Troubleshooting
Overview
This chapter offers some suggestions to solve problems you might encounter. The potential problems are divided into the following categories.
Power, Hardware Connections, and LED
The Zyxel Device does not turn on. The LED is not on.
1 Make sure you are using the power adapter included with the Zyxel Device or a PoE power injector/switch.
2 Make sure the power adapter or PoE power injector/switch is connected to the Zyxel Device and plugged in to an appropriate power source. Make sure the power source is turned on.
3 Disconnect and re-connect the power adapter or PoE power injector/switch.
4 Inspect your cables for damage. Contact the vendor to replace any damaged cables.
5 If none of these steps work, you may have faulty hardware and should contact your Zyxel Device vendor.
The LED does not behave as expected.
2 Check the hardware connections. See the Quick Start Guide.
3 Inspect your cables for damage. Contact the vendor to replace any damaged cables.
4 Disconnect and re-connect the power adapter or PoE power injector to the Zyxel Device.
5 If the problem continues, contact the vendor.
Zyxel Device Management, Access, and Login
I forgot the IP address for the Zyxel Device.
1 The default in-band IP address in standalone mode is http://DHCP-assigned IP (when connecting to a DHCP server) or 192.168.1.2.
2 If you changed the IP address and have forgotten it, you have to reset the Zyxel Device to its factory defaults. See
Resetting the Zyxel Device.
3 If your Zyxel Device is a DHCP client, you can find your IP address from the DHCP server. This information is only available from the DHCP server which allocates IP addresses on your network. Find this information directly from the DHCP server or contact your system administrator for more information.
4 If the NCC has managed the Zyxel Device, you can also check the NCC's AP > Monitor > Access Point screen for the Zyxel Device's current LAN IP address.
I cannot see or access the Login screen in the Web Configurator.
1 Make sure you are using the correct IP address.
• The default IP address (in standalone mode) is 192.168.1.2.
• If you changed the IP address, use the new IP address.
2 Check the hardware connections, and make sure the LED is behaving as expected. See the Quick Start Guide and
Zyxel Device Single LED.
3 Make sure your Internet browser does not block pop-up windows and has JavaScripts and Java enabled.
4 Make sure your computer is in the same subnet as the Zyxel Device. (If you know that there are routers between your computer and the Zyxel Device, skip this step.)
• If there is a DHCP server on your network, make sure your computer is using a dynamic IP address.
• If there is no DHCP server on your network, make sure your computer’s IP address is in the same subnet as the Zyxel Device.
5 Reset the Zyxel Device to its factory defaults, and try to access the Zyxel Device with the default IP address. See
Resetting the Zyxel Device.
6 If the problem continues, contact the network administrator or vendor, or try one of the advanced suggestions.
Advanced Suggestions
• Try to access the Zyxel Device using another service, such as Telnet. If you can access the Zyxel Device, check the remote management settings to find out why the Zyxel Device does not respond to HTTP.
• If your computer is connected wirelessly, use a computer that is connected to a LAN/ETHERNET port.
I forgot the password.
1 The default password is 1234. If the Zyxel Device is connected to the NCC and registered, check the NCC for the password.
I can see the Login screen, but I cannot log in to the Zyxel Device.
1 Make sure you have entered the user name and password correctly. The default password is 1234. This fields are case-sensitive, so make sure [Caps Lock] is not on.
2 You cannot log in to the Web Configurator while someone is using Telnet to access the Zyxel Device. Log out of the Zyxel Device in the other session, or ask the person who is logged in to log out.
3 Disconnect and re-connect the power adaptr or PoE power injector to the Zyxel Device.
I cannot use FTP to upload / download the configuration file. / I cannot use FTP to upload new firmware.
See the troubleshooting suggestions for
I cannot see or access the Login screen in the Web Configurator. Ignore the suggestions about your browser.
I cannot access the Zyxel Device directly anymore after switching to NCC management.
• Check the Zyxel Device IP address and login credentials using the NCC and use them to access the Zyxel Device. Note that the built-in Web Configurator will have limited functionality when managed through NCC.
I enabled NCC Discovery, but the Zyxel Device is still in standalone mode.
Make sure your Zyxel Device is registered to the NCC.
The Zyxel Device is already registered with NCC, but it is still in standalone mode; it cannot connect to the NCC.
