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Wireless & Mobility · Foundational

Open System Authentication

The default 802.11 authentication method, a null exchange that always succeeds.

Definition

Open system authentication simply verifies 802.11 compatibility. Actual security in WPA2/WPA3 is performed afterward via 802.1X/EAP or PSK and the 4-way handshake. All modern WLANs use open system before RSN authentication, except SAE.

Exam tip

Open system does not mean no encryption; it precedes RSN authentication.

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