GE MDS DS-ENET900SR ENET SERIAL REMOTE User Manual 4055A entraNET Body

GE MDS LLC ENET SERIAL REMOTE 4055A entraNET Body

Contents

MANUAL

System GuideWireless IP/Ethernet TransceiversFirmware Release 1.xMDS entraNET Microwave Data Systems Inc. Access PointSerial Remote Ethernet Remote MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A (PRELIMINARY)April 2003
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) i Contents 1 PRODUCT OVERVIEW AND APPLICATIONS 1.1 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION...................................................................................................3 1.1.1 Model Offerings ..........................................................................................................................4 1.2 APPLICATIONS ....................................................................................................................5 1.2.1 Long Range Wireless LAN .........................................................................................................51.2.2 Multiple Protocols and/or Services .............................................................................................61.2.3 Upgrading Older Wireless Network with Serial Interfaces .....................................................................................................................................7 1.3 NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS............................................................................8 1.3.1 Extending Network Coverage with Repeaters ............................................................................81.3.2 Protected Network Operation through Multiple Access Points ...................................................81.3.3 Co-locating Multiple MDS entraNET 900 Networks ...................................................................9 1.4 MDS entraNET 900 SECURITY TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS............................................10 1.4.1 Intrusion Detection via SNMP Traps .........................................................................................11 1.5 ACCESSORIES ..................................................................................................................11 2 EMBEDDED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 17 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................15 2.1.1 Menu Structure .........................................................................................................................162.1.2 Differences in the User Interfaces ............................................................................................182.1.3 Accessing the Embedded Management System ......................................................................192.1.4 Navigating the Menus ...............................................................................................................202.1.5 Logging In and Out of the Embedded Management System ...................................................21 2.2 BASIC DEVICE INFORMATION.........................................................................................23 2.2.1 Starting Information Screen ......................................................................................................232.2.2 Main Menu ................................................................................................................................242.2.3 Configuring Basic Device Parameters ......................................................................................25 2.3 CONFIGURING NETWORK PARAMETERS......................................................................26 2.3.1 Network Configuration Menu ....................................................................................................26 2.4 CONFIGURING RADIO PARAMETERS.............................................................................28 2.4.1 Radio Configuration Menu ........................................................................................................28 2.5 CONFIGURING THE SERIAL INTERFACES .....................................................................31
ii MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.5.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................................312.5.2 Serial Data Port Configuration Menu ........................................................................................322.5.3 IP-to-Serial Application Example ..............................................................................................362.5.4 Point-to-Point Serial-to-Serial Application Example ..................................................................372.5.5 Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Application Example ..........................................................392.5.6 Mixed Modes ............................................................................................................................40 2.6 SECURITY CONFIGURATION...........................................................................................42 2.6.1 Approved Remotes/Access Points List Menu ...........................................................................44 2.7 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION ......................................................................................44 2.7.1 Performance Information Menu ................................................................................................452.7.2 Network Performance Notes ....................................................................................................54 2.8 MAINTENANCE..................................................................................................................58 2.8.1 Reprogramming Menu ..............................................................................................................582.8.2 Configuration Scripts Menu ............................................................................................................................................................632.8.3 Authorization Keys Menu ..........................................................................................................712.8.4 Radio Test Menu .......................................................................................................................712.8.5 Ping Utility Menu .......................................................................................................................73 3 TABLETOP EVALUATION AND TEST SETUP 3.1 OVERVIEW.........................................................................................................................77 3.2 STEP 1—INSTALL THE ANTENNA CABLING...................................................................77 3.3 STEP 2—MEASURE & CONNECT THE PRIMARY POWER ............................................78 3.4 STEP 3—CONNECT PC TO THE MDS entraNET 900 ......................................................78 3.5 STEP 4—REVIEW THE MDS entraNET 900’S CONFIGURATION ...................................79 3.5.1 Getting Started .........................................................................................................................793.5.2 Procedure .................................................................................................................................793.5.3 Basic Configuration Defaults ....................................................................................................79 3.6 STEP 5—CONNECT LAN AND/OR SERIAL EQUIPMENT...............................................81 3.7 STEP 6—CHECK FOR NORMAL OPERATION.................................................................82 4 TROUBLESHOOTING & RADIO MEASUREMENTS 4.1 TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................................................................................87
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) iii4.1.1 Interpreting the Front Panel LEDs ............................................................................................874.1.2 Troubleshooting Using the Embedded Management System ...................................................884.1.3 Using Logged Operation Events ...............................................................................................924.1.4 Alarm Conditions ......................................................................................................................924.1.5 Correcting Alarm Conditions ....................................................................................................934.1.6 Logged Non-Critical Events ......................................................................................................94 4.2 RADIO MEASUREMENTS .................................................................................................96 4.2.1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power Output .............................................................964.2.2 Antenna Direction Optimization ................................................................................................97 5 PLANNING AN MDS i NET 900 NETWORK 5.1 INSTALLATION .................................................................................................................103 5.1.1 General Requirements ...........................................................................................................1035.1.2 Site Selection .........................................................................................................................1055.1.3 Terrain and Signal Strength ....................................................................................................1055.1.4 Antenna & Feedline Selection ................................................................................................1065.1.5 Conducting a Site Survey .......................................................................................................1085.1.6 A Word About Radio Interference ...........................................................................................1085.1.7 How Much Output Power Can be Used? ................................................................................110 5.2 dBm-WATTS-VOLTS CONVERSION CHART ..................................................................112 5 PLANNING AN MDS i NET 900 NETWORK 6.1 REMOTE TRANSCEIVER COMMAND REFERENCE .....................................................115 6.1.1 Command Description ............................................................................................................115 6.2 DATA INTERFACE CONNECTORS..................................................................................126 6.2.1 LAN Port .................................................................................................................................1266.2.2 COM1 Port ..............................................................................................................................1276.2.3 COM2 Port ..............................................................................................................................127 6.3 MDS entraNET 900 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................128 6 TECHNICAL REFERENCE 7 GLOSSARY OF TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS 133
iv MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A Copyright Notice This publication is protected by U.S.A. copyright law. Copyright 2003, Microwave Data Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. ISO 9001 Registration Microwave Data Systems adheres to the internationally-accepted ISO 9001 quality system standard. Related Documentation Installer Guide —The associated MDS entra NET 900 Installer Guide, P/N 05-xxxxA01 (pending), is provided with the transceiver and is limited to essential information for installers. It assumes a basic level of understanding of the material in this manual, including antenna selection, the use of radio communication site survey tools and techniques, and network design. Related Materials on the Internet —Data sheets, frequently asked questions, case studies, application notes, firm-ware upgrades and other valuable information are available on the MDS Web site at www.microwavedata.com. About Microwave Data Systems Inc. Almost two decades ago, MDS began building radios for business-critical applications. Since then, we’ve installed more than 500,000 radios in over 110 countries. To succeed, we overcame impassable terrain, brutal operating condi-tions and disparate, complex network configurations. We also became experts in wireless communication standards and system applications worldwide. The result of our efforts is that today, thousands of utilities around the world rely on MDS-based wireless networks to manage their most critical assets.The majority of MDS radios deployed since 1985 are still installed and performing within our customers' wireless net-works. That’s because we design and manufacture our products in-house, under an ISO 9001 registered quality system which allows us to control and meet stringent global quality standards. Thanks to our durable products and comprehensive solutions, MDS is the wireless leader in industrial automation—including oil and gas production and transportation, water/wastewater treatment, supply and transportation, electric transmission and distribution and many other utility applications. MDS is also at the forefront of wireless communi-cations for private and public infrastructure and online transaction processing. Now is an exciting time for MDS and our customers as we look forward to further demonstrating our abilities in new and emerging markets.As your wireless needs change you can continue to expect more from MDS. We'll always put the performance of your network above all. Visit us at www.microwavedata.com for more information. Manual Revision and Accuracy While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this manual, product improvements may result in minor differences between the manual and the product shipped to you. If you have additional questions or need an exact specification for a product, please contact our Customer Service Team using the information at the back of this guide. In addition, manual updates can often be found on the MDS Web site at www.microwavedata.com.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) v OPERATIONAL & SAFETY NOTICESCSA US Notice (Approval Pending) This product is suitable for use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D or non-hazardous locations only.The transceiver has been recognized for use in these hazardous locations by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). The CSA certification for the transceiver is as a Recognized Component for use in these hazardous locations, in accordance with CSA STD C22.2 No. 213-M1987. Conditions of Approval: The transceiver is not acceptable as a stand-alone unit for use in the hazardous locations described above. It must either be mounted within another piece of equipment which is certified for hazardous loca-tions, or installed within guidelines, or conditions of approval, as set forth by the approving agencies. These conditions of approval are as follows:The transceiver must be mounted within a separate enclosure which is suitable for the intended application. The antenna feedline, DC power cable and interface cable must be routed through conduit in accordance with the National Electrical Code.Installation, operation and maintenance of the transceiver must be in accordance with the transceiver's instruction manual, and the National Electrical Code. Tampering or replacement with non-factory components may adversely affect the safe use of the transceiver in hazardous locations, and may void the approval. A power connector with screw-type retaining screws as supplied by MDS must be used. Do not disconnect equipment unless power has been switched off or the area is known tobe non-hazardous.Refer to Articles 500 through 502 of the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) for furtherinformation on hazardous locations and approved Division 2 wiring methods. FCC Part 15 Notice The transceiver 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 inter-ference that may cause undesired operation. This device is specifically designed to be used under Section 15.247 of the FCC Rules and Regulations. Any unauthorized modification or changes to this device without the express approval of Microwave Data Systems may void the user’s authority to operate this device. Furthermore, this device is intended to be used only when installed in accordance with the instruction manual. Failure to comply with these instructions may also void the user’s authority to operate this device. Professional installation required. The radio equipment described in this guide emits radio frequency energy. Although the power level is low, the concentrated energy from a directional antenna may pose a health hazard. Do not allow people to come closer than 23 cm (9 inches) to the antenna when the transmitter is operating in indoor or outdoor environ-ments. More information on RF exposure is on the Internet at www.fcc.gov/oet/info/documents/bulletins .RF ExposureEXPLOSIONHAZARD!
