Open System and Shared Key Authentication
802.11 supports two subtypes of network authentication services: open system and shared key. Under open system authentication, any wireless station can request authentication. The station that needs to authenticate with another wireless station sends an authentication management frame that contains the identity of the sending station. The receiving station then returns a frame that indicates whether it recognizes the sending station. Under shared key authentication, each wireless station is assumed to have received a secret shared key over a secure channel that is independent from the 802.11 wireless network communications channel.
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