ZyXEL PLA450 v2 User Guide - Page 60
Encryption, Static WEP, WPA-PSK, Compatible
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Chapter 6 Wireless LAN If your AP does not provide a local user database and if you do not have a RADIUS server, you cannot set up user names and passwords for your users. Unauthorized devices can still see the information that is sent in the wireless network, even if they cannot use the wireless network. Furthermore, there are ways for unauthorized wireless users to get a valid user name and password. Then, they can use that user name and password to use the wireless network. Local user databases also have an additional limitation that is explained in the next section. 6.2.4 Encryption Wireless networks can use encryption to protect the information that is sent in the wireless network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot understand the message. The types of encryption you can choose depend on the type of user authentication. (See Section 6.2.3 on page 59 for information about this.) Table 10 Types of Encryption for Each Type of Authentication NO AUTHENTICATION RADIUS SERVER Weakest No Security WPA Static WEP WPA-PSK Strongest WPA2-PSK WPA2 For example, if the wireless network has a RADIUS server, you can choose WPA or WPA2. If users do not log in to the wireless network, you can choose no encryption, Static WEP, WPA-PSK, or WPA2-PSK. Usually, you should set up the strongest encryption that every wireless client in the wireless network supports. For example, suppose the AP does not have a local user database, and you do not have a RADIUS server. Therefore, there is no user authentication. Suppose the wireless network has two wireless clients. Device A only supports WEP, and device B supports WEP and WPA. Therefore, you should set up Static WEP in the wireless network. " It is recommended that wireless networks use WPA-PSK, WPA, or stronger encryption. WEP encryption is better than none at all, but it is still possible for unauthorized devices to figure out the original information pretty quickly. It is not possible to use WPA-PSK, WPA or stronger encryption with a local user database. In this case, it is better to set up stronger encryption with no authentication than to set up weaker encryption with the local user database. When you select WPA2 or WPA2-PSK in your PLA450, you can also select an option (WPA Compatible) to support WPA as well. In this case, if some wireless clients support WPA and some support WPA2, you should set up WPA2-PSK or WPA2 (depending on the type of wireless network login) and select the WPA Compatible option in the PLA450. 60 PLA450 User's Guide