NWD-270N Wireless N-lite USB Adapter User’s Guide Version 1.0 01/2009 Edition 1 www.zyxel.
About This User's Guide About This User's Guide Intended Audience This manual is intended for people who want to configure the NWD-270N using the ZyXEL utility. You should have at least a basic knowledge of TCP/IP networking concepts and topology. Related Documentation • Quick Start Guide The Quick Start Guide is designed to help you get up and running right away. It contains information on setting up your network and configuring for Internet access.
Document Conventions Document Conventions Warnings and Notes These are how warnings and notes are shown in this User’s Guide. 1 " Warnings tell you about things that could harm you or your NWD-270N. Notes tell you other important information (for example, other things you may need to configure or helpful tips) or recommendations. Syntax Conventions • The NWD-270N may be referred to as the “NWD-270N”, the “device”, the “system” or the “product” in this User’s Guide.
Document Conventions Icons Used in Figures Figures in this User’s Guide may use the following generic icons.
Safety Warnings Safety Warnings 1 For your safety, be sure to read and follow all warning notices and instructions. • Do NOT use this product near water, for example, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool. • Do NOT expose your device to dampness, dust or corrosive liquids. • Do NOT store things on the device. • Do NOT install, use, or service this device during a thunderstorm. There is a remote risk of electric shock from lightning. • Connect ONLY suitable accessories to the device.
Contents Overview Contents Overview Introduction and Configuration ............................................................................................ 19 Getting Started ........................................................................................................................... 21 Tutorial ....................................................................................................................................... 27 Wireless LANs ...........................................
Contents Overview 8 NWD-270N User’s Guide
Table of Contents Table of Contents About This User's Guide .......................................................................................................... 3 Document Conventions............................................................................................................ 4 Safety Warnings........................................................................................................................ 6 Contents Overview .......................................................
Table of Contents 2.2.1 Push Button Configuration (PBC) .............................................................................. 28 2.2.2 PIN Configuration ....................................................................................................... 29 2.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPS ........................................................................... 31 2.3.1 Manually Connecting to a Wireless LAN ................................................................... 31 2.3.
Table of Contents Chapter 5 Maintenance ............................................................................................................................ 71 5.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 71 5.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 71 5.1.2 What You Need to Know ....................................................
Table of Contents 12 NWD-270N User’s Guide
List of Figures List of Figures Figure 1 The NWD-270N ........................................................................................................................ 22 Figure 2 Application: Infrastructure ........................................................................................................ 23 Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc ................................................................................................................. 24 Figure 4 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon .
List of Figures Figure 39 Profile: Security Settings ....................................................................................................... 63 Figure 40 Profile: Confirm New Settings ............................................................................................... 63 Figure 41 Profile: Activate the Profile .................................................................................................... 64 Figure 42 Adapter ..................................................
List of Figures Figure 82 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security ...........................................115 Figure 83 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association .....................................................115 Figure 84 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication ................................................117 Figure 85 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties ...............................................................................
List of Figures 16 NWD-270N User’s Guide
List of Tables List of Tables Table 1 NWD-270N External View ......................................................................................................... 22 Table 2 NWD-270N LEDs ...................................................................................................................... 22 Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon ................................................................................................ 25 Table 4 ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary ......................
List of Tables 18 NWD-270N User’s Guide
P ART I Introduction and Configuration Getting Started (21) Tutorial (27) Wireless LANs (37) ZyXEL Utility - Windows (49) Maintenance (71) 19
CHAPTER 1 Getting Started 1.1 Overview The ZyXEL NWD-270N Wireless N-lite USB Adapter adapter brings you a better Internet experience over existing 802.11 networks. With data rates of up to 150 Mbps, you can enjoy a breathtaking high-speed connection at home or in the office. It is an excellent solution for daily activities such as file transfers, music downloading, video streaming and online gaming.
Chapter 1 Getting Started 1.2 About Your NWD-270N Your NWD-270N is an IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 compliant wireless LAN adapter. It can also connect to IEEE 802.11b/g wireless networks. The NWD-270N is WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) compliant. WPS allows you to easily connect to another WPS-enabled device. The NWD-270N is a USB adapter which connects to an empty USB port on your computer.
Chapter 1 Getting Started 1.3 Application Overview This section describes some network applications for the NWD-270N. You can either set the network type to Infrastructure and connect to an AP or use Ad-Hoc mode and connect to a peer computer (another wireless device in Ad-Hoc mode). 1.3.1 Infrastructure To connect to a network via an access point (AP), set the NWD-270N network type to Infrastructure (see Chapter 4 on page 59).
Chapter 1 Getting Started Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc 1.4 Hardware and Utility Installation Follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide to install the ZyXEL utility and make hardware connections. 1.4.1 ZyXEL Utility Icon After you install and start the ZyXEL utility, an icon for the ZyXEL utility appears in the system tray. " " The ZyXEL utility system tray icon displays only when the NWD-270N is installed properly.
