ZyXEL NWD2105 User guide

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NWD2105

Wireless N-lite USB Adapter

Version 1.0 Edition 1, 05/2010

www.zyxel.com

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About This User's Guide

Intended Audience

This manual is intended for people who want to configure the NWD2105 using the ZyXEL utility.

Tips for Reading User’s Guides On-Screen

When reading a ZyXEL User’s Guide On-Screen, keep the following in mind:

• If you don’t already have the latest version of Adobe Reader, you can download it from http://www.adobe.com.

• Use the PDF’s bookmarks to quickly navigate to the areas that interest you. Adobe Reader’s bookmarks pane opens by default in all ZyXEL User ’s Guide PDFs.

• If you know the page number or know vaguely which page-range you want to view, you can enter a number in the toolbar in Reader, then press [ENTER] to jump directly to that page.

• Type [CTRL]+[F] to open the Adobe Reader search utility and enter a word or phrase. This can help you quickly pinpoint the information you require. You can also enter text directly into the toolbar in Reader.

• To quickly move around within a page, press the [SP ACE] bar. This turns your cursor into a “hand” with which you can grab the page and move i t around freely on your screen.

• Embedded hyperlinks are actually cross-references to related text. Click them to jump to the corresponding section of the User’s Guide PDF.

Document Conventions

Warnings and Notes

These are how warnings and notes are shown in this User’s Guide.

Warnings tell you about things that could harm you or your NWD2105.

Note: Notes tell you other important information (for example, other things you may

need to configure or helpful tips) or recommendations.

Syntax Conventions

• The NWD2105 may be referred to as the “NWD2105”, the “device” , the “system” or the “product” in this User’s Guide.

• Product labels, screen names, field labels and field choices are all in bold font.

• A key stroke is denoted by square brackets and uppercase text, for example, [ENTER] means the “enter” or “return” key on your keyboard.

• “Enter” means for you to type one or more characters and then press the [ENTER] key. “Select” or “choose” means for you to use one of the predefined choices.

• A right angle bracket ( > ) within a screen name denotes a mouse click. For example, Maintenance > Log > Log Setting means you first click

Maintenance in the navigation panel, then the Log sub menu and finally the Log Setting tab to get to that screen.

• Units of measurement may denote the “metric” value or the “scientific” value. For example, “k” for kilo may denote “1000” or “1024”, “M” for mega may denote “1000000” or “1048576” and so on.

• “e.g.,” is a shorthand for “for instance”, and “i.e.,” means “that is” or “in other words”.

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Document Conventions

Icons Used in Figures

Figures in this User’s Guide may use the following generic icons.

Wireless Access Point Computer Notebook computer

Server Modem Telephone

Internet Wireless Signal

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Safety Warnings

• Do NOT use this product near water, for example, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool.

• Do NOT expose your device to dampness, dust or corrosive liquids.

• Do NOT store things on the device.

• Do NOT install, use, or service this device during a thunderstorm. There is a remote risk of electric shock from lightning.

• Connect ONLY suitable accessories to the device.

• Ground yourself (by properly using an anti-static wrist strap, for example) whenever working with the device’s hardware or connections.

• ONLY qualified service personnel should service or disassemble this device.

• Antenna Warning! This device meets ETSI and FCC certification requirements when using the included antenna(s). Only use the included antenna(s).

Your product is marked with this symbol, which is known as the WEEE mark. WEEE stands for Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment. It means that used electrical and electronic products should not be mixed with general waste. Used electrical and electronic equipment should be treated separately.

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Safety Warnings

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Contents Overview

Introduction and Configuration ............................................................................................17

Getting Started ...........................................................................................................................19

Wireless LANs ............. ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ................................................................ .... ... ................27

ZyXEL Utility .............................................................................................................................. 39

Troubleshooting and Specifications ....................................................................................53

Troubleshooting ..................................................... .................................................................... 55

Product Specifications ............................................................................................................... 59

Appendices and Index ...........................................................................................................63

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Contents Overview

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Table of Contents

About This User's Guide..........................................................................................................3

Document Conventions............................................................................................................5

Safety Warnings ........................................................................................................................7

Contents Overview ...................................................................................................................9

Table of Contents....................................................................................................................11

Chapter 1

Getting Started........................................................................................................................13

1.1 Overview ............. ................................................................. ... ... .......................................... 13

1.1.1 What You Need to Know .................. ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... .......................................... 13

1.1.2 Before You Begin ............................. ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ............................................. 13

1.2 Features ............................................. ... .... ... ....................................................................... 14

1.3 Hardware Installation ....................................... ............................................................. .......15

1.4 Software Installation ............................................................................................................15

1.4.1 Minimum System Requirements ................................................................................ 15

1.4.2 Installing the ZyXEL Utility ..... ... .................................................................................16

1.5 Device Applications ................................................................................... ... .... ... ... ... ... ....... 19

Chapter 2

Wireless LANs.........................................................................................................................21

2.1 Overview ............. ................................................................. ... ... .......................................... 21

2.1.1 What Yo u Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 21

2.1.2 What You Need to Know .................. ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... .......................................... 21

2.1.3 Before You Begin ............................. ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ............................................. 22

2.2 Wireless LAN Overview ............................................ ... ... .................................................... 22

2.3 Wireless LAN Security ........................................... ... ... ....................................................... 23

2.3.1 User Authentication and Encryption ................................................. ... .... ... ................23

2.4 WiFi Protected Setup ........................................................................................................... 25

2.4.1 Push Button Configuration ............................ ... ... ... .... ................................................ 26

2.4.2 PIN Configuration ....................................................... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ..........................26

2.4.3 How WPS Works ........................................................................................................ 28

2.4.4 Limitations of WPS ................................................. .... ... ... ... ....................................... 31

Chapter 3

ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X........................................................................................................33

3.1 Overview ............. ................................................................. ... ... .......................................... 33

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Table of Contents

3.1.1 What You Can Do in This Chapter .............................................................................33

3.1.2 What You Need to Know .................. ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... .......................................... 33

3.1.3 Before You Begin ............................. ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ............................................. 34

3.2 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary ...........................................................................................34

3.3 The Profile Screen ...............................................................................................................35

3.4 The Profile - System Configuration Screen ......................................................................... 37

3.5 The Profile - Authentication and Security Screen ................................................................ 38

3.6 The Link Status Screen ....................................................................................................... 40

3.7 The Site Survey Screen ....................................................................................................... 41

3.8 The Statistics Screen ........................................................................................................... 43

3.9 The Advanced Screen ......................................................................................................... 45

3.10 The WPS Screen ...............................................................................................................46

3.10.1 The Information Screen ..................... .......... ......... .......... .......... ......... ....... ......... ....... 48

3.10.2 The Profile Details Screen ....................................................................................... 49

3.11 The About Screen ..............................................................................................................51

Chapter 4

Troubleshooting......................................................................................................................53

4.1 Overview ............. ................................................................. ... ... .......................................... 53

4.2 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs .......................................................................... 53

4.3 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility ................................................................................................. 54

4.4 Link Quality ............................................ .... ... ....................................................................... 54

4.5 Problems Communicating with Other Computers ............................................................... 55

Chapter 5

Product Specifications...........................................................................................................57

Appendix A Wireless LANs ....................................................................................................61

Appendix B Legal Information ................................................................................................77

Index.........................................................................................................................................83

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CHAPTER 1

Getting Started

1.1 Overview

The ZyXEL NWD2105 Wireless N-lite USB Adapter brings you a better Internet experience over existing IEEE 802.11 b/g/n networks. With data rates of up to 150 Mbps, you can enjoy a breathtaking high-speed connection at home or in the office. It is an excellent solution for daily activities such as file transfers, music downloading, video streaming and online gaming.

1.1.1 What You Need to Know

The following terms and concepts may help as you read through this section, and subsequently as you read through the rest of the User’s Guide.

Access Point

An Access Point (AP) is a network device that acts as a bridge between a wired and a wireless network. Outside of the home or office, APs can most often be found in coffee shops, bookstores and other businesses that offer wireless Internet connectivity to their customers.

Infrastructure

An infrastructure network is one that seamlessly combines both wireless and wired components. One or more APs often serve as the bridge between wireless and wired LANs.

Ad-Hoc

An Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is a self-contained group of computers connected wirelessly and which is independent of any other networks and Access Points.

1.1.2 Before You Begin

Read the Quick Start Guide for information on making hardware connections and using the ZyXEL utility to connect your NWD2105 to a network.

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Chapter 1 Getting Started

1.2 Features

Your NWD2105 is an IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 compliant wireless LAN adapter. It can also connect to IEEE 802.11b/g wireless networks. The NWD2105 is WPS (Wi Fi Protected Setup) compliant. WPS allows you to easily set up a secure connection with another WPS-enabled device.

The NWD2105 is a USB adapter which connects to an empty USB port on your computer.

Figure 1 The NWD2105

The following table describes the NWD2105.

Table 1 NWD2105 External View

LABEL DESCRIPTION

A LED and also a WPS button BUSB connector

The following table describes the operation of the NWD2105’s LEDs.

Table 2 NWD2105 LEDs

LED COLOR STATUS DESCRIPTION

Orange Slow

Blinking Rapid

Blinking

Off The NWD2105 is either not connected or the device to

The NWD2105 is turned on, connected to an AP, and is not transmitting or receiving data.

The NWD2105 is turned on, connected to an AP, and is transmitting or receiving data. It also blinks when the WPS feature is being used or a WPS connection is being initiated.

which it is connected is turned off.

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1.3 Hardware Installation

This sections shows you how to install your NWD2105.

1 Locate an available USB port on the computer.

2 R emove the protectiv e cap to expose the USB connector. Insert the NWD2105 into

an available USB port on the computer.

Chapter 1 Getting Started

The NWD2105’s LED (light) turns on if it is properly inserted.

Note: Never bend, twist or force the NWD2105 into the port. If there is not enough

space to attach the NWD2105, use the included USB cable.

1.4 Software Installation

This section shows you how to install the Mac OS X version of the ZyXEL Utility. For detailed information on using it, see Chapter 3 on page 33.

