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Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Client Adapters Installation and Configuration Guide for Windows CE
OL-1375-03
Chapter 5 Configuring the Client Adapter
Configuring Your Client Adapter
Authentication Type
Defines how your client adapter will attempt to authenticate to an
access point.
Options: Open or Shared Key
Default: Open
Authentication
Description
Open Authentication
Enables your client adapter, regardless of
its WEP settings, to authenticate and
attempt to communicate with an access
point. If LEAP or host-based EAP is
enabled on your client adapter, Open
Authentication is the only available
option.
Shared Key
Authentication
Enables your client adapter to
communicate only with access points that
have the same WEP key. This option is
available only if Static WEP Keys is
selected.
The access point sends a known
unencrypted “challenge packet” to the
client adapter, which encrypts the packet
and sends it back to the access point.
The access point attempts to decrypt
the encrypted packet and sends an
authentication response packet indicating
the success or failure of the decryption
back to the client adapter.
Note
Cisco recommends that shared key authentication not be used
because it presents a security risk.
Mixed Mode
Indicates whether the client adapter can associate to an access point that
allows both WEP and non-WEP associations.
•
If the access point with which the client adapter is to associate
has WEP set to Optional and WEP is enabled on the client adapter,
you must enable Mixed Mode on the adapter. Otherwise, the client
adapter cannot establish a connection with the access point.
•
If the access point with which the client adapter is to associate does
not have WEP set to Optional, Mixed Mode should be set to
Disabled on the adapter.
Options: Enabled or Disabled
Default: Disabled
Note
For security reasons, Cisco recommends that WEP-enabled and
WEP-disabled clients not be allowed in the same cell because
broadcast packets are sent unencrypted, even to clients running
WEP.
Table 5-1
Client Adapter Configuration Parameters (continued)
Parameter
Description
