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IEEE 802.11g
Wireless Dual-Radio Bridge-AP
User’s Guide
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: 05/07/2004
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Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiated radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will
not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
FCC Caution: To assure continued compliance, (example – use only shielded interface cables when
connecting to computer or peripheral devices). Any changes or modifications not expressly approved
by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20 cm between the radiator & your body.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
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R&TTE Compliance Statement
This equipment complies with all the requirements of DIRECTIVE 1999/5/CE OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunication
terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (R&TTE).
The R&TTE Directive repeals and replaces in the directive 98/13/EEC (Telecommunications Terminal Equipment and Satellite Earth Station Equipment) as of April 8,2000.
Safety
This equipment is designed with the utmost care for the safety of those who install and use it. However, special attention must be paid to the dangers of electric shock and static electricity when working with electrical equipment. All guidelines of this and of the computer manufacture must therefore
be allowed at all times to ensure the safe use of the equipment.
EU Countries Intended for Use
The ETSI version of this device is intended for home and office use in Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France (with Frequency channel restrictions), Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and United Kingdom.
The ETSI version of this device is also authorized for use in EFTA member states Norway and Switzerland.
EU Countries Not Intended for Use
None.
Potential Restrictive Use
France: only channels 10, 11, 12, and 13.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Overview...................................................................................................................1
1.2. Features.................................................................................................................... 1
1.3. LED Definitions ......................................................................................................... 4
2. First-Time Installation and Configuration ............................................................................ 5
2.1. Selecting a Power Supply Method............................................................................ 5
2.2. Mounting the DRBAP on a Wall................................................................................ 5
2.3. Preparing for Configuration....................................................................................... 6
2.3.1. Connecting the Managing Computer and the DRBAP ................................... 6
2.3.2. Changing the TCP/IP Settings of the Managing Computer ............................ 7
2.4. Configuring the DRBAP ............................................................................................ 7
2.4.1. Entering the User Name and Password ......................................................... 7
2.4.2. Step 1: Selecting an Operational Mode.......................................................... 9
2.4.3. Step 2: Configuring TCP/IP Settings ............................................................ 10
2.4.4. Step 3: Configuring IEEE 802.11 Settings.................................................... 11
2.4.5. Step 4: Reviewing and Applying Settings..................................................... 13
2.5. Deploying the DRBAP ............................................................................................ 14
3. Using Web-Based Network Manager................................................................................ 16
3.1. Overview................................................................................................................. 16
3.1.1. Menu Structure ............................................................................................. 16
3.1.2. Save, Save & Restart, and Cancel Commands............................................ 17
3.1.3. Home and Refresh Commands .................................................................... 18
3.2. Viewing Status ........................................................................................................ 18
3.2.1. Associated Wireless Clients ......................................................................... 18
3.2.2. Current DHCP Mappings.............................................................................. 19
3.2.3. System Log................................................................................................... 19
3.3. General Operations ................................................................................................ 20
3.3.1. Specifying Operational Mode ....................................................................... 20
3.3.2. Changing Password ..................................................................................... 21
3.3.3. Managing Firmware...................................................................................... 22
3.3.3.1. Upgrading Firmware by HTTP............................................................ 22
3.3.3.2. Backing up and Restoring Configuration Settings by HTTP............... 22
3.3.3.3. Upgrading Firmware by TFTP ............................................................ 23
3.3.3.4. Backing up and Restoring Configuration Settings by TFTP ............... 25
3.3.3.5. Resetting Configuration to Factory Defaults....................................... 26
3.4. Configuring TCP/IP Related Settings ..................................................................... 26
3.4.1. Addressing.................................................................................................... 26
3.4.2. DHCP Server................................................................................................ 27
3.4.2.1. Basic................................................................................................... 27
3.4.2.2. Static DHCP Mappings....................................................................... 27
3.5. Configuring IEEE 802.11g-Related Settings........................................................... 28
3.5.1. Communication............................................................................................. 28
3.5.1.1. Basic................................................................................................... 28
3.5.1.2. Bridge Links........................................................................................ 28
3.5.1.3. Link Integrity ....................................................................................... 30
3.5.1.4. Association Control ............................................................................ 30
3.5.1.5. AP Load Balancing............................................................................. 31
3.5.2. Security......................................................................................................... 31
3.5.2.1. AP Interface........................................................................................ 31
3.5.2.2. LAN-to-LAN Bridge Interface.............................................................. 35
3.5.3. IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS ................................................................................... 35
3.6. Configuring Advanced Settings .............................................................................. 37
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3.6.1. Packet Filters................................................................................................ 37
3.6.1.1. Ethernet Type Filters .......................................................................... 37
3.6.1.2. IP Protocol Filters ............................................................................... 37
3.6.1.3. TCP/UDP Port Filters ......................................................................... 38
3.6.2. Management................................................................................................. 38
3.6.2.1. UPnP .................................................................................................. 38
3.6.2.2. System Log ........................................................................................ 39
3.6.2.3. SNMP ................................................................................................. 39
Appendix A: Default Settings ................................................................................................ 41
Appendix B: Troubleshooting................................................................................................ 42
Appendix C: Additional Information....................................................................................... 44
C-1: Firmware Upgrade Using Xmodem Upgrade......................................................... 44
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1. Introduction
1.1. Overview
The wireless Dual-Radio Bridge-AP (DRBAP for short) is a multifunction device that has two inde-
pendently configurable IEEE 802.11g interfaces. Each IEEE 802.11g interface can be configured either as an AP (Access Point) interface or a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface. An AP interface enables
wireless clients to associate with this device for IEEE 802.11 infrastructure applications and the
wireless clients can be authenticated by IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS. A LAN-to-LAN bridge interface enables the device to connect to at most 6 other bridges wirelessly by the Wireless Distribution System
(WDS) technology.
With the sleek and intuitive Web-based user interface and Windows-based user interface (Wireless
Network Manager), an administrator can easily and clearly manage the dual-radio bridge-AP. With its
maximal versatility and ease-of-management, this device can satisfy system integrators’ various requirements.
In Chapter 2, we describe the steps to install and configure a newly acquired DRBAP. Following the
steps, the DRBAP can be quickly set up to work. In Chapter 3, detailed explanation of each Web management page is given for you to understand how to fine-tune the settings of a DRBAP to meet his or
her specific needs. In addition to using Web-based management user interface to configure a DRBAP,
the Windows-based Wireless Network Manager can also be used to configure and monitor deployed
DRBAPs. See the on-line help of Wireless Network Manager for more information.
1.2. Features
IEEE 802.11g
Dual interfaces. Each of the two IEEE 802.11g interfaces can be configured, according
to the operation mode, as an AP (Access Point) interface or a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface.
Operational modes
Bridge Repeater. In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as
LAN-to-LAN bridge interfaces. A bridge repeater forwards packets between two
wireless LAN-to-LAN bridges. It’s possible to use multiple bridge repeaters between
two LAN-to-LAN bridges if the distance is very long.
AP Repeater. In this mode, one WLAN interface is configured as an AP interface,
and the other is configured as a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface. The AP repeater is
suitable for situations in which Ethernet wiring between the AP and the network
backbone is impossible or costs highly.
Dual AP. In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as AP interfaces. The
dual AP can handle twice the number of wireless clients than a normal AP. It can be
treated as “two APs in a box.”