Chapter 1 Getting Started The color of the ZyXEL utility system tray icon indicates the status of the NWD-270N. Refer to the following table for details. Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon COLOR DESCRIPTION Red The NWD-270N is not connected to a wireless network. Green The NWD-270N is connected to a wireless network. 1.
Chapter 1 Getting Started 1.5.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility Double-click on the ZyXEL wireless LAN utility icon in the system tray to open the ZyXEL utility. The ZyXEL utility screens are similar in all Microsoft Windows versions. Screens for Windows XP are shown in this User’s Guide. " 26 Click the window.
CHAPTER 2 Tutorial 2.1 Overview This tutorial shows you how to join a wireless infrastructure network using the ZyXEL utility. The wireless client is labeled C and the Access Point is labeled AP. Figure 6 Infrastructure Network 2.1.1 What You Can Do in This Tutorial • Connect securely either to an infrastructure AP using the WPS protocol. See Section 2.2 on page 28 for details. • Connect securely to an infrastructure AP using many of the strongest and most common encryption protocols. See Section 2.
Chapter 2 Tutorial 2.2 Connecting to an AP using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) This section gives you an example of how to set up your wireless network using WPS. This example uses the NWD-270N as the wireless client, and ZyXEL’s NBG334W as the Access Point (AP). " The Access Point must be a WPS-aware device. There are two WPS methods for creating a secure connection. This tutorial shows you both. • Push Button Configuration (PBC) - create a secure wireless network simply by pressing a button.
Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 7 Example WPS Process: PBC Method You AP WITHIN 2 MINUTES SECURITY INFO COMMUNICATION 2.2.2 PIN Configuration When you use the PIN configuration method, you need to use both the NWD-270N’s utility and the AP’s configuration interface. 1 In the NWD-270N’s Adaptor tab, select WPS and PIN - Use this Device’s PIN. Note down the PIN in the screen that appears. 2 Enter the PIN number in the AP’s configuration interface.
Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 8 Example WPS Process: PIN Method You AP WITHIN 2 MINUTES Authentication by PIN SECURITY INFO COMMUNICATION 30 NWD-270N User’s Guide
Chapter 2 Tutorial 2.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPS There are three ways to connect the wireless client (the NWD-270N) to a network without using WPS. • Configure nothing and leave the wireless client to automatically scan for and connect to any available network that has no wireless security configured. • Manually connect to a network (see Section 2.3.1 on page 31). • Configure a profile to have the wireless client automatically connect to a specific network or peer computer (see Section 2.3.
Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 10 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings 5 The Summary window appears. Check your settings and click Save to continue. Figure 11 ZyXEL Utility: Summary 6 The ZyXEL utility returns to the Link Info screen while it connects to the wireless network using your settings. When the wireless link is established, the ZyXEL utility icon in the system tray turns green and the Link Info screen displays details of the active connection.
Chapter 2 Tutorial Troubleshooting section of this User's Guide or contact your network administrator if necessary. 2.3.2 Creating and Using a Profile A profile lets you automatically connect to the same wireless network every time you use the ZyXEL utility. You can also configure different profiles for different networks, for example if you connect a notebook computer to wireless networks at home and at work.
Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 15 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Security 5 This screen varies depending on the encryption method you selected in the previous screen. In this example, enter the pre-shared key and leave the encryption type at the default setting. Figure 16 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Encryption 6 Verify the profile settings in the ready-only screen. Click Save to save and go to the next screen. Figure 17 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Summary 7 Click Activate Now to use the new profile immediately.
Chapter 2 Tutorial " Only one profile can be activated and used at any given time. Figure 18 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Activate 8 When you activate the new profile, the ZyXEL utility goes to the Link Info screen while it connects to the AP using your settings. When the wireless link is established, the ZyXEL utility icon in the system tray turns green and the Link Info screen displays details of the active connection. 9 Make sure the selected AP in the active profile is on and connected to the Internet.
