User’s Guide IEEE 802.11b WLAN Bridge Access Point Version 2.
Table of Contents Information to the User………………..………... 3 1 Introduction………………………………………. 5 2 System Configurations…………………..……… 6 3 Installation………………….…………………..… 7 3.1 Installing the SNMP Manager application.. 8 3.2 Setting the IP Address…………………….. 12 3.3 Using the SNMP Manager……………..….. 14 4 Technical Specifications………………………… 40 Troubleshooting…………………………………. 41 Glossary………………………………………..
INFORMATION TO USER FCC INFORMATION FCC Radiation Exposure Statement This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator & your body. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
REGULATORY INFORMATION The Wireless LAN Access Point must be installed and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This device complies with the following radio frequency and safety standards. USA - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference. 2. This device must accept any interference that may cause undesired operation.
1 Introduction The Access Point is a wireless LAN bridge that can act as the connection point between the Ethernet CSMA/CD protocol and the wireless CSMA/CA protocol. The Access Point can be easily integrated into your existing wireless network. In large installations, the roaming functionality provided by multiple Access Points allows wireless users to move freely throughout the facility while maintaining seamless, uninterrupted access to the network.
2. Wireless LAN basics Wireless LAN network defined by IEEE 802.11b standard committee could be configured as: • Ad Hoc wireless LAN, or • Infrastructure wireless LAN. Ad Hoc network is a group of notebooks with wireless LAN PC card called a BSS (Basic Service Set). These notebooks use their wireless LAN PC cards to communicate with each other, and notebooks cannot connect to the Internet.
3. Installation This section describes the procedures for installing the Wireless LAN Bridge Access Point under Windows 98 SE operating system. Before You Start Before setting up your Access Point, ask your network system administrator for the following information: • Your IP address, gateway address, and subnet mask if you’re not using a DHCP server. • The MAC address from the label on the bottom of the Access Point.
3.1 Install the SNMP Manager application Under Windows 98 SE Step 1 Insert the given documentation CD and then double click the MY Computer icon on your desktop. In my computer window, double click the CD Drive icon. Choose WLAN Access Point folder and double click Setup.exe to execute. It opens the welcome dialog box as shown next page then click Next.
Step 2 Software License Agreement, click Yes to accept. Step 3 Click Next to install to this folder.
Step 4 Select the type of setup you prefer, then click Next. Step 5 Setup will add program icons to the Program Folder listed below. You may type a new folder name, or select one from the Existing Folders list. Click Next to continue.
Step 6 Starting Set up Step 7 Click Finish to complete Setup.
3.2 Setting the IP Address Each station or device on your network must have a unique IP address. Following these steps to setting the IP address: Step 1 Connect an Ethernet station and the Access Point on the same subnet. The simplest way to accomplish is to connect the Access Point and the Ethernet station to the same hub. You need to check if the station IP address and the Sub-net mask are configured properly. Also the new IP address for the Access Point must correspond to the Subnet mask.
Step 3 Type the "Access Point MAC Address" from the label on the bottom of the Access Point, type the “Config IP” address from your system administrator, and then click “OK”. Step 3 Open a MS-DOS Prompt window and type ping followed by the IP address used in the IP Config. The IP address is assigned to the Access Point . The Access Point’s replies to the ping confirm that the IP address was assigned correctly. Step 4 If you get a ping reply, then the IP address has been temporarily set.
3.3 Using the SNMP Manager On the Start Menu, choose Start->Programs->SNMP Manager.
File menu When the application opens, under the File Menu there are the following submenus: Connect to AP Using this submenu you can directly connect with the Bridge Access Point by typing its IP Address in the panel which appears and at the Community field, type the appropriate password (The default password is “public”). Additionally you have to select the User or Administrator Authority in the Authority combo-box.
Find Access Point This submenu allows you to find and connect with an Access Point without the necessity of knowing its IP Address. Choose this submenu in order to find the Access Points available for connection. Select one of the available Access Points and press “Connect”, then appears indicating the IP Address of the selected Access Point and prompting you to select Authority and to write the appropriate password at the community field. Then press “OK”.
