User Manual for the NETGEAR 54 Mbps Wireless PC Card WG511
How Does WPA Compare to IEEE 802.11i?
WPA is a subset of the current 802.11i draft and uses certain pieces of the 802.11i draft that are ready to bring to market today, such as 802.1x and TKIP. The main pieces of the 802.11i draft that are not included in WPA are secure IBSS (Ad Hoc mode), secure fast handoff (for specialized
802.11VoIP phones), as well as enhanced encryption protocols, such as
What are the Key Features of WPA Security?
The following security features are included in the WPA standard:
•WPA Authentication
•WPA Encryption Key Management
–Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
–Michael message integrity code (MIC)
–AES Support (to be phased in)
•Support for a Mixture of WPA and WEP Wireless Clients, but mixing WEP and WPA is discouraged
These features are discussed below.
WPA addresses most of the known WEP vulnerabilities and is primarily intended for wireless infrastructure networks as found in the enterprise. This infrastructure includes stations, access points, and authentication servers (typically RADIUS servers). The RADIUS server holds (or has access to) user credentials (for example, user names and passwords) and authenticates wireless users before they gain access to the network.
The strength of WPA comes from an integrated sequence of operations that encompass 802.1X/ EAP authentication and sophisticated key management and encryption techniques. Its major operations include:
•Network security capability determination. This occurs at the 802.11 level and is communicated through WPA information elements in Beacon, Probe Response, and (Re) Association Requests. Information in these elements includes the authentication method (802.1X or
Wireless Networking Basics |
