Management Tools Ease Wireless LAN Security Chores

Management Tools Ease Wireless LAN Security Chores
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Interlink, Airespace and Aruba prepare new management software to help ease the process of securing a wireless network.Several wireless LAN vendors are preparing new management software to help ease the process of securing a wireless network. Interlink Networks Inc., Airespace Inc. and Aruba Wireless Networks have each developed advancements to their respective WLAN products that ease network management and security configuration—an issue that for many users has become the primary obstacle to deploying safe systems.

Interlink next month will launch a version of its LucidLink Wireless Security software, which reduces Wi-Fi security configuration to a couple of mouse clicks. LucidLink Version 2.0 bests previous versions with support for as many as 250 users and client support for Microsoft Corp.s Windows 2000. It adds a remote management console and new troubleshooting tools, said officials at the Ann Arbor, Mich., company. The software ranges in price from $449 for 10 users to $3,995 for 250 users.

LucidLink prevents unauthorized attacks and protects wireless data using a mix of wireless security protocols such as WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA2, 802.1x and 802.11i. While many products support the same protocols, LucidLink distinguishes itself with ease of configuration, according to officials.

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Click here to read about some recent security solutions for protecting wireless LANs.

"The first time you want to get into your wireless LAN and set up a secure connection, you click on a single button and all the configuration is set up," said Mike Klein, CEO of Interlink.

Customers say such simplicity is key.

"We dont want to have somebody dedicated to the task of providing security," said Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations LLC, a software development company, also in Ann Arbor. "We have a lot of people on our team who are capable technologists, but I need them working on our paying projects rather than on our IT infrastructure."

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