WA840G and WA840GP
Firmware Release Notes
Version 6.1.4
Compatibility
• The features in this release are compatible with both
the WA840G and WA840GP Wireless Access Points.
• Release 6.1.4 is compatible with all hardware
versions.
Changes in Release 6.1.4 (Relative to Releases 2.x, 3.x,
4.x, and 5.x):
• Router mode – when set in this mode, allows users
to share files, printers, and the Internet connection wirelessly
• HTML help – this is now a pop-up help tool
• STP (spanning tree protocol) – this is now user configurable
• Default SSID (service set identifier) – supports 12digit MAC address instead of 3-digit address
• WMM™ (Wi-Fi® Multimedia) – supported
• AP isolation – supported
• Multicast Rate settings – supported
• Parental controls
• WPA2™ (Wi-Fi® Protected Access version 2) – supported
• Connection Logging via Syslog Service – this has
replaced URL (uniform resource locator) Log support
• LED functions – the Power LED does not blink when
a firmware upgrade is in progress. (See "How to
Upgrade” for details.) The WAN (wide area network) LED
no longer blinks red when it has lost its IP connection to
its default gateway, or when the WAN connection repair
procedure is still in progress. When the wireless LED is
off, the wireless interface is not enabled by the firmware
(no longer displays red). Also, when this LED is blinking,
the wireless interface is enabled and active wireless
traffic is present. The Wireless LED does not blink on
WA840G V1 hardware. Refer to the “WA840G/GP User’s
Guide” for a complete description of LED functions.
• User Interface (UI) – User Interface of web-based
configuration utility realigned to support direct access to
major functions (WAN interface, LAN interface, wireless
interface, and advanced routing features). Refer to
Tables 1 and 2 in this document to quickly locate
renamed and new features in the UI.
• Configuration file save and restore, Web Login
Timeout, and Wireless site monitor – not supported
• WEP key input – pass phrase and ASCII input not
supported
Known Limitations
When you upgrade to 6.x, the factory default configuration
settings are restored to your system. You will need to
customize your configuration settings using the Configuration
pages. Refer to “How to Configure the WA840” after the
upgrade procedure is completed.
Before You Upgrade
This is the work flow you should follow to prepare to upgrade
the WA840G/GP:
A. Print out the current configuration settings
Before you upgrade, it is highly recommended that you print
out the current configuration settings of your current firmware
version so that configuration is easier to follow. To access and
print the Web-based configuration pages of versions 2.x, 3.x,
4.x or 5.x, follow the steps in “To access the Web-based
configuration pages” then print out the pages and return to this
section.
B. Back up the old configuration file
Before you upgrade, back up your current version’s config.bin
file according to instructions supplied with that version.
C. Obtain the WA840G/GP User Guide for complete
information about version 6.x
You may want to have the user guide handy as you upgrade the
unit. It contains complete information regarding each
configuration parameter. You can download the user guide
from:
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/support/default.asp
D. Download the Conversion Utility
A conversion utility is supplied to make it easy for you to map
the old configuration file parameters to the new parameter
locations in version 6.x configuration screens. You can
download the conversion utility from the same link shown in
step C. Be sure to save it to your hard drive.
E. Run the Conversion Utility
Run this utility to generate a text file that shows where the
current configuration parameters are to be entered in the
version 6.x configuration screens.
1 Navigate and click the Converter.exe file you
downloaded in step D. The HomeNet Backup File Format
Converter main window appears:
2 In the Input binary box, click Browse and
locate the config.bin file you saved in step B. Example: 5x
config.bin
3 In the Output file box, click Browse to locate
a folder to store this file, then type a name for this file to
be generated. Example: Version_6x.txt
4 In the Product ID box, type the product name.
Example: WA840G
5 Click Run. When “Done” appears in the lower left corner of the dialog box, click Exit.
6 Check that the file is located in the folder you specified in step 3, and then click the file to open it and print it.
How to Upgrade
Be sure to read “Before You Upgrade” prior to performing this
procedure. Never reset the unit while it’s upgrading.
