Netgear ME103 ME103 Reference Manual - Page 75

Reference Manual for the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11b Authentication Shared Key Steps 1) Authentication request sent to AP 2) AP sends challenge text Client attempting to connect 3) Client encrypts challenge text and sends it back to AP Access Point Cable/DSL ProSafeWirelessVPN Security Firewall PWR TEST IN TER N ET LNK W LA N LO CA L MODEL FVM318 100 ACT Enable LNK/ACT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cable or DLS modem 4) AP decrypts, and if correct, authenticates client 5) Client connects to network Figure 6-2: 802.11 shared key authentication Overview of WEP Parameters Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption is used when the wireless devices are configured to operate in Shared Key authentication mode. There are two shared key methods implemented in most commercially available products, 64-bit and 128-bit WEP data encryption. Before enabling WEP on an 802.11 network, you must first consider what type of encryption you require and the key size you want to use. Typically, there are three WEP Encryption options available for 802.11 products: 1. Do Not Use WEP: The 802.11 network does not encrypt data. For authentication purposes, the network uses Open System Authentication. 2. Use WEP for Encryption: A transmitting 802.11 device encrypts the data portion of every packet it sends using a configured WEP Key. The receiving 802.11b device decrypts the data using the same WEP Key. For authentication purposes, the 802.11b network uses Open System Authentication. 3. Use WEP for Authentication and Encryption: A transmitting 802.11 device encrypts the data portion of every packet it sends using a configured WEP Key. The receiving 802.11 device decrypts the data using the same WEP Key. For authentication purposes, the 802.11 network uses Shared Key Authentication. Wireless Networking Basics B-5 August 2003