What level of wifi security can the PPC handle?

[Canuck]

I have recently set up my home 802.11G network, basically to use with my dell x50v running wm5.0. I set up a MAC address filter, but for additional security it offers me WEP, WPA or WPA-PSK. Not knowing what any of that means, what should I set it to and are there corresponding settings on the PPC?

Thanks!

[Nurhisham Hussein]

You've actually put them in the correct order, but essentially those acronyms have to do with encrypting the traffic between any device and your network, not just access to the network (as in your MAC filter). WEP is the weakest, WPA is a step up, and WPA-PSK is a variant (i think). The main difference is the length of the key - think of it as a password to enter your network. the longer the key, the more secure the network will be.

From your point of view, let's say for example a WEP encrypted network, you just define a short key in the router. Now, anybody who wants to connect to your network needs to input that key or they'll be kicked off. For your PPC, once you fire up wifi and your Dell detects the network, you'll be prompted for the key. Input the key, and that's it - the Dell (or any other PDA) will keep your network settings, and will automatically subsequently connect without any further intervention.

[i_spock]

If you choose "plain" WPA you will need to run an authentication server on your network. When you connect to the network, the AP will query the server and authenticate you against the database there. In WPA-PSK the PSK means "pre-shared key"- you define a password on the AP which you will need to enter on your device when you connect to the network. You'll have the option of saving this password on your device or entering in the password each time you connect.

WPA-PSK can actually be weaker than 128-bit WEP if the key length you use is too short. I think the recommendation is to use at least a 14 character passphrase. It is also a good idea to change the pre-shared key from time to time.

You can also enable mac filtering on your AP to further lock it down. You tell your AP the MAC addresses of the devices that you want to be able to connect to your network. It's a little more work but I personally think it's worth it.

Good luck, and let us know if you have any questions..

[Canuck]

Thanks for the great insights. I'll admit I have trouble seeing what I would be doing that I need to encrypt what passes between my PPC and the computer, but better safe than sorry.
Unfortunately the Pocket Internet Explorer seems to be acting up and I may have to do a hard reset, so I will wait a few days to put this in action.

Canuck
toronto