TP-Link 54Mbps Wireless Access Point TL-WA501G - Manual (Page 44)

TL-WA501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide
¾ WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) - A data privacy mechanism based on a 64-bit or
128-bit or 152-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard.
¾ Wi-Fi - A trade name for the 802.11b wireless networking standard, given by the
Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA, see http://www.wi-fi.net), an
industry standards group promoting interoperability among 802.11b devices.
¾ WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) - A group of computers and associated
devices communicate with each other wirelessly, which network serving users are
limited in a local area.
¾ WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) - WPA is a security technology for wireless networks
that improves on the authentication and encryption features of WEP (Wired
Equivalent Privacy). In fact, WPA was developed by the networking industry in
response to the shortcomings of WEP. One of the key technologies behind WPA is
the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). TKIP addresses the encryption
weaknesses of WEP. Another key component of WPA is built-in authentication that
WEP does not offer. With this feature, WPA provides roughly comparable security to
VPN tunneling with WEP, with the benefit of easier administration and use. This is
similar to 802.1x support and requires a RADIUS server in order to implement. The
Wi-Fi Alliance will call this, 'WPA-Enterprise. ' One variation of WPA is called WPA
Pre Shared Key or WPA-PSK for short - this provides an authentication alternative to
an expensive RADIUS server. WPA-PSK is a simplified but still powerful form of WPA
most suitable for home Wi-Fi networking. To use WPA-PSK, a person sets a static
key or "passphrase" as with WEP. But, using TKIP, WPA-PSK automatically changes
the keys at a preset time interval, making it much more difficult for hackers to find and
exploit them. The Wi-Fi Alliance will call this, 'WPA-Personal.'
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