Nortel Networks 2300 manual Managing Keys Certificates, Why Use Keys and Certificates?

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Managing Keys and

Certificates

Why Use Keys and Certificates?	379
About Keys and Certificates	381
Creating Keys and Certificates	385
Displaying Certificate and Key Information	393
Key and Certificate Configuration Scenarios	393

A digital certificate is a form of electronic identification for computers. The WSS switch requires digital certificates to authenticate its communications to WLAN Management Software and Web View, to Web-based AAA clients, and to Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) clients for which the WSS performs all EAP processing. Certificates can be generated on the WSS or obtained from a certificate authority (CA). Keys contained within the certificates allow the WSS, its servers, and its wireless clients to exchange information secured by encryption.

Note. Before installing a certificate, verify with the show timedate and show timezone commands that the WSS switch is set to the correct date, time, and time zone. Otherwise, certificates might not be installed correctly.

Why Use Keys and Certificates?

Certain WSS switch operations require the use of public-private key pairs and digital certificates. All WLAN Manage- ment Software and Web View users, and users for which the WSS performs IEEE 802.1X EAP authentication or Web-based AAA, require public-private key pairs and digital certificates to be installed on the WSS switch.

These keys and certificates are fundamental to securing wireless, wired authentication, and administrative connections because they support Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption and dynamic Wired-Equivalency Privacy (WEP) encryption.

Nortel WLAN Security Switch 2300 Series Configuration Guide