Copyright © 2004-2005, Vivato, Inc.
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See also the related topic, “Appendix A. Configuring Security Settings on Wireless Clients” on page 120.
How Do I Know Which Security Mode to Use?
It is recommended you use the most robust security mode that is feasible in your environment. When
configuring security on the AP/Bridge, you first must choose the security mode, then in some modes an
authentication algorithm, and whether to allow clients not using the specified security mode to associate.
Wi-Fi Protected Access
(
) with
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service
) using the
CCMP (AES) encryption algorithm provides the best data protection available and is the best choice if all
client stations are equipped with WPA supplicants. However, backward compatibility or interoperability
issues with clients may require that you configure WPA with RADIUS with a different encryption algorithm
or choose one of the other security modes.
However, security may not be as much of a priority on some types of networks. If you are simply providing
Internet and printer access, as on a guest network, plain text mode (no security) may be the appropriate
choice. To prevent clients from accidentally discovering and connecting to your network, you can disable
the broadcast SSID for the Internal network so that your network name is not advertised. If the network is
sufficiently isolated from access to sensitive information, this may offer enough protection in some
situations. (See “Does Prohibiting the Broadcast SSID Enhance Security?” on page 97)
Following is a brief discussion of what factors make one mode more secure than another, a description of
each mode offered, and when to use each mode.
Comparison of Security Modes for Key Management, Authentication and Encryption Algorithms
Three major factors that determine the effectiveness of a security protocol are:
•
How the protocol manages keys
•
Presence or absence of integrated user authentication in the protocol
•
Encryption algorithm or formula the protocol uses to encode/decode the data
Following is a list of the security modes available on the Vivato VA4200, along with a description of the key
management, authentication, and encryption algorithms used in each mode. We include some
suggestions as to when one mode might be more appropriate than another.
•
•
•
•
•
When to Use Plain Text
Plain text mode provides no security. The data is not encrypted, rather it is sent as "plain text" across the
network. No key management, data encryption or user authentication is used. Any client should be able to
access the network.