Chapter 2 Tutorial 36 NWD-270N User’s Guide
CHAPTER 3 Wireless LANs 3.1 Overview This section provides background information on wireless Local Area Networks. 3.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section • Connect securely to an AP using many of the strongest and most common encryption protocols. See Section 3.3 on page 39 for details. • Connect securely either to an AP or computer-to-computer using WPS. See Section 3.4 on page 41 for details. 3.1.2 What You Need to Know The following terms and concepts may help as you read through this section.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs 3.1.3 Before You Begin • You should have valid login information for an existing network Access Point, otherwise you may not be able to make a network connection right away. 3.2 Wireless LAN Overview The following figure provides an example of a wireless network with an AP. See Figure 3 on page 24 for an Ad Hoc network example. Figure 19 Example of a Wireless Network The wireless network is the part in the blue circle.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs 3.3 Wireless LAN Security Wireless LAN security is vital to your network to protect wireless communications. If you do not enable any wireless security on your NWD-270N, the NWD-270N’s wireless communications are accessible to any wireless networking device that is in the coverage area. " You can use only WEP encryption if you set the NWD-270N to Ad-hoc mode. See the appendices for more detailed information about wireless security. 3.3.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs • Open mode is implemented for ease-of-use and when security is not an issue. The wireless station and the AP or peer computer do not share a secret key. Thus the wireless stations can associate with any AP or peer computer and listen to any transmitted data that is not encrypted. • Shared mode involves a shared secret key to authenticate the wireless station to the AP or peer computer.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs If the AP or the wireless clients do not support WPA2, just use WPA or WPA-PSK depending on whether you have an external RADIUS server or not. Select WEP only when the AP and/or wireless clients do not support WPA or WPA2. WEP is less secure than WPA or WPA2. 3.4 WiFi Protected Setup Your NWD-270N supports WiFi Protected Setup (WPS), which is an easy way to set up a secure wireless network. WPS is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs 3.4.2 PIN Configuration Each WPS-enabled device has its own PIN (Personal Identification Number). This may either be static (it cannot be changed) or dynamic (in some devices you can generate a new PIN by clicking on a button in the configuration interface).
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs The following figure shows a WPS-enabled wireless client (installed in a notebook computer) connecting to the WPS-enabled AP via the PIN method. Figure 20 Example WPS Process: PIN Method ENROLLEE REGISTRAR WPS This device’s WPS PIN: 123456 WPS Enter WPS PIN from other device: WPS START WPS START WITHIN 2 MINUTES SECURE EAP TUNNEL SSID WPA(2)-PSK COMMUNICATION 3.4.3 How WPS Works When two WPS-enabled devices connect, each device must assume a specific role.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs The following figure shows a WPS-enabled client (installed in a notebook computer) connecting to a WPS-enabled access point. Figure 21 How WPS works ACTIVATE WPS ACTIVATE WPS WITHIN 2 MINUTES WPS HANDSHAKE ENROLLEE REGISTRAR SECURE TUNNEL SECURITY INFO COMMUNICATION The roles of registrar and enrollee last only as long as the WPS setup process is active (two minutes). The next time you use WPS, a different device can be the registrar if necessary.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs 3.4.3.1 Example WPS Network Setup This section shows how security settings are distributed in an example WPS setup. The following figure shows an example network. In step 1, both AP1 and Client 1 are unconfigured. When WPS is activated on both, they perform the handshake. In this example, AP1 is the registrar, and Client 1 is the enrollee. The registrar randomly generates the security information to set up the network, since it is unconfigured and has no existing information.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs In step 3, you add another access point (AP2) to your network. AP2 is out of range of AP1, so you cannot use AP1 for the WPS handshake with the new access point. However, you know that Client 2 supports the registrar function, so you use it to perform the WPS handshake instead. Figure 24 WPS: Example Network Step 3 EXISTING CONNECTION CLIENT 1 E ION CT E NN CO G TIN XIS AP1 REGISTRAR CLIENT 2 SE CU RIT Y ENROLLEE INF O AP1 3.4.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs • When you use the PBC method, there is a short period (from the moment you press the button on one device to the moment you press the button on the other device) when any WPS-enabled device could join the network. This is because the registrar has no way of identifying the “correct” enrollee, and cannot differentiate between your enrollee and a rogue device. This is a possible way for a hacker to gain access to a network. You can easily check to see if this has happened.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs 48 NWD-270N User’s Guide
CHAPTER 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.1 Overview This section shows you how to configure your NWD-270N using the ZyXEL utility in Windows. " Some features available in Windows XP or Windows 2000 are not available in Windows Vista. 4.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section • On the Link Info screen, you can see your current connection details, monitor signal strength and quality, and more. See Section 4.3 on page 51 for details.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility encryption than TKIP. WPA applies IEEE 802.1x and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to authenticate wireless clients using an external RADIUS database. The WPA protocol affords users with vastly stronger security than the WEP protocol. It comes in two different varieties: WPA and WPA2. Always try to use WPA2 as it implements the full version of the security standard while WPA does not.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.3 The Link Info Screen When the ZyXEL utility starts, the Link Info screen displays, showing the current configuration and connection status of your NWD-270N. Figure 26 Link Info The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 5 Link Info LABEL DESCRIPTION Wireless Network Status Profile Name This is the name of the profile you are currently using. Network Name (SSID) The SSID identifies the wireless network to which a wireless station is associated.