Professional Access Point
Administrator Guide
SEE ALSO
For information on how to configure this mode, see “None” on page 108 under “Configuring Security Settings”.
When to Use Static WEP
Static Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a data encryption protocol for 802.11 wireless networks. All wireless stations and access points on the network are configured with a static
Key Management
Static WEP uses a fixed key that is provided by the administrator. WEP keys are indexed in different slots (up to four on the Professional Access Point).
The client devices must have the same key indexed in the same slot to access data on the access point.
Encryption Algorithm
An RC4 stream cipher is used to encrypt the frame body and cyclic redundancy checking (CRC) of each 802.11 frame.
User Authentication
If you set the Authentication Algorithm to Shared Key, this protocol provides a rudimentary form of user authenti- cation.
However, if the Authentication Algo- rithm is set to Open System, no authentication is performed.
If the algorithm is set to Both, only WEP clients are authenticated.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Static WEP was designed to provide security equivalent of sending unencrypted data through an Ethernet connection, however it has major flaws and it does not provide even this intended level of security.
Therefore, Static WEP is not recommended as a secure mode. The only time to use Static WEP is when interoperability issues make it the only option available to you and you are not concerned with the potential of exposing the data on your network.
SEE ALSO
For information on how to configure Static WEP security mode, see “Static WEP” on page 108 under “Configuring Security Settings”.
When to Use IEEE 802.1x
IEEE 802.1x is the standard for passing the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) over an 802.11 wireless network using a protocol called EAP Encapsulation Over LANs (EAPOL). This is a newer, more secure standard than Static WEP.
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