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Watchguard AP User guide

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WatchGuard APDevice Deployment Guide
WatchGuard AP
Deployment Guide
AP100, AP102, AP200
About this Guide
The WatchGuard APDeployment Guide is a guide for deployment of a WatchGuard APdevice with an XTMdevice. For the
most recent product documentation, see the Fireware XTM WatchGuard System Manager Help or Fireware XTMWeb UI Help
on the WatchGuard web site at: http://www.watchguard.com/help/documentation/.
Information in this guide is subject to change without notice. Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are
fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
Guide revised: 10/30/2014
Copyright, Trademark, and Patent Information
Copyright © 1998-2014 WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks or trade names mentioned herein, if
any, are the property of their respective owners.
Complete copyright, trademark, patent, and licensing information can be found in the Copyright and Licensing Guide, available
online at: http://www.watchguard.com/help/documentation/.
About WatchGuard
WatchGuard offers affordable, all-in-one network and content
security solutions that provide defense-in-depth and help meet
regulatory compliance requirements. The WatchGuard XTM line
combines firewall, VPN, GAV, IPS, spam blocking and URL
filtering to protect your network from spam, viruses, malware, and
intrusions. The new XCS line offers email and web content
security combined with data loss prevention. WatchGuard
extensible solutions scale to offer right-sized security ranging
from small businesses to enterprises with 10,000+ employees.
WatchGuard builds simple, reliable, and robust security
appliances featuring fast implementation and comprehensive
management and reporting tools. Enterprises throughout the world
rely on our signature red boxes to maximize security without
sacrificing efficiency and productivity.
For more information, please call 206.613.6600 or visit
www.watchguard.com.
Address
505 Fifth Avenue South
Suite 500
Seattle, WA 98104
Support
www.watchguard.com/support
U.S. and Canada +877.232.3531
All Other Countries
+1.206.521.3575
Sales
U.S. and Canada +1.800.734.9905
All Other Countries
+1.206.613.0895
AP Deployment Guide iii
Table of Contents
WatchGuard APDevice Deployment Guide i
About this Guide ii
Copyright, Trademark, and Patent Information ii
About WatchGuard ii
Address ii
Support ii
Sales ii
Introduction 1
WatchGuard AP Device Requirements and Limitations 2
Requirements 2
Limitations 2
AP Device Deployment Steps 3
Benefits of VLANs for Your APDevice 3
Step 1 — Enable the Gateway Wireless Controller 4
Step 2 — Connect the APDevice 5
Option 1 —Connect the APDevice to a Firebox or XTMDevice Interface 5
Option 2 — Connect the APdevice to a Switch 6
Step 3 — Configure the SSIDs 7
Step 4 — Pair the APDevice 8
Step 5 — Configure the APDevice Radios 10
Plan your Wireless APDevice Deployment 12
Wireless Site Survey 13
Wireless Modes and Channels 15
Wireless Channels 15
Use Wireless Deployment Maps to Find Channel Conflicts 16
Wireless Signal Strength and Noise Levels 17
Signal Strength 17
Noise Level 17
Signal to Noise Ratio 17
Wireless Environmental Factors 18
Wireless Placement 19
Use Wireless Deployment Maps for AP Device Placement 20
AP Deployment Guide iv
View Wireless Deployment Maps 21
Wireless Deployment Maps Overview 21
Use Maps for APDevice Placement 22
See Wireless Channel Conflicts 24
Find Unauthorized Access Points 28
Monitor AP Device Status 29
Monitor Wireless Clients 30
About APDevice Activation 31
Reset the WatchGuard AP Device 31
For APdevice firmware 1.2.9.2 or higher 31
For AP device firmware 1.2.9.1 or lower 31
Additional Resources 32
AP Deployment Guide 1
Introduction
The mass adoption of smart wireless devices such as tablets, smart phones and notebooks, has
greatly increased the demand for wireless access to most networks. The WatchGuard AP100, AP102,
and AP200 devices enable you to add wireless access to the networks that are protected by your
Firebox or XTM device.
