Tenda i24 User Manual

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User Guide

Ceiling AP Series

W63AP

Ceiling AP Series

User Guide

is a registered trademark legally held by Shenzhen Tenda Technology Co., Ltd. Other brand and product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Copyright of the whole product as integration, including its accessories and software, belongs to Shenzhen Tenda Technology Co., Ltd. No part of this publication can be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Shenzhen Tenda Technology Co., Ltd.

Disclaimer

Pictures, images and product specifications herein are for references only. To improve internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, Tenda reserves the right to make changes to the products without obligation to notify any person or organization of such revisions or changes. Tenda does not assume any liability that may occur due to the use or application of the product described herein. Every effort has been made in the preparation of this document to ensure accuracy of the contents, but all statements, information and recommendations in this document do not constitute a warranty of any kind, express or implied.

Item

Presentation

Example

Cascading menus

Internet Settings > LAN Setup

Parameter and value

Bold

Set SSID to Tom.

Variable

Italic

Format: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

UI control

Bold

On the Quick Setup page, click the Save button.

Symbol

Meaning

This format is used to highlight information of importance or special interest. Ignoring this type of note may result in ineffective configurations, loss of data or damage to device.

This format is used to highlight a procedure that will save time or resources.

Acronym or Abbreviation

Full Spelling

Access Controller (Network Equipment)

Access Category (WMM settings)

ACK

Acknowledge

AES

Advanced Encryption Standard

AIFSN

Arbitration Inter Frame Spacing Number

Access Point

APSD

Automatic Power Save Delivery

ARP

Address Resolution Protocol

Best Effort

Background

Preface

Thank you for choosing Tenda! Please read this user guide before you start.

Conventions

The typographical elements that may be found in this document are defined as follows.

The symbols that may be found in this document are defined as follows.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Acronym or Abbreviation

Full Spelling

CAT5e

Category 5 Ethernet

CSMA/CA

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance

CTS

Clear To Send

Cwmax

Contention Window Maximum

Cwmin

Contention Window Minimum

DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DIFS

Distributed Inter-Frame Spacing

DNS

Domain Name Server

DTIM

Delivery Traffic Indication Message

EDCA

Enhanced Distributed Channel Access

Guard Interval

Internet Protocol

ISP

Internet Service Provider

LAN

Local Area Network

MAC

Medium Access Control

MIB

Management Information Base

MU-MIMO

Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output

NMS

Network Management System

NTS

Network Time Server

OID

Object Identifier

PoE

Power-over-Ethernet

PPP

Point to Point Protocol

PVID

Port-based VLAN ID

QVLAN

IEEE 802.11q VLAN

RADIUS

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service

Radio Frequency

RSSI

Received Signal Strength Indicator

iii

Acronym or Abbreviation

Full Spelling

RTS

Request To Send

SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol

SSID

Service Set Identifier

STA

Station

SYS

System

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

TKIP

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol

TXOP

Transmission Opportunity

User Interface

UTF-8

8-bit Unicode Transformation Format

Video Stream

VID

Virtual ID

VLAN

Virtual Local Area Network

Voice Stream

WAN

Wide Area Network

WEP

Wired Equivalent Privacy

WMF

Wireless Multicast Forwarding

WMM

Wi-Fi Multimedia

WPA

Wi-Fi Protected Access

WPA-PSK

Wi-Fi Protected Access-Pre-shared Key

Hotline

Global: (86) 755-27657180

(China Time Zone)

support@tenda.com.cn

United States: 1-800-570-5892

(Toll Free: Daily-9am to 6pm PST)

Canada: 1-888-998-8966

(Toll Free: Mon - Fri 9 am - 6 pm PST)

Hong Kong: 00852-81931998

Website

http://www.tendacn.com

Technical Support

If you need more help, contact us by any of the following means. We will be glad to assist you as soon as possible.

Contents

1 Login ................................................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Logging in to the web UI of the AP .......................................................................................... 1

1.2 Logging out ............................................................................................................................... 2

1.3 Web UI layout ........................................................................................................................... 3

1.4 Frequently-used buttons .......................................................................................................... 4

2 Status .............................................................................................................................................. 5

2.1 System status ........................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 Wireless status ......................................................................................................................... 7

2.3 Traffic statistics ......................................................................................................................... 9

2.4 Client list ................................................................................................................................. 10

3 Working mode ............................................................................................................................... 12

3.1 AP mode (default mode) ........................................................................................................ 12

3.1.1 Typical network topology ............................................................................................ 12

3.1.2 Getting familiar with AP mode configuration page .................................................... 13

3.1.3 Configuring AP mode .................................................................................................. 13

3.2 Client+AP mode ..................................................................................................................... 15

3.2.1 Typical network topology ............................................................................................ 15

3.2.2 Getting familiar with Client+AP mode configuration page ......................................... 16

3.2.3 Configuring Client+AP mode ....................................................................................... 17

4 Internet settings ............................................................................................................................ 19

4.1 LAN setup ............................................................................................................................... 19

4.1.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 19

4.1.2 Configuring the AP to obtain IP address automatically (for multiple APs) ................. 21

4.1.3 Configuring the AP to use static IP address (for few APs) ........................................... 22

4.2 DHCP server ........................................................................................................................... 23

4.2.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 23

4.2.2 Configuring DHCP server of the AP ............................................................................. 24

4.2.3 Viewing DHCP clients .................................................................................................. 25

5 Wireless ......................................................................................................................................... 26

5.1 SSID ........................................................................................................................................ 26

5.1.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 26

5.1.2 Modifying SSID-related parameters ............................................................................ 31

5.1.3 Example of configuring a WiFi network encrypted by WPA or WPA2 ........................ 33

5.2 RF settings .............................................................................................................................. 50

5.2.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 50

5.2.2 Configuring RF settings ............................................................................................... 52

5.3 RF optimization ...................................................................................................................... 53

5.3.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 53

5.3.2 Modifying radio optimization settings ........................................................................ 56

5.4 Frequency analysis ................................................................................................................. 57

5.4.1 Viewing frequency analysis ......................................................................................... 57

5.4.2 Excuting channel scan ................................................................................................. 57

5.5 WMM ..................................................................................................................................... 59

5.5.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 59

5.5.2 Configuring scenario-based WMM settings ............................................................... 60

5.5.3 Configuring WMM settings manually ......................................................................... 61

5.6 Access control ........................................................................................................................ 63

5.6.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 63

5.6.2 Configuring access control .......................................................................................... 64

5.7 Advanced settings .................................................................................................................. 66

5.7.1 Identify client type ...................................................................................................... 66

5.7.2 Broadcast packet filter ................................................................................................ 67

5.8 QVLAN settings ...................................................................................................................... 68

5.8.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 68

5.8.2 Example of configuring QVLAN ................................................................................... 69

vii

6 Advanced....................................................................................................................................... 73

6.1 Deployment mode ................................................................................................................. 73

6.1.1 Applicable scenarios ................................................................................................... 73

6.1.2 Introduction to deployment mode of the AP ............................................................. 74

6.1.3 Configuring the cloud deployment mode ................................................................... 75

6.2 SNMP ...................................................................................................................................... 76

6.2.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 76

6.2.2 Configuring the SNMP function .................................................................................. 78

6.2.3 Example of configuring SNMP settings ....................................................................... 79

7 Tools .............................................................................................................................................. 81

7.1 Date & time ............................................................................................................................ 81

7.1.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 81

7.1.2 Configuring system time ............................................................................................. 82

7.1.3 Configuring login timeout interval .............................................................................. 83

7.2 Maintenance .......................................................................................................................... 85

7.2.1 Reboot ......................................................................................................................... 85

7.2.2 Reset............................................................................................................................ 87

7.2.3 Upgrade firmware ....................................................................................................... 88

7.2.4 Backup and restoring configurations .......................................................................... 89

7.2.5 LED indicator control ................................................................................................... 90

7.3 Account .................................................................................................................................. 91

7.3.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 91

7.3.2 Modifying login password ........................................................................................... 91

7.4 System Log ............................................................................................................................. 92

7.4.1 Viewing system logs .................................................................................................... 92

7.4.2 Modifying number of logs to be displayed on Web UI ............................................... 93

7.4.3 Sync system logs of the AP to a log server .................................................................. 93

7.5 Diagnostic tool ....................................................................................................................... 95

7.5.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 95

viii

7.5.2 Executing Ping command to detect connection quality ............................................. 95

7.6 Uplink check ........................................................................................................................... 97

7.6.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 97

7.6.2 Configuring uplink detection ...................................................................................... 97

Appendix .............................................................................................................................................. 99

A.1 Configuring a static IP address for your computer (Example: Windows 7) ........................... 99

A.2 FAQ ....................................................................................................................................... 104

A.3 Default parameter values .................................................................................................... 105

1 Login

1.1 Logging in to the web UI of the AP

Before you start, ensure that:

 The AP is properly connected to a computer with an Ethernet cable.  The IP address of the management computer is in the same network segment of the AP. For

example, if the IP address of the AP is 192.168.0.254, the management computer should be

configured with an IP address of 192.168.0.X (X: 2~253). For how to configure the computer

with a specified IP address, see A.1 in Appendix.