AP interface
Enabling/disabling SSID broadcasts. The administrator can enable or disable
the SSID broadcasts functionality for security reasons. When the SSID broadcasts
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functionality is disabled, a client computer cannot connect to the AP interface with an
"any" SSID; the correct SSID has to be specified on client computers.
MAC-address-based access control. Blocking unauthorized wireless client
computers based on MAC (Media Access Control) addresses. The ACL (Access
Control List) can be downloaded from a TFTP server.
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). The AP interface supports the WPA standard
proposed by the Wi-Fi Alliance (http://www.wi-fi.org
). Both WPA-PSK (Pre-Shared
Key) mode and full WPA mode are supported. WPA is composed of TKIP (Temporal
Key Integrity Protocol) and IEEE 802.1x and serves as a successor to WEP for better
WLAN security.
IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS. User authentication and dynamic encryption key distribu-
tion can be achieved by IEEE 802.1x Port-Based Network Access Control and RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service).
Wireless client isolation. Wireless-to-wireless traffic among the associated wire-
less clients can be blocked so that the wireless clients cannot see each other. This capability can be used in hotspots applications to prevent wireless hackers from attacking other wireless users’ computers.
AP load balancing. Several APs can form a load-balancing group. Within a group,
wireless client associations and traffic load can be shared among the APs. This function is available when the AP is in AP/Bridge mode.
Link integrity. If the Ethernet LAN interface is detected to be disconnected from
the wired network, all currently associated wireless clients are disassociated by the
AP and no wireless client can associate with it.
Association control. When the AP is in AP/Bridge mode, it can be configured to
deny association requests when it has served too many wireless clients or traffic load
is too heavy.
Associated wireless clients status. Showing the status of all wireless clients
that are associated with the AP interface.
LAN-to-LAN bridge interface
6 Bridge links. The bridge provides 6 bridge links based on the WDS (Wireless
Distribution System) technology, so that it can wirelessly connect to at most 6 other
wireless bridges, APs, or wireless routers with WDS support.
Antenna alignment assistance. The DRBAP provides a WDS link quality indi-
cator via Wireless Network Manager to facilitate alignment of directional antennas
when deploying pairs of wireless bridges.
Link health monitoring. This feature enables the administrator to see if the WDS
links of the DRBAP to other peer wireless bridges are working fine.
RF type selection.
The RF type of each WLAN interface can be configured to work in
IEEE 802.11b only, IEEE 802.11g only, or mixed mode (802.11g and 802.11b simultaneously).
64-bit and 128-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).
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bridge links can be protected by WEP encryption for better security.
Transmit power control.
Transmit power of the DRBAP’s RF modules can be adjusted
to change RF coverage of the DRBAP.
Detachable antennas. The factory-mounted antennas can be replaced with high-gain
antennas for different purposes.
DHCP client. The DRBAP can automatically obtain an IP address from a DHCP server.
DHCP server.
The DRBAP can automatically assign IP addresses to computers or other de-
vices by DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
Static DHCP mappings. The administrator can specify static IP address to MAC ad-
dress mappings so that the specified IP addresses are always assigned to the hosts with the
specified MAC addresses.
Showing current DHCP mappings. Showing which IP address is assigned to which
host identified by an MAC address.
Packet Filtering. The DRBAP provides Layer 2, Layer 3, and Layer 4 filtering capabilities.
Firmware Tools
Firmware upgrade. The firmware of the DRBAP can be upgraded in the following
methods:
Management
Xmodem-based. Upgrading firmware over RS232.
TFTP-based. Upgrading firmware by TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol).
HTTP-based. Upgrading firmware by HTTP (HeperText Transfer Protocol).
Configuration backup. The configuration settings of the DRBAP can be backed up to a
file via TFTP
Configuration reset.
or HTTP for later restoring.
Resetting the configuration settings to factory-default values.
Windows-based Wireless Network Manager for configuring, monitoring, and diagnosing the local computer and neighboring APs. The management protocol is MAC-based.
Web-based Network Manager
for configuring and monitoring the DRBAP via a Web
browser. The management protocol is HTTP (HeperText Transfer Protocol)-based.
SNMP.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) MIB I, MIB II, IEEE 802.1d,
IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.1x, and Enterprise MIB are supported.
UPnP.
The DRBAP responds to UPnP discovery messages so that a Windows XP user
can locate the DRBAP in My Network Places and use a Web browser to configure it.
System log. For system operational status monitoring.
Local log. System events are logged to the on-board RAM of the DRBAP and can
be viewed using a Web browser.
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Remote log by SNMP trap. Systems events are sent in the form of SNMP traps to
a remote SNMP management server.
Power over Ethernet (optional).
ing PowerDsine (http://www.powerdsine.com
ture). This feature facilitates large-scale wireless LAN deployment.
Hardware Watchdog Timer. If the firmware gets stuck in an invalid state, the hardware
watchdog timer will detect this situation and restart the DRBAP. This way, the DRBAP can provide continuous services.
Supplying power to a DRBAP over an Ethernet cable us-
) technology (IEEE 802.3af compliant in the fu-
1.3. LED Definitions
There are several LED indicators on the housing of the DRBAP. They are defined as follows:
ALV: Alive. Blinks when the DRBAP is working normally.
RF: IEEE 802.11g interfaces activity
LAN: Ethernet LAN interface activity
PWR: Power
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2. First-Time Installation and Configuration
2.1. Selecting a Power Supply Method
Optionally, the DRBAP can be powered by the supplied power adapter or POE (Power over Ethernet).
The DRBAP automatically selects the suitable one depending on your decision.
To power the DRBAP by the supplied power adapter:
1. Plug the power adapter to an AC socket.
2. Plug the connector of the power adapter to the power jack of the DRBAP.
NOTE: This product is intended to be power-supplied by a Listed Power Unit, marked “Class 2” or
“LPS” and output rated “5V DC, 1 A minimum” or equivalent statement.
To power the DRBAP by POE:
1. Plug one connector of an Ethernet cable to an available port of an active Ethernet switch that can
supply power over Ethernet.
2. Plug the other connector of the Ethernet cable to the LAN/Config port of the DRBAP.
2.2. Mounting the DRBAP on a Wall
The DRBAP is wall-mountable.
1. Stick the supplied sticker for wall-mounting.
2. Use a
3. Plug in a supplied plastic conical anchor in each hole.
4. Screw a supplied screw in each plastic conical anchor for a proper depth so that the wireless
5. Hang the wireless DRBAP on the screws.
φ6.5mm driller to drill a 25mm-deep hole at each of the cross marks.
DRBAP can be hung on the screws.
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Fig. 1. Mounting the DRBAP on a wall.
2.3. Preparing for Configuration
For you to configure a DRBAP, a managing computer with a Web browser is needed. For first-time
configuration of a DRBAP, an Ethernet network interface card (NIC) should have been installed in
the managing computer. For maintenance-configuration of a deployed DRBAP, either a wireless
computer (if the DRBAP is configured to act as an AP Repeater or Dual AP) or a wired computer
can be employed as the managing computer.
NOTE: If you are using the browser, Opera, to configure a DRBAP, click the menu item File, click
Preferences..., click File types, and edit the MIME type, text/html, to add a file extension “.sht” so
that Opera can work properly with the Web management pages of the DRBAP.