1.4.1 Minimum System Requirements

In order to install the ZyXEL Utility for Mac OS X, your computer must meet the following minimum system requirements:

• 20 MB of free hard drive space

• 128 MB RAM

• Mac OS X 10.3 and higher

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Chapter 1 Getting Started

1.4.2 Installing the ZyXEL Utility

To install the ZyXEL Utility:

1 Make sure the NWD2105 is dis connected from your computer before you begin the

installation process.

2 Open the ZyXEL_USB.dmg file on the included disc.

3 Inside the ZyXEL_USB.dmg, open the folder for your version of Mac OS X. For

example, if you are using 10.5 then open the USBWireless-10.5 folder.

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Chapter 1 Getting Started

4 Double-click the USBWireless-Leopard.pkg to run the installation program.

When it opens, follow the on-screen instructions.

5 After installing the ZyXEL Utility and device driver, you must restart your

computer.

6 Once your c omputer restart s, you can fi nd the ZyXEL Utility in your Applications

folder under the name USBWirelessUtility.

Note: A second application called the AwakeZyXELUI.app is placed in your

Applications folder and a link to it is created in your System Preferences > Accounts > [Admin Account] > Login Items. This is a monitoring application that detects the NWD2105 whenever you connect it to your computer and which then automatically opens the ZyXEL Utility.

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Chapter 1 Getting Started

1.4.2.1 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility

While you can drag the ZyXEL Utility from your Applications folder directly to the Trash and remove it that way, the best and safest course of action is to run the uninstallation program bundled on the included disc. This ensures that all components of the application are properly removed, especially the device driver.

To uninstall the ZyXEL Utility:

1 Open the ZyXEL_USB.dmg file on the included disc.

2 Open the folder that corresponds to your version of Mac OS X. For example, if you

are using 10.5, then you want to open the USBWireless-10.5 folder.

3 Double-click the USBWireless-Leopard-Uninstall.pkg to run the installation

program and follow the on-screen instructions.

4 After uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility and device driver, you must restart your

computer.

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1.5 Device Applications

This section describes some network applications for the NWD2105. Y ou can either set the network type to Infrastructure and connect to an AP or use Ad-Hoc mode and connect to a peer computer (another wireless device in Ad-Hoc mode).

Infrastructure

To connect to a network via an access point (AP), set the NWD2105 network type to Infrastructure. Through the AP, you can access the Internet or the wired network behind it.

Figure 2 Application: Infrastructure

Chapter 1 Getting Started

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Chapter 1 Getting Started

Ad-Hoc

To set up a small independent wireless workgroup without an AP, use Ad-Hoc.

Ad-Hoc does not require an AP or a wired network. Two or more wireless clients

communicate directly with each other.

Note: Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is not available in ad-hoc mode.

Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc

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CHAPTER 2

Wireless LANs

2.1 Overview

This section provides background information on wireless Local Area Networks.

2.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section

• Connect securely to an AP using many of the strongest and most common encryption protocols. See Section 2.3 on page 23 for details.

• Connect securely either to an AP or computer-to-computer using WPS. See

Section 2.4 on page 25 for details.

2.1.2 What You Need to Know

The following terms and concepts may help as you read through this section.

Server

When two or more devices are connected digitally to form a network, the one that distributes data to the other devices is known as the “server”. A RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) is a kind of server that manages logins and logout, among other things, for the network to which it is connected.

Client

When two or more devices are connected digitally to form a network, the one that contacts and obtains data from a server is known as the “client”. Each client is designed to work with one or more specific kinds of servers, and each server requires a specific kind of client . Wireless adapters are clients that connect to a network server through an AP.

Authentication

Authentication is the process of confirming a client’s or user’ s digital identit y when they connect to a network. Turning off authentication means disabling all security protocols and opening your network to anyone with the means to connect to it.

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

Encryption

The process of taking data and encoding it, usually using a mathematical formula, so that it becomes unreadable unless decrypted with the proper code or pass phrase.

2.1.3 Before You Begin

• You should have valid login information for an existing network Access Point, otherwise you may not be able to make a network connection right away.

2.2 Wireless LAN Overview

The following figure provides an example of a wireless network with an AP. See

Figure 3 on page 20 for an Ad Hoc network example.

Figure 4 Example of a Wireless Network

The wireless network is the part in the blue circle. In this wireless network, devices A and B are called wireless clients. The wireless clients use the access point (AP) to interact with other devices (such as the printer) or with the Internet

Every wireless network must follow these basic guidelines.

• Every device in the same wireless network must use the same SSID. The SSID is the name of the wireless network. It stands for Service Set IDentity.

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• If two wireless networks overlap, they should use a different channel. Like radio stations or television channels, each wireless network uses a specific

channel, or frequency, to send and receive information.

• Every device in the same wireless network must use security compatible with the AP or peer computer.

Security stops unauthorized devices from using the wireless net work. It can also protect the information that is sent in the wireless network.

2.3 Wireless LAN Security

Wireless LAN security is vital to your network to protect wireless communications.

If you do not enable any wireless security on your NWD2105, the NWD2105’s wireless communications are accessible to any wireless networking device that is in the coverage area.

Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

Note: You can use only WEP encryption if you set the NWD2105 to Ad-hoc mode.

See the appendices for more detailed information about wireless security.

2.3.1 User Authentication and Encryption

You can make every user log in to the wireless network before they can use it. This is called user authentication. However, every wireless client in the wireless network has to support IEEE 802.1x to do this.

Wireless networks can use encryption to protect the informat ion that is sent in the wireless network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot understand the message.

2.3.1.1 WEP

2.3.1.1.1 Data Encryption

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption scr ambles all data packets tr ansmitted between the NWD2105 and the AP or other wireless stations to keep network communications private. Both the wireless stations and the access points must use the same WEP key for data encryption and decryption.

There are two ways to create WEP keys in your NWD2105.

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

• Automatic WEP key generation based on a “password phrase” called a passphrase. The passphrase is case sensitive. You must use the same passphrase for all WLAN adapters with this feature in the same WLAN.

For WLAN adapters without the passphrase feature, you can still take advantage of this feature by writing down the four automatically generated WEP keys from the Security Settings screen of the ZyXEL utility and entering them manually as the WEP keys in the other WLAN adapter(s).

•Enter the WEP keys manually. Your NWD2105 allows you to configure up to four 64-bit or 128-bit WEP keys.

Only one key is used as the default key at any one time.

2.3.1.1.2 Authentication Type

The IEEE 802.11b/g standard describes a simple authentication method between the wireless stations and AP. Three authentication types are defined: Auto, Open and Shared.

• Open mode is implemented for ease-of-use and when security is not an issue. The wireless station and the AP or peer computer do not share a secret key. Thus the wireless stations can associate with any AP or peer computer and listen to any transmitted data that is not encrypted.

• Shared mode involves a shared secret key to authenticate the wireless station to the AP or peer computer. This requires you to enable the wireless LAN security and use same settings on both the wireless station and the AP or peer computer.

• Auto authentication mode allows the NWD2105 to switch between the open system and shared key modes automatically. Use the auto mode if you do not know the authentication mode of the other wireless stations.

2.3.1.2 IEEE 802.1x

The IEEE 802.1x standard outlines enhanced security methods for both the authentication of wireless stations and encryption key management. Authentication can be done using an external RADIUS server.

2.3.1.2.1 EAP Authentication

EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) is an authentication protocol that runs on top of the IEEE 802.1x transport mechanism in order to support multiple types of user authentication. By using EAP to in teract with an EAP-compatible RADIUS server, an access point helps a wireless station and a RADIUS server perform authentication.

The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server and an intermediary AP(s) that supports IEEE 802.1x. The NWD2105 supports EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS (at the time of writing, TTLS is not available in Windows Vista) and EAPPEAP. Refer to Appendix A on page 61 for descriptions.

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For EAP-TLS authentication type, you must first have a wired connection to the network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). Certificates (also called digital IDs) can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of each certificate owner.

2.3.1.3 WPA and WPA2

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a subset of the IEEE 802.11i standard. WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i) is a wireless security standard that defines stronger encryption, authentication and key management than WPA.

Key differences between WPA(2) and WEP are improved data encryption and user authentication.

Both WPA and WPA2 improve data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA and WPA2 use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP) to offer stronger encryption than TKIP.

Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

If both an AP and the wireless clients support WPA2 and you have an external RADIUS server, use WPA2 for stronger data encryption. If you don't have an external RADIUS server, you should use WPA2-PSK (WPA2-Pre-Shared Key) that only requires a single (identical) password entered into each access point, wireless gateway and wireless client. As long as the passwords match, a wireless client will be granted access to a WLAN.

If the AP or the wireless clients do not support WPA2, just use WPA or WPA-PSK depending on whether you have an external RADIUS server or not.

Select WEP only when the AP and/or wireless clients do not support WP A or WPA2. WEP is less secure than WPA or WPA2.

2.4 WiFi Protected Setup

Your NWD2 105 s upport s WiFi Protect ed Setu p (WPS), which is an easy w ay to set up a secure wireless network. WPS is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance.

WPS allows you to quickly set up a wireless network with strong security, without having to configure security settings manually. Each WPS connection works between two devices. Both devices must support WPS (check each device’s documentation to make sure).

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

Depending on the devices you have, you can either press a button (on the device itself , or in its configuration utility) or enter a PIN (a unique P ersonal Identification Number that allows one device to authenticate the other) in each of the two devices. When WPS is activated on a device, it has two minutes to find another device that also has WPS activated. Then, the two devices connect and set up a secure network by themselves.

2.4.1 Push Button Configuration

WPS Push Button Configuration (PBC) is in itiated by pressing a button on each WPS-enabled device, and allowing them to connect automatically. You do not need to enter any information.

Not every WPS-enabled device has a physical WPS button. Some may have a WPS PBC button in their configuration utilities instead of or in addition to the physical button.

Take the following steps to set up WPS using the button.

1 Ensure that the two devices you want to set up are within wireless range of one

another.

