User's Guide

Table Of Contents
Configuring a VNS
hwc_vnsconfiguration.fm
Configuring WLAN Services
9034530-02, March 2010
314 HiPath Wireless Controller, Access Points and Convergence Software V7.11, User Guide
Uses RADIUS protocols for authentication and key distribution
Centralizes management of user credentials
The encryption portion of WPA v1 is Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). TKIP
includes:
A per-packet key mixing function that shares a starting key between devices,
and then changes their encryption key for every packet (unicast key) or after
the specified re-key time interval (broadcast key) expires
An extended WEP key length of 256-bits
An enhanced Initialization Vector (IV) of 48 bits, instead of 24 bits, making it
more difficult to compromise
A Message Integrity Check or Code (MIC), an additional 8-byte code that is
inserted before the standard WEP 4-byte Integrity Check Value (ICV). These
integrity codes are used to calculate and compare, between sender and
receiver, the value of all bits in a message, which ensures that the message
has not been tampered with.
The encryption portion of WPA v2 is Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). AES
includes:
A 128 bit key length, for the WPA2/802.11i implementation of AES
Four stages that make up one round. Each round is iterated 10 times.
A per-packet key mixing function that shares a starting key between devices,
and then changes their encryption key for every packet or after the specified
re-key time interval expires.
The Counter-Mode/CBC-MAC Protocol (CCMP), a new mode of operation for
a block cipher that enables a single key to be used for both encryption and
authentication. The two underlying modes employed in CCM include:
Counter mode (CTR) that achieves data encryption
Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code (CBC-MAC) to
provide data integrity
The following is an overview of the WPA authentication and encryption process:
Step one – The wireless device client associates with Wireless AP.
•Step two – Wireless AP blocks the client's network access while the
authentication process is carried out (the HiPath Wireless Controller sends
the authentication request to the RADIUS authentication server).
•Step three – The wireless client provides credentials that are forwarded by
the HiPath Wireless Controller to the authentication server.
Step four – If the wireless device client is not authenticated, the wireless
client stays blocked from network access.