SMC Networks 2555W-AG2 User Manual page 124

6
System Configuration
A summary of wireless security considerations is listed in the following table.
Security
Mechanism
WEP
WEP over 802.1X Requires 802.1X client support
MAC Address
Filtering
WPA over 802.1X
Mode
WPA PSK Mode
WPA2 with 802.1X Requires WPA-enabled system
WPA2 PSK Mode Requires WPA-enabled system
Note: You must enable data encryption through the web or CLI in order to enable all
types of encryption (WEP, TKIP, or AES) in the access point.
6-70
Table 6-2. Wireless Security Considerations
Client Support
Built-in support on all 802.11a
and 802.11g devices
in system or by add-in software
(support provided in Windows
2000 SP3 or later and Windows
XP)
Uses the MAC address of client
network card
Requires WPA-enabled system
and network card driver
(native support provided in
Windows XP)
Requires WPA-enabled system
and network card driver
(native support provided in
Windows XP)
and network card driver (native
support provided in Windows
XP)
and network card driver (native
support provided in Windows
XP)
Implementation Considerations
• Provides only weak security
• Requires manual key management
• Provides dynamic key rotation for improved WEP
security
• Requires configured RADIUS server
• 802.1X EAP type may require management of
digital certificates for clients and server
• Provides only weak user authentication
• Management of authorized MAC addresses
• Can be combined with other methods for improved
security
• Optionally configured RADIUS server
• Provides robust security in WPA-only mode
(i.e., WPA clients only)
• Offers support for legacy WEP clients, but with
increased security risk (i.e., WEP authentication
keys disabled)
• Requires configured RADIUS server
• 802.1X EAP type may require management of
digital certificates for clients and server
• Provides good security in small networks
• Requires manual management of pre-shared key
• Provides the strongest security in WPA2-only
mode
• Provides robust security in mixed mode for WPA
and WPA2 clients
• Offers fast roaming for time-sensitive client
applications
• Requires configured RADIUS server
• 802.1X EAP type may require management of
digital certificates for clients and server
• Clients may require hardware upgrade to be WPA2
compliant
• Provides robust security in small networks
• Requires manual management of pre-shared key
• Clients may require hardware upgrade to be WPA2
compliant