Centralized WLAN management is the solution to these problems. The configuration of the access points is then no longer carried out in the devices themselves but by a central authority instead, the WLAN controller. The WLAN controller authenticates the access points and transmits the correct configuration to the approved devices. This allows for convenient configuration of the WLAN from a central point and the changes to the configuration affect all of the access points simultaneously. Optionally the configuration provided by the WLAN controller is not stored in the access point's flash memory but in RAM, so security-related data cannot fall into the hands of unauthorized persons in the event of theft of a device. Only in "standalone" operation is the configuration optionally saved for a defined period to flash memory (in an area that cannot be read out with LANconfig or other tools).