ZyXEL Communications AG-225H User Manual

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

ZyXEL AG-225H

802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi Finder & USB Adapter

User's Guide

Version 2.1

September 2005

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

Copyright

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 Corporati on.

Disclaimer

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 patents' 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.

ii Copyright

ZyXEL Limited Warranty

ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects in materials or workmanship for a period of up to one (2) years from the date of purchase. 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 com ponents 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 value, and will be solely at the discretion of ZyXEL. This warranty shall not apply if the product is modified, misused, tampered with, damaged by an act of God, or subjected to abnormal working conditions.

NOTE

Repair or replacement, as provided under this warranty, 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 particular use or purpose. ZyXEL shall in no event be held liable for indirect or consequential damages of any kind of character to the purchaser.

To obtain the services of this warranty, contact ZyXEL's Service Center for your Return Material Authorization (RMA) number. Products must be returned Postage Prepaid. It is recommended that the unit be insured when shipped. Any returned products without proof of purchase or those with an out-dated warranty will be repaired or replaced (at the discretion of ZyXEL) and the customer will be billed for parts and labor. All repaired or replaced products will be shipped by ZyXEL to the corresponding return address, Postage Paid. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that vary from country to country.

Online Registration

-Please click “Product Registration” in the installation program of your support CD for the online registration.

-Register online at www.zyxel.com

for free future product updates and information.

ZyXEL Limited Warranty iii

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Interference Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can 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 equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:

- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

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

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operati on.

FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement: This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled enviro nment. This

equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator & your body. If this device is going to be operated in 5.15 ~ 5.25GHz frequency range, then it is restricted in indoor

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

iv FCC Statement

Customer Support

When contacting your Customer Support Representative, please have the following information ready:

! Product model and serial number. ! Warranty Information. ! Date you received your product. ! Brief description of the problem and the steps you took to solve it.

LOCATION CORPORATE

HEADQUARTERS (WORLDWIDE)

NORTH AMERICA

CZECH REPUBLIC

DENMARK

FINLAND

FRANCE

GERMANY

SUPPORT E-MAIL TELEPHONE1 WEB SITE METHOD

SALES E-MAIL FAX FTP SITE

support@zyxel.com.tw +886-3-578-3942 www.zyxel.com

www.europe.zyxel.com

sales@zyxel.com.tw

support@zyxel.com

info@cz.zyxel.com +420 241 091 350 www.zyxel.cz info@cz.zyxel.com

support@zyxel.dk +45 39 55 07 00 www.zyxel.dk sales@zyxel.dk +45 39 55 07 07

support@zyxel.fi +358-9-4780-8411 sales@zyxel.fi

info@zyxel.fr +33 (0)4 72 52 97 97 www.zyxel.fr

+33 (0)4 72 52 19 20

support@zyxel.de +49-2405-6909-0 www.zyxel.de sales@zyxel.de +49-2405-6909-99

sales@zyxel.com

+886-3-578-2439 ftp.zyxel.com

ftp.europe.zyxel.com

+1-800-978-7222

+1-714-632-0882

+420 241 091 359

+358-9-4780 8448

+1-714-632-0858 ftp.us.zyxel.com

www.us.zyxel.com ZyXEL Communications Inc.

www.zyxel.fi

ZyXEL Communications Corp. 6 Innovation Road II Science Park Hsinchu 300 Taiwan

1130 N. Miller St. Anaheim CA 92806-2001 U.S.A.

ZyXEL Communications Czech s.r.o. Modranská 621 143 01 Praha 4 – Modrany Ceská Republika

ZyXEL Communications A/S Columbusvej 5 2860 Soeborg Denmark

ZyXEL Communications Oy

Malminkaari 10 00700 Helsinki Finland

ZyXEL France 1 rue des Vergers Bat. 1 / C 69760 Limonest France

ZyXEL Deutschland GmbH. Adenauerstr. 20/A2 D-52146 Wuerselen Germany

REGULAR MAIL

“+” is the (prefix) number you enter to make an international telephone call.

Customer Support v

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

LOCATION

NORWAY

SPAIN

SWEDEN

UNITED KINGDOM

SUPPORT E-MAIL TELEPHONE1 WEB SITE METHOD

SALES E-MAIL FAX FTP SITE

support@zyxel.no +47 22 80 61 80 www.zyxel.no sales@zyxel.no

support@zyxel.es +34 902 195 420 www.zyxel.es sales@zyxel.es +34 913 005 345

support@zyxel.se +46 31 744 7700 www.zyxel.se sales@zyxel.se

support@zyxel.co.uk +44 (0) 1344 303044

sales@zyxel.co.uk

+47 22 80 61 81

+46 31 744 7701

www.zyxel.co.uk

08707 555779 (UK only)

