SMC Networks SMC2870W - Manual (Page 28)

U
TILITY
I
NSTALLATION AND
C
ONFIGURATION
16
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