Wireless

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) are two security protocols and security certification programs developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks. It is important to help secure wireless network by setting up a network security key, which turns on encryption. With encryption all information sent across your network is encrypted. Only computers with the key to decrypt the information can read it. This can help prevent attempts to access the network and files without permission.

The 802.1x standard is a security solution ratified by the IEEE which can authenticate (identify) a user who wants to access a network (whether wired or wireless). This is done through the use of an authentication server.

The EAP protocol is centred around the use of an access controller called an authenticator, which either grants or denies a user access to the network. EAP sits inside of PPP's authentication protocol and provides a generalized framework for several different authentication methods. It is supposed to head off proprietary authentication systems and let everything from passwords to challenge-response tokens and public-key infrastructure certificates all work smoothly.

A wireless local area network (WLAN) links two or more devices without using wires. It usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network.