In a certain enterprise WLAN network, only when the access authentication security policy selects which of the following, the link authentication needs to use the shared key authentication method?

Question

Options

• AWPA/WPA2
• BDynamic WEP
• COpen
• DStatic WEP

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  10% (3)
• C
  3% (1)
• D
  83% (25)

Explanation

Static WEP is the only security policy that requires Shared Key Authentication (SKA) at the 802.11 link layer, because WEP relies on a fixed, pre-shared key - the authentication mechanism works by having the AP send a challenge text, which the client must encrypt with the shared WEP key and return, proving it knows the key before association is allowed.

WPA/WPA2 (A) and Dynamic WEP (B) both use Open System Authentication at the link layer; their actual security is enforced at higher layers - WPA/WPA2 via 802.1X/EAP or PSK handshakes, and Dynamic WEP via 802.1X with per-session key generation. Open (C) is literally defined as unauthenticated open system access - no key is involved at all.

Memory tip: Think "Static key = Shared key challenge." Only when a key is baked in statically (Static WEP) does 802.11 need to verify knowledge of that key at link-authentication time - dynamic and WPA-based methods push that proof up to higher-layer protocols, so they keep link auth "open."

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