September 18, 2007 Version 1.02 ME BreadCrumb® User Guide BreadCrumb is a registered trademark of Rajant Corporation.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide Note: This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the device is operated in a residential environment.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Table of Contents Contents Page 1.0 PREFACE ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE ................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 USER INFORMATION...........................................................................................
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 4.2.1 ADDRESSING ..................................................................................................................................... 33 4.2.1.1 BREADCRUMB DEVICE ADDRESSES ........................................................................................ 33 4.2.1.2 DHCP................................................................................................................................................. 33 4.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation List of Figures Figure Page FIGURE 1. ME TOP PANEL .......................................................................................................................................9 FIGURE 2. BCADMIN INITIAL SCREEN AT STARTUP ..............................................................................................12 FIGURE 3. BCADMIN SCREEN AT STARTUP (NO NETWORK ADDRESS IN THE 10.0.0.0/8 RANGE) .........................13 FIGURE 4.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 1.0 PREFACE 1.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE This manual provides information and guidance to all personnel who are involved with and use Rajant Corporation’s BreadCrumb® Wireless Network devices ("BreadCrumb® devices"). This manual begins with an introduction to the BreadCrumb Wireless Network and a brief overview of the various BreadCrumb device models available.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 2.0 INTRODUCTION Rajant Corporation's (www.rajant.com) ME BreadCrumb integrates Ethernet and wireless IEEE 802.11b/g connectivity with mesh networking protocols. The network is mobile, selfintegrating, self-meshing, self-healing, full-duplex and secure. An internal Li Ion rechargeable standby battery can power the unit when external power is unavailable. The focus is on flexibility, adaptability, and simplicity.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 2.1.5 ANY COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE Most BreadCrumb deployments include elements from more than one of the above scenarios. In many cases, BreadCrumb devices will perform all of the above tasks as shipped with no configuration necessary at all, providing an instant TAN -a Tactical Area Network. Moreover, because BreadCrumb devices use industry-standard 802.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Example 2 Now suppose that you change the ESSID of BreadCrumb device C to "lonely". The network will adjust to this change, resulting in the following configuration: ???? Note that BreadCrumb device C can no longer communicate with A or B, and vice versa. 2.3 DESCRIPTION OF ME BREADCRUMB Portable battery operated wireless device deployable in almost any environment.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide A. Bulkhead antenna connector SMA(F) B. P101 6-pin Ethernet connector ETH0, COM B, USB C. SW1 toggle power switch D. 2-pin vehicle power connector E. Bulkhead antenna connector SMA(F) 2.4 NETWORK FEATURES Each BreadCrumb ME device has one IEEE 802.11b/g wireless NICs (network interface cards), two externally accessible Ethernet ports and one externally accessible USB2 port.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 3.0 USING BCADMIN™ Note: Some portions of this section assume a working knowledge of TCP/IP networking, including DHCP, NAT, and DNS. While the network lay person may be able to perform some BCWN management tasks, it is recommended that network configuration be performed by experienced network administrators.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 3.1 SCREEN LAYOUT When BCAdmin is launched the screen will initially look like this: The large area on the left is the Topology Area, showing the current shape of the network at any given time. The Info Area to the right shows detailed information for BreadCrumb devices, client devices, and wireless links. Figure 2. BCAdmin Initial Screen at Startup Note: If your BCAdmin workstation does not have a network address in the 10.0.0.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Figure 3. BCAdmin Screen at Startup (No Network Address in the 10.0.0.0/8 Range) When BCAdmin is able to communicate to a BCWN, the network topology is shown in the Topology Area, as below (your network will look different). 