Since the configuration/management protocol is HTTP-based, we have to make sure that the IP ad-
dress of the managing computer and the IP address of the managed DRBAP are in the same IP
subnet (the default IP address of a DRBAP is 192.168.0.1 and the default subnet mask is
255.255.255.0.)
2.3.1. Connecting the Managing Computer and the DRBAP
To connect the Ethernet managing computer and the managed DRBAP for first-time configuration,
you have two choices as illustrated in Fig. 2.
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Cross-over
Ethernet
cable
Managing
Computer
Normal
Ethernet
cable
Ethernet
Hub/Switch
Normal
Ethernet
cable
Managed
DRBAP
Fig. 2. Connecting a managing computer and a DRBAP via Ethernet.
You can use either a cross-over Ethernet cable (included in the package) or a switch/hub with 2 normal Ethernet cables.
NOTE: One connector of the Ethernet cable must be plugged into the LAN/CONFIG Ethernet jack
of the DRBAP for configuration.
2.3.2. Changing the TCP/IP Settings of the Managing
Computer
Use the Windows Network Control Panel Applet to change the TCP/IP settings of the managing
computer, so that the IP address of the computer and the IP address of the DRBAP are in the same IP
subnet. Set the IP address of the computer to 192.168.0.xxx (the default IP address of a DRBAP is
192.168.0.1) and the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0.
NOTE: For some versions of Windows, the computer needs to be restarted for the changes of TCP/IP
settings to take effect.
TIP: After you have connected the managing computer and the DRBAP via Ethernet, you can install
Wireless Network Manager on the managing computer and use it to configure the DRBAP without
being concerned about the TCP/IP settings of the managing computer. Refer to the on-line help of
Wireless Network Manager for more information.
2.4. Configuring the DRBAP
After the IP addressing issue is resolved, launch a Web browser on the managing computer. Then, go
to “http://192.168.0.1” to access the Web-based Network Manager start page.
TIP: For maintenance configuration of a DRBAP, the DRBAP can be reached by its host name using
a Web browser. For example, if the DRBAP is named “DRBAP”, you can use the URL
“http://DRBAP” to access the Web-based Network Manager of the DRBAP.
2.4.1. Entering the User Name and Password
Before the start page is shown, you will be prompted to enter the user name and password to gain the
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right to access the Web-based Network Manager. For first-time configuration, use the default user
name “root” and default password “root”, respectively.
Fig. 3. Entering the user name and password.
NOTE: It is strongly recommended that the password be changed to other value for security reasons.
On the start page, click the General, Password link to change the value of the password (see Section
3.3.1 for more information).
TIP: Since the start page shows the current settings and status of the DRBAP, it can be saved or
printed within the Web browser for future reference.
Fig. 4. The Start page.
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2.4.2. Step 1: Selecting an Operational Mode
Fig. 5. Operational modes.
Go to the General, Operational Mode section to select an operational mode for the DRBAP. There
are 3 operational modes—Bridge Repeater, AP Repeater, and Dual AP.
Bridge Repeater. In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as LAN-to-LAN bridge
interfaces. A bridge repeater forwards packets between two wireless LAN-to-LAN bridges. It’s
possible to use multiple bridge repeaters between two LAN-to-LAN bridges if the distance is
very long.
LAN
Segment
1
Wireless
Bridge
WDS Link
Bridge Repeater
Wireless
Bridge
Segment
Fig. 6. Bridge Repeater mode.
AP Repeater. In this mode, one WLAN interface is configured as an AP interface, and the other
is configured as a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface. The AP repeater is suitable for situations in
which Ethernet wiring between the AP and the network backbone is impossible or costs highly.
Notebook
Computer
LAN
2
LAN
WDS Link
AP Repeater
Wireless
Bridge
Fig. 7. AP Repeater mode.
Dual AP. In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as AP interfaces. The dual AP can
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handle twice the number of wireless clients than a normal AP. It can be treated as “two APs in a
box.”
LAN
IEEE 802.11b
Channel 1
Notebook
Computer
Dual AP
IEEE 802.11b
Channel 6
Fig. 8. Dual AP mode.
The following table shows the type of each WLAN interface for each operational mode.
Bridge Repeater
AP Repeater
Dual AP
WLAN 1 Interface Type WLAN 2 Interface Type
LAN-to-LAN Bridge LAN-to-LAN Bridge
AP LAN-to-LAN Bridge
AP AP
2.4.3. Step 2: Configuring TCP/IP Settings
Fig. 9. TCP/IP settings.
Go to the TCP/IP, Addressing section to configure IP address settings. The IP address can be manually set or automatically assigned by a DHCP server on the LAN. If you are manually setting the IP
Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway settings, set them appropriately, so that they comply
with your LAN environment. In addition, you can specify the Host Name and Domain (DNS suffix)
of the DRBAP. When you are finished, click Save at the bottom of this page, and then you are
brought back to the start page.
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2.4.4. Step 3: Configuring IEEE 802.11 Settings
Go to the IEEE 802.11, Communication section to configure IEEE 802.11g-related communication
settings, including Regulatory Domain, Channel Number, Network Name (SSID), and Bridge Links,
for both WLAN interfaces, depending on their interface types. No matter the type of a WLAN interface is AP or LAN-to-LAN bridge, Regulatory Domain, Channel Number, and Network Name have
to be configured.
The number of available RF channels depends on local regulations; therefore you have to choose an
appropriate regulatory domain to comply with local regulations. For two wireless devices to com-
municate with each other, they must be set to identical SSID (Service Set IDentifier).
Fig. 10. Basic IEEE 802.11g communication settings.
For a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface, also set the MAC address of each peer bridge according to your
planned network topology. Specify an MAC address, and then select its corresponding checkbox.
Fig. 11. Bridge links settings.
When you are finished, click Save at the bottom of this page, and then you are brought back to the
start page.
TIP: Plan your wireless network and draw a diagram, so that you know how a DRBAP is connected
to other peer bridges and can therefore set the bridge links settings correctly.
TIP: Plan your wireless network and draw a diagram, so that you know how a bridge is connected to
other peer bridges by WDS. See the following figure for an example network-planning diagram.
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Fig. 12. Sample wireless bridge network topology.
WARNING: Don’t let your network topology consisting of wireless DRBAPs, wireless bridges,
Ethernet switches, Ethernet links, and WDS links contains loops. If any loops exist, packets will circle
around the loops and network performance will be seriously degraded.
Fig. 13. Network topology containing a loop.
TIP: You can check whether the WDS links of the DRBAP are functioning by using Wireless Net-
work Manager.
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Fig. 14. Link health monitoring.
Run Wireless Network Manager on a computer and locate the DRBAP you want to manage. Go to the
WDS tab, and then click Test. The test results (OK or Broken) will be shown in the Link Status column of the WDS links table.
2.4.5. Step 4: Reviewing and Applying Settings
Fig. 15. Settings changes are highlighted in red.
On the start page, you can review all the settings you have made. Changes are highlighted in red. If
they are OK, click Restart to restart the DRBAP for the new settings to take effect.
NOTE: About 7 seconds are needed for the DRBAP to complete its restart process.
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2.5. Deploying the DRBAP
After the settings have been configured, deploy the DRBAP to the field application environment.