Procedure

Step 1 Start a web browser on the computer, enter the IP address of the AP (default:

192.168.0.254) in the address bar, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac) on the

keyboard.

How to obtain the login IP address:

 The default login IP address is 192.168.0.254, which could be found on the rear panel of the AP.

You are recommended to note it down and keep it safely for later use.

 If the AP is managed by an Tenda AC (access controller) or an Tenda router with AP functionality,

the IP address of the AP is assigned by the management Tenda AC or router. To obtain it, go to the web UI of the AC or the router to view the new IP address of the AP.

Step 2 Enter the login user name and password (default: admin/admin), and click Login.

 If the login page does not appear, refer to Q1 in A.2 FAQ.  To modify the login user name and password, see Account.

---- End

1.2 Logging out

The system logs you out when you:

 Close the web browser.

 Log in to the web UI of the AP but perform no operation within the Login Timeout Interval

(default: 5 minutes).

navigating to Tools > Date & Time > Login Timeout Interval.

No.

Name

Description

Level-1 navigation bar

Used to display the function menu of the AP. Users can select functions in the navigation bars and the configuration appears in the configuration area. 2

Level-2 navigation bar

Tab page area

Configuration area

Used to modify or view your configuration.

1.3 Web UI layout

The web UI of the AP consists of four sections, including the level-1, and level-2 navigation bars, tab page area, and the configuration area. See the following figure.

The functions and parameters dimmed on the web UI indicate that they cannot be changed in the current configuration or they are not supported by the AP. To configure such functions or parameters, configure their related functions or parameters first.

Button

Description

Used to save the configuration on the current page and enable the configuration to take effect.

Used to modify the current configuration on the current page back to the original configuration.

Used to get the online help.

1.4 Frequently-used buttons

The following table describes the frequently-used buttons available on the web UI of the AP.

Parameter

Description

Device Name

It specifies the name of the AP.

You can modify it on Internet Settings > LAN Setup page.

Uptime

It specifies the time that has elapsed since the AP starts up last time.

System Time

It specifies the current system time of the AP.

To make time-related configurations work properly, ensure that the system time is correct. You can modify it on Tools > Date & Time page.

Firmware Version

It specifies the current firmware version number of the AP.

Hardware Version

It specifies the current hardware version number of the AP.

2 Status

This module presents you with an overall running status of the AP, including system status, LAN port status, wireless status (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), traffic statistics, and information of wireless clients connected to the AP. You are allowed to view rather than modifying here.

2.1 System status

This page displays the System Status and LAN Port Status of the AP.

To access the page, choose Status > System Status.



System Status

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

Number of Wireless Client

It specifies the quantity of wireless devices currently connected to the AP.

Parameter

Description

MAC Address

It specifies the physical address of the AP’s LAN port.

If you connect the AP to other devices using Ethernet cables, the AP uses this MAC address to communicate with those devices.

IP Address

It specifies the IP address of the AP’s LAN port, which can be used to log in to the web UI.

You can modify it on Internet Settings > LAN Setup page.

Subnet Mask

It specifies the subnet mask of the AP.

Primary DNS Server

It specifies the primary DNS server of the AP.

Secondary DNS Server

It specifies the secondary DNS server of the AP.



LAN Port Status

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

It specifies whether the WiFi network at the corresponding band is enabled.

 Enabled: WiFi network at the corresponding band is enabled.  Disabled: WiFi network at the corresponding band is disabled.

Network Mode

It specifies the network mode currently enabled by the AP on each radio band.

Channel

It specifies the current channel the AP operates on either2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band.

2.2 Wireless status

This page displays radio information and SSID information of the AP. You can get a glance of whether or not the radio frequency (RF) function is enabled, the network mode it currently uses, and the channel it operates, as well as all the SSIDs-related information. This page includes RF status and SSID status.

To access the page, choose Status > Wireless Status.



RF status

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

SSID

Wireless network name of the AP. The AP supports up to 8 SSIDs on 2.4 GHz and 4 SSIDs on 5 GHz.

The 1st SSID on the list indicates the primary SSID. By default, only the primary SSID on each radio band is enabled.

MAC Address

It specifies the physical address of the corresponding wireless network.

Status

It specifies whether or not the corresponding WiFi network is enabled.

Security Mode

It specifies the security mode adopted by the corresponding WiFi network.



SSID status

Parameter description

2.3 Traffic statistics

This page allows you to view statistical information about traffic based on SSIDs.

To access the page, choose Status > Traffic Statistics.

Parameter

Description

SSID

Select the SSID from the drop-down list menu to view client information connected to it.

MAC Address

It specifies the physical address of the client.

IP Address

It specifies the IP address of the client.

Client Type

It specifies the operating system of the client.

The AP identities the client type on two conditions:

 The Identity Client Type function is enabled (To enable it, navigate to

Wireless > Advanced Settings).

 The client connected to the AP has accessed an http:// website.

Otherwise, -- is displayed.

Connection Duration

It specifies the online time of the client.

Transmit Rate

It specifies the real time traffic the client has transmitted.

Receive Rate

It specifies the real time traffic the client has received.

2.4 Client list

This page allows you to view wireless clients connected to each SSID of the AP and their basic information, and to block unknown wireless clients. Here, “client” refers to the devices connected to the AP’s wireless networks.

To access the page, choose Status > Client List.

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

Block

Click to block the client from accessing the AP’s wireless network.

To unblock a client, navigate to Wireless > Access Control.

Internet

Router

PoE Switch

AP (in AP mode)

3 Working mode

The AP supports AP mode (default mode) and Client+AP mode. This chapter introduces how to set the working mode of the AP.

3.1 AP mode (default mode)

3.1.1 Typical network topology

In this mode, the AP connects to the internet in a wired manner, and converts wired network into wireless network. See the following typical network topology.

Parameter

Description

Radio Band

It is used to select the radio band for configurations.

Working Mode

It specifies the working modes supported by the device.

 AP mode (default mode): This mode is used to deploy wireless networks by

connecting the AP to the internet in a wired manner.

 Client+AP mode: This mode is used to extend the existing wireless network by

bridging the upstream wireless signals.

SSID

Primary Wireless network name of the AP.

The 1st SSID on each radio band indicates the primary SSID.

Security Mode

It specifies the security mode you set for your AP’s WiFi network, including None, WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, Mixed WPA/WPA2-PSK, WPA and WPA2.

See Security Mode for details.

3.1.2 Getting familiar with AP mode configuration page

To access the configuration page, choose Quick Setup.

Parameter description

3.1.3 Configuring AP mode

 By default, the device works in AP mode.  The following introduces how to set the device into AP mode on 2.4 GHz band. Configuration on 5

GHz is identical.

 The device supports up to 8 SSIDs on 2.4 GHz band and 4 SSIDs on 5 GHz band. The SSID-related

parameters on this page refer to the first (primary) SSID of the AP.

Before you start

Ensure that the upstream router has connected to the internet successfully.

Procedure

Step 1 Select 2.4 GHz from the Radio Band drop-down list menu. Step 2 Set Working Mode to AP. Step 3 Customize an SSID (wireless network name) in the SSID box, which is Tenda_WiFi in this

example. This SSID is also your primary SSID on 2.4 GHz band.

Step 4 Select the security mode from the Security Mode drop-down list menu, which is

WPA2-PSK in this example.

Step 5 Select the Encryption Algorithm, which is AES in this example. Step 6 Set a WiFi password in the Key box. Step 7 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

After configuration, you can connect wireless devices to the WiFi network of your AP using the SSID and WiFi password you set.

Internet

Router

PoE Switch

This AP (in Client+AP mode)

Upstream AP (in AP mode)

3.2 Client+AP mode

3.2.1 Typical network topology

In this mode, the AP extends the existing wireless network by bridging the upstream wireless signals. See the following typical network topology.

Parameter

Description

Radio Band

It is used to select the radio band for configurations.

Working Mode

It specifies the working modes supported by the device.

 AP mode (default mode): This mode is used to deploy wireless networks by

connecting the AP to the internet in a wired manner.

 Client+AP mode: This mode is used to extend the existing wireless network by

bridging the upstream wireless signals.

SSID

It specifies the wireless network name of the upstream wireless network you selected.

Security Mode

It specifies the security mode adopted by the upstream wireless network you selected.

See Security Mode for details.

Key

It specifies the WiFi password for the upstream wireless network you selected.

Refresh

Used to refresh the scan results.

Scan/Disable

 Scan: Used to scan nearby available wireless networks. The scan results are

displayed on the lower page.

