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SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES 10) Installation and Administration
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30.1 Wireless LAN

Wireless LANs have become an indispensable aspect of mobile computing. Today, most laptops have built-in WLAN cards. The 802.11 standard for the wireless communication of WLAN cards was prepared by the IEEE organization. Originally, this standard provided for a maximum transmission rate of 2 MBit/s. Meanwhile, several supplements have been added to increase the data rate. These supplements define details such as the modulation, transmission output, and transmission rates:

Table 30-1 Overview of Various WLAN Standards

Name

Band (GHz)

Maximum Transmission Rate (MBit/s)

Note

802.11

2.4

2

Outdated; virtually no end devices available

802.11b

2.4

11

Widespread

802.11a

5

54

Less common

802.11g

2.4

54

Backward-compatible with 11b

Additionally, there are proprietary standards, like the 802.11b variation of Texas Instruments with a maximum transmission rate of 22 MBit/s (sometimes referred to as 802.11b+). However, the popularity of cards using this standard is limited.

30.1.1 Hardware

802.11 cards are not supported by SUSE® Linux Enterprise. Most cards using 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g are supported. New cards usually comply with the 802.11g standard, but cards using 802.11b are still available. Normally, cards with the following chips are supported:

A number of older cards that are rarely used and no longer available are also supported. An extensive list of WLAN cards and the chips they use is available at the Web site of AbsoluteValue Systems at https://www.linux-wlan.org/docs/wlan_adapters.html.gz. https://wiki.uni-konstanz.de/wiki/bin/view/Wireless/ListeChipsatz provides an overview of the various WLAN chips.

Some cards need a firmware image that must be loaded into the card when the driver is initialized. This is the case with , , and . The firmware can easily be installed with the YaST Online Update. The firmware for Intel PRO/Wireless cards ships with SUSE Linux Enterprise and is automatically installed by YaST as soon as a card of this type is detected. More information about this subject is available in the installed system in /usr/share/doc/packages/wireless-tools/README.firmware.

30.1.2 Function

In wireless networking, various techniques and configurations are used to ensure fast, high-quality, and secure connections. Different operating types suit different setups. It can be difficult to choose the right authentication method. The available encryption methods have different advantages and pitfalls.

Operating Mode

Basically, wireless networks can be classified as managed networks and ad-hoc networks. Managed networks have a managing element: the access point. In this mode (also referred to as infrastructure mode), all connections of the WLAN stations in the network run over the access point, which may also serve as a connection to an ethernet. Ad-hoc networks do not have an access point. The stations communicate directly with each other. The transmission range and number of participating stations are greatly limited in ad-hoc networks. Therefore, an access point is usually more efficient. It is even possible to use a WLAN card as an access point. Most cards support this functionality.

Because a wireless network is much easier to intercept and compromise than a wired network, the various standards include authentication and encryption methods. In the original version of the IEEE 802.11 standard, these are described under the term WEP. However, because WEP has proven to be insecure (see Security), the WLAN industry (joined under the name Wi-Fi Alliance) has defined a new extension called WPA, which is supposed to eliminate the weaknesses of WEP. The later IEEE 802.11i standard (also referred to as WPA2, because WPA is based on a draft version 802.11i) includes WPA and some other authentication and encryption methods.

Authentication

To make sure that only authorized stations can connect, various authentication mechanisms are used in managed networks:

Open

An open system is a system that does not require authentication. Any station can join the network. Nevertheless, WEP encryption (see Encryption) can be used.

Shared Key (according to IEEE 802.11)

In this procedure, the WEP key is used for the authentication. However, this procedure is not recommended, because it makes the WEP key more susceptible to attacks. All an attacker needs to do is to listen long enough to the communication between the station and the access point. During the authentication process, both sides exchange the same information, once in encrypted form and once in unencrypted form. This makes it possible for the key to be reconstructed with suitable tools. Because this method makes use of the WEP key for the authentication and for the encryption, it does not enhance the security of the network. A station that has the correct WEP key can authenticate, encrypt, and decrypt. A station that does not have the key cannot decrypt received packets. Accordingly, it cannot communicate, regardless of whether it had to authenticate itself.

WPA-PSK (according to IEEE 802.1x)

WPA-PSK (PSK stands for preshared key) works similarly to the Shared Key procedure. All participating stations as well as the access point need the same key. The key is 256 bits in length and is usually entered as a passphrase. This system does not need a complex key management like WPA-EAP and is more suitable for private use. Therefore, WPA-PSK is sometimes referred to as WPA Home.

WPA-EAP (according to IEEE 802.1x)

Actually, WPA-EAP is not an authentication system but a protocol for transporting authentication information. WPA-EAP is used to protect wireless networks in enterprises. In private networks, it is scarcely used. For this reason, WPA-EAP is sometimes referred to as WPA Enterprise.