+44 (0) 1344 303034 ftp.zyxel.co.uk

REGULAR MAIL

ZyXEL Communications A/S Nils Hansens vei 13 0667 Oslo Norway

ZyXEL Communications Alejandro Villegas 33 1º, 28043 Madrid Spain

ZyXEL Communications A/S Sjöporten 4, 41764 Göteborg Sweden

ZyXEL Communications UK Ltd., 11, The Courtyard, Eastern Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 2XB,

United Kingdom (UK)

vi FCC Statement

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

Copyright.......................................................................................................................................................ii

ZyXEL Limited Warranty..........................................................................................................................iii

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Statement...................................................iv

Customer Support.........................................................................................................................................v

Preface............................................................................................................................................................x

Chapter 1 Getting Started.........................................................................................................................1-1

1.1 About Your ZyXEL AG-225H.......................................................................................................1-1

1.2 ZyXEL AG-225H Wi-Fi Finder User Interface............................................................................1-1

1.3 LCM Description..........................................................................................................................1-2

1.4 Basic Operation...........................................................................................................................1-2

1.5 ZyXEL AG-225H Adapter Hardware and Utility Installation......................................................1-2

1.6 Using the ZyXEL Utility to Configure Your Network...................................................................1-2

1.6.1 Network................................................................................................................................1-4

1.6.2 Profile...................................................................................................................................1-5

1.6.3 Site Survey.........................................................................................................................1-13

1.6.4 Options...............................................................................................................................1-16

1.6.5 Version...............................................................................................................................1-17

1.7 ZyAIR Modes..............................................................................................................................1-17

1.7.1 Change ZyAIR Modes .......................................................................................................1-18

Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Networking......................................................................................................2-1

2.1 Overview......................................................................................................................................2-1

2.1.1 SSID.....................................................................................................................................2-1

2.1.2 Channel................................................................................................................................2-1

2.1.3 Transmission Rate (Transfer Rate) ......................................................................................2-1

2.1.4 Wireless Network Application.............................................................................................2-1

2.1.5 Roaming............................................................................................................................... 2-3

2.2 Wireless LAN Security .................................................................................................................2-4

vii Table of Contents

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

2.2.1

Data Encryption with WEP..................................................................................................2-5

2.2.2 IEEE 802.1x.........................................................................................................................2-5

2.2.3 WPA/WPA2.........................................................................................................................2-6

2.2.4 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK Application Example....................................................................2-7

2.2.5 WPA/WPA2 with RADIUS Application Example..............................................................2-7

2.3 Fragmentation Threshold............................................................................................................2-8

2.4 RTS/CTS Threshold......................................................................................................................2-8

2.5 Authentication Type.....................................................................................................................2-9

Chapter 3 Access Point Mode Configuration..........................................................................................3-1

3.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................. 3-1

3.1.1 Additional Setup Requirements...........................................................................................3-1

3.2 The Profile Screen .......................................................................................................................3-1

3.3 How to configure in Access Point Mode......................................................................................3-3

3.3.1 Profile ..................................................................................................................................3-3

3.3.2 The MAC Filter ...................................................................................................................3-8

3.3.3 Version...............................................................................................................................3-10

Chapter 4 Maintenance.......................................................................................................... ...................4-1

4.1 The Version Screen......................................................................................................................4-1

4.2 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility.................................................................................................... 4-2

4.3 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility.......................................................................................................4-3

Chapter 5 Configuring Wireless Security................................................................................................5-1

5.1 Configuring Security ...................................................................................................................5-1

5.2 Configuring WEP.........................................................................................................................5-1

5.3 Configuring WPA-PSK................................................................................................................5-3

5.4 Configuring WPA2-PSK..............................................................................................................5-4

Chapter 6 Troubleshooting.......................................................................................................................6-1

6.1 Problems Starting the ZyXEL Utility Program............................................................................6-1

6.2 Problem with the Link Status.......................................................................................................6-1

6.3 Problems Communicating With Other Computers ......................................................................6-2

viii Table Of Contents

6.4

Problem Connecting to an Access Point......................................................................................6-2

Table Of Contents ix

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

Preface

Congratulations on the purchase of your new ZyXEL AG-225H!

About This User's Guide

This manual provides information about the ZyXEL Wireless LAN Utility.

Syntax Conventions

• “Type” or “Enter” means for you to type one or more characters. "Select" or "Choose" means for you to use one of the predefined choices.

• Mouse action sequences are denoted using a comma. For example, “click the Apple icon, Control Panels and then Modem” means first click the Apple icon, then point your mouse pointer to Control Panels and then click Modem.

• Window and command choices are in Bold Times New Roman font. Predefined field choices are in Bold Arial font.

• The ZyXEL AG-225H 802.11a/g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter is referre d to as the ZyXEL AG 225H in this guide.

• The ZyXEL Wireless LAN Utility may be referred to as the ZyXEL WLAN Utility or, simply, as the ZyXEL Utility in this guide.

•

Getting Started

This chapter introduces the ZyXEL AG-225H and prepares you to use the ZyXEL Utility.

