What's New in Switch Firmware v5.00: Six Minor but Powerful Enhancements

Zyxel_Claudia

The v5.00 firmware release for Zyxel managed switches brings a set of six practical enhancements designed to improve security, usability, and troubleshooting efficiency. Though labeled as “minor,” these updates deliver meaningful improvements for administrators and service providers alike.

1. Password Input Masking in CLI

Previously, when administrators used the CLI to change a password, the entered characters were visible in plain text — posing a potential security risk. Now, with v5.00:

• Passwords entered via CLI are masked for added privacy.
• A prompt will now appear asking users to input and confirm the password securely.
• The original CLI method remains available to support automated scripts or legacy workflows.

2. Default Password Encryption Enabled

To align with best practices, password encryption is now enabled by default:

• When a password is stored (e.g., for admin or user accounts), it appears as an encrypted hash in the configuration.
• This applies to both the CLI and the web GUI, protecting credentials from unauthorized viewing in config files.

3. Hidden Passwords for SNMP Users

When editing SNMP user profiles, the authentication and privacy passwords are now:

• Hidden in the GUI after being saved.
• No longer shown in plain text when reviewing the profile settings.

This enhancement increases SNMP security and avoids accidental password exposure.

4. Local System Log Retention

Previously, when a switch was cloud-managed by Nebula Control Center (NCC), local logs were cleared after NCC polled them. This made on-site troubleshooting difficult.

With v5.00:

• Local system logs are now retained even after being polled by Nebula.
• This provides critical visibility when performing offline diagnostics or on-iste troubleshooting.

5. Reduced NETCONF MTU Size

Some customers faced issues where switches couldn’t connect to Nebula. This was often due to MTU size limitations in ISP networks, which dropped larger packets.

To address this:

• The default NETCONF MTU size has been reduced from 1500 bytes to 1024 bytes.
• This adjustment improves compatibility with diverse ISP environments, reducing connection failures.

6. Improved DHCP Option 82 Profile Display

Configuring DHCP Option 82 is now easier and more intuitive:

• The GUI now displays the current Option 82 profile information directly.
• No more need to manually re-enter profile names just to verify settings.

This minor tweak enhances visibility and reduces configuration errors.