vi MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 1 1 PRODUCT OVERVIEWAND APPLICATIONS 1 Chapter Counter Reset Paragraph Contents 1.1 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION .........................................................3 1.1.1 Model Offerings .............................................................................4 1.2 APPLICATIONS5 1.2.1 Wireless LAN ................................................................................51.2.2 Point-to-Point LAN Extension ........................................................61.2.3 Backhaul for Serial Radio Networks ..............................................61.2.4 Multiple Protocols and/or Services ................................................71.2.5 Wireless LAN with Extended Range .............................................81.2.6 Upgrading Older Wireless Network with Serial Interfaces .......................................................................................8 1.3 NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS.................................10 1.3.1 Extending Network Coverage with Repeaters ............................101.3.2 Protected Network Operation through Multiple Access Points ....121.3.3 Collocating Multiple Wireless Networks ......................................13 1.4 SECURITY TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS.....................................14 1.4.1 Early Warning via SNMP Traps ...................................................15 1.5 ACCESSORIES.........................................................................15
2 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 3 1.1 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION This manual presents installation and operating instructions for the MDS entraNET 900 system. It is for use by professional installers who are expected to install, operate, and perform basic maintenance on the system.The MDS entraNET 900 system is an easy-to-install wireless solution that supports long range Serial and Ethernet data transmission at speeds up to 115.2 kbps. The system includes an Access Point transceiver (AP) and two types of Remote transceivers—Serial or Ethernet. These units serve a variety of network configurations. Figure 1-1 shows each model of the entraNET family. Invisible place holder Figure 1-1. MDS entraNET 900 Transceivers Rugged Packaging MDS entraNET units are housed in compact and rugged die-cast cases. They need only be protected from direct exposure to the weather. The transceivers are supplied with optional flat surface or 35 mm DIN rail mounting brackets, depending on customer requirements. Simple Installation Basic installation typically employs an omni-directional antenna at the Access Point location and a directional antenna at each associated Remote. The antenna is a vital link in the system and must be chosen and installed correctly. Refer to INSTALLATION on Page 103 for guidance on choosing proper sites and antennas.For basic services, you simply hook up an antenna, connect your Ethernet LAN to the transceiver’s LAN port, apply primary power, check and set a few operating parameters as necessary and you are done. No license is required for operation in the U.S.A., Canada, and many other countries. Secure Operation Data network security is a vital issue in today's wireless world. TheMDS entraNET’s design provides multiple tools to help you build a net-work that minimizes the risk of eavesdropping and unauthorized access.Access PointSerial Remote Ethernet Remote
4 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A Some are inherent in the radio's operation, such as the use ofspread-spectrum transmission; other techniques include data encryp-tion, enabling/disabling remote access channels, and password protec-tion.Remember, security is not a one-step process that can be simply turned on and forgotten. It must be practiced and enforced at multiple levels, 24 hours-a-day and 7 days-a-week. Section 1.4 on Page 10 contains additional information about entraNET’s security tools. Robust Radio Operation The transceivers are designed for frequency-hopping spread-spectrum operation in the license-free 900 MHz band. They can provide reliable communications up to distances of 30 miles (50 km) or more under favorable conditions. The units employ digital signal processing (DSP) techniques for high performance operation, even in the presence of weak signals or interference. Flexible Services Users with a mixture of equipment having Ethernet and serial data inter-faces can choose a combination of both types of remotes on the same cell or Access Point. This flexibility allows the transceiver to provide services in data networks that are on a path from legacy serial/EIA-232-based hardware to the faster and more easily interfaced Ethernet world. Flexible Management Configuration, commissioning, troubleshooting and other maintenance activities can be done locally or remotely. Four different modes of access are available: local RS-232 console, local or remote IP access through Telnet, web browser access, and via SNMP. The text-based interfaces (RS-232 console and Telnet) are implemented in the form of easy-to-follow menus, and the terminal server configuration includes a “wizard” to help you set up the units correctly. Transceiver Features The MDS entraNET 900’s design makes the installation and configura-tion easy, while allowing for changes in the future.• Long Range—30 miles (50 km) over favorable terrain, with suf-ficient antenna height in a point-to-multipoint configuration• Industrial-Grade Product—Extended temperature range for trouble-free operation in extreme environments• Robust Radio Communications—Designed to operate in high-interference environments• Robust Network Security—Prevents common attack schemes and hardware from gaining access or control of network. Com-mon attack events are logged and reported by alarms.• Fast, 115.2 kbps data speed—Much faster than 9.6 kbps radios• Plug-and-Play Connectivity—Ethernet bridge configuration option requires very little setup• Serial Ports—Gateway for serial interface based equipment to IP/Ethernet networks with embedded terminal server
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 5 1.1.1 Model Offerings The MDS entraNET 900 comes in two primary models—an Access Point and a Remote. In addition, two types of Remotes are available—an Ethernet Remote, and a Serial Remote. Table 1-1 summaries the dif-ferent interface abilities for each type. An Ethernet remote will serve only one MAC address, even if a bridge or hub is used. 1.2 APPLICATIONS The following sections give descriptions of typical entraNET installa-tions. Most installations will require planning by a network manager. 1.2.1 Long Range Wireless LAN The wireless LAN is the most common application of the entraNET 900 system. It consists of a central control station (Access Point) and one or more associated Remote units, as shown in Figure 1-2 on Page 6. A LAN provides communications between a central WAN/LAN and remote Ethernet segments. The operation of the radio system is trans-parent to the computer equipment it is connected to.The Access Point is positioned at a location from which it can commu-nicate with all of the Remote units in the system. Commonly, this is a relatively high location on top of a building or communications tower. Messages are exchanged at the Ethernet level. This includes all types of IP traffic.A Remote transceiver can only talk over-the-air to an Access Point (AP) unit. Peer-to-peer communications between Remotes can only take place indirectly through the AP. An AP can only talk over-the-air to Remote units, however two APs can communicate with each other through their Ethernet connectors utilizing a common LAN/WAN. Table 1-1. MDS entraNET 900 Models and Data Interface Services Model ETH 1 COM1 1 COM2 Access Point Yes Yes YesEthernet Remote Yes Yes NoSerial Remote No -- Yes NOTES 1. Provides access to the embedded Management System only. No data transfer capability.