Connect the DRBAP to a LAN segment through an Ethernet switch/hub.
If external high-gain directional antennas are used for LAN-to-LAN bridge interfaces, it’s difficult to
adjust alignments of the antennas when distance between the DRBAP and its peer bridge is long.
To adjust the alignments of directional antennas:
1. Connect each device to a computer via Ethernet.
2. Configure the date rate of each bridge to the lowest value, 1Mbps.
3. Fix the alignment of the antenna on one side.
4. Adjust the alignment of the other side by using response time information obtained from
PINGing (run PING.exe) the “fixed-side” computer.
5. Fine-tune the alignment of the antenna until you get a best response time.
6. Increase the data rate of each bridge simultaneously until a maximal workable data rate is
reached. You may not be able to use the highest data rate, 54Mbps, because of the distance and
the gain of the antennas.
Fig. 16 illustrates the idea.
Computer 1
Adjust antenna alignment
DRBAP as
Bridge 1
WDS Link
PING (ICMP Echo Request)
ICMP Echo Reply
Bridge 2
Computer 2
Fig. 16. Adjusting alignments of external directional antennas.
NOTE: There are two antenna connectors on one side of the DRBAP, which are labeled “1” and “2”.
Connector 1 is for the WLAN 1 interface 1 and Connector 2 is for the WLAN 2 interface.
TIP: You can make use of the Antenna Alignment Assistance feature to help you align the directional
antennas.
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Fig. 17. Antenna alignment assistance.
Instead of using PING.exe, you can run Wireless Network Manager on Computer 1, and go to the
Antenna Alignment tab. Click Start to begin monitoring the WDS link quality. Adjust the alignment
of the antenna of DRBAP as Bridge 1 until the Link quality indicator shows a relatively maximal
value. Finally, click Stop to stop monitoring WDS link quality.
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3. Using Web-Based Network Manager
In this chapter, we’ll explain each Web management page of the Web-based Network Manager.
3.1. Overview
Fig. 18. The Start page.
3.1.1. Menu Structure
The left side of the start page contains a menu for you to carry out commands. Here is a brief description of the hyperlinks in the menu:
Home. For going back to the start page.
Status. Status information.
Wireless Clients. The status of the wireless clients currently associated with the
DRBAP.
DHCP Mappings. Current IP-MAC address mappings of the built-in DHCP server.
System Log. System events log.
General. Global operations.
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Password. For gaining rights to change the settings of the DRBAP.
Firmware Tools. For upgrading the firmware of the DRBAP, backing up and restoring
configuration, and configuration reset settings of the DRBAP.
TCP/IP. TCP/IP-related settings.
Addressing. IP address settings for the DRBAP to work with TCP/IP.
DHCP Server. Settings for the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server on
the DRBAP.
IEEE 802.11. IEEE 802.11g-related settings.
Communications. Basic settings for the IEEE 802.11g interfaces of the DRBAP.
Security. Security settings for authenticating wireless users and encrypting wireless data
for an AP interface. And security settings for encrypting data transmitted over the WDS
links for a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface.
IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS. IEEE 802.1x Port-Based Network Access Control and RADIUS
(Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) settings for an AP interface.
Advanced. Advanced settings of the DRBAP.
Packet Filters. Ethernet Type Filters, IP Protocol Filters, and TCP/UDP Port Filters settings.
Management. UPnP, System Log, and SNMP settings.
3.1.2. Save, Save & Restart, and Cancel Commands
Fig. 19. Save, Save & Restart, and Cancel.
At the bottom of each page that contains settings you can configure, there are up to three buttons—Save, Save & Restart, and Cancel. Clicking Save stores the settings changes to the memory of
the DRBAP and brings you back to the start page. Clicking Save & Restart stores the settings
changes to the memory of the DRBAP and restarts the DRBAP immediately for the settings changes
to take effect. Clicking Cancel discards any settings changes and brings you back to the start page.
If you click Save, the start page will reflect the fact that the configuration settings have been changed
by showing two buttons—Restart and Cancel. In addition, changes are highlighted in red. Clicking
Cancel discards all the changes. Clicking Restart restarts the DRBAP for the settings changes to take
effect.
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Fig. 20. Settings have been changed.
3.1.3. Home and Refresh Commands
Fig. 21. Home and Refresh.
At the bottom of each status page that shows read-only information, there are two buttons—Home
and Refresh. Clicking Home brings you back to the start page. Clicking Refresh updates the shown
status information.
3.2. Viewing Status
3.2.1. Associated Wireless Clients
Fig. 22. Status of associated wireless clients.
On this page, the status information of each associated client, including its MAC address, IP address,
user name (if the client has been IEEE 802.1x authenticated), number of bytes it has send, number of
bytes it has received, and the time of its last activity, is shown.
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3.2.2. Current DHCP Mappings
Fig. 23. Current DHCP mappings.
On this page, all the current static or dynamic DHCP mappings are shown. A DHCP mapping is a
correspondence relationship between an IP address assigned by the DHCP server and a computer or
device that obtains the IP address. A computer or device that acts as a DHCP client is identified by its
MAC address.
A static mapping indicates that the DHCP client always obtains the specified IP address from the
DHCP server. You can set static DHCP mappings in the Static DHCP Mappings section of the
DHCP Server configuration page (see Section 3.4.2). A dynamic mapping indicates that the DHCP
server chooses an IP address from the IP address pool specified by the First allocateable IP address
and Allocateable IP address count settings on the DHCP Server configuration page.
3.2.3. System Log
Fig. 24. System log.
System events are recorded in the memory of the AP. The logged information is useful for troubleshooting purposes. The system events are divided into several categories, and you can select which
categories of events to log. See Section 3.6.2.2 for more information.
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3.3. General Operations
3.3.1. Specifying Operational Mode
Fig. 25. Operational modes.
On this page, you can specify the operational mode for the DRBAP. There are 3 modes:
Bridge Repeater. In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as LAN-to-LAN bridge
interfaces. A bridge repeater forwards packets between two wireless LAN-to-LAN bridges. It’s
possible to use multiple bridge repeaters between two LAN-to-LAN bridges if the distance is
very long.
LAN
Segment
1
Wireless
Bridge
WDS Link
Bridge Repeater
Wireless
Bridge
Segment
Fig. 26. Bridge Repeater mode.
AP Repeater. In this mode, one WLAN interface is configured as an AP interface, and the other
is configured as a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface. The AP repeater is suitable for situations in
which Ethernet wiring between the AP and the network backbone is impossible or costs highly.
LAN
2
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Notebook
Computer
LAN
WDS Link
AP Repeater
Wireless
Bridge
Fig. 27. AP Repeater mode.
Dual AP. In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as AP interfaces. The dual AP can
handle twice the number of wireless clients than a normal AP. It can be treated as “two APs in a
box.”
LAN
IEEE 802.11b
Channel 1
Dual AP
IEEE 802.11b
Channel 6
Notebook
Computer
Fig. 28. Dual AP mode.
TIP: After you have selected the operational mode of the DRBAP, go to the IEEE 802.11g, Ad-
dressing section of the management UI (see Section 3.4.2) to configure the IEEE 802.11g settings of
the WLAN interfaces.
3.3.2. Changing Password
Fig. 29. Password.
