Cisco WAP551 Administration Manual page 107

Wireless
Networks
Cisco Small Business WAP551 and WAP561 Wireless-N Access Point
• Characters Required—The number of characters you enter into the WEP Key fields is
determined by the key length and key type you select. For example, if you use 128-bit
ASCII keys, you must enter 26 characters in the WEP key. The number of characters
required updates automatically based on how you set the key length and key type.
• 802.1X Authentication—The authentication algorithm defines the method used to
determine whether a client station is allowed to associate with WAP device when static
WEP is the security mode.
Specify the authentication algorithm you want to use by choosing one of these options:
- Open System authentication allows any client station to associate with the WAP
device whether that client station has the correct WEP key or not. This algorithm is
also used in plaintext, IEEE 802.1X, and WPA modes. When the authentication
algorithm is set to Open System, any client can associate with the WAP device.
Just because a client station is allowed to associate does not ensure it can
NOTE
exchange traffic with an WAP device. A station must have the correct WEP key to
be able to successfully access and decrypt data from the WAP device, and to
transmit readable data to the WAP device.
- Shared Key authentication requires the client station to have the correct WEP key
in order to associate with the WAP device. When the authentication algorithm is set
to Shared Key, a station with an incorrect WEP key cannot associate with the WAP
device.
- Both Open System and Shared Key. When you select both authentication
algorithms, client stations configured to use WEP in shared key mode must have a
valid WEP key in order to associate with the WAP device. Also, client stations
configured to use WEP as an open system (shared key mode not enabled) can
associate with the WAP device even if they do not have the correct WEP key.
Static WEP Rules
Static WEP Rules
If you use Static WEP, these rules apply:
• All client stations must have the Wireless LAN (WLAN) security set to WEP, and all
clients must have one of the WEP keys specified on the WAP device in order to decode
AP-to-station data transmissions.
• The WAP device must have all keys used by clients for station-to-AP transmit so that it
can decode the station transmissions.
5
76