Encrypting your wireless network does two things: it helps prevent leeches (i.e. your neighbors) who would otherwise use your Wi-Fi to access the Internet for free, and it helps prevent intruders from entering your system to track your computer.
Of course, most wireless routers have encryption turned off by default, so whatever choice you make is better than nothing at all. The three main standards for wireless encryption are described below:
WEP
Wired Equivalent Privacy (or Wireless Encryption Protocol) was the original security scheme included in early wireless routers and is also the weakest. With the right software, an attacker can easily break into a WEP-protected network in a matter of minutes using a chained key attack. This is considered an almost outdated technology, so only use WEP if you have older PCs or devices that don’t support the newer types described below.
WPA
Wi-Fi Protected Access was created as a temporary measure to eliminate vulnerabilities in WEP. If you have Windows XP computers on your network, they will need Service Pack 2 to connect to the WPA encrypted network. In particular, the Temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) has been ported to WPA. TKIP uses R64 encryption to protect data.
WPA2 / PSK
Also known as 802.11i or PSK for Pre-Shared Key, WPA2 is the complete form of WPA and is considered the strongest non-proprietary encryption scheme for 802.11x wireless networks. WPA2 implements the mandatory elements of 802.11i. In particular, it introduces a new AES-based algorithm that is considered completely secure and better than TKIP.
For maximum wireless security, select WPA2-Personal with AES or TKIP encryption. In your Linksys or Cisco settings, select WPA2 Personal for the most secure Wi-Fi setup for home use:
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There are reports of cases where some websites are not browsing properly if you are using ASE, so try using TKIP and see if that solves the problem.
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