When the connection has been successfully established, you get a message in the left bottom corner indicating, “Get Configuration done” and on the right bottom corner the “IP Address” of the connected Access Point. File menu The file menu contains the following enabled submenus Close Connection AP Terminates the connection with the Access Point. You can find and associate with another access point by selecting the “Find Access Point” after close the connection.
Options Defines the polling interval according to which the SNMP Manager polls the Access Point in order to update the statistics and the Associated Stations List.
Setup menu As soon as the connection has been established, you are able to start viewing or setting the Access Point parameters. Under the “Setup” menu, there are the following submenus. Bridge Under the “Bridge” submenu, there are two options: IP configuration By choosing this option the window of appears. “IP Address” and ”IP Mask” can be modified through “IP Configuration”, if DHCP client is not enabled.
Filtering If the IP Routing is enabled only the IP protocol packets will pass through the WLAN and any other protocol filtered out.
Wireless LAN Under this submenu there are the following three options available. Privacy options By choosing this option you must define the encryption key values of your choice. There are four 5 Hex digit encryption keys available if you select 64 bit WEP or there are four 13 Hex digit encryption keys available if you select 128 bit WEP. The key is enabled only if you select it in the “Default key” option.
There are four 13 Hex digit encryption keys available if you select 128 bit WEP. Or you can select Disable.
Operational Settings Using this option you can either view or modify the Wireless LAN parameters of the Access Point. These parameters are described below: ESSID: It is an ASCII string up to 32 characters used to identify a WLAN that prevents the unintentional merging of two co-located WLANs. The ESSID value must be the same in all stations and Access Point in the extended WLAN. Select the ESSID to be used. Channel: There are 14 channels available. The channels differ from country to country.
Authentication Type: Select Open System, Shared Key, or Both Open System: With this setting any station in the WLAN can associate with an Access Point and receive and transmitted data (mull authentication). Shared Key: With this setting only stations using a shared key encryption identified by the Access Point are allowed to associate with it. Both: With this setting stations communicate with the Access Point either with or without data encryption.
Access Point This mode provides two-way access between wireless stations and wired LANs. Wireless stations within the range of the Access Point device may communicate with each other via the Access Point.
Access point client This mode allows the connection of one or more remote LANs with a central LAN, creating thus an extended single virtual LAN. In this way, any station of the Remote LAN can successfully communicate with any station of the central LAN, as if all of them belonged to the same physical LAN. Wireless Stations cannot communicate directly with Access Point Clients. The Access Point conducts the designated traffic to the appropriate wired or wireless station.
Wireless bridge This mode allows two types of connections: a. Point to point The Wireless Bridge can communicate with a specific Remote MAC Address. The user must define the Remote MAC Address, which is the MAC Address of the Wireless Bridge of the Remote LAN.
b. Point to multipoint The Wireless Bridge can communicate with any Wireless Bridge available in the same channel. When Authorization Algorithm is enabled, the Wireless Bridge can communicate with any Wireless Bridge whose MAC Addresses exists in the Authorization Table. Figure 3-4 Wireless Bridge – Point to Multipoint For each mode you can either view or modify the Wireless LAN parameters of the Wireless Operational Settings windows. In the Operational Mode Window there are the following parameters.
Preferred BSS It is enabled only if you select the Access Point Client option. BSS corresponds to the MAC Address of the desired AP. Remote MAC address It is enabled only if you select Point to Point. It corresponds to the MAC Address of the Wireless Bridge of the Remote LAN.
Authorized MAC address For security reasons the Access Point has the ability to associate with authorized MAC Addresses stations, if the Authorization Table option is enabled. Thus, under the Authorized MAC Address option you may press the following buttons. The “Load file” button in order to load a file with the MAC addresses that can be associated with the Access Point (Authorized MAC Addresses). The “Download” button in order to download the Authorized MAC Address to the Access Point.