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility Table 5 Link Info (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION Total Receive This field displays the total number of data frames received. Link Quality This field displays the signal strength of the NWD-270N. Trend Chart Click this button to display the real-time statistics of the data rate in kilobits per second (Kbps). Signal Strength The status bar shows the strength of the signal.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.4 The Site Survey Screen Use the Site Survey screen to scan for and connect to a wireless network automatically. Figure 28 Site Survey The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 7 Site Survey LABEL DESCRIPTION Available Network List Click a column heading to sort the entries. , , or denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless security is activated.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.4.1 Security Settings When you configure the NWD-270N to connect to a network with wireless security activated and the security settings are disabled on the NWD-270N, the screen varies according to the encryption method used by the selected network. 4.4.1.1 Security Type Selection When you choose to connect to a network that has security, you are presented with is a security selection screen. Choose the security of the network you are attempting to join.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 9 Security Setting: WEP LABEL DESCRIPTION Security Settings WEP Select 64 Bits or 128 Bits to activate WEP encryption and then fill in the related fields. Authentication Type Select an authentication method. Choices are Open and Shared. Refer to Section 3.3.1.1.2 on page 39 for more information. Pass Phrase Enter a passphrase of up to 32 case-sensitive printable characters.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility Figure 31 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 10 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK LABEL DESCRIPTION Encryption Type The encryption mechanisms used for WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK are the same. The only difference between the two is that WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK uses a simple common password, instead of user-specific credentials. Select the encryption type (TKIP or AES) for data encryption. Refer to Section 3.3.1.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 11 Security Setting: WPA/WPA2 LABEL DESCRIPTION Encryption Type The encryption mechanisms used for WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK are the same. The only difference between the two is that WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK uses a simple common password, instead of user-specific credentials. Select the encryption type (TKIP or AES) for data encryption. Refer to Section 3.3.1.3 on page 40 for more information.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility Figure 33 Security Setting: 802.1x The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 12 Security Settings: IEEE 802.1x LABEL DESCRIPTION Encryption Type Select WEP if the access point is configured to use 802.1x with WEP encryption. A dynamic WEP key is generated automatically. Otherwise, select None (at the time of writing, this is not available in Windows Vista). EAP Type The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server or AP.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.4.2 Summary Screen Use this screen to confirm and save the security settings. Figure 34 Summary Screen The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 13 Summary Screen LABEL DESCRIPTION Network Name (SSID) This field displays the SSID previously entered. Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad-Hoc) of the wireless device. Channel This field displays the channel number used by the profile.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility Figure 35 Profile The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 14 Profile LABEL DESCRIPTION Profile List Click a column heading to sort the entries. , , or 60 denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless security is activated. denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless security is deactivated. denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless security is activated.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.5.1 Adding a New Profile Follow the steps below to add a new profile. 1 Click Add in the Profile screen. An Add New Profile screen displays as shown next. Figure 36 Profile: Add a New Profile The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 15 Profile: Add a New Profile LABEL DESCRIPTION Add New Profile Profile Name Enter a descriptive name in this field.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility Table 15 Profile: Add a New Profile (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION Scan Click Scan to search for available wireless devices within transmission range. Select Select an available wireless device in the table and click Select to add it to this profile. Whenever you activate this profile, the NWD-270N associates to the selected wireless network only. 2 If you select the Infrastructure network type in the previous screen, skip to step 3.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility Figure 38 Profile: Wireless Settings 4 The screen varies depending on the encryption method you select in the previous screen. The settings must be exactly the same on the AP or other peer wireless computers as they are on the NWD-270N. Refer to Section 4.4.1 on page 54 for detailed information on wireless security configuration. Figure 39 Profile: Security Settings 5 This read-only screen shows a summary of the new profile settings. Verify that the settings are correct.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 6 To use this network profile, click the Activate Now button. Otherwise, click the Activate Later button. You can activate only one profile at a time. " Once you activate a profile, the ZyXEL utility will use that profile the next time it is started. Figure 41 Profile: Activate the Profile 4.6 The Adapter Screen To set the other advanced features on the NWD-270N, click the Adapter tab. Figure 42 Adapter The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility Table 17 Adapter (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) Select this to enable Wi-fi Protected Setup on the NWD-270N. PBC (Push Button Configuration) Select this to use the PBC (Push-Button Configuration) WPS mode. When you use the PBC mode you do not use a PIN. When you select this, the PBC (Push Button Configuration screen appears (see Section 4.6.1 on page 65).
