Appendix D Wireless LANs
WPA and WPA2
Key differences between WPA or WPA2 and WEP are improved data encryption and user authentication.
If both an AP and the wireless clients support WPA2 and you have an external RADIUS server, use WPA2 for stronger data encryption. If you don't have an external RADIUS server, you should use
If the AP or the wireless clients do not support WPA2, just use WPA or
Select WEP only when the AP and/or wireless clients do not support WPA or WPA2. WEP is less secure than WPA or WPA2.
Encryption
WPA improves data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA2 also uses TKIP when required for compatibility reasons, but offers stronger encryption than TKIP with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP).
TKIP uses
WPA and WPA2 regularly change and rotate the encryption keys so that the same encryption key is never used twice.
The RADIUS server distributes a Pairwise Master Key (PMK) key to the AP that then sets up a key hierarchy and management system, using the PMK to dynamically generate unique data encryption keys to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly communicated between the AP and the wireless clients. This all happens in the background automatically.
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