Airlink101 APO1000, APO1010 User Manual

Wireless G 2.4GHz 500mW Outdoor AP

Model: APO1000/APO1010

User’s Manual

V.1.0

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1. SYSTEM OVERVIEW.............................................................................................................................1

1.1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................1

1.2 SYSTEM CONCEPT .................................................................................................................................................. 2

1.3 APPLICATIONS IN WIRELESS NETWORK..................................................................................................................3

1.4 PRODUCT BENEFIT..................................................................................................................................................8

1.5 SPECIFICATION........................................................................................................................................................ 9

CHAPTER 2. BASIC INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................................12

2.1 HARDWARE INSTALLATION.....................................................................................................................................12

2.1.1 Package Contents......................................................................................................................................12

2.1.2 Panel Function Descriptions.....................................................................................................................13

2.1.3 Hardware Installation Steps ......................................................................................................................15

2.2 WEB MANAGEMENT INTERFACE INSTRUCTIONS...................................................................................................16

CHAPTER 3. AP MODE CONFIGURATION.............................................................................................................18

3.1 EXTERNAL NETWORK CONNECTION.....................................................................................................................18

3.1.1 Network Requirement................................................................................................................................18

3.1.2 Configure LAN IP........................................................................................................................................19

3.2 WIRELESS LAN NETWORK CREATION..................................................................................................................21

3.2.1 Wireless General Setup.............................................................................................................................21

3.2.2 Wireless Advanced Setup.........................................................................................................................22

3.2.3 Create Virtual AP(VAP)..............................................................................................................................25

3.2.3.1 Virtual AP Overview...............................................................................................................................................25

3.2.3.2 Virtual AP Setup.....................................................................................................................................................26

3.2.4 MAC Filter Setup........................................................................................................................................ 32

3.3 WIRELESS NETWORK EXPANSION........................................................................................................................33

3.4 SYSTEM MANAGEMENT .........................................................................................................................................36

3.4.1 Configure Management.............................................................................................................................36

3.4.2 Configure System Time............................................................................................................................. 38

3.4.3 Configure UPnP..........................................................................................................................................39

3.4.4 Configure SNMP Setup.............................................................................................................................40

3.4.5 Backup / Restore and Reset to Factory..................................................................................................42

3.4.6 Firmware Upgrade......................................................................................................................................43

3.4.7 Network Utility.............................................................................................................................................44

3.4.8 Reboot.......................................................................................................................................................... 45

3.5 SYSTEM STATUS ....................................................................................................................................................46

3.5.1 System Overview........................................................................................................................................46

3.5.2 Associated Clients Status..........................................................................................................................48

3.5.3 WDS Link Status.........................................................................................................................................49

3.5.4 Extra Information........................................................................................................................................50

3.5.5 Event Log.....................................................................................................................................................52

CHAPTER 4. WDS MODE CONFIGURATION.........................................................................................................53

4.1 EXTERNAL NETWORK CONNECTION.....................................................................................................................53

4.1.1 Network Requirement................................................................................................................................53

4.1.2 Configure LAN IP........................................................................................................................................54

4.2 WIRELESS NETWORK EXPANSION........................................................................................................................56

4.2.1 Wireless General Setup.............................................................................................................................56

4.2.2 Wireless Advanced Setup.........................................................................................................................57

4.2.3 WDS Setup..................................................................................................................................................60

4.3 SYSTEM MANAGEMENT .........................................................................................................................................63

4.3.1 Configure Management.............................................................................................................................63

4.3.2 Configure System Time............................................................................................................................. 65

4.3.3 Configure UPnP..........................................................................................................................................66

4.3.4 Configure SNMP Setup.............................................................................................................................67

4.3.5 Backup / Restore and Reset to Factory..................................................................................................69

4.3.6 Firmware Upgrade......................................................................................................................................70

4.3.7 Network Utility.............................................................................................................................................71

4.3.8 Reboot.......................................................................................................................................................... 72

4.4 SYSTEM STATUS ....................................................................................................................................................73

4.4.1 System Overview........................................................................................................................................73

4.4.2 WDS Link Status.........................................................................................................................................75

4.4.3 Extra Information........................................................................................................................................76

4.4.4 Event Log.....................................................................................................................................................78

CHAPTER 5. CPE MODE CONFIGURATION..........................................................................................................79

5.1 EXTERNAL NETWORK CONNECTION.....................................................................................................................79

5.1.1 Network Requirement................................................................................................................................79

