Home PrintPrevious Next

Creating and installing a certificate

The Brother print server allows you to use SSL/TLS communication by configuring a certificate and corresponding private key. This print server supports two certification methods. A self-signed certificate and a certificate that is issued by a CA (Certificate Authority).
• 
Using self-signed certificate
This print server issues its own certificate. Using this certificate, you can easily use the SSL/TLS communication without having a certificate from a CA. See Creating and installing self-signed certificate.
• 
Using a certificate from a CA
There are two methods for installing a certificate from a CA. If you already have a CA or if you want to use a certificate from an outside trusted CA:
• 
When using a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) from this print server. See Creating CSR and installing a certificate.
• 
When importing a certificate and a private key. See Import and export the certificate and private key.
Note Note
• 
If you are going to use SSL/TLS communication, we recommend that you contact your system administrator before using.
• 
This print server stores only one pair of a certificate and a private key that you installed or previously imported. This printer overwrites the certificate and the private key if you install a new one.
• 
When you reset the print server back to its default factory settings, the certificate and the private key that are installed will be deleted. If you want to keep the same certificate and the private key after resetting the print server, export them before resetting and re-install them. See How to export the certificate and private key.
This feature can be configured using Web Based Management (web browser) only. Follow these steps to access the configure certificate page using Web Based Management.
1
Start your web browser.
2
Type http://printer_ip_address/ into your browser. (Where printer_ip_address is the IP address or the print server name)
• 
For example:
http://192.168.1.2/ (if the printer’s IP address is 192.168.1.2.)
Note Note
 
If you have edited the hosts file on your computer or are using a Domain Name System, you can also enter the DNS name of the print server. As the print server supports TCP/IP and NetBIOS, you can also enter the NetBIOS name of the print server. The NetBIOS name can be seen in the printer settings page. The NetBIOS name assigned is the first 15 characters of the node name and by default it will appear as “BRNxxxxxx” where “xxxxxx” is the last six digits of the Ethernet address.
3
Click Network Configuration.
4
Enter a user name and a password. The User Name is admin and the default Password is access.
5
Click OK.
6
Click Configure Certificate.
7
You can configure the certificate settings from the screen below.
Screen
Note Note
• 
The functions that are grayed and unlinked indicate they are not available.
• 
For more information on configuration, see the Help text in the Web Based Management.

Creating and installing self-signed certificate

How to create and install a self-signed certificate

1
Click Create Self-Signed Certificate on the Configure Certificate page.
2
Enter a Common Name and a Valid Date, then click Submit.
Note Note
• 
The length of the Common Name is less than 64 bytes. Enter an identifier such as an IP address, host name or domain name to use when accessing this printer through SSL/TLS communication. The host name is displayed by default.
• 
A warning will pop-up if you enter a different name in the URL than the Common Name that was used for the self-signed certificate.
3
Now the self-signed certificate is created successfully. Check the box on the left of each function you want to disable, and then click OK.
Screen
Note Note
• 
We recommend disabling the Telnet, FTP,TFTP protocols and the network management with older versions of BRAdmin1 for secure communication. If you enable them, the user authentication is not secure.
1
BRAdmin Professional older than Ver. 2.80, Web BRAdmin older than Ver. 1.40, BRAdmin Light for Macintosh® older than Ver. 1.10
• 
A check box only appears for an individual protocol or the older BRAdmin utility if they are already enabled.
4
Restart the printer to activate the configuration.
5
Now the self-signed certificate is saved in your printer memory. To use SSL/TLS communication, the self-signed certificate also needs to be installed on your computer. Proceed to the next section.
Page Top

How to install the self-signed certificate on your computer

Note Note
 
The following steps are for Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you use another web browser, follow the help text of the web browser itself.
For Windows Vista™ users that have administrator rights
1
Click Start and All Programs.
2
Right click Internet Explorer, and then click Run as administrator.
Screen
3
Click Allow.
Screen
4
Type https://printer_ip_address/ into your browser to access your printer. (Where printer_ip_address is the IP address or the print server name) Then, click Continue to this website (not recommended).
Screen
5
Click Certificate Error, and then click View certificates. For the rest of the instructions, follow the steps from 4 on .
Screen
For Windows Vista™ users that do not have administrator rights
1
Click Start and All Programs.
2
Right click Internet Explorer, and then click Run as administrator.
Screen
3
Choose the Administrator that you want to install with and enter the administrator password, and then click OK.
Screen
4
Type https://printer_ip_address/ into your browser to access your printer. (Where printer_ip_address is the IP address or the print server name) Then, click Continue to this website (not recommended).
Screen
5
Click Certificate Error, and then click View certificates.
Screen
6
Choose the Details tab, and then click Copy to File....
Screen
7
Click Next.
Screen
8
Make sure that DER encoded binary X.509 (.CER) is chosen, and then click Next.
Screen
9
Click Browse....
Screen
10
Click Browse Folders.
Screen
11
Choose a folder you want to save the certificate file in and enter a file name, and then click Save.
Screen
Note Note
 
If you choose Desktop, the certificate file is saved to the Desktop of Administrator that you chose.
12
Click Next.
Screen
13
Click Finish.
Screen
14
Click OK.
Screen
15
Click OK.
Screen
16
Open the folder that you saved the certificate file in 11 and double-click the certificate file. For the rest of the instructions, follow the steps from 4 on .
Screen
For Windows® 2000/XP and Windows Server® 2003 users
1
Start your web browser.
2
Type https://printer_ip_address/ into your browser to access your printer. (Where printer_ip_address is the IP address or the print server name)
3
When the following dialog appears, click View Certificate.
Screen
4
Click Install Certificate… from the General tab.
Screen
5
When the Certificate Import Wizard appears, click Next.
Screen
6
Choose Place all certificates in the following store and then, click Browse....
Screen
7
Choose Trusted Root Certification Authorities and then, click OK.
Screen
8
Click Next.
Screen
9
Click Finish.
Screen
10
Click Yes, if the fingerprint (thumbprint) is correct.
Screen
Note Note
 
The fingerprint (thumbprint) is printed on the Printer Settings Page. To learn how to print the Printer Settings Page, see Printing the Printer Settings Page.
11
Click OK.
Screen
12
Now the self-signed certificate is installed on your computer, and SSL/TLS communication is available.
Page Top
Home PrintPrevious Next