To upgrade from version 2.x, 3.x, 4.x, or 5.x to version 6.x:
1 Download and save the Motorola_WA840_6.1.3.exe
file from the Motorola Web site at the following link:
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/support/default.asp
2 Double-click the .exe file you just saved. Browse to
the default path C:\Motorola_HomeNet (unless you specified otherwise) and unzip the file.
3 Type http://192.168.40.1 in a Web browser.
4 When the Motorola Wireless Broadband Router logon
dialog box appears, type your user name in the User name
box (if you changed it from the factory default (admin) the
last time you upgraded).
5 Type your password in the Password box (if you
changed it from the factory default (motorola using all
lowercase) the last time you upgraded).
6 Click LOG IN.
7 Click the Control Panel tab then the Firmware
Update tab to access the firmware information.
8 To locate the Firmware Update .trx file you down-
loaded and unzipped in steps 1 and 2, type the path in
the Firmware Update File box, or click
Browse to navigate to it. The default path is
C:\Motorola_HomeNet.
9 When the .trx file appears in the Firmware
Update File box, click Update.
10 When the update is complete, click RESTART and
follow the prompts to restart the WA840.
Clearing the Web Browser Cache
After you upgrade, you may need to clear the cache to view
the upgraded Web page properly:
1
Open a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet
Explorer®.
2 Select Tools\Internet Options.
3 In the Temporary Internet files box, click Delete
Files.
4 In the Delete Files dialog box, select the Delete all
offline content check box and then click OK. Click OK
again.
Configuring the WA840G/GP
These release notes provide steps to reconfigure the basic
security and other settings so that you can get your system
running securely. These basic settings appear in white on the
configuration pages of the user interface. This document also
provides a comprehensive mapping table of parameters so
that you can find the newly named corresponding parameters
from previous versions. New parameters have also been
added for Version 6.x.
How to Configure the WA840
After you complete the upgrade procedure, you can custom
configure the WA840 and its associated devices. Procedures
are provided for the commonly used options only. Refer to
the “WA840 Wireless Broadband Routers (WA840GP and
WA840G) User Guide” for complete information.
Refer to Table 1 in this update to locate configuration
parameters in previous versions (2x through 5.x) that have
been renamed or moved to new configuration pages in
version 6.x. Refer to Table 2 in this update for new
parameters in version 6.x. Be sure to click Apply before you
exit the current page, or the changes you entered will be
lost.
To access the Web-based configuration pages:
1 Open a Web browser. In the URL field, type
http://192.168.40.1 (the router’s default IP address) and
press Enter.
2 At the Motorola Wireless Broadband Router login
window, type your user name in the User name box (if
you changed it from the factory default (admin) the last
time you upgraded).
3 Type your password in the Password box (if you
changed it from the factory default (motorola using all
lowercase) the last time you upgraded). Then click OK.
The Basic configuration page appears.
To configure basic access control features of your
router/access point:
1 Select the Basic tab on the configuration menu bar.
2 Type a new user name in the Configuration
Login Username box. This allows you to access
the configuration pages. (If you forget a user name, you
can press the Reset button on the unit to reset the
default user name to admin.)
!!! If you use the Restore Factory Configuration button,
all of the configuration options will be reset to the original
factory default settings, not just the current page settings.
3 Type a new password in the Configuration
Login Password box. This allows you to access
the configuration pages. (If you forget a password, you
can press the Reset button on the unit to reset the
default user name to motorola.)
Note: The RESET button on the back of the WA840 resets a
predetermined number of options to their defaults. Refer to
Section 1 in the “WA840 User Guide” for details.
4 In the Time Zone box, select a time zone from
the list. The default is Eastern Time.
5 When you finish making changes, click Apply. When
it is done, click Continue. Review the changes and then
go to another configuration page by selecting another
tab on the configuration menu bar.
Note: If you do not click Apply and you move to another
configuration page, the changes you just made will be lost.
To configure the router to support connections to
broadband services (wide area network):
Refer to the “WA840 Wireless Access Points User Guide” for
details.
To configure the Wireless network:
When you upgrade, any configuration settings for wireless
connected devices are lost. Refer to the User Guide for more
information about each configuration parameter on the
Wireless page, and Table 1 to map previous versions of
wireless configuration parameters to the wireless
parameters in revision 6.x. Refer to Table 2 for new wireless
parameters.
