Configuring Strong Wi-fi (802.1x) Authentication in Linux

In this tutorial series, we’ll first see how 802.1X authentication fits into the big picture of wireless LAN security. Then we’ll configure the authentication settings in Ubuntu. Lastly, we’ll review the manual configuration of 802.1X supplicants. Lets get started!

Back when the vulnerabilities of WEP encryption for Wi-Fi networks were uncovered, the IEEE and wireless industry started developing new protocols and standards. They came up with the 802.11i, a standard to finally implement a fully secure encryption mechanism for wireless LANs. Before it was completed, the Wi-Fi Alliance released the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption standard, loosely based on 802.11i using TKIP for the underlying encryption. Later they released WPA2, which includes full support for 802.11i using AES/CCMP encryption…