IAS provides a great deal of leverage in providing security for a wireless network. One of the features that is commonly overlooked in an IAS implementation is the usage of the fast reconnect feature when setting up PEAP authentication. When fast reconnect is disabled, the client and server must recreate and retransmit session keys every time the client roams from one access point to another. When enabled, these session keys are cached so that a client can roam from AP to AP in a more seamless manner. Enabling fast reconnect is something that can eliminate a great deal of packet loss for roaming clients and is a must for mission critical mobile applications.
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Chris Sanders is the network administrator for one of the largest public school systems in the state of Kentucky. Chris is the author of the book Practical Packet Analysis as well as several technical articles. His personal website at www.chrissanders.org contains a great deal of information, articles, and guides related to network administration, network security, packet analysis, and general information technology.