Note: Refer to the text file you generated using the
conversion utility in step E to make changes on this page.
1 Select the Wireless tab on the configuration menu
bar.
2 In the Network Name (SSID) box, type the
service set identifier using up to 32 alphanumeric characters, as indicated in the converted configuration text
file.
When a client looks to connect wirelessly to the
WA840, this SSID will be the identifier by which it
recognizes the network.
The default is motorola plus the Wireless MAC
Address, which can be found on the product label.
3 In the Channel box, select the channel to use (in
the U.S., available channels are 1 through 11). You can
switch the channel if you experience poor wireless performance due to interference.
4 Be sure all other parameters listed in the .txt file you
generated match the parameter fields on this screen.
5 Click Apply. When it is done, click Continue. Review
the changes and then go to another configuration page
by selecting another tab on the configuration menu bar.
If you are done configuring, see “Restarting the WA840.”
To configure the security options which protect
information sharing over wireless connections:
When you upgrade, all security configuration settings are
replaced with version 6.x defaults. Refer to Table 1 for more
information about each configuration parameter on the
Security page.
Note: Refer to the text file you generated using the
conversion utility to make changes on this page.
1 Select the tab on the configuration menu bar.
2 In the WPA-PSK box, select Enabled or Disabled
are ready to restart the unit:
1 Print out each configuration page to retain a hard
copy of the new settings.
2 When you are finished printing, select the Basic tab
and click Restart.
3 After the WA840 reboots, click Continue. The Basic
page reappears.
Configuration Mapping
The following table provides a way for users to find
configuration parameters renamed from earlier versions of
the WA840 and locate them in version 6.x.
from the list. This engages or disengages Wi-Fi
Protected Access (WPA®) authentication using the
Pre-Shared Key (PSK) method.
3 In the WPA2-PSK box, select Enabled or Disabled
from the list. This engages or disengages Wi-Fi
Protected Access (WPA) version 2 authentication using
the Pre-Shared Key (PSK) method.
Notes: 1) The next option (step 4) is dimmed unless WPA,
WPA2, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK is Enabled. 2) For optimum
security, the same authentication and encryption methods
(step 4) should be used for the WA840 and all devices with
which it will communicate. However, multiple methods can
be used. For example, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK can be
enabled concurrently to support devices with mixed
capabilities. Refer to “Authentication Methods” in Section 3
in the User Guide for details.
4 In the WPA Encryption box, select an encryp-
tion method:
TKIP – engages the Temporal key
Integrity Protocol
AES – engages the Advanced Encryption
Standard
TKIP + AES – supports a mix of devices
using these two encryption methods
Notes: 1)The next option (step 5) is dimmed unless WPA,
WPA2, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK is Enabled. 2) Using at least
20 characters is strongly recommended for the pass phrase.
3) As you enter the pass phrase, it does not appear. After
you apply the changes, you can select the Show button to
display the pass phrase in a small dialog box.
5 In the WPA Pass Phrase box, type a phrase
between 8 and 63 alphanumeric characters or exactly 64
hexadecimal digits (0-9, A-F).
6 Click Apply. When it is done, click Continue. Review
the changes and then go to another configuration page
by selecting another tab on the configuration menu bar.
If you are done configuring, see “Restarting the WA840.”
How to Set Parental Controls
Setting parental controls is only applicable once you change
the Operation Mode on the Basic page to Router. See “Filters
Page Examples – Establishing Parental Controls on Internet
Use” in Section 3 of the updated “WA840 Wireless Access
Points User Guide” for configuring parental controls with the
6.x WA840 firmware.
