ZyXEL Communications 70 Series - Manual (Page 189)

ZyWALL 5/35/70 Series User’s Guide
189 Chapter 9 Wireless LAN
Figure 78 WPA-PSK Authentication
9.13 Introduction to RADIUS
The ZyWALL can use an external RADIUS server to authenticate an unlimited number of
users. RADIUS is based on a client-sever model that supports authentication and accounting,
where access point is the client and the server is the RADIUS server.
• Authentication
Determines the identity of the users.
• Accounting
Keeps track of the client’s network activity.
RADIUS user is a simple package exchange in which your ZyWALL acts as a message relay
between the wireless station and the network RADIUS server.
9.14 WPA with RADIUS Application Example
You need the IP address of the RADIUS server, its port number (default is 1812), and the
RADIUS shared secret. A WPA application example with an external RADIUS server looks as
follows. "A" is the RADIUS server. "DS" is the distribution system.
1 The AP passes the wireless client's authentication request to the RADIUS server.
2 The RADIUS server then checks the user's identification against its database and grants
or denies network access accordingly.
3 The RADIUS server distributes a Pairwise Master Key (PMK) key to the AP that then
sets up a key hierarchy and management system, using the pair-wise key to dynamically
generate unique data encryption keys to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly
communicated between the AP and the wireless clients.