5.1.2 Configure WAN Setup................................................................................................................................81

5.1.3 Configure DDNS Setup..............................................................................................................................84

5.1.4 Configure LAN IP........................................................................................................................................85

5.2 ACCESS POINT ASSOCIATION................................................................................................................................87

5.2.1 Wireless General Setup.............................................................................................................................87

5.2.2 Wireless Advanced Setup.........................................................................................................................90

5.2.3 Site Survey..................................................................................................................................................93

5.3 SYSTEM MANAGEMENT .........................................................................................................................................94

5.3.1 Configure Management.............................................................................................................................94

5.3.2 Configure System Time............................................................................................................................. 96

5.3.3 Configure UPnP..........................................................................................................................................97

5.3.4 Configure SNMP Setup.............................................................................................................................98

5.3.5 Backup / Restore and Reset to Factory................................................................................................100

5.3.6 Firmware Upgrade....................................................................................................................................101

5.3.7 Network Utility...........................................................................................................................................102

5.3.8 Reboot........................................................................................................................................................ 103

5.4 ACCESS CONTROL LIST.......................................................................................................................................104

5.4.1 IP Filter Setup............................................................................................................................................104

5.4.2 MAC Filter Setup...................................................................................................................................... 106

5.5 RESOURCE SHARING ..........................................................................................................................................107

5.5.1 DMZ............................................................................................................................................................107

5.5.2 Virtual Server (Port Forwarding).............................................................................................................108

5.6 SYSTEM STATUS .................................................................................................................................................. 110

5.6.1 System Overview...................................................................................................................................... 110

5.6.2 DHCP Clients............................................................................................................................................ 113

5.6.3 Extra Info.................................................................................................................................................... 114

5.6.4 Event Log................................................................................................................................................... 116

CHAPTER 6. CLIENT BRIDGE + UNIVERSAL REPEATER CONFIGURATION............................................ 117

6.1 EXTERNAL NETWORK CONNECTION...................................................................................................................117

6.1.1 Network Requirement.............................................................................................................................. 117

6.1.2 Configure LAN IP...................................................................................................................................... 118

6.2 ACCESS POINT ASSOCIATION..............................................................................................................................120

6.2.1 Configure Wireless General Setting...................................................................................................... 120

6.2.2 Wireless Advanced Setup.......................................................................................................................122

6.2.3 Site Survey................................................................................................................................................125

6.3 WIRELESS LAN NETWORK CREATION................................................................................................................126

6.3.1 AP Setup....................................................................................................................................................126

6.3.2 MAC Filter Setup...................................................................................................................................... 132

6.4 SYSTEM MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................................................133

6.4.1 Configure Management........................................................................................................................... 133

6.4.2 Configure System Time........................................................................................................................... 135

6.4.3 Configure UPnP........................................................................................................................................136

6.4.4 Configure SNMP Setup...........................................................................................................................137

6.4.5 Backup / Restore and Reset to Factory................................................................................................139

6.4.6 Firmware Upgrade....................................................................................................................................140

6.4.7 Network Utility...........................................................................................................................................141

6.4.8 Reboot........................................................................................................................................................ 142

6.5 SYSTEM STATUS ..................................................................................................................................................143

6.5.1 System Overview......................................................................................................................................143

6.5.2 Associated Clients Status........................................................................................................................146

6.5.3 DHCP Clients............................................................................................................................................ 147

6.5.4 Extra Information...................................................................................................................................... 148

6.5.5 Event Log...................................................................................................................................................150

CHAPTER 7. COMMAND LINE INTERFACE(CLI) ...............................................................................................151

7.1 ACCESSING THE CLI WITH TELNET.....................................................................................................................151

7.2 USING THE CLI....................................................................................................................................................152

APPENDIX A. WINDOWS TCP/IP SETTINGS.....................................................................................................154

APPENDIX B. WEB GUI VALID CHARACTERS ................................................................................................156

APPENDIX C. NETWORK MANAGER PRIVILEGES........................................................................................160

APPENDIX D. ENABLING UPNP IN WINDOWS XP..........................................................................................161

TECHNICAL SUPPORT............................................................................................................................................. 163