2 Check your network’s firewall/security settings. Make sure the following TCP ports are allowed: 443, 4335, and 6667.
3 Make sure your Zyxel Device can access the Internet.
4 Check your network’s VLAN settings (see
VLAN). You may have to change the Management VLAN settings of the Zyxel Device to allow it to connect to the Internet and access the NCC.
Note: Changing the management VLAN and IP address settings on the Zyxel Device also pushes these changes to the NCC. Do this only if your device cannot otherwise connect to the NCC.
5 Make sure your Zyxel Device does not have to go through network authentication such as a captive portal, If your network uses a captive portal, the network administrator may have to create a new VLAN without this requirement. Change your Zyxel Device’s management VLAN settings as necessary.
Some features I set using the NCC do not work as expected.
1 Make sure your Zyxel Device can access the Internet.
2 Check your network’s firewall/security settings. Make sure the following ports are allowed:
• TCP: 443, 4335, and 6667
• UDP: 123
3 After changing your Zyxel Device settings using the NCC, wait 1-2 minutes for the changes to take effect.
I can only see newer logs. Older logs are missing.
When a log reaches the maximum number of log messages (see
Zyxel Device Product Feature), new log messages automatically overwrite the oldest log messages.
The commands in my configuration file or shell script are not working properly.
• In a configuration file or shell script, use “#” or “!” as the first character of a command line to have the Zyxel Device treat the line as a comment.
• Your configuration files or shell scripts can use “exit” or a command line consisting of a single “!” to have the Zyxel Device exit sub command mode.
• Include write commands in your scripts. Otherwise the changes will be lost when the Zyxel Device restarts. You could use multiple write commands in a long script.
Note: “exit” or “!'” must follow sub commands if it is to make the Zyxel Device exit sub command mode.
I cannot upload the firmware uploaded using FTP.
The Web Configurator is the recommended method for uploading firmware in standalone mode. For managed Zyxel Devices, using the NCC or AC is recommended. You only need to use FTP if you need to recover the firmware. See the CLI Reference Guide for how to determine if you need to recover the firmware and how to recover it.
Internet Access
Clients cannot access the Internet through the Zyxel Device.
1 Check the Zyxel Device’s hardware connections, and make sure the LEDs are behaving as expected (refer to
Zyxel Device Single LED). See the Quick Start Guide and
Overview.
2 Make sure the Zyxel Device is connected to a broadband modem or router with Internet access and your computer is set to obtain an dynamic IP address.
3 If clients are trying to access the Internet wirelessly, make sure the wireless settings on the wireless clients are the same as the settings on the Zyxel Device.
4 Disconnect all the cables from your Zyxel Device, and follow the directions in the Quick Start Guide again.
5 Reboot the client and reconnect to the Zyxel Device
6 If the problem continues, contact your ISP.
The Internet connection is slow or intermittent.
1 There might be a lot of traffic on the network. Look at the LEDs, and check
Zyxel Device Single LED. If the Zyxel Device is sending or receiving a lot of information, try closing some programs that use the Internet, especially peer-to-peer applications.
2 Check the signal strength using the NCC, AC, Zyxel DeviceWeb Configurator, or the client device itself. If the signal is weak, try moving the client closer to the Zyxel Device (if possible), and look around to see if there are any devices that might be interfering with the wireless network (microwaves, other wireless networks, and so on).
3 Reboot the Zyxel Device using the Web Configurator/CLI or the NCC or AC.
4 Check the settings for QoS. If it is disabled, activate it. When enabled, raise or lower the priority for some applications.
5 If the problem continues, contact the network administrator or vendor.
WiFi Network
The WiFi connection is slow or intermittent.
The following factors may cause interference:
• Obstacles: walls, ceilings, furniture, and so on.
• Building Materials: metal doors, aluminum studs.
• Electrical devices: microwaves, monitors, electric motors, cordless phones, and other wireless devices.
To optimize the speed and quality of your WiFi connection, you can:
• Move your WiFi device closer to the Zyxel Device if the signal strength is low.
• Reduce wireless interference that may be caused by other wireless networks or surrounding wireless electronics such as cordless phones.
• Place the Zyxel Device where there are minimum obstacles (such as walls and ceilings) between the Zyxel Device and the wireless client. Avoid placing the Zyxel Device inside any type of box that might block WiFi signals.