1.1 About Your ZyXEL AG-225H

The ZyXEL AG-225H is an IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g compliant wireless LAN adapter. With the ZyXEL AG-225H, you can enjoy wireless mobility within almost any wireless networking environment.

The following lists the main features of your ZyXEL AG-225H.

•

ZyXEL AG-225H Wireless USB 2.0 Client Adapter with Integrated Hotspot Finder

•

ZyXEL AG-225H can communicate with other IEEE 802.11a/b/g compliant wireless devices.

•

Automatic rate selection.

•

Standard data transmission rates up to 54 Mbps.

•

Offers 64-bit, 128-bit and 256-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) data encryption for network security.

•

Supports IEEE802.1x, WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPA2.

•

Support Soft-AP.

•

Low CPU utilization allowing more computer system resources for other programs.

•

A built-in antenna.

•

Driver support for Windows XP/2000.

1.2 ZyXEL AG-225H Wi-Fi Finder User Interface

Getting Started 1-1

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

1.3 LCM Description

Detect Mode

Display up to 15 detected

networks in the order of the signal strength

Display the detected networks

without any security setting (free hot spot).

Display the dedicated network

you choose to use

Entry

Display the current entry of the detected

ccess Points. Users can detect up to 15 networks at one time.

Channel

Display the radio channel of the detected network.

SSID

The SSID identifies the Service Set to the network users detect. When the length of SSID is longer than 12 characters, it will be scrolled horizontally.

Security Information

WEP security is enabled.

WPA security is enabled. Wireless security is disabled

(no security)

Signal

Indicate A/B/G World Wide Radio Band. 5 levels of signal strength.

802.11a mode at 5 GHz band

802.11b mode at 2.4 GHz band

802.11g mode at 2.4 GHz band

Power

Display Low Battery

Display Full Battery

1.4 Basic Operation

Follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide to know how to operate AG-225H Wi-Fi Finder Mode.

1.5 ZyXEL AG-225H Adapter Hardware and Utility Installation

Follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide to install the ZyXEL Utility and make hardware connections.

1.6 Using the ZyXEL Utility to Configure Your Network

The following are explanations on how to configure and use the ZyXEL Utility program. For initial setup, please see the included Quick Start Guide.

1-2 Getting Started

After completing the installation procedure, a Z icon as shown below will automatically appear in the lower right tray bar.

Double-clicking on the icon will display the following ZyXEL utility window.

Each of the pages (Network, Profile, Site Survey, Options, Version) presented in the ZyXEL Utility are explained in the following sections.

Getting Started 1-3

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

1.6.1 Network

This page shows how the network is presently configured: network mode, information on the connected AP, TCP/IP, etc. This information cannot be modified in the Network screen.

The “Link Information” (lower) window shows the signal quality, signal strength, channel, etc. between the client and AP. It is always in view regardless of which page (Network, Profile, Search, Option, Version) is selected within the ZyXEL Utility.

1-4 Getting Started

1.6.2 Profile

This page is used to manage connections with Access Points. You can create different configuration profiles for connections with different APs and SSIDs.

The advantage of saving different profiles is the easiness of quickly changing connections without having to configure the PC with every single variable each time a connection change is made. Also, when configuring TCP/IP via the ZyXEL Utility you do not need to reboot the PC as when TCP/IP configuration is done via Windows' Control Panel.

Explanation of each button in this page is shown below.

Add

Clicking on this button enables you to create a new profile. The following steps show how this can be done.

Getting Started 1-5

ZyXEL AG-225H User’s Guide

1) Click on [Add] and the following screen will appear.

2) On this screen you will insert some basic settings for your wireless network. a. [Profile Name] Enter in a descriptive name for this profile. b. [Network Mode] If connecting to an access point or wireless router, choose

“Infrastructure”

. If you are going to network one computer directly to another

computer without an access point, then choose “Ad-Hoc”3.

c. [SSID] Select [Browse] The utility will perform a brief site survey and display the

results to you. Click on the SSID

Infrastructure: You will need an access point to use the ZyXEL wireless adapter in Infrastructure mode. Because all

communication will be done via the Access Point, the Access Point’s SSID must be used.

Ad-Hoc: In Ad-Hoc mode communication is made peer-to-peer between the client PCs and without the use of an

Access Point. All PCs communicating in an Ad-Hoc should use the same SSID (whatever your choice is).

of the access point you would like to connect to and

1-6 Getting Started

then click on [Add to Profile]. If the access point you choose has encryption enabled, a window will pop up reminding you to enter the encryption information on the next page. If your access point is not listed, close the [Site Survey] window, and type the name of the SSID into the [SSID] field.

d. Click [Next]. The following screen will appear.

This screen will vary in appearance depending on whether any encryption was detected with your access point.

3) Enter in the appropriate security information.

SSID: The SSID is a group name used by users of a common wireless network. Only those

devices using the same SSID are able to access each other. Also, you must use the same SSID as the Access Point you want to connect with. SSIDs are case sensitive so take care to make sure your capitalization matches.

Getting Started 1-7

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