wireless guide vista v1.0 3.5.07

8/7/2019 wireless guide vista v1.0 3.5.07

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TOSHIBALeading Innovation >>>

A Basic Guide to SettingUp Wireless Networks on

Toshiba Notebooks


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Contents

Introduction....................................................................................................................... 4

What is a Wireless Network? ........................................................................................... 4

What do I need to setup a Wireless Network?................................................................... 5

Planning your wireless network ......................................................................................... 6

How to set up a Wireless Network. ................................................................................... 9

Troubleshooting.............................................................................................................. 16

Glossary of Terms .......................................................................................................... 17

Copyright Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd, 2007


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Introduction

Owning a notebook PC has many obvious benefits compared to a desktop PC, but what is the point of

having a mobile PC if you still need to physically connect it to a cable in order to access the internet? The

answer lies in wireless networking. By connecting wirelessly to an access point or router, you can haveaccess to your emails, the internet or other machines on your network where ever you are in your home or

office.

Setting up your wireless connection may seem daunting at first which is why we have created this guide. It

is designed to take a complete beginner through the process including the equipment you will need,

considerations regarding the security of your network and how you actually get the notebook to connect.

There is also a troubleshooting section and a glossary of some of the commonly used terms that you may

come across.

What is a Wireless Network?

A wireless network is two or more devices that are connected using radio communication rather than aphysical wire. There are two different types of wireless network, Infrastructure and Ad Hoc.

InfrastructureAn example of an infrastructure network in a home environment could be as follows:

In the diagram above we have an internet connection which is connected (via cable) to a Wireless Router.

There is a desktop PC connected (via cable) to the router so the desktop also benefits from the internet

connection. The notebook PCs are connected wirelessly via the router so that they can access the internetor the other computers on the network from anywhere within range.

Figure 1 - An example of an infrastructure network


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Ad HocAn Ad Hoc network as the name implies is a temporary network where two or more wireless capable PCs

are connected together without the use of a wireless router:

You can share files or even an internet connection in this way as long as each PC is within range of the

others.

The majority of people would use the Infrastructure method of setting up a wireless network because it offers

more security and is a more permanent form of network. Whilst PCs may come and go, the internetconnection is always there. An Ad Hoc network could be useful when you are visiting a different location

(e.g. a customers site) and you need to transfer files to someone else but without needing access to their

main network.

What do I need to setup a Wireless Network?

1) A notebook that has a wireless LAN card installed.In order to setup a wireless network you will need a notebook that has a wireless LAN card installed. Most

current Toshiba notebooks already have a Wireless LAN card installed but if they dont, it is usually possible

to have one fitted as an optional extra please refer to your models user manual if in doubt.

2) A Wireless Router / Access PointAlthough it is possible to connect two wireless capable PCs together in an ad hoc wireless network, it is

preferable to use a Wireless Router which physically connects to your internet source (e.g. your broadband

connection or ADSL line etc) and then connects wirelessly to the PCs on your network. The type of router

you will need also depends on the type of broadband connection you have some have the modem built in,

others will connect to the modem supplied by your broadband provider.

3) An Internet connectionThis point sounds obvious but is worth clarification. In order to access the internet wirelessly, you need an

internet source. When you are at home, this may take the form of a broadband connection supplied via

your telephone or cable supplier. When you are out and about you may be able to pay to connect to various

hotspots (see glossary for explanation). When you are at work, your company may utilize wireless Access

Points to allow you to connect to their network wirelessly.

When you turn on the wireless switch on your notebook, you may well find other wireless networks around

Figure 2 - An ad hoc (or peer to peer) network


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you but it does not necessarily mean that you can access them. Most people will have implemented

security settings to prevent unknown users from accessing their internet connection after all, you wouldnt

want to pay for strangers to use your own internet connection for free!

