3Com WXR100 3CRWXR10095A, WX4400 3CRWX440095A For Your Network more complex to use, Certificate

420 CHAPTER 20: MANAGING KEYS AND CERTIFICATES

Choosing the Depending on your network environment, you can use any of the Appropriate following methods to install certificates and their public-private key pairs.

Certificate The methods differ in terms of simplicity and security. The simplest Installation Method method is also the least secure, while the most secure method is slightly

for Your Network more complex to use.

„ Self-signedcertificate—The easiest method to use because a CA server is not required. The WX switch generates and signs the certificate itself. This method is the simplest but is also the least secure, because the certificate is not validated (signed) by a CA.

„ PKCS #12 object file certificate—More secure than using self-signed certificates, but slightly less secure than using a Certificate Signing Request (CSR), because the private key is distributed in a file from the CA instead of generated by the WX switch itself. The PKCS #12 object file is more complex to deal with than self-signed certificates. However, you can use 3Com Wireless Switch Manager, Web Manager, or the CLI to distribute this certificate. The other two methods can be performed only using the CLI.

„ Certificate Signing Request (CSR)—The most secure method, because the WX switch’s public and private keys are created on the WX switch itself, while the certificate comes from a trusted source (CA). This method requires generating the key pair, creating a CSR and sending it to the CA, cutting and pasting the certificate signed by the CA into the CLI, and then cutting and pasting the CA’s own certificate into the CLI.

Table 37 lists the steps required for each method and refers you to appropriate instructions. (For complete examples, see “Key and Certificate Configuration Scenarios” on page 427.)

Table 37 Procedures for Creating and Validating Certificates

File Type	Steps Required	Instructions
Self-signed	1 Generate a public-private key pair	„	“Creating
certificate	on the WX switch.		Public-Private
	2 Generate a self-signed certificate on		Key Pairs” on
			page 421
	the WX switch.
			“Generating
		„
			Self-Signed
			Certificates” on
			page 422