NETGEAR DGFV338 ProSafe Reference Manual page 57

DGFV338 ProSafe Wireless ADSL Modem VPN Firewall Router Reference Manual
– WEP — Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption provides moderate data
security. WEP Shared Key authentication and WEP data encryption, while weaker than
newer security protocols, will block all but the most determined eavesdropper.
– WPA — Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) uses either TKIP data encryption or the newer
AES data encryption to provide much better data security than WEP. Combining strong
authentication with dynamic per-frame rekeying, WPA is virtually impossible to
compromise. Older wireless devices may not support WPA, or may only support WPA
with TKIP encryption. Windows XP and Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 or above
include the client software that supports WPA, but your wireless adapter hardware must
also support WPA. Consult the product document for your wireless adapter and WPA
client software for instructions on configuring WPA settings
– WPA2 — WPA2 is a later version of WPA with additional security enhancements. WPA2
supports only AES encryption. Windows XP and Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 do
not include the client software that supports WPA2. Make sure your wireless adapter
hardware and driver support WPA2.
With each of these data encryption methods, you have the choice of using one of these
authentication methods:
– PSK — With pre-shared key (PSK), all wireless devices on your network must know a
special passphrase in order to join the network. Because all users share the same
passphrase, this method is only recommended for small networks or home networks.
– RADIUS — A large network will typically contain a Remote Authentication Dial In User
Service (RADIUS) server that stores and verifies account information for many users. A
network access device such as the DGFV338 can request a user name and password from
each new device that tries to join the network. The network access device then forwards
this information to the RADIUS server for verification before granting network access to
the new device.
Your wireless security settings can affect the time it takes to establish a wireless connection, your
connection speed, and the power consumption of your mobile computers. WEP connections, for
example, can take slightly longer to establish and can consume more battery power on a notebook
computer. Failure to configure wireless security, however, exposes your network data to intruders.
Wireless Configuration
v1.0, May 2008
3-3