Planning your wireless network

When setting up a home wireless network, thankfully you do not have worry about a full site survey and an

in depth plan. However there are a few key considerations that you should be aware of:

Position of Access Point or Wireless RouterBasic physics come into play when trying to transmit and receive radio waves. Radio signals do not pass

through metal barriers, and various other materials (such as bricks and glass) can reduce the range you

would normally expect. The best scenario would be to have line of sight between the Access Point and the

PCs trying to connect to it, however its unlikely that you will be able to achieve this in a typical home

network. Therefore, the best thing would be to place the Access Point as centrally as possible to cover

both upstairs and down stairs and where it will not be hindered by any metallic barriers. The position you

place your Access Point is also often dictated by the location of the broadband or ADSL line and often the

only way to know if you are getting good enough coverage is to walk around with the notebook and findingthe areas where your signal strength drops.

Finally, to try and have some understanding of the coverage an Access Point or Router will give you,

imagine a circle around it. Any where within the circle will get coverage and the closer to the centre of the

circle, the stronger the signal. The picture below illustrates this with a typical ground floor layout in a

house. The circle is actually three dimensional so the upstairs will also get coverage.

Possible sources of interferenceJust as you sometimes get interference on your radio if the weather is bad or if a plane goes over, your

wireless network can also be prone to interference. With your radio you will notice this as a hissing noiseor degradation in the quality of the sound. With your wireless network you may only notice your signal

strength dropping.

Figure 3 - Illustrating wireless coverage in a typical home.


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The key sources of interference on a wireless network are other devices that use the same radio frequency.

The majority of home wireless networks use the 2.4GHz frequency which also happens to be used by

Bluetooth devices, Microwave ovens and some cordless phones. The best way to avoid interference from

these devices is to try and ensure that they are not close to your Access Point or wireless PCs, or to avoid

using them at the same time as trying to access your wireless network.

Different versions of the wireless networking standardWireless products have to comply with an industry standard and that standard is known as the IEEE

802.11 standard. However, there are different parts to this standard and not all devices are therefore

compatible with each other. The main standards you will come across when buying Access Points,

routers or wireless network cards are 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11a (with 802.11n due shortly).

802.11b this was the first standard to be used in mainstream wireless networks. It is limited to 11Mbits/

sec.

802.11g this was the next step in improving the above mentioned 802.11b standard. It gives you greater

speeds (up to 54Mbit/sec) and it is backwards compatible with 802.11b as they both use the 2.4GHz

frequency.

802.11a this standard was introduced to give both greater speeds (up to 54Mbit/sec) and to reduce the

amount of possible interference because it uses the 5GHz frequency. It is not compatible with 802.11b or

g unless you have a multi node device (i.e. can support both 802.11b/g and 802.11a).

Speed and Range you can expectThe speed and range you can expect from your wireless network is subject to physical barriers and

sources of interference as mentioned above, but the following charts give a rough guideline:

802.11b

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

11Mbit 5.5Mbit 2Mbit 1Mbit

Data Rate (mega bits per second)

Approx

imateRange(metres)

802.11b


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As you can see, all of the 802.11 standards will operate at lower speeds if they need to. If it is detected

that information is not being received correctly at the current speed, it will automatically drop down to the

next speed. If then the situation improves, it will automatically step up to the next speed. Generallyspeaking, the lower the data rate, the further the range so you can imagine that when you are near to the

edge of the circle in Figure 3, you will be achieving the lowest data rates.

802.11g

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

54Mbit

48Mbit

36Mbit

24Mbit

18Mbit

12Mbit

11Mbit

9Mbit

6Mbit

5.5M

bit

2Mbit

1Mbit


ApproximateRange(metres)

802.11g

802.11a

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

54Mbit 48Mbit 36Mbit 24Mbit 18Mbit 12Mbit 9Mbit 6Mbit


Appr

oximateRange(metres)

802.11a


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How to set up a Wireless Network.This document can not cover exact instructions on how to setup different types of Access Points or

Routers, but there are some commonalities that need to be explained. Please use this information in

conjunction with any instructions that come with your Access Point or Router.

Step 1 Connect the Access Point or Router to the broadband connection.

