Open System Authentication; Shared Key Authentication - NETGEAR WGX102 - 54 Mbps Wall-Plugged Wireless Range Extender Reference Manual

Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wall-Plugged Wireless Range Extender WGX102
• Shared Key Authentication requires that the station and the access point have the same WEP
Key to authenticate. These two authentication procedures are described below.

Open System Authentication

The following steps occur when two devices use Open System Authentication:
The station sends an authentication request to the access point.
1.
The access point authenticates the station.
2.
The station associates with the access point and joins the network.
3.
This process is illustrated in below.
Authentication Steps
1) Authentication request sent to AP
3) Client connects to network
Client
attempting
to connect
Figure 8-4: Open system authentication

Shared Key Authentication

The following steps occur when two devices use Shared Key Authentication:
The station sends an authentication request to the access point.
1.
The access point sends challenge text to the station.
2.
The station uses its configured 64-bit or 128-bit default key to encrypt the challenge text, and
3.
sends the encrypted text to the access point.
The access point decrypts the encrypted text using its configured WEP Key that corresponds
4.
to the station's default key. The access point compares the decrypted text with the original
challenge text. If the decrypted text matches the original challenge text, then the access point
and the station share the same WEP Key and the access point authenticates the station.
C-4
Open System
2) AP authenticates
202-10042-02 v1.1
Access Point (AP)
MODEL FVM318
IN TER N ET W LA N LO CA L
Cable/DSL ProSafeWirelessVPN Security Firewall
LNK 100
PWR TEST
ACT Enable LNK/ACT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Cable or
DLS modem
Wireless Networking Basics