An Adaptive Scheme And Its Software Implementation For Multiple Authentication Modes In WLAN

Wireless local area network (WLAN) is widely used by telecommunications operators as one of the most perspective technologies. However, there are still lots of problems to be solved such as authentication, authorization, accounting and network security. This thesis proposes an adaptive scheme and develops its software to enhance the authentication of WLAN, which is more convenient and safer for users.This thesis deeply analyzes three commonly used authentication methods (WEP, EAP-SIM and WAPI), and then compares them in several aspects. According to our investigation, most of WLAN client softwares support only one authentication mode or one of multiple network cards. It is inconvenient for users to access WLAN, because they have to select one from multiple authentication modes and one from many kinds of client softwares to fit the mode.To solve these problems, this thesis proposes a scheme, which can intelligently select one of the multiple authentication modes according to the different users' safe ranks, and adaptivly access WLAN based on the selected authentication mode. The scheme consists of two steps. The first step is to select authentication method. Based on safe class selected by users, it can automatically arrange the priority basis of several authentication modes. Besides, it can adjust to lower-priority authentication mode when the user's equipments do not meet the requirement of selected authentication method or the authentication has failed. Regarding the second part, the scheme can automatically access WLAN based on WEP, EAP-SIM and WAPI, as well as second authentication based WEB/Portal mode for different telecommunication operators.In this thesis, the WLAN dynamic link library software is also developed, according to the above mentioned scheme. Our software program uses the design concept of layer and module, and it includes interface layer, connection management layer and equipment management layer. The software not only accomplishes the adaptive selection and access of WEP, EAP-SIN and WAPI, which makes users access WLAN more easily, but also opens the convenient software interface for other client software programs using. Finally, the WLAN dynamic link library is tested, the results shows it satisfies the design demands.