2 Look for a WPS button on each device. If the device does not have one, log into its

configuration utility and locate the button.

3 Press the button on one of the devices (it doesn’t matter which).

4 Within two minutes, press the but ton on the other device. The regist rar sends t he

network name (SSID) and security key throug h an secure connection to the enrollee.

If you need to make sure that WPS worked, check the list of associated wireless clients in the AP’s configuration utility. If you see the wireless client in the list, WPS was successful.

2.4.2 PIN Configuration

Each WPS-enabled device has its own PIN (Personal Identification Number). This may either be static (it cannot be changed) or dynamic (in some devices you can generate a new PIN by clicking on a button in the configuration interface).

Use the PIN method instead of the push-button configuration (PBC) method if you want to ensure that the connection is esta blished between the devices you specify, not just the first two devices to activate WPS in r ange of each other. However, y ou need to log into the configuration interfaces of both devices to use the PIN method.

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

When you use the PIN method, you must enter the PIN from one device (usually the wireless client) into the second device (usually the Access Point or wireless router). Then, when WPS is activated on the first device, it presents its PIN to the second device. If the PIN matches, one device sends the network and security information to the other, allowing it to joi n th e network.

Take the following steps to set up a WPS connection between an access point or wireless router (referred to here as the AP) and a client device using the PIN method.

1 Ensure WPS is enabled on both devices.

2 Access the WPS section of the AP’s configuration interface. See the device’s User’ s

Guide for how to do this.

3 Look for the client’s WPS PIN; it will be displayed either on the device, or in the

WPS section of the client’s configuration interface.

4 Enter the client’s PIN in the AP’s configur ation interface.

Note: If the client device’s configuration interface has an area for entering another

device’s PIN, you can either enter the client’s PIN in the AP, or enter the AP’s PIN in the client - it does not matter which.

5 Start WPS on both devices within two minutes.

Note: Use the configuration utility to activate WPS, not the push-button on the device

itself.

6 On a computer connected to the wireless client, try to connect to the Internet. If

you can connect, WPS was successful. If you cannot connect, check the list of associated wireless clients in the AP’s

configuration utility. If you see the wireless client in the list, WPS was successful.

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

The following figure shows a WPS-enabled wireless client (installed in a notebook computer) connecting to the WPS-enabled AP via the PIN method.

Figure 5 Example WPS Process: PIN Method

ENROLLEE

REGISTRAR

WPS

This device’s WPS PIN: 123456

WPS

Enter WPS PIN from other device:

2.4.3 How WPS Works

WPS

START

WITHIN 2 MINUTES

SECURE EAP TUNNEL

SSID

WPA(2)-PSK

COMMUNICATION

WPS

START

When two WPS-enabled devices connect, each device must assume a specific role. One device acts as the Registrar (the device that supplies network and security settings) and the other device acts as the Enrollee (the device that receives network and security settings. The registrar creates a secure EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) tunnel and sends the network name (SSID) and the WPAPSK or WPA2-PSK pre-shared key to the enrollee. Whether WPA-PSK or WP A2-PSK is used depends on the standards supported by the devices. If the registrar is

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

already part of a network, it sends the existing information. If not, it generates the SSID and WPA(2)-PSK randomly.

The following figure shows a WPS-enabled client (installed in a notebook computer) connecting to a WPS-enabled access point.

Figure 6 How WPS works

ACTIVATE

WPS

WITHIN 2 MINUTES

WPS HANDSHAKE

SECURE TUNNEL

SECURITY INFO

COMMUNICATION

ACTIVATE

WPS

REGISTRARENROLLEE

The roles of registrar and enrollee last only as long as the WPS setup process is active (two minutes). The next time you use WPS, a different device can be the registrar if necessary.

The WPS connection process is like a handshake; only two devices participate in each WPS transaction. If you want to add more devices you should repeat the process with one of the existing networked devices and the new device.

Note that the access point (AP) is not always the registrar, and the wireless client is not always the enrollee. All WPS-certified APs can be a registrar, and so can some WPS-enabled wireless clients.

By default, a WPS devices is “unconfigured”. This means that it is not part of an existing network and can act as either enrollee or registrar (if it supports both functions). If the registrar is unconfigured, the security settings it transmits to the enrollee are randomly-generated. Once a WPS-enabled device has connected to another device using WPS, it becomes “configured”. A configured wireless client can still act as enrollee or registrar in subsequent WPS connections, but a configured access point can no longer act as enrollee. It will be the registrar in all

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

subsequent WPS connections in which it is involved. If you want a configured AP to act as an enrollee, you must reset it to its factory defaults.

2.4.3.1 Example WPS Network Setup

This section shows how security settings are distributed in an example WPS setup.

The following figure shows an example network. In step 1, both AP1 and Client 1 are unconfigured. When WPS is activated on both, they perform the handshake. In this example, AP1 is the registrar, and Client 1 is the enrollee. The registrar randomly generates the security information to set up the network, since it is unconfigured and has no existing information.

Figure 7 WPS: Example Network Step 1

SECURITY INFO

CLIENT 1

REGISTRARENROLLEE

AP1

In step 2, you add another wireless client to the network. You know that Client 1 supports registrar mode, but it is better to use AP1 for the WPS handshake with the new client since you must connect to the access point anyway in order to use the network. In this case, AP1 must be the registrar, since it is configured (it already has security information for the network). AP1 supplies the existing security information to Client 2.

Figure 8 WPS: Example Network Step 2

REGISTRAR

EXISTING CONNECTION

CLIENT 1

ENROLLEE

AP1

CLIENT 2

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

In step 3, you add another access point (AP2) to your network. AP2 is out of range of AP1, so you cannot use AP1 for the WPS handshake with the new access point. However, you know that Client 2 supports the registrar function, so you use it to perform the WPS handshake instead.

Figure 9 WPS: Example Network Step 3

EXISTING CONNECTION

CLIENT 1

REGISTRAR

AP1

CLIENT 2

2.4.4 Limitations of WPS

WPS has some limitations of which you should be aware.

• WPS works in Infrastructure networks only (where an AP and a wireless client communicate). It does not work in Ad-Hoc networks (where there is no AP).

• When you use WPS, it works between two devices only. You cannot enroll multiple devices simultaneously, you must enroll one after the other.

For instance, if you have two enrollees and one registrar you must set up the first enrollee (by pressing the WPS button on the registr ar and the first enrollee, for example), then check that it successfully enroll ed , then set up the second device in the same way.

ENROLLEE

AP1

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Chapter 2 Wireless LANs

• WPS works only with other WPS-enabled devices. However, you can still add non-WPS devices to a network you already set up using WPS.

WPS works by automatically issuing a randomly-generated WPA-PSK or WPA2PSK pre-shared key from the registrar device to the enrollee devices. Whether the network uses WPA- PSK or WP A2-PSK depends on the device. You can check the configuration interface of the registrar device to discover the key the network is using (if the device supports this feature). Then, you can enter the key into the non-WPS device and join the network as normal (the non-WPS device must also support WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK).

• When you use the PBC method, there is a short period (from the moment you press the button on one device to the moment you press the button on the other device) when any WPS-enabled device could join the network. This is because the registrar has no way of identifying the “correct” enrollee, and cannot differentiate between your enrollee and a rogue device. This is a possible way for a hacker to gain access to a network.

You can easily check to see if this has happened. WPS works between only two devices simultaneously, so if another device has enrolled your device will be unable to enroll, and will not have access to the network. If this happens, open the access point’s configuration interface and look at the list of associated clients (usually displayed by MAC address). It does not matter if the access point is the WPS registrar, the enrollee, or was not involved in the WPS handshake; a rogue device must still associate with the access point to gain access to the network. Check the MAC addresses of your wireless clients (usually printed on a label on the bottom of the device). If there is an unknown MAC address you can remove it or reset the AP.

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CHAPTER 3

ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

3.1 Overview

This chapter shows you how to use the ZyXEL utility to configure your NWD2105 using the Macintosh operating system, Mac OS X.

3.1.1 What You Can Do in This Chapter

•The Profile screen (Section 3.3 on page 35) lets you create, delete and manage your wireless network profiles.

•The Link Status screen (Section 3.6 on page 40) lets you see your current connection details, monitor signal strength and quality, and more.

•The Site Survey screen (Section 3.7 on page 41) lets you connect to any available unsecured wireless network in range of the NWD2105, or open the security settings screen for any secured wireless network in range.

•The Statistics screen (Section 3.8 on page 43) lets you view network traffic statistics between the NWD2105 and the AP or peer to which it is connected.

•The Advanced screen (Section 3.9 on page 45) lets you configure your NWD2105 with advanced hardware options.

•The WPS screen (Section 3.10 on page 46) lets you configure your NWD2105’s Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) options as well as establish and manage WPS connections.

•The About screen (Section 3.11 on page 51) lets you view the information about which version of the driver and utility you are currently using.

3.1.2 What You Need to Know

The following terms and concepts may help as you read through this chapter.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

Although one of the original wireless encryption protocols, WEP is also the weakest. Many people use it strictly to deter unintentional usage of their wireless network by outsiders.

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Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

The WPA protocol affords users with vastly stronger security than WEP. It comes in two different varieties: WPA and WPA2. Always try to use WPA2 as it implements the full version of the security standar d and WPA does not.

Pre-Shared Key (PSK)

A pre-shared key is a password shared between the server and the client that unlocks the algorithm used to encrypt the data traffic between them. Without the proper password, the client and the server cannot communicate.

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

An enhanced security framework designed to improve an existing security protocol, such as WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK.

3.1.3 Before You Begin

• Make sure the Mac OS X version of the ZyXEL utility is already installed on your computer. See Section 1.4 on page 15 for more information.

• After installation, make sure you repair permissions on your installation drive. Click Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility or do a Spotlight search for the key words “Disk Utility” and select it from the search results list. When the Disk Utility application opens, select your installation drive and then click the Repair Permissions button.

3.2 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary

This section describes the ZyXEL utility screens in Mac OS X.

Figure 10 ZyXEL Utility: ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary

The following table describes the menus.

Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: Menu Summary

TAB DESCRIPTION

Profile Use this screen to add, delete, edit or activate a profile with a set of

wireless and security settings.

Link Status Use this screen to see your current connection status, configuration and

data rate statistics.

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Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: Menu Summary

TAB DESCRIPTION

Site Survey Use this screen to:

• scan for a wireless network

• configure wireless security (if activated on the selected network)

• connect to a wireless network

Statistics Use this screen to view advanced information on wireless network

traffic. Advanced Use this screen to configure advanced settings on your NWD2105. WPS Use this screen to configure the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Security) settings

on your NWD2105. About Use this screen to find the utility and driver version.

3.3 The Profile Screen

This screen allows you to configure and manage wireless profiles.

Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

Figure 11 ZyXEL Utility: Profile

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 4 ZyXEL Utility: Profile

LABEL DESCRIPTION

This icon indicates the currently active profile.

Profile This is the name of the pre-configured profile. SSID This is the SSID of the wireless network to which the selected profile

associates. Channel This field displays the channel number used by the profile. Authentication This field displays the type of authentication used by the profile (Open,

Shared, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK). Encryption This field displays the encryption protocol used by the profile.

• When WEP security is used, WEP displays.

• When WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK security is used, TKIP or AES

Network Type This field displays Infrastructure when the profile is configured to

connect to an access point, or Ad Hoc when the profile is configured to

connect to another computer. Add Click this to create a new profile. Edit Click this to alter the settings of a selected profile. Delete Click this to remove a selected profile from the list. Activate Click this to select the profile to use. Alternatively, double-click the

profile’s name in the list.

displays.

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3.4 The Profile - System Configuration Screen

This screen allows you to configure system and network settings for your NWD2105.

Figure 12 ZyXEL Utility: Profile - System Configuration

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 5 ZyXEL Utility: Profile - System Configuration

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Profile Name Enter a descriptive name in this field, or alternatively keep the name

assigned by the utility. SSID Select an available wireless device from the list, or enter the SSID of

the wireless device to which you want to associate. CAM

(Constantly Awake Mode)

Power Saving Mode

Network Type Select Infrastructure to connect to a wireless access point, or select

Tx Power This field controls the transmission power of the NWD2105. When using

Select this to have the NWD2105 never go into sleep mode.

Select this to have the NWD2105 go into sleep mode when it is not

transmitting data.

802.11 Ad Hoc to connect to another wireless-enabled computer.

the NWD2105 with a notebook computer, select a lower transmission

power level when you are close to the AP in order to conserve battery

power.

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Table 5 ZyXEL Utility: Profile - System Configuration (continued)

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Channel In ad-hoc mode, choose the radio channel to use for the wireless

network. If there are other networks in the area, choose a channel as

far away as possible, in order to minimize the risk of interference.

In Infrastructure mode, this field is not configurable; the NWD2105 uses

whichever channel the AP uses. RTS Threshold Select the packet size above which the NWD2105 transmits an RTS

(Request To Send) message. Fragment

Threshold OK Click this to save your changes and return to the Profile List screen. Cancel Click this to return to the Profile List screen without saving your

Select the packet size above which the NWD2105 fragments (breaks

up) the packet into smaller pieces.

changes.

3.5 The Profile - Authentication and Security Screen

This screen allows you to configure security settings on your NWD2105.

Figure 13 ZyXEL Utility: Profile - Authentication and Security

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 6 ZyXEL Utility: Profile - Authentication and Security

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Authentication Type

Encryption Type • When you select Open in the Authentication Ty pe field, either

WPA PreShared Key

Key #1~4 When you select WEP in the Encryption Type field, you must enter the

Select the security standard you want to use. All the other wireless

devices on your network must be able to use the same standard you

select.

• Open mode is used when security is not an issue. No authentication is required, and any wireless device can join the network.

• Shared mode security is used with WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).

• WPA-PSK security uses a pre-shared key. All the wireless devices on the network use the same key to access the network. This option is not available in ad-hoc mode.

• WPA2-PSK is an improved version of WPA-PSK security. This option is not available in ad-hoc mode.

select NONE to use no security (Open), or select WEP to use Wired Equivalent Privacy security (Shared) for data encryption.

• When you select Shared in the Authentication Type field, this displays WEP and the NWD2105 uses Wired Equivalent Privacy security for data encryption.

• When you select WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK in the Authentication Type field, select TKIP to use the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol. Alternatively, select AES to use the Advanced Encryption Standard.

When you select WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK in the Authentication Type field, enter the network’s pre-shared key (8~64 uppercase or lowercase letters and numbers).

network’s WEP key. Check with your network’s administrator for the correct settings.

Select the key number (1~4), select the key type (Hexadecimal or ASCII), and enter the WEP key in the field to the right.

Hexadecimal keys use numerals and the letters a~f only , whereas ASCII

keys use numerals and all letters. OK Click this to save your settings and return to the previous screen. Cancel Click this to return to the previous screen without saving your settings.

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3.6 The Link Status Screen

This screen allows you to view the status of the NWD2105’s wireless connection with an AP or peer computer.

Figure 14 ZyXEL Utility: Link Status

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 7 ZyXEL Utility: Link Status

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Status This displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) and MAC (Media Access

Control) address of the access point or peer device to which the

NWD2105 is connected. Current

Channel Link Speed

(Mbps)

Throughput (Kbps)

Link Quality This shows the quality of the wireless connection. This refers to the

dBm format Select this option to display the Link Quality as a power ratio in decibels

This displays the channel number of the current wireless connection, as

well as the radio frequency of the channel in megahertz.

This displays the maximum possible data transmission (Tx) and

reception (Rx) speeds of the current connection in megabits per

second.

This displays the actual data transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx)

speeds of the current connection in kilobits per second.

percentage of packets transmitted successfully. If there are too many

wireless stations in a wireless network, collisions may occur which could

result in a loss of messages even though you have high signal strength.

(dBm) rather than as a percentage.

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Table 7 ZyXEL Utility: Link Status (continued)

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Signal Strength 1This shows the strength of the antenna’s signal.

The signal strength depends mainly on the antenna output power and

the distance between your NWD2105 and the AP or peer computer. Noise Level This indicates the relative interfence from other nearby wireless devices

as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the greater the

interference. HT Info This section displays wireless technical data, such Bandwidth (BW)

frequency, Guard Interval (GI), and Modulation and Coding Scheme

(MCS). It is not user configurable and is only used for customer service

troubleshooting.

3.7 The Site Survey Screen

This screen allows you to view available networks and connect to a network.

Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

Figure 15 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 8 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey

LABEL DESCRIPTION

This indicates a connection to the associated AP.

SSID This displays the network’s Service Set IDentifier. The SSID is the name

of the network. BSSID This displays the Basic Service Set IDentifier. The BSSID is the MAC

(Media Access Control) address of the access point or peer wireless

device. Every networking device has a unique MAC address, which

identifies it on the network. Signal This displays the received radio signal strength of the network. The

higher the value, the better the connection. Channel This displays the wireless channel on which the network is operating. Authentication This displays whether WPA, WPA2, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK is used

on the network. If the network uses no security or WEP, Unknown

displays. Encryption • When WPA, WPA2, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK is used, this displays the

• When WEP is used, WEP displays.

• When no security is used, None displays.

Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad Hoc) of the

wireless device. RESCAN Click this to update the list. CONNECT Click this to connect to the highlighted wireless network. ADD PROFILE Click this to go to the Add Profile: System Configuration screen.

encryption protocol used (TKIP or AES).

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3.8 The Statistics Screen

This screen allows you to view statistics on network traffic bet ween the NWD2105 and the associated AP or peer computer. This sc reen is primarily for troubleshooting purposes.

Figure 16 ZyXEL Utility: Statistics

Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 9 ZyXEL Utility: Statistics

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Transmit Statistics

Frames Transmitted Successfully

Frames Transmitted Successfully Without Retry

Frames Transmitted Successfully After Retry(s)

NWD2105 User’s Guide

This section displays statistics about the data frames sent by the

NWD2105.

This displays the total number of frames transmitted by the NWD2105.

This displays the number of frames successfully transmitted by the

NWD2105 on the first attempt.

This displays the number of frames transmitted by the NWD2105 after a

second or subsequent attempt.

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Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

Table 9 ZyXEL Utility: Statistics (continued)

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Frames Failed to Receive ACK After All Retries

RTS Frames Successfully Received CTS

RTS Frames Failed to Receive CTS

Receive Statistics

Frames Received Successfully

Frames Received with CRC Error

Frames Dropped Due To Outof-Resource

Duplicate Frames Received

RESET COUNTERS

This displays the number of frames transmitted by the NWD2105 that

did not receive an acknowledgement response from the other wireless

device.

This displays the number of frames, large enough to require the sending

of a “Request to Send” message, that then received a “Clear to Send”

message from the other wireless device.

This displays the number of frames, large enough to require the sending

of a “Request to Send” message, that did not receive a “Clear to Send”

message from the other wireless device.

This section displays statistics about the data frames received by the

NWD2105.

This displays the number of frames received by the NWD2105 without

error.

This displays the number of frames received by the NWD2105 that

contained a Cyclic Redundancy Check error. Cyclic Redundancy Checks

are used to determine whether received data has been altered in transit

(by radio interference, for example).

This displays the number of frames that were not processed because

the NWD2105 did not have the necessary memory.

This shows the number of received frames that were identical to other

received frames.

Click this to turn all the counters back to zero.

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3.9 The Advanced Screen

This screen allows you to configure advanced network settings on your NWD2105.

Figure 17 ZyXEL Utility: Advanced

Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 10 ZyXEL Utility: Advanced

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Wireless Mode This indicates the NWD2105’s wireless network mode. TX Rate This field displays the maximum rate at which data is sent by the

NWD2105 over the wireless network. Auto indicates that the network

speed is chosen automatically by the NWD2105 based on its current

connection. Enable TX Burst Select this to turn burst transmission on. Deselect it to turn burst

transmission off. Enable PSP

XLink Radio On/Off A green icon ( ) displays when the NWD2105’s radio is enabled. A red

Apply Click this to save your settings.

