36

Security settings

SSID

Before the wireless network components can communicate with each other, you must

use the same

SSID

(Service Set Identifier).

The default SSID for the Gigaset SE551 WLAN dsl/cable is

ConnectionPoint

. For security

reasons you should change this SSID and deactivate SSID broadcast.

If this option is enabled, the Gigaset SE551 WLAN dsl/cable will send the SSID in all data

transmissions, and your Gigaset SE551 WLAN dsl/cable's SSID will be displayed on PCs

that have a wireless network adapter. In this case unauthorised persons could use the

SSID to gain access to your network.

ì

Enter a character string of your choice in the

SSID

field. The SSID is case sensitive.

It can be up to 32 alphanumerical characters long.

Make a note of the SSID. You will need this to register your PC.

By default

SSID broadcast

is inactive. For security reasons you should not change this

preconfiguration.

ì

Click on

Next >

to proceed to the next step.

Please remember:

The connection to the wireless network adapters will be broken until the new SSID

has been entered in them as well.

37

Security settings

Setting security functions for the wireless network

In the next step you can set the encryption and authentication methods for your wire-

less network.

Wireless networks are even more strongly exposed to the risk of eavesdropping than

wired networks. With conventional network adapters an intruder only needs a device

with a WLAN adapter (e.g. a Notebook or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)) with an

appropriately configured network card in order to eavesdrop on every communication

made via a nearby wireless LAN.

The Gigaset SE551 WLAN dsl/cable makes use of effective encryption methods to pre-

vent unauthorised eavesdropping as far as possible.

You can use the following security mechanisms:

u

WPA2-PSK or WPA2-PSK / WPA-PSK (see below)

u

WEP encryption (Wired Equivalent Privacy, see page 39)

We recommend using WPA2-PSK if it is supported by all components in your wireless

network.

You will find further options for setting data encryption and authentication in the

Advanced Settings menu (see page 74).

38

Security settings

WPA2 / WPA with Pre-shared key (PSK)

WPA

is a more advanced procedure than WEP for protecting wireless networks. Dynamic

keys based on TKIP (Temporal Key Integration Protocol) offer increased security. The

new standard WPA2 uses AES for the encryption.

WPA-PSK

is a special WPA mode for users at home and in small companies without a

company authentication server. Encryption keys are automatically generated with the

Pre-shared key, automatically changed ( "rekeying") and authenticated between the

devices after a certain period of time (

Rekey Interval

).

ì

Select the option

WPA2

-

PSK

if it is supported by all components in your wireless

network.

or

ì

Select the option

WPA2

-

PSK / WPA-PSK

if some or all components in your wireless

network support WPA with the TKIP protocol.

ì

Enter a key of your choice in the

Pre-shared key

field (min. 8 to max. 63 characters)

and confirm it by repeating the entry.

You must also set the same Pre-shared key for all wirelessly connected PCs.

ì

To go to the next step, click on

Next >

.

Please remember:

Every PC (network adapter) that requires access to a wireless network protected by

WPA must also support WPA. To find out whether and how you can use WPA on your

PC, read your network adapter's operating instructions.

39

Security settings

WEP encryption

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is an encryption procedure for radio signals in wireless

networks and meets the standard IEEE 802.11.

If you transmit data wirelessly and not all components in your wireless network support

the higher security standard WPA (see page 38), we recommend that you activate

WEP

-

Encryption

on these network components.

You can choose either the standard 64-bit key or the more robust 128-bit key for encryp-

tion. The keys are generated in hexadecimal or in ASCII format. You must use the same

keys for encryption and decryption for the Gigaset SE551 WLAN dsl/cable and all your

wireless network adapters.

ì

Select the

Key length

: 64 bit or 128 bit.

ì

Select the

Input type

, i.e. whether you wish to enter the key manually or have it

generated automatically by means of a

Passphrase

.

40

Security settings

Manual key entry

ì

Select the

Key type

,

Hex

or

ASCII

.

.

If you select

Hex

you can use the characters

0

to

9

and

A

to

F

.

–

With a 64-bit encryption depth the key is exactly 10 characters long.

An example of a valid key: 1234567ABC

–

With a 128-bit encryption depth the key is exactly 26 characters long.

An example of a valid key: 234567ABC8912345DEF1234567

If you select

ASCII

you can use the characters

0

to

9

,

A

to

Z

and

a

to

z

plus the special

characters in the ASCII character set.

–

With a 64-bit encryption depth the key is exactly 5 characters long.

An example of a valid key: GIGA1

–

With a 128-bit encryption depth the key is exactly 13 characters long.

An example of a valid key: GIGASET_SE551

ì

Confirm the key by entering it again in the

Confirm key

field.

Generating the key by means of a Passphrase

ì

Enter a

Passphrase

(up to 32 characters) and confirm it by entering it again. The key

is generated automatically.

Please remember:

u

It is very

important

that you make a note of the key or passphrase. You will

need this information to configure the wireless network adapters properly.

u

When you have concluded the Security Setup Wizard you must change the

WEP encryption on the wireless network adapters for the connected PCs in the

same way as they will not otherwise be given access to the Gigaset SE551

WLAN dsl/cable's wireless network.