System Overview; Management Of Access Ports - Motorola WS2000 System Reference Manual

1.2 System Overview

The WS2000 Wireless Switch provides a low-cost, feature-rich option for sites with one to six Access Ports.
The WS2000 Wireless Switch works at the center of a network's infrastructure to seamlessly and securely
combine wireless LANs (WLANs) and wired networks. The switch sits on the network. Wireless Access Ports
connect to one of the six available ports on the switch and the external wired network (WAN) connects to a
single 10/100 Mbit/sec. WAN port.
Mobile units (MUs) associate with the switch via an Access Port. When an MU contacts the switch, the
switch cell controller services attempt to authenticate the device for access to the network.
The WS2000 Wireless Switch acts as a WAN/LAN gateway and a wired/wireless switch.

1.2.1 Management of Access Ports

This wireless switch provides six 10/100 Mbit/sec. LAN ports for internal wired or wireless traffic. Four of
these ports provide IEEE 802.3af-compliant Power over Ethernet (PoE) support for devices that require power
from the Ethernet connection (such as Access Ports). Administrators can configure the six ports to
communicate with a private LAN or with an Access Port for a wireless LAN (WLAN). The switch provides up
to four extended service set identifiers (ESSIDs) for each Access Port connected to the switch.
1.2.1.1 Firewall Security
The LAN and Access Ports are placed behind a user-configurable firewall that provides stateful packet
inspection. The wireless switch performs network address translation (NAT) on packets passing to and from
the WAN port. This combination provides enhanced security by monitoring communication with the wired
network.
1.2.1.2 Wireless LAN (WLAN) Security
Administrators can configure security settings independently for each ESSID. Security settings and protocols
available with this switch include:
• Kerberos
• WEP-64
• WEP-128
• 802.1x with RADIUS
• 802.1x with Shared Key
• KeyGuard
• WPA/WPA2-TKIP
• WPA2/CCMP (802.11i)
1.2.1.3 VPN Security
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are IP-based networks that use encryption and tunneling to give users
remote access to a secure LAN. In essence, the trust relationship is extended from one LAN across the public
network to another LAN, without sacrificing security. A VPN behaves similarly to a private network; however,
because the data travels through the public network, it needs several layers of security. The WS2000
Wireless Switch acts as a robust VPN gateway.
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Product Overview