Select this to allow ad-hoc network building with the PSP KAI game

server.

icon ( ) displays when the NWD2105’s radio is disabled.

Click Radio Off to disable the NWD2105’s wireless functions.

Click Radio On to enable the NWD2105’s wireless functions.

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3.10 The WPS Screen

This screen allows you to configure the NWD2105’s Wi-Fi Protected Security (WPS).

Figure 18 ZyXEL Utility: WPS

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 11 ZyXEL Utility: WPS

LABEL DESCRIPTION

WPS AP List This displays a list of WPS-compatible devices within range of the

NWD2105.

ID This field indicates the AP’s identication number, if it has one. SSID This field indicates the AP’s Service Set Identification (SSID) BSSID This field indicates the AP’s Basic Service Set Identification (BSSID) Channel This field indicates the channel on which the AP is broadcasting. AuthenticationThis field indicates the type of authentication required by the AP.

Encryption This field indicates the type of encryption used by the AP.

WPS Profile List This section displays a profile created explicitly for use with WPS in

Registrar mode. The NWD2105 creates the profile on the fly as it is

needed.

When in Enrollee mode, this section displays connection profile

settings.

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Table 11 ZyXEL Utility: WPS (continued)

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Profile This field indicates the profile name. Profiles created on the fly are

named Profile# where # is a number. For example, Profile1.

SSID This field indicates your profile’s unique SSID. AuthenticationThis field indicates the authentication type required by your NWD2105

while using WPS.

Encryption This field indicates the encryption required by your NWD2105 while

using WPS. Rescan Click this button to rescan the local area for WPS-compatible devices. Information Select an AP from the WPS AP List and then click this button to display

detailed information on it.

See Section 3.10.1 on page 48 for more details. PIN Code This field displays a randomly generated 8-digit personal identification

code for your NWD2105. In Enrollee mode it is not editable but it can

be renewed; in Registrar mode it can be edited. Click the Renew

button to randomly generate a new PIN code. Config Mode Select either Enrollee or Registrar.

As a WPS enrollee, your device can make basic WPS connections with

minimal configuration. As a WPS registrar you can set your device to

store all your connection information as a profile, which you can later

use again by activating it on the Profile screen.

By default, we suggest that you keep the device in Enrollee mode. Profile Detail Select a profile from the WPS Profile List, then click this button to

view detailed information about it.

See Section 3.10.2 on page 49 for more information. Connect Select a profile from the WPS Profile List, then click this button to

make a connection using the previously saved settings associated with

the profile. Rotate At the time of writing, this feature is not enabled. Disconnect Press this button to disconnect from the network represented by the

currently active profile. Import Profile Click this button to save any profile that has been created on the fly for

the purposes of making a WPS connection. Your profile is saved in the

Profile screen. Delete At the time of writing, this feature is not enabled. PIN Click this button to make a PIN-based WPS connection.

For details, see Section 2.4.2 on page 26.

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Note: For most WPS connections, this button or the PBC button

are all you need.

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Table 11 ZyXEL Utility: WPS (continued)

LABEL DESCRIPTION

PBC Click this button to make a PBC-based WPS connection.

For details, see Section 2.4.1 on page 26.

Note: For most WPS connections, this button or the PIN button are

WPS associate IESends the association request with WPS IE during WPS.

Note: Leave this option selected at all times to ensure a stable

WPS probe IE Sends the probe request with WPS IE during WPS.

Note: Leave this option selected at all times to ensure a stable

Automatically select the AP

Select this option to have the NWD2105 automatically scan for and then

select a WPS-compatible AP while making a WPS connection.

all you need.

connection.

3.10.1 The Information Screen

While in the WPS screen, you can view information about any AP in the WPS AP List. Click the Information button. The following screen displays.

Figure 19 ZyXEL Utility: WPS - Information

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 12 Mac OS X: WPS - Information

LABEL DESCRIPTION

State This field indicates whether the selected AP is configured or not. Version This field indicates the selected AP’s WPS version. Authentication

Type Encryption Type This field indicates the type of encryption used by the AP. Config Methods This field indicates whether the AP is functioning as a WPS Enrollee,

Device Password ID

AP Setup Locked

UUID-E This field indicates the Universally Unique IDentifier (UUID) element of

Selected Register

RF Bands This field indicates which RF band(s) the AP is using.

This field indicates the type of authentication that is required by the AP.

Registrar, or if its configuration status is unknown.

This field indicates whether device requires PBC or PIN for its method of

password registration.

This field indicates whether the AP has entered a setup locked state or

not.

the AP if it is operating as an Enrollee.

This field indicates the AP’s selected register.

3.10.2 The Profile Details Screen

While in the WPS screen, you can view information about any profile in the WPS Profile List. Click the Profile Details button. The following screen displays.

Figure 20 ZyXEL Utility: WPS - Profile Details

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 13 Mac OS X: WPS - Profile Details

LABEL DESCRIPTION

SSID This field indicates the automatically generated SSID used for your

current WPS session. You can also edit it. Enter up to 32 standard

English alphanumeric characters. Spaces, underscores and punctuation

marks are allowed. BSSID This field indicates your WPS profile’s BSSID. Authentication

Type Encryption T ype Select an encryption type to use for creating secure connections, or use

Key Length This field indicates the length of the encryption key to use for creating

Key Index This field indicates key index value to use for creating secure

Key Material This is the random string of letters and numbers used as the encryption

OK Click this button to save your settings and return to the previous

CANCEL Click this button to close this dialoge without saving and return to the

Select an authentication type to use for creating secure connections, or

use the default as selected by the NWD2105.

the default as selected by the NWD2105.

secure connections. For WPS connections it is always 64-bit.

connections. For WPS connections it is always 1.

key seed. An encryption key seed helps your NWD2105 generate

mathmatically random numbers than cannot be second guessed easily

by would be malefactors

screen.

previous screen.

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3.11 The About Screen

This screen shows you the driver, utility version, and MAC address of your NWD2105.

Figure 21 ZyXEL Utility: About

Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 14 Mac OS X: About

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Wireless Utility This section displays the version number and release date of the

NIC Driver This section displays the version number and release date of the

MAC Address This field displays the NWD2105 Media Access Control (MAC) address. EEPROM This field displays the Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only

NWD2105 User’s Guide

NWD2105’s wireless utility application.

NWD2105’s device driver.

Memory (EEPROM) version currently in use by the NWD2105.

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CHAPTER 4

Troubleshooting

4.1 Overview

This chapter offers some suggestions to solve problems you might encounter. The potential problems are divided into the following categories.

• Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs

• Accessing the ZyXEL Utility

• Link Quality

• Problems Communicating with Other Computers

4.2 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs

The NWD2105 does not turn on. None of the LEDs turn on.

1 Make sure the NWD2105 is correctly installed.

2 Restart the computer to which the NWD2105 is attached.

3 If the problem continues, contact the vendor.

One of the LEDs does not behave as expected.

1 Make sure you understand the normal behavior of the LED. See Section 1.2 on

page 14.

2 Check the hardware connection.

3 Restart the computer to which the NWD2105 is attached.

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Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

4 If the problem continues, contact the vendor.

4.3 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility

I cannot access the ZyXEL Utility

1 Make sure the NWD2105 is properly inserted and the LEDs are on.

2 Install the NWD2105 on another computer.

3 If the error persists, you may have a hardware problem. In this case, you should

contact your vendor.

4.4 Link Quality

The link quality and/or signal strength is poor.

1 Scan for and connect to another AP with a better link quality using the Site

Survey screen.

2 Move your computer close r to the AP or the peer computer(s) within the

transmission range.

3 There may be too much radio interference (for example from a microwave oven,

or another AP using the same channel) around your wireless network. Lower the output power of each AP.

4 Make sure there are not too many wireless stations connected to a wireless

network.

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Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

4.5 Problems Communicating with Other Computers

The computer with the NWD2105 installed cannot communicate with the other computer(s).

In Infrastructure Mode

• Make sure that the AP and the associated computers are turned on and working properly.

• Make sure the NWD2105 computer and the associated AP use the same SSID.

• Change the AP and the associated wireless clients to use another radio channel if interference is high.

• Make sure that the computer and the AP share the same security option and key. Verify the settings in the Profile Authentication & Security screen.

• If you are using WPA(2) or WPA(2)-PSK security, try changing your encryption type from TKIP to AES or vice versa.

In Ad-Hoc Mode

• Verif y that the peer computer(s) is turned on.

• Make sure the NWD2105 computer and the peer computer(s) are using the same SSID and channel.

• Make sure that the computer and the peer computer(s) share the same security settings.

• Change the wireless clients to use another radio channel if interference is high.

