Open System Authentication
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4/8/2010
Open system authentication does not provide authentication. It provides identification using the wireless adapter's MAC address. Open system authentication is used when no authentication is required. It is the default authentication algorithm.
Open system authentication uses the following process:
- The authentication-initiating wireless client sends an IEEE 802.11 authentication management frame that contains its identity.
- The receiving wireless AP checks the initiating station's identity and sends back an authentication verification frame.
With some wireless APs, you can configure the MAC addresses of allowed wireless clients. However, configuring the MAC address does not provide sufficient security because the MAC address of a wireless client can be spoofed.