H3C Technologies H3C WA2600 Series WLAN Access Points - Manual (Page 16)

5-1
z The models listed in this document are not applicable to all regions. Please consult your local sales
office for the models applicable to your region.
z Support of the H3C WA series WLAN access points (APs) for features may vary by AP model. For
more information, see Feature Matrix.
z The interface types and the number of interfaces vary by AP model.
z The radio types supported by the H3C WA series WLAN access points vary by AP model.
z The term AP in this document refers to common APs, wireless bridges, or mesh APs.
5
WLAN Security Configuration
This chapter includes these sections:
z WLAN Security Configuration
z Configuring WLAN Security
z WLAN Security Configuration Examples
z Supported Combinations for Ciphers
WLAN Security Configuration
Overview
The wireless security capabilities incorporated in 802.11 are inadequate for protecting networks
containing sensitive information. It does a fairly good job of defending against the general public, but
there are some good hackers lurking out there who can crack into a wireless networks. As a result,
there is a need to implement advanced security mechanisms beyond the capability of 802.11 if we want
to protect against unauthorized access to resources on our network.
Authentication Modes
To ensure WLAN security, an AP must authenticate clients. A client can be associated with an AP only
when it passes authentication. The following two authentication modes are supported.
z Open system authentication
Open system authentication is the default authentication algorithm. This is the simplest of the available
authentication algorithms. Essentially it is a null authentication algorithm. Any client that requests
authentication with this algorithm can become authenticated. Open system authentication is not
required to be successful because an AP may decline to authenticate the client. Open system
authentication involves a two-step authentication process. At the first step, the wireless client sends a
request for authentication. At the second step, the AP determines whether the wireless client passes
the authentication and returns the result to the client.