 Disable: The button only appears after you clicked Scan. It is used to end the scan

operation and collapse the scan result.

3.2.2 Getting familiar with Client+AP mode configuration page

To enter the configuration page, set Working Mode to Client+AP. See the following figure.

Parameter description

3.2.3 Configuring Client+AP mode

 By default, the device works in AP mode.  The following introduces how to set the device into Client+AP mode on 2.4 GHz band.

Configuration on 5 GHz is identical.

 This device does not support dual-band bridging in Client+AP mode. Enabling Client+AP mode on

2.4 GHz band clears Client+AP configuration (if any) on 5 GHz band. And vice versa.

Procedure

Step 1 Select 2.4 GHz from the Radio Band drop-down list menu. Step 2 Set Working Mode to Client+AP. Step 3 Click Scan. The nearby available radio signals appear on the lower page.

If the SSID for bridging is not displayed, check if your upstream wireless network is enabled. If not, enable it. Then refresh the scan result.

Step 4 Select the WiFi network to bridge, which is Tenda_Router in this example.

The device detects and auto-fills SSID, Security Mode, Encryption, and Algorithm of the upstream wireless network for you, except the Key, which requires you to enter manually.

Step 5 Click Save to apply your settings.

Scan result

Click to refresh

scan result.

Click to collapse scan result

---- End

After the configuration, devices connected to the AP can access the upstream wireless network.

4 Internet settings

4.1 LAN setup

4.1.1 Overview

This section introduces how to:

 Modify the IP address obtaining method of the AP.

 Modify device name.

 Modify negotiation mode.

To access the configuration page, choose Internet Settings > LAN Setup.

Parameter

Description

MAC Address

It specifies the MAC address of the AP’s LAN port.

IP Address Type

It specifies IP address obtaining method of the AP.

 Static IP (default): You are required to set related parameters manually.

 DHCP (Dynamic IP Address): The AP automatically obtains related parameters from

a DHCP server on your LAN network.

IP Address

It specifies the LAN IP address (also the login IP address) of the AP. Default:

192.168.0.254.

Subnet Mask

It specifies the subnet mask of the AP. Default: 255.255.255.0.

Default Gateway

It specifies the gateway IP address of the AP.

Generally, enter the LAN IP address of the router which has internet accessibility into this box.

Primary DNS

It specifies the IP address of the primary DNS server of the AP.

If DNS proxy function is supported on your router connected to the internet, you can set the IP address of the primary DNS server to the LAN IP address of your router. Otherwise, enter a correct DNS server IP address.

Secondary DNS

It specifies the IP address of the secondary DNS server of the AP. This parameter is optional.

Device Name

It specifies the name of the AP.

For later convenient management, you are recommended to modify each AP’s name.

Optimize Ethernet for

 Faster Speed (Auto Negotiation): This option features a high data rate but short

transmission distance. Generally, we recommend you select this option.

 Longer Distance (10 Mbps Half Duplex): This option features long transmission

distance but low data rate. Generally, the negotiated speed is 10 Mbps.

If the Ethernet cable connecting the Ethernet port of the AP to the peer device is longer

than 100 meters, the Longer Distance mode is recommended. In this case, ensure that

the peer device adopts auto negotiation option.

Parameter description

4.1.2 Configuring the AP to obtain IP address automatically (for

multiple APs)

To access the configuration page, choose Internet Settings > LAN Setup first.

Procedure

Step 1 Select DHCP (Dynamic IP Address) from the IP Address Type drop-down list menu.

The IP address-related parameters dimmed and cannot be configured.

Step 2 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

To view the new IP address assigned to the AP, go to the upstream DHCP client list.

* * * * *

4.1.3 Configuring the AP to use static IP address (for few APs)

To access the configuration page, choose Internet Settings > LAN Setup first.

Procedure

Step 1 Select Static IP from the IP Address Type drop-down list menu.

The IP address-related parameters become configurable.

Step 2 Customize required parameters. Step 3 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

After the configuration, if the new IP address of the AP belongs to the same network segment as the IP address of your management computer, you can log in to the web UI of the AP directly using

the new IP address. Otherwise, before logging in to the AP’s web UI using the new IP address, assign

your computer an IP address that belongs to the same network segment as the new IP address.

Parameter

Description

DHCP Server

It specifies whether or not to enable the DHCP server function of the AP.

Start IP Address

It specifies the start IP address of the DHCP server’s IP address pool. The default value

is 192.168.0.100.

End IP Address

It specifies the end IP address of the DHCP server’s IP address pool. The default value is

192.168.0.200.

The End IP address must be greater than the Start IP address.

4.2 DHCP server

4.2.1 Overview

The AP supports the DHCP server function to assign IP addresses to devices connected to it. By default, this function is disabled. After this function enabled, the following page appears.

If another DHCP server is available in your LAN, ensure that the IP address pool of the AP does not overlap the IP address pool of that DHCP server. Otherwise, IP address conflicts may occur.

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

Subnet Mask

It specifies the subnet mask assigned by the DHCP server to devices. The default value is 255.255.255.0.

Gateway Address

It specifies the gateway IP address assigned by the DHCP server to devices. Generally, it is the LAN IP address of the router connected to the internet. The default value is

192.168.0.1.

Only through a gateway can a LAN device access a server or host which is not in the local network segment. You are recommended to enter a gateway IP address which can access the internet. Otherwise, the device in the LAN network cannot access the internet.

Primary DNS

It specifies the DNS server address provided by your ISP. If you do not know it, please consult your ISP.

To enable devices to access the internet, set this parameter to a correct DNS server IP address or DNS proxy IP address.

Secondary DNS

It specifies the second DNS server address (if any) provided by your ISP. This parameter is optional, which indicates you can leave it blank if your ISP does not provide this parameter.

Lease Time

It specifies the validity period of an IP address assigned by the DHCP server to a device. By default, it is 1 day.

When half of the lease time has elapsed, the device sends a DHCP request to the DHCP server to renew the lease time. If the request succeeds, the lease time is extended based on the request. Otherwise, the device sends a request again when 7/8 of the lease time has elapsed. If the request succeeds, the lease time is extended based on the request. Otherwise, the device must request a new IP address from the DHCP server after the lease time expires.

You are recommended to retain the default value.

4.2.2 Configuring DHCP server of the AP

To access the configuration page, choose Internet Settings > DHCP Server.

Procedure

Step 1 Enable DHCP Server function. Step 2 Customize required parameters.

DHCP client list



The End IP Address must be greater than the Start IP Address.



The Start IP Address, End IP Address, and Gateway Address must belong to the same network segment as that of the LAN IP of the device.

Step 3 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

4.2.3 Viewing DHCP clients

To view DHCP clients and their connection information, choose Internet Settings > DHCP Server, and click the DHCP Clients tab. See the following figure.

5 Wireless

5.1 SSID

5.1.1 Overview

This module enables you to set SSID-related parameters of the AP.

To access the configuration page, choose Wireless > SSID.

Parameter

Description

SSID

Select one SSID from the drop-down list menu.

The AP allows you to enable 8 SSIDs on 2.4 GHz band, and 4 SSIDs on 5 GHz band.

Enable

Used to enable or disable the wireless network you selected.

Broadcast SSID

 Enable: Nearby wireless clients can detect the SSID.  Disable: Nearby wireless clients cannot detect the SSID, and you need to enter

the SSID manually on the wireless client to access the wireless network.

Isolate Client

This parameter implements a function similar to the VLAN function for wired networks. It isolates the wireless devices connected to the same WiFi network, so that the wireless devices can access only the wired network connected to the AP. You can apply this function to hotspot setup in public spaces, such as hotels and airports to improve network security.

WMF

The number of wireless devices keeps increasing currently, but wired and wireless bandwidth resources are limited. Therefore, the multicast technology, which enables single-point data transmission and multi-point data reception, has been widely used in networks in order to reduce bandwidth requirements and prevent network congestion.

Nevertheless, if a large number of devices are connected to a wireless interface of a WiFi network and multicast data is intended for only one of the devices, the data is still sent to all the devices, which increases unnecessary wireless resource usage and may lead to wireless channel congestion. In addition, multicast stream forwarding over an

802.11 network is not secure, either.

The WMF function of the AP converts multicast traffic into unicast traffic and forwards the traffic to the multicast traffic destination in the WiFi network, helping save wireless resources, ensuring reliable transmission, and reducing delays.

Suppress Broadcast Probe Response

If enabled, this device does not respond to the requests without an SSID, saving wireless resources.

Max. Number of Clients

This parameter specifies the maximum number of devices that can connect to the WiFi network corresponding to an SSID. If the number is reached, the WiFi network rejects new connection requests from devices. This limit helps balance load among SSIDs.

The AP supports 128 clients at most. That is to say, clients connected to all the enabled

wireless networks of the AP cannot exceed 128. If you enable multiple SSIDs, plan your

maximum number of clients to each SSID first.

