Security of IEEE 802.11b

Abstract: The IEEE 802.11b standard is today the only commonly used standard in Europe for fast wireless networks. This makes it possible to connect computers to networks in places where it is not possible to use wires. Examples of such situations are internet access at airports, communication in emergency areas or for military communication. Common for all these situations is that network security is important. This thesis consists of two different parts. The first part handles the security mechanisms and the second part is an evaluation of the possibilities to use IEEE 802.11b in embedded applications. The part that handles the security includes the security mechanisms found in the standard, flaws in these mechanisms and methods that try to reduce these problems.