I cannot access the Zyxel Device or ping any computer from the WLAN.
1 Make sure the wireless LAN (wireless radio) is enabled on the Zyxel Device.
2 Make sure the radio or at least one of the Zyxel Device’s radios is operating in AP mode.
3 Make sure the wireless adapter (installed on your computer) is working properly.
4 Make sure the wireless adapter (installed on your computer) is IEEE 802.11 compatible and supports the same wireless standard as the Zyxel Device’s active radio.
5 Make sure your computer (with a wireless adapter installed) is within the transmission range of the Zyxel Device.
6 Check that both the Zyxel Device and your computer are using the same wireless and wireless security settings.
Hackers have accessed my WEP-encrypted wireless LAN.
WEP is extremely insecure. Its encryption can be broken by an attacker, using widely-available software. It is strongly recommended that you use a more effective security mechanism. Use the strongest security mechanism that all the wireless devices in your network support. WPA2 or WPA2-PSK is recommended.
The wireless security is not following the re-authentication timer setting I specified.
If a RADIUS server authenticates wireless stations, the re-authentication timer on the RADIUS server has priority. Change the RADIUS server’s configuration if you need to use a different re-authentication timer setting.
I cannot import a certificate into the Zyxel Device.
1 For My Certificates, you can import a certificate that matches a corresponding certification request that was generated by the Zyxel Device. You can also import a certificate in PKCS#12 format, including the certificate’s public and private keys.
2 You must remove any spaces from the certificate’s filename before you can import the certificate.
3 Any certificate that you want to import has to be in one of these file formats:
• Binary X.509: This is an ITU-T recommendation that defines the formats for X.509 certificates.
• PEM (Base-64) encoded X.509: This Privacy Enhanced Mail format uses lowercase letters, uppercase letters and numerals to convert a binary X.509 certificate into a printable form.
• Binary PKCS#7: This is a standard that defines the general syntax for data (including digital signatures) that may be encrypted. A PKCS #7 file is used to transfer a public key certificate. The private key is not included. The Zyxel Device currently allows the importation of a PKS#7 file that contains a single certificate.
• PEM (Base-64) encoded PKCS#7: This Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) format uses lowercase letters, uppercase letters and numerals to convert a binary PKCS#7 certificate into a printable form.
• Binary PKCS#12: This is a format for transferring public key and private key certificates.The private key in a PKCS #12 file is within a password-encrypted envelope. The file’s password is not connected to your certificate’s public or private passwords. Exporting a PKCS #12 file creates this and you must provide it to decrypt the contents when you import the file into the Zyxel Device.
Note: Be careful not to convert a binary file to text during the transfer process. It is easy for this to occur since many programs use text files by default.
Wireless clients are not being load balanced among my Zyxel Devices.
• Make sure that all the Zyxel Devices used by the wireless clients in question share the same SSID, security, and radio settings.
• Make sure that all the Zyxel Devices are in the same broadcast domain.
• Make sure that the wireless clients are in range of the other Zyxel Devices; if they are only in range of a single Zyxel Device, then load balancing may not be as effective.
In the Monitor > Wireless > AP Information > Radio List screen, there is no load balancing indicator associated with any Zyxel Devices assigned to the load balancing task.
• Check that the AP profile which contains the load balancing settings is correctly assigned to the Zyxel Devices in question.
• The load balancing task may have been terminated because further load balancing on the Zyxel Devices in question is no longer required.
Resetting the Zyxel Device
If you cannot access the Zyxel Device by any method, try restarting it by turning the power off and then on again. If you still cannot access the Zyxel Device by any method or you forget the administrator password(s), you can reset the Zyxel Device to its factory-default settings. Any configuration files or shell scripts that you saved on the Zyxel Device should still be available afterwards.
Use the following procedure to reset the Zyxel Device to its factory-default settings. This overwrites the settings in the startup-config.conf file with the settings in the system-default.conf file.
Note: This procedure removes the current configuration.
1 Make sure the Power LED is on and not blinking.
2 Press the RESET button and hold it until the Power LED begins to blink. (This usually takes about ten seconds.)
3 Release the RESET button, and wait for the Zyxel Device to restart.
You should be able to access the Zyxel Device in standalone mode using the default settings.
Getting More Troubleshooting Help
Search for support information for your model at www.zyxel.com for more troubleshooting suggestions.