NPort W2150A-W4/W2250A-W4 Series User Manual
55
Authentication
Default
Open System
Options
Open System, Shared Key, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK
Description
This field specifies how wireless devices will be authenticated. Only authenticated devices
will be allowed to communicate with the NPort. If a RADIUS server is used, this setting
must match the setting on the RADIUS server.
Open System: The NPort will simply announce a desire to associate with access point. No
authentication is required.
Shared Key: Authentication involves a more rigorous exchange of frames to ensure that
the requesting station is authentic. WEP encryption is required.
WPA: This is a managed authentication option in Infrastructure Mode. The Wi-Fi Alliance,
the industry trade group that owns the Wi-Fi trademark and certifies devices with the Wi-Fi
name created WPA. It is based on Draft 3 of the IEEE 802.11i standard. Each user uses a
unique key for authentication, distributed from an IEEE 802.1X authentication server, also
known as a RADIUS server. We also referred this option to as WPA Enterprise Mode, since
it should meet rigorous enterprise security requirements. Tunneled authentication is
supported, depending on the EAP method selected.
WPA-PSK: This is an unmanaged authentication option in Infrastructure Mode. Instead of a
unique key for each user, a pre-shared key (PSK) is manually entered on the access point
to generate an encryption key that is shared among all users. Consequently, this method
does not scale well for enterprise. A PSK that uses a mix of letters, numbers and non-
alphanumeric characters is recommended. This option is also referred to as WPA Personal
Mode, since it is designed for the needs and capabilities of small home and office WLANs.
WPA2: This is a managed authentication option in Infrastructure Mode. WPA2 implements
the mandatory elements of 802.11i. Supported encryption algorithms include TKIP,
Michael, and AES-based CCMP, which is considered fully secure. Since March 13, 2006,
WPA2 has been mandatory for all Wi-Fi-certified devices. We may also refer this option to
as WPA2 Enterprise Mode. Tunneled authentication is supported, depending on the EAP
method selected.
WPA2-PSK: This is an unmanaged authentication option in Infrastructure Mode. It employs
WPA2 encryption algorithms but relies on a PSK for authentication. A PSK that uses a mix
of letters, numbers and non-alphanumeric characters is recommended. We can also refer
this option to as WPA Personal Mode.
