NetComm NP7042 - Manual (Page 18)

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Page 18 NP7042 - Wireless LAN USB Adaptor
Authentication Type:
Open System: This system is the most popular. Open systems do not
perform any checks on a workstation before allowing it to
attempt an association on the wireless network. Put simply, each
time a workstation ask "will you authenticate me?", it will be
answered with "Yes".
However, after the workstation is associated, all the data
transferred would be encrypted if WEP was required in the
WLAN. If WEP was not being used, the data frames would all
be sent unencrypted.
This does not mean that your network is insecure (providing you
use WEP), rather the workstations and the other wireless
network devices do not perform any additional checks to
authenticate the new workstation.
Shared Key: With this system, the authentication algorithm must already be
known to both the new workstation and the device
authenticating the workstation. Each time a workstation asks
"will you authenticate me?", it will be answered with a 'challenge'
response. The workstation then sends an encrypted response
back to the device authenticating the workstation. If the device
authenticating the workstation can decrypt the challenge
response, and the new workstation as allowed on the network,
then the new workstation is authenticated.
Note: Shared Key authentication can add to the security of your network but, as you can
see, is much more complicated. When using Shared Key authentication, you must
have the same authentication key configured in all the devices.
After the settings are completed, click the Submit button to save the setting.