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Page 121 / 427 Scroll up to view Page 116 - 120
P-2602H(W)(L)-DxA Series User’s Guide
Chapter 9 Wireless LAN
121
C
HAPTER
9
Wireless LAN
This chapter discusses how to configure the wireless network settings in your ZyXEL Device.
See the appendices for more detailed information about wireless networks.This chapter applies
to the “W” models only.
9.1
Wireless Network Overview
The following figure provides an example of a wireless network.
Figure 61
Example of a Wireless Network
The wireless network is the part in the blue circle. In this wireless network, devices
A
and
B
use the access point (
AP
) to interact with the other devices (such as the printer) or with the
Internet. Your ZyXEL Device is the AP.
Every wireless network must follow these basic guidelines.
•
Every device in the same wireless network must use the same SSID.
The SSID is the name of the wireless network. It stands for Service Set IDentity.
•
If two wireless networks overlap, they should use a different channel.
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Chapter 9 Wireless LAN
Like radio stations or television channels, each wireless network uses a specific channel,
or frequency, to send and receive information.
•
Every device in the same wireless network must use security compatible with the AP.
Security stops unauthorized devices from using the wireless network. It can also protect
the information that is sent in the wireless network.
9.2
Wireless Security Overview
The following sections introduce different types of wireless security you can set up in the
wireless network.
9.2.1
SSID
Normally, the ZyXEL Device acts like a beacon and regularly broadcasts the SSID in the area.
You can hide the SSID instead, in which case the ZyXEL Device does not broadcast the SSID.
In addition, you should change the default SSID to something that is difficult to guess.
This type of security is fairly weak, however, because there are ways for unauthorized wireless
devices to get the SSID. In addition, unauthorized wireless devices can still see the
information that is sent in the wireless network.
9.2.2
MAC Address Filter
Every device that can use a wireless network has a unique identification number, called a
MAC address.
1
A MAC address is usually written using twelve hexadecimal characters
2
; for
example, 00A0C5000002 or 00:A0:C5:00:00:02. To get the MAC address for each device in
the wireless network, see the device’s User’s Guide or other documentation.
You can use the MAC address filter to tell the ZyXEL Device which devices are allowed or
not allowed to use the wireless network. If a device is allowed to use the wireless network, it
still has to have the correct information (SSID, channel, and security). If a device is not
allowed to use the wireless network, it does not matter if it has the correct information.
This type of security does not protect the information that is sent in the wireless network.
Furthermore, there are ways for unauthorized wireless devices to get the MAC address of an
authorized device. Then, they can use that MAC address to use the wireless network.
1.
Some wireless devices, such as scanners, can detect wireless networks but cannot use wireless
networks. These kinds of wireless devices might not have MAC addresses.
2.
Hexadecimal characters are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F.
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Chapter 9 Wireless LAN
123
9.2.3
User Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying whether a wireless device is allowed to use the
wireless network. You can make every user log in to the wireless network before they can use
it. However, every device in the wireless network has to support IEEE 802.1x to do this.
For wireless networks, you can store the user names and passwords for each user in a RADIUS
server. This is a server used in businesses more than in homes. If you do not have a RADIUS
server, you cannot set up user names and passwords for your users.
Unauthorized wireless devices can still see the information that is sent in the wireless network,
even if they cannot use the wireless network. Furthermore, there are ways for unauthorized
wireless users to get a valid user name and password. Then, they can use that user name and
password to use the wireless network.
9.2.4
Encryption
Wireless networks can use encryption to protect the information that is sent in the wireless
network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot
understand the message.
The types of encryption you can choose depend on the type of authentication. (See
section
9.2.3 on page 123
for information about this.)
For example, if the wireless network has a RADIUS server, you can choose
WPA
or
WPA2
.
If users do not log in to the wireless network, you can choose no encryption,
Static WEP
,
WPA-PSK
, or
WPA2-PSK
.
Usually, you should set up the strongest encryption that every device in the wireless network
supports. For example, suppose you have a wireless network with the ZyXEL Device and you
do not have a RADIUS server. Therefore, there is no authentication. Suppose the wireless
network has two devices. Device A only supports WEP, and device B supports WEP and
WPA. Therefore, you should set up
Static WEP
in the wireless network.
