WEP

DefinitionW

Short for Wired Equivalent Privacy, a security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b standard. WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN. LANs are inherently more secure than WLANs because LANs are somewhat protected by the physicalities of their structure, having some or all part of the network inside a building that can be protected from unauthorized access. WLANs, which are over radio waves, do not have the same physical structure and therefore are more vulnerable to tampering. 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. However, it has been found that WEP is not as secure as once believed. WEP is used at the two lowest layers of the OSI model - the data link and physical layers; it therefore does not offer end-to-end security.

Very good security feature. When you setup the wireless it gives you the option to turn this on. Most routers will create one for you. If you create it. Make it something you will remember but hard for others to guess. With WEP enabled, only authorized computers can access your network. However, just like any other security feature, this can be hacked if the hacker really wants to get in. For added security, you can setup your network to only allow the MAC addresses you designate as the only ones that can access your system. With the WEP and the MAC Address, it will make it harder for a hacker to access your network.