Chapter 1. System Overview

1.1 Introduction

The 802.11 b/g compliant Airlink101® APO1000/APO1010 is an outdoor wireless access point that can be used for five different purposes in three different mod es. In the AP mode, it can be deployed either as traditional fixed wireless Access Point(AP), or combination of AP and WDS(AP+WDS). In the WDS mode, it’s only used to expand or bridge Ethernet networks and deployed as a main base, relay based or remote base station. In the CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) mode, it connects to Wireless Internet Service Provider’s (WISP) outdoor network via wireless WAN gateway to access to Internet. In the Client Bridge + Universal Repeater mode, it connects to Wireless Internet Service Provider’s (WISP) outdoor network via wireless or wired bridge to access to Internet

The die-cast sealed APO1000/APO1010 is compact in size and compliant with IP68 weatherproof standard. It comes with a mounting kit to mount on pole or wall. It is suitable for both indoor and outd oor usage with its 500mW output power, which is higher than a typical indoor AP (100mW).

Features:

1. Access Point : It can be deployed as a traditional fixed wireless Access Point

2. Repeater: To expand wireless service by repeating prior AP

3. WDS : It can be used to expand Ethernet network via wireless WDS Link

4. AP+WDS: Not only to extend Ethernet network, but also provide wireless access to the expanded network

5. CPE (Customer Premises Equipment): It is a wireless gateway with NAT and DHCP Server functions to connects to Wireless Internet Service Provider's (WISP)

6. Client Bridge + Universal Repeater : It is a wireless repeater or bridge to connects to Wireless Internet Service Provider's (WISP)

1.2 System Concept

The APO1000/APO1010 is not only designed and used as traditional outdoor AP, but also with rich features t ailored for WISP applications. The two-level management capability and access control ease WISP and owners to maintain and manage wireless network in a more controllable fashion. Main applications are listed as follows with illustration:

1. Wireless CPE for Multi Dwelling Unit/Multi Tenant Unit (MDU/MTU) complexes includi ng apartments, dormitories, and

office complexes.

2. Outdoor Access Point for school campuses, enterprise campuses, or manufacture plants.

3. Indoor Access Point for hotels, factories, or warehouses where industrial grade devices are preferred.

4. Public hotspot operation for café, parks, convention centers, shopping malls, or airports.

5. Wireless coverage for indoor and outdoor grounds in private resorts, home yards, or gulf course communities.

APO1000/

APO1010

1.3 Applications in Wireless Network

APO1000/APO1010 is a multiple mode system which can be configured either as a wireless gateway or an access point as desired. It also can be used as WDS link for Ethernet network expansion. This se ction depicts different applications in AP Mode, WDS Mode, and CPE Mode and Client Bridge + Universal Repeater Mode.

 Configuration in AP Mode (including Access Point + WDS)

An access point can be either a main, relay or remote base station. A main base station is typically connected to a wired network via the Ethernet port. A relay base station relays data between main base stations and relay stations or remote base stations with clients. A remote base station is the end point to accept connections from wireless clients and pass data upwards to a network wirelessly.

Î Example 1 : Access Point without WDS

9 It can be deployed as a tradition fixed wireless Access Point

APO1000/APO1010

Î Example 2 : Access Point with WDS

9 It can be deployed as a tradition fixed wireless Access Point and provides WDS link to expand network

 Configuration in WDS Mode (Pure WDS)

Î Example 1 : Point-to-Point

APO1000/APO1010

Î Example 2 : Point-to-Multi-Point

APO1000/APO1010

Î Example 3 : Multi-Point Repeating bridge

APO1000/APO1010

 Configuration in CPE Mode

It can be used as an Outdoor Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) to receive wireless signal over last mile application , helping WISPs deliver wireless broadband Internet service to residents and business cu stomers. In the CPE mode, APO1000/APO1010 is a gateway enabled with NAT and DHCP Server functions. The wired clients connected to APO1000/APO1010 are in different subnet from those connected to Main Base Station, and, in CPE mode, it does not accept wireless association from wireless clients.

APO1000/APO1010

 Configuration in Client Bridge + Universal Repeater Mode

It can be used as an Client Bridge + Universal Repeater to receive wireless signal over last mile applications, helping WISPs deliver wireless broadband Internet service to new residential and business customers. In this mod e, APO1000/APO1010 is enabled with DHCP Server functions. The wired clients of APO1000/APO1010 are in the same subnet from Main Base Station and it accepts wireless connections from client devices.

