Computer and Software Support


Router WEP

Click here for the definition of WEP needtodo

Setting up Data Encryption and Authentication

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption and shared authentication helps provide protection for your data on the network. WEP uses an encryption key to encrypt data before transmitting it. Only computers using the same encryption key can access the network or decrypt the encrypted data transmitted by other computers. Authentication provides an additional validation process from the adapter to the access point.  The WEP encryption algorithm is vulnerable to passive and active network attacks. TKIP and CKIP algorithms include enhancements to the WEP protocol that mitigate existing network attacks and address its shortcomings

Open and Shared Key authentication 

802.11 support two types of network authentication methods; Open System and Shared Key. Supported authentication schemes are Open and Shared-Key authentication:

  • Using Open authentication, any wireless station can request authentication. The station that needs to authenticate with another wireless station sends an authentication management frame that contains the identity of the sending station. The receiving station or AP will grant any request for authentication. Open authentication allows any device network access. If no encryption is enabled on the network, any device that knows the SSID of the access point can gain access to the network.
  • Using Shared Key authentication, each wireless station is assumed to have received a secret shared key over a secure channel that is independent from the 802.11 wireless network communications channel. Shared key authentication requires that the client configure a static WEP key. The client access will be granted only if it passed a challenge based authentication.

Network Keys

When Data Encryption (WEP, CKIP or TKIP) is enabled, a network key is used for encryption. A network key can be provided for you automatically (for example, it might be provided on your wireless network adapter, or you can enter it yourself and specify the key the key length (64-bits or 128-bit), key format (ASCII characters or hexadecimal digits), and key index (the location where a specific key is stored)). The longer the key length, the more secure the key. Every time the length of a key is increased by one bit, the number of possible keys double.

Under 802.11, a wireless station can be configured with up to four keys (the key index values are 1, 2, 3, and 4). When an access point or a wireless station transmits an encrypted message using a key that is stored in a specific key index, the transmitted message indicates the key index that was used to encrypt the message body. The receiving access point or wireless station can then retrieve the key that is stored at the key index and use it to decode the encrypted message body.

Encryption Static and Dynamic Key Types

802.1x uses two types of encryption keys, static and dynamic. Static encryption keys are changed manually and are more vulnerable. MD5 authentication only uses static encryption keys. Dynamic encryption keys are renewed automatically on a periodic basis. This makes the encryption key(s) more secure. To enable dynamic encryption keys, you must use 802.1x authentication methods, such as TLS, TTLS, PEAP or LEAP.

How to Enable WEP Encryption

The following example describes how to edit an existing profile and apply WEP encryption.

To enable WEP encryption:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Select the profile from the Profile List and click the Edit button.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. Select any Network Authentication mode (Open is recommended).
  5. Select WEP for Data Encryption.
  6. Select 64-bit or 128-bit for the Encryption Level.
  7. Select a key index number 1, 2, 3, or 4. 
  8. Select either of the following:
  • Use pass phrase: Click Use Pass Phrase to enable. Enter a text phrase, up to five (using 64-bit) or 13 (using 128-bit) alphanumeric characters ((0-9, a-z or A-Z), in the pass phrase field.
  • Use hex Key: Click Use hex Key to enable. Enter up to ten (using 64-bit) alphanumeric characters, 0-9, A-F, or twenty-six (using 128-bit) alphanumeric characters, 0-9, A-F in the hex key field
  1. Click OK to save the profiles settings.

  NOTE: You must use the same encryption type, index number, and WEP key as other devices on your wireless network.