Nortel Networks 2300 manual WPA Information Element

200Configuring User Encryption

WPA Information Element

A WPA information element (IE) is a set of extra fields in a wireless frame that contain WPA information for the access point or client. To enable WPA support in a service profile, you must enable the WPA IE. The following types of wireless frames can contain a WPA IE:

•Beacon (sent by an AP access port)—The WPA IE in a beacon frame advertises the cipher suites and authentication methods that an AP radio supports for the encrypted SSID. The WPA IE also lists the cipher suites that the radio uses to encrypt broadcast and multicast frames. An AP radio always uses the least secure of the cipher suites to encrypt broadcast and multicast frames to ensure that all clients associated with the SSID can decrypt the frames. An AP radio uses the most secure cipher suite supported by both the radio and a client to encrypt unicast traffic to that client.

•Probe response (sent by an AP radio)—The WPA IE in a probe response frame lists the same WPA information that is contained in the beacon frame.

•Association request or reassociation (sent by a client)—The WPA IE in an association request lists the authentication method and cipher suite the client wants to use.

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