SonicWALL 3 manual Optimal Wireless Performance Recommendations, Wireless Guest Services WGS, 129

Optimal Wireless Performance Recommendations

Optimal Wireless Performance

Recommendations

•Place the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless near the center of your intended net- work. This can also reduce the possibility of eavesdropping by neighboring wireless networks.

•Minimize the number of walls or ceilings between the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless and the receiving points such as PCs or laptops.

•Try to place theTZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless in a direct line with other wireless components. Best performance is achieved when wireless components are in direct line of sight with each other.

•Building construction can make a difference on wireless performance. Avoid placing the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless near walls, fireplaces, or other large solid objects. Placing the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless near metal objects such as compu- ter cases, monitors, and appliances can affect performance of the unit.

•Metal framing, UV window film, concrete or masonry walls, and metallic paint can reduce signal strength if the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless is installed near these types of materials.

•Installing the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless in a high place can help avoid obstacles and improve performance for upper stories of a building.

•Neighboring wireless networks and devices can affect signal strength, speed, and range of the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless. Also, devices such as cordless phones, radios, microwave ovens, and televisions may cause interference on the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/ TZ 170 Wireless.

Adjusting the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless Antennas

The antennas on the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless can be adjusted for the best radio reception. Begin with the antennas pointing straight up, and then adjust as necessary. Note that certain areas, such as the area directly below the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless, get relatively poor reception. Pointing the antenna directly at another wireless device does not improve reception. Do not place the antennas next to metal doors or walls as this can cause interference.

Wireless Guest Services (WGS)

With your TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless, you can provide wireless guest services to wireless-equipped users who are not part of your corporate network, for example, a consultant or a sales person. You can offer authenticated wireless users access to the Internet through your TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless while preventing access to your corporate LAN, or allowing them access to specific resources on the LAN and unencrypted access to the Internet.

When WGS is active, wireless clients can authenticate and associate with the Access Layer of the SonicWALL. When a Web browser is launched, the wireless user is prompted to provide a user name and password to gain access to WGS. The browser is redirected to the HTTP (unencrypted) management address of the TZ 50 Wireless/TZ 150 Wireless/TZ 170 Wireless, but the user name and password is not transmitted. Instead, a secure hash is transmitted rendering the information useless to anyone “eavesdropping” on the network. After authentication, users are tracked and controlled by the client MAC address as well as Account and Session lifetimes.

In order to take advantage of Wireless Guest Services, you must provide a guest with a user name and password which they use to authenticate themselves using HTTP and a Web browser, creating a secure HTTP session.

SONICWALL SONICOS STANDARD 3.0 ADMINISTRATOR’S GUIDE 129