Chapter 6 Wireless
LTE7461-M602 User’s Guide
55
These security standards vary in effectiveness. Some can be broken, such as the old Wired Equivalent
Protocol (WEP). Using WEP is better than using no security at all, but it will not keep a determined
attacker out. Other security standards are secure in themselves but can be broken if a user does not use
them properly. For example, the WPA-PSK security standard is very secure if you use a long key which is
difficult for an attacker’s software to guess - for example, a twenty-letter long string of apparently
random numbers and letters - but it is not very secure if you use a short key which is very easy to guess -
for example, a three-letter word from the dictionary.
Because of the damage that can be done by a malicious attacker, it’s not just people who have
sensitive information on their network who should use security. Everybody who uses any WiFi network
should ensure that effective security is in place.
A good way to come up with effective security keys, passwords and so on is to use obscure information
that you personally will easily remember, and to enter it in a way that appears random and does not
include real words. For example, if your mother owns a 1970 Dodge Challenger and her favorite movie is
Vanishing Point (which you know was made in 1971) you could use “70dodchal71vanpoi” as your
security key.
The following sections introduce different types of WiFi security you can set up in the WiFi network.
6.7.3.1 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 WiFi devices to get
the SSID. In addition, unauthorized WiFi devices can still see the information that is sent in the WiFi
network.
6.7.3.2 MAC Address Filter
Every device that can use a WiFi 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 WiFi 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 WiFi network. If a device is allowed to use the WiFi network, it still has to have the correct
information (SSID, channel, and security). If a device is not allowed to use the WiFi 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 WiFi network. Furthermore, there
are ways for unauthorized WiFi devices to get the MAC address of an authorized device. Then, they can
use that MAC address to use the WiFi network.
Some wireless devices, such as scanners, can detect WiFi networks but cannot use WiFi networks. These kinds
1.
of wireless devices might not have MAC addresses.
Hexadecimal characters are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
2.
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F.
Summary of Contents for LTE7461-M602
Page 12: ...12 PART I User s Guide...
Page 26: ...25 PART II Technical Reference...
