12

Certificates

12.1 Overview

This chapter describes how your ZyXEL Device can use certificates as a means of authenticating wireless clients. It gives background information about public-key certificates and explains how to use them.

A certificate contains the certificate owner’s identity and public key. Certificates provide a way to exchange public keys for use in authentication.

Figure 107 Certificates Example

In the figure above, the ZyXEL Device (Z) checks the identity of the notebook (A) using a certificate before granting it access to the network.

12.1.1What You Can Do in the Certificates Screens

•Use the My Certificates screens (Section 12.2 on page 188) to generate and export self- signed certificates or certification requests and import the ZyXEL Device’s CA-signed certificates.

•Use the Trusted CAs screens (Section 12.3 on page 196) to save CA certificates to the ZyXEL Device.

•Use the Trusted Remote Hosts screens (Section 12.4 on page 201) to import self-signed certificates.

•Use the Directory Servers screens (Section 12.5 on page 206) to configure a list of addresses of directory servers (that contain lists of valid and revoked certificates).

 

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P-660HN-F1 User’s Guide