3.1.1 TOPOLOGY AREA The Topology Area shows the topology (logical shape) of your network as it changes. BreadCrumb devices and client devices (laptops, etc.) are shown graphically, as well as the links between them.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide Detailed information for a BreadCrumb device can be viewed in the Info Area by selecting the BreadCrumb device in the Topology Area. A BreadCrumb device can be selected by single-clicking it with your mouse. The selected BreadCrumb device will be highlighted with a dashed border. A description of the detailed information is provided later in this chapter. 3.1.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 3.1.2.4. NUMBER OF CLIENTS A client is any IEEE 802.11b device that has associated with a BreadCrumb device’s access point. Laptops, handheld computers, cameras, VOIP + Wi-Fi phones, etc. are examples of client devices. Tip: The amount of information displayed for each BreadCrumb device can be changed by rightclicking on a BreadCrumb device and choosing Show More Detail or Show Less Detail.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide Table 2. BCAdmin Line Styles Legend Link Speed (Mbps) 11 or higher 5.5 2 1 Line Style Solid Dashed Dot-Dash Dotted 3.2.1 ASYMMETRIC CONNECTIONS For a variety of environmental reasons (antenna placement, radio reflections, interference, etc.), asymmetric connections are sometimes formed between BreadCrumb devices. An asymmetric connection is a connection between two BreadCrumb devices in which each BreadCrumb device is transmitting at a different speed.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation The following figure illustrates an asymmetric link: Figure 6. Assymetric Links 3.2.2 INFO AREA The Info Area shows detailed information specific to the currently selected BreadCrumb device, if any. Select a BreadCrumb device in the Topology Area by single-clicking it with your mouse. The selected BreadCrumb device will be highlighted with a dashed border.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide The same information is available in each list. The following figure shows an example listing of BreadCrumb connections. Figure 8. Example Listing of BreadCrumb Connections Tip: Place your mouse over the connection detail in the Info Area to highlight the corresponding line in the Topology Area. 3.3 CONFIGURING THE BREADCRUMB To configure the BreadCrumb device, right-click on the BreadCrumb device in the Topology Area and choose Properties.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Figure 9. BreadCrumb Properties – General Tab 3.3.1.1.BATTERY WARNING (MINUTES) Each BreadCrumb device includes a battery timer that monitors run time. When batteries are changed, the battery timer should be reset (by right-clicking on the BreadCrumb box and choosing Diagnostics and Maintenance, then Reset Battery Timer).
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 3.3.1.5. IMCrypto Encryption: AES-256 and Set Access ID IMCrypto encryption is not available on the ME BreadCrumb. 3.4 RADIO SETTINGS The ‘Radios’ tab contains controls for configuring each of the BreadCrumb device’s IEEE 802.11b radios: Figure 10. BreadCrumb Properties – Radios Tab The available settings for the radio are: 1.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 3.5 REACHBACK SETTINGS The ‘Reachback’ tab contains controls for configuring the BreadCrumb device’s interconnection with other networks, both wired and wireless: Figure 11. BreadCrumb Properties – Reachback Tab The available settings are: 3.5.1. REACHBACK INTERFACE This dropdown selects the network interface on the BreadCrumb device that will connect to the other network. Available options are (depending upon the BreadCrumb model and options): a.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide d. Radio2 (ad hoc) Reachback will be configured to use the BreadCrumb device’s second radio (if any) in IEEE 802.11b ad hoc mode. 3.5.2. MODE This dropdown selects the type of reach back to configure. Available options are: a. Automatic In Automatic Mode, the interface attempts to obtain an IPv4 address using DHCP. If it obtains an address, reachback is configured to use Gateway Mode; if it does not, reachback is configured to use Bridge Mode. b.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 3.5.6. IP ADDRESS CONFIGURATION If 'Obtain an IP Address Automatically’ is selected for a Gateway Mode, the BreadCrumb device will obtain its IPv4 address on its reachback interface using DHCP. If ‘Use the Following:’ is selected for a Gateway Mode, the following must be set manually: • • • • a. IP Address b. Subnet Mask c. Default Gateway d. DNS Server (You may need to contact your network administrator in order to determine the correct settings.) 3.