Chinese SSID Encoding

It specifies the character encoding format.

Available options include GB2312 and UTF-8.

A proper encoding format lets the SSID containing Chinese characters be displayed

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

normally across devices.

Security Mode

It specifies the security modes supported by the AP, including:

 None: This wireless network is open. The security level is the lowest.  WEP: Wired Equivalent Privacy. The security level is very low.  WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, and Mixed WPA/WPA2-PSK: Applicable to most scenarios.  WPA and WPA2: This mode provides highest security level. It use 802.1 x RADUIS

to encrypt and is applicable to enterprises.

See Security Mode for details.

Security Mode

A WiFi network uses radio open to the public as its data transmission medium. If the WiFi network is not protected by necessary measures, any device can connect to the network to access unprotected data over the network or the resources of the network. To ensure communication security, transmission links of WiFi network must be encrypted.

The AP supports various security modes for network encryption, including None, WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, Mixed WPA/WPA2-PSK, and WPA/WPA2.



None

It indicates that any wireless device can connect to the WiFi network. This option is not recommended because it leads to network insecurity.



WEP

It uses a static key to encrypt all exchanged data, and ensures that a WLAN has the same level of security as a wired LAN. However, data encrypted based on WEP can be easily cracked. In addition, WEP supports a maximum WiFi network throughput of only 54 Mbps. Therefore, this security mode is not recommended.

Select WEP from the Security Mode drop-down list menu, the following parameters appear. See the following figure.

Parameter

Description

Authentication Type

WEP consists of two authentication types.

 Open: In this authentication, the wireless client does not need to provide the

credentials to the access point while authenticating. Generally, this authentication is recommended when privacy is the main concern.

 Shared: This authentication requires four step challenge-response handshake to

accomplish authentication. It is less secure than WEP Open since during authentication process, WEP key is exposed.

Default Key

It indicates the designated key used for wireless clients to connect to the access point.

Key1/2/3/4

Enter one to four WEP keys, each of which consists of 5 or 13 ASCII printable characters or 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters. Only the key that is designated as the

Default Key is effective.

Parameter description



WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, and Mixed WPA/WPA2-PSK

They belong to pre-shared key or personal key modes, where Mixed WPA/WPA2-PSK supports both WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK.

WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, and Mixed WPA/WPA2-PSK adopt a pre-shared key for authentication, while the AP generates another key for data encryption. This prevents the vulnerability caused by static WEP keys, and makes the three security modes suitable for ensuring security of home WiFi networks. Nevertheless, because the initial pre-shared key for authentication is manually set and all devices use the same key to connect to the same AP, the key may be disclosed unexpectedly. This makes the security modes not suitable for scenarios where high security is required.

Parameter

Description

Encryption Algorithm

The AP supports the following three encryption algorithms:

 AES: Advanced Encryption Standard. This is newer Wi-Fi encryption solution used

by the new-and-secure WPA2 standard. It is more secure than TKIP.

 TKIP: Temporal Key Integrity Protocol. This is an older encryption protocol

introduced with WPA. This option is recommended only when you have older devices that can’t connect to a WPA2-PSK (AES) network.

 AES&TKIP: It indicates that both AES and TKIP are supported.

Key

It indicates the key used for wireless clients to connect to the access point.

Key Update Interval

It indicates the interval at which a WPA key is updated. A shorter interval leads to higher security.

Select WPA-PSK (or WPA2-PSK, or Mixed WPA/WPA2-PSK) from the Security Mode drop-down list menu, the following parameters appear. See the following figure.

Parameter description



WPA and WPA2

To address the key management weakness of WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK, the WiFi Alliance puts forward WPA and WPA2, which use 802.1x to authenticate devices and generate data encryption– oriented root keys. WPA and WPA2 use the root keys to replace the pre-shared keys that set manually, but adopt the same encryption process as WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK.

WPA and WPA2 uses 802.1x to authenticate devices and the login information of a device is managed by the device. This effectively reduces the probability of information leakage. In addition, each time a device connects to an AP that adopts the WPA or WPA2 security mode, the RADIUS server generates a data encryption key and assigns it to the device, which makes it difficult for attackers to obtain the key. These features of WPA and WPA2 security modes help increase network security significantly, making WPA and WPA2 the preferred security modes of WiFi networks that require high security.

Select WPA (or WAP2) from the Security Mode drop-down list menu, the following parameters

Parameter

Description

RADIUS Server

Enter the IP address of RADIUS server.

RADIUS Port

Enter the authentication port number of the RADIUS sever.

RADIUS Key

Enter the password used for RADIUS authentication.

appear. See the following figure.

Parameter description

5.1.2 Modifying SSID-related parameters

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > SSID first.

Procedure

 The following takes configuration on 2.4 GHz band for example. Configuration on 5 GHz is identical.  The following introduces how to modify parameters on this page. Modify them based on your

actual requirements.

Step 1 Select the SSID from the SSID drop-down list menu. Step 2 Set Status to Enable. Step 3 (Optional) Enable Broadcast SSID, Isolate Client, Isolate SSID, WMF, and modify the

number of client that can connect to this specific SSID in the Max. Number of Clients box.

 The AP supports 128 clients at most. That is to say, clients connected to all the enabled wireless

networks of the AP cannot exceed 128. If you enable multiple SSIDs, plan your maximum number of clients to each SSID first.

 The AP allows you to enable 8 SSIDs on 2.4 GHz band, and 4 SSIDs on 5 GHz.

Step 4 (Optional) Customize SSID and security-related parameters as required.

 SSID: Modify the default one if necessary.  Chinese SSID Encoding: A proper encoding format lets the SSID containing Chinese

characters be displayed normally across devices.

 Security Mode: Choose a security mode and configure related parameters.

Step 5 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

Step

Task

Description

Configure the AP.

Select the SSID you want to implement the RADIUS authentication, and enable it. Modify the SSID as required. Then set the security mode to WPA2 and enter the RADISU server-related parameters.

Create RADIUS client.

Create a RADIUS client first, and then create a remote access policy.

Configure wireless network information on the wireless client.

Add the wireless network enabled with WPA or WPA2 of the AP manually, and configure its security settings.

Internet Router

PoE switch

AP IP: 192.168.0.254 SSID: hot_spot

RADIUS server

IP: 192.168.0.200

5.1.3 Example of configuring a WiFi network encrypted by WPA

or WPA2

 Network topology

Configuration description

Configuring a WiFi network encrypted by WPA or WPA2 involves operations across various devices. This guide will walk you through the configuration step by step.

The following table summarizes the overall steps. Get yourself familiar with the whole process before you start.

Procedure

Step 1 Configure the AP.

In this case, we assume that you have installed and configured a RADIUS server in your company, and have obtained the following information:

 RADIUS Server: IP address or domain name of the RADIUS server, which is 192.168.0.200 in this

example.

 RADIUS Port: Port number used for authentication, which is 1812 in this example  RADIUS Password: Password used for authentication which is 12345678 in this example.

Select an SSID from the SSID drop-down list menu, and set the Status to Enable. 1. Modify the SSID to hot_spot. 2. Select WPA2 from the Security Mode drop-down list menu. The RADIUS-related 3.

parameters appear.

Enter your RADIUS Server, RADIUS Port, and RADIUS Password. Parameters on the 4.

following figure are only for examples.

Set Encryption Algorithm to AES. 5. Click Save to apply your settings. 6.

* * * * *

Step 2 Configure RADIUS client (Example: Windows 2003)

1. Configure a RADIUS client.

(1) In the Computer Management dialog box, double-click Internet Authentication

Service, right-click RADIUS Clients, and choose New RADIUS Client.

IP address of the AP

(2) Enter a RADIUS client name (device name of the AP is recommended) and the IP

address of the AP, and click Next.

Shared secret should be the same as that

specified by RADIUS Password on the AP.

(3) Enter 12345678 in the Shared secret and Confirm shared secret text boxes, and click

Finish.

Configure a remote access policy. 2.

(1) Right-click Remote Access Policies and choose New Remote Access Policy.

(2) In the New Remote Access Policy Wizard dialog box that appears, click Next.

(3) Enter a policy name and click Next.

(4) Select Ethernet and click Next.

(5) Select Group and click Add.

(6) Enter 802.1x in the Enter the object names to select text box, click Check Names, and

click OK.

(7) Select Protected EAP (PEAP) and click Next.

(8) Click Finish. The remote access policy is created.

(9) Right-click root and choose Properties. Select Grant remote access permission, select

NAS-Port-Type matches "Ethernet" AND, and click Edit.

(10) Select Wireless – Other, click Add, and click OK.

(11) Click Edit Dial-in Profile, click the Authentication tab, configure settings as shown in

the following figure, and click OK.

(12) When a message appears, click No.

Configure user information. 3.

Create a user and add the user to group 802.1x.

Step 3 Configure wireless settings on the wireless client (Example: Windows 7)

(1) Choose Start > Control Panel, click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing

Center, and click Manage wireless networks.

