Sonicwall 06E User Manual

SonicPoint_N_GSG.book Page 1 Friday, June 4, 2010 3:08 PM

SonicWALL APL21-06E /APL21-083

SonicPoint-Ne / SonicPoint-Ni Getting Started Guide

SonicPoint_N_GSG.book Page 1 Friday, June 4, 2010 3:08 PM

SonicWALL SonicPoint-Ne / SonicPoint-Ni Getting Started Guide

This Getting Started Guide provides instructions for basic installation and configuration of the SonicWALL SonicPoint-Ne / SonicPoint-Ni wireless appliances in single-unit or distributed wireless deployments.

Setup

Step Procedure Est. Time

Before You Begin - page 3

Introduction to Secure Wireless - page 7

Registering Your Appliance - page 13

Configuring Your UTM Appliance for Wireless - page 17

Setting Up Your SonicPoint - page 23

Additional Configuration and Information

Support and Training Options - page 31

Product Safety and Regulatory Information - page 37

SonicWALL SonicPoint Getting Started Guide Page 1

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SonicPoint Top Panel / Status LEDs

link

wlan

(

act

link

)

act

lan

Power

Test SafeMode

Status LEDs

link

act

link

wlan

lan

wlan

act

link

act

link

act

lan

Wireless Link

Wireless Activity

1000mbps 100mbps 10Mbps

Ethernet Activity

Power Port

Provides 12VDC power connection

(SonicPoint-Ne only)

Provides Power over Ethernet (PoE)

LAN/PoE Port

and Ethernet connection

Page 2 SonicPoint Top Panel / Status LEDs

Reset Button

Press and hold to manually reset

Console Port

Provides management connection using CLI->DB9 cable (for command line management only)

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Before You Begin

In this Section:

This section provides a basic checklist of materials and information you will need before you begin.

• Check Package Contents - page 4

• What You Need to Begin - page 5

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Check Package Contents

Before continuing, ensure that your SonicPoint package contains the following materials:

SonicPoint-Ne Appliance Checklist SonicPoint-Ni Appliance Checklist

This Getting Started Guide Document

SonicPoint-Ne Appliance

Mounting Kit (Ceiling Braces, Anchor and Screw Kit)

Front LED/Logo Cover Plate

Antennas (3)

Power Adaptor

a. The included power cord is intended for use in North America only.

Any Items Missing?

If any of the items corresponding to your product are missing from the package, please contact SonicWALL support.

This Getting Started Guide Document

SonicPoint-Ni Appliance

Mounting Kit (Ceiling Braces, Anchor and Screw Kit)

Front LED/Logo Cover Plate

A listing of the most current support documents are available online at: <http://www.sonicwall.com/us/support.html>

Page 4 Check Package Contents

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What You Need to Begin

The SonicWALL SonicPoint-Ne/Ni security appliances are centrally managed by SonicWALL NSA E-Class appliances. For more information on deploying this SonicPoint with SonicWALL NSA series and TZ series platforms, contact your local SonicWALL sales representative for the supported SonicOS releases. SonicPoints receive auto-firmware updates from the central gateway SonicWALL, this device supports SonicOS 5.6.0.3 or higher releases.

In addition to the above SonicOS firmware and hardware requirements, ensure that your network deployment includes:

• An 802.3af compliant PoE injector or PoE-capable switch (optional when using the SonicPoint-Ne)

• An active Internet connection

• A configured interface on the SonicWALL security appliance set to a zone type of “wireless”

• A location selected for placement of your SonicPoint such as a wall or ceiling

• Clients capable of 802.11n wireless communications

1. Although clients with 802.11a/b/g hardware are supported, the presence of these legacy clients within range of your network may affect the connection speed of your 802.11n clients.

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Page 6

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Introduction to Secure Wireless

In this Section:

This section contains excerpts from the SonicWALL Secure Wireless Network Integrated Solutions Guide. The content is meant to provide a brief introduction to Radio Frequency (RF) technology as it pertains to different deployment scenarios.