Step 2 Turn on the Access Point or Router (they usually take a minute to boot

up)

Step 3 Turn on Wireless Communications on the NotebookIt is a requirement that all wireless communications can be physically switched off on the notebook as there

may be times when you are not permitted to use it (for example in hospitals or on a plane). Therefore, all

Toshiba wireless capable machines will have a physical on/off switch. The location of the switch will vary from

model to model and this will be detailed in your user manual. When the switch is in the on position you

should also notice the wireless LED is lit.

Another way of turning on or off your Wireless LAN card may be by using the F8 hotkey. Firstly ensure thatthe wireless communication switch mentioned above is in the On position, then keep the FN key held and

press the F8 key. You will then see something like the following icon appear on the screen

Figure 4 - Enabling/Disabling the wireless feature by using the F8 Hotkey

Keep the FN key held down all the time whilst using the F8 key to toggle between the different options.

Ensure that you select either WiFi only or Bluetooth and WiFi (if Bluetooth is available and you intend touse your Bluetooth connection at the same time). Notice that you can also disable all devices by using

this hotkey this has the same effect of physically switching off the switch.


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Step 4 Check you can see your wireless Access Point or RouterAt this stage anyone within range can access your wireless router because there is no security set up yet.

All wireless networks need a Network name (sometimes also referred to as the SSID). The network name

must match on all devices connecting to it and it is case sensitive. Most Access Points or Routers will

have a standard network name set as part of their factory defaults e.g. WLAN, netgear or linksys. By

default the network name will also be broadcasted. This means that if you are in range of an Access Point

or Router and you simply turn on the wireless communications on your notebook, you will be able to see

the network name of that Access Point or router.

To find and connect to your Access Point or Router:-

On your task bar you will see the wireless LAN icon (circled in picture below).

If you hover the mouse over the above icon, a balloon should appear to say that there are wireless

networks detected.


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If you right click on the wireless network icon, you will see the following menu:

Select Connect to a network and the following window should appear:

You should be able to see your wireless Access Point (ours is called WLAN). There may also be

other Access Points near you that are also shown on the list.

Left click on your particular Access Point name and then click the Connect button in the righthand corner. This will bring up a warning to say your network is an unsecured network. Click on

the Connect Anyway button wait for the successfully connected window to appear. Clickclose.


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If your network has an available internet connection you should be able to now connect to the

internet wirelessly. However, at this point you have no security on your wireless network and other

people nearby will also be able to connect to your Access Point or Router without you even

knowing!

Step 5 Change the Network name or SSID

If you do not want people to be able to find your wireless network easily you should a) change the networkname to something known only to those that should have access and b) switch off the feature that

broadcasts the network name. In order to find out how to do this, you will again need to refer to the user

manual for your Access Point or Router.

Remember: Network names are case sensitive.

Once you have changed the network name and turned off the broadcasting, you will loose access to the

Access Point or Router.

Step 6 Change the settings on the notebook to reflect the new Network Name

In order to change the settings on your notebook:

Right click once again on the wireless network icon on your task bar and select Connect to a

Network.

Click on the Setup a connection or network link.

When the Choose a Connection option window opens, click on the Manually connect to a

wireless network option and click Next.


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At the next window, type the new network name in the network name box remember to type itexactly as you entered it on the Access Point itself (it is case sensitive).

For the moment, under the security type drop down box, select No authentication (open).

Check the box that says Connect even if the network is not broadcastingand then click Next.

At the Successfully added [network name]window, click on the Connect to link.

Select the newly named network that you have just created and click Connect.

At the Successfully connected to [network name]window, click Close.

For the moment, at the select a location for the [network name]window, click cancel. (You may

want to change this setting at a later date as it will alter your firewall settings. This can be

changed from within the Network and Sharing Centre.)


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Step 7 Add SecurityAt the moment, your network is hidden but there is no other security. Wireless networks use encryption

keys which have to be entered on each PC that wants to connect to your network. Using encryption is

highly recommended as it means that anyone listening in on your wireless connection will not be able to

make sense of your data without the key to decrypt the encrypted information in other words they will

only be able to hear gobbledegook.