(2) Click Add.

(3) Click Manually create a network profile.

Same as the security mode of the SSID of the AP

(4) Enter WiFi network information, select Connect even if the network is not

broadcasting, and click Next.

(5) Click Change connection settings.

(6) Click the Security tab, select Microsoft: Protected EAP (PEAP), and click Settings.

(7) Deselect Validate server certificate and click Configure.

(8) Deselect Automatically use my Windows logon name and password (and domain if

any) and click OK.

(9) Click Advanced settings.

(10) Select User or computer authentication and click OK.

(11) Click Close.

---- End

Verification

Step 1 Click the network icon in the lower-right corner of the desktop and choose the WiFi

network of the AP, which is hot_spot in this example.

Step 2 In the Windows Security dialog box that appears, enter the user name and password set

on the RADIUS server and click OK.

---- End

Parameter

Description

Wireless Network

It specifies whether to enable the radio function of the AP.

Country/Region

It specifies the country or region where the AP is used.

It is the installer’s responsibility to comply with channel regulations of the country or

5.2 RF settings

5.2.1 Overview

RF (Radio Frequency) settings allow you to configure advanced settings about the AP, such as channel, power, short GI etc.

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > RF Settings.

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

region.

Network Mode

It specifies the wireless network mode (also called 802.11 mode, radio mode, or wireless mode) of the AP. A proper network mode enables the clients to get the maximum transfer rate and compatibility.

Available options for 2.4 GHz band: 11b, 11g, 11b/g, and 11b/g/n (default).

Available options for 5 GHz band: 11a, 11ac (default), and 11a/n mixed.

You are recommended to keep the default settings.

Channel

It specifies the operating channel of the AP. To configure this parameter, deselect Lock

Channel.

Auto indicates that this device automatically changes to a channel rarely used in the

ambient environment to prevent interference.

Channel Bandwidth

It specifies the wireless channel bandwidth of the AP.

Available options for 2.4 GHz band: 20MHz (default), 40MHz, and 20/40MHz.

Available options for 5 GHz band: 20MHz, 40MHz, and 80 MHz (default).

Extension Channel

It specifies the wireless extension channel of the AP.

Available only when Channel Bandwidth is set to 40MHz, and 20/40MHz on 2.4 GHz band.

Lock Channel

If selected, Country/Region, Network Mode, and channel-related parameters (including Channel Bandwidth and Extension Channel) become dim and cannot be modified. By default, it is selected.

Transmit Power

Transmit power of this device.

A higher value leads to wider WiFi coverage. However, decreasing the value properly increases performance and security of the wireless network.

To adjust it, deselect Lock Power first.

Lock Power

If selected, the Transmit Power cannot be adjusted. By default, it is selected.

Preamble

It specifies a group of bits located at the beginning of a packet, according to which the receiver of the packet can perform synchronization and prepare for receiving data.

By default, the Long Preamble option is selected for compatibility with old network adopters installed on wireless devices.

Short GI

Short guard interval for preventing data block interference.

Propagation delays may occur on the receiver side due to factors such as multipath wireless signal transmission. If a data block is transmitted at an overly high speed, it may interfere with the previous data block. The short GI helps prevent such interference. Enabling the short GI can yield a 10% improvement in wireless data throughput.

Suppress Broadcast Probe Response

Whether or not to suppress the broadcast probe response.

If enabled, this device does not respond to the requests without an SSID, saving

Parameter

Description

wireless resources.

5.2.2 Configuring RF settings

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > RF Settings first.

By default, dimmed parameters, including channel-related parameters and transmit power cannot be modified or adjusted. To modify or adjust these parameters, you need to deselect Lock Channel and/or Lock Power first.

Modify or adjust these parameters according to your actual requirement.

Parameter

Description

Beacon Interval

It specifies the interval for transmitting the Beacon frame.

The Beacon frame is transmitted at the specified interval to announce the presence of a wireless network. Generally, a smaller interval enables wireless devices to connect to the AP more quickly, while a larger interval ensures higher data transmission speed for the AP.

5.3 RF optimization

5.3.1 Overview

The AP allows you to configure advanced settings about radio frequency to optimize the AP performance. Please modify these parameters under the professional guidance.

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > RF Optimization.

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

Fragment Threshold

It specifies the threshold of a fragment. Unit: byte.

Fragmenting is a process that divides a frame into several fragments, which are transmitted and acknowledged separately. If the size of a frame exceeds this threshold, the frame is fragmented.

In an environment of high error rate, you can reduce the threshold to enable the AP to resend only the fragments that have not been sent successfully, so as to increase the frame throughput.

In an environment without interference, you can increase the threshold to reduce the number of acknowledgement times, so as to increase the frame throughput.

RTS Threshold

It specifies the frame length threshold for triggering the RTS/CTS mechanism. Unit: byte.

If a frame exceeds this threshold, the RTS/CTS mechanism is triggered to reduce conflicts.

Set the RTS threshold based on the actual situation. An excessively small value increases the RTS frame transmission frequency and bandwidth requirement. A higher RTS frame transmission frequency enables a WiFi network to recover from conflicts quicker. For a WiFi network with high user density, you can reduce this threshold for reducing conflicts. The RTS mechanism requires some network bandwidth. Therefore, it is triggered only when frames exceed this threshold.

Signal Transmission

 Coverage-oriented: This mode broadens WiFi coverage of APs, and is usually used

in scenarios deployed with fewer APs, such as offices, warehouses, and hospitals.

 Capacity-oriented: This mode effectively decreases mutual interference among

APs, and is usually used in scenarios deployed with massive APs, such as conferences, exhibition halls, banquet halls, stadiums, classrooms of higher-education institutes, airports and so on.

DTIM Interval

It specifies the interval for transmitting the Delivery Traffic Indication Message (DTIM) frame. Unit: Beacon.

A countdown starts from this value. The AP transmits broadcast and multicast frames in its cache only when the countdown reaches zero.

For example, if DTIM Interval is set to 1, the AP transmits all cached frames after each beacon frame is transmitted.

RSSI Threshold

Set a minimum strength of received signals acceptable to the AP. If the strength of the signals transmitted by a wireless device is weaker than this threshold, the wireless device cannot connect to the AP.

If there are multiple APs, an appropriate RSSI Threshold ensures that wireless devices can connect to the AP’ WiFi networks with strong signals.

Prioritize 5 GHz

If enabled, devices that support 5 GHz band choose to connect the AP’s 5 GHz WiFi network first. Otherwise, they randomly connect to 2.4GHz or 5 GHz WiFi network. This option is available on the 5 GHz configuration page.

The default RSSI threshold to enable this function is -80 dBm. You can adjust the

Parameter

Description

threshold by customizing the Prioritize 5 GHz Threshold parameter.

Prioritize 5 GHz Threshold

It specifies the RSSI threshold value to trigger the Prioritize 5 GHz function. The default value is -80 dBm.

You are recommended to keep the default settings.

Air Interface Scheduling

It specifies whether to enable the air interface scheduling function.

This function allows all clients to transmit data for the same duration. If a client transmits data at a low speed and does not finish data transmission within the duration, it can continue transmitting data only in its next data transmission duration. This prevents some slow clients from occupying excessive airtime resources, so as to improve the overall AP efficiency and effectively ensure AP connections for a larger number of clients and greater throughputs.

Anti-interference Mode

Select an interference mitigation mode for your AP.

Available options include: 0 (Disable), 1 (Suppress weak interference), 2 (Suppress

moderate interference), and 3 (Suppress critical interference).

APSD

Automatic Power Save Delivery.

APSD is a WMM power saving protocol created by Wi-Fi Alliance. Enabling APSD helps reduce power consumption. By default, this mode is disabled.

MU-MIMO

Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output.

If enabled, AP can communicate with multiple users concurrently, avoiding WiFi network congestion and improving communication. This option is available on the 5 GHz configuration page.

Client Timeout Interval

It specifies the maximum period before a WiFi client is disconnected from the AP if the client exchanges no data with the AP. When data is exchanged within the period, countdown stops.

Mandatory Rate

It specifies that any connected wireless clients that support the data rate options ticked here may communicate with the router using that rate.

You are recommended to keep the default settings. If you need to modify them, please do under professional guidance.

Optional Rate

5.3.2 Modifying radio optimization settings

You are strongly recommended to modify the settings only with professional guidance to prevent degrading wireless performance.

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > RF Optimization first.

The following takes configuration on 2.4 GHz band for example. Configuration on 5 GHz is identical.

Procedure

Step 1 Locate and modify the parameters as required. Step 2 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

5.4 Frequency analysis

This section introduces how to evaluate signal interference in ambient environment. You can use the analysis result to help you configure the AP for best performance.

This module consists of Frequency Analysis and Channel Scan. Choose Wireless > Frequency

Analysis, and click the corresponding tab to enter the page.

