D-Link DWL-8500AP Product Manual - Page 41

4 Configuring Access Point Security 64-bit (40-bit secret key + 24-bit initialization vector (IV)), 128-bit (104-bit secret key + 24bit IV), or 152-bit (128-bit secret key + 24-bit IV) Shared Key for data encryption. 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 access point). The client stations 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 This protocol provides a rudimentary form of user authentication when the client uses a shared key algorithm. Recommendations Static WEP was designed to provide the security equivalent of sending unencrypted data through an Ethernet connection; however, it has major flaws and does not provide the 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. 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. Key Management IEEE 802.1X provides dynamically-generated keys that are periodically refreshed. There are different Unicast keys for each station. 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 IEEE 802.1X mode supports a variety of authentication methods, like certificates, Kerberos, and public key authentication with a RADIUS server. Recommendations IEEE 802.1X mode is a better choice than Static WEP because keys are dynamically generated and changed periodically. However, the encryption algorithm used is the same as that of Static WEP and is therefore not as reliable as the more advanced encryption methods such as Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and AES-CCMP used in Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or WPA2. Additionally, compatibility issues may be cumbersome because of the variety of authentication methods supported and the lack of a standard implementation method. Therefore, IEEE 802.1X mode is not as secure a solution as WPA or WPA2. A better solution than using IEEE 802.1X mode is to use WPA Enterprise mode. Understanding Security on Wireless Networks 41