There are different types of encryption available to use:

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) Is widely used by 802.11 devices on the market. Whilst this

document does not recommend using WEP for securing wireless networks, some older devices will only

support WEP. Therefore, WEP and how to set it up is explained here. For new devices, please refer to

the WPA section overleaf. If using WEP, you can use either 64btis or 128bits depending on what your

device can support (older devices may only be able to support up to 64bit encryption and therefore, all

devices on your network must use 64bit). The number of bits relate to the length of the key that can be

used, in other words, 128bit encryption keys are longer and are therefore more secure.

WEP keys can be either ASCII (characters, letters and numbers) or Hexadecimal (hexadecimal is a

numbering system which uses the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F). Again, some devices will

support both ASCII and Hexadecimal or only one or the other please refer to the documentation that

came with your device. If you wish to use 64bit WEP, you can use a 5 character long ASCII key or a 10

character long Hexadecimal key. E.g. your ASCII key could be something like Tiger whereas your

Hexadecimal key could be something like 5A78FC240C

If you wish to use 128bit WEP, you can use a 13 character ASCII key or a 26 character long Hexadecimal

key. E.g. your ASCII key could now be something like Elephant95860 whereas your Hexadecimal key

could be something like 145AC45FF456D5430BD954BAC7


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When using ASCII WEP keys, you must remember that once again they are case sensitive. Any device

which has the wrong WEP key will not be able to access the Wireless network

Some devices will allow you to use a pass phrase. This means that you can enter a string of text of any

length, and the device will then convert this text into a hexadecimal key. If both devices support pass

phrases then all you need to do is enter the same pass phrase in both. If however one device does not

support pass phrases, then you will need to take a note of the hexadecimal key generated (it is usually

displayed) and enter that into the other device.

Open or Shared WEP?

The other setting you will find when setting up WEP is whether to use Open or Shared keys. It is the

recommendation of this article to only ever use Open encryption as this is the more secure. (See glossary

for a description of both Open and Shared encryption)

WPA WiFi Protected Access

WPA and WPA2 are todays preferred method of encryption as they are more secure than the older WEP

system (WPA2 is the latest and most secure type of encryption and should be used if all the devices on

the wireless network support it). In the majority of home environments you will need to use WPA-PSK or

WPA2-PSK (Pre-Shared Key). This means that all users of the wireless network will use the same passphrase in a similar way to WEP as mentioned above. However, the use of long and complicated pass

phrases together with the way information is encrypted makes WPA much more secure than WEP.

TKIP and AES

When using WPA or WPA2 you will have a choice of two different Data encryption types: TKIP and AES.

AES is a much stronger form of encryption but in order to use it all devices on the wireless network must

support it. Therefore, if you have older devices that dont support AES you will have to use TKIP.

To Set Up Encryption:-

Access the configuration setup page of your Access Point or Router in accordance with the user

documentation that came with it.

Depending on what your device supports, enter a WEP, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK key or pass

phrase ensure that you have a note of this key.

Once saved and the Access Point or Router has rebooted, you will again loose access to it.

Now on your notebook you need to add the same key or pass phrase.

Right click on the wireless network icon on the task bar and select Connect to a Network.

Select your network from the list and right click on it.

From the menu click on Properties.

Select the correct type of security from the Security Type drop down menu (e.g. WPA-Personal for

WPA-PSK networks or leave it as No authentication (open) for WEP networks).

Select the correct type of encryption from the Encryption type drop down box (e.g. TKIP or AES for

WPA networks, or WEP).

Enter the encryption key in the network security box. Ensure you enter it correctly - it is case

sensitive.

Click OK.

At the select a network to connect to window, click on your network name and click connect.

Click close at the successfully connected to [network name]window.


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Once you entered the correct settings, you should once again be able to access your wireless

network.

Troubleshooting

The following are some basic considerations to help trouble shoot some of the more common mistakeswhen setting up a wireless network:-

Issue

I receive the message Windows cannot find

any networks

I receive the message connection

unsuccessful

I receive the message Windows cannot

connect to [Network Name].