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.6.2 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN This screen allows you to use the WPS Personal Identification Number mode, by entering the NWD-270N’s unique PIN in the configuration utility of the other WPS-enabled device. See Section 3.4.2 on page 42 for more information. Select WPS and PIN - Use this Device’s PIN in the Adapter screen. The following screen displays. Figure 44 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.6.3 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router This screen allows you to use the WPS Personal Identification Number mode, by entering the PIN from another WPS-enabled device into the NWD-270N’s utility. See Section 3.4.2 on page 42 for more information. Select WPS and PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router in the Adapter screen. The following screen displays.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.7.1 Using PEAP in Vista Take the following steps to set up WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security using PEAP in Windows Vista. 1 Either select the AP to which you want to connect in the Site Survey screen (see Section 4.4 on page 53), or configure a profile in the normal way (see Section 4.5 on page 59). 2 In the WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security screen (see Section 4.4.1.4 on page 56 and Section 4.4.1.5 on page 57), select PEAP as the EAP Type.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 4.7.2 Using TLS in Vista Take the following steps to set up WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security using TLS in Windows Vista. 1 Either select the AP to which you want to connect in the Site Survey screen (see Section 4.4 on page 53), or configure a profile (see Section 4.5 on page 59) in the normal way. 2 In the WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security screen, select TLS as the EAP Type. Note that the Login Name, Certificate and Validate Server Certificate fields are greyed-out (not available).
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility 70 NWD-270N User’s Guide
CHAPTER 5 Maintenance 5.1 Overview This section describes how to uninstall or upgrade the ZyXEL utility. 5.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section • Learn which version of the ZyXEL utility and device driver you’re currently using. See Section 5.2 on page 72 for details. • Remove the ZyXEL utility from your computer. See Section 5.3 on page 72 for details. • Upgrade the ZyXEL utility. See Section 5.4 on page 73 for details. 5.1.
Chapter 5 Maintenance 5.2 The About Screen The About screen displays driver and utility version numbers of the NWD-270N. To display the screen as shown below, click the About ( ) button. Figure 50 About The following table describes the read-only fields in this screen. Table 20 About LABEL DESCRIPTION Driver Version This field displays the version number of the NWD-270N driver. Utility Version This field displays the version number of the ZyXEL utility. 5.
Chapter 5 Maintenance Figure 52 Uninstall: Finish 5.4 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility " Before you uninstall the ZyXEL utility, take note of your current wireless configurations. To perform the upgrade, follow the steps below. 1 Download the latest version of the utility from the ZyXEL web site and save the file on your computer. 2 Follow the steps in Section 5.3 on page 72 to remove the current ZyXEL utility from your computer. 3 Restart your computer when prompted.
Chapter 5 Maintenance 74 NWD-270N User’s Guide
P ART II Troubleshooting and Specifications Troubleshooting (77) Product Specifications (81) 75
CHAPTER 6 Troubleshooting This chapter offers some suggestions to solve problems you might encounter. The potential problems are divided into the following categories. • • • • Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs Accessing the ZyXEL Utility Link Quality Problems Communicating with Other Computers 6.1 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs V The NWD-270N does not turn on. None of the LEDs turn on. 1 Make sure the NWD-270N is correctly installed (refer to your Quick Start Guide).
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting 6.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility V I cannot access the ZyXEL Utility 1 Make sure the NWD-270N is properly inserted and the LEDs are on. Refer to the Quick Start Guide for information on how to properly connect the NWD-270N. 2 Use the Device Manager to check for possible hardware conflicts. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager. Verify the status of the NWD-270N under Network Adapter (steps may vary depending on the version of Windows).
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting • Change the AP and the associated wireless clients to use another radio channel if interference is high. • Make sure that the computer and the AP share the same security option and key. Verify the settings in the Profile Security Setting screen. • If you are using WPA(2) or WPA(2)-PSK security, try changing your encryption type from TKIP to AES or vice versa. In Ad-Hoc Mode • Verify that the peer computer(s) is turned on.
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting 80 NWD-270N User’s Guide
CHAPTER 7 Product Specifications Table 21 Product Specifications PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL Product Name NWD-270N Wireless N-lite USB Adapter Interface USB 2.0 Standards IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g IEEE 802.11n (Draft 2.0) Operating Frequency 2.
Chapter 7 Product Specifications Table 21 Product Specifications (continued) Operation Channels IEEE 802.11g N. America &Taiwan 2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11 Euro ETSI 2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13 Dynamically shifts between 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6 Mbps network speed. Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHz Operation Channels N. America &Taiwan 2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11 Euro ETSI 2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13 IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.
Chapter 7 Product Specifications Table 21 Product Specifications (continued) Wireless Security WEP 64bit, 128bit, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK 802.1x (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP), WPS.
Chapter 7 Product Specifications 84 NWD-270N User’s Guide
P ART III Appendices and Index " The appendices provide general information. Some details may not apply to your NWD-270N.
APPENDIX A Wireless LANs Wireless LAN Topologies This section discusses ad-hoc and infrastructure wireless LAN topologies. Ad-hoc Wireless LAN Configuration The simplest WLAN configuration is an independent (Ad-hoc) WLAN that connects a set of computers with wireless adapters (A, B, C). Any time two or more wireless adapters are within range of each other, they can set up an independent network, which is commonly referred to as an ad-hoc network or Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS).