APO1000/APO1010

1.4 Product Benefit

 500mW at 2.4Ghz Output Power  Topology : Point to Point ; Point to Multi Point  Operation Modes :

Î Access Point Mode : Pure Access Point Function and Access Point /Bridge(WDS) Function Î WDS Mode Î CPE Mode (Router Client )

Î Client Bridge + Universal Repeater Mode  Security with WEP, WPA/WPA2-PSK, and WPA/WPA2-RADIUS  Over load current protection  Integrated Power over Ethernet (PoE)  8 Multiple B-SSID capability  Business-class security and central management  Weather-Proof Housing  VLAN tag over WDS  Client Isolation through Layer 2 VLAN technology  Two administrator accounts for manager authorities

APO1000/APO1010 outdoor high power WiFi Bridge is the point of connection to Wireless Outdoor Network for service provider deploying last mile services to business or residential broadband subscribers.. Network administrators can create multiple subscriber service tier using per-subscriber rate limiting features, and manage centrally. APO1000/APO1010 outdoor bridge utilizes a 500mW output Tx Power to connect to the WiFi mesh or WDS infrastructure and provides the subscriber with an Ethernet connection for a local access.

APO1000/APO1010 outdoor high power Bridge support s four operational mode s, the AP mode, the WDS mode, the CPE mode and the Client Bridge + Universal Repeater mode, respectively with built-in remote management features.

1.5 Specification

 Wireless Architecture Mode

Î AP Mode

9 Pure AP Mode

• It can be deployed as a tradition fixed wireless Access Point

• It allow wireless clients or Stations(STA ) to access

9 AP/WDS Mode

• This enables the wireless interconnection of Access Point in an IEEE802.11 network .and accept wireless

clients at the same time

Î WDS Mode

9 This enables the wireless interconnection of Access Point in an IEEE802.11 n etwork. 9 It allows a wireless network to be expanded using multiple access point without the need for a wired backbone

to link them.

9 This also be referred to as repeater mode. 9 It can’t allow wireless clients or Stations (STA) to associate.

Î CPE Mode

9 WiFi connection as WAN , in CPE mode , the device run as DHCP server to assign IP address to clients out of a

private IP address pool behind a NAT

Î Client Bridge + Universal RepeaterMode

9 A wireless repeater and bridge with DHCP server enabled, clients on the same subnet as host AP(Primary

Router).

6. Networking

Î Support Static IP, Dynamic IP(DHCP Client) and PPPoE on WiFi WAN Connection

Î Support PPTP/L2TP/IP Sec Pass Through

Î PPPoE Reconnect – Always On , On demand, Manual

Î MAC Cloning

Î DHCP Server

Î 802.3 Bridging

Î Masquerading (NAT)

Î Proxy DNS

Î Dynamic DNS

Î NTP Client

Î Virtual DMZ

Î Virtual Server (IP / Port Forwarding)

Î Support MAC Filter

Î Support IP Filter

Î Bandwidth traf fic Shaping

7. Wireless Feature

Î Transmission power control : 9 Levels

Î Channel selection : Manual or Auto

Î No of associated clients per AP : 32

Î Setting for max no associated clients : Yes

Î No. of ESSID (Virtual AP) : 8

Î No. of Max. WDS setting : 8

Î Preamble setting : Short/ Long

Î Setting for 802.11b/g mix, 802.11b only or 802.11g only

Î Setting for transmission speed

Î Dynamic Wireless re-transmission

Î IEEE802.11f IAPP (Inter Access Point Protocol), hand over users to another AP

Î IEEE 802.11i Preauth (PMKSA Cache )

Î IEEE 802.11h -Transmission Power Control

Î IEEE 802.11d -Multi country roaming

 Authentication/ Encryption (Wireless Security)

Î Layer 2 User Isolation

Î Blocks client to client discovery within a specified VLAN

Î WEP 64/ 128/ 152 Bits

Î EAP-TLS + Dynamic WEP

Î EAP-TTLS + Dynamic WEP

Î PEAP/ MS-PEAP+Dynamic WEP

Î WPA (PSK +TKIP)

Î WPA (802.1x certification + TKIP)

Î 802.11i WPA2 (PSK + CCMP/ AES)

Î 802.11i WPA2 (802.1x certification + CCMP/ AES)

Î Setting for TKIP/ CCMP/ AES key’s refreshing period

Î Hidden ESSID support

Î Setting for “Deny ANY “ connection request

Î MAC Address filtering (MAC ACL)

