 Many WLANs used the Service Set

Identifier (SSID) as a basic form of

security.
 SSIDs common network that create the wireless
LAN
 It prevent access by any client device that
doesn’t have SSIDs
• Some WLANs controlled access by entering the
media access control (MAC) address of each client
into the wireless access points.
 Neither option was secure, since wireless sniffing
could reveal both valid MAC addresses and the
SSID.
 The IEEE 802.11 standard includes WEP to
protect authorized users of a WLAN from
casual eavesdropping.
 The IEEE 802.11 WEP standard specified a 40-
bit key, so that WEP could be exported and
used worldwide.
 Most vendors have extended WEP to 128 bits
or more.
 When using WEP, both the wireless client and
the access point must have a matching WEP
key.
 WEP is based upon an existing and familiar
encryption type, Rivest Cipher 4 (RC4).
 Open Authentication is basically a null
authentication, which means there is no
verification of the user or machine.
 Open Authentication—Allows your client adapter, regardless of its WEP
settings, to authenticate and attempt to communicate with an access
point. Open Authentication is the default setting.
 Shared Key Authentication—Allows your client adapter to communicate
only with access points that have the same WEP key. This option is
available only if Use Static WEP Keys is selected.
 In shared key authentication, 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. If the packet is successfully encrypted/decrypted, the user is
considered to be authenticated.
 Note Cisco recommends that shared key authentication not be used
because it presents a security risk.