Restarting the WA840
If you are done configuring and applying the changes, you
Table 1. Configuration mapping from versions 2.x, 3.x, 4.x, and 5.x to version 6.x
Previous parameter
name (2.x, 3.x, 4,x,
and 5.x)
1 Network Name
(SSID)
Screen/Page location
in Previous Versions
Version 6.x parameter
name
Screen/Page
location in Version
6.x and default
Wireless > Basic Network Name (SSID) Wireless (top) –
motorola plus the
Wireless MAC
Address
2 Channel Number Wireless > Basic Channel Wireless (top) – 11
3 Operation Mode Wireless > Basic Wireless Mode Wireless (top) –
Compatibility
4 Performance
Enhancement
(WA840GP only)
5 Wireless MAC
Address
Wireless > Basic Performance
Enhancement (GP
models only)
Wireless (top) On =
WA840GP; Off =
WA840G
Wireless > Basic Wireless Interface Wireless (top) –
Wireless MAC
address on product
label
6 SSID Broadcast
(Enabled)
7 ESS
Authentication
Wireless > Security Network Type Wireless (top) –
Open
Wireless > Security 802.11 Authentication
Security – Open
through WPA2-PSK (6
items)
8 Encryption Status Wireless > Security WPA Encryption or
WEP Encryption
9 Field 802.1X Mode Wireless > Security 802.1X Authentication Security – Disabled
10 Key Input Method Wireless > Security NA
11 Pass Phrase Wireless > Security WPA Pass Phrase Security – blank
12 Key Length Wireless > Security NA
13 Key Index Wireless > Security Current WEP Network
Security – TKIP or
Disabled)
Security – 1
Key Index
14 Key Content (Keys
1 through 4)
15 Group Key
Renewal Interval
16 RADIUS Server IP Wireless > Security RADIUS Server Security – blank
17 RADIUS Server
Wireless > Security WEP Network Key 1,
Security – blank
Key 2, Key 3, Key 4
Wireless > Security Network Key Rotation
Security – 0
Interval
Wireless > Security RADIUS Port Security – 1812
Port Number
18 RADIUS Shared
Wireless > Security RADIUS Shared Secret Security – blank
Secret
19 RADIUS Shared
Secret
Wireless > Security Same as RADIUS
Shared Secret
Security
Confirmation
20 Wireless MAC Wireless > Security Restricted Wireless Wireless (bottom)
Previous parameter
name (2.x, 3.x, 4,x,
and 5.x)
Access Control List MAC Addresses
Screen/Page location
in Previous Versions
Version 6.x parameter
name
Screen/Page
location in Version
6.x and default
21 Learned MAC
Addresses
22 MAC Address Wireless > Site
Wireless > Security Authenticated Clients Wireless (bottom) –
blank
NA
Monitor
23 Host Name Wireless > Site Mon. NA
24 Refresh Wireless > Site Mon NA
25 Scan Wireless > Site Mon NA
26 SSID Wireless > Site Mon NA
27 MAC Address Wireless > Site Mon NA
28 Channel Wireless > Site Mon NA
29 Signal Strength Wireless > Site Mon NA
30 Wireless Mode Wireless > Site Mon NA
31 Security Wireless > Site Mon NA
32 Radio Interface Wireless > Advanced Wireless Enabled Wireless (bottom) –
Yes
33 Short Preamble Wireless > Advanced Preamble Type Wireless (top) –
Long
34 Frame Bursting Wireless > Advanced Frame Bursting Wireless (top), Off
= WA840G; On =
WA840GP
35 RTS Threshold Wireless > Advanced RTS Threshold Wireless (top) –
2347
36 Fragmentation
Threshold
37 Beacon Period Wireless > Advanced Beacon Interval Wireless (top) –100
38 DTIM Period Wireless > Advanced DTIM Interval Wireless (top) – 3
39 Basic Rate Set Wireless > Advanced Basic Rate Set Wireless (top) –
Wireless > Advanced Fragmentation
Threshold
Wireless (top) –
2346
Default
40 11g Protection
Mode
41 WDS Mode
Wireless > Advanced 802.11g Protection Mode Wireless (top) –
Auto
Wireless > Advanced NA
(Enable)
42 WDS Restrict
Mode (Enable)
43 WDS Restrict
MAC Addresses
Wireless > Advanced Wireless Bridge
Restriction Mode
Wireless > Advanced Restricted Wireless
MAC Addresses
Wireless (bottom) –
Enabled
Wireless (bottom)
44 LAN MAC Address Networking > DHCP
Server
MAC Address LAN– MAC ID of
LAN port
Previous parameter
name (2.x, 3.x, 4,x,
and 5.x)
45 LAN Private IP …DHCP Server IP Address 192.168.10.1