Rajant Corporation • ME BreadCrumb User Guide The IPv4 port(s) at the destination address to which the forwarded traffic is to be forwarded (usually the same as the ports described above). The checkbox marked ‘Enable’ specifies whether a particular forward configuration is active. This allows an administrator to pre-configure port forwards and selectively enable or disable them in the future.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Figure 13. WEP Configuration Screen 3.7.1.1. WEP This dropdown allows the administrator to enable or disable WEP on all BreadCrumb devices currently visible in BCAdmin. 3.7.1.2. KEY A 40-bit or 104-bit hexadecimal key is specified in this field. If this field is left blank, WEP can be enabled using a previously configured key. 3.7.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide Figure 14. Access Control Settings Window 3.7.2.1. POLICY This dropdown allows the administrator to select from three different policies: No access control (allow all devices) This disables ACLs on the BCWN. Deny by default (allow only permitted devices) This policy only allows devices in the Permitted Devices, Administrators, or BreadCrumbs lists to connect to the BCWN.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Warning Be sure to include the BCAdmin workstation in the ACL so that you can continue administering the network! 3.7.2.2.2 Setting the Access ID The Access ID is a shared credential used by the IMCrypto client to negotiate encryption keys. All devices that are to communicate with one another must share a common Access ID.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 3.7.3 ENCRYPTING WIRED TRAFFIC The BreadCrumb devices’ IMCrypto support includes the ability to encrypt traffic from a wired network provided that the BreadCrumb device’s Ethernet interface is in either Gateway Mode or Gateway (Ingress) Mode. With IMCrypto enabled on a BreadCrumb device in one of these modes, encryption of wired traffic entering the wireless network and decryption of wireless traffic entering a wired network is completely automatic. 3.7.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Figure 16. Change Access ID/Key Window If the button is disabled, check to ensure that you are communicating with the BreadCrumb device via its Ethernet interface. You must know the current Key in order to set a new one. The default Key on a BreadCrumb device is ‘0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000’ (64 zeros). You must supply the new Key twice in order to prevent the inadvertent setting of an unknown Key.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 3.8 BCADMIN PREFERENCES Settings specific to BCAdmin are available through the View menu, under Preferences. The Preferences window is shown below: Figure 17. BC Admin Preferences Window The first three fields are described in this section. The remaining fields are described below in the Section called Mapping with Fugawi Tracker. 3.8.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 3.9 MAPPING WITH FUGAWI TRACKER BCAdmin has the ability to relay position information from BreadCrumb devices (either manually set by an administrator or obtained via GPS) to the Fugawi Tracker mapping application. Each BreadCrumb device’s asset ID within Fugawi Tracker is its BreadCrumb ID as reported by BCAdmin. To enable the relaying of position information, open the Preferences dialog shown above and provide the following information: 1.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 4.0 DEPLOYING THE BREADCRUMB WIRELESS LAN 4.1 OVERVIEW OF BCWL DEPLOYMENT There are many factors which need to be taken into account when deploying the BreadCrumb Wireless LAN. Section 2.2 details some of the most commonly occurring environmental factors that will have a major impact on the performance of the BCWL. Section 2.3 details two common BCWL deployment configurations. Section 3.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 4.3 CHANNEL ASSIGNMENTS By default, BreadCrumb devices use channels 1 and 11 upon startup. BreadCrumb devices can be configured via BCAdmin to choose their radio channels automatically upon startup instead. With this feature enabled, combinations of channels 1, 8, and 11 are automatically chosen using a process designed to provide a robust mesh. In some cases, however, it is necessary to manually set the radios to specific channels as described below. 4.3.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation • Devices placed too far away or in RF ‘shadows’ may experience total loss of connection. • Device power is important in determining distances that the device will be effective. • BreadCrumb ME operates at 400 mW. • When placing a BreadCrumb, check the connection status to the most available device with BCAdmin.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide of the deployment configurations illustrated can provide reach back connectivity to the Internet or other network by utilizing a Gateway BreadCrumb and available communication link (such as DSL, cable, or satellite modem). 4.5.1 DEPLOYMENT CONFIGURATION – COVERAGE AREA This section illustrates the placement of BCWL components to provide wireless network connectivity throughout a chosen coverage area.
Rajant Corporation 350 ft. ME BreadCrumb User Guide Laptop 350 ft. RCHPT02 BC 350 ft. RCHPT03 BC 350 ft. RCHPT04 BC 0 ft . 350 ft. RCHPT05 BC Tablet PC 35 RCHPT01 GC 350 ft. 35 0 ft 350 ft. . Figure 19. Deployment Configuration - Reach Area RCHPT01 in could be the command post at an incident, placed a safe distance from the threat. Each of the remaining BCWL components would provide continuity of the wireless network into the threat area.