Appendix A Wireless LANs Figure 54 Basic Service Set ESS An Extended Service Set (ESS) consists of a series of overlapping BSSs, each containing an access point, with each access point connected together by a wired network. This wired connection between APs is called a Distribution System (DS). This type of wireless LAN topology is called an Infrastructure WLAN. The Access Points not only provide communication with the wired network but also mediate wireless network traffic in the immediate neighborhood.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Figure 55 Infrastructure WLAN Channel A channel is the radio frequency(ies) used by wireless devices to transmit and receive data. Channels available depend on your geographical area. You may have a choice of channels (for your region) so you should use a channel different from an adjacent AP (access point) to reduce interference. Interference occurs when radio signals from different access points overlap causing interference and degrading performance.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Figure 56 RTS/CTS When station A sends data to the AP, it might not know that the station B is already using the channel. If these two stations send data at the same time, collisions may occur when both sets of data arrive at the AP at the same time, resulting in a loss of messages for both stations. RTS/CTS is designed to prevent collisions due to hidden nodes.
Appendix A Wireless LANs If the Fragmentation Threshold value is smaller than the RTS/CTS value (see previously) you set then the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake will never occur as data frames will be fragmented before they reach RTS/CTS size. Preamble Type Preamble is used to signal that data is coming to the receiver. Short and long refer to the length of the synchronization field in a packet.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Wireless security methods available on the NWD-270N are data encryption, wireless client authentication, restricting access by device MAC address and hiding the NWD-270N identity. The following figure shows the relative effectiveness of these wireless security methods available on your NWD-270N. Table 23 Wireless Security Levels SECURITY LEVEL SECURITY TYPE Least Secure Unique SSID (Default) Unique SSID with Hide SSID Enabled MAC Address Filtering WEP Encryption IEEE802.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Determines the network services available to authenticated users once they are connected to the network. • Accounting Keeps track of the client’s network activity. RADIUS is a simple package exchange in which your AP acts as a message relay between the wireless client and the network RADIUS server.
Appendix A Wireless LANs For EAP-TLS authentication type, you must first have a wired connection to the network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). A certificate (also called digital IDs) can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of each certificate owner. EAP-MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5) MD5 authentication is the simplest one-way authentication method. The authentication server sends a challenge to the wireless client.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Dynamic WEP Key Exchange The AP maps a unique key that is generated with the RADIUS server. This key expires when the wireless connection times out, disconnects or reauthentication times out. A new WEP key is generated each time reauthentication is performed. If this feature is enabled, it is not necessary to configure a default encryption key in the wireless security configuration screen.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Encryption Both WPA and WPA2 improve data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA and WPA2 use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP) to offer stronger encryption than TKIP. TKIP uses 128-bit keys that are dynamically generated and distributed by the authentication server.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Wireless Client WPA Supplicants A wireless client supplicant is the software that runs on an operating system instructing the wireless client how to use WPA. At the time of writing, the most widely available supplicant is the WPA patch for Windows XP, Funk Software's Odyssey client. The Windows XP patch is a free download that adds WPA capability to Windows XP's builtin "Zero Configuration" wireless client. However, you must run Windows XP to use it.
Appendix A Wireless LANs 3 The AP and wireless clients generate a common PMK (Pairwise Master Key). The key itself is not sent over the network, but is derived from the PSK and the SSID. 4 The AP and wireless clients use the TKIP or AES encryption process, the PMK and information exchanged in a handshake to create temporal encryption keys. They use these keys to encrypt data exchanged between them.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Antenna Overview An antenna couples RF signals onto air. A transmitter within a wireless device sends an RF signal to the antenna, which propagates the signal through the air. The antenna also operates in reverse by capturing RF signals from the air. Positioning the antennas properly increases the range and coverage area of a wireless LAN. Antenna Characteristics Frequency An antenna in the frequency of 2.4GHz (IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g) or 5GHz (IEEE 802.
Appendix A Wireless LANs Positioning Antennas In general, antennas should be mounted as high as practically possible and free of obstructions. In point-to–point application, position both antennas at the same height and in a direct line of sight to each other to attain the best performance. For omni-directional antennas mounted on a table, desk, and so on, point the antenna up. For omni-directional antennas mounted on a wall or ceiling, point the antenna down.