6 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A Invisible place holder Figure 1-2. Typical wireless LAN 1.2.2 Multiple Protocols and/or Services Prior to the introduction of the entraNET 900, two radios were often required to service two different types of devices (typically connected to different SCADA hosts). An entraNET 900 provides this functionality through a single AP radio. Each of the two groups of remote radios can be connected via IP to different SCADA hosts, transporting different (or the same) protocols. Both data streams are completely independent and the transceiver provides seamless simultaneous operation as shown in Figure 1-3 on Page 6. Invisible place holder Figure 1-3. Multiple Protocol Network By using a single AP the cost of infrastructure deployment is cut in half, with only one antenna, one feedline, and one lightning protector required. Other cost reductions come from the system as a whole, iNET 900RemoteiNET 900RemoteiNET 900Acess PointiNET 900RemoteiNET 900RemoteLANLANWAN/LANLANLANPC RunningNetView SCADA HostTotal FlowAccess PointSerial emoteSerial RemoteSCADA HostModbus/IPEthernetRemoteAccess PointRTUEIA-232EIA-232TCP/IPROUTERHUB SerialDeviceHUBHUBHUBWANEthernetDevice
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 7 including reduced management requirements via the MDS NETview MS application. Finally, entraNET offers a nearly unlimited potential for future applications that run over IP and Ethernet. 1.2.3 Upgrading Older Wireless Network with Serial Interfaces Millions of wireless data products have been sold in the last two decades for licensed and license-free operation, many of them manufactured by Microwave Data Systems. There are several ways that these systems can benefit from the more flexible MDS entraNET 900 equipment—more flexible serial and Ethernet interfaces, and higher data throughput. MDS entraNET 900 units are well suited to replace leased or dial-up lines, or existing 900 MHz data transceivers by taking advantage of the transceiver’s serial and Ethernet interfaces. Replacing Legacy Wireless Products In most cases, legacy radio transceivers supporting serial-interface equipment can be replaced with MDS entraNET 900 units with little or no special configuration. This equipment can be connected to MDS entraNET 900 units through the COM1 or COM2 port with a DB-25 to DB-9 cable wired for EIA-232 signaling. The COM2 port supports all standard EIA-232 signaling and acts as a data-terminal equipment device (DTE).Several previous MDS-brand products had non-standard signal lines on their interface connectors; for example, to control the unit sleep func-tion. These special functions are not provided nor supported by the MDS entraNET 900 unit at this time. Always consult the legacy equip-ment manual(s) for interface pinout information prior to making con-nections. Supplement legacy wireless network with IP services The MDS entraNET 900 Dual Gateway model can support up to two serial devices and one Ethernet connection at the same time. The serial interfaces (COM1 and COM2) operate in two different modes: Connec-tionless serial-to-serial (UDP) and connection-oriented IP-to-serial (TCP).In the UDP (connectionless serial-to-serial) mode, the transceiver sup-ports point-to-multipoint serial-port to serial-port connectivity. In the TCP (connection-oriented IP-to-serial) mode, the transceiver supports point-to-point Ethernet/IP to serial port connectivity.For further details on Serial Gateway interface modes, see “CONFIG-URING THE SERIAL INTERFACES” on Page 32.
8 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A 1.3 NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 1.3.1 Extending Network Coverage with Repeaters What is a Repeater System? A repeater works by re-transmitting data from outlying remote sites to the Access Point and vice-versa. As with any other store-and-forward device, it introduces additional end-to-end transmission delay but pro-vides longer-range connectivity.In some geographical areas obstacles can make communications diffi-cult. These obstacles commonly are large buildings, hills or dense foliage. These obstacles can often be overcome with a repeater station. The geographic location of a repeater station is especially important. A site must be chosen that allows good communication from the repeater to both the Access Point and outlying remote sites. This location is often on top of a hill, or other elevated terrain from which both sites can be “seen” by the repeater station antennas. A detailed discussion on the effects of terrain is given in Section 5.1.2, Site Selection (beginning on Page 105). Using a Remote as a Store-and-Forward Repeater A wireless network can be extended through the use of an alternate arrangement using the Access Point as a repeater to re-transmit the sig-nals of all stations in the network. The repeater is a standard transceiver configured as an Access Point. (See Figure 1-4.) Invisible place holder Figure 1-4. Typical network with store-and-forward repeater 1.3.2 Protected Network Operation through Multiple Access Points Although MDS entraNET 900 units have a very robust design and have undergone intensive testing before shipment it is possible for isolated failures to occur. Down time can be further reduced by using some, or all, of the following configurations.RemoteRemoteAccess PointLAN/WANSTORE & FORWARDREPEATERLANPOINT-TO-POINT LINK
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 9 In a point-to-multipoint scenario, the Access Point services multiple remotes. A problem in the Access Point will have an effect on all remotes, since none will have access to the network. When operation of the network does not tolerate any down time, it is possible to set up a protected configuration for the Access Point to greatly reduce the possi-bility of this happening.Two or more Access Points can be configured with the same Network Name and kept active simultaneously, each with its own independent antenna. In this scenario, Remotes will associate with either one of the available Access Points. In case of a failure of one of the AP’s, the Remotes will quickly associate with another of the remaining Access Points re-establishing connectivity to the end devices.Access Points are unaware of the existence of another co-located AP. This is because the hopping algorithm uses both the Network Name and the Wireless MAC address of the AP to generate the hopping pattern. For this reason, multiple AP’s can coexist—even if they use the same network name. The co-located AP’s will be using different hopping pat-terns and frequencies the great majority of the time. Although some col-lisions will occur, the wireless-MAC is built to tolerate and recover from such occurrences with minimal degradation.1.3.3 Co-locating Multiple NetworksMany wireless networks can operate in relatively close physical prox-imity to one another providing reasonable measures are taken to assure the radio signal of one Access Point is not directed at the antenna of the second Access Point.The Network Name and the association processThe Network Name is the foundation for building individual MDS entraNET 900 networks. It is part of a beacon signal broadcast by the Access Point (AP) to any Remote units with the same Network Name. Remotes that join the network are referred to as being “associ-ated” with the Access Point unit. Multiple APs with the same Network Name should be avoided unless a redundant system is being deployed. Using the same Network Name in multiple APs may result in Remotes associating with undesired APs and preventing data exchange from occurring.The use of a different Network Name does not guarantee an interfer-ence-free system. It does however, assure that only data destined for a unique network is passed through to that network.Co-Location for Redundancy You can co-locate Access Points at one location for load-sharing or redundancy, provided they have the same Network Name. Provide some vertical separation between the antennas to minimize RFI between them.