Rajant Corporation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. ME BreadCrumb User Guide Determine the approximate location for the next BreadCrumb. Power ON the device. Wait for it to appear in BCAdmin. Proceed to the predetermined location for this BreadCrumb, observing the network in BCAdmin as you progress. a. If the BreadCrumb loses network connectivity before you reach its destination, backtrack until network connectivity is restored.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation b. If you reach the destination without losing connectivity you can place it there. i. At this point, you may choose to proceed farther in an attempt to make optimal use of the available BreadCrumb. If so, proceed until network connectivity is lost and then backtrack until network connectivity is restored for this BreadCrumb. The point at which network connectivity is restored for this BreadCrumb is most likely maximum range.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide connectivity is restored for this BreadCrumb is most likely the farthest point in this direction at which you will be able to place this BreadCrumb. 15. Repeat steps 11 thru 14 until the BCWL has been deployed. 4.6.3 BITE LED The LED function on the BreadCrumb indicates the current status of the BreadCrumb. The LED has three colors: Red, Blue and Green. Their color code indicators are given in the table below: Table 3.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 5.0 BREADCRUMB SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 5.1 BREADCRUMB FIRMWARE 5.1.1 INTRODUCTION Each BreadCrumb relies on low-level software known as firmware for proper execution. Rajant periodically releases updated BreadCrumb firmware. The updated firmware must be obtained from Rajant.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 5.2 BCADMIN MAINTENANCE 5.2.1 UPGRADING OR INSTALLING THE BCADMIN SOFTWARE Rajant periodically releases updated BCAdmin software. The updated BCAdmin software must be obtained from Rajant. The following procedure must then be performed on each of the BCWL Administrators’ PCs: 1. Obtain the desired version of BCAdmin from Rajant. 2. Existing Versions of BCAdmin do NOT need to be uninstalled. 3. Locate the BCAdmin software installation file and run it.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Figure 21.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide Figure 22. BCAdmin Installation Screen #2 Figure 23.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation Figure 24. BCAdmin Installation Screen #4 BCAdmin automatically uninstalls any previous version of BCAdmin on the computer, before installing the new version of BCAdmin.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide Figure 25. BCAdmin Installation Screen #5 Figure 26.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide 6. Rajant Corporation Installation of the BCAdmin software is now complete. 5.3 PORT FORWARDING Port forwarding forwards all packets intended for one forwarding port on the gateway from the external networks to be routed on a specified port on one of the internal BreadCrumbs. It is a kind of traffic redirection to some other BreadCrumb, providing a particular service. An example of this would be a web server running on a BreadCrumb.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 6.0 Troubleshooting 6.1 BREADCRUMB WIRELESS NETWORK 6.1.1 SPORADIC NETWORK CONNECTIVITY Table 4. Sporadic Network Connectivity Issues Problem Resolution As a BreadCrumb device’s battery approaches exhaustion, network connectivity will become sporadic for the BreadCrumb device and its associated wireless clients. Monitory battery usage and charge/replace batteries as necessary.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation 6.1.2 BREADCRUMB DEVICE CANNOT CONNECT TO BCWN Table 5. BreadCrumb Device Cannot Connect to BCWN Problem Resolution Discharged batteries can cause the BreadCrumb device to appear to power up, but not be able to establish connectivity to the BCWN. When deploying the BCWN, ensure that the batteries should be fully charged.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide 6.1.4 Hardware Reset 1. Turn off the BreadCrumb. 2. Turn the BreadCrumb back on. Wait a minimum of 3 seconds before proceeding. 3. Press and release the black status button to turn on the LED. 4. Press both the black SW2 status button on the left side panel and red zeroize/execute button on the right side panel at the same time. Continue pressing both of these buttons for approximately 30 seconds. 5. The user will see LEDs cycling through all seven (7) colors.
ME BreadCrumb User Guide Rajant Corporation APPENDIX A Error codes are divided into groups. Groups are indicated by the first digit of the error number. A full error code will be formed by prefixing a group number to the error number. Example: Mounting of USB drive failed’ error (8) of the USB flash group (2) will be represented by error code 28.
Rajant Corporation ME BreadCrumb User Guide Customer Service Please contact Rajant Tech Support at +1 484-585-1020 to assist you through any issues you encounter regarding this release. Please forward all feedback regarding the BreadCrumb system functionality to . Other than speaking with a Rajant representative, this is the best way to communicate with us any operational issues you may find. Thank you for your on going business and support.
