This week we will focus on some new security features of the Unimax router. These security features not only help restrict the network access but protect unwanted users from accessing the network or Unimax configuration.

MAC filtering – This is a feature whereby the user can limit the access of any PC on the LAN to have access to Unimax router or even limit access to internet. In computer networking, MAC Filtering (layer 2 address filtering) refers to a security access control methodology whereby the 48-bit address assigned to each network card is used to determine access to the network.

MAC addresses are uniquely assigned to each card, so using MAC filtering on a Unimax router permits and denies network access to Unimax web page or access to internet depending on the rule specified in the web page. While the restriction of network access through the use of lists is straightforward, an individual person is not identified by a MAC address, rather a device only, so an authorized person will need to have an entry for each device that he or she would use to access the network.

IP filtering – IP filtering is simply a mechanism that decides which types of IP datagram’s will be processed normally and which will be discarded. By discarded we mean that the datagram is deleted and completely ignored, as if it had never been received. You can apply different sorts of criteria to determine which datagram’s you wish to filter; for examples Protocol type: TCP, UDP.

It is important to understand at this point that IP filtering is a network layer facility. This means it doesn’t understand anything about the application using the network connections, only about the connections themselves. Users can limit which machines have access to which protocol.

For further info in configuring any of the features in Unimax Router please contact the Maxon Technical help desk team on +61 2 8707 3000 or e-mail support@maxon.com.au.