Enable SNMP Traps Using this submenu you can either enable or disable SNMP traps, which are messages displayed in the right bottom corner for the main window indicating that an action related to the AP took place. Permitted messages are : Trap Reassociation: This trap message is sent when a Station’s reassociation request is received from the AP-Bridge. Trap Association: Indicates the reception of an association request packet and the sender Station’s successful association with the Wireless Bridge.
Authorization Using this submenu the Administrator can change the passwords which referred to the community field for the User and the Administrator Authority.
Commands menu Under this menu there are two submenus. Reset Device: you can reset the Access Point. This action takes place after a user makes configuration changes in order to initiate the changes. Restore Default: You can restore the factory default values of the Access Point.
Info menu Using this menu you can view a limited number of statistics by choosing the “SNMP-Short View” of the “Change Mode” Software. There are the following submenu: Wireless Statistics: This submenu reports the statistics concerning the unit’s Wireless activity. The meaning of the fields, concerning all the statistics, is given in the following. Unicast Transmitted Packets: The number of unicast packets successfully transmitted. Broadcast transmitted packets: The number of broadcast packets transmitted.
Ethernet Wireless Statistics: This submenu reports the statistics concerning the unit’s Ethernet port activity. The meaning of the fields, concerning all the statistics is given in the following. Received Packets: Total Bytes: The number of bytes in the frames that were received. Total Packs: Total number of received packets. Packet CRC Errors: The number of packets with CRC Errors. Transmitted Packets: Total Bytes: The number of bytes in the frames that were transmitted.
Traps menu Provides information for trap messages View Record You can see additional information for every Trap Message.
Network menu Provides information about the Network. Under this menu there is only the Associate Station submenu. Associated stations Using this submenu you can view the MAC Addresses of the Associated stations with the Access Point. Window menu Under this menu there are the following submenus Cascade: All opened windows are arranged on the desktop in a cascade fashion. Tile All open windows are visible on the desktop.
Help menu Provides on line help about the application.
Section 4 Technical Specifications Wireless LAN Access Point This section provides the Access Point specifications. Date Rates 1, 2, 5.5 and 11Mbps Operating Range with outdoors line of sight PING to 250 meters RF IEEE 802.11b compliant Frequency Band 2400-2500 MHz Wireless Medium Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum ( DSSS ) Operating Frequency 2.412-2.462 GHz (N. America) 2.412-2.484 GHz (Japan) 2.412-2.472 GHz (Europe) 2.457-2.462 GHz (Spain) 2.457-2.
Troubleshooting Symptom: The Power and Act LEDs are off. Possible Remedy: The Power and Act LEDs should be always on after you plug in the power. If not, please check the power adaptor/cord or contact your vendor. Symptom: The Link LED is off. Possible Remedy: The Link LED should be on after you plug in the Ethernet cable that the other end is connecting to Hub. If not, please check the RJ-45 connector/twist pair/Hub is operating properly or contact your vendor. Symptom: Can’t configure this AP.
Glossary IEEE 802.11 Standard The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standards subcommittee, which is formulating a standard for the industry. Access Point An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless networks together. Ad Hoc An Ad Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers, each with a WLAN adapter, connected as an independent wireless LAN. Ad Hoc wireless LAN is applicable at a departmental scale for a branch or SOHO operation. BSSID A specific Ad Hoc LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS).
Gateway A gateway is a hardware and software device that connects two dissimilar systems, such as a LAN and a mainframe. In Internet terminology, a gateway is another name for a router. Generally a gateway is used as a funnel for all traffic to the Internet. IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Infrastructure An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration.
Roaming In an infrastructure network, this is when a wireless PC moves out of range of the previously connected access point and connects to a newly connected access point. Throughout the network environment where access point are deployed, PCs can always be connected regardless of where they are located or roam. SSID A Network ID unique to a network. Only clients and Access Points that share the same SSID are able to communicate with each other. This string is case-sensitive.
Wireless LAN (WLAN) A wireless LAN does not use cable to transmit signals, but rather uses radio or infrared to transmit packets through the air. Radio Frequency (RF) and infrared are the commonly used types of wireless transmission. Most wireless LANs use spread spectrum technology.
