Method for realizing fast roaming switch in wireless network in line with 802.11 standard

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for realizing fast roaming switch in a wireless network in line with 802.11 standard. The wireless network in line with 802.11 standard comprises more than two wireless access points, a wireless controller, a wireless client and a 802.11X authentication server. In the method for realizing the fast roaming switch in the wireless network in line with the 802.11 standard, when the 802.11X authentication server sends unicast master keys to a first wireless access point and a wireless client by the wireless controller, the wireless controller intercepts and stores the unicast master keys and then sends the unicast master keys to the rest of wireless access points for storage, thus the wireless client only needs to carry out the whole 802.11X authentication for once in the roaming process; and when the wireless client is switched to the other wireless access point, four-time handshakes are only needed to finish the switch among the wireless access points, thereby reducing pressure of the authentication server and realizing fast switch.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the field of wireless network application, in particular to the field of wireless network application of the 802.11 standard, and specifically refers to a method for realizing fast roaming switching in the 802.11 standard wireless network. Background technique [0002] The 802.11i standard (WPA2) stipulates that wireless users must perform identity verification when roaming to ensure network security. Two technologies for fast roaming are defined in the standard: PMK (unicast master key) caching and pre-authentication. [0003] PMK caching: When roaming from one wireless access point to another, the wireless client must perform full 802.1X authentication with each wireless access point. WPA2 allows wireless clients and wireless access points to cache complete 802.1X authentication results, so that when the client roams back to an authenticated wireless access point, it only needs to perform a four-way handshake and determine t...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0005] These two methods have their own disadvantages. In the first PMK caching method, the wireless client must perform a complete 802.1X authentication with each wireless access point, and must roam back to the authenticated wireless access point. Do fast switching, which increases the operating burden of the authentication server and causes delays in the roaming switching process

And it takes a long time to perform 802.1X authentication when roaming to a new wireless access point for the first time, which will make users feel interrupted

In the second pre-authentication method, the wireless client must perform complete 802.1X authentication with each wireless access point in advance, which also increases the operating burden of the authentication server and also causes delays in the roaming handover process.

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