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CHAPTER 5

Product Specifications

Table 15 Product Specifications

PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL

Product Name NWD2105 Wireless N-lite USB Adapter Interface USB 2.0 Standards IEEE 802.11b

IEEE 802.11g

IEEE 802.11n Operating Frequency 2.4GHZ Antenna Type Chip Operating Temperature 0 - 50 degrees Celsius

Storage Temperature -30 - 70 degrees Celsius Operating Humidity 20 - 90% (non-condensing) Storage Humidity 10 - 90% (non-condensing) Voltage 5V

Power Saving Mode Yes Current Consumption Transmit: <300 mA

Receive: <160 mA Device Weight 3 g Device Dimensions 18 mm (L) x 6 mm (W) x 36 mm (H)

RADIO SPECIFICATIONS

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Chapter 5 Product Specifications

Table 15 Product Specifications (continued)

Transmit Power

802.11b:

(+/- 1.5 dB)

Receiver Sensitivity 802.11b: 11Mbps at -82dBm

1/2/5.5/11M: 18.5 dBm

802.11g: 54/48M: 15dBm

24/36M: 15dBm 12/18M: 16dBm 6/9M: 16.5 dBm

802.11n: @ HT20

MCS0~MCS07: 15.5 dBm @ HT40 MCS0~MCS07: 15.5 dBm

802.11g: 54Mbps at -68dBm

802.11n: HT20 at -64dBm

HT40 at -62dBm

WIRELESS STANDARDS

IEEE 802.11b Dynamically shifts between 11, 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps network

speed. Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHz Operation Channels N. America &Taiwan

2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11

Euro ETSI

2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13

IEEE 802.11g Dynamically shifts between 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6

Mbps network speed. Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHz Operation Channels N. America &Taiwan

2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11

Euro ETSI

2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13

IEEE 802.11n

Downstream data rate 150 Mbps Upstream data rate 150 Mbps Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13

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Chapter 5 Product Specifications

Table 15 Product Specifications (continued)

Operation Channels N. America & Taiwan HT20

2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11

N. America & Taiwan HT40

2.422GHz~ 2.452GHz 3-9

Euro ETSI HT20

2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13

Euro ETSI HT40

2.422GHz~ 2.462GHz 3-11 Networking Mode Infrastructure, Ad-Hoc, SoftAP Support Approvals Safety

European Union: EN60950-1 (CE-LVD)

EMI

United States: FCC Part 15B Class B Canada: ICES-003 European Union: CE EN 55022 Class B Australia: C-Tick

EMS

European Union: CE EN55024

United States: FCC Part 15C Canada: RSS-210 European Union: CE EN 300 328 Taiwan: NCC LP0002

Wi-Fi Certification

11 b/g/n WPA/WPA2/WPS

Microsoft Certification

WHQL: Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Vista (32and 64-bit), Windows XP (32- and 64-bit), Windows 2000

SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS

Device Drivers Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit)

Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit) Windows XP (32- and 64-bit) Windows 2000 Mac OS X (10.3/10.4/10.5)

WIRELESS FEATURES

Wireless Security WEP 64bit, 128bit, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK

802.1x (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP), WPS.

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Chapter 5 Product Specifications

Table 15 Product Specifications (continued)

Wireless QoS Wi-Fi Multi Media (WMM) Wi-Fi Protected Setup

(WPS)

Other WMM power-saving support

Push button configuration Use device's PIN Use AP or Router's PIN

Compatible with Windows Zero Configuration

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APPENDIX A

Wireless LANs

This appendix discusses ad-hoc and infrastructure wireless LAN topologies.

Ad-hoc Wireless LAN Configuration

The simplest WLAN configuration is an independent (Ad-hoc) WLAN that connects a set of computers with wireless adapters (A, B, C) . Any time two or more wireless adapters are within range of each other, they can set up an independent network, which is commonly referred to as an ad-hoc network or Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). The following diagram shows an example of notebook computers using wireless adapters to form an ad-hoc wireless LAN.

Figure 22 Peer-to-Peer Communication in an Ad-hoc Network

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

BSS

A Basic Service Set (BSS) exists when all communications between wireless clients or between a wireless client and a wired network client go through one access point (AP).

Intra-BSS traffic is traffic between wireless clients in the BSS. When Intra-BSS is enabled, wireless client A and B can access the wired network and communicate with each other. When Intra-BSS is disabled, wireless client A and B can still access the wired network but cannot communicate with each other.

Figure 23 Basic Service Set

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ESS

Appendix A Wireless LANs

An Extended Service Set (ESS) consists of a series of overlapping BSSs, each containing an access point, with each access point connected together by a wired network. This wired connection between APs is called a Distribution S ystem (DS).

This type of wireless LAN topology is called an Infrastructure WLAN. The Access Points not only provide communication with the wired network but also mediate wireless network traffic in the immediate neighborhood.

An ESSID (ESS IDentification) uniquely identifies each ESS. All access points and their associated wireless clients within the same ESS must have the same ESSID in order to communicate.

Figure 24 Infrastructure WLAN

Channel

A channel is the radio frequency(ies) used by wireless devices to transmit and receive data. Channels available depend on your geogr aphical area. You may have a choice of channels (for your region) so you should use a channel different from an adjacent AP (access point) to reduce interference. Interference occurs when radio signals from different access points overlap causing interference and degrading performance.

Adjacent channels partially overlap however. To avoid interference due to overlap, your AP should be on a channel at least five channels away from a channel that an

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

adjacent AP is using. For example, if yo ur region has 11 channels and an adjacent AP is using channel 1, then you need to select a channel between 6 or 11.

RTS/CTS

A hidden node occurs when two stations are within range of the same access point, but are not within range of each other. The following figure illustrates a hidden node. Both stations (STA) are within range of the access point (AP) or wireless gateway, but out-of-range of each other, so they cannot "hear" each other, that is they do not know if the channel is currently being used. Therefore, they are considered hidden from each other.

Figure 25 RTS/CTS

When station A sends data to the AP, it might not know that the station B is already using the channel. If these two stations send data at the same time, collisions may occur when both sets of data arrive at the AP at the same time, resulting in a loss of messages for both stations.

RTS/CTS is designed to prevent collisions due to hidden nodes. An RTS/CTS defines the biggest size data frame you can send before an RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake is invoked.

When a data frame exceeds the RTS/CTS value you set (between 0 to 2432 bytes), the station that wants to transmit th is frame mus t fi rs t s end an RTS (Request To Send) message to the AP for permission to send it. The AP then responds with a CTS (Clear to Send) message to all other stations within its range to notify them to defer their transmission. It also reserves and confirms with the requesting station the time frame for the requested transmission.

Stations can send frames smaller than the specified RTS/CTS directly to the AP without the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake.

You should only configure RTS/CTS if the possibility of hidden nodes exists on your network and the "cost" of resending large frames is more than the extra network overhead involved in the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake.

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If the RTS/CTS value is greater than the Fragmentation Threshold value (see next), then the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake will never occur as data frames will be fragmented before they reach RTS/CTS size.

Note: Enabling the RTS Threshold causes redundant network overhead that could

negatively affect the throughput performance instead of providing a remedy.

Fragmentation Threshold

A Fragmentation Threshold is the maximum data fragment size (between 256 and 2432 bytes) that can be sent in the wireless network before the AP will fragment the packet into smaller data frames.

A large Fragmentation Threshold is recommended for networks not prone to interference while you should set a smaller threshold for busy networks or networks that are prone to interference.

If the Fragmentation Threshold value is smaller than the RTS/CTS value (see previously) you set then the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake will never occur as data frames will be fragmented before they reach RTS/CTS size.

Appendix A Wireless LANs

Preamble Type

Preamble is used to signal that data is coming to the receiver. Short and long refer to the length of the synchronization field in a packet.

Short preamble increases performance as less time sending preamble means more time for sending data. All IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless adapters support long preamble, but not all support short preamble.

Use long preamble if you are unsure what preamble mode other wireless devices on the network support, and to provide more reliable communications in busy wireless networks.

Use short preamble if you are sure all wireless devices on the network support it, and to provide more efficient communications.

Use the dynamic setting to automatically use short preamble when all wireless devices on the network support it, otherwise the NWD2105 uses long preamble.

Note: The wireless devices MUST use the same preamble mode in order to

communicate.

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

IEEE 802.11g Wireless LAN

IEEE 802.11g is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.11b standard. This means an IEEE 802.11b adapter can interface directly with an IEEE 802.11g access point (and vice versa) at 11 Mbps or lower depending on range. IEEE 802.11g has several intermediate rate steps between the maximum and minimum data rates. The IEEE 802.11g data rate and modulation are as follows:

Table 16 IEEE 802.11g

DATA RATE (MBPS)

1 DBPSK (Differential Binary Phase Shift Keyed) 2 DQPSK (Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying)

5.5 / 11 CCK (Complementary Code Keying) 6/9/12/18/24/36/

48/54

MODULATION

OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing)

Wireless Security Overview

Wireless security is vital to your network to protect wireless communication between wireless clients, access points and the wired network.

Wireless security methods available on the NWD2105 are data encryption, wireless client authentication, restricting access by device MAC address and hiding the NWD2105 identity.

The following figure shows the relative effectiveness of these wireless security methods available on your NWD2105.

Table 17 Wireless Security Levels

SECURITY LEVEL

Least Secure

SECURITY TYPE

Unique SSID (Default) Unique SSID with Hide SSID Enabled MAC Address Filtering WEP Encryption IEEE802.1x EAP with RADIUS Server

Authentication Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) WPA2

Most Secure

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Note: You must enable the same wireless security settings on the NWD2105 and on

IEEE 802.1x

In June 2001, the IEEE 802.1x standard was designed to extend the features of IEEE 802.11 to support extended authentication as well as providing additional accounting and control features. It is supported by Windows XP and a number of network devices. Some advantages of IEEE 802.1x are:

• User based identification that allows for roaming.

• Support for RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service, RFC 2138,

2139) for centralized user profile and accounting management on a network RADIUS server.

• Support for EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol, RFC 2486) that allows additional authentication methods to be deployed with no changes to the access point or the wireless clients.

Appendix A Wireless LANs

all wireless clients that you want to associate with it.

RADIUS

RADIUS is based on a client-server model that supports authentication, authorization and accounting. The access point is the client and the server is the RADIUS server. The RADIUS server handles the following tasks:

• Authentication Determines the identity of the users.

• Authorization Determines the network services available to authenticated users once they are

connected to the network.

•Accounting Keeps track of the client’s network activity.

RADIUS is a simple package exchange in which your AP acts as a message relay between the wireless client and the network RADIUS server.

Types of RADIUS Messages

The following types of RADIUS messages are exchanged between the access point and the RADIUS server for user authentication:

• Access-Request Sent by an access point requ es ti ng authentication.

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

• Access-Reject Sent by a RADIUS server rejecting access.

• Access-Accept Sent by a RADIUS server allowing access.

• Access-Challenge Sent by a RADIUS server requesting more information in order to allow access.

The access point sends a proper response from the user and then sends another Access-Request message.

The following types of RADIUS messages are exchanged between the access point and the RADIUS server for user accounting:

•Accounting-Request Sent by the access point requesting accounting.

• Accounting-Response Sent by the RADIUS server to indicate that it has started or stopped accounting.

In order to ensure network security, the access point and the RADIUS server use a shared secret key, which is a password, they both know. The key is not sent over the network. In addition to the shared key, password information exchanged is also encrypted to protect the network from unauthorized access.

