WEP
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. Both 64-bit and 128-bit encryptions are 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 by Cisco products include a “passphrase”. A passphrase is an easy-to-remember word or phrase that you enter. Then 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.
Since the security key that WEP uses 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. At most, WEP will prevent accidental unauthorized use. It is strongly recommended that you use the highest level of security on your networking device, which is either WPA or WPA2.