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On this page, you could change the password for the right to modify the configuration of the DRBAP.
The new password must be typed twice for confirmation.
3.3.3. Managing Firmware
Fig. 30. Firmware management protocol setting.
Firmware management operations for the DRBAP include firmware upgrade, configuration backup,
configuration restore, and configuration reset. Firmware upgrade, configuration backup, and configuration restore can be achieved via HTTP or TFTP. The HTTP-based way is suggested because it’s
more user friendly. However, due to different behavior of different Web browser types and versions,
HTTP-based firmware management operations may not work properly with some Web browsers. If
you cannot successfully perform HTTP-based firmware management operations with your Web
browser, try the TFTP-based way.
TIP: You can use Upgrade Wizard of Wireless Network Manager to upgrade firmware. See the
on-line help of Wireless Network Manager for more information.
3.3.3.1. Upgrading Firmware by HTTP
Fig. 31. Firmware upgrade by HTTP.
To upgrade firmware of the DRBAP by HTTP:
1. Click Browse and then select a correct firmware .bin file. The firmware file path will be shown
in the Firmware file name text box.
2. Click Upgrade to begin the upgrade process.
3.3.3.2. Backing up and Restoring Configuration Settings by HTTP
Fig. 32. Firmware backup by HTTP.
To back up configuration of the DRBAP by HTTP:
1. Click Back Up.
2. You’ll be prompted to open or save the configuration file. Click Save.
3. The configuration file is named by the DRBAP’s MAC address. For example, if the DRBAP’s
MAC address is 00-01-02-33-44-55, the configuration backup file should be
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“000102334455.hex”. Don’t change the configuration file name in the Save As dialog box. Select a folder in which the configuration file is to be stored. And then, click Save.
NOTE: The procedure may be a little different with different Web browsers.
Fig. 33. Configuration restore by HTTP.
To restore configuration of the DRBAP by HTTP:
1. Click Browse and then select a correct configuration .hex file. You have to make sure the file
name is the DRBAP’s MAC address. The firmware file path will be shown in the Firmware file
name text box.
2. Click Restore to upload the configuration file to the DRBAP.
3.3.3.3. Upgrading Firmware by TFTP
Fig. 34. TFTP server settings.
When use TFTP as the firmware management protocol, you can configure settings for the DRBAP’s
TFTP client to communicate with a TFTP server. If the TFTP client does not get a response from the
TFTP server within a period specified by the Timeout setting, it will resend the previous request. The
Max number of retries setting specifies the maximal number of resend before the TFTP client stops
communicating with the TFTP server.
Within the folder “Utilities” on the companion CD-ROM disk, we offered a TFTP server program
(TftpSrvr.exe) for firmware upgrade. Run this program on the computer that is to serve as a TFTP
server.
Fig. 35. Firmware upgrade by TFTP.
To upgrade firmware of the DRBAP by TFTP:
1. Get a computer that will be used as a TFTP server and as a managing computer to trigger the
upgrade process.
2. Connect the computer and one of the LAN Ethernet switch port with a normal Ethernet cable.
3. Configure IP address of the computer so that the DRBAP and the computer are in the same IP
subnet.
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4. On the computer, run the TFTP Server utility. And specify the folder in which the firmware files
reside.
5. On the computer, run a Web browser and click the General, Firmware Tools hyperlink.
6. Choose TFTP as the Firmware management protocol.
7. Specify the IP address of the computer, which acts as a TFTP server. If you don’t know the IP
address of the computer, open a Command Prompt, and type IpConfig, then press the Enter key.
8. Trigger the firmware upgrade process by clicking Upgrade.
Fig. 36. TFTP Server.
NOTE: After the dialog box of the TFTP server program appears, be sure to specify the working
folder within which the downloaded firmware files reside.
NOTE: Make sure the Accept read requests check box of TFTP Server is selected.
NOTE: The LAN IP address of the DRBAP and the IP address of the TFTP server must be in the
same IP subnet for TFTP to work.
NOTE: Due to the unreliable nature of wireless media, it’s highly recommended that the TFTP server
and the to-be-upgraded wireless DRBAP be connected by Ethernet, and on the same LAN, so that the
upgrade process would be smooth.
NOTE: After the firmware is upgraded, be sure to delete the contents of the Web browser cache, so
that the Web management pages can be shown correctly.
NOTE: A failed upgrade may corrupt the firmware and make the DRBAP unstartable. When this oc-
curs, call for technical support.
TIP: If you want to remotely upgrade the firmware of a deployed DRBAP from the Internet, adjust
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the Timeout and Max no. of retries settings of TFTP Server for remote TFTP upgrade to succeed.
3.3.3.4. Backing up and Restoring Configuration Settings by TFTP
Fig. 37. Configuration backup/restore.
To back up configuration of the DRBAP by TFTP:
1. Get a computer that will be used as a TFTP server and as a managing computer to trigger the
backup process.
2. Connect the computer and one of the LAN Ethernet switch port with a normal Ethernet cable.
3. Configure the IP address of the computer so that the computer and the DRBAP are in the same
IP subnet.
4. On the computer, run the TFTP Server utility. Select the Accept write requests check box, and
specify the folder to which the configuration settings of the DRBAP will be saved.
5. On the computer, run a Web browser and click the General, Firmware Tools hyperlink.
6. Choose TFTP as the Firmware management protocol.
7. Within the Configuration Backup/Restore section, specify the IP address of the computer,
which acts as a TFTP server. If you don’t know the IP address of the computer, open a Command Prompt, and type IpConfig, then press the Enter key.
8. Trigger the backup process by clicking Back Up. The DRBAP’s configuration settings will be
saved as “AaBbCcDdEeFf.hex” by the TFTP server, where “AaBbCcDdEeFf” is the DRBAP’s
MAC address. For example, if the DRBAP’s MAC address is 00-01-02-33-44-55, the configuration backup file will be “000102334455.hex”.
NOTE: Remember to select the Accept write requests check box of TFTP Server.
To restore configuration of the DRBAP by TFTP:
1. Get a computer that will be used as a TFTP server and as a managing computer to trigger the
restoring process.
2. Connect the computer and one of the LAN Ethernet switch port with a normal Ethernet cable.
3. Configure the IP address of the computer so that the computer and the DRBAP are in the same
IP subnet.
4. On the computer, run the TFTP Server utility. And specify the folder in which the configuration
backup file resides. A configuration backup file is named by the DRBAP’s MAC address. For
example, if the DRBAP’s MAC address is 00-01-02-33-44-55, the configuration backup file
should be “000102334455.hex”.
5. On the computer, run a Web browser and click the General, Firmware Tools hyperlink.
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6. Choose TFTP as the Firmware management protocol.
7. Within the Configuration Backup/Restore section, specify the IP address of the computer,
which acts as a TFTP server. If you don’t know the IP address of the computer, open a Command Prompt, and type IpConfig, then press the Enter key.
8. Trigger the restoring process by clicking Restore. The DRBAP will then download the configuration backup file from the TFTP server.
NOTE: Make sure the file is a valid configuration backup file for the DRBAP.
TIP: If you want to remotely back up or restore configuration from the Internet, adjust the Timeout
and Max no. of retries settings of TFTP Server for remote TFTP configuration backup/restore to succeed.
