Cipher problem with HostAPD and Nokia n95

mookie · 07-22-2008, 07:25 AM

Hi,

I'm running HostAPD on OpenSUSE to authenticate mobile users to my network.

When trying to connect to the network with my Nokia n95 I'm having problems with some of the ciphers. The cipher options on the n95 phone are:

RSA, 3DES, SHA
RSA, AES, SHA
RSA, RC4, MD5
RSA, RC4, SHA
DHE-RSA, 3DES, SHA
DHE-DSS, 3DES, SHA
DHE-RSA, AES, SHA
DHE-DSS, AES, SHA

It is possible to connect when using any of the four first combinations above but not with any of the last four.

I want the connecting mobile devices to be able to connect with any combination of settings possible.

I am somewhat a newbie on the cipher area but is it possible that the last four are not supported by the HostAPD?? I have tried to google to see what is supported and what is not but without any luck.

Any idea??

Thank you!

BR
/Mookie

lensman3 · 07-23-2008, 09:53 PM

The DHE-xxx seems to be the common thread. Go to en.wikipedia.edu and look for "Diffie-Hellman key exchange". The first couple of paragraphs describe the problem, but it quickly degenerates into factorial math. It sounds like the first four require the entry of a password. The last four need a password the first time but not after that.

Sorry I can't help you more than that.

mookie · 07-24-2008, 01:30 AM

Thanx for replying!!

I have looked in to it some more. To authenticate through the HostAPD you obviously need to install certificates on the mobile device. Is it possible that the DHE-ciphers and the RSA-ciphers require different kinds of certificates? can that be the problem? If so do anyone know how to generate these certificates from the server.

07-22-2008, 07:25 AM	#1 (permalink)
mookie Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 9 OS: Linux - OpenSUSE	Cipher problem with HostAPD and Nokia n95 Hi, I'm running HostAPD on OpenSUSE to authenticate mobile users to my network. When trying to connect to the network with my Nokia n95 I'm having problems with some of the ciphers. The cipher options on the n95 phone are: RSA, 3DES, SHA RSA, AES, SHA RSA, RC4, MD5 RSA, RC4, SHA DHE-RSA, 3DES, SHA DHE-DSS, 3DES, SHA DHE-RSA, AES, SHA DHE-DSS, AES, SHA It is possible to connect when using any of the four first combinations above but not with any of the last four. I want the connecting mobile devices to be able to connect with any combination of settings possible. I am somewhat a newbie on the cipher area but is it possible that the last four are not supported by the HostAPD?? I have tried to google to see what is supported and what is not but without any luck. Any idea?? Thank you! BR /Mookie

07-23-2008, 09:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
lensman3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Littleton, Colorado USA Posts: 470 OS: xp 64 sp2 Fedora Core 8 (vmware xp core 8 x32) Minix	Re: Cipher problem with HostAPD and Nokia n95 The DHE-xxx seems to be the common thread. Go to en.wikipedia.edu and look for "Diffie-Hellman key exchange". The first couple of paragraphs describe the problem, but it quickly degenerates into factorial math. It sounds like the first four require the entry of a password. The last four need a password the first time but not after that. Sorry I can't help you more than that.

07-24-2008, 01:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
mookie Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 9 OS: Linux - OpenSUSE	Re: Cipher problem with HostAPD and Nokia n95 Thanx for replying!! I have looked in to it some more. To authenticate through the HostAPD you obviously need to install certificates on the mobile device. Is it possible that the DHE-ciphers and the RSA-ciphers require different kinds of certificates? can that be the problem? If so do anyone know how to generate these certificates from the server.