• Wireless RF Introduction - page 8

• Placing Access Points - page 10

• SonicWALL Wireless Firewalling - page 12

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Wireless RF Introduction

There are currently four widely adopted standards for 802.11 wireless network types: a, b, g, and n. Although 802.11n is the newest and highest capacity standard, each of the four standards has its own strengths and weaknesses. This section provides overviews of these standards.

The following section provides a brief overview of RF technologies:

• Frequency Bands and Channels - page 8

• 802.11 Comparison Chart - page 8

• Radio Frequency Barriers - page 9

• RF Interference - page 9

Frequency Bands and Channels

To allow multiple separate wireless networks in a shared and confined space, the RF medium is divided into channels. For devices in the 5GHz range (802.11a), this means the possibility of up to 23 discrete channels. For devices using the 2.4GHz range (802.11b, 802.11g), the wireless space is limited to a maximum of 14 overlapping channels. As a result of these overlapping channels, 2.4GHz technology provides only a total of three discrete channels.

The newer 802.11n technology does not fit into either of these categories, as it is capable of using both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, but is limited to 14 overlapping channels for backward compatibility.

802.11 Comparison Chart

The following table compares signal characteristics as they apply to the current 802.11 standards:

802.11a 802.11b 802.11g 802.11n

# of Channels in USA 23 11 11 11

# of Channels in EU 23 13 13 13

# of Channels in Japan 15 14 14 14

Frequency Band 5GHz 2.4GHz 2.4GHz 2.4/5GHz

Max. Data Rate 54Mbps 11Mbps 54Mbps 150Mbps

300Mbps

Radius (Range) 90ft/25m 120ft/

35m

a. Full 300Mbps throughput is possible only in environments free from

2.4Ghz interference.

120ft/ 35m

300ft/90m

Note: Although 802.11b/g/n standards provide between 11

and 14 channels, only 3 of those channels are fully discrete (non-overlapping) channels.

For more information on this topic, refer to the SonicWALL Secure Wireless Networking Integrated Solutions Guide.

Page 8 Wireless RF Introduction

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Radio Frequency Barriers

Determining the location of RF barriers can be a painful part of the placement process, but keep in mind that they can be used beneficially in an attempt to block signals where you do not want coverage.

The following tables list some common RF barrier types:

Barrier Type RF Signal

Open air Very Low

Glass, drywall, cube partitions Low

Stone floors and walls (brick/marble/granite) Medium

Concrete, security glass, stacked books/paper High

Metal, metal mesh (chicken wire), re-enforced concrete, water

Faraday cage Extremely High

Blocking

Very High

RF Interference

RF interference from home, office, and medical equipment is a common source of frustration in wireless deployments from the smallest home office to the largest multi-building campus.

The following table lists several common sources of RF interference:

Interference Source Possible RF

2.4GHz phones Entire range (hundreds

Bluetooth devices Within 30 feet 802.11b/g/n

Microwave oven

Scientific and medical equipment

Off-network access points

RF reflective objects Long-range wireless

a. Most newer model microwave ovens have sufficient shielding to

negate possible RF interference.

Interference

of feet)

Within 10-20 feet 802.11b/g/n

Short distance, varies 802.11b/g/n

Entire range All

bridging

Band(s) Affected

802.11b/g/n

All

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Placing Access Points

Physical placement of an access point has a measurable effect on who can and cannot access your wireless signal. The following sections provide an overview of wireless access point placement, signal strength, and signal direction in common wireless deployment situations:

• Making Hardware Decisions - page 10

• Solutions to RF Interference and Barriers - page 11

Tip: For the latest SonicPoint wireless deployment

information from switching recommendations to site survey, see the SonicWALL SonicPoint

Deployment Best Practices Guide at: <http://www.sonicwall.com/us/support.html>

Making Hardware Decisions

The first decision in hardware is the access point. While access point technology (802.11a/b/g/n) is one factor in determining your placement, based on distance served and bandwidth needed, taking note of other hardware-based factors is just as important.

Some of the more important hardware decisions include:

• Number of access points versus user density – If too many users are serviced by a single access point, maximum transfer rates are reached and that point may become a bottleneck for the whole system.

• Bandwidth – How much data is moving upstream and downstream for a given type of user?