3.3.3.5. Resetting Configuration to Factory Defaults
Fig. 38. Configuration reset.
Clicking the Reset button resets the device configuration to factory defaults.
WARNING: Think twice before clicking the Reset button. You’ll lose all your current configuration
settings.
3.4. Configuring TCP/IP Related Settings
3.4.1. Addressing
Fig. 39. TCP/IP settings.
The IP address of the DRBAP can be manually set (Set Manually) or automatically assigned by a
DHCP server on the LAN (Obtain from a DHCP Server). If you are manually setting the IP ad-
dress, Subnet mask, and Default gateway settings, set them appropriately, so that they comply with
your LAN environment. In addition, you can specify the Host name and Domain (DNS suffix) of the
DRBAP.
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3.4.2. DHCP Server
3.4.2.1. Basic
Fig. 40. Basic DHCP server settings.
The DRBAP can automatically assign IP addresses to client computers by DHCP. In this section of
the management page, you can specify the Default gateway, Subnet mask, Primary DNS server,
and Secondary DNS server settings that will be sent to a client at its request. Additionally, you can
specify the first IP address that will be assigned to the clients and the number of allocateable IP addresses.
NOTE: There should be only one DHCP server on the LAN; otherwise, DHCP would not work prop-
erly. If there is already a DHCP server on the LAN, disable the DHCP server functionality of the
DRBAP.
NOTE: By default the DHCP server function is disabled.
3.4.2.2. Static DHCP Mappings
Fig. 41. Static DHCP mappings.
IP addresses of servers are often static so that clients could always locate the servers by the static IP
addresses. By Static DHCP Mappings, you can ensure that a host will get the same IP address when
it requests one from the DHCP server. Therefore, instead of configuring the IP address of an intranet
server manually, you can configure the server to obtain an IP address by DHCP and it is always as-
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signed the same IP address.
To always assign a static IP address to a specific DHCP client:
1. Specify the MAC address of the DHCP client and the IP address to be assigned to it. Then, give
a description for this mapping.
2. Select the corresponding Enabled check box.
3.5. Configuring IEEE 802.11g-Related Settings
3.5.1. Communication
An AP interface needs the Basic communication settings, and a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface needs
the Basic communication settings and the Bridge Links settings.
3.5.1.1. Basic
Basic IEEE 802.11g-related communication settings include Policy (RF type), Regulatory domain,
Channel number, Network name (SSID), Data rate, and Transmit power.
Fig. 42. Basic IEEE 802.11g communication settings.
The RF type (Policy) of the WLAN interface can be configured to work in IEEE 802.11b only (b
Only), IEEE 802.11g only (g Only), or mixed mode (Mixed—802.11g and 802.11b simultaneously).
The number of available RF channels depends on local regulations; therefore you have to choose an
appropriate regulatory domain to comply with local regulations. For two wireless devices to com-
municate with each other, they must be set to identical SSID (Service Set IDentifier).
If there is RF interference, you may want to reduce the Data rate for more reliable wireless transmis-
sion. In most cases, leave the setting to Auto.
The transmit power of the RF module of the DRBAP can be adjusted so that the RF coverage of the
DRBAP can be changed.
3.5.1.2. Bridge Links
A bridge link is an IEEE 802.11 WDS (Wireless Distribution System) link. A LAN-to-LAN bridge
interface is equipped with 6 WDS links so it can be connected to at most 6 other wireless bridges.
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Fig. 43. Bridge links settings.
To enable a WDS link:
1. Specify the MAC address of the bridge at the other end of the WDS link.
2. Select the corresponding Enabled check box.
For example, assume you want a DRBAP with MAC addresses 00-02-65-01-62-C5 and a wireless
bridge/AP with MAC address 00-02-65-01-62-C6 to establish a WDS link between them. On DRBAP
00-02-65-01-62-C5, set the peer MAC address of port 1 to 00-02-65-01-62-C6 and on wireless bridge
00-02-65-01-62-C6, set the peer MAC address of port 1 to 00-02-65-01-C5.
TIP: Plan your wireless network and draw a diagram, so that you know how a DRBAP is connected
to other peer bridges and can therefore set the bridge links settings correctly.
WARNING: Don’t let your network topology consisting of wireless DRBAPs, wireless bridges,
Ethernet switches, Ethernet links, and WDS links contains loops. If any loops exist, packets will circle
around the loops and network performance will be seriously degraded.
Fig. 44. Network topology containing a loop.
TIP: You can check whether the WDS links of the DRBAP are functioning by using Wireless Net-
work Manager.
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Fig. 45. Link health monitoring.
Run Wireless Network Manager on a computer and locate the bridge you want to manage. Go to the
WDS tab, and then click Test. The test results (OK or Broken) will be shown in the Link Status column of the WDS links table.
3.5.1.3. Link Integrity
Fig. 46. Link integrity settings.
When the Ethernet LAN interface is detected to be disconnected from the wired network, all currently
associated wireless clients are disassociated by the AP interface(s) of the DRBAP and no wireless
client can associate with the AP interface(s). The detection mechanism is based on pinging the IP address specified in Reference host.
3.5.1.4. Association Control
Fig. 47. Association control settings.
If the number of currently associated wireless clients exceeds the value specified in the Max number
of clients setting, no more wireless client can associate with the AP interface(s). If traffic load of the
AP interface(s) exceeds the load specified in the Block clients if traffic load exceeds setting, no more
wireless client can associate with the AP interface(s).
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3.5.1.5. AP Load Balancing
Fig. 48. AP load balancing settings.
Several APs can form a load-balancing group if they are set with the same Group ID. The
load-balancing policy can be by Number of Users or by Traffic Load.
If the by-number-of-users policy is selected, a new wireless user can only associate with an AP that
has the smallest number of associated wireless users in the group. On the other hand, if the
by-traffic-load policy is selected, a new wireless user can only associate with an AP that has the less
traffic load in the group.
3.5.2. Security
3.5.2.1. AP Interface
Fig. 49. IEEE 802.11g security settings for an AP interface.
IEEE 802.11g security settings for an AP interface include SSID broadcasts, Security mode, WEP
keys, MAC-Address-Based Access Control.
NOTE: If the DRBAP is set to be in Dual AP mode, the two AP interfaces share the same IEEE
802.11g security settings.
For security reasons, it’s highly recommended that the security mode be set to options other than
Open System. When the security mode is set to Open System, no authentication and data encryption
will be performed. Additionally, you can disable the SSID broadcasts functionality so that a wireless
client computer with an “any” SSID cannot associate with the AP.
When the Wireless client isolation setting is set to This AP Only, wireless clients of this DRBAP as
an AP cannot see each other, and wireless-to-wireless traffic is blocked. When the setting is set to All
APs in This Subnet, traffic among wireless users of different APs in the same IP subnet is blocked.
This feature is useful for WLANs deployed in public places. In this way, hackers have no chance to
attack other wireless users in a hotspot.
When the Wireless client isolation setting is set to This AP Only, wireless clients (STAs) of this
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DRBAP as an AP cannot see each other, and wireless-to-wireless traffic between the STAs is blocked.
When the setting is set to All APs in This Subnet, traffic among wireless users of different APs in the
same IP subnet is blocked. The behaviors are illustrated in the following figures.
