Netgear WPN802 User Manual download pdf (Page 70)

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR RangeMax™ Wireless Access Point WPN802

B-16 Wireless Networking Basics

202-10101-01, May 2005

Is WPA/WPA2 Perfect?

WPA/WPA2 is not without its vulnerabilities. Specifically, it is susceptible to denial of service

(DoS) attacks. If the access point receives two data packets that fail the message integrity code

(MIC) within 60 seconds of each other, then the network is under an active attack, and as a result,

the access point employs counter measures, which include disassociating each station using the

access point. This prevents an attacker from gleaning information about the encryption key and

alerts administrators, but it also causes users to lose network connectivity for 60 seconds. More

than anything else, this may just prove that no single security tactic is completely invulnerable.

WPA/WPA2 is a definite step forward in WLAN security over WEP and has to be thought of as a

single part of an end-to-end network security strategy.

Product Support for WPA/WPA2

Starting in August, 2003, NETGEAR, Inc. wireless Wi-Fi certified products will support the WPA

standard. NETGEAR, Inc. wireless products that had their Wi-Fi certification approved before

August, 2003 will have one year to add WPA so as to maintain their Wi-Fi certification.

WPA/WPA2 requires software changes to the following:

• Wireless access points

• Wireless network adapters

• Wireless client programs

Supporting a Mixture of WPA, WPA2, and WEP

Wireless Clients is Discouraged

To support the gradual transition of WEP-based wireless networks to WPA/WPA2, a wireless AP

can support both WEP and WPA/WPA2 clients at the same time. During the association, the

wireless AP determines which clients use WEP and which clients use WPA/WPA2. The

disadvantage to supporting a mixture of WEP and WPA/WPA2 clients is that the global encryption

key is not dynamic. This is because WEP-based clients cannot support it. All other benefits to the

WPA clients, such as integrity, are maintained.

However, a mixed mode supporting WPA/WPA2 and non-WPA/WPA2 clients would offer

network security that is no better than that obtained with a non-WPA/WPA2 network, and thus this

mode of operation is discouraged.

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Netgear WPN802 User Manual Page 70