The NXC is a comprehensive wireless LAN controller. Its flexible configuration helps network administrators set up wireless LAN networks and efficiently enforce security policies over them. In addition, the NXC provides excellent throughput, making it an ideal solution for reliable secure service. The NXC's security features include certificates. It also provides captive portal configuration, NAT, port forwarding, policy routing, DHCP server, extensive wireless AP control options, and many other powerful features.

Delivering a good wireless LAN service that stands up to the demands of connecting users to the latest high bandwidth applications is not easy. The latest BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), mobility and 3G Wi-Fi tablet and smart phone technology all present scalability, manageability and functionality challenges to business Wi-Fi installations. To enable businesses to addressing these challenges ZyXEL has developed the NXC2500, an all-in-one, intelligent Wireless LAN Controller.

As standard the ZyXEL NXC2500 supports the initial management of 8 APs and provides scalability with a maximum supported total up to 24 APs, the "pay-as-you-grow" principle provides reassurance and future proofing for small and medium-sized businesses, hotels and educational institutes to implement secured, centralized wireless LAN networks.

Key Features

Easy AP & Controller Deployment
To fully maximise the potential of the NXC2500 and ZyXEL access points it is important to introduce the concept of using AP profiles. In the design of the network it is important to understand what each type of user or device needs to get from the Wi-Fi network. Then the profiles can be defined based upon criteria such as SSID, Security, VLAN and QoS.

• Centrally plan the AP profiles & monitoring profiles
• Centrally assign the profiles to managed APs
• Automatically retrieve the configurations from controller

Instant Access Point Discovery
Installing or upgrading a managed ZyXEL WLAN network is very easy once the NXC has got an IP address the IP address can be entered as a DHCP option. Then as AP's are connected to the wired or wireless network they use the DHCP option 138 to discover the controller and setup the secure CAPWAP tunnel for management. Once this is achieved the AP appears in the Management GUI of the NXC2500.

Guest Network Management
One of the most critical applications for the NXC Controller is for the network to provide authentication at the edge rather than pass a potential risk user to the centre of the network for authentication. The NXC Controller provides a captive portal page for login. Once the user is logged on they can be securely directed across the network to the correct resource. For example Guests login as guest users, are connected to the Guest SSID which maps directly to the internet only.

Captive Portal Customisation

• Customisable portal page
• HTLM Page upload for unlimited flexibility
• Multilingual support

CAPWAP or NON CAPWAP
CAPWAP: Secure Management Communication

• Easily penetrate any NAT router
• No issues with the remote site gateway

Non-CAPWAP: Complicated Management

• Combination of CLI/SSH, SNMP and xml configuration
• Difficult to connect through NAT with 1public IP address
• Insecure and lots of configuration set up on the remote gateway

Simplified BYOD management

• MAC authentication with embedded radius
• Built-in RADIUS server, no additional server required
• Easier management for BYOD devices
• Friendly MAC authentication for mobile devices
• Eliminate user name, password login yet keep the security level