STA 1
STA 2
STA 3
AP 1 AP 2
WCI:
This AP Only
WCI:
This AP Only
Switch
Wireless Link
Ethernet Link
Fig. 50. Behavior of the “This AP Only” wireless client isolation option.
STA 1
STA 2
STA 3
AP 1 AP 2
WCI:
All APs in This
Subnet
Switch
WCI:
All APs in This
Subnet
Wireless Link
Ethernet Link
Fig. 51. Behavior of the “All APs on This Subnet” wireless client isolation option.
As illustrated in Fig. 50 when AP 1 and AP 2 are using the “This AP Only” option, wireless traffic
between STA 1 and STA 2 is blocked by AP 1, while wireless traffic between STA 2 and STA 3,
which are associated with different APs, is still allowed. If the “All APs in This Subnet” option is
used as shown in Fig. 51, AP 1 and AP 2 communicates with each other via an inter-AP protocol to
share their STA association information to block wireless traffic among all the STAs.
There are up to 7 security modes depending on AP model variations:
Open System. No authentication, no data encryption.
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Static WEP. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) keys must be manually configured.
Static TKIP (WPA-PSK). Only TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) mechanism of WPA
(Wi-Fi Protected Access) is enabled. In this mode, you have to specify the Pre-shared key,
which will be used by the TKIP engine as a master key to generate keys that actually encrypt
outgoing packets and decrypt incoming packets.
NOTE: The number of characters of the Pre-shared key setting must be at least 8 and can be up
to 63.
IEEE 802.1x EAP without Encryption (EAP-MD5). The IEEE 802.1x functionality is enabled and the user-name/password-based EAP-MD5 authentication is used. No data encryption.
IEEE 802.1x EAP with Static WEP (EAP-MD5). The IEEE 802.1x functionality is enabled
and the user-name/password-based EAP-MD5 authentication is used. Data encryption is
achieved by static WEP.
IEEE 802.1x EAP with Dynamic WEP (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, PEAP). The IEEE 802.1x
functionality is enabled and dynamic WEP key distribution authentication (EAP-TLS,
EAP-TTLS, or PEAP) is used. Data encryption is achieved by dynamic WEP.
IEEE 802.1x EAP with Dynamic TKIP (WPA). This is a full WPA mode, in which both the
TKIP and IEEE 802.1x dynamic key exchange mechanisms are enabled. The AP is highly secured in this mode.
In the above security modes, a back-end RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service)
server is needed if IEEE 802.1x functionality is enabled. See Section 3.5.3 for more information about
IEEE 802.1x and RADIUS.
When WEP is enabled by a security mode, the Key length can be specified to be 64 Bits or 128 Bits.
The Selected key setting specifies the key to be used as a send-key for encrypting traffic from the AP
side to the wireless client side. All 4 WEP keys are used as receive-keys to decrypt traffic from the
wireless client side to the AP side.
NOTE: Each field of a WEP key setting is a hex-decimal number from 00 to FF. For example, when
the security mode is Static WEP and the key length is 64 Bits, you could set Key 1 to
“00012E3ADF”.
Fig. 52. MAC-address-based access control settings for an AP interface.
With MAC-Address-Based Access Control, you can specify the wireless client computers that are
permitted or not permitted to connect to the AP interface. When the table type is set to inclusive, entries in the table are permitted to connect to the AP interface. When the table type is set to exclusive,
entries in the table are not permitted to connect to the AP interface.
To deny wireless clients’ access to the wireless network:
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1. Select Enabled from the Functionality drop-down list.
2. Set the Access control type to exclusive.
3. Specify the MAC address of a wireless client to be denied access, and then click Add.
4. Repeat Steps 3 for other wireless clients.
To grant wireless clients’ access to the wireless network:
1. Select Enabled from the Functionality drop-down list.
2. Set the Access control type to inclusive.
3. Specify the MAC address of a wireless client to be denied access, and then click Add.
4. Repeat Steps 3 for other wireless clients.
To delete an entry in access control table:
Click Delete next to the entry.
NOTE: The size of the access control table is 64.
Fig. 53. MAC ACL download settings.
Instead of manually entering MAC addresses to the access control table one by one, you can prepare a
text file that contains all the MAC addresses and put it on a TFTP server, and then command the AP
to download the MAC ACL (Access Control List) file from the TFTP server. Fig. 54 shows the contents of a sample ACL file.
Fig. 54. Sample MAC ACL file.
To download a MAC ACL file from a TFTP server:
1. Specify the IP address of the TFTP server in the TFTP server IP address text box.
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2. Specify the name of the MAC ACL file on the TFTP server in the MAC ACL file name text
box.
3. Click Download.
3.5.2.2. LAN-to-LAN Bridge Interface
Fig. 55. IEEE 802.11g security settings for a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface.
Data transmitted over the bridge links can be encrypted by WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). Therefore, there are 3 security modes:
Open System. No data encryption.
Static WEP. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) keys must be manually configured.
When Static WEP is chosen as the security mode, the Key length can be specified to be 64 Bits or
128 Bits. The Selected key setting specifies the key to be used as a send-key for encrypting outgoing
WDS traffic. All 4 WEP keys are used as receive-keys to decrypt incoming WDS traffic.
NOTE: Each field of a WEP key setting is a hex-decimal number from 00 to FF. For example, when
the security mode is Static WEP and the key length is 64 Bits, you could set Key 1 to
“00012E3ADF”.
3.5.3. IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS
IEEE 802.1x Port-Based Network Access Control is a new standard for solving some security issues
associated with IEEE 802.11, such as lack of user-based authentication and dynamic encryption key
distribution. With IEEE 802.1x and the help of a RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) server and a user account database, an enterprise or ISP (Internet Service Provider) can manage
its mobile users' access to its wireless LANs. Before granted access to a wireless LAN supporting
IEEE 802.1x, a user has to issue his or her user name and password or digital certificate to the
backend RADIUS server by EAPOL (Extensible Authentication Protocol Over LAN). The RADIUS
server can record accounting information such as when a user logs on to the wireless LAN and logs
off from the wireless LAN for monitoring or billing purposes.
The IEEE 802.1x functionality of the advanced wireless access point is controlled by the security
mode (see Section 3.5.2.1). So far, the wireless access point supports two authentication mechanisms—EAP-MD5 (Message Digest version 5) and EAP-TLS (Transport Layer Security). If
EAP-MD5 is used, the user has to give his or her user name and password for authentication. If
EAP-TLS is used, the wireless client computer automatically gives the user’s digital certificate that is
stored in the computer hard disk or a smart card for authentication. And after a successful EAP-TLS
authentication, a session key is automatically generated for wireless packets encryption between the
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wireless client computer and its associated wireless access point. To sum up, EAP-MD5 supports only
user authentication, while EAP-TLS supports user authentication as well as dynamic encryption key
distribution.
IEEE 802.1x-Compliant
Wireless Client
Wireless AP
user authentication
Internet
Wireless AP
user authentication
RADIUS
Server
User
Database
Fig. 56. IEEE 802.1x and RADIUS.
A wireless access point supporting IEEE 802.1x can be configured to communicate with two RADIUS servers. When the primary RADIUS server fails to respond, the wireless access point will try to
communicate with the secondary RADIUS server. The administrator can specify the length of timeout
and the number of retries before communicating with the secondary RADIUS server after failing to
communicate with the primary RADIUS server.
