NETGEAR WPN824 Router Manual PDF (Setup & Configuration Guide)

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Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

D-6

Wireless Networking Basics

202-10072-01, March 2005

Key Size

The IEEE 802.11 standard supports two types of WEP encryption: 40-bit and 128-bit.

The 64-bit WEP data encryption method allows for a five-character (40-bit) input. Additionally, 24

factory-set bits are added to the forty-bit input to generate a 64-bit encryption key. The 24

factory-set bits are not user-configurable). This encryption key will be used to encrypt/decrypt all

data transmitted via the wireless interface. Some vendors refer to the 64-bit WEP data encryption

as 40-bit WEP data encryption since the user-configurable portion of the encryption key is 40 bits

wide.

The 128-bit WEP data encryption method consists of 104 user-configurable bits. Similar to the

forty-bit WEP data encryption method, the remaining 24 bits are factory set and not user

configurable. Some vendors allow passphrases to be entered instead of the cryptic hexadecimal

characters to ease encryption key entry.

128-bit encryption is stronger than 40-bit encryption, but 128-bit encryption may not be available

outside of the United States due to U.S. export regulations.

When configured for 40-bit encryption, 802.11 products typically support up to four WEP Keys.

Each 40-bit WEP Key is expressed as 5 sets of two hexadecimal digits (0-9 and A-F). For

example, “12 34 56 78 90” is a 40-bit WEP Key.

When configured for 128-bit encryption, 802.11 products typically support four WEP Keys but

some manufacturers support only one 128-bit key. The 128-bit WEP Key is expressed as 13 sets of

two hexadecimal digits (0-9 and A-F). For example, “12 34 56 78 90 AB CD EF 12 34 56 78 90”

is a 128-bit WEP Key.

Table D-3:

Encryption Key Sizes

Note:

Typically, 802.11 access points can store up to four 128-bit WEP Keys but some 802.11

client adapters can only store one. Therefore, make sure that your 802.11 access and client

adapters’ configurations match.

Encryption Key Size

# of Hexadecimal Digits

Example of Hexadecimal Key Content

64-bit (24+40)

4C72F08AE1

128-bit (24+104)

4C72F08AE19D57A3FF6B260037

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Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

Wireless Networking Basics

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WEP Configuration Options

The WEP settings must match on all 802.11 devices that are within the same wireless network as

identified by the SSID. In general, if your mobile clients will roam between access points, then all

of the 802.11 access points and all of the 802.11 client adapters on the network must have the same

WEP settings.

Note:

Whatever keys you enter for an AP, you must also enter the same keys for the client adapter

in the same order. In other words, WEP key 1 on the AP must match WEP key 1 on the client

adapter, WEP key 2 on the AP must match WEP key 2 on the client adapter, and so on.

Note:

The AP and the client adapters can have different default WEP Keys as long as the keys are

in the same order. In other words, the AP can use WEP key 2 as its default key to transmit while a

client adapter can use WEP key 3 as its default key to transmit. The two devices will communicate

as long as the AP’s WEP key 2 is the same as the client’s WEP key 2 and the AP’s WEP key 3 is

the same as the client’s WEP key 3.

Wireless Channels

The wireless frequencies used by 802.11b/g networks are discussed below.

IEEE 802.11b/g wireless nodes communicate with each other using radio frequency signals in the

ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) band between 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz. Neighboring

channels are 5 MHz apart. However, due to spread spectrum effect of the signals, a node sending

signals using a particular channel will utilize frequency spectrum 12.5 MHz above and below the

center channel frequency. As a result, two separate wireless networks using neighboring channels

(for example, channel 1 and channel 2) in the same general vicinity will interfere with each other.

Applying two channels that allow the maximum channel separation will decrease the amount of

channel cross-talk, and provide a noticeable performance increase over networks with minimal

channel separation.

The radio frequency channels used in 802.11b/g networks are listed in

Table D-4

Table D-4:

802.11b/g Radio Frequency Channels

Channel

Center Frequency

Frequency Spread

2412 MHz

2399.5 MHz - 2424.5 MHz

2417 MHz

2404.5 MHz - 2429.5 MHz

2422 MHz

2409.5 MHz - 2434.5 MHz

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Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

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Wireless Networking Basics

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Note:

The available channels supported by the wireless products in various countries are different.

For example, Channels 1 to 11 are supported in the U.S. and Canada, and Channels 1 to 13 are

supported in Europe and Australia.

The preferred channel separation between the channels in neighboring wireless networks is 25

MHz (5 channels). This means that you can apply up to three different channels within your

wireless network. There are only 11 usable wireless channels in the United States. It is

recommended that you start using channel 1 and grow to use channel 6, and 11 when necessary, as

these three channels do not overlap.

WPA and WPA2 Wireless Security

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) is a specification of standards-based, interoperable

security enhancements that increase the level of data protection and access control for existing and

future wireless LAN systems.