46 LAN Subnet Mask …DHCP Server Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Screen/Page location
in Previous Versions
Version 6.x parameter
name
Screen/Page
location in Version
6.x and default
47 LAN Private Host
Name
48 Login Idle Time Control Panel >
Networking >DNS
Proxy
NA
NA
Device Security
49 WAN Ping
Response
50 Trace Route Internet > Network
Control Panel >
Device Security
NA
NA
Diagnostic
51 DNS Lookup Internet > Network
NA
Diagnostic
52 Firmware Revision Control Panel >
Firmware Update
Firmware Version Firmware – read-
only
Table 2. New configuration parameters in version 6.1.4
Screen/Page
Location in Version
6.x
Basic
New parameter name in Version 6.x Default
Remote Login Port Blank
Local Time Local time displayed
Time Zone Eastern Time
Auto Adjust for Daylight Saving Time Enabled
Internet Time Server Addresses blank
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Disabled
LAN
DHCP Server Enabled
DHCP Starting IP Address 192.168.10.2
DHCP Ending IP Address 192.168.10.50
DHCP Lease Time 86400
Active DHCP Leases Table shows client MAC
IDs
Default Gateway 192.168.10.1
Spanning Tree Protocol Enabled
WAN Connection Mode DHCP
Release and Renew buttons
Connection Status read-only
IP Address 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway 0.0.0.0
DNS Servers (1st) blank
DNS Servers (2nd field) blank
DNS Servers (3rd field) blank
Host Name blank
Domain Name blank
PPPoE Username blank
PPPoE Password blank
Same as PPoE Password blank
PPPoE Service Name blank
PPPoE Max Idle Time 60
PPPoE Keep Alive Disabled
PPPoE MTU 1492
Filters
MAC Address blank
Same as MAC Address
DDNS Server Disabled
DDNS User Name Blank
DDNS User Password blank
Same as DDNS User Password
Description Default connection
WINS Servers
PPPoE Access Concentrator
PPPoE MRU
WAN IP Address Expires In:
Static Routes
System Up Time read-only Status
Connection Log read-only
LAN Usage Filters table 12:00AM to 12:00AM
LAN MAC Filter Mode Deny
Filters page (in grid): blank
Protocol blank
Destination Port Range blank
Routing
DMZ IP Address blank
Same as DMZ IP Address
Outbound Protocol (Port Trigger table) blank
Wireless (top)
Outbound Port (Start/ End) (Port
Trigger table)
Inbound Protocol (Port Trigger table) blank
Inbound Port (Start/ End) (Port Trigger
table)
Enabled blank
Protocol (Port Forwards table) blank
WAN Port (Start/End) (Port Forwards
table)
LAN IP Address (Port Forwards table) blank
LAN Port (Start/End) (Port Forwards
table)
Enabled (Port Forwards table) blank
To Port Start /To Port End (Port
Triggers table)
Wireless interface Wireless MAC Address as
AP Isolation Off
blank
blank
blank
blank
blank
printed on product
Rate Auto
Maximum Associations 128
Wireless (middle)
Wireless (bottom) Bridge Link Detection Interval 0
Security
WMM Support Off
No Acknowledgement Off
EDCA AP Parameters: Off
Background AC
Best Effort AC
Video AC
Voice AC
EDCA Client Parameters: Off
Background AC
Best Effort AC
Video AC
Voice AC
WPA2 Disabled
WPA2 Pre-Authentication Enabled when WPA2 is
Enabled
WPA2-PSK Disabled
If You Need Help
If you need assistance while working with the WA840G/GP, contact the Motorola Technical Response Center
(TRC):
Inside the U.S: 1-877-466-8646
Motorola Online: www.motorola.com/homenetworking
The TRC is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, Motorola Online offers a searchable solutions
database, technical documentation, and low-priority issue creation and tracking.
(click “Support and Downloads”)
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office..
All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola,
Inc. 2005
All rights reserved.
No part of the contents of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without the written permission of the publisher.
520948-001 08/05 MGBI
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