Î No. of registered RADIUS servers : 2

Î VLAN assignment on BSSID

Î Support VLAN tag over WDS

 Quality of Service

Î DiffServ/ ToS

Î IEEE802.1p/ CoS

Î IEEE 802.1Q Tag VLAN priority control

Î IEEE802.11e WMM

 System Administration

Î Intuitive Web Management Interface

Î Password Protected Access

Î Firmware upgrade via Web

Î Reset to Factory Defaults

Î Profiles Configuration Backup and Restore

Î Two administrator accounts

Î Remote Link Test

Î Full Statistics and Status Reporting

Î SNMP Traps to a list of IP Address

Î NTP T ime Synchronization

Î Even Log

Î Support SNMP v1,v2c, v3

Î Support MIB II

Î CLI access via Telnet and SSH

Î Administrative Access : HTTP/ HTTPS

Î UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)

Chapter 2. Basic Installation

2.1 Hardware Installation

2.1.1 Package Contents

The standard package contents of APO1000/APO1010:

 APO1000/APO1010 x 1  Quick Installation Guide x 1  CD-ROM (with User Manual and QIG) x 1  PSE with AC Cable x 1  Mounting Kit x 1

It is highly recommended to use all the supplies in the package instead of substit uting any components by other suppliers to guarantee best performance.

2.1.2 Panel Function Descriptions

¾ APO1000

Front Panel Rear Panel

1. Reset Button : System reboot button press until LED flashed and rel ease for system reboot or for reset to factory default press, LED flashes keep pressing until LED becom es static

2. Power : Red LED ON indicates power on, and OFF indicates power off

3. Signal Strength : Yellow LED ON indicates Low Signal (CPE Mode)

4. Signal Strength : Green LED ON indicates Normal Signal (CPE Mode) or (WDS Mode only)

5. Signal Strength : Green LED ON indicates High Signal (CPE Mode) or (AP Mode only)

6. WLAN : Green LED BLINKING indicates Wireless ON, and BL INKING quickly indicates Wireless Transmit quickly.

7. Ethernet : Green LED ON indicates connection, OFF indicates no connection

8. PoE Connector : For connecting to PSE

9. N-Type Conn ector : For connecting to N-Ty pe antenna

In CPE Mode, the LED 3 ON indicates the signal Low ( Signal <= 10 RSSI); the LED 3 and 4 ON indicate the signal Normal (10 < Signal <=40 RSSI); the LED 3, 4 and 5 ON indicate the signal High ( Signal > 40 ). Only LED 4 ON indicates the operating mode is WDS Mode; only LED 5 ON indicates the operating mode is AP Mode.

¾ APO1010

Front Panel Rear Panel

1. Reset Button : System reboot button press until LED flashed and rel ease for system reboot or for reset to factory default press, LED flashes keep pressing until LED becom es static

2. Power : Red LED ON indicates power on, and OFF indicates power off

3. Signal Strength : Yellow LED ON indicates Low Signal (CPE Mode)

4. Signal Strength : Green LED ON indicates Normal Signal (CPE Mode) or (WDS Mode only)

5. Signal Strength : Green LED ON indicates High Signal (CPE Mode) or (AP Mode only)

6. WLAN : Green LED BLINKING indicates Wireless ON, and BL INKING quickly indicates Wireless Transmit quickly.

7. Ethernet : Green LED ON indicates connection, OFF indicates no connection

8. PoE Connector : For connecting to PSE

2.1.3 Hardware Installation Steps

Please follow the steps mentioned below to install the hardwa re of APO1000/APO1010:

¾ APO1000

Front Panel Rear Panel

Î Connect N-type antenna to the N-type connector on the rear panel. Î Connect Power Injector to the PoE connector on the front panel. Î Connect an Ethernet cable to the Power Injector and the other end to a computer. Î Source power to Power Injector in order to supply power to APO1000.

¾ APO1010

Front Panel Rear Panel

Î Connect Power Injector to the PoE connector on the front panel. Î Connect an Ethernet cable to the Power Injector and the other end to a computer. Î Source power to Power Injector in order to supply power to APO1010.

2.2 Web Management Interface Instructions

APO1000/APO1010 supports web-based config uration. Upon the completion of hardware installation, APO1000/APO1010 can be configured through a COMPUTER by using its web browser such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.

