3Com 8760 User Guide - Page 89

Security SECURITY The access point is configured by default as an "open system," which broadcasts a beacon signal including the configured SSID. Wireless clients with an SSID setting of "any" can read the SSID from the beacon and automatically set their SSID to allow immediate connection to the nearest access point. To improve wireless network security, you have to implement two main functions: „ Authentication: It must be verified that clients attempting to connect to the network are authorized users. „ Traffic Encryption: Data passing between the access point and clients must be protected from interception and eavesdropping. For a more secure network, the access point can implement one or a combination of the following security mechanisms: „ Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) page 4-49 „ IEEE 802.1x page 4-56 „ Wireless MAC address filtering page 4-11 „ Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA or WPA2) page 4-56 Both WEP and WPA security settings are configurable separately for each virtual access point (VAP) interface. MAC address filtering, and RADIUS server settings are global and apply to all VAP interfaces. The security mechanisms that may be employed depend on the level of security required, the network and management resources available, and the software support provided on wireless clients. A summary of wireless security considerations is listed in the following table. Table 5 Wireless Security Considerations Security Mechanism Client Support Implementation Considerations WEP Built-in support on all 802.11a • Provides only weak security and 802.11g devices • Requires manual key management WEP over 802.1X Requires 802.1X client support • Provides dynamic key rotation for improved WEP in system or by add-in software security (support provided in Windows • Requires configured RADIUS server 2000 SP3 or later and Windows • 802.1X EAP type may require management of XP) digital certificates for clients and server MAC Address Filtering Uses the MAC address of client network card • Provides only weak user authentication • Management of authorized MAC addresses • Can be combined with other methods for improved security • Optionally configured RADIUS server 4-49