Nortel Networks 2300 Rogue access points and Clients, Rogue Classification, Rogue Detection Lists

538Rogue Detection and Countermeasures

Rogue access points and Clients

A rogue access point is an access point that is not authorized to operate in a network. Rogue access points and their clients undermine the security of an enterprise network by potentially allowing unchallenged access to the network by any wireless user or client in the physical vicinity. Rogue access points and users can also interfere with the operation of your enterprise network.

Rogue Classification

When WSS Software detects a third-party wireless device that is not allowed on the network, WSS Software classifies the device as one of the following:

•Rogue—The device is in the Nortel network but does not belong there.

•Interfering device—The device is not part of the Nortel network but also is not a rogue. No client connected to the device has been detected communicating with any network entity listed in the forwarding database (FDD) of any WSS switch in the Mobility Domain. Although the interfering device is not connected to your network, the device might be causing RF interference with AP radios.

When you enable countermeasures, you can specify whether to issue them against rogues and interfering devices, or against rogues only. For example, if you do not want to issue countermeasures against your neighbor’s wireless devices, you can select to issue countermeasures against rogues only. RF Auto-Tuning can automatically change AP radio channels to work around interfering devices without attacking those devices.

Rogue Detection Lists

Rogue detection lists specify the third-party devices and SSIDs that WSS Software allows on the network, and the devices WSS Software classifies as rogues. You can configure the following rogue detection lists:

•Permitted SSID list—A list of SSIDs allowed in the Mobility Domain. WSS Software generates a message if an SSID that is not on the list is detected.

•Permitted vendor list—A list of the wireless networking equipment vendors whose equipment is allowed on the network. The vendor of a piece of equipment is identified by the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), which is the first three bytes of the equipment’s MAC address. WSS Software generates a message if an AP or wireless client with an OUI that is not on the list is detected.

•Client black list—A list of MAC addresses of wireless clients who are not allowed on the network. WSS Software prevents clients on the list from accessing the network through an WSS switch. If the client is placed on the black list dynamically by WSS Software due to an association, reassociation or disassociation flood, WSS Software generates a log message.

•Ignore list—A list of third-party devices that you want to exempt from rogue detection. WSS Software does not count devices on the ignore list as rogues or interfering devices, and does not issue countermeasures against them.

An empty permitted SSID list or permitted vendor list implicitly allows all SSIDs or vendors. However, when you add an entry to the SSID or vendor list, all SSIDs or vendors that are not in the list are implicitly disal- lowed. An empty client black list implicitly allows all clients, and an empty ignore list implicitly considers all third-party wireless devices to be potential rogues.

All the lists except the black list require manual configuration. You can configure entries in the black list and WSS Software also can place a client in the black list due to an association, reassociation or disassociation flood from the client.

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