WPA-EAP needs a Radius server to authenticate users. EAP offers three different methods for connecting and authenticating to the server: TLS (Transport Layer Security), TTLS (Tunneled Transport Layer Security), and PEAP (Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol). In a nutshell, these options work as follows:

EAP-TLS

TLS authentication relies on the mutual exchange of certificates both for server and client. First, the server presents its certificate to the client where it is evaluated. If the certificate is considered valid, the client in turn presents its certificate to the server. While TLS is secure, it requires a working certification management infrastructure in your network. This infrastructure is rarely found in private networks.

EAP-TTLS and PEAP

Both TTLS and PEAP are two-stage protocols. In the first stage, a secure is established and in the second one the client authentication data is exchanged. They require far less certification management overhead than TLS, if any.

Encryption

There are various encryption methods to ensure that no unauthorized person can read the data packets that are exchanged in a wireless network or gain access to the network:

WEP (defined in IEEE 802.11)

This standard makes use of the RC4 encryption algorithm, originally with a key length of 40 bits, later also with 104 bits. Often, the length is declared as 64 bits or 128 bits, depending on whether the 24 bits of the initialization vector are included. However, this standard has some weaknesses. Attacks against the keys generated by this system may be successful. Nevertheless, it is better to use WEP than not encrypt the network at all.

TKIP (defined in WPA/IEEE 802.11i)

This key management protocol defined in the WPA standard uses the same encryption algorithm as WEP, but eliminates its weakness. Because a new key is generated for every data packet, attacks against these keys are in vain. TKIP is used together with WPA-PSK.

CCMP (defined in IEEE 802.11i)

CCMP describes the key management. Usually, it is used in connection with WPA-EAP, but it can also be used with WPA-PSK. The encryption takes place according to AES and is stronger than the RC4 encryption of the WEP standard.

30.1.3 Configuration with YaST

To configure your wireless network card, start the YaST Network Card module. Here you can also choose whether to use YaST or NetworkManager for managing your network card. If you select YaST, select the device type Wireless in Network Address Setup and click Next. In Wireless Network Card Configuration, shown in Figure 30-1, make the basic settings for the WLAN operation:

Figure 30-1 YaST: Configuring the Wireless Network Card

Operating Mode

A station can be integrated in a WLAN in three different modes. The suitable mode depends on the network in which to communicate: Ad-hoc (peer-to-peer network without access point), Managed (network is managed by an access point), or Master (your network card should be used as the access point). To use any of the WPA-PSK or WPA-EAP modes, the operating mode must be set to managed.

Network Name (ESSID)

All stations in a wireless network need the same ESSID for communicating with each other. If nothing is specified, the card automatically selects an access point, which may not be the one you intended to use.

Authentication Mode

Select a suitable authentication method for your network: Open, Shared Key, WPA-PSK, or WPA-EAP. If you select WPA authentication, a network name must be set.

Expert Settings

This button opens a dialog for the detailed configuration of your WLAN connection. A detailed description of this dialog is provided later.

After completing the basic settings, your station is ready for deployment in the WLAN.

IMPORTANT: Security in Wireless Networks

Be sure to use one of the supported authentication and encryption methods to protect your network traffic. Unencrypted WLAN connections allow third parties to intercept all network data. Even a weak encryption (WEP) is better than none at all. Refer to Encryption and Security for information.

Depending on the selected authentication method, YaST prompts you to fine-tune the settings in another dialog. For Open, there is nothing to configure, because this setting implements unencrypted operation without authentication.

Shared Key

Set a key input type. Choose from Passphrase, ASCII, or Hexadecimal. You may keep up to four different keys to encrypt the transmitted data. Click WEP Keys to enter the key configuration dialog. Set the length of the key: 128 bit or 64 bit. The default setting is 128 bit. In the list area at the bottom of the dialog, up to four different keys can be specified for your station to use for the encryption. Press Set as Default to define one of them as the default key. Unless you change this, YaST uses the first entered key as the default key. If the standard key is deleted, one of the other keys must be marked manually as the default key. Click Edit to modify existing list entries or create new keys. In this case, a pop-up window prompts you to select an input type (Passphrase, ASCII, or Hexadecimal). If you select Passphrase, enter a word or a character string from which a key is generated according to the length previously specified. ASCII requests an input of 5 characters for a 64-bit key and 13 characters for a 128-bit key. For Hexadecimal, enter 10 characters for a 64-bit key or 26 characters for a 128-bit key in hexadecimal notation.

WPA-PSK

To enter a key for WPA-PSK, select the input method Passphrase or Hexadecimal. In the Passphrase mode, the input must be 8 to 63 characters. In the Hexadecimal mode, enter 64 characters.