5.4.1 Viewing frequency analysis

From the intuitive result, you can read how many wireless networks (total SSID) use the same channel. See the following figure.

Color-code explanation:

Red: High channel usage. The channel is not recommended to use.

Yellow: Moderate channel usage.

Green: Low channel usage. The channel is recommended to use.

5.4.2 Excuting channel scan

The scan result list presents you with information about nearby wireless network, including SSID, MAC address, channel, channel bandwidth, security mode, and signal strength. See the following figure.

5.5 WMM

5.5.1 Overview

WMM is a wireless QoS protocol used to ensure that packets with high priorities are transmitted first. This ensures better experience of voice and video service over WiFi networks.

WMM involves the following terms:

 Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA): It is a channel competition mechanism to ensure

that packets with higher priorities are assigned more bandwidth and transmitted earlier.

 Access Category (AC): The WMM mechanism divides WLAN traffic by priority in descending

order into the AC-VO (voice stream), AC-VI (video stream), AC-BE (best effort), and AC-BK (background) access categories. The access categories use queues with different priorities to send packets. The WMM mechanism ensures that packets in queues with higher priorities have more opportunities to access channels.

According to the 802.11 protocol family, all devices listen on a channel before using the channel to send data. If the channel stays idle for or longer than a specified period, the devices wait a random backoff period within the contention window. The device whose backoff period expires first can use the channel. The 802.11 protocol family applies the same backoff period and contention window to all devices across a network to ensure that the devices have the same channel contention opportunity.



ACK Policies

WMM specifies the Normal ACK and No ACK policies.

 According to the No ACK policy, no ACK packet is used during wireless packet transmission to

acknowledge packet reception. This policy is applicable to scenarios where interference is mild and can effectively improve transmission efficiency. In case of strong interference, lost packets are not sent again if this policy is adopted. This leads a higher packet loss rate and reduces the overall performance.

 According to the Normal ACK policy, each time a receiver receives a packet, it sends back an

ACK packet to acknowledge packet reception.



EDCA Parameters

802.11 networks offer wireless access services based on the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) channel competition mechanism, which allows all wireless devices to fairly compete for channels. All the services implemented over WiFi networks share the same channel competition parameters. Nevertheless, different services usually have different requirements for bandwidth, delay, and jitter. This requires wireless networks to offer accessibility based on the services implemented over the networks.

WMM changes the contention mechanism of 802.11 networks by dividing packets into four ACs, among which the ACs with higher priorities have more opportunities to access channels. The ACs help achieve different service levels.

WMM assigns each AC a set of EDCA parameters for channel contention, including:

 Arbitration Inter Frame Spacing Number (AIFSN): Different from the fixed distributed

inter-frame spacing (DIFS) specified in the 802.11 protocol family, AIFSN varies across ACs. A greater AIFSN indicates a longer backoff period. See AIFS in the following figure.

 Contention window minimum (CWmin) and contention window maximum (CWmax) specify the

average backoff period. The period increases along with these two values. See the backoff slots in the following figure.

 Transmission Opportunity (TXOP): It specifies the maximum channel use duration after

successful channel contention. The duration increases along with this value. The value 0 indicates that a device can send only one packet through a channel after winning contention for the channel.

The AP offers 3 options for WMM optimization. You can choose the scenario-based (1 – 10 users, or over 10 users) option and let the AP helps you optimize WMM automatically. Or you can choose

Custom to configure the parameters yourself to meet your very specific requirement.

5.5.2 Configuring scenario-based WMM settings

Select either of the two and let the AP helps you optimize WMM automatically.

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > WMM.

Parameter

Description

No ACK

See ACK Policies.

EDCA AP Parameter

See EDCA Parameters.

According to your actual situations, select Optimized for scenario with 1 - 10 users or Optimized

for scenario with more than 10 users, and click Save to apply your settings.

5.5.3 Configuring WMM settings manually

Configure the parameters yourself to meet your very specific requirement.

Tick Custom, the following page appears. Customize the related parameters and click Save to apply your settings.

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

EDCA STA Parameter

See EDCA Parameters.

Parameter

Description

SSID

It specifies the SSID on which the MAC address access control is implemented.

Access Control

It specifies whether or not to enable this function.

Mode

 Blacklist: Clients with MAC addresses on the access control list cannot access the

wireless network of AP.

 Whitelist: Client with MAC addresses on the access control list can access the

wireless network of AP.

5.6 Access control

This module allows you to configure MAC address-based wireless access control rules.

5.6.1 Overview

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > Access Control. By default, this function is disabled.

Parameter description

Tick to select all

Tick to select

5.6.2 Configuring access control

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > Access Control first.

 Before configuration, obtain and note down the MAC address(es) of the target device(s).  The following introduces how to configure on 2.4 GHz band. Configuration on 5 GHz is identical.

Procedure

Step 1 Select the SSID to which the access control is applied from the SSID drop-down list menu. Step 2 Enable Access Control. Step 3 Select the control Mode as required. Step 4 Add the MAC address of the client.

Option 1: Enter the MAC address manually

Enter the MAC address into the MAC Address box.

Option 2: Add online clients

Click Add Online Devices. The Online Device configuration window appears. 1.

Select one or multiple devices by ticking the checkbox(es) next to ID column. 2. Click Add.

Step 5 Click Save to apply your settings.

Click to delete the rule.

Toggle the button to enable or disable the rule.

---- End

5.7 Advanced settings

This module enables you to make AP’s WiFi network and wireless transmission more efficiently through enabling identifying client type and filtering broadcast packet. By default, these two functions are disabled.

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > Advanced Settings.

5.7.1 Identify client type

Enabling this function may impact on the wireless performance of the AP. Therefore, enable this function only when necessary.

With this function enabled, the AP can identify the operating system of the client connected to it. To enable this function, tick Enable next to the Identify Client Type, and click Save.

You can view the client type information by navigating to Status > Client List.

The AP identities the client type on two conditions:

 The Identity Client Type function is enabled.  The client connected to the AP has accessed an http:// website.

Otherwise, -- is displayed.

5.7.2 Broadcast packet filter

You are strongly recommended to configure this function only under the professional guidance to prevent degrading the WiFi performance of the AP.

By default, the AP will forward lots of invalid broadcast packets, which may affect normal packets transmission. However, this function can filter broadcast packets and reduce airtime consumption, ensuring bandwidth of normal packets transmission.

The AP supports to filter broadcast packets and allows you to keep DHCP and ARP packets, or ARP packets only.

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > Advanced Settings first.

Procedure

Step 1 Tick Enable next to the Broadcast Packet Filter. Step 2 Select the broadcast packets you do not want to filter from the drop-down list menu of

Filters.

Step 3 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

Parameter

Description

QVLAN

It specifies whether to enable the QVLAN function of the AP. By default, it is disabled.

PVID

Port-based VLAN ID.

It specifies the ID of the default native VLAN of the trunk port of the AP. The default value is 1.

Management VLAN

It specifies the ID of the AP management VLAN. The default value is 1.

After changing the management VLAN, you can manage the AP only after connecting your computer or AP controller to the new management VLAN.

2.4 GHz SSID

It specifies the currently enabled SSID(s) over the 2.4 GHz band of the AP.

5 GHz SSID

It specifies the currently enabled SSID(s) over the 5 GHz band of the AP.

5.8 QVLAN settings

This AP supports the IEEE 802.1q VLAN function and can work with switches supporting that function to establish multiple VLANs. Devices connecting to VLANs with different VLAN IDs cannot communicate with each other. By default, the AP’s QVLAN function is disabled.

5.8.1 Overview

To enter the configuration page, choose Wireless > QVLAN Settings.

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

VLAN ID

It specifies the VLAN IDs corresponding to SSIDs. By default, this value is 1000.

After the QVLAN function is enabled, the wireless ports corresponding to SSIDs functions as access ports. The PVID of an access port is the same as its VLAN ID.

Port Method to process received data

Method to process transmitted data Tagged data

Untagged data

Access

Forward the data to other ports of the VLAN corresponding to the VID in the data.

Forward the data to the other ports of the VLAN corresponding to the PVID of the port that receives the data.

Transmit data after removing tags from the data.

Trunk

If the VID and PVID of a port are the same, transmit data after removing tags from the data.

If the VID and PVID of a port are different, transmit data without removing tags from the data.

If the QVLAN function is enabled, tagged data received by a port of the AP is forwarded to the other ports of the VLAN corresponding to the VID in the data, whereas untagged data received by a port of the AP is forwarded to the other ports of the VLAN corresponding to the PVID of the port that receives the data.

The following table describes how ports of different link types process transmitted and received data.

5.8.2 Example of configuring QVLAN

Networking requirement

A hotel has the following WiFi network coverage requirements:

 Guests are allowed to connect to VLAN2 and only able to access the internet.

 Hotel staffs are allowed to connect to VLAN3 and only able to access the intranet.