Im successfully connected to my wireless

network but I can not get on the internet.

The signal strength of my router or access

point is low.

Things to try/check

Check the wireless switch is on.

Check FN F8 shows the wireless as being on.

Check the encryption key is correct.

If you still cant connect, try resetting the factory

defaults on your access point or router in accordance

with the instruction supplied with your device.

Check the access point or router is switched on.

In order to check if the problem lies with your ISP

(Internet Service Provider), connect the notebook

directly to the Access Point or Router via a cable.

a) If you are not able to connect to the internet via

cable, please contact your ISP for further advice.

b) If you are able to connect to the internet via cable:-

Your anti virus software could be causing the issue.

Temporarily disable the anti virus software to see if thisresolves the issue. If it does, reconfigure your anti

virus software.

If the step above does not resolve the issue, try

resetting the factory defaults on your Access Point or

Router in accordance with the instructions supplied

with your device.

Check how the signal is affected when you move

around the building and if necessary, try to relocate

the Access Point to a more central place.

Check to see if any other devices are causing

interference such as microwave ovens or cordlessphones and if necessary, relocate the Access Point to

minimise the effect.


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Glossary of Terms

2.4GHz The frequency that is used by 802.11b and g devices. The 2.4GHz

frequency is free to use (i.e. does not require a license) and is therefore

widely used by devices that use radio transmission.

5GHz The frequency that is used by 802.11a devices.

64bit /128bit WEP The two different strengths of encryption that is supported when using

WEP.

802.11 A set of specifications developed by the IEEE for wireless LAN technology.

There are several extensions to this standard but the most commonly used

are 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11a.

Access Point Also known as AP. A hardware device that allows users to connect to awired network using radio signals (wirelessly).

Ad Hoc A wireless network where devices communicate directly with each other

without the use of an access point. Also known as peer-to-peer mode.

ADSL Short for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. ADSL allows more data to

be sent over existing copper telephone lines by using a special ADSL

modem.

AES Short for Advanced Encryption Standard. AES is an encryption technique

adopted by the US government and is stronger than the other forms of

encryption currently used by wireless devices.

ASCII (pronounced As-key). Stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange and is a

code to turn keyboard characters into 0s and 1s . For example, the letter

F would become 01000110. Using ASCII characters in the context of a

WEP encryption key means you can use characters, letters and numbers

in your encryption key.

Bluetooth An industryl specification for wireless Personal Area Networks. Bluetooth

allows devices such as mobile phones, headsets, notebooks and printers

to communicate wirelessly. Bluetooth also uses the 2.4GHz frequency

which can cause issues of interference on an 802.11b or g network when

there are lots of Bluetooth devices in the same vicinity.

Broadband A general term describing the ability to send multiple pieces of data

simultaneously. ADSL is a form of broadband because you can send more

data simultaneously compared to an ordinary phone line. However, fibre

optic cable may be used by some providers which can achieve even greater

data rates then ADSL and is therefore also referred to as Broadband. In

consumer terms, broadband usually refers to an always on internet

connection as opposed to a dial-up connection making use of the normal

phone line.

Case Sensitive Making use of the differentiation of upper case and lower case characters.

In other words, PASSWORD is completely different to password or even

Password.

If you are still having problems after checking the aforementioned, please contact The TechGuys for further

diagnosis and help.


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Encryption key The password needed to decipher encrypted data. On secure wireless

networks, the encryption key needs to be entered correctly on all devices

wishing to connect. Wireless networks that make use of an encryption

key are referred to as Secure networks as opposed those without which

are referred to as unsecured networks.

Hexadecimal A numbering system which uses base16 (as opposed to decimal which usesbase

10). Therefore, hexadecimal will use the numbers 0-9 and the letters A-

F where A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14 and F=15. Some wireless

devices need to use hexadecimal encryption keys.

Hotspot A wireless network that is available to the public for a charge. Hotspots

tend to be available in places such as internet cafes, hotels and motorway

service stations. There are different charges levied and different methods of

taking payment depending on who is running the hotspot.

