Configuring Open Authentication

Configuring Open Authentication

Open authentication is used when no authentication or encryption is desired. It is often used in public places or hotspots.

For existing WLANs, click the name of the WLAN you want to edit. If you need to create a new WLAN, follow the steps as shown in the previous section, using Figures 6-9 and 6-10 as a reference.

To edit the security settings of the WLAN, click the Security tab as shown in Figure 6-11. You need to go to the drop-down menu for Layer 2 security, and choose None. Depending on the security policy options selected, the bottom of the page will change. Click the Layer 3 tab to ensure that the security field here is also set to None, as shown in Figure 6-12. Click Apply when you are finished to return to the main WLAN page.

Figure 6-11. Layer 2 Security


Figure 6-12. Layer 3 Security


Configuring Static WEP Authentication

Start on the WLANs > Edit page of the WLAN you want to configure with static WEP. Select the Security tab and on the drop-down menu for Layer 2 security, choose Static WEP as shown in Figure 6-13. After you select static WEP, the bottom of the page changes, allowing you to configure the parameters for static WEP.

Figure 6-13. Static WEP Configuration


The static WEP parameters are

  • Key Size: Options are not set, 40 bits, 104 bits, and 128 bits.

  • Key Index: Options are 1 to 4.

  • Encryption Key: Enter the value for each key here.

  • Key Format: Options here are ASCII or HEX.

Note

Each WLAN is associated with only one key index. Because only four key indexes are available, you can have only four WLANs configured for static WEP encryption.