Types of EAP Authentication

This section discusses some popular authentication types: EAP-MD5, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, PEAP and LEAP. Your wireless LAN device may not support all authentication types.

The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server and an intermediary AP(s) that supports IEEE 802.1x. .

For EAP-TLS authentication type, you must first have a wired connection to the network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). A certificate (also called digital IDs) can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of each certificate owner.

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EAP-MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5)

MD5 authentication is the simplest one-way authentication method. The authentication server sends a challenge to the wireless client. The wireless client ‘proves’ that it knows the password by encrypting the password with the challenge and sends back the information. Password is not sent in plain text.

However, MD5 authentication has some weaknesses. Since the authentication server needs to get the plaintext passwords, the passwords must be stored. Thus someone other than the authentication server may access the password file. In addition, it is possible to impersonate an authentication server as MD5 authentication method does not perform mutual authentication. Finally, MD5 authentication method does not support data encryption with dynamic session key. You must configure WEP encryption keys for data encryption.

EAP-TLS (Transport Layer Security)

With EAP- TLS, digi tal certifications are needed by both the server and the wireless clients for mutual authentication. T he s erver presents a certificate to the client. After validating the identity of the server, the client sends a different certificate to the server. The exchange of certificates is done in the open before a secured tunnel is created. This makes user identity vulnerable to passive attacks. A digital certificate is an electronic ID card that authenticates the sender’s identity. However, to implement EAP-TLS, you need a Certificate Authority (CA) to handle certificates, which imposes a management overhead.

Appendix A Wireless LANs

EAP-TTLS (Tunneled Transport Layer Service)

EAP-TTLS is an extension of the EAP-TLS authentication that uses certificates for only the server-side authentications to establish a secure connection. Client authentication is then done by sending username and password through the secure connection, thus client identity is protected. For client authentication, EAPTTLS supports EAP methods and legacy authentication methods such as PAP, CHAP, MS-CHAP and MS-CHAP v2.

PEAP (Protected EAP)

Like EAP-TTLS, server-side certificate authentication is used to establish a secure connection, then use simple username and password methods through the secured connection to authenticate the clients, thus hiding client identity. However, PEAP only supports EAP methods, such as EAP-MD5, EAP-MSCHAPv2 and EAP-GTC (EAP-Generic Token Card), for client authentication. EAP-GTC is implemented only by Cisco.

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

LEAP

LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) is a Cisco implementation of IEEE 802.1x.

Dynamic WEP Key Exchange

The AP maps a unique key that is generated with the RADIUS server. This key expires when the wireless connection times out, disconnects or reauthentication times out. A new WEP key is generated each time reauthentication is performed.

If this feature is enabled, it is not necessary to configure a default encryption key in the wireless security configuration screen. You may still configure and store keys, but they will not be used while dynamic WEP is enabled.

Note: EAP-MD5 cannot be used with Dynamic WEP Key Exchange

For added security, certificate-based authentications (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS and PEAP) use dynamic keys for data encryption. They are often deployed in corporate environments, but for public deployment, a simple user name and password pair is more practical. The following table is a comparison of the features of authentication types.

Table 18 Comparison of EAP Authentication Types

Mutual Authentication No Yes Yes Yes Yes Certificate – Client No Yes Optional Optional No Certificate – Server No Yes Yes Yes No Dynamic Key Exchange No Yes Yes Yes Yes Credential Integrity None Strong Strong Strong Moderate Deployment Difficulty Easy Hard Moderate Moderate Moderate Client Identity

Protection

WPA and WPA2

Key differences between WP A or WPA2 and WEP are improved data encryption and user authentication.

EAP-MD5 EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP LEAP

No No Yes Yes No

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If the AP or the wireless clients do not support WPA2, just use WPA or WPA-PSK depending on whether you have an external RADIUS server or not.

Select WEP only when the AP and/or wireless clients do not support WP A or WPA2. WEP is less secure than WPA or WPA2.

Encryption

Appendix A Wireless LANs

TKIP uses 128-bit keys that are dynamically generated and distributed by the authentication server. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a block cipher that uses a 256-bit mathematical algorithm called Rijndael. They both include a perpacket key mixing function, a Message Integrity Check (MIC) named Michael, an extended initialization vect or (IV) with sequencing rules, and a re-keying mechanism.

WPA and WPA2 regularly change and rotate the encryption keys so that the same encryption key is never used twice.

The RADIUS server distributes a Pairwise Master Key (PMK) key to the AP that then sets up a key hierarchy and management system, using the PMK to dynamically generate unique data encryption keys to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly communicated between the AP and the wireless clients. This all happens in the background automatically.

The Message Integrity Check (MIC) is designed to prevent an attacker from capturing data packets, altering them and resending them. The MIC provides a strong mathematical function in which the receiver and the transmitter each compute and then compare the MIC. If they do not match, it is assumed that the data has been tampered with and the packet is dropped.

By generating unique data encryption keys for ev ery data pack et and by creating an integrity checking mechanism (MIC), with TKIP and AES it is more difficult to decrypt data on a Wi-Fi network than WEP and difficult for an intruder to break into the network.

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

The encryption mechanisms used for WPA(2) and WPA(2)-PSK are the same. The only difference between the two is that WPA(2)-PSK uses a simple common password, instead of user-specific credentials. The common-password approach makes WPA(2)-PSK susceptible to brute-force password-guessing attacks but it’s still an improvement over WEP as it employs a consistent, single, alphanumeric password to derive a PMK which is used to generate unique temporal encryption keys. This prevent all wireless devices sharing the same encryption keys. (a weakness of WEP)

User Authentication

WPA and WPA2 apply IEEE 802.1x and Extens ible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to authenticate wireless clients using an external RADIUS database. WPA2 reduces the number of key exchange messages from six to four (CCMP 4- w a y handsh ak e) and shortens the time required to connect to a network. Other WPA2 authentication features that are different from WPA include key caching and preauthentication. These two features are optional and may not be supported in all wireless devices.

Key caching allows a wireless client to store the PMK it derived thr ough a successful authentication with an AP. The wireless client uses the PMK when it tries to connect to the same AP and does not need to go with the authentication process again.

Pre-authentication enables fast roaming by allowing the wireless client (already connecting to an AP) to perform IEEE 802.1x authentication with another AP before connecting to it.

Wireless Client WPA Supplicants

A wireless client supplicant is the software that runs on an operating system instructing the wireless client how to use WPA. At the time of writing, the most widely available supplicant is the WPA patch for Windows XP, Funk Software's Odyssey client.

The Windows XP patch is a free download that adds WPA capability to Windows XP's built-in "Zero Configur ation" wireless client . However, you must run Windows XP to use it.

WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example

To set up WPA(2), you need the IP address of the RADIUS server, its port number (default is 1812), and the RADIUS shared secret. A WPA(2) application example with an external RADIUS server looks as follows. "A" is the RADIUS server. "DS" is the distribution system.

1 The AP passes the wireless client's authentication request to the RADIUS server.

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

2 The RADIUS server then checks the user's identification against its database and

grants or denies network access accordingly.

3 A 256-bit P airwise Master K ey (PMK) is derived from the aut hentication process by

the RADIUS server and the client.

4 The RADIUS server distributes the PMK to the AP. The AP then sets up a key

hierarchy and management system, using the PMK to dynamically generate unique data encryption keys. The keys are used to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly communicated between the AP and the wireless clients.

Figure 26 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example

WPA(2)-PSK Application Example

A WPA(2)-PSK application looks as follows.

1 First enter identi cal passwords into the AP and all wireless clients. The Pre- Shared

Key (PSK) must consist of between 8 and 63 ASCII characters or 64 hexadecimal characters (including spaces and symbols).

2 The AP checks each wireless client's password and allows it to join the network

only if the password matches.

3 The AP and wireless clients generate a common PMK (Pairwise Master Key). The

key itself is not sent over the network, but is derived from the PSK and the SSID.

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

4 The AP and wireless clients use the TKIP or AES encryption process, the PMK and

information exchanged in a handshake to create temporal encryption keys. They use these keys to encrypt data exchanged between them.

Figure 27 WPA(2)-PSK Authentication

Security Parameters Summary

Refer to this table to see what other security parameters you should configure for each authentication method or key management protocol type. MAC address filters are not dependent on how you configure these security features.

Table 19 Wireless Security Relational Matrix

AUTHENTICATION METHOD/ KEY MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL

Open None No Disable

Open WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP Key

Shared WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP Key

WPA TKIP/AES No Enable WPA-PSK TKIP/AES Yes Disable WPA2 TKIP/AES No Enable WPA2-PSK TKIP/AES Yes Disable

ENCRYPTIO N METHOD

ENTER MANUAL KEY

Yes Enable without Dynamic WEP

Yes Disable

Yes Enable without Dynamic WEP

Yes Disable

IEEE 802.1X

Enable without Dynamic WEP Key

Key

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Antenna Overview

An antenna couples RF signals onto air. A transmitter within a wireless device sends an RF signal to the antenna, which propagates the signal through the air. The antenna also operates in reverse by capturing RF signals from the air.

Positioning the antennas properly increases the range and coverage area of a wireless LAN.

Antenna Characteristics

Frequency

An antenna in the frequency of 2.4GHz (IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g) or 5GHz (IEEE 802.11a) is needed to communicate efficiently in a wireless LAN

Radiation Pattern

Appendix A Wireless LANs

A radiation pattern is a diagram that allows you to visualize the shape of the antenna’s coverage area.

Antenna Gain

Antenna gain, measured in dB (decibel), is the increase in coverage within the RF beam width. Higher antenna gain improves the range of the signal for better communications.

For an indoor site, each 1 dB increase in a nt e nna gain results in a range increase of approximately 2.5%. For an unobstructed outdoor site, each 1dB increase in gain results in a range increase of approximately 5%. Actual results may vary depending on the network environment.