WPA-EAP

Enter the credentials you have been given by your network administrator. For TLS, provide Identity, Client Certificate, Client Key, and Server Certificate. TTLS and PEAP require Identity and Password. Server Certificate and Anonymous Identity are optional. YaST searches for any certificate under /etc/cert, so save the certificates given to you to this location and restrict access to these files to 0600 (owner read and write).

Click Details to enter the advanced authentication dialog for your WPA-EAP setup. Select the authentication method for the second stage of EAP-TTLS or EAP-PEAP communication. If you selected TTLS in the previous dialog, choose any, MD5, GTC, CHAP, PAP, MSCHAPv1, or MSCHAPv2. If you selected PEAP, choose any, MD5, GTC, or MSCHAPv2. PEAP version can be used to force the use of a certain PEAP implementation if the automatically-determined setting does not work for you.

Click Expert Settings to leave the dialog for the basic configuration of the WLAN connection and enter the expert configuration. The following options are available in this dialog:

Channel

The specification of a channel on which the WLAN station should work is only needed in Ad-hoc and Master modes. In Managed mode, the card automatically searches the available channels for access points. In Ad-hoc mode, select one of the 12 offered channels for the communication of your station with the other stations. In Master mode, determine on which channel your card should offer access point functionality. The default setting for this option is Auto.

Bit Rate

Depending on the performance of your network, you may want to set a certain bit rate for the transmission from one point to another. In the default setting Auto, the system tries to use the highest possible data transmission rate. Some WLAN cards do not support the setting of bit rates.

Access Point

In an environment with several access points, one of them can be preselected by specifying the MAC address.

30.1.4 Utilities

hostap (package hostap) is used to run a WLAN card as an access point. More information about this package is available at the project home page (https://hostap.epitest.fi/).

kismet (package kismet) is a network diagnosis tool with which to listen to the WLAN packet traffic. In this way, you can also detect any intrusion attempts in your network. More information is available at https://www.kismetwireless.net/ and in the manual page.

30.1.5 Tips and Tricks for Setting Up a WLAN

These tips can help tweak speed and stability as well as security aspects of your WLAN.

Stability and Speed

The performance and reliability of a wireless network mainly depend on whether the participating stations receive a clean signal from the other stations. Obstructions like walls greatly weaken the signal. The more the signal strength sinks, the more the transmission slows down. During operation, check the signal strength with the iwconfig utility on the command line (Link Quality field) or with KInternet in KDE. If you have problems with the signal quality, try to set up the devices somewhere else or adjust the position of the antennas of your access points. Auxiliary antennas that substantially improve the reception are available for a number of PCMCIA WLAN cards. The rate specified by the manufacturer, such as 54 MBit/s, is a nominal value that represents the theoretical maximum. In practice, the maximum data throughput is no more than half this value.

Security

If you want to set up a wireless network, remember that anybody within the transmission range can easily access it if no security measures are implemented. Therefore, be sure to activate an encryption method. All WLAN cards and access points support WEP encryption. Although this is not entirely safe, it does present an obstacle for a potential attacker. WEP is usually adequate for private use. WPA-PSK would be even better, but it is not implemented in older access points or routers with WLAN functionality. On some devices, WPA can be implemented by means of a firmware update. Furthermore, Linux does not support WPA on all hardware components. When this documentation was prepared, WPA only worked with cards using , , or chips. On , WPA only works if the hostap driver is used (see Problems with Prism2 Cards). If WPA is not available, WEP is better than no encryption. In enterprises with advanced security requirements, wireless networks should only be operated with WPA.

30.1.6 Troubleshooting

If your WLAN card fails to respond, check if you have downloaded the needed firmware. Refer to Section 30.1.1, Hardware. The following paragraphs cover some known problems.

Multiple Network Devices

Modern laptops usually have a network card and a WLAN card. If you configured both devices with DHCP (automatic address assignment), you may encounter problems with the name resolution and the default gateway. This is evident from the fact that you can ping the router but cannot surf the Internet. The Support Database features an article on this subject at https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Name_Resolution_Does_Not_Work_with_Several_Concurrent_DHCP_Clients.

Problems with Prism2 Cards

Several drivers are available for devices with chips. The various cards work more or less smoothly with the various drivers. With these cards, WPA is only possible with the hostap driver. If such a card does not work properly or not at all or you want to use WPA, read /usr/share/doc/packages/wireless-tools/README.prism2.

WPA

WPA support is quite new in SUSE Linux Enterprise and still under development. Thus, YaST does not support the configuration of all WPA authentication methods. Not all wireless LAN cards and drivers support WPA. Some cards need a firmware update to enable WPA. If you want to use WPA, read /usr/share/doc/packages/wireless-tools/README.wpa.

30.1.7 For More Information

The Internet pages of Jean Tourrilhes, who developed the Wireless Tools for Linux, present a wealth of useful information about wireless networks. See https://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/Wireless.html.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES 10) Installation and Administration
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