User's Manual

3 Configuration
26 Installation and User Guide: Airgo Wireless LAN Client Adapter
Automatic key-generation methods rely upon digital certificates, which contain encoded user and
encryption information to verify the identity of a user and match it with a database of secure user
records. A certificate authority is the network service that manages digital certificates and
guarantees their integrity. The IEEE 802.1X standard specifies certificate-based authentication
using EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol). EAP, in turn, comes in numerous variations.
Most enterprises manage remote access to the certificate authority using a RADIUS (Remote
Authentication Dial-In User Service) server. In this arrangement, client PC users install RADIUS
client software on their local PCs to provide RADIUS server access. Funk Software and Microsoft
are the major suppliers of RADIUS client software.
For home or small office networks, shared or pre-shared keys can provide adequate authentication
without the burden of centralized management and control. Airgo also offers a built-in RADIUS
security portal in the Airgo Access Points to extend the management and scalability features of
centralized management to administrators in small-to-mid sized office environments.
Airgo Client Utility Security Options
The network list in the Airgo Client Utility Expanded View displays the security required for each
network and profile.
The Airgo Client Utility supports configuration of the WEP or Open security options. In the Profile
window, you can select WEP or open security for the radio connection between your PC and the
access point, and enter choices for encryption and authentication within the selected security
framework. For instructions, see “Working with Profiles” on page 21.
Windows XP users can connect to networks that support WPA security. To do so, it is necessary to
use the Wireless Zero Config (WZC) capability native to Windows XP. When WZC is enabled, the
profile features of the Airgo Client Utility are automatically disabled; however, it is still
recommended to use the Airgo Client Utility to view and scan for networks.
To use WZC to configure security settings, first confirm that WZC is enabled:
1 From the Start menu, choose Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.
2 Check whether the Status column displays “Started.”
3 If Started is not the value in the Status column,
a Double-click the Wireless Zero Config entry to open the Wireless Zero Configuration
Properties dialog box.
b Select Automatic from the Start-up Type pull-down list.
c Click Start.
d Click OK.