ZyXEL Communications 100 Series User Manual

Chapter 43 System

ZyWALL USG 100/200 Series User’s Guide

You can set the ZyWALL to use HTTP or HTTPS (HTTPS adds security) for web 
configurator sessions. Specify which zones allow web configurator access and from which IP 
address the access can come.

HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, or HTTP over SSL) is a web 
protocol that encrypts and decrypts web pages. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is an application-
level protocol that enables secure transactions of data by ensuring confidentiality (an 
unauthorized party cannot read the transferred data), authentication (one party can identify the 
other party) and data integrity (you know if data has been changed). 

It relies upon certificates, public keys, and private keys (see 

 

for more 

information).

HTTPS on the ZyWALL is used so that you can securely access the ZyWALL using the web 
configurator. The SSL protocol specifies that the HTTPS server (the ZyWALL) must always 
authenticate itself to the HTTPS client (the computer which requests the HTTPS connection 
with the ZyWALL), whereas the HTTPS client only should authenticate itself when the 
HTTPS server requires it to do so (select Authenticate Client Certificates in the WWW 
screen). Authenticate Client Certificates is optional and if selected means the HTTPS client 
must send the ZyWALL a certificate. You must apply for a certificate for the browser from a 
CA that is a trusted CA on the ZyWALL.

Please refer to the following figure.

1 HTTPS connection requests from an SSL-aware web browser go to port 443 (by default) 

on the ZyWALL’s web server.

2 HTTP connection requests from a web browser go to port 80 (by default) on the 

ZyWALL’s web server.

Figure 496   HTTP/HTTPS Implementation

"

If you disable HTTP in the WWW screen, then the ZyWALL blocks all HTTP 
connection attempts.