Dell 2300 Wireless Broadband Router User Manual
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encryption keys are simply a random set of hexadecimal numbers or ASCII characters that you choose. Each Wireless
Broadband Router and every wireless workstation must use the same WEP encryption key to communicate. For more
information on encryption, see the
Wireless Networking Overview - Encryption
section of this User's Guide.
Key Format
It could be in ASCII or hexadecimal format. Hexadecimal digits include the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to
F. For example, the decimal number 15 is represented as F in the hexadecimal numbering system. If you select
ASCII characters format, you can enter any character. ASCII is the acronym for the American Standard Code for
Information Interchange. ASCII is a code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter
assigned a number from 0 to 127. For example, the ASCII code for uppercase M is 77. Most computers use
ASCII codes to represent text, which makes it possible to transfer data from one computer to another.
Key Length
It could be either 40(64)-bit or 104(128)-bit key length. Basically, the larger key length is relatively more secure
for your data. Some wireless network cards are only able to use 40(64)-bit encryption. If all your clients are able
to communicate at 104(128)-bit choose 104(128)-bit. If any client is only able to communicate at 40(64)-bit,
choose 40(64)-bit.
Key
If you choose 40(64)-bit encryption, enter a 5-character (or 10 hexadecimal digits) WEP encryption Key in the
fields provided. For 104(128)-bit encryption, enter a 13-character (or 26 hexadecimal digits) WEP key in the
fields provided. You have the option of entering four different keys to store on the Wireless Broadband Router.
Select only one key out of the four provided in the Default Key applied for encryption drop-down list. For added
security, change your key often. When you change the key on one wireless device, remember that it must be
changed for all wireless devices and access points in the network.
NOTICE: If you are adding the Wireless Broadband Router to an existing network and will be using an existing
encryption key for the wireless clients, contact the person in charge of the network. The same key must be
used when configuring the encryption for the Wireless Broadband Router. The administrator must propagate
any changes to these keys to all access points and wireless clients on a network. Changing the key on just
one access point or wireless client disconnects it from the rest of the network.
WPA
If you wish to enable WPA encryption, select WPA in the Network Authentication list.
WPA is an upgrade to the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) standard for securing your wireless network.
If you would like to secure your wireless network using WPA, you will need the following:
WPA enabled on your Dell TrueMobile 2300 Wireless Broadband Router
WPA support for your wireless clients. If you are using a Dell TrueMobile wireless client, you can check for the
availability of WPA enabled software update for your wireless client at
Enter the fields with the required parameters.
WPA Pre-shared Key
WPA Pre-Shared Key (PSK) is a field where the password is entered. All wireless clients must also use this
password to gain access to the network. Note that the Key format must also match the setting for the wireless
clients.
Key Format
Key Format is a box that lists 2 items: Hexadecimal Digits (numbers 0-9 and letters A-F only) and ASCII
Characters (any letter, number, or symbol). Select the proper format for your key. If your wireless client(s) only
support one of the two formats, be sure to specify the correct one.
WPA Group Rekey Interval