 Hotel administrators are allowed to connect to VLAN4, able to access both the intranet and the

internet.

Assume that the SSID for guests is internet, the SSID for staffs is oa and the SSID for administrators is VIP. The SSIDs are enabled and configured successfully on the AP.

Step

Task

Description

Configure the AP.

Enable QVLAN on the AP, and set required parameters.

Configure the switch.

Create IEEE 802.1q VLANs on the switch as required.

Configure the router and the internal server.

Enable QVLAN function on your router and internal server, and configure parameters as required.

Internet

Router

PoE switch

Guest SSID: internet (VLAN2)

Staff SSID: oa (VLAN3)

Administrator SSID: VIP (VLAN4)

Internal server

Network topology

Configuration description

Configuring QVLAN function involves operations across various devices. This guide will walk you through the configuration step by step.

The following table summarizes the overall steps. Get yourself familiar with the whole process before you start.

Procedure

Step 1 Configure the AP.

Log in to the web UI of the AP and choose Wireless > QVLAN Settings. 1. Enable QVLAN. 2. Modify the VLAN IDs as shows in the following figure. 3.

Port Connected To

Accessible VLAN ID

Port Type

PVID

1, 2, 3, 4

Trunk

Internal server

3, 4

Trunk

Router

2, 4

Trunk

Click Save to apply your settings. 4. Click OK. And wait for the AP completes rebooting. 5.

Step 2 Configure the switch.

Create IEEE 802.1q VLANs described in the following table on the switch. Retain the default settings of other ports. For details, refer to the user guide of the switch.

Step 3 Configure the router and the internal server.

To ensure your wireless devices connected to the AP can access the internet, you should configure QVLAN function on your router and internal server which support QVLAN function. Detailed VLAN parameters are listed as follows:

VLAN parameters configured on your router:

Port Connected To

Accessible VLAN ID

Port Type

PVID

Switch

2, 4

Trunk

Port Connected To

Accessible VLAN ID

Port Type

PVID

Switch

3, 4

Trunk

VLAN parameters configured on your internal server:

For configuration details, refer to the user guides of your router and internal server.

---- End

Verification

Wireless devices connected to the SSID internet can access only the internet. Wireless devices connected to the SSID oa can access only the intranet. Wireless devices connected to the SSID VIP can access both the internet and the intranet.

Internet

Router

Core switch

PoE switch

AP1

AP2

AP n-1

APn

Management PC

6 Advanced

6.1 Deployment mode

If a large number of APs are deployed, you are recommended to adopt an Tenda AC (Access Controller) to manage the APs in a centralized manner. The AP supports Local Deployment (default) and Cloud Deployment.

6.1.1 Applicable scenarios

Deploy your network according to the following introduction to meet your very specific requirement.



Local deployment

If you need to deploy many APs in a small area, you are recommended to set the AP in the local deployment mode, which uses a local AC (in Sub AC mode) to manage the APs in a centralized manner. The following figure shows the topology for the local deployment mode.

Router

Core switch

Router

AP1

AP2

APn

Internet

PoE switch

Management PC



Cloud deployment

If you need to deploy many APs distributed across a large area, you are recommended to select the cloud deployment mode, which uses an AC (in Cloud AC mode) over the internet to manage the APs in a centralized manner. The following figure shows the topology for the cloud deployment mode.

6.1.2 Introduction to deployment mode of the AP

To enter the configuration page, choose Advanced > Deployment Mode.

Parameter

Description

Deployment Mode

It specifies the deployment mode supported by the AP.

 Local (default): It indicates that the AP can be managed only through the AC

connected to the same local network.

 Cloud: In this mode, the AP can be managed only by a cloud AC or a cloud server.

Device Name

It specifies the device name of the AP.

 You can customize the device name here, or on Internet Settings > LAN Setup page.

Modification of the device name is globally applied.

 For later convenient management, you are recommended to customize the device

name.

Cloud AC Address

It specifies the WAN IP address of the router to which the cloud AC connects, or the domain name to which the router’s WAN IP address is bound.

Cloud AC Management Port

It specifies port of the egress router to which the cloud AC connects for managing this device.

Cloud AC Upgrade Port

It specifies port of the egress router to which the cloud AC connects for upgrading this device.

Parameter description

6.1.3 Configuring the cloud deployment mode

Procedure

Step 1 Click Deployment, and select Cloud. Step 2 Set related parameters. Step 3 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

6.2 SNMP

6.2.1 Overview

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the most widely used network management protocol in TCP/IP networks. SNMP enables you to remotely manage all your network devices compliant with this protocol, such as monitoring the network status, changing network device settings, and receiving network event alarms.

SNMP supports managing devices bought from various vendors automatically, regardless of physical differences among the devices.

SNMP management framework

The SNMP management framework consists of SNMP manager, SNMP agent, and Management Information Base (MIB).

 SNMP manager: It is a system that controls and monitors network nodes using the SNMP

protocol. Network Management System (NMS) is the most widely used SNMP manager in network environments. An NMS can be a dedicated network management server, or an application that implements management functions in a network device.

 SNMP agent: It is a software module in a managed device. This module is used to manage data

about the device and report the management data to an SNMP manager.

 MIB: It is a collection of managed objects, defining a series of attributes of managed objects,

including names, access permissions, and data types of objects. Each SNMP agent has its own MIB. An SNMP manager can read and/or write objects in the MIB based on the permissions assigned to the SNMP manager.

An SNMP manager manages SNMP agents in an SNMP network. The SNMP manager exchanges management information with the SNMP agents using the SNMP protocol.

Basic SNMP operations

The AP supports the following basic SNMP operations:

 Get: An SNMP manager performs this operation to query the SNMP agent of the AP for values

of one or more objects.

 Set: An SNMP manager performs this operation to set values of one or more objects in the MIB

of the SNMP agent of the AP.

SNMP protocol version

The AP is compatible with SNMP V1 and SNMP V2C and adopts the community authentication mechanism. Community name is used to define the relationship between an SNMP agent and an SNMP manager. If the community name contained in an SNMP packet is rejected by a device, the packet is discarded. A community name functions as a password to control SNMP agent access

attempts of SNMP managers.

SNMP V2C is compatible with SNMP V1 and provides more functions than SNMP V1. Compared with SNMP V1, SNMP V2C supports more operations (GetBulk and InformRequest) and data types (such as Counter64), and provides more error codes for better distinguishing errors.

MIB introduction

An MIB adopts a tree structure. The nodes of the tree indicate managed objects. A path consisting of digits and starting from the root can be used to uniquely identify a node. This path is calling an object identifier (OID). The following figure shows the structure of an MIB. In the figure, the OID of A is 1.3.6.1.2.1.1, whereas the OID of B is 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.

Parameter

Description

SNMP Agent

It specifies whether to enable the SNMP agent function of the AP. By default, it is disabled.

An SNMP manager and the SNMP agent can communicate with each other only when their SNMP versions are the same. Currently, the SNMP agent function of the AP supports SNMP V1 and SNMP V2C.

Administrator

It specifies the administrator’s name of the AP. The default name is Administrator. You can modify the administrator’s name if required.

Device Name

It specifies the device name of the AP. By default, the device name is Access Point. You can modify it if required.

You are recommended to modify the AP name so that you can identify your AP easily

when managing the AP using SNMP.

Location It specifies the location where the AP is used. You can modify the location according to

6.2.2 Configuring the SNMP function

To enter the configuration page, choose Advanced > SNMP first.

Procedure

Step 1 Enable SNMP Agent. Step 2 Set related parameters. Step 3 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

Parameter description

Parameter

Description

your actual situation.

Read Community

It specifies the read password shared between SNMP managers and the SNMP agent. The default password is public.

The SNMP agent function of the AP allows an SNMP manager to use the password to read variables in the MIB of the AP.

Read/Write Community

It specifies the read/write password shared between SNMP managers and the SNMP agent. The default password is private.

The SNMP agent function of the AP allows an SNMP manager to use the password to read/write variables in the MIB of the AP.

Internet

Router

PoE switch

192.168.0.254/24

NMS

192.168.0.212/24

6.2.3 Example of configuring SNMP settings

Networking requirement

 The AP connects to an NMS over an LAN network. This IP address of the AP is 192.168.0.254/24

and the IP address of the NMS is 192.168.0.212/24.

 The NMS uses SNMP V1 or SNMP V2C to monitor and manage the AP.

Procedure

Step 1 Configure the AP.

Assume that the administrator name is Tom, read community is Tom, and read/write community is Tom123.

Log in to the web UI of the AP and choose SNMP. 1. Set SNMP Agent to Enable. 2. Set the SNMP parameters. 3. Click Save to apply your settings. 4.

Step 2 Configure the NMS.

On an NMS that uses SNMP V1 or SNMP V2C, set the read community to Tom and read/write community to Tom123. For details about how to configure the NMS, refer to the user guide of the NMS.