1. Default IP Address : 192. 168.2.254

2. Default IP Netmask : 255.255.255.0

3. Default User Name and Password :

The default user name and password for both root manager account and admin manager account are as follows:

Mode CPE Mode AP Mode WDS Mode

Management Account

User Name

Password

Root Account

root admin root root root

default admin default default default

Admin Account

Root Account

Client Bridge + Universal Repeater Mode

Root Account

Step

 IP Segment Set-up for Administrator's Computer

Set the IP segment of the administrator's computer to be in the same range as APO1000/APO1010 for accessing the system. Do not duplicate the IP Address used here with IP Address of APO1000/APO1010 or any other device within the network

Example of Segment :

The valid range is 1 ~ 254 and 192.168.2.254 shall be avoided because it is already assigned to APO1000/APO1010.

192.168.2.10 is used in the example below.

Î IP Address : 192.168.2.10 Î IP Netmask : 255.255.255.0

 Launch Web Browser

Launch web browser to access the web management interface of system by entering the default IP Address,

http://192.168.2.254

, in the URL field, and then press Enter.

System Login

The network manager Login Page then appears. Enter “root” for user name and “default” for password, and then click OK to login to the system; the root manager

account is used as an example here.

 Login Success

System Overview page will appear after successful login.

Chapter 3. AP Mode Configuration

When AP mode is chosen, the system can be configured as an Access Point. This section provides detailed explanation for users to configure in the AP mode with help of illustrations. In the AP mode, functions listed in the table below are also available from the Web-based GUI interface.

Option System Wireless Utilities Status

Operating Mode General Settings Profiles Settings System Overview

LAN Advanced Settings Firmware Upgrade Clients

Functions

Management Virtual AP Network Utility WDS List

Time Server WDS Setup Reboot Extra Info

SNMP Event Log UPNP

Table 3-1: AP Mode Functions

3.1 External Network Connection

3.1.1 Network Requirement

Normally, APO1000/APO1010 connects to a wired LAN and provides a wireless con nection point to associate with wireless client as shown in Figure 3-1. Then, Wireless clients could access to LAN or Internet by associating themselves with APO1000/APO1010 set in AP mode.

Figure 3-1 Access Point on a Wired LAN Configuration

APO1000/APO1010

3.1.2 Configure LAN IP

Here are the instructions to setup the local IP Address and Netmask. Please click on System -> LAN and follow the below setting.

 Mode : Check either “Static IP” or “Dynamic IP” button as desired to set up the system IP of LAN port .

Î Static IP : The administrator can manually setup the LAN IP address when static IP is preferred.

9 IP Address : The IP address of the LAN port; default IP address is 192.168.1.254 9 IP Netmask : The Subnet mask of the LAN port; default Netmask is 255.255.255.0 9 IP Gateway : The default gateway of the LAN port; default Gateway is 192.168.1.1

Î Dynamic IP : This configuration type is applicable when the APO1000/APO1010 is connected to a network with

presence of a DHCP server. All related IP information will be provided by the DHCP server automatically.

9 Hostname : The Hostname of the LAN port

 DNS : Check either “No Default DNS Server” or “Specify DNS Server IP” button as desired to set up the system DNS.

Î Primary : The IP address of the primary DNS server. Î Secondary : The IP address of the secondary DNS server.

 802.1d Spanning Tree

The spanning tree network protocol provides a loop free topology for a bridged LAN between LAN interface and 8 WDS interfaces from wds0 to wds7. The Spanning Tree Protocol, which is also referred to as STP, is defined in the IEEE Standard 802.1d.

APO1000/APO1010

Click Save button to save your changes. Click Reboot button to activate your changes

3.2 Wireless LAN Network Creation

The network manager can configure related wireless settings, General Settings, Advanced Settings, Virtual AP(VAP) Setting, Security Settings, and MAC Filter Settings.

3.2.1 Wireless General Setup

The administrator can change the data transmission, channel and output power settings for the system. Please click on Wireless -> General Setup and follow the below setting.

 MAC address : The MAC address of the Wireless interface is displayed here.  Band Mode : Select an appropriate wireless band; bands available are 801.11b, 802.1 1g and 802.11b+802.11g.

 Transmit Rate Control : Select the desired rate from the drop-down list; the options are auto or ranging from 1 to

54Mbps for the 802.11g and 802.11b/g modes, or 1 to 11Mbps for the 802.11b mode.

 Country : Select the desired Country code from the drop-down list; the options are US, ETSI or Japan.  Channel : The channel range will be changed by selecting different country code. The channel range from 1 to 11 for US

country code, or 1 to 13 for ETSI country code, or 1 to 14 for JP country code.

 Tx Power : You can adjust the output power of the system to get the appropriate coverage for your wireless network.

