Specifications

Introduction

Altitude 3500 Series Access Point Product Reference Guide

WPA addresses the weaknesses of WEP by including:

● a per-packet key mixing function

● a message integrity check

● an extended initialization vector with sequencing rules

● a re-keying mechanism

WPA uses an encryption method called Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). WPA employs 802.1X and

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP).

For detailed information on WPA using TKIP configurations, see “Configuring WPA/WPA2 Using

TKIP” on page 183.

WPA2-CCMP (802.11i) Encryption

WPA2 is a newer 802.11i standard that provides even stronger wireless security than Wi-Fi Protected

Access (WPA) and WEP. Counter-mode/CBC-MAC Protocol (CCMP) is the security standard used by the

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). AES serves the same function TKIP does for WPA-TKIP. CCMP

computes a Message Integrity Check (MIC) using the proven Cipher Block Message Authentication Code

(CBC-MAC) technique. Changing just one bit in a message produces a totally different result.

WPA2-CCMP is based on the concept of a Robust Security Network (RSN), which defines a hierarchy of

keys with a limited lifetime (similar to TKIP). Like TKIP, the keys the administrator provides are used to

derive other keys. Messages are encrypted using a 128-bit secret key and a 128-bit block of data. The

end result is an encryption scheme as secure as any the Altitude 35xx provides.

For detailed information on WPA2-CCMP, see “Configuring WPA2-CCMP (802.11i)” on page 185.

Firewall Security

A firewall keeps personal data in and hackers out. The Altitude 35xx’s firewall prevents suspicious

Internet traffic from proliferating the access point managed network. The Altitude 35xx access point

performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on packets passing to and from the WAN port. This

combination provides enhanced security by monitoring communication with the wired network.

For detailed information on configuring the access point’s firewall, see “Configuring Firewall Settings”

on page 188.

VPN Tunnels

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are IP-based networks using encryption and tunneling providing users

remote access to a secure LAN. In essence, the trust relationship is extended from one LAN across the

public network to another LAN, without sacrificing security. A VPN behaves like a private network;

however, because the data travels through the public network, it needs several layers of security. The

access point can function as a robust VPN gateway.

For detailed information on configuring VPN security support, see “Configuring VPN Tunnels” on

page 194.