ZyXEL Communications MAX-306M1 User Manual

User’s Guide

Use the TOOLS > Certificates screens to manage public key certificates on the 
WiMAX Modem.

The WiMAX Modem can use public key certificates (also sometimes called “digital 
IDs”) to authenticate users. Certificates are based on public-private key pairs. A 
certificate contains the certificate owner’s identity and public key. Certificates 
provide a way to exchange public keys for use in authentication.

Public key certificates are used by web browsers to ensure that a secure web site 
is legitimate. When a certificate authority such as VeriSign, Comodo, or Network 
Solutions (to name a few) receives a certificate request from a website operator, 
they confirm that the web domain and contact information in the request match 
those on public record with a domain name registrar. If they match, then the 
certificate is issued to the website operator, who then places it on his site to be 
issued to all visiting web browsers to let them know that the site is legitimate.

• The My Certificates screen (

) lets you generate and 

export self-signed certificates or certification requests and import the WiMAX 

Modem’s CA-signed certificates.

• The Trusted CAs screen (

) lets you display a 

summary list of certificates of the certification authorities that you have set the 

WiMAX Modem to accept as trusted.

The following terms and concepts may help as you read through this chapter.

A Certification Authority (CA) issues certificates and guarantees the identity of 
each certificate owner. There are commercial certification authorities like 
CyberTrust or VeriSign and government certification authorities. You can use the