Select the LEVEL 1 to LEVEL 9 that you need for your environment. If you are not sure from which setting to choose, then use the default LEVEL 9 setting.

Click Save button to save your changes. Click Reboot button to activate your changes. The items in this page are for AP's RF general settings and will be applied to all VAPs.

3.2.2 Wireless Advanced Setup

To achieve optimal wireless performance, it is necessary to tweak advance setting per requirements properly, not necessary higher the better or lower.

The administrator can change the RTS threshold and fragmentation threshold settings for the system. Please click on Wireless -> Advanced Setup and follow the below setting.

 Slot Time : Slot time is in the range of 1~1489 and set in unit of microsecond. The default value is 20 microsecond.

Slot time is the amount of time a device waits after a collision before retransmitting a p acket. Reducing the slot time decreases the overall back-off, which increases throughput. Back-off, which is a multiple of the slot time, is the random length of time a station waits before sending a packet on the LAN. For a sender and receiver own right of the channel the shorter slot time help manage shorter wait time to re-transmit from collision because of hidden wireless clients or other causes. When collision sources can be removed soo ner and other send ers attempting to send are listening the channel(CSMA/CA) the owner of the channel should continue ownership and finish their transmission and relea se the channel. Then, following ownership of the channel will be sooner for the new pair due to shorter slot time. However, when long duration of existing collision sources and shorter slot time exist the owners might experience subsequent collisions. When adjustment to longer slot time can’t improve performance then RTS/CTS could supplement and help improve performance.

 ACK Timeout : ACK timeout is in the range of 1~372 and set in unit of microsecond. The default value is 48

microsecond. All data transmission in 802.11b/g request an “Acknowledgement” (ACK) send by receiving radio. The transmitter will

resend the original packet if correspondent ACK failed to arrive within specific time interval, also refer to as “ACK Timeout”.

ACK Timeout is adju stable due to the fact that distance between two radio links may vary in different deployment. ACK Timeout makes significant influence in performance of long distance radio link. If ACK T i meout is set too short, transmitter will start to “Resend” packet before ACK is received, and throughputs become low due to excessively high retransmission.

ACK Timeout is best dete rmined by distance between the radios, data rate of average environment. The Timeout value is calculated based on round-trip time of packet with a little tolerance, So, if experiencing re-transmissions or p oor

performance the ACK Timeout could be made longer to accommodate.

RTS/CTS

Adjustment of RTS Threshold can be done to turn on RTS. CTS Timeout will take effect only when RTS is turned on. Unlike wired Ethernet, radio transmission may begin with a RTS (Request to Send) frame, and receiver re sponds with a CTS

(Clear to Send) frame. The RTS/CTS mech anism is called Channel Cleaning, all stations that received CTS will back off for certain period of time, multiple of the slot time.

Each CTS packet has a NAV (Network Allocation Vector) number n, the channel is reserved for sender and receiver for additional n-millisecond. The NAV guarantees the channel is free of interference in next n-millisecond. The last packet of ACK will set NAV to zero, indicated that connection is done and free the channel to others.

 CTS Timeout : CTS Timeout is in the range of 1~744 and set in unit of microsecond. The default value is 48

microsecond. CTS Timeout will take effect only when RTS is turned on. Adjustment of RTS Threshold can be done to turn on RTS.

When hidden wireless stations are present in the wireless network RTS can be considered to turn on to minimize collisions and increase performance. Ensure CTS timeout is long enough to avoid frequent re-transmission of RTS.

Slot Time and ACK/CTS Timeout settings for long distance links. It is important to tweak settings to achieve the optimal result based on requirement.

 RSSI Threshold : RSSI Threshold is in the range of -128~127.The default value is 24.

RSSI is defined as Received Signal Strength Indication, when the received signal strength from peer is below this threshold, the peer will be consider as disconnected. Set the threshold higher will make roaming happen earlier, set lower will allow weak signal peer to connect. In normal situation, the longer distance the lower signal strength will be sensed between peers people could consider to lower RSSI threshold to have bigger coverage from the AP or AP client perspective. If it doesn’t work well then people could consider to jack up RSSI threshold to have stable smaller coverage and leave AP clients in longer distance to associate with closer AP.

 Beacon Interval : Beacon Interval is in the range of 1~5000 and set in unit of millisecond. The default value is 100

msec. Access Point (AP) in IEEE 802.11 will send out a special approximated 50-byte frame, called “Beacon”. Beacon is

broadcast to all the stations, provides the basic information of AP such as SSID, channel, encryption keys, signal strength, time stamp, support data rate.