10 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ACo-Location for Multiple Networks It may be desirable to co-locate Access Points at one location to take advantage of an excellent or premium location that can serve two inde-pendent networks. Each network should have unique Network Name and each AP unit’s antenna should be provided as much vertical separa-tion as is practical to minimize RFI.NOTE: All radios are shipped with the Network Name as“Not Programmed.” The Network Name must be programmedin order to pass data and begin normal operations. Can radio-frequency interference (RFI) disrupt my Network?When multiple MDS entraNET 900 networks operate in close physical proximity to other wireless networks, individual units may not operate reliably under weak signal conditions and may be influenced by strong radio signals in adjacent bands. This radio frequency interference cannot be predicted and can only be determined by experimentation. If you need to co-locate two transceivers, start by using the largest possible vertical antenna separation between the two AP antennas on the same support structure. If that does not work, consult with MDS technical support personnel about other techniques for controlling radio fre-quency interference between the radios. (See “A Word About Radio Interference” on Page 108 for more details.)1.4 SECURITY TECHNIQUES & TOOLSToday the operation and management of an enterprise is becoming increasing dependent on electronic information flow. An accompanying concern becomes the security of the communication infrastructure and the security of the data itself.The MDS entraNET 900 is capable of dealing with many common secu-rity issues. Table 1-2 profiles security risks and how the MDS entraNET 900 provides a solution for minimizing vulnerability. Table 1-2. Security Risk ManagementSecurity Risk The MDS entraNET 900 SolutionUnauthorized access to the backbone network through a foreign remote radio √ Approved Remotes ListOnly those remotes included in the AP list will associate“Rogue” AP, where a foreign AP takes control of some or all remote radios and thus remote devices√ Approved AP List A remote will only associate to those AP included in its local authorized list of APDictionary attacks, where a hacker runs a program that sequentially tries to break a password.√ Failed-login lockdown After 3 tries, a transceiver ignores login requests for 5 minutes. Critical event reports (traps) are generated as well.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 111.4.1 Intrusion Detection via SNMP TrapsIn addition to the operative tools and techniques, the MDS entraNET 900 can provide SNMP-based network management systems with traps (alarms) that represent potentially suspicious activities or events. These include:• Unauthorized AP MAC address detected at Remote• Unauthorized Remote MAC address detected at AP• Login attempt limit exceeded (Accessed via: Telnet, HTTP, or local)• Successful login/logout (Accessed via: Telnet, HTTP, or local)1.5 ACCESSORIESThe transceiver can be used with one or more of the accessories listed in Table 1-3. Contact the factory for ordering details.Denial of service, where Remote radios could be reconfigured with bad parameters bringing the network down.√Remote login√Local console login√Disabled HTTP & Telnet to allow only local management servicesAirsnort and other war-driving hackers in parking lots, etc. √900 MHz FHSS does not talk over the air with standard 802.11b cards√The transceiver cannot be put in a promiscuous mode√Proprietary data framingEavesdropping, intercepting messages √128-bit encryptionKey cracking √ Automatic Rotating Key algorithmReplaying messages √128-bit encryption with rotating keysUnprotected access to configuration via SNMPv1 √Enable/disable SNMPv1 operationPotential, ongoing attacks √Provides early warning via SNMP through critical event reports (unauthorized, logging attempts, etc.)Table 1-2. Security Risk ManagementSecurity Risk The MDS entraNET 900 Solution
12 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ATable 1-3. AccessoriesAccessory Description MDS Part No.AC Power Adapter Kit A small power supply module designed for continuous service. UL approved. Input: 120/220; Output: 13.8 Vdc @ 2.5 A01-3682A02Omni- Directional AntennasRugged antennas well suited for use at Access Point installations. Consult with your factory Sales Representative for detailsCall factoryYagi Antenna(Directional) Rugged antennas well suited for use at Remote installations. Consult with your factory Sales Representative for details.Call factoryTNC Male-to-N Female Adapter One-piece RF adaptor plug. 97-1677A161TNC Male-to-N Female Adapter CableShort length of coaxial cable used to connect the radio’s TNC antenna connector to a Type N commonly used on large diameter coaxial cables.97-1677A159(3 ft./1m)97-1677A160(6 ft./1.8m)Ethernet RJ-45 Crossover Cable (CAT5)Cable assembly used to cross-connect the Ethernet ports of two transceivers used in a repeater configuration. (Cable length ≈ 3 ft./1M)97-1870A212-Pin Power Plug Mates with power connector on transceiver. Screw terminals provided for wires, threaded locking screws to prevent accidental disconnect.73-1194A39Ethernet RJ-45 Straight-thru Cable (CAT5)Cable assembly used to connect an Ethernet device to the transceiver. Both ends of the cable are wired identically.(Cable length ≈ 3 ft./1M)97-1870A20EIA-232 Shielded Data CableShielded cable terminated with a DB-25 male connector on one end, and a DB-9 female on the other end. Two lengths available (see part numbers at right).97-3035L06(6 ft./1.8m)97-3035L15(15 ft./4.6m)EIA-232 Shielded Data CableShielded cable terminated with a DB-9 male connector on one end, and a DB-9 female on the other end, 6 ft./1.8m long.97-1971A03Fuse Small, board-mounted fuse used to protect against over-current conditions. 29-1784A03Flat-Surface Mounting Brackets & ScrewsBrackets: 2˝ x 3˝ plates designed to be screwed onto the bottom of the unit for surface-mounting the radio.82-1753-A01Screws: 6-32/1/4˝ with locking adhesive. (Industry Standard MS 51957-26) 70-2620-A01DIN Rail Mounting BracketBracket used to mount the transceiver to standard 35 mm DIN rails commonly found in equipment cabinets and panels.03-4022A02COM2 Interface Adapter DB-25(F) to DB-9(M) shielded cable assembly (6 ft./1.8 m) for connection of equipment or other EIA-232 serial devices previously connected to “legacy” units. (Consult factory for other lengths and variations.)97-3035A06
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 132EMBEDDED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM2 Chapter Counter Reset ParagraphContents2.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................192.1.1 Menu Structure ...........................................................................192.1.2 Differences in the User Interfaces ...............................................202.1.3 Accessing the Embedded Management System ........................222.1.4 Navigating the Menus .................................................................242.1.5 Logging In and Out of the Embedded Management System ......252.2 BASIC DEVICE INFORMATION................................................272.2.1 Starting Information Screen ........................................................272.2.2 Main Menu ..................................................................................282.2.3 Configuring Basic Device Parameters .........................................292.3 CONFIGURING NETWORK PARAMETERS.............................312.3.1 Network Configuration Menu .......................................................312.4 CONFIGURING RADIO PARAMETERS ...................................352.4.1 Radio Configuration Menu .........................................................362.5 CONFIGURING THE SERIAL INTERFACES............................392.5.1 Overview .....................................................................................392.5.2 Serial Data Port Configuration Menu ..........................................402.5.3 IP-to-Serial Application Example ................................................432.5.4 Point-to-Point Serial-to-Serial Application Example ....................442.5.5 Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Application Example .............462.5.6 Mixed Modes ...............................................................................472.6 SECURITY CONFIGURATION..................................................492.6.1 Approved Remotes/Access Points List Menu .............................512.7 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION .............................................512.7.1 Performance Information Menu ...................................................522.7.2 Network Performance Notes .......................................................612.8 MAINTENANCE.........................................................................652.8.1 Reprogramming Menu ................................................................652.8.2 Configuration Scripts Menu..........................................................702.8.3 Authorization Keys Menu ............................................................78
14 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.8.4 Radio Test Menu .........................................................................782.8.5 Ping Utility Menu .........................................................................80
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 152.1 INTRODUCTION The MDS entraNET 900 is equipped with an embedded management system that is accessible through different data interfaces. These include the COM1 (serial) port, the LAN (Ethernet) port and over the wireless net-work. Essentially the same capabilities are available through either of these paths.You have a choice of using three common communications tools—a computer terminal-emulator through the COM1 port, Telnet, or a Web browser through the LAN (Ethernet) port. You must know the unit IP address and the entraNET Management System password and user name to use the LAN port access. The transceiver also supports SNMP-based management tools such as Microwave Data Systems’ NETview MS™. NETview MS provides a net-work-wide management tool using a graphical user interface (GUI). For support of other software, a set of MIB files is available for download from the Microwave Data Systems’ Web site at www.microwave-data.com/service/technical/support/downloads/. A brief summary of SNMP commands can be found at SNMP Configuration section on Page 28.The entraNET Management System and its functions are divided in this guide into five functional groups that are listed below.•Section 2.3, CONFIGURING NETWORK PARAMETERS (beginning on Page 27)•Section 2.4, CONFIGURING RADIO PARAMETERS (begin-ning on Page 28)•Section 2.5, CONFIGURING THE SERIAL INTERFACES (beginning on Page 32)•Section 2.7, PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION (beginning on Page 44)•Section 2.8, MAINTENANCE (beginning on Page 58)Each of these sections has a focus that is reflected in its heading. The section you are now in will provide you with information on connecting to the entraNET Management System, how to navigate through it, and how it is structured, and how to perform some top-level configuration tasks. NOTE: Parameter options/range, and any default value, will bedisplayed at the end of the field description between squarebrackets. [range, options or description; default]