APPENDIX B Windows Wireless Management This appendix shows you how to manage your NWD-270N using the Windows Vista and Windows XP wireless configuration tools. Windows Vista Take the following steps to connect to a wireless network using the Windows Vista wireless configuration tool (WLAN AutoConfig). Connecting to a Wireless Network 1 Click Start ( ) > Connect To. Figure 59 Vista: Start Menu The Connect To window displays, showing all available networks.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 60 Vista: The Connect To Window The security status of each wireless network displays, as well as an indication of its signal strength. If you use the mouse pointer to hover over a network’s entry, additional information about the network displays. Figure 61 Vista: Additional Information 2 Double-click the network’s name to join the network, or select a network and click Connect.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 62 Vista: Enter Security Key Your computer tries to connect to the wireless network. Figure 63 Vista: Connecting If your computer has connected to the wireless network successfully, the following screen displays.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 64 Vista: Successful Connection 4 If you will use this network again, ensure that Save this network is selected. If you save the network, you do not have to configure its settings again. 5 Select Start this connection automatically if you want Windows to always try to use this network when you start up your computer.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 65 Vista: Choose a Connection Option 2 Click Manually connect to a wireless network. The following screen displays. Figure 66 Vista: Connect Manually The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 26 Vista: Connect Manually LABEL DESCRIPTION Network name Enter your network’s SSID (Service Set IDentifier). Security type Select the type of security used by the network to which you want to connect.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Table 26 Vista: Connect Manually LABEL DESCRIPTION Encryption type Select the type of encryption used by the network. When you use WEP or 802.1x, WEP displays. When you use a WPA mode (WPA(2)-Personal or WPA(2)-Enterprise) you can choose AES or TKIP (if supported by your computer’s wireless client). Security Key / Passphrase If your network uses WEP or WPA(2)-Personal security, enter the key here.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management 1 Click Start ( ) > Connect To. In the Connect to screen, click Set up a connection or network. The following screen displays. Figure 68 Vista: Set Up An Ad-hoc Network 2 Select Set up a wireless ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network and click Next. The following screen displays. Figure 69 Vista: Ad-hoc Options 3 Enter the Network name (SSID) you want to use for your network. Select a Security type.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management " Make sure all the wireless clients on your ad-hoc network can support the type of security you select. 4 Enter the Security key/Passphrase. Everybody on the network must enter this key in their computer’s wireless client in order to access the network. If you want to see the characters you entered, select the Display characters box. Otherwise, leave it empty (dots display instead of the characters).
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management 2 Double-click on the icon for wireless network connection. 3 The status window displays as shown below. Click Properties. Figure 71 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status Figure 72 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status 4 The Wireless Network Connection Properties screen displays. Click the Wireless Networks tab. Make sure the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is selected.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 73 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties Figure 74 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties If you see the following screen, refer to article 871122 on the Microsoft web site for information on starting WZC.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 75 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not Available Connecting to a Wireless Network 1 Double-click the network icon for wireless connections in the system tray to open the Wireless Network Connection Status screen. Figure 76 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon The type of the wireless network icon in Windows XP SP2 indicates the status of the NWD270N. Refer to the following table for details.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 77 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status Windows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click Properties and the Wireless Networks tab to open the Wireless Network Connection Properties screen. Figure 78 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status 3 Windows XP SP2: Click Refresh network list to reload and search for available wireless devices within transmission range.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 79 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection The following table describes the icons in the wireless network list. Table 28 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection ICON DESCRIPTION This denotes that wireless security is activated for the wireless network. This denotes that this wireless network is your preferred network.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 80 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties 4 4.Windows XP SP2: If the wireless security is activated for the selected wireless network, the Wireless Network Connection screen displays. You must set the related fields in the Wireless Network Connection screen to the same security settings as the associated AP and click Connect. Refer to the section about security settings for more information.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 82 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security 5 Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check the connection status in the wireless network list or the connection icon in the Preferred networks or Available networks list. The following table describes the connection icons. Table 29 Windows XP: Wireless Networks ICON DESCRIPTION This denotes the wireless network is an available wireless network.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 30 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association LABEL DESCRIPTION Network name (SSID) This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless network. Network Authentication This field automatically shows the authentication method (Share, Open, WPA or WPA-PSK) used by the selected network.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Figure 84 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 31 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication LABEL DESCRIPTION Enable IEEE 802.1x authentication for this network This field displays whether the IEEE 802.1x authentication is active. If the network authentication is set to Open in the previous screen, you can choose to disable or enable this feature.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Protected EAP Properties Figure 85 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 32 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties 118 LABEL DESCRIPTION Validate server certificate Select the check box to verify the certificate of the authentication server.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management Smart Card or other Certificate Properties Figure 86 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 33 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties LABEL DESCRIPTION Use my smart card Select this check box to use the smart card for authentication. Use a certificate on this computer Select this check box to use a certificate on your computer for authentication.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management 1 Windows XP SP2: Click Change the order of preferred networks in the Wireless Network Connection screen (see Figure 79 on page 113). The screen displays as shown. Figure 87 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks Windows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click Properties and the Wireless Networks tab to open the screen as shown.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management the security, authentication or connection information of the selected network. Click Add to add a preferred network into the list manually.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management 122 NWD-270N User’s Guide
APPENDIX C Legal Information Copyright Copyright © 2008 by ZyXEL Communications Corporation. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any part or as a whole, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, photocopying, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of ZyXEL Communications Corporation. Published by ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
Appendix C Legal Information If this device does cause harmful interference to radio/television reception, which can be determined by turning the device off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: 1 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. 2 Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver. 3 Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Appendix C Legal Information Notices Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. This device has been designed for the WLAN 2.4 GHz network throughout the EC region and Switzerland, with restrictions in France. This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Appendix C Legal Information Registration Register your product online to receive e-mail notices of firmware upgrades and information at www.zyxel.com.