The IEEE introduced the WEP as an optional security measure to secure 802.11b (Wi-Fi) WLANs,

but inherent weaknesses in the standard soon became obvious. In response to this situation, the

Wi-Fi Alliance announced a new security architecture in October 2002 that remedies the

shortcomings of WEP. This standard, formerly known as Safe Secure Network (SSN), is designed

to work with existing 802.11 products and offers forward compatibility with 802.11i, the new

wireless security architecture that has been defined by the IEEE.

2427 MHz

2414.5 MHz - 2439.5 MHz

2432 MHz

2419.5 MHz - 2444.5 MHz

2437 MHz

2424.5 MHz - 2449.5 MHz

2442 MHz

2429.5 MHz - 2454.5 MHz

2447 MHz

2434.5 MHz - 2459.5 MHz

2452 MHz

2439.5 MHz - 2464.5 MHz

2457 MHz

2444.5 MHz - 2469.5 MHz

2462 MHz

2449.5 MHz - 2474.5 MHz

2467 MHz

2454.5 MHz - 2479.5 MHz

2472 MHz

2459.5 MHz - 2484.5 MHz

Table D-4:

802.11b/g Radio Frequency Channels

Channel

Center Frequency

Frequency Spread

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Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

Wireless Networking Basics

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202-10072-01, March 2005

WPA and WPA2 offer the following benefits:

•

Enhanced data privacy

•

Robust key management

•

Data origin authentication

•

Data integrity protection

The Wi-Fi Alliance is now performing interoperability certification testing on Wi-Fi Protected

Access products. Starting August of 2003, all new Wi-Fi certified products have to support WPA.

NETGEAR is implementing WPA and WPA2 on client and access point products. The 802.11i

standard was ratified in 2004.

How Does WPA Compare to WEP?

WEP is a data encryption method and is not intended as a user authentication mechanism. WPA

user authentication is implemented using 802.1x and the Extensible Authentication Protocol

(EAP). Support for 802.1x authentication is required in WPA. In the 802.11 standard, 802.1x

authentication was optional. For details on EAP specifically, refer to IETF's RFC 2284.

With 802.11 WEP, all access points and client wireless adapters on a particular wireless LAN must

use the same encryption key. A major problem with the 802.11 standard is that the keys are

cumbersome to change. If you do not update the WEP keys often, an unauthorized person with a

sniffing tool can monitor your network for less than a day and decode the encrypted messages.

Products based on the 802.11 standard alone offer system administrators no effective method to

update the keys.

For 802.11, WEP encryption is optional. For WPA, encryption using Temporal Key Integrity

Protocol (TKIP) is required. TKIP replaces WEP with a new encryption algorithm that is stronger

than the WEP algorithm, but that uses the calculation facilities present on existing wireless devices

to perform encryption operations. TKIP provides important data encryption enhancements

including a per-packet key mixing function, a message integrity check (MIC) named Michael, an

extended initialization vector (IV) with sequencing rules, and a re-keying mechanism. Through

these enhancements, TKIP addresses all of known WEP vulnerabilities.

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Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

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Wireless Networking Basics

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How Does WPA Compare to WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i)?

WPA is forward compatible with the WPA2 security specification. WPA is a subset of WPA2 and

used certain pieces of the early 802.11i draft, such as 802.1x and TKIP. The main pieces of WPA2

that are not included in WPA are secure IBSS (Ad-Hoc mode), secure fast handoff (for specialized

802.11 VoIP phones), as well as enhanced encryption protocols, such as AES-CCMP. These

features were either not yet ready for market or required hardware upgrades to implement.

What are the Key Features of WPA and WPA2 Security?

The following security features are included in the WPA and WPA2 standard:

•

WPA and WPA2 Authentication

•

WPA and WPA2 Encryption Key Management

–

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)

–

Michael message integrity code (MIC)

–

AES support (WPA2, requires hardware support)

•

Support for a mixture of WPA, WPA2, and WEP wireless clients to allow a migration strategy,

but mixing WEP and WPA/WPA2 is discouraged

These features are discussed below.

WPA/WPA2 addresses most of the known WEP vulnerabilities and is primarily intended for

wireless infrastructure networks as found in the enterprise. This infrastructure includes stations,

access points, and authentication servers (typically RADIUS servers). The RADIUS server holds

(or has access to) user credentials (for example, user names and passwords) and authenticates

wireless users before they gain access to the network.

The strength of WPA/WPA2 comes from an integrated sequence of operations that encompass

802.1X/EAP authentication and sophisticated key management and encryption techniques. Its

major operations include:

•

Network security capability determination. This occurs at the 802.11 level and is

communicated through WPA information elements in Beacon, Probe Response, and (Re)

Association Requests. Information in these elements includes the authentication method

(802.1X or Pre-shared key) and the preferred cipher suite (WEP, TKIP, or AES).

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