16 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.1.1 Menu StructureThe following two illustrations are flowcharts that display the organiza-tion of the entraNET Management System (iNET MS). For this presen-tation, they are divided into two groups:• Configuration Group (Figure 2-1 on Page 16)• Security, Performance & Maintenance Group (Figure 2-2 on Page 17) Bytes Out OnSocketClear Com2StatisticsRadioConfigurationRF Output PowerData RateDwell Time(Editable on AP)Beacon Period(Editable on AP)Hop Pattern Seed(Editable on AP)FragmentationThresholdRTS Threshold(Remote Only)RSSI Threshold(Remote Only)SNR Threshold(Remote Only)RF HoppingFormatSkip Zone Options(Editable on AP)Zone 1 Zone 6Zone 2 Zone 7Zone 8Zone 3Zone 4 Zone 9Zone 10Zone 5Commit changesMax Remotes(AP Only)Ethernet LinkWatch(AP Only)Ethernet AddressSNMP ConfigMenuTrap Manager #4Read CommunityWrite Community Trap Manager #5SNMP EnableTrap CommunityTrap Manager #1 Trap VersionAuth Traps EnableTrap Manager #2Trap Manager #3NetworkConfigurationDevice ModeNetwork NameSerial DataStatisticsCom2 Serial DataPortSerialConfigurationCom1 Serial DataPortStartingInformation ScreenIP AddressIP NetmaskIP GatewayWireless AddressDevice ModeDevice NameNetwork NameIP AddressUptimeHardware VersionFirmware VersionSerial NumberDevice StatusSNTP ServerDHCP ClientCom1 DataStatisticsClear Com1StatisticsBytes In On PortBytes Out On PortBytes In On SocketBytes Out OnSocketCom2 DataStatisticsBytes In On PortBytes Out On PortBytes In On SocketDHCP ServerConfigServer EnableDHCP NetmaskStarting AddressEnding AddressAdditional Menus:Security Confirmation >Device Information >Performance Information >Maintenance >StatusData Baud RateExecute ChangesConfigurationSeamless ModeDelimiterBuffer SizeSend to PortSent to AddressFlow Control(AP Only)IP ProtocolReceive on PortReceive on PortSerial ConfigurationWizardSame as Com 2KEYMAIN MENUNOTES•Not all items are user-configurable•Some menu items depend on Device Mode•Use keyboard’s spacebar to make somemenu selectionsMenuSelectionsEditableSelections Read-OnlyItemsFigure 2-1. Embedded Management System Organization—Configuration Group (under revision)
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 17Invisible place holderEvent LogDevice NameAdd Access PointDateEncryptionEncryption PhraseHTTP AccessHTTP SecurityModeSNMP AccessDevice Information MaintenanceUser PasswordModel NumberSerial NumberConsole Baud RateUptimeTimeDevice NamesMenuReprogrammingConfigurationScriptsTFTP HostAddressFilenameTFTP TimeoutRetrieve FileImage VerifyImage CopyReboot DeviceTFTP HostAddressFilenameTFTP TimeoutRetrieve FileSend FileHardware VersionFirmware VersionAuthorization KeyPerformanceInformationPacket StatisticsRSSI by ZoneRF Output PowerSignal to NoiseRSSIOwnerContactDescriptionLocationDate FormatZone #1Zone #2Zone #3Zone #4Zone #5Zone #6Zone #7Zone #8Zone #9Zone #10Authorization KeyAuthorizedFeaturesCurrent FirmwareRadio TestPing UtilityTest ModeFrequencyTX Output PowerTxKeyRSSITime RemainingIP AddrCountPacket SizeGoActual Data RateSecurityConfigurationUser PasswordProvisioningTelnet AccessApproved RemotesList (on AP)Delete RemoteAdd AssociatedRemotesDelete All RemotesView ApprovedRemotesAdd RemoteApproved AccessPoints List(on Remote)Delete AccessPointAdd CurrentAccess PointDelete All AccessPointsView ApprovedAccess PointsAdditional Menus:< Starting Information< Network Configuration<˚Radio Configuration< Serial ConfigurationAuto Key RotationForce Key Rotation(AP Only)(Remote Only)Wireless NetworkStatus (Remote)Remote Listing(AP)Endpoint Listing(AP)Endpoint Listing (AP)Remote Perf.Listing (AP)KEYMAIN MENUNOTES•Not all items are user-configurable•Some menu items depend on Device Mode•Use keyboard’s spacebar to make somemenu selectionsMenuSelectionsEditableSelectionsRead-OnlyItemsFigure 2-2. Embedded Management System Organization—Security, Performance & Maintenance Groups (under revision)
18 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.1.2 Differences in the User InterfacesThere are slight differences in navigation, but for the most part, the con-tent is the same. You will find a few differences in capabilities—the communications tool is driven by limitations of the access channel. Below are samples of the Starting Information Screen seen through a terminal and a Web-browser.Invisible place holderFigure 2-3. View of entraNET MS with a text-based program—(Terminal or Telnet)Invisible place holderFigure 2-4. View of the entraNET MS with a Browser
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 192.1.3 Accessing the Embedded Management SystemThe menu-based management system provides access to view and con-figure many unit parameters and provides you with basic diagnostic and maintenance tools. There are several tools that can be used to gain access to the entraNET Management System.•Terminal-Emulator—Use a terminal emulator program on your PC, such as HyperTerminal, connected directly to the MDS entraNET 900 COM1 port via a serial cable.•Telnet—Text-based access to the Management System through a network connection (AP only).•Web Browser—Connect to the entraNET units using a Web browser on a local PC connected directly to the transceiver’s LAN port or associated network (AP only).The following are detailed procedures for connecting to the embedded Management System.Procedure with Terminal Emulator a. Connect a computer’s serial communications port to the trans-ceiver’s COM1 Port connector.b. Launch a terminal emulator program, such as HyperTerminal, on the computer. Configure it to 19,200 bps data rate, 8-bit charac-ters, no parity, one stop bit, and no flow-control. Use ANSI or VT100 emulation.c. Press the ENTER key. A login screen will be displayed that will require a user name and password to access the Management System. (User = entraNET; default password = admin)The radio will respond with a login screen, followed by the start-up screen similar to Figure 2-5 on Page 22.NOTE: If the transceiver is powered-up or rebooted while connectedwith a terminal, you will see a series of pages of text informa-tion relating to the booting of the unit’s microcomputer. Waitfor the initial entraNET MS login screen before proceeding.The boot process takes approximately 30 seconds.Procedure with Telnet (AP only) a. Connect a personal computer’s Ethernet port to the LAN Port connector on the AP transceiver using an Ethernet crossover cable or connect the AP to the network. (See Figure 3-3 on Page 81 for location.) The LAN LED will light up.b. Start the Telnet program on your computer targeting the IP address of the transceiver to which you are connected and press the ENTER key.For example, in Windows: Start>Run>Telnet
20 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ANOTE: Do not use the default IP address (192.168.1.1) if there are multiple transceivers on the same network set with the default address.c. The transceiver will respond with a login screen. Enter your password and press the ENTER key. (Default = admin)The entraNET responds with the start-up menu screen. (Figure 2-6 on Page 23)Procedure with Web Browser (AP only) a. Connect a personal computer’s Ethernet port to the LAN Port connector on the transceiver using an Ethernet crossover cable. (See Figure 3-3 on Page 81 for location.) The LAN LED will light up.b. Launch a Web-browser (HTTP) program, such as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer™, on your computer.c. Type in the radio’s IP address. For example 192.168.1.1 and press the ENTER key. (Default address = 192.168.1.1)d. A login screen will be displayed that will require a user name and password to access the Management System. (Defaults: user = entraNET; password= admin)e. The transceiver responds with the startup menu screen. (See Figure 2-6 on Page 23.)NOTE: If the default address of 192.168.1.1 does not work, use theterminal-emulator procedure to communicate with the unitthrough the COM1 port. The current IP address will bedisplayed on the Starting Information Screen (Figure 2-6 onPage 23). 2.1.4 Navigating the MenusNavigating with a Web browser is straightforward with a framed page. The primary navigation menu is permanently located in the left-hand window. The right-hand window displays the current menu item.The text-based interface, accessible through Telnet or terminal emu-lator, uses a traditional multi-layered text menu system. To move further down a path in the menu tree, type the letter key to the left of the menu item. You will automatically move to the associated screen. In most cases, use the ESCAPE key to move back up a level.In general, the top portion of the screen shows read-only information with no user selection letter. The bottom portion of the screen contains parameters that can be selected for further information, alteration of values, or to navigate to other menus.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 21When you arrive at a screen with user-controllable parameter fields, you select the menu item by keying in an associated letter. If there is a user definable value, the field will clear to the right of the menu item and you will be allowed to type in the value you wish to use. Follow this action by the ENTER key to save the changes. If you make a mistake or change your mind before using the ENTER key, press ESCAPE to restore the pre-vious value.In some cases, when you type a letter to select a parameter, you will see a prompt at the bottom of the screen that says “Choose an Option.” In these cases, press the keyboard’s SPACEBAR and you will step through the available selections. After the desired option appears, press the ENTER key to save the selection. In some screens, several parameters may be changed and then saved by a single keystroke. The ESCAPE key can be used to cancel the action and restore the previous value.In most cases, you can press the ESCAPE key to exit the action without implementing any changes or to navigate to the next higher level menu.2.1.5 Logging In and Out of the Embedded Management SystemLogging in via Telnet or a Web BrowserWhen you use Telnet or a Web browser to communicate with the trans-ceiver, you will need to know the unit’s IP address, the “User Name”, and “Password” in advance.With some Web browsers, the User Name, entraNET will be filled in. If it is blank, type in entraNET with a lowercase “i” and capitals N-E-T. The default user password is admin in lowercase letters. NOTE: Passwords are case sensitive. Do not use punctuation markcharacters. Use a maximum of eight characters.Once the User Name and Password have been entered, press ENTER.NOTE: It may be necessary to change your IP access to the local areanetwork to match the one used by the MDS entraNET 900.(Defaults: IP–192.168.1.1, Netmask–255.255.0.0) You canidentify or verify the transceiver’s IP address using aterminal-emulator to communicate with the transceiverthrough the COM1 Port and then viewing the Starting Informa-tion Screen.If you are accessing the entraNET MS via a browser connected to the LAN port, you will see a sign-in screen similar to the one in Figure 2-5.
