-digit WEP key is in
use.
● Dynamic: dynamic encryption is being used with WEP,
TKIP, or both.
WEP aims to provide security by encrypting data over radio
waves so that it is protected as it is transmitted from one end
point to another. This security method is common on wireless
networks.
Field Description
