  Traditionally, 802.11-based networks that relied on wired equivalent protocol
(WEP) were especially vulnerable to packet sniffing. Today, wireless networks
are more prolific, and the monitoring devices used to find them are mobile and
easy to access. Securing wireless networks can be difficult because these
networks consist of radio transmitters and receivers, and anybody can listen,
capture data and attempt to compromise it. In recent years, a range of
technologies and mechanisms have helped make networking more secure. This paper
holistically evaluated various enhanced protocols proposed to solve WEP related
authentication, confidentiality and integrity problems. It discovered that
strength of each solution depends on how well the encryption, authentication
and integrity techniques work. The work suggested using a Defence-in-Depth
Strategy and integration of biometric solution in 802.11i. Comprehensive
in-depth comparative analysis of each of the security mechanisms is driven by
review of related work in WLAN security solutions.