Note:
It is recommended that wireless networks use
WPA-PSK
,
WPA
, or stronger
encryption. The other types of encryption are better than none at all, but it is still
possible for unauthorized wireless devices to figure out the original information
pretty quickly.
Table 35
Types of Encryption for Each Type of Authentication
No Authentication
RADIUS Server
Weakest
No Security
WPA
Static WEP
WPA-PSK
Strongest
WPA2-PSK
WPA2
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Chapter 9 Wireless LAN
When you select
WPA2
or
WPA2-PSK
in your ZyXEL Device, you can also select an option
(
WPA compatible
) to support WPA as well. In this case, if some of the devices support WPA
and some support WPA2, you should set up
WPA2-PSK
or
WPA2
(depending on the type of
wireless network login) and select the
WPA compatible
option in the ZyXEL Device.
Many types of encryption use a key to protect the information in the wireless network. The
longer the key, the stronger the encryption. Every device in the wireless network must have
the same key.
9.2.5
One-Touch Intelligent Security Technology (OTIST)
With ZyXEL’s OTIST, you set up the SSID and the encryption (WEP or WPA-PSK) on the
ZyXEL Device. Then, the ZyXEL Device transfers them to the devices in the wireless
networks. As a result, you do not have to set up the SSID and encryption on every device in
the wireless network.
The devices in the wireless network have to support OTIST, and they have to be in range of
the ZyXEL Device when you activate it. See
section 9.6 on page 133
for more details.
9.3
Wireless Performance Overview
The following sections introduce different ways to improve the performance of the wireless
network.
9.3.1
Quality of Service (QoS)
You can turn on Wi-Fi MultiMedia (WMM) QoS to improve the performance of voice and
video applications in the wireless network. QoS gives high priority to voice and video, which
makes them run more smoothly. Similarly, it gives low priority to many large file downloads
so that they do not reduce the quality of other applications.
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Chapter 9 Wireless LAN
125
9.4
Additional Wireless Terms
The following table describes wireless network terms and acronyms used in the ZyXEL
Device.
9.5
General WLAN Screen
Note:
If you are configuring the ZyXEL Device from a computer connected to the
wireless LAN and you change the ZyXEL Device’s SSID or WEP settings, you
will lose your wireless connection when you press
Apply
to confirm. You must
then change the wireless settings of your computer to match the ZyXEL
Device’s new settings.
Click
Network > Wireless LAN
to open the
Wireless LAN General
screen.
TERM
DESCRIPTION
Intra-BSS Traffic
This describes direct communication (not through the ZyXEL Device) between
two wireless devices within a wireless network.
You might disable this kind of
communication to enhance security within your wireless network.
RTS/CTS Threshold
In a wireless network which covers a large area, wireless devices are
sometimes not aware of each other’s presence.
This may cause them to send
information to the AP at the same time and result in information colliding and
not getting through.
By setting this value lower than the default value, the wireless devices must
sometimes get permission to send information to the ZyXEL Device. The lower
the value, the more often the devices must get permission.
If this value is greater than the fragmentation threshold value (see below), then
wireless devices never have to get permission to send information to the
ZyXEL Device.
Preamble
A preamble affects the timing in your wireless network. There are two
preamble modes: long and short. If a device uses a different preamble mode
than the ZyXEL Device does, it cannot communicate with the ZyXEL Device.
Authentication
The process of verifying whether a wireless device is allowed to use the
wireless network.
Max. Frame Burst
Enable this to improve the performance of both pure IEEE 802.11g and mixed
IEEE 802.11b/g networks. Maximum Frame Burst sets the maximum time that
the ZyXEL Device
transmits IEEE 802.11g wireless traffic only.
Fragmentation
Threshold
A small fragmentation threshold is recommended for busy networks, while a
larger threshold provides faster performance if the network is not very busy.
Roaming
If you have two or more ZyXEL Devices (or other wireless access points) on
your wireless network, you can enable this option so that wireless devices can
change locations without having to log in again. This is useful for devices, such
as notebooks, that move around a lot.

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