ZyXEL Communications NWA 1121-NI -, User Manual

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Chapter 1 Introducing the NWA1121-NI
NWA1121-NI User’s Guide
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1.4 Configuring Your NWA1121-NI’s Security Features
Your NWA1121-NI comes with a variety of security features. This section summarizes these
features and provides links to sections in the User’s Guide to configure security settings on your
NWA1121-NI. Follow the suggestions below to improve security on your NWA1121-NI and network.
1.4.1 Control Access to Your Device
Ensure only people with permission can access your NWA1121-NI.
• Control physical access by locating devices in secure areas, such as locked rooms. Most
NWA1121-NIs have a reset button. If an unauthorized person has access to the reset button,
they can then reset the device’s password to its default password, log in and reconfigure its
settings.
• Change any default passwords on the NWA1121-NI, such as the password used for accessing the
NWA1121-NI’s web configurator (if it has a web configurator). Use a password with a
combination of letters and numbers and change your password regularly. Write down the
password and put it in a safe place.
• See Section 11.5 on page 121 for instructions on changing your password.
• Configure remote management to control who can manage your NWA1121-NI. See Chapter 9 on
page 101 for more information. If you enable remote management, ensure you have enabled
remote management only on the IP addresses, services or interfaces you intended and that other
remote management settings are disabled.
1.4.2 Wireless Security
Wireless devices are especially vulnerable to attack. Take the following measures to improve
wireless security.
• Enable wireless security on your NWA1121-NI. Choose the most secure encryption method that
all devices on your network support. See Section 6.6 on page 74 for directions on configuring
encryption. If you have a RADIUS server, enable IEEE 802.1x or WPA(2) user identification on
your network so users must log in. This method is more common in business environments.
• Hide your wireless network name (SSID). The SSID can be regularly broadcast and unauthorized
users may use this information to access your network. See Section 6.5 on page 72 for directions
on using the web configurator to hide the SSID.
• Enable the MAC filter to allow only trusted users to access your wireless network or deny
unwanted users access based on their MAC address. See Section 6.8 on page 89 for directions on
configuring the MAC filter.
1.5 Good Habits for Managing the NWA1121-NI
Do the following things regularly to make the NWA1121-NI more secure and to manage it more
effectively.
• Change the password. Use a password that’s not easy to guess and that consists of different
types of characters, such as numbers and letters.
• Write down the password and put it in a safe place.