22 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AInvisible place holderFigure 2-5. Sign-in Screen when using a Web BrowserThe transceiver’s Device Name is used as the “Realm.” (See Device Names Menu on Page 27 to learn how to change this name.) This name will confirm you are connecting to the transceiver you desire.Changing PasswordsVia Terminal Emulator or Telnet Once you are logged in, you can go to the Device Information Menu and change the password (case-sensitive). Follow any changes to the pass-word or other parameters with an ENTER key to save the change.Via Web Browser At the time of publication, it is not possible to change the password via the web browser interface. This restriction is done for security rea-sons—a web browser transmits messages in clear text.Logging Out of the entraNET Management SystemFor security reasons, it is best to formally log-out of the entraNET Man-agement System. If you do not formally log out, the session will be ter-minated within 10 minutes of your last activity with the system.Web Browser To logout of the entraNET MS with a Web browser, click on the “Logout” listing in the left hand frame of the browser window. The right-hand frame will change to a logout page. Follow the instructions on this Web page.Telnet From the Main Menu, press “Q” to quit and terminate the session. If you do not manually log out, your session will time-out after 10 minutes of no keyboard activity.Terminal Emulator You do not need to logout from a terminal emulator when connected to the COM1 port. You can force a logout by pressing the exclamation point (!) key to optimize the transceiver’s security. (Note: This only works from the Starting Information Screen or the Main Menu Screen.)
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 232.2 BASIC DEVICE INFORMATION2.2.1 Starting Information ScreenOnce you have logged into the entraNET Management System, you will be presented with a screen that provides an overview of the transceiver and its current operating condition. It provides an array of vital informa-tion on the unit and its operating condition.Invisible place holderFigure 2-6. Starting Menu•Device Mode—Current operating mode of the unit as it relates to the network.•Device Name—This is a user-defined parameter that will appear in the heading of all pages.(To change it, see Network Configuration Menu on Page 27.)•Network Name—The name of the network in which the unit is associated.•IP Address—Unit’s IP address [192.168.1.1]•Device Status—Condition of transceiver’s association with an Access Point. At the Access Point:•Alarmed—A alarming event has been logged and not cleared.•Operational—Unit operating normally.
24 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AAt a Remote:•Scanning—The unit is looking for an Access Point beacon signal.•Exp(ecting) Sync(hronization)—The unit has found a valid beacon signal for its network.•Hop Sync—The unit has changed its frequency hopping pat-tern to match that of the Access Point.•Associated —This unit has successfully synchronized and associated with an Access Point.•Alarmed—The unit is has detected one or more alarms that have not been cleared.NOTE: If an alarm is present when this screen is displayed, a “A)” will appear to the left of the Device Status field as seen in Figure 2-6. Pressing the “A” key on your keyboard will take you directly to the “Current Alarms” screen.•Uptime—Elapsed time since the transceiver was powered-up.•Firmware Version—Version of firmware that is currently active in the unit.•Hardware Version— Hardware version of the transceiver printed circuit board.•Serial Number—Make a record of this number. It must be provided to purchase Authorization Keys to upgrade unit capa-bilities. (See “Authorization Keys Menu” on Page 71.)2.2.2 Main MenuThe next screen, the Main Menu, is the entryway to all user-controllable features. The radio’s Device Name appears at the top of this and all other screens as a reminder of the unit that is currently being controlled.Invisible place holderFigure 2-7. Main Menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 25Invisible place holder•Starting Information Screen—Select this item to return to the start-up screen. (See “Starting Information Screen” on Page 23)•Network Configuration—Tools to configure the data network layer of the transceiver. (See “Network Configuration Menu” on Page 27)•Radio Configuration—Tools to configure the wireless (radio) layer of the transceiver. (See “Radio Configuration Menu” on Page 29)•Serial Gateway Configuration—Tools to configure the COM2 serial port. (See “Serial Data Port Configuration Menu” on Page 33)•Security Configuration—Tools to configure the secu-rity services available with the transceiver environment. (See “SECURITY CONFIGURATION” on Page 42)•Device Information—Top level user-specific and defin-able parameters, such as unit password. (See “Device Informa-tion Menu” on Page 25)•Performance Information—Tools to measure the radio and data layer’s performance of the network. (See “Performance Information Menu” on Page 45)•Maintenance/Tools—Tools to use configuration files, change firmware and use Authorization Keys to change major unit capabilities. (See “Authorization Key —Alter the unit’s overall capabilities by enabling the built-in resources. (See “Authorization Keys Menu” on Page 71)” on Page 58)2.2.3 Configuring Basic Device ParametersDevice Information MenuBelow is the menu/screen that displays basic administrative data on the unit to which you are connected. It also provides access to some user- specific parameters such as password and device names.