---- End

Verification

After the configuration, the NMS can connect to the SNMP agent of the AP and can query and set some parameters on the SNMP agent through the MIB.

7 Tools

7.1 Date & time

This section introduces how to set the system time and login timeout interval of your AP.

7.1.1 Overview

This function is used to set the system time. To make the time-related functions effective, ensure that the system time of the AP is set correctly.

The section introduces how to:

 Sync with internet time.

 Set system time manually (default).

To access the configuration page, choose Tools > Date & Time. See the following figure.

7.1.2 Configuring system time

Configuring AP to synchronizing with internet time

With this method, the AP automatically synchronizes its system time with the network time server (NTS). As long as the AP is connecting to the internet, the system time is correct.

Procedure

Step 1 Choose Tools > Date & Time. Step 2 Tick the Sync with Internet Time box. Step 3 Select a value from the Sync Interval drop-down list menu as required, which is 30 min in

this example.

Step 4 Choose the Time Zone where the AP locates. Step 5 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

The AP synchronizes with the internet time every 30 minutes.

Configuring date and time manually

With this method, you need to manually reconfigure the system time each time the AP reboots.

Procedure

Step 1 Choose Tools > Date & Time. Step 2 For manual setup, you can:

Option one: Enter a correct date and time manually.

Option two: Click Sync with PC Time, the AP auto-fills the system time of your

management computer in the Date & Time fields.

Make sure that the system time of your management computer is correct.

Step 3 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

7.1.3 Configuring login timeout interval

If you log in to the web UI of the AP and perform no operation within the login timeout interval, the AP logs you out automatically.

Procedure

Step 1 Choose Tools > Date & Time, and click the Login Timeout Interval tab. Step 2 Set the login timeout interval as required. Step 3 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

The AP logs you out automatically if you perform no operation within the interval you set here.

7.2 Maintenance

This section introduces how to:

 Reboot the AP manually, or as scheduled.

 Reset the AP either using web UI, or the RESET button.

 Upgrade the AP.

 Back up the AP’s configuration to your local computer.

 Restore your previous configurations.

 Control the LED indicator of the AP.

7.2.1 Reboot

If a parameter does not take effect or the AP does not work properly, you can try rebooting the AP to resolve the problem.

The AP supports two rebooting methods:

 Manual reboot: Reboot the AP by clicking the Reboot button.

 Reboot schedule: Let the AP reboot at the specified time or interval you set.

Rebooting the AP disconnects all connections. You are recommended to reboot the AP in spare time.

Manual reboot

Procedure

Step 1 Choose Tools > Maintenance. Step 2 Click Reboot. Step 3 Click OK on the pop-up window.

---- End

Wait for the AP completes rebooting.

Reboot schedule

You can let the AP reboot:

 At interval: The AP reboots at the interval you set.

 At specified time: The AP reboots regularly at the time you set.

 Configuring the AP to reboot at an interval

Step 1 Click Tools > Maintenance, and click the Reboot Schedule tab. Step 2 Enable Reboot Schedule. Step 3 Select Reboot Interval from the Type drop-down list menu. Step 4 Set Interval as required, which is 1440 minutes in this example. Step 5 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

The AP reboots every 1440 minutes.

 Configuring the AP to reboot at specified time

Step 1 Click Tools > Maintenance, and click the Reboot Schedule tab. Step 2 Enable Reboot Schedule. Step 3 Select Reboot Schedule from the Type drop-down list menu. Step 4 Reboot On: Select the required day(s) when the AP reboots, which is Monday in this

example.

Step 5 Reboot At: Set the time when the AP reboots, which is 3:00 in this example. Step 6 Click Save to apply your settings.

---- End

The AP reboots at 3:00 every Monday.

7.2.2 Reset

If the internet is inaccessible for unknown reasons, or you forget the login password, you can reset the AP to resolve the problems.

The AP supports two resetting methods:

 Resetting the AP using web UI.

 Resetting the AP using the Reset button.



Resetting the AP deletes all your current configurations, and you need to reconfigure the AP again. Therefore, resetting the AP only when necessary.



If it is necessary to reset the AP, backing up your current configuration first.



When resetting, do not power off the AP.

Resetting the AP using web UI

Step 1 Click Tools > Maintenance. Step 2 Click the Reset button. Step 3 Click OK on the pop-up window.

---- End

Resetting the AP using the Reset button

This method enables you to reset the AP without logging in to its web UI.

With the SYS LED indicator blinking, hold down the RESET button using a paper clip for about 8 seconds, and release the button when the SYS LED indicator lights up. When the SYS LED indicator blinks, the AP completes resetting.

---- End

7.2.3 Upgrade firmware

This function enables you to upgrade the AP’s firmware to get more functions and higher stability.



To enable your AP to work properly after an upgrade, ensure that the firmware used to upgrade complies with your product model.



When upgrading, do not power off the AP.

Procedure

Step 1 Download the latest firmware version for the AP from http://www.tendacn.com to your

local computer.

Step 2 Log in to the web UI of the AP, navigate to Tools > Maintenance, and locate the Upgrade

Firmware configuration area.

Step 3 Click Upgrade, select and upload the firmware that has been downloaded to your

computer.

Step 4 Click Upgrade. Wait until the progress bar completes.

If you upgrade low transmit power version to/from high transmit power version, reset the AP after upgrading completes to apply your settings.

---- End

Wait until the progress bar completes. Then log in to the web UI of the AP again. Click Status > System Status and check whether the upgrade is successful according to the Firmware Version

parameter.

7.2.4 Backup and restoring configurations

The backup function is used to export the current configuration of the AP to your computer. The restore function is used to import a configuration file to the AP.

You are recommended to back up the configuration after it is significantly changed. When the performance of your AP decreases because of an improper configuration, or after you restore the AP to factory settings, you can use this function to restore a configuration that has been backed up.

If you need to apply same or similar configuration to many APs, you can configure one of the APs, back up its configuration, and use the backup configuration file to restore the configuration of other APs.

Backup the current configuration

Step 1 Click Tools > Maintenance. Step 2 Click Backup/Restore.

Step 3 Click Backup on the pop-up window.

---- End

A configuration file indicated with APCfm.cfg will be downloaded.

If the following warning message appears, click Keep.

Restoring previous configuration

Step 1 Click Tools > Maintenance. Step 2 Click Backup/Restore. Step 3 Click Restore on the pop-up window.

Step 4 Choose the file you would like to restore.

---- End

Wait until the progress bar completes.

7.2.5 LED indicator control

This function enables you to turn on/off the LED indicator of the AP. By default, the LED indicator is turned on. To turn off the LED indicator, click Turn off all LED indicators.

Tenda i24 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

1 Login

1.1 Logging in to the web UI of the AP

1.2 Logging out

1.3 Web UI layout

1.4 Frequently-used buttons

2 Status

2.1 System status

2.2 Wireless status

2.3 Traffic statistics

2.4 Client list

3 Working mode

3.1 AP mode (default mode)

3.1.1 Typical network topology

3.1.2 Getting familiar with AP mode configuration page

3.1.3 Configuring AP mode

3.2 Client+AP mode

3.2.1 Typical network topology

3.2.2 Getting familiar with Client+AP mode configuration page

3.2.3 Configuring Client+AP mode

4 Internet settings

4.1 LAN setup

4.1.1 Overview

4.1.3 Configuring the AP to use static IP address (for few APs)

4.2 DHCP server

4.2.1 Overview

4.2.2 Configuring DHCP server of the AP

4.2.3 Viewing DHCP clients

5 Wireless

5.1 SSID

5.1.1 Overview

Security Mode

5.1.2 Modifying SSID-related parameters

 Network topology

Configuration description

Verification

5.2 RF settings

5.2.1 Overview

5.2.2 Configuring RF settings

5.3 RF optimization

5.3.1 Overview

5.3.2 Modifying radio optimization settings

5.4 Frequency analysis

5.4.1 Viewing frequency analysis

5.4.2 Excuting channel scan

5.5 WMM

5.5.1 Overview

5.5.2 Configuring scenario-based WMM settings

5.5.3 Configuring WMM settings manually

5.6 Access control

5.6.1 Overview

5.6.2 Configuring access control

5.7 Advanced settings

5.7.1 Identify client type

5.7.2 Broadcast packet filter

5.8 QVLAN settings

5.8.1 Overview

5.8.2 Example of configuring QVLAN

Networking requirement

Network topology

Configuration description

Verification

6 Advanced

6.1 Deployment mode

6.1.1 Applicable scenarios

6.1.2 Introduction to deployment mode of the AP

6.1.3 Configuring the cloud deployment mode

6.2 SNMP

6.2.1 Overview

SNMP management framework

Basic SNMP operations

SNMP protocol version

MIB introduction

6.2.2 Configuring the SNMP function

6.2.3 Example of configuring SNMP settings

Networking requirement

Verification