All the radio stations received beacon recognizes the existence of such AP, and may proceed next actions if the information from AP matches the requirement. Beacon is sent on a periodic basis, the time interval can be adjusted.

By increasing the beacon interval, you can reduce the number of beacons and associated overhead, but that will likely delay the association and roaming process because stations scanning for available access points may miss the beacons. You can decrease the beacon interval, which increases the rate of beacons. This will make the association and roaming process very responsive; however, the network will incur additional overhead and throughput will go down.

 DTIM Interval : The DTIM interval is in the range of 1~15. The default is 15.

DTIM is defined as Delivery Traffic Indication Message. It is used to notify the wireless stations, which support power saving mode, when to wake up to receive multicast frame. DTIM is necessary and critical in wireless environment as a mechanism to fulfill power-saving synchronization.

A DTIM interval is a count of the number of beacon frames that must occur before the access point sends the buffered multicast frames. For instance, if DTIM Interval is set to 3, then the Wi-Fi clients will expect to receive a multicast frame after receiving three Beacon frame. The higher DTIM interval will help power saving and possibly decrease wireless throughput in multicast applications.

 Fragment Threshold : The Fragment Threshold is in the range of 256~2346 byte. The default is 2346 byte.

Each Wi-Fi packet can be divided into smaller packets, marked with a sequential fragment number and re-assemble in the receiving ends. The purpose is to make a short frame, instead of long frame, transmitting by radio in a heavy noisy environment. Because of sending smaller frames, corruptions are much less likely to occur. The pros is obvious, the cons is the overhead for transmission. So, in a clean environment, higher fragment threshold can be an option to increase throughput.

Fragmentation will be triggered by setting the Fragment Threshold, usually in Byte-length. Only when the frame size is over the Threshold, fragmentation will take place automatically.

 RTS Threshold : RTS Threshold is in the range of 1~2346 byte. The default is 2346 byte.

The main purpose of enabling RTS by changing RTS threshold is to reduce possible collisions due to hidden wireless clients. RTS in AP will be enabled automatically if the packet size is larger than the Threshold value. By default, RTS is disabled in a normal environment supports non-jumbo frames.

 Short Preamble : By default, it’s “Enable”. To Disable is to use Long 128-bit Preamble Synchronization field.

The preamble is used to signal "here is a train of data coming" to the receiver. The short preamble provides 72-bit Synchronization field to improve WLAN transmission efficiency with less overhead.

 Tx Burst : By default, it’s “Enable”. To Disable is to deactivate Tx Burst.

With TX burst enabled, AP will send many packets in a burst, without collision detection and RTS/CTS for each packet. TX Burst have better throughput but cause interference with other APs in channel.

 802.11g Protection Mode : By default, it’s “Enable”. To Disable is to deactivate 802.11g Protection Mode.

Protection mode use RTS/CTS to prevent interference with other APs and 802.11b peers, and disabling it will save transmission time used by RTS/CTS. RTS/CTS threshold is effective only when 802.11g protection mode is made enable.

Click Save button to save your changes. Click Reboot button to activate your changes. The items in this page are for AP's RF advanced settings and will be applied to all VAPs.

3.2.3 Create Virtual AP(VAP)

The APO1000/APO1010 support broadcasting multiple SSIDs, allowing the creation of Virtual Access Points, partitioning a single physical access point into 8 logical access points, ea ch of which can have a different set of security, VLAN t ag(ID) and network settings. Figure 3-2 shows multiple SSIDs with different security type and VLAN settings.

APO1000/APO1010

Figure 3-2 Multiple SSIDs with different Security Type and VLAN Tag

3.2.3.1 Virtual AP Overview

The administrator can view all of the Virtual AP's settings via this page. Please click on Wireless -> Virtual AP Setup and the Virtual AP Overview Page appears.

 VAP : Indicate the system's available Virtual AP  ESSID : Indicate the ESSID of the respective Virtual AP

 Status : Indicate the Status of the respective Virtual AP. The VAP0 always On

 Security Type : Indicate an used security type of the respective Virtual AP  MAC Filter : Indicate an used MAC filter of the respective Virtual AP  MAC Filter Setup : Click “Setup” button to configure Virtual AP's MAC filter.  VAP Edit : Click “Edit” button to configure Virtual AP's settings, including security type.

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Airlink101 APO1000, APO1010 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual