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Old 07-20-2002   #4 (permalink)
Sh00t3r
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Michigan
Posts: 199
Blackwave,

In regards to a section in the link you posted...Authentication Type

shared key authentication vs. open authentication

To my knowledge, and especially after reading that link, open authentication is really the way to go huh?

"The weakness with this particular method (shared key authentication) is in the clear text transmission of the challenge string. By passively listening to the conversation, an attacker can obtain two of the three variables in the authentication equation; the clear text challenge string and what the challenge string looks like after it has been encrypted. By plugging these values into the RC4 equations, the attacker can easily solve for the shared authentication key. Furthermore, because the same keys are used for shared key authentication and WEP, when you use shared key authentication and it is compromised you have had your WEP keys compromised as well, meaning that an intruder could then decipher all traffic to and from the AP point and its clients. Ironically, the most secure setting of this feature is 'open authentication', allowing anyone to associate with your access points, and relying on other methods to handle security."

So why is my linksys AP using BOTH? Should I set it specifically to open?

Sh00t3r
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