To add wireless access to your network, you can simply connect one or more WatchGuard APdevices
to any trusted or optional network on your Firebox or XTMdevice. Then you use the Gateway Wireless
Controller on the Firebox or XTMdevice to discover, configure, and manage the APdevices. The
network security policies already configured on your XTMdevice automatically apply to wireless
users.
The APdevice can also be located on the custom zone network (for Fireware XTM
OS v11.9 and higher). To allow the Gateway Wireless Controller to discover an
APdevice on a custom zone network, you must modify the WatchGuard Gateway
Wireless Controller policy to allow traffic from the custom zone.
You can then configure the AP device and SSIDs to meet the requirements of your wireless network.
n To increase the wireless range of your network and support wireless roaming you can use the
same SSID on multiple APdevices.
n To support different groups of wireless users, you can configure your AP device to use more
than one wireless SSIDs.
n You can optionally enable VLAN tagging in your SSIDs, and then use the VLANs in your
policies to create more specific rules for your wireless users, based on the SSIDthat they
connect to.
The procedures in this document describe how to use Policy Manager to configure
your Firebox or XTM device and APdevice. You could also use Fireware XTMWeb
UI to complete these steps. For more information, see the Fireware XTMWeb UI
Help.
This document includes the information you must know for the initial deployment of a WatchGuard
AP100, AP102, or AP200 device on your network. For a more comprehensive reference to all AP
device functionality, see the WatchGuard System Manager Help.
WatchGuard AP Device Requirements and Limitations
Before you add a WatchGuard AP device to your network, it is important to understand the
requirements and limitations of the AP device.
Requirements
n The WatchGuard AP device must be managed by a WatchGuard XTMdevice that uses
Fireware XTM OS v11.7.2 or higher.
n The XTMdevice must be configured in mixed routing mode.
n The APdevice must connect to a trusted or optional network.
n The XTM device configuration must include a policy that allows NTP traffic from the APdevice
to the Internet. The AP device uses an NTPserver to set the correct local time.
Limitations
n You cannot use the Fireware XTMCommand Line Interface to manage WatchGuard AP
devices.
n You cannot use a WatchGuard Management Server to manage WatchGuard AP devices.
n You cannot locate WatchGuard APdevices behind a NATfirewall.
Introduction
2
APDeployment Guide
AP Device Deployment Steps
AP Deployment Guide 3
AP Device Deployment Steps
When you add one or more WatchGuard AP devices to your network, you can manage and configure
the AP devices from the Gateway Wireless Controller on your Firebox or XTMdevice. You do not have
to connect directly to the AP device to configure it. The Gateway Wireless Controller on your Firebox or
XTMdevice manages the AP device for you.
To deploy any AP device on your Firebox o XTMdevice network you must:
1. Enable the Gateway Wireless Controller on your Firebox or XTMdevice.
2. Connect the APdevice to your network.
3. Configure SSIDs.
4. Pair the APdevice with you Firebox or XTMdevice.
5. Configure the APdevice settings.
You can optionally enable VLAN tagging in the SSIDs for your APdevice. If you enable VLAN tagging,
you must also configure the necessary VLANs on your XTM device.
This APDeployment Guide describes the basic steps necessary to deploy an AP device on your
network. For a more detailed description of the configuration settings, see the WatchGuard System
Manager Help.
Benefits of VLANs for Your APDevice
To deploy an APdevice on your network, you do not have to enable VLAN tagging. There are,
however, several reasons you could want to enable VLAN tagging:
You want to configure different firewall policies for SSIDs that connect to the same network
If you configure more than one SSID for your AP devices, and you want to set different firewall
policies for each SSID, you can enable VLANtagging in the SSID and then use the VLAN
IDassociated with each SSID in policies specific to each SSID.
For example, you could add a different HTTP policy for each SSID that specifies the
VLANassociated with that SSID. This enables you to specify which users can connect to each
SSID.
You want to separate the traffic on the same physical network to different logical networks.
If you have several APdevices connected to the same physical network, VLAN tagging gives
you the ability to separately examine traffic for wireless clients connected to each SSID.
For example, if you run a network analyzer, you can use the VLAN tags to see the traffic for the
VLANIDassociated with an SSID.