An IEEE 802.1x-capable wireless access point and its RADIUS server(s) share a secret key so that
they can authenticate each other. In addition to its IP address, a wireless access point can identify itself by an NAS (Network Access Server) identifier. Each IEEE 802.1x-capable wireless access point
must have a unique NAS identifier.
Fig. 57. IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS settings.
NOTE: This feature is only available for AP interfaces. If the DRBAP is set to be in Bridge Re-
peater mode, the IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS section of the management UI will be hidden
from accessing.
TIP: Refer to the IEEE 802.1x-related white papers on the accompanying CD-ROM for more infor-
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mation about deploying secure WLANs with IEEE 802.1x support.
3.6. Configuring Advanced Settings
3.6.1. Packet Filters
The DRBAP provides layer 2 (Ethernet Type Filters), layer 3 (IP Protocol Filters), and layer 4
(TCP/UDP Port Filters) filtering capabilities. The configuration processes for the filters are similar.
Functionality: whether this filtering capability is enabled or disabled.
Policy for matched packets: how a matched packet is processed—discard or pass.
To enable a filtering rule: select the check box to the left of the rule.
3.6.1.1. Ethernet Type Filters
Fig. 58. Ethernet type filters settings.
The Ethernet type filed of the MAC (Media Access Control) header of a packet incoming from the
WLAN or Ethernet interface is inspected for filtering. In a rule, specify the hex-decimal Ethernet type
number and give the rule a name.
3.6.1.2. IP Protocol Filters
Fig. 59. IP protocol filters settings.
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The protocol, source address, and destination address fields of a packet incoming from the WLAN or
Ethernet interface is inspected for filtering. In a rule, specify the hex-decimal protocol number, source
IP address range (Source IP Address AND Source Subnet Mask), and destination IP address range
(Destination IP Address AND Destination Subnet Mask).
A source (destination) IP address range is determined by performing an AND operation on the source
(destination) IP address field and the source (destination) subnet mask field. For example, if the
source IP address field is 192.168.0.1 and the source subnet mask field is 255.255.255.0, the resultant
source IP address range is 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.0.255.
3.6.1.3. TCP/UDP Port Filters
Fig. 60. TCP/UDP port filters settings.
The destination port field the TCP or UDP header of a packet incoming from the WLAN or Ethernet
interface is inspected for filtering. In a rule, specify the decimal Destination Port, Protocol type
(TCP/UDP), and the name of the higher-level protocol (Application Name).
3.6.2. Management
3.6.2.1. UPnP
Fig. 61. UPnP settings.
UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) enables a Windows XP user to automatically discover peripheral devices by HTTP. When the UPnP functionality is enabled, you can see the DRBAP in My Network
Places of Windows XP. The DRBAP can be given a friend name that will be shown in My Network
Places. Double-clicking the icon in My Network Places that stands for the DRBAP will launch the
default Web browser for you to configure the DRBAP.
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3.6.2.2. System Log
Fig. 62. System log settings.
System events can be logged to the on-board RAM of the DRBAP (Local log) or sent to a remote
computer on which an SNMP trap monitor program runs (Remote log by SNMP trap). See the next
subsection for more information about SNMP trap settings.
The system events are divided into the following categories:
General: system and network connectivity status changes.
Built-in AP: wireless client association and WEP authentication status changes.
MIB II traps: Cold Start, Warm Start, Link Up, Link Down and SNMP Authentication
Failure.
RADIUS user authentication: RADIUS user authentication status changes.
NOTE: The SNMP Authentication Failure trap is issued when using an incorrect community string to
manage the DRBAP via SNMP and the SNMP MIB II OID, snmpEnableAuthenTraps, is enabled
(disabled by default).
3.6.2.3. SNMP
Fig. 63. SNMP settings.
The SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) functionality can be disabled, and you can specify the name (used as a password) of the read-only and read-write community. In addition, up to 5
SNMP trap targets can be set in the SNMP Trap Table.
To specify a trap target:
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1. Type the IP address of the target host.
2. Type the Community for the host.
3. Select the corresponding check box next to the IP address text box.
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Appendix A: Default Settings
TIP: Press the SF-Reset switch on the housing of a powered-on DRBAP to reset the configuration
settings to factory-default values.
Setting Name Default Value
Global
User Name root
Password root
Operational Mode AP Repeater
IEEE 802.11g
Regulatory Domain FCC (U.S.)
Channel Number for WLAN 1 11
Channel Number for WLAN 2 6
SSID for WLAN 1 wireless1
SSID for WLAN 2 wireless2
Transmission Rate for WLAN 1 Auto
Transmission Rate for WLAN 2 11Mbps
MAC Address of WLAN 1 and of
WLAN 2
WDS Links None
Security Mode Open System
Selected WEP Key Key #1
WEP Key #1 00-00-00-00-00
WEP Key #2 00-00-00-00-00
WEP Key #3 00-00-00-00-00
WEP Key #4 00-00-00-00-00
LAN Interface
Method of obtaining an IP Address Set manually
IP Address 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway 0.0.0.0
Management
UPnP Enabled
System Log Local Log
SNMP Enabled
SNMP read community public
SNMP write community private
See the label on the housing of the
DRBAP.
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Appendix B: Troubleshooting
Check the following first:
Make sure that the power of the DRBAP is on and the Ethernet cables are connected firmly
to the RJ-45 jacks of the DRBAP.
Make sure that the LED ALV of the DRBAP is blinking to indicate the DRBAP is working.
Make sure the types of the Ethernet cables are correct. Recall that there are two
types—normal and crossover.
The DRBAP has been set to obtain an IP address automatically by DHCP. How
can I know its acquired IP address so that I can manage it using a Web browser?
Use the utility, Wireless Router/AP Browser (WLBrwsr.exe), in the “Utilities” folder on
the companion CD-ROM disc. This utility can discover nearby DRBAPs and show their
MAC addresses and IP addresses. In addition, it can launch the default Web browser on
your computer.
Fig. 64. Wireless Router/AP Browser.
The DRBAP stops working and does not respond to Web management requests.
The firmware of the DRBAP may be stuck in an incorrect state.
Unplug the power connector from the power jack, and then re-plug the connector to
restart the DRBAP.
Contact our technical support representatives to report this problem, so that the bugs
can be static in future firmware versions.
If the DRBAP still does not work after restarting, there may be hardware component failures in the DRBAP.
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Contact our technical support representatives for repair.
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Appendix C: Additional Information
C-1: Firmware Upgrade Using Xmodem Upgrade
Fig. 65. Xmodem Upgrade.
To upgrade the firmware of DRBAP using Xmodem Upgrade over RS232:
1. Power off the DRBAP whose firmware will be upgraded.
2. Connect the managing PC and the DRBAP with an RS232 Null Modem cable.
3. Select the serial port (COM1 or COM2) you use for connecting the device from the Serial port
drop-down list and click Connect.
4. Chose the folder in which the firmware files reside by click Browse.
5. Power on the DRBAP and you'll see bootup information.
6. Click Start to begin upgrade the firmware of the DRBAP.
7. You will be prompted when the upgrade process completes.
Click Erase Config to reset the configuration settings of the DRBAP to default values.
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