Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE SERVER 10 - INSTALLATION AND ADMINISTRATION 11-05-2007 Installation Manual page 553

Network Name (ESSID)
All stations in a wireless network need the same ESSID for communicating with
each other. If nothing is specified, the card automatically selects an access point,
which may not be the one you intended to use.
Authentication Mode
Select a suitable authentication method for your network: Open, Shared Key, WPA-
PSK, or WPA-EAP. If you select WPA authentication, a network name must be
set.
Expert Settings
This button opens a dialog for the detailed configuration of your WLAN connection.
A detailed description of this dialog is provided later.
After completing the basic settings, your station is ready for deployment in the WLAN.
IMPORTANT: Security in Wireless Networks
Be sure to use one of the supported authentication and encryption methods
to protect your network traffic. Unencrypted WLAN connections allow third
parties to intercept all network data. Even a weak encryption (WEP) is better
than none at all. Refer to
(page 538) for information.
Depending on the selected authentication method, YaST prompts you to fine-tune the
settings in another dialog. For Open, there is nothing to configure, because this setting
implements unencrypted operation without authentication.
Shared Key
Set a key input type. Choose from Passphrase, ASCII, or Hexadecimal. You may
keep up to four different keys to encrypt the transmitted data. Click WEP Keys to
enter the key configuration dialog. Set the length of the key: 128 bit or 64 bit. The
default setting is 128 bit. In the list area at the bottom of the dialog, up to four dif-
ferent keys can be specified for your station to use for the encryption. Press Set as
Default to define one of them as the default key. Unless you change this, YaST
uses the first entered key as the default key. If the standard key is deleted, one of
the other keys must be marked manually as the default key. Click Edit to modify
existing list entries or create new keys. In this case, a pop-up window prompts you
to select an input type (Passphrase, ASCII, or Hexadecimal). If you select
Passphrase, enter a word or a character string from which a key is generated ac-
Section "Encryption" (page 533) and Section "Security"
Wireless Communication 535