WESM zl Management and Configuration Guide WT.01.28 and greater

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Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs)
Configuring a WLAN
The number of characters for the key depends on the WEP key length and
on the format in which you enter the key. Table 4-3 summarizes these
requirements.
Table 4-3. Key Length for Static WEP Keys
The key next to the selected circle (Key 1 in Figure 4-31) is the key that
currently encrypts and decrypts data. For greater security, remember to
periodically change which key is in use.
Note The more often an encryption key is used, the more vulnerable it is to hackers. Even
when administrators diligently rotate and change WEP keys, this form of WEP is
significantly less secure than WEP with 802.1X authentication or WPA/WPA2.
6. If you want to return this WLAN to the default static WEP keys, click the Restore
Default WEP Keys button.
Another screen is displayed, asking you to confirm the return to the default keys.
If you are sure, click Yes. You still have one more chance to change your mind.
The keys do not return to the defaults until you click the OK button and close the
screen. You can view the default values for WEP keys through the CLI by
entering this command: show running-config include-factory.
7. After you set the key, click the OK button. Then click the OK button on the
WLAN’s Edit screen to apply the settings.
Configuring WEP Encryption with 802.1X Authentication (Dynamic WEP).
WEP with 802.1X authentication is also called dynamic WEP because 802.1X helps
to distribute encryption keys automatically. The Wireless Edge Services zl Module
and stations encrypt and decrypt data with WEP keys; however, instead of every
station using the same key, stations first identify themselves to a network authenti-
cation server. When a station passes the authentication test, the station and the
authentication server generate a unique WEP key for that session alone, which the
server passes to the module.
To configure this type of security for a WLAN, complete these steps:
Key Length Format Characters
64-bit Hexadecimal 10
ASCII 5
128-bit Hexadecimal 26
ASCII 13