IEEE Abbreviation for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (known

as the I triple E). This organisation is responsible for developing the 802.11

standard used for wireless networking.

Infrastructure The term referring to wireless networks that utilise access points or

wireless routers, as opposed to ad-hoc or peer to peer networks (see Ad-

Hoc).

LAN Abbreviation for Local Area Network. LAN normally refers to connecting to

your network via an Ethernet cable, as opposed to wirelessly which is

usually referred to as Wireless LAN.

MBits/Sec, Mbits/Sec Refers to how many million of bytes or bits of data are sent per second

depending on whether a capital B is used or a lower case b. If the B is

capital, this refers to bytes. There are 8 bits in a byte (e.g. 011011101 is

one byte). If the b is lower case, this refers to how many million of bits are

sent per second.

Modem An acronym for MOdulator-DEModulator. A modem is a device that allows

a computer to transmit and receive data over a telephone line. Modem is a

general term although it can refer to both slow speed analogue modems

that make use of a standard telephone line as well as high speed devices

that make use of high speed cable or DSL lines.

Network Name The name assigned to a Wireless network. Also referred to as the SSID

(see SSID). All devices must use the same network name to be able to

communicate. Network names are a string of text which is case sensitive

and are usually broadcast when the access point or router is switched on.It is normally possible to change the network name from its factory default

and to stop it from being broadcast so that strangers cannot easily find

your wireless network.

Open WEP Open WEP allows any device to authenticate with the Access Point. In

other words, the notebook sends the authentication request to the Access

Point, the Access Point accepts the request and then the notebook can

connect. This is more secure than Shared WEP because it avoids the

exchange of clear text between the two devices which can easily be picked

up by intruders trying to hack your network. (see also Shared WEP)

Pass phrase A string of text used as the encryption key for wireless networks. Pass


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phrases need to be entered identically on all devices wishing to connect to

the wireless network.

Peer-to-peer See Ad Hoc

PSK An acronym for Pre Shared Key. This means that the pass phrase or

encryption key is manually entered onto each device that wishes to usethe wireless network as opposed to being generated automatically by a

server.

Router A device that provides Internet connection sharing for stations (PCs) on a

local area network. Most routers have basic firewall features to permit

outgoing traffic but block incoming connections. Some broadband routers

have a built-in cable or DSL modem; others have a WAN Ethernet port

that you connect to your cable or DSL modem. A wireless router combines

both broadband router and wireless AP features inside one box.

Shared WEP Shared WEP works by using a piece of challenge text that the Access

Point sends to the notebook that is trying to connect. The notebook then

encrypts that text and sends it back to the Access Point. The Access

Point decrypts the text and if it is correct, allows the notebook to be

authenticated on the network. Whilst this may seem more secure, the

main problem is that the challenge text is sent in clear text (i.e.

unencrypted). So anyone listening in on the network could pick up the

clear text then pick up the encrypted version of that clear text. This gives

hackers a head start in trying to decipher an encryption key.

SSID An acronym for Services Set IDentifier. See also, Network Name.

TKIP An acronym for Temporal Key Integrity Protocol. TKIP was designed to

work with the newer WPA encryption whilst allowing you to continue using

older equipment. TKIP ensures that every data packet is sent with its ownunique encryption key thus offering greater security then WEP.

WEP An acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy. WEP is a security protocol

defined by the IEEE for 802.11 networks. The original specification for

WEP was for 64bit encryption (40 bits for the encryption key plus an extra

24 bits needed to perform the encryption). This was later increased to

128bit encryption (104bits for the key plus the same 24 bits for the

encryption).

WiFi Short for Wireless Fidelity. WiFi was the brand name originally licensed by

the WiFi Alliance for devices that complied with the 802.11 standard.

WPA Stands for WiFi Protected Access. WPA is based on the IEEE 802.11i

standard and was brought about to overcome the security weaknesses

found in WEP. WPA was designed as an interim measure until the 802.11i

standard could be fully implemented (known as WPA2)

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wireless guide vista v1.0 3.5.07