D-Link DI-724P+ [4/102] Introduction

Introduction

The D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G+ DI-724P+ High-Speed Wireless Router is an 802.11g

high-performance, wireless router that supports high-speed wireless networking at

home, at work or in public places.

Unlike most routers, the DI-724P+ provides data transfers at up to 8X (compared to

the standard 11 Mbps) when used with other D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G products. The

802.11g standard is backwards compatible with 802.11b products. This means that you

do not need to change your entire network to maintain connectivity. You may sacrice

some of 802.11g’s speed when you mix 802.11b and 802.11g devices, but you will not

lose the ability to communicate when you incorporate the 802.11g standard into your

802.11b network. You may choose to slowly change your network by gradually replacing

the 802.11b devices with 802.11g devices .

In addition to offering faster data transfer speeds when used with other 802.11g

products, the DI-724P+ has the newest, strongest, most advanced security features

available today. When used with other 802.11g WPA (WiFi Protected Access) and

802.1x compatible products in a network with a RADIUS server, the security features

include:

WPA *Available around Q4/2003 as a free download.: Wi-Fi Protected Access authorizes

and identies users based on a secret key that changes automatically at a

regular interval. WPA uses TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) to change the

temporal key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of message transmitted

over a network.) This insures much greater security than the standard WEP

security. (By contrast, the older WEP encryption required the keys to be changed

manually.)

For home users that will not incorporate a RADIUS server in their network, the security

for the DI-724P+, used in conjunction with other 802.11g products, will still be much

stronger than ever before. Utilizing the Pre Shared Key mode of WPA, the DI-724P+

will obtain a new security key every time it connects to the 802.11g network. You only

need to input your encryption information once in the conguration menu. No longer

will you have to manually input a new WEP key frequently to ensure security, with the

DI-724P+, you will automatically receive a new key every time you connect, vastly

increasing the safety of your communications.