26 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AInvisible place holderFigure 2-8. Device Information Menu•Model Number (Display only)•Serial Number (Display only)•Hardware Version (Display only)•Firmware Version (Display only)—Current firmware installed and being used by the transceiver.•Uptime (Display only)—Elapsed time since powering up.•User Password—Password for gaining access to the entra-NET Management System from remote locations (over-the-air or LAN) and for changing parameters settings. Use this menu item to change the password. [admin]This menu item is always accessible via a terminal connected to the COM1 Port, and via Telnet if access enabled in the unit’s Security Configuration Menu (Page 42).•Device Names Menu—Fields used at user’s discretion for general administrative purposes. The Device Name field is used by the transceiver as the “Realm” name for network security and in the entraNET MS screen headings. (See Figure 2-9 on Page 27)•Date—Current date being used for the transceiver logs. User-setable. (Value lost with power failure if SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) server not accessible.) •Time—Current time of day. User-setable. Setting: HH:MM:SS (Value lost with power failure if SNTP server not accessible.)•Date Format—Select presentation format:• Generic = dd Mmm yyyy• European = dd-mm-yyyy• US = mm-dd-yyyy
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 27Device Names MenuFigure 2-9. Device Names Menu•Device Name—Device Name, used by the transceiver as the “Realm” name for network security and menu headings. •Owner—User defined; appears on this screen only.•Contact—User defined; appears on this screen only.•Description—User defined; appears on this screen only.•Location—User defined; appears on this screen only.2.3 CONFIGURING NETWORK PARAMETERS2.3.1 Network Configuration MenuThe Network Configuration Menu is the home of three parameters that should be reviewed and changed as necessary before placing an trans-ceiver in service—Device Mode, IP Address and Network Name. Screens for both the Access Point and Remote units are shown below.Invisible place holderFigure 2-10. Network Configuration MenuFrom Access Point•Network Name (User Review Required)—Name of the network of which this unit will be a part. Essential for association of Remotes to the Access Point in the entraNET network. [Not Programmed]•IP Address (User Review Recommended)—Essential for connec-tivity to the MDS entraNET 900 MS via the LAN port and Ether-net data over the network. Enter any valid IP address that will be unique within the network. [192.168.1.1]Screen not found in MDS entraNET
28 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ACAUTION: Changing this value in the transceiver while you are communicating with it over the network, will cause a loss of communication with the transceiver. Communication will need to be re-established using the new IP address.•IP Netmask—The IPv4 local subnet mask. This field is unnecessary if DHCP is enabled. [255.255.0.0]•IP Gateway—The IPv4 address of the default gateway device, typically a router. This field is unnecessary if DHCP is enabled. [0.0.0.0]•SNTP Server—Address of server from which the transceiver will automatically get the time-of-day. Without an SNTP server, the date and time must be manually set. [0.0.0.0]•DHCP Server Config(uration)—Menu for configura-tion of DHCP services by the Access Point unit. DHCP provides on-the-fly IP address assignments to other LAN devices, includ-ing MDS entraNET 900 units. [Disabled]•DHCP Client—Enabling this option forces the transceiver (AP or Remote) to obtain an IP address from any DHCP server available on the LAN. [Disabled]•Ethernet Link Watch (Access Point Only)—Detects the lack of activity (no traffic) through the Ethernet port in the spec-ified time period. If the period expires, then all Remotes are dis-sociated and expected to re-associate with an alternate AP. The current AP will broadcast a beacon indicating its “NOT AVAILABLE” status so Remotes that hear him do not try to associate to it. Once traffic is restored this beacon signal changes to “AVAILABLE” and Remotes are allowed to join in. [Disabled]•Max(imum Allowed) Remotes (Access Point Only)—Num-ber of Remotes permitted to be associated with (served by) this Access Point. [50]•Ethernet Address (Display Only)—Hardware address of this unit’s Ethernet interface.•Wireless Address (Display Only)—Hardware address of the unit’s wireless interface.2.4 CONFIGURING RADIO PARAMETERSThere are two primary data layers in the MDS entraNET 900 network—radio and data. Since the data layer is dependent on the radio layer working properly, this is a good place to make sure the unit is configured as you want it to be. This is the primary radio menu, the Radio Config-uration Menu, and a secondary menu, the Skip Zone Options.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 292.4.1 Radio Configuration MenuFigure 2-11. Radio Configuration MenuFrom Access Point•RF Output Power (User Review Recommended)—Set RF power output level. Displayed in dBm. Setting should reflect local reg-ulatory limitations and losses in antenna transmission line. (See “How Much Output Power Can be Used?” on Page 110 for information on how to calculate this value.) [20–30; 20]•Data Rate (Remote Only)—Over-the-air data transmission rate for this remote. Remotes can operate at different data rates when communicating with a common Access Point. 115.2 kbps data rates are possible with strong RF signal levels (> –79 dBm RSSI including a 15 dB fade margin). Data throughput will be reduced in the presence of interference due to retransmissions.The data rate value for Access Points is displayed as AP. This shows that the AP is varying the communication speed with each Remote depending on the received signal strength from each station. [115.2, AUTO; AUTO]•Dwell Time—Duration of one hop on a particular frequency in the hopping pattern. Dwell Time should be set to 32.8 ms. (This field is only changeable on an Access Point. Remotes get their value from AP upon association.) [16.4, 32.8, 65.5, 131.1, 262.1 msec; 32.8]TIP: If a packet is being transmitted and the dwell time expires, the packet will be completed before hopping to the next frequency. •Beacon Period—Amount of time between Beacon trans-missions (msec).Available Intervals: Fast (52 ms), Normal (104 ms), Moderate
30 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A(208 ms), and Slow (508 ms). These values provide relatively quick association times where Fast is very fast (≈ 5 sec) and the other end, the largest recommended value, the 508 ms period is slow (≈ 60 sec). [Fast, Normal, Moderate Slow; Normal]TIP: Increasing the Beacon Period will provide a small improvement in network data throughput. Shortening it decreases the time needed for Remotes to associate with the AP. A short period is usually only a benefit when there are mobile Remotes in the network.•Hop Pattern Seed (Access Point Only)—A user-selectable value to be added to the hop pattern formula in an unlikely event of identical hop patterns of two co-located or nearby networks. Changing the seed value will minimize possible RF-signal col-lisions of transceivers. (This field is only changeable on an Access Point. Remotes read the AP’s value upon association.) [1 to 65,000; 1]•Fragment Threshold—Before transmitting over the air, if a packet exceeds this number of bytes, the transceiver sends the packet in multiple fragments that are reassembled before being delivered over the Ethernet interface at the receiving end. Use smaller values on high interference locations. (See “Network Performance Notes” on Page 54.) [(256–1600 bytes; 1600]TIP: In an interference-free environment this value should be large to maximize throughput. If interference exists then the value should be set to smaller values. The smaller the packet the less chance of it being interfered with at the cost of slightly reduced throughput.•RTS Threshold—Number of bytes for the over-the-air RTS/CTS handshake boundary. (See “Network Performance Notes” on Page 54.) [0 to 1600 bytes; 500]TIP: Lower the RTS Threshold as the number of Remotes or overall over-the-air traffic increases. Using RTS/CTS is a trade-off, giving up some throughput in order to prevent collisions in a busy over-the-air network.The RTS Threshold should be enabled and set with a value smaller than the Fragmentation Threshold described above. RTS forces the Remotes to request permission from the AP before sending a packet. The AP sends a CTS control packet to grant permission to one Remote. All other Remotes stop transmitting for the specified amount of time.•RSSI Threshold—Level (dBm) below which connection is deemed to have degraded, and an critical event is generated and logged. [0 to -120; Not Programmed]
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 31•SNR Threshold—Value (dB) below which the wireless net-work connection is deemed to have degraded and an critical event is generated and logged. [0 to 40; Not Programmed]•Hop Format—Operation compliant to country-specific restrictions into the frequency hopping algorithm. This option must be specified when the order is placed and cannot be mod-ified in the field by the user. Authorizations at time of publica-tion:• Australia: 915–928 MHz band• Brazil: 902-907.5 and 915-928 MHz bands• U.S.A. & Canada: 902–928 MHz bandNOTE: Other country-specific configurations may be available. Check with your MDS sales representative for new additions.•Skip Zones (Editable at Access Point Only)—Display of current utilization of zones. Each zone consists of eight RF channels. (See “Skip Zone Options Menu” on Page 31.)Skip Zone Options Menu Invisible place holderFigure 2-12. Skip Zones Menu(“Commit changes” displayed only on Access Point units)This is a display of current utilization of 10 zones, each of eight RF operating frequencies. Zones can be toggled between Active and Skipped at Access Point units by first keying in the letter of the zone to be changed, and then pressing the spacebar to toggle between the two options for each zone. Select the Commit Changes menu item to implement changes. These changes will be forwarded to all units in the network through the Access Point’s beacon signal.A maximum of three zones can be skipped and still be compliant with FCC regulations.
