iPass today unveiled its On Campus Roaming capability, the ability to use a single user interface and gain a single user experience to achieve enterprise connectivity on and off campus.
iPass has developed the Generic Interface Specification (GIS), which defines a method to authenticate subscription users at Wi-Fi hotspots. GIS, which has become the de facto industry standard for smart-client based roaming between disparate WISP networks, is integrated into the iPassConnect 2.3 client with support for Windows, Mac OS, Palm OS and Windows CE/Pocket PC. It is being implemented by access gateway vendors including Cisco, Toshiba, FatPort, Nomadix, Pronto and others.
The integration of roaming can include a “1-click” VPN solution that allows credentials to automatically be passed from iPassConnect to the VPN client, and an “auto teardown” feature which will disconnect a remote access session if the VPN tunnel is lost. The on Campus Roaming features network security and reduces the potential unforeseen network vulnerabilities posed by ad hoc deployment of Wi-Fi technology inside the corporate environment.
iPass recently adopted a new pricing plan which takes effect November 15, 2002. It will charge users by the minute instead of the current a fixed fee for each twenty-four hour period of service.
Network Computing explains the difference betweeen IPSec and SSL:
Both supply a method for secure (encrypted) communications between a remote user and a host system. And both can support remote and mobile workers.
The key difference between them is where the secure clients run. In an IPSec network, a secure pathway is set up between the user and the host server. This approach allows access to all IP-based applications that would otherwise be available to users if they were connected directly. Though somewhat complex, this setup provides a high level of flexibility.
SSL, on the other hand, is a browser-based implementation. As such, the primary applications are limited to Web-enabled applications, file sharing and e-mail. Rob Flickenger explains SSH tunneling. Strong authentication is a key component of wireless LAN security and that’s where 802.1x comes in. WEP was designed to provide both authentication and privacy, but does neither. To solve the user-authentication problem, the 802.11 working group adopted the 802.1x.
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