Or, you might want to set up all of your AP devices with one SSID for the trusted network, and a
different SSID for the optional network. You can set up a trusted VLAN and an optional VLAN to
separate the traffic for the trusted and optional wireless clients.
The subsequent sections provide a more detailed overview of the steps to deploy an AP device without
VLANtagging. For more information about VLANs and for configuration examples, see the
WatchGuard System Manager Help.
Step 1 — Enable the Gateway Wireless Controller
Before your Firebox or XTM device can discover and manage your APdevices, you must enable the
Gateway Wireless Controller.
1. Open your XTMdevice configuration in Policy Manager.
2. Select Network >Gateway Wireless Controller.
3. Select the Enable the Gateway Wireless Controller check box.
The WatchGuard AP Passphrase dialog box appears.
4. In the WatchGuard APPassphrase text box, type the passphrase that you want all your
APdevices to use after they are paired. Click OK.
5. Click Settings.
The Settings dialog box appears with the Access Point Settings tab selected.
AP Device Deployment Steps
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APDeployment Guide
AP Device Deployment Steps
AP Deployment Guide 5
6. From the Select the location of the WatchGuard APdevices drop-down list, select the
country where your AP devices are located.
This location is used to help configure the wireless radio on your APdevices.
7. Click OK.
8. Save the configuration to your Firebox or XTMdevice.
Step 2 — Connect the APDevice
Use one of these options to connect the APdevice to your trusted or optional network. The APdevice
can also be located on the custom zone network (Fireware XTM OS v11.9 and higher). To allow the
Gateway Wireless Controller to discover an AP device on a custom zone network, you must modify
the WatchGuard Gateway Wireless Controller policy to allow traffic from the custom zone.
By default, the APdevice automatically requests an IP address from a DHCP server on the local
network.. If the network you connect your APdevice to does not use DHCP, you can use the web UI
on the AP device to manually assign a staticIPaddress to the APdevice before you connect it to your
network. For more information, see the APSetup Guide or WatchGuard System Manager Help.
Option 1 —Connect the APDevice to a Firebox or XTMDevice Interface
If you have an unused interface on your Firebox or XTMdevice, you can connect the AP device directly
to a trusted or optional interface on your Firebox or XTMdevice.
APdevice connected to the Firebox or XTMdevice
To configure the Firebox or XTM device interface as a trusted or optional interface:
1. In Policy Manager, select Network > Configuration.
2. Configure the Firebox or XTMdevice interface as trusted or optional, and enable DHCP on that
interface.
3. Save the configuration to the device.
4. Connect the APdevice to the interface you configured.
Option 2 — Connect the APdevice to a Switch
You can connect the AP device to the switch on your trusted or optional network. When you use this
option, you do not have to change the network settings on the XTM device interface.
APdevice connected to a switch
AP Device Deployment Steps
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APDeployment Guide
AP Device Deployment Steps
AP Deployment Guide 7
Step 3 — Configure the SSIDs
When you configure the SSIDs that your wireless user connect to, you must select a wireless security
mode for the SSID. By default, the security mode for an SSID is set to Disabled. In this mode, the
SSID operates as an open wireless network. You can change this to one of the WPA or WPA security
modes that use pre-shared keys (PSK) or RADIUS authentication.
n WPAonly (PSK)
n WPA2 only (PSK)
n WPA/WPA2 (PSK)
n WPA Enterprise
n WPA2 Enterprise
n WPA/WPA2 Enterprise
To use the Enterprise authentication methods, you must have a RADIUSserver.
To configure the SSIDs for your device:
1. In Policy Manager, select Network >Gateway Wireless Controller.
2. On the SSIDs tab, click Add.
The Add SSID dialog box appears.
3. In the Network Name (SSID) text box, type the SSID for the wireless network.
The SSID is the network name wireless clients see when they connect to the AP device.
4. Select the Security tab.
5. From the Security Mode drop-down list, select the wireless security mode.
6. Configure the security settings for the selected security mode.
7. Repeat these steps to create additional SSIDs.
Step 4 — Pair the APDevice
When you first connect the AP device to your network, it is an unpaired Access Point. The power LED
on the AP device alternates from green to amber when the device is unpaired.