Antenna gain is sometimes specified in dBi, which is how much the antenna increases the signal power compared to using an isotropic antenna. An isotropic antenna is a theoretical perfect antenna that sends out radio signals equally well in all directions. dBi represents the true gain that the antenna provides.

Types of Antennas for WLAN

There are two types of antennas used for wireless LAN applications.

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Appendix A Wireless LANs

• Omni-directional antennas send the RF signal out in all directions on a horizontal plane. The coverage area is torus-shaped (like a donut) which makes these antennas ideal for a room environment. With a wide coverage area, it is possible to make circular overlapping coverage areas with multiple access points.

• Directional antennas concentrate the RF signal in a beam, like a flashlight does with the light from its bulb. The angle of the beam determines the width of the coverage pattern. Angles typically range from 20 degrees (very directional) to 120 degrees (less directional). Directional antennas are ideal for hallways and outdoor point-to-point applications.

Positioning Antennas

In general, antennas should be mounted as high as practically possible and free of obstructions. In point-to–point application, position both antennas at the same height and in a direct line of sight to each other to attain the best performance.

For omni-directional antennas mounted on a table, desk, and so on, point the antenna up. For omni-directional antennas mounted on a wal l or ceiling, point the antenna down. For a single AP application, place omni-directional antennas as close to the center of the coverage area as possible.

For directional antennas, point the antenna in the direction of the desired coverage area.

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APPENDIX B

Legal Information

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any part or as a whole, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, photocopying, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of ZyXEL Communications Corporation.

Disclaimers

ZyXEL does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, or software described herein. Neither does it convey any license under its patent rights nor the patent rights of others. ZyXEL further reserves the right to make changes in any products described herein without notice. This publication is subject to change without notice.

Trademarks

Trademarks mentioned in this publication are used for identification purposes only and may be properties of their respective owners.

Certifications

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Statement

The device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

• This device may not cause harmful interference.

• This device must accept any in terference received, including interference that may cause undesired operations.

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Appendix B Legal Information

This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This device generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.

If this device does cause harmful interference to radio/televisi on reception, which can be determined by turning the device off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

1 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

2 Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

3 Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the

receiver is connected.

4 Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement

• This device has been tested to the FCC exposure requirements (Specific Absorption Rate).

• This device complies with the requirements of Health Canada Safety Code 6 for Canada.

• Testing was performed on laptop computers with antennas at 5mm spacing. The maximum SAR value is: 0.77 W/kg. The device must not be collocated with an y other antennas or transmitters.

• This equipment has been SAR -evaluated for use in laptops (notebooks) with side slot configuration.

• The device complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment, under 47 CFR 2.1093 paragraph (d)(2). End users must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. To maintain compliance with FCC RF exposure compliance requirements, please follow operation instruction as documented in this manual.

• This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

• IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g operation of this product in the U.S.A. is firmwarelimited to channels 1 through 11.

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Appendix B Legal Information

Industry Canada Statement

This device complies with RSS-210 of the Industry Canada Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1) this device may not cause interference and

2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause

undesired operation of the device

This device has been designed to operate with an antenna having a maximum gain of 3dBi.

Antenna having a higher gain is strictly prohibited per regulations of Industry Canada. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms.

T o reduce potential r adio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the EIRP is not more than required for successful communication.

IC Radiation Exposure Statement

This equipment complies with IC radiation exposure limits set forth fo r an uncontrolled environment. End users must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance.

注意 !

依據低功率電波輻射性電機管理辦法

第十二條經型式認證合格之低功率射頻電機，非經許可，公司、商號或使用

者均不得擅自變更頻率、加大功率或變更原設計之特性及功能。

第十四條低功率射頻電機之使用不得影響飛航安全及干擾合法通信；經發現

有干擾現象時，應立即停用，並改善至無干擾時方得繼續使用。

前項合法通信，指依電信規定作業之無線電信。低功率射頻電機須忍受合法通信或工業、科學及醫療用電波輻射性電機設備之干擾。

本機限在不干擾合法電臺與不受被干擾保障條件下於室內使用。減少電磁波影響，請妥適使用。

Notices

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

This device has been designed for the WLAN 2.4 GHz network throughout the EC region and Switzerland, with restrictions in France.

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Appendix B Legal Information

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Viewing Certifications

1 Go to http://www.zyxel.com.

2 Select your product on the ZyXEL home page to go to that product's page.

3 Select the certification you wish to view from this page.

ZyXEL Limited Warranty

ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects in material or workmanship for a specific period (the Warranty Period) from the date of purchase. The W arr anty Period varies by region. Check with your vendor and/or the authorized ZyXEL local distributor for details about the Warranty Period of this product. During the warranty period, and upon proof of purchase, should the product have indications of failure due to faulty workmanship and/or materials, ZyXEL will, at its discretion, repair or replace the defective products or components without charge for either parts or labor, and to whatever extent it shall deem necessary to restore the product or components to proper operating condition. Any replacement will consist of a new or re-manufactured functionally equivalent product of equal or higher value, and will be solely at the discretion of ZyXEL. This warranty shall not apply if the product has been modified, misused, tampered with, damaged by an act of God, or subjected to abnormal working conditions.

Note

Repair or replacement, as provided under this warr anty, is the exclusive remedy of the purchaser. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particul ar use or purpose. ZyXEL shall in no event be held liable for indirect or consequential damages of any kind to the purchaser.

To obtain the services of this warranty, contact your vendor. You may also refer to the warranty policy for the region in which you bought the device at htt p:// www.zyxel.com/web/support_warranty_info.php.

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Appendix B Legal Information

Registration

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Appendix B Legal Information

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Index

about your ZyXEL Device 14 Access Point (AP) 22 Access point (AP) 22 Access Point. See also AP. ACT LED 14 Ad-Hoc 20 Advanced Encryption Standard 25

See AES. AES 71 antenna

directional 76

gain 75

omni-directional 76 AP 63

See also access point. authentication type 24

auto 24

open system 24

shared key 24 auto authentication 24

Basic Service Set, See BSS 62 BSS 62

interference 63 copyright 77 CTS (Clear to Send) 64

digital ID 25 dimensions 57 disclaimer 77 dynamic WEP key exchange 70

EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) 24 EAP Authentication 68 EAP authentication 25 EAP-PEAP 24 EAP-TLS 24 EAP-TTLS 24 encryption 71 encryption type 24 environmental specifications 57 ESS 63 Extended Service Set, See ESS 63

CA 25, 69 CCMP 25 Certificate Authority

See CA.

certifications 77

notices 79 viewing 80

channel 23, 63

NWD2105 User’s Guide

FCC interference statement 77 fragmentation threshold 65 frequency 23, 58

getting started 13

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Index

hidden node 64 humidity 57

IBSS 61 IEEE 802.11g 66 IEEE 802.1x 24 Independent Basic Service Set

See IBSS 61 infrastructure 19 Initialization Vector (IV) 71 interface 57 Internet access 19

preamble mode 65 product registration 81 product specifications 57 PSK 72

radio interference 54 radio specifications 57, 58 RADIUS 24, 25, 67

message types 67 messages 67 shared secret key 68

registration

product 81 related documentation 3 RTS (Request To Send) 64

threshold 64, 65

LEDs 14 lights 14 LINK LED 14

Message Integrity Check (MIC) 25, 71

network overlap 23

Pairwise Master Key (PMK) 71, 73 passphrase 24 password 24 peer computer 19 physical specifications 57

safety warnings 7 security 23, 59

data encryption 23 sensitivity 58 Service Set Identity (SSID) 22 SSID 22, 55 syntax conventions 5

temperature 57 Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) 25, 71 trademarks 77

user authentication 23

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warranty 80

note 80 weight 57 WEP 23

automatic setup 24

manual setup 24

passphrase 24 WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) 23 WEP key generation 24 Wi-Fi Protected Access 25, 70 wireless client 22 wireless client WPA supplicants 72 wireless LAN

introduction 21

security 23 wireless LAN (WLAN) 21 wireless network 22 wireless security 66 wireless standard 57 WLAN

interference 63

security parameters 74 WPA 25, 70

key caching 72

pre-authentication 72

user authentication 72

vs WPA-PSK 72

wireless client supplicant 72

with RADIUS application example 72 WPA2 25, 70

user authentication 72

vs WPA2-PSK 72

wireless client supplicant 72

with RADIUS application example 72 WPA2-Pre-Shared Key 25, 71 WPA2-PSK 25, 71, 72

application example 73 WPA-PSK 25, 71, 72

application example 73

Index

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Index

NWD2105 User’s Guide

ZyXEL NWD2105 User guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

About This User's Guide

Document Conventions

Safety Warnings

Contents Overview

Table of Contents

Getting Started

1.1 Overview

1.1.1 What You Need to Know

1.1.2 Before You Begin

1.2 Features

1.3 Hardware Installation

1.4 Software Installation

1.4.1 Minimum System Requirements

1.4.2 Installing the ZyXEL Utility

1.5 Device Applications

Wireless LANs

2.1 Overview

2.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section

2.1.2 What You Need to Know

2.1.3 Before You Begin

2.2 Wireless LAN Overview

2.3 Wireless LAN Security

2.3.1 User Authentication and Encryption

2.4 WiFi Protected Setup

2.4.1 Push Button Configuration

2.4.2 PIN Configuration

2.4.3 How WPS Works

2.4.4 Limitations of WPS

ZyXEL Utility - Mac OS X

3.1 Overview

3.1.1 What You Can Do in This Chapter

3.1.2 What You Need to Know

3.1.3 Before You Begin

3.2 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary

3.3 The Profile Screen

3.4 The Profile - System Configuration Screen

3.5 The Profile - Authentication and Security Screen

3.6 The Link Status Screen

3.7 The Site Survey Screen

3.8 The Statistics Screen

3.9 The Advanced Screen

3.10 The WPS Screen

3.10.1 The Information Screen

3.10.2 The Profile Details Screen

3.11 The About Screen

Troubleshooting

4.1 Overview

4.2 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs

4.3 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility

4.4 Link Quality

4.5 Problems Communicating with Other Computers

Product Specifications

Wireless LANs

Legal Information

Index