Netgear WAG302NA Reference Manual - Page 93

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG302 5. The station connects to the network. If the decrypted text does not match the original challenge text (the access point and station do not share the same WEP Key), then the access point will refuse to authenticate the station and the station will be unable to communicate with either the 802.11 network or Ethernet network. This process is illustrated below. 802.11b Authentication Shared Key Steps 1) Authentication request sent to AP 2) AP sends challenge text Client 3) Client encrypts attempting challenge text and to connect 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 B-2: Shared key authentication Overview of WEP Parameters 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 device decrypts the data using the same WEP Key. For authentication purposes, the network uses Open System Authentication. Wireless Networking Basics B-5 202-10078-01