SonicWALL Wireless Configuration Wizard
To access SonicWALL’s Wireless Configuration Wizard, log on to the
SonicWALL router, then click the Wireless button found within the left
navigation bar of SonicWALL’s Web-based management interface. The
Wireless Status page will be displayed. Click the Wireless Wizard
button that appears toward the top-right of the screen.
The SonicWALL Wireless Configuration Wizard will appear. Click the
Next button to proceed with the wireless administration utility.
The wizard’s first step will appear as seen in Figure A. Step one
addresses wireless local area network (WLAN) network settings. You must
specify the WLAN IP address and subnet mask before continuing. In
addition, a checkbox is provided for enabling Windows networking
support between the wired local area network and the WLAN.
Be sure to
check the box to enable communication between the LAN and WLAN. Then,
click Next.
Step two requires setting the Service Set ID (SSID), radio mode,
country code and channel. The SonicWALL wizard provides a blank field
for specifying the SSID. The default SSID is sonicwall. Consider
changing the SSID to a value that reveals nothing about the
organization or office in which it is deployed. I typically deploy
SSIDs as HomeNetwork and BusinessNetwork, as doing so provides
potential hackers with less information about a network (particularly
in more heavily populated areas such as apartments and office parks).
On most SonicWALL routers, including the popular TZ 170 wireless
model, three radio modes are available: 2.4GHz 802.11 b, 2.4GHz 802.11g
or 2.4GHz 802.11g and b Mixed mode. Using the provided drop-down menu,
select the mode you wish to use within your organization.
The last item to configure within Step 2: WLAN 802.11b/g Settings is
the channel. Channels one through 11 are available options. Or,
AutoChannel is an alternative choice and, in fact, the default.
Choosing AutoChannel allows the wireless network equipment to
automatically negotiate the best channel settings. Once the channel is
specified, clicking Next continues to the next step.
Step 3: WLAN Security Settings enables configuring one of three security modes for the
SonicWALL wireless router. The three security mode choices are:
- WiFiSec VPN Security – The default selection, WiFiSec VPN Security
creates an IPSec-powered VPN over which the wireless traffic travels.
- WEP + Stealth Mode – Utilizes Wired Equivalent Protection (WEP) to secure wireless communications.
- Connectivity – Implements wireless communications featuring no encryption or access controls.
When selecting WiFiSec VPN Security and clicking Next, the Step 4:
WiFiSec – VPN Client User Authentication page appears. This step helps
create a user name and password for a new user with VPN client access
privileges. The WLAN WiFiSec security setting will enable the SoniCWALL
Group VPN feature. If you wish to edit user privileges, you can log on
to the SonicWALL router’s Web-based administrative interface and edit
user permissions by clicking Users | Settings.
After a user name and password are supplied, click Next to proceed
to the wizard’s fifth step. The Step 5: Wireless Guest Services screen
allows you to enable guest wireless access while also specifying the
guest account name, password and account and session lifetimes.
Once these values are supplied, click Next to view a Wireless
Configuration Summary. Clicking Apply prompts the SonicWALL
Configuration Wizard to apply the settings and configuration parameters
you’ve entered into the wizard. When the wizard completes, a
confirmation page should then appear (with a Finish button being the
only available option).
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