WEP (Wired Equivalency Protocol)
Network security is extremely important, especially for applications or programs that keep your valuable information. WEP encrypts the data on your network so that only the intended recipient is able to access it. 64-bit and 128-bit encryptions are two levels of WEP security. WEP encodes your data using an encryption "key" before sending it out into the air. The longer the key is, the stronger the encryption will be. Any receiving device must know the same key to decrypt the data. Keys are entered as strings of 10 or 26 hexadecimal digits. To simplify creating and entering the keys, Linksys products include a "Passphrase" feature. An easy-to-remember word or phrase is entered, and an algorithm generates the hexadecimal digit keys for you. Linksys products include a Setup Wizard CD which will guide you step-by-step through the process of setting up your network security.
Enabling 128-bit WEP encryption will keep the casual hacker from accessing your files or using your high-speed Internet. However since the security key is static, or does not change, it is still possible for a motivated intruder to break into your network with enough time and effort. Thus, it is a good idea to frequently change the WEP key. Despite this limitation, WEP is better than having no security at all and should be enabled as a minimum level of security.