To pair the AP device to your Firebox or XTMdevice:
1. In Policy Manager, select Network >Gateway Wireless Controller.
The Gateway Wireless Controller dialog box appears.
2. Select the Access Points tab.
3. To start a scan for the unpaired APdevices in your area, click Refresh.
The Refresh the Unpaired Access Points list dialog box appears.
4. Specify the user name and passphrase for a user with Device Administrator privileges.
The Firebox or XTMdevice scans for unpaired APdevices.
5. From the Unpaired Access Points list, select the AP device to pair.
6. Click Pair.
The Pairing Passphrase dialog box appears.
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AP Deployment Guide 9
7. In the Pairing Passphrase text box, type the passphrase of the AP device.
The default AP passphrase is wgwap.
8. Click OK.
The Edit Access Dialog box appears.
When the APdevice is paired, the power LED on the device changes to green.
Step 5 — Configure the APDevice Radios
The Edit Access Point dialog box automatically opens after you pair the APdevice. From this dialog
box, select the radio settings to use for each radio on your AP device. AP100 and AP102 devices each
have one radio, Radio 1. You can configure it to use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. An AP200
device has two single-band radios, Radio 1 and Radio 2. Because Radio 1 always uses the 2.4 GHz
band, and Radio 2 always uses the 5 GHz band, you do not have to configure the radio bands for an
AP200 device.
1. For an AP100 or AP102 device, from the Banddrop-down list, select the band for Radio 1:
n 2.4GHz
n 5GHz
For an AP200 device, you do not have to set the radio band.
2. From the Wireless Mode drop-down list, select the wireless mode to use for each radio. The
available modes depend on the radio band:
n 2.4GHz band — 802.11 B, G and N wireless modes
n 5GHz band — 802.11 A and N wireless modes
3. (Optional) For each radio, select the Preferred Channel.
For the AP 102 outdoor model, the Use outdoor channels only option is enabled by default.
AP Device Deployment Steps
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APDeployment Guide
AP Device Deployment Steps
AP Deployment Guide 11
4. (Optional) For each radio, select the Rate and TXPower.
The rate limits the maximum data transfer rate per wireless client.
5. For each radio, select a configured SSID and click Add.
6. Save the configuration to the Firebox or XTMdevice.
The Preferred Channel and Rate are configurable in Fireware XTM OS v11.8 and
higher. TXPower, Disable LEDs, Use outdoor channels only, and Disable DFS
Channels option are configurable in Fireware XTMOS v11.9 and higher.
Plan your Wireless APDevice Deployment
Before you deploy WatchGuard APdevices on your network, you must research, design, and plan your
wireless network deployment to make sure it meets your requirements for coverage, signal strength,
data rates, and security.
We recommend that you review these sections for general wireless knowledge and guidelines for a
successful deployment.
n Wireless Site Survey — Perform a wireless site survey to analyze your current environment and
wireless requirements.
n Wireless Modes and Channels — Determine which wireless modes and channels you support
for your wireless clients.
n Wireless Signal Strength and Noise Levels — Understand wireless signal strength and signal-
to-noise ratios.
n Wireless Environment Factors — Identify environmental factors that can affect the range and
performance of wireless networks.
n WatchGuard APDevice Placement — Determine the best location and placement of your
WatchGuard AP devices.
n Wireless Deployment Maps — Use the Wireless Deployment Maps feature on the Gateway
Wireless Controller to help deploy your WatchGuard AP devices, check signal strength, and
resolve channel conflicts.
Plan your Wireless APDevice Deployment
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APDeployment Guide
Plan your Wireless APDevice Deployment
AP Deployment Guide 13
Wireless Site Survey
Before you deploy a new WatchGuard AP device, you can perform a wireless site survey to analyze
your current environment and existing wireless signals. The wireless site survey helps you to identify
your specific requirements for your wireless network, and any external factors that could affect your
deployment.
Site survey results can help you determine this information:
n Number of wireless clients that must be supported
n Areas of coverage and number of AP devices required
n Best physical placement of AP devices
n Range from clients to each AP device
n Minimum data rates required for specific applications
n Wireless signal strength and potential sources of wireless noise and interference
n Environmental factors that affect wireless signals, such as building construction and materials
Typically, you begin a site survey with a physical walk-through of your environment. It is helpful to
have a floor plan of your facilities that shows your existing networking environment and a list of
requirements for your planned wireless networks. A visual inspection helps you to understand the
areas of coverage required, the physical limitations and barriers due to building construction, and
potential sources of wireless interference.
