Introduction
WPA/RSN
1-6
IxWLAN User Guide, Release 6.20
1
WPA/RSN
This section covers the following topics:
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Key Hierarchy and Configuration
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Introduction to
WPA/RSN
Individual virtual stations can be configured with WPA or RSN authentication. A
vSTA can be configured to use either PSK or full 802.1X/EAP authentication.
RSN does the strong security of IEEE 802.11i.
The strength of WPA/RSN comes from an integrated sequence of operations that
encompass 802.1X/EAP authentication and sophisticated key management and
encryption techniques.
The IxWLAN implementation of WPA/RSN provides the following major opera-
tions:
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Network security capability determination – This occurs at the 802.11 level
and it is communicated through the WPA/RSN information elements in Bea-
con, Probe Response, and (Re) Association Requests. The information in
these elements includes the authentication method (802.1X or PSK) and the
preferred cipher suite (WEP, TKIP, or AES-CCM).
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Authentication – For full implementation of WPA/RSN, EAP over 802.1X is
used for authentication. Mutual authentication is gained by choosing an EAP
type supporting this feature. 802.1X port access control prevents full access
to the network until authentication completes. In the case of WPA-PSK or
RSN-PSK, mutual authentication between peers (that is, a virtual station and
the System Under Test) is achieved through the 4-Way AKMP handshake
during which possession and liveness of the correct PSK is confirmed.
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Pre-Authentication – IxWLAN also supports pre-authentication, defined in
the 802.11i specification as a means of speeding up the roaming process by
authenticating with the server before the roam. The pre-authentication is
independent of the roam and may be performed with multiple APs.
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PMKSA Catching – IxWLAN supports PMKSA catching, defined in the
802.11i specification. PMKSA is the context resulting from a successful
IEEE 802.1X authentication exchange between a given vSTA and the
Authentication Server.
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Key management – The WPA and RSN feature gives a robust key generation/
management system that integrates the authentication and data privacy func-
tions. The keys are generated after successful authentication and through a
subsequent 4-way handshake between the station and System Under Test.
Summary of Contents for IxWLAN
Page 1: ...IxWLAN User Guide Release 6 20 Part No 913 0073 03 Rev A May 2007...
Page 28: ...Installation Connecting to the Serial Port 2 4 IxWLAN User Guide Release 6 20 2...
Page 36: ...First Setup Using the Serial Port 3 8 IxWLAN User Guide Release 6 20 3...
Page 128: ...The Web Based User Interface Menus and Tool Bars 4 92 IxWLAN User Guide Release 6 20 4...
