Wireless Security Overview; User Authentication - ZyXEL Communications P-870HN-51B - V1.0 Manual

7.10.3 Wireless Security Overview

The following sections introduce different types of wireless security you can set up
in the wireless network.
7.10.3.1 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.
7.10.3.2 MAC Address Filter
Every device that can use a wireless network has a unique identification number,
called a MAC address.
2
characters
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.

7.10.3.3 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.
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.
P-870HN-51b User's Guide
1
A MAC address is usually written using twelve hexadecimal
; for example, 00A0C5000002 or 00:A0:C5:00:00:02. To get the MAC
Chapter 7 Wireless LAN
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