After you complete a physical inspection of your facilities, you must be able to visualize and
understand where the current wireless signals are located in your environment, and how they react to
your physical environment.
Many wireless site survey tools are available that enable you to map your environment and generate
wireless heat maps, which provide a visual representation of the wireless signals in your environment.
The heat map shows the strength and range of wireless access points, how their signals react to your
physical environment, and identifies any existing wireless interference.
To determine what wireless signals and interference already exist in your environment, you can
generate a heat map to help you plan your deployment scenario. You can use one of the many available
third-party wireless site survey tools. such as Ekahau HeatMapper. After you install your AP devices,
you can make another heat map of your environment to see if your current placement provides
adequate coverage and signal strength for your wireless network.
You can also use the Wireless Deployment Maps feature on the Gateway Wireless Controller to
provide a simulated physical view of your wireless network to help you place the APdevices in optimal
locations for maximum coverage, and to detect channel conflicts with other wireless devices in your
area.
Plan your Wireless APDevice Deployment
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APDeployment Guide
Plan your Wireless APDevice Deployment
AP Deployment Guide 15
Wireless Modes and Channels
WatchGuard AP wireless devices support two different wireless bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The band
you select and the country you specify determine which wireless modes are available.
n The 2.4 GHz band supports 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n
n The 5 GHz band supports 802.11a and 802.11n
The 802.11n protocol is the latest wireless standard, and provides high data rates and performance in
the 5 GHz frequency band. It is only supported in the most recent types of wireless devices.
If you choose a wireless mode that supports more than one 802.11 standards, the
overall performance can be considerably impacted. This is in part because of
backward compatibility requirement when devices that use slower modes are
connected. The slower devices often use more of the available throughput because it
can take much longer to send or receive the same amount of data to devices that use
a slower mode.
Wireless Channels
A wireless channel is a specific division of frequencies within a specific wireless band. For example, in
the 2.4GHz band with a channel width of 20MHz, there are 14 defined channels spaced every 5MHz.
Channels 12 and 13 are available in countries outside of North America. Channel 14 is for Japan only
and is spaced at 12 MHz.
One wireless channel can overlap the frequency of another wireless channel. When you design and
deploy wireless networks, you must consider which channels you use for your wireless network. For
example, in the 2.4 GHz band, adjacent channels such as channel 3 and 4 have frequencies that
closely overlap, which can cause interference. In the 2.4 GHz band, channels 1, 6, and 11 are the most
commonly used channels. They do not overlap each other because of the space between their
frequencies. The 2.4GHz band is crowded because many other devices that operate on this band
(such as cordless phones, microwaves, monitors, and wireless headsets) also use the same
channels, and can cause wireless congestion.
In the 5GHz band, the full channel width is reserved and there is a very large selection of channels that
do not overlap. 802.11n also enables you to combine two 20MHz channels to form a 40MHz channel
for increased bandwidth.
In some regions, DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) channels operate in the 5GHz band. Because
DFS channels are used with radar, transmissions from your AP device stop if radar signals are
detected on that channel. Use can disable the use of DFS channels in your AP device configuration.
For outdoor model AP102, you can configure the device to only use outdoor channels.
Channel Selection
The WatchGuard AP device is configured by default to automatically select a wireless channel. When
you power on the WatchGuard AP device, it automatically scans the network and selects the wireless
channel with the least amount of interference.
The default channel width is configured as 20/40MHz. This mixed mode sets the radio to use 40MHz
channel width, but it also has additional transmission information, which enables it to be used in an
environment that includes 802.11a/b/g wireless access points.
Use Wireless Deployment Maps to Find Channel Conflicts
You can use the Wireless Deployment Maps feature in the Gateway Wireless Controller to help you
find wireless channel conflicts and optimize your wireless environment.
Plan your Wireless APDevice Deployment
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APDeployment Guide
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