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You can set up either WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption to make your wireless network more secure. WPA encryption is much more secure than WEP encryption. You should use WPA-PSK or WPA Personal encryption on your home wireless network unless you have computers that only support WEP encryption.
Setting up WEP encryption
Use the following steps to set up WEP encryption on a Mac:
1. Choose Apple --> System Preferences to open the System Preferences window.
2. Click the Network icon to open the Network dialog box.
3. Choose AirPort in the Show menu and choose Preferred Networks in the By Default, Join menu.
4. Select a network in the list of networks and click Edit.
5. In the Wireless Security menu, choose a WEP option. Choose ASCII or HEX as appropriate for your network.
 | If you're not sure whether to choose ASCII or HEX, or if your network uses 64-bit WEP encryption, choose WEP Password instead. |
6. Enter the WEP key in the password text box.
7. Click OK and then quit Network Preferences.
| To make sure you're typing the WEP key correctly, temporarily select the Show Password check box so that you can see the characters you are typing. Make sure no one is looking over your shoulder when you do this. |
Configuring WPA encryption
Follow these steps to configure WPA encryption:
1. Choose Apple --> System Preferences to open the System Preferences window.
2. Click the Network icon to open the Network dialog box.
3. Choose AirPort in the Show drop-down menu and choose Preferred Networks in the By Default, Join menu.
4. Select a network in the list of networks and click Edit.
5. In the Wireless Security menu, choose WPA Personal.
 | WPA Personal is equivalent to WPA-PSK, which is used by many wireless access points. WPA Enterprise requires that a RADIUS server be running on your network, something your home network is not likely to have. |
6. Enter the WPA password in the password text box.
7. Click OK and then quit Network Preferences.
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