Performing Advanced Configuration
SYSTIMAX® AirSPEED™ AP542
User Guide
95
•
802.11i
(also known as WPA2): The AP authenticates clients according to the 802.11i standard, using 802.1x
authentication, an AES cipher, and re-keying.
•
802.11i-PSK
(also known as WPA2 PSK): The AP uses an AES cipher, and authenticates clients based on a
Pre-Shared Key. The Pre-Shared Key must be 256 bits long, which is either 64 hexadecimal digits or 32
alphanumeric characters. The AP also supports a
PSK Pass Phrase
option to facilitate the creation of the
Pre-Shared Key (so a user can enter an easy-to-remember phrase rather than a string of characters).
Authentication Protocol Hierarchy
There is a hierarchy of authentication protocols defined for the AP.
The hierarchy is as follows, from Highest to lowest:
•
802.1x authentication
•
MAC Access Control via RADIUS Authentication
•
MAC Access Control through individual APs' MAC Access Control Lists
If you have both 802.1x and MAC authentication enabled, the 802.1x results will take effect. This is required in
order to propagate the WEP keys to the clients in such cases. Once you disable 802.1x on the AP, you will see
the effects of MAC authentication.
VLANs and Security Profiles
The AirSPEED AP542 allows you to segment wireless networks into multiple sub-networks based on Network Name
(SSID) and VLAN membership. A Network Name (SSID) identifies a wireless network. Clients associate with Access
Points that share an SSID. During installation, the
Setup Wizard
prompts you to configure a Primary Network Name for
each wireless interface.
After initial setup and once VLAN is enabled, the AP can be configured to support up to 16 SSIDs per wireless
interface to segment wireless networks based on VLAN membership.
Each VLAN can associated to a Security Profile and RADIUS Server Profiles. A Security Profile defines the allowed
wireless clients, and authentication and encryption types. Refer to
VLANs and Security Profiles
for configuration
details.