• Ethernet cabling – Where are you running the powered Ethernet (PoE) cable to and how are you securing that cable. Is your PoE switch able to power all access points?

• Hubs / Switches / UTM – Your wireless deployment has to tie back into your UTM appliance and LAN resources at some point. What speed is needed for your Ethernet connection to accommodate the number of access points you are installing? Also consider where your key networking devices are deployed and how they will connect efficiently with your wireless appliances.

• Upgrade your Ethernet connections for 802.11n – In most cases, 802.11n wireless hardware requires more bandwidth than a single (or even dual) 10/100 Ethernet connection can handle. Gigabit Ethernet connectivity between the WLAN and the LAN is required to take full advantage of 802.11n speed.

• Power up that PoE for 802.11n – Part of your wireless network planning should include verifying that your PoE equipment is 802.3af compliant, and that a full 15 watts of power can be supplied to each SonicPoint.

Page 10 Placing Access Points

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Solutions to RF Interference and Barriers

These days, finding an environment with no RF interference or noise is nearly impossible. Only if you are setting up an office in a secluded redwood grove can you count on RF interference to be a non-issue. Even then, the redwood trees might just be among those fitted with high-gain cellular antennas, an all-toocommon occurrence today. Regardless, you should expect to deal with some level of signal interference in your deployment.

Location A – Rogue access points or wireless test lab

• Problem – Wireless product test labs and other (non-

malicious) rogue access points are problems in many Wi-Fi deployments.

• Solution – Either eliminate all rogue access points, or

force their owners to use a set channel that does not overlap with your distributed wireless solution.

Location B – Spectrum noise for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

• Problem – Your phone system is partially wireless and

uses the 2.4GHz spectrum.

• Solution – Give VoIP a try. VoIP will work in tandem with

your wireless network, instead of against it. For more on SonicWALL VoIP implementation and capabilities, refer to the Configuring VoIP SonicOS feature module available at:

http://www.sonicwall.com/us/support.html

Location C – Off-network access points

• Problem – Your neighbors need wireless, too!

Unfortunately, only a few sheets of drywall separate you. Solution – Overpowering your neighbors with high-gain antennas is an option, but not a particularly neighborly one. Instead, you could simply use a different channel for wireless access points bordering this wall and ensure that your neighbors do the same. Performance in some dualchannel wireless devices may take a hit, but it is better than dropped connections—or unhappy neighbors.

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SonicWALL Wireless Firewalling

When a wireless device uses an access point to communicate with a device on another subnet or on a completely different network, traffic between the devices is forced to traverse the network gateway. This traversal enables Unified Threat Management (UTM) services to be enforced at the gateway.

Standard practice for wireless firewalling (where one wireless client is communicating with another) bypasses many of the critical UTM security services. The illustration below shows the standard practice for wireless firewalling.

Other Security Appliance

Content Filtering Service

Client Anti-Virus Enforcement

Gateway Anti-Virus

Gateway Anti-Spyware

Intrusion Prevention Service

Security Services

WLAN Zone

Many security products on the market share this potential vulnerability when two users connected by a common hub or wireless access point wish to exchange data.

SonicWALL addresses this security shortcoming by managing the SonicPoint access points from the UTM appliance. This allows complete control of the wireless space, including zone enforcement of security services and complete firewalling capabilities, as shown in the illustration below.

SonicWALL

SonicPoint

link

act

link

wlan

lan

WLAN Zone

SonicWALL

appliance

Content Filtering Service

Client Anti-Virus Enforcement

Gateway Anti-Virus

Gateway Anti-Spyware

Intrusion Prevention Service

Security Services

Page 12 SonicWALL Wireless Firewalling

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Registering Your Appliance

In this Section:

This section provides instructions for registering your SonicWALL SonicPoint appliance.

• Creating a MySonicWALL Account - page 14

• Registering and Licensing Your Appliance on MySonicWALL - page 14

• Using SonicWALL UTM Security Services for Wireless Clients - page 15

Note: Registration is an important part of the setup process and is necessary to receive the full benefits of SonicWALL security

services, firmware updates, and technical support.

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