Netgear MP115 MP115 User Manual - Page 69

Authentication. EAP over 802.1X is used for authentication., Key management., Data Privacy

Get Netgear MP115 - Wireless Digital Media Player PDF manuals and user guides View all Netgear MP115 manuals
Add to My Manuals
Save this manual to your list of manuals

Page 69 highlights

User's Manual for the Wireless Digital Media Player MP115 The primary information conveyed in the Beacon frames is the authentication method and the cipher suite. Possible authentication methods include 802.1X and Pre-shared key. Pre-shared key is an authentication method that uses a statically configured passphrase on both the stations and the access point. This removes the need for an authentication server, which in many home and small office environments will not be available nor desirable. Possible cipher suites include: WEP, TKIP, and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). We'll talk more TKIP and AES when addressing data privacy below. • Authentication. EAP over 802.1X is used for authentication. Mutual authentication is gained by choosing an EAP type supporting this feature and is required by WPA. The 802.1X port access control prevents full access to the network until authentication completes. The 802.1X EAPOL-Key packets are used by WPA to distribute per-session keys to those stations successfully authenticated. The supplicant in the station uses the authentication and cipher suite information contained in the information elements to decide which authentication method and cipher suite to use. For example, if the access point is using the Pre-shared key method then the supplicant need not authenticate using full-blown 802.1X. Rather, the supplicant must simply prove to the access point that it is in possession of the pre-shared key. If the supplicant detects that the service set does not contain a WPA information element then it knows it must use pre-WPA 802.1X authentication and key management in order to access the network. • Key management. WPA features a robust key generation/management system that integrates the authentication and data privacy functions. Keys are generated after successful authentication and through a subsequent four-way handshake between the station and access point (AP). • Data Privacy (Encryption). Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) is used to wrap WEP in sophisticated cryptographic and security techniques to overcome most of its weaknesses. • Data integrity. TKIP includes a message integrity code (MIC) at the end of each plain text message to ensure messages are not being spoofed. Wireless Networking Basics November 2004 202-10038-01 B-11

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
User’s Manual for the Wireless Digital Media Player MP115
Wireless Networking Basics
B-11
November 2004 202-10038-01
The primary information conveyed in the Beacon frames is the authentication method and the
cipher suite. Possible authentication methods include 802.1X and Pre-shared key. Pre-shared
key is an authentication method that uses a statically configured passphrase on both the
stations and the access point. This removes the need for an authentication server, which in
many home and small office environments will not be available nor desirable. Possible cipher
suites include: WEP, TKIP, and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). We’ll talk more TKIP
and AES when addressing data privacy below.
•
Authentication. EAP over 802.1X is used for authentication.
Mutual authentication is
gained by choosing an EAP type supporting this feature and is required by WPA. The 802.1X
port access control prevents full access to the network until authentication completes. The
802.1X EAPOL-Key packets are used by WPA to distribute per-session keys to those stations
successfully authenticated.
The supplicant in the station uses the authentication and cipher suite information contained in
the information elements to decide which authentication method and cipher suite to use. For
example, if the access point is using the Pre-shared key method then the supplicant need not
authenticate using full-blown 802.1X. Rather, the supplicant must simply prove to the access
point that it is in possession of the pre-shared key. If the supplicant detects that the service set
does not contain a WPA information element then it knows it must use pre-WPA 802.1X
authentication and key management in order to access the network.
•
Key management.
WPA features a robust key generation/management system that integrates
the authentication and data privacy functions. Keys are generated after successful
authentication and through a subsequent four-way handshake between the station and access
point (AP).
•
Data Privacy (Encryption).
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) is used to wrap WEP in
sophisticated cryptographic and security techniques to overcome most of its weaknesses.
•
Data integrity.
TKIP includes a message integrity code (MIC) at the end of each plain text
message to ensure messages are not being spoofed.