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  • RSN (Robust Secure Network)


    RSN (Robust Secure Network) is a protocol for establishing secure communications over an 802.11 wireless network.

    RSN (Robust Secure Network) is part of the 802.11i standard.

    The RSN Protocol Process

    The RSN protocol functions as follows:

    1. The wireless NIC sends a Probe Request.
    2. The wireless access point sends a Probe Response with an RSN Information Exchange (IE) frame.
    3. The wireless NIC requests authentication via one of the approved methods.
    4. The wireless access point provides authentication for the wireless NIC.
    5. The wireless NIC sends an Association Request with an RSN Information Exchange (IE) frame.
    6. The wireless access point send an Association Response.

    The RSN Information Element

    RSN begins to establish a secure communication channel by broadcasting an RSN Information Element message across the wireless network.

    The RSN Information Element (IE) broadcasts the following information:

    • All enabled authentication suites
    • All enabled unicast cipher suites
    • Multicast cipher suite

    The format of the RSN Information Element frame is:

    Field Length in octets
    Element ID 1
    Element Length 1
    Version 2
    Group key suite 4
    Pairwise suite count 2
    Pairwise suite list 4 per pairwise suite
    Authentication suite count 2
    Authentication suite list 4 per authentication suite
    Capabilities 2

    RSN Authentication and Key Management Suites

    The authentication and key management suites supported by RSN include:

    Code Meaning
    00:00:00:1 802.1X authentication and key management
    00:00:00:2 No authentication; 802.1X key management

    RSN Cipher Suites

    The pairwise or group cipher suites supported by RSN include:

    Code Meaning
    00:00:00:1 WEP
    00:00:00:2 TKIP
    00:00:00:3 WRAP
    00:00:00:4 CCMP
    00:00:00:5 WEP-104

    RSN on Legacy Wireless Hardware

    Wireless networks which employ RSN but allow the use of TKIP are sometimes referred to by the term Transition Security Network (TSN).

    TSN is necessary because legacy wireless equipment does not have the necessary hardware to support the CCMP protocol.

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    One comment
    1. amit

      19 February, 2012 at 3:07 am

      I II HAVE IPHONE 4S CDMA OF US.IwANT TO GET CDMA NUMBER OF RELIANCE.THEY ASK ME TO GET RSN NUMBER OF IPNHONEHONE .HOW CAN  GET RSN NUMBER OF IPHONE 4S IN INDIA?

      Reply
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