APPENDIX D Customer Support Please have the following information ready when you contact customer support. Required Information • • • • Product model and serial number. Warranty Information. Date that you received your device. Brief description of the problem and the steps you took to solve it. “+” is the (prefix) number you dial to make an international telephone call. Corporate Headquarters (Worldwide) • • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.com.tw Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.com.
Appendix D Customer Support • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications, Czech s.r.o., Modranská 621, 143 01 Praha 4 Modrany, Ceská Republika Denmark • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.dk Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.dk Telephone: +45-39-55-07-00 Fax: +45-39-55-07-07 Web: www.zyxel.dk Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Columbusvej, 2860 Soeborg, Denmark Finland • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.fi Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.fi Telephone: +358-9-4780-8411 Fax: +358-9-4780-8448 Web: www.zyxel.
Appendix D Customer Support India • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.in Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.in Telephone: +91-11-30888144 to +91-11-30888153 Fax: +91-11-30888149, +91-11-26810715 Web: http://www.zyxel.in Regular Mail: India - ZyXEL Technology India Pvt Ltd., II-Floor, F2/9 Okhla Phase -1, New Delhi 110020, India Japan • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.co.jp Sales E-mail: zyp@zyxel.co.jp Telephone: +81-3-6847-3700 Fax: +81-3-6847-3705 Web: www.zyxel.co.
Appendix D Customer Support • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications Inc., 1130 N. Miller St., Anaheim, CA 928062001, U.S.A. Norway • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.no Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.no Telephone: +47-22-80-61-80 Fax: +47-22-80-61-81 Web: www.zyxel.no Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Nils Hansens vei 13, 0667 Oslo, Norway Poland • • • • • E-mail: info@pl.zyxel.com Telephone: +48-22-333 8250 Fax: +48-22-333 8251 Web: www.pl.zyxel.com Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications, ul.
Appendix D Customer Support Sweden • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.se Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.se Telephone: +46-31-744-7700 Fax: +46-31-744-7701 Web: www.zyxel.se Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Sjöporten 4, 41764 Göteborg, Sweden Thailand • • • • • • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.co.th Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.co.th Telephone: +662-831-5315 Fax: +662-831-5395 Web: http://www.zyxel.co.th Regular Mail: ZyXEL Thailand Co., Ltd.
Appendix D Customer Support 132 NWD-270N User’s Guide
Index Index A About 72 about your ZyXEL Device 22 Access Point (AP) 38 Access point (AP) 38 Access Point. See also AP. ACT LED 22 activating a profile 64 adapter 64 Ad-Hoc 23, 62 Advanced Encryption Standard 40 See AES. advanced settings 64 AES 96 antenna directional 99 gain 99 omni-directional 99 AP 89 See also access point. AP MAC address 51 authentication 51 authentication type 39 auto 40 open system 40 shared key 40 auto authentication 40 automatic connection 53 automatic network scan 31, 59 See CA.
Index encryption 96 encryption type 39, 57 environmental specifications 81 ESS 88 Extended Service Set, See ESS 88 link information 51 LINK LED 22 link quality 52 M F fast power save 64 FCC interference statement 123 fragmentation threshold 90 frequency 38, 81, 82 N getting started 21 network mode 51 network name 51 network overlap 38 network scan 59 network type 51, 53 H O hardware connections 24 help 26 hidden node 89 humidity 81 online help 26 G I IBSS 87 IEEE 802.11g 91 IEEE 802.
Index PSK 96 Q Quick Start Guide 24, 78 R radio interference 78 radio specifications 81 RADIUS 40, 92 message types 93 messages 93 shared secret key 93 real-time data traffic statistics 52 receive rate 51 receive speed 51 registration product 125 related documentation 3 RTS (Request To Send) 90 threshold 89, 90 T temperature 81 Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) 40, 96 The 67 TLS 67, 69 total receive 52 total transmit 51 trademarks 123 transmission rate 51, 60 transmit key 55 transmit rate 51 trend
Index wireless client WPA supplicants 97 wireless LAN introduction 37 security 39 wireless LAN (WLAN) 37 wireless network 38 wireless security 91 wireless standard 81 wireless station mode adapter 64 security settings 54 site survey 53 trend chart 52 wireless tutorial 28 WLAN interference 89 security parameters 98 WPA 40, 56, 67, 95 key caching 96 pre-authentication 96 user authentication 96 vs WPA-PSK 96 wireless client supplicant 97 with RADIUS application example 97 WPA2 40, 56, 67, 95 user authenticati
