Configuring Wireless Security - HP ProCurve 420 Management And Configuration Manual

Access Point Configuration

Configuring Wireless Security

5-68

Configuring Wireless Security

The access point is configured by default as an "open system," which broad-
casts a beacon frame including the configured SSID. If a wireless client has a
configured SSID of "any," it can read the SSID from the beacon and use it to
allow immediate connection to the 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.
■ Data 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 combi­
nation of the following security mechanisms:
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
■
IEEE 802.1X
■
■ Wireless MAC address filtering
■ Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
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.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). WEP provides a basic level of security,
preventing unauthorized access to the network and encrypting data trans­
mitted between wireless clients and the access point. WEP uses static shared
keys (fixed-length hexadecimal or alphanumeric strings) that are manually
distributed to all clients that want to use the network.
WEP is the security protocol initially specified in the IEEE 802.11 standard
for wireless communications. Unfortunately, WEP has been found to be
seriously flawed and cannot be recommended for a high level of network
security. For more robust wireless security, the access point provides Wi-Fi
Protected Access (WPA) for improved data encryption and user authentica­
tion.
IEEE 802.1X Network Access Control. IEEE 802.1X is a standard frame-
work for network access control that uses a central RADIUS server for user
authentication. This control feature prevents unauthorized access to the