HP LaserJet 1320nw Wireless - Manual (Page 57)

ENWW Glossary 55
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WEP: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) provides security by encrypting data sent over radio waves
from one wireless device to another wireless device. WEP encodes the data sent across the
network making the data unintelligible to unauthorized users. Only devices that share the same
WEP settings as the printer will be able to communicate with the printer. WEP depends on
encryption keys that are static and provides less security than WPA (TKIP).
WEP key: A WEP key, or encryption key, is a sequence of alphanumeric characters or
hexadecimal digits. After creating a WEP key, you must remember it or store it in a secure location.
You may not be able to retrieve the WEP key if you lose it. A WEP key is either 64 or 128 bits long.
The first 24 bits of the key are provided automatically. When creating the WEP key, the person
creating the key provides the remaining bits (40 bits in the case of a 64-bit key, or 104 bits in the
case of a 128-bit key).
Wireless Access Point (WAP): A Wireless Access Point (WAP) is a device through which
devices (for example, computers and printers) on an infrastructure wireless network communicate
with one another. A WAP is also called a base station.
Wireless profile: A wireless profile is a collection of wireless network settings that applies to a
particular wireless network. For example, a wireless LAN card can have one profile for a home
network and another profile for an office network. When installing a device on a network, be sure
to select the appropriate profile.
WiFi ( Wireless Fidelity): A term used generically when referring to any type of 802.11 network,
whether 802.11b/g, 802.11a, dual-band, or other. Any products tested and approved as “Wi-Fi
Certified” are certified as interoperable with each other, even if they are from different
manufacturers. Typically, however, any Wi-Fi product using the same radio frequency (2.4GHz for
802.11b or 11g; 5GHz for 802.11a) will work with any other Wi-Fi product, even if not Wi-Fi
Certified.
Wireless network adapter: Each node (computer or device) on the WLAN uses a wireless
network adapter into which a wireless transceiver, with a small, integrated antenna, is built.
Wireless network adapters might be internal (inserted in a computer or device), external (housed
in a separate case), or built-in.
Common adapters include the following:
● USB adapter: An external device that connects to a USB port on the computer (typically has a
PCMCIA card attached to one end).
● Notebook adapter: A PCMCIA card that plugs directly into one of the PCMCIA slots on your
laptop or other portable computer.
● Desktop computer adapter: A dedicated ISA or PCI card, or a PCMCIA card with a special
adapter, that plugs into your desktop computer.
● AirPort adapter: A wireless card that plugs directly into the AirPort slot on your Macintosh
laptop or desktop computer. AirPort adapters eliminate the need for cable connections to the
computer.
WPA: WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) provides security by encrypting data sent over radio waves
from one wireless device to another wireless device and by controlling access to network
resources through authentication protocols. Only devices that share the same WPA settings as the
printer will be able to communicate with the printer. WPA uses encryption keys that change
frequently. WPA provides better security than WEP. WPA is also called TKIP.