32 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.5 CONFIGURING THE SERIAL INTERFACES2.5.1 OverviewModesThe transceiver includes an embedded terminal server that provides serial-data-encapsulation over IP. In this capacity, the entraNET 900 acts as a gateway between serial and IP remotes devices. Two basic sce-narios come to mine, PC applications using IP to talk to remote devices, or serial PC applications talking to remote serial-devices over an IP net-work.Two types of services are offered by the transceiver—TCP and UDP. TCP provides a connection-type link, and end-to-end acknowledgment of data, but with some added overhead. UDP provides a best-effort delivery service.Most polled protocols will be best served by UDP services as the pro-tocol itself has built-in recovery mechanisms (error-correction). UDP provides the needed multidrop operation by means of multicast addressing, where multiple remote devices will receive and process the same poll message. The serial-to-serial example which follows, shows how to provide multicast services. (See “Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Application Example” on Page 39.)On the other hand, TCP services are best suited for applications that do not have a recovery mechanism (error-correction) and most have the guaranteed delivery that TCP provides despite the extra overhead. The IP-to-Serial example shows how to do this. (See “IP-to-Serial Applica-tion Example” on Page 36.)Essentially the same data services are available for both serial ports: COM1 and COM2. Note that the transceiver COM1 port is DCE and COM2 is DTE. Therefore, if the RTU to be connected is also DTE, then a null-modem cable will need to be used when connecting to COM2.NOTE: In the discussion that follows, COM1 and COM2 will be treatedalike unless noted. They provide essentially the same dataservices.ConfigurationThere are several configuration parameters for the Remote Serial Gateway found under the Serial Configuration Menu of the entraNET Management System. Note that some of the parameters are not appli-cable to IP-to-Serial mode. After making changes to the configuration, you must use the menu’s “Execute Changes” to cause the transceiver to implement the requested changes.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 33If you are connecting EIA-232 serial devices to the transceiver, review these parameters carefully.Serial Configuration WizardThe Serial Configuration Wizard (FW≥ 3.0) available through the Serial Data Port Configuration Menu is recommended for configuration of serial ports. The wizard uses a step-by-step process, will eliminate pos-sible conflicting settings, and streamline complex configurations.2.5.2 Serial Data Port Configuration MenuThe first two menu present the identical parameter fields for each port with one exception—Flow Control. This is available only on Com2.Figure 2-13. COM1/2—Serial Data Port Configuration Menu•Serial Configuration Wizard—Tool for configu-ration of serial ports using a step-by-step process.•Com1 Serial Data Port—For additional information see Page 33.•Com2 Serial Data Port—For additional information see Page 33.•Serial Data Statistics—Provides statistics on the serial and IP activity through the COM1 and COM2 ports. (See Page 36 for details)
34 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ASerial Data Port Configuration ScreensFigure 2-14. COM1/2—Serial Gateway Configuration ScreenNOTE: Setting this parameter for COM1 port to Enable prevents accessof the entraNET Management System (MS) through this port. However, the entraNET MS can still be accessed via Telnet orbrowser through the LAN port.TIP: If you need to restore the COM1 port to support entraNET Man-agement System services, connect a terminal to the port and enter an escape sequence to reset it the console mode. (+++ ENTER)•Status—Enable/Disable the serial data port. •Data Baud Rate—Data rate (payload) for the COM port in bits-per-second. [1,200–115,200; 19200] •Configuration—Interface signaling parameters. Data bits, parity and stop bits. [7N1, 7E1, 7O1, 8N1, 8E1, 8O1; 8N1]•Flow Control [Com2 Only] (Access Point Only)—RTS/CTS handshaking between the transceiver and con-nected device. [Enable, Disable; Disabled]•Seamless Mode— If data buffering is Enabled, the radio will operate in seamless mode. Data bytes will be sent over the air as quickly as possible, but the receiver will buffer the data until enough bytes have arrived to cover worst case gaps in transmission. The delay introduced by data buffering may range from 22 to 44 ms, but the radio will not create any gaps in the output data stream. This mode of operation is required for protocols such as MODBUS™ that do not allow gaps in their data transmission. [Enable, Disable; Disabled]•Delimiter— Number of characters that represent the end of a message (inter-character time-out). A transceiver receiv-ing data through the serial port will send an end-of-message
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 35signal to the remote end. MODBUS defines a “3.5-character” parameter. [0–1,000; 0]•Buffer Size—Maximum amount of characters, that the Remote end will buffer locally before starting to transmit data through the serial port. [0–100; 4]•IP Protocol—TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram Protocol). [TCP, UDP; TCP]This is the type of IP port that will be offered by the trans-ceiver serial device server. UDP requires configuration of Send to Address parameter. NOTE: TCP has guaranteed deliv-ery, but at the expense of more overhead; UDP delivery is not guaranteed, but has less overhead.•Send to Address—The IP address to be used as a des-tination for data received through the serial port. To reach multiple Remotes in the network, use a multicast address at the AP. Remotes in the network should have the multicast address programmed in their Send to Address. [Any legal IP address; 0.0.0.0]•Send to Port—The IP port to which data packets received from the device connected to the transceiver should be sent. [Any valid IP port; COM1: 30010, COM2: 30011]•Receive on Port—Receive IP data from this source and pass it through to the connected serial device. The port num-ber must be used by the application connecting to local TCP socket. [Any valid IP port; COM1: 30010, COM2: 30011]•Receive on Address—Must be configured with a valid multicast address. IP packets received with a matching desti-nation address will be terminated at this unit[Any legal IP address; 0.0.0.0]Used only for UDP multicast purposes•Execute Changes—Save and execute changes made on this screen (Shown only after changes have been entered.)
36 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ASerial Data Statistics MenuThis screen provides a summary of port activity for both serial data ports. These values will be reset to zero after a reboot cycle. Figure 2-15. Serial Data Statistics Screen(Both COM1 and COM2 will be shown)•Bytes in on port—Number of bytes received by the transceiver through the serial interface•Bytes out on port—Number of bytes transmitted by the transceiver through the serial interface•Bytes in on socket—Number of bytes received by the transceiver through the IP socket•Bytes out on socket—Number of bytes transmitted by the transceiver through the IP socketIn general, the number of bytes Out on Socket should follow the number of bytes In On Port as all bytes received on the serial port should be transmitted out to the IP interface. The same should be true in the opposite direction, bytes Out On Port should follow bytes In On Socket.•Clear Com1 Statistics—Resets counter to zero.•Clear Com2 Statistics—Resets counter to zero.2.5.3 IP-to-Serial Application ExampleYou have a choice to use UDP or TCP to establish communications. This will depend on the type of device you are communicating with at the other end of the IP network. In this example we will use TCP to illus-trate its use. In TCP mode, the transceiver remains in a passive mode offering a socket for connection. Once a request is received, data received in the serial port will be sent out through the IP socket and vice versa, until the connection is closed, or the link is interrupted. The TCP session has a timeout of 10 minutes. If inactive for that time, it will be closed. The Library Admin Office Serial Data Statistics Menu -==========================================================================- Com1 Data Statistics Com2 Data Statistics Bytes In On Port 834 Bytes In On Port 159 Bytes Out On Port 312 Bytes Out On Port 976 Bytes In On Socket 872 Bytes In On Socket 324 Bytes Out On Socket 392 Bytes Out On Socket 870 A) Clear Com1 Statistics B) Clear Com2 Statistics Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 37transceiver will offer again the port for connection after this time. In this mode, the entraNET 900 behaves the same, whether it is an Access Point or a Remote. (See Figure 2-16 and Table 2-1) Establishing a Connection From the PC, establish a TCP connection to the IP address of the Remote transceiver and to the IP port as configured above (typically 30011). A Telnet client application can be used to establish this connec-tion. Data can now be sent between the PC and the RTU or other con-nected device.Invisible place holderFigure 2-16. IP-to-Serial Application Diagram2.5.4 Point-to-Point Serial-to-Serial Application ExampleOnce the transceivers are configured and the changes have been exe-cuted, they begin processing any data presented at the COM ports. Data presented at the Access Point’s COM port will be packetized and sent via UDP to the Remote. Upon receiving the packet, the Remote strips the data out of the UDP packet and sends it out its COM port. Likewise, data presented at the Remote’s COM port is packetized, sent to the Access Point, stripped, and sent out the Access Point’s COM port. Note, this configuration does not use multicast addressing.EthernetCrosssoverRTUEIA-232Computeror Network192.168.0.10 192.168.0.1 192.168.0.2LANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900RemoteiNET 900Access PointTable 2-1. Serial Port Application ConfigurationIP-to-Serial Connection Unit Location Menu Item SettingAccess Point None is required None is requiredRemote Unit IP Address 192.168.0.2Status EnabledIP Protocol TCPBaud Rate 9,600 (Example)Flow Control NoneReceive on Port 30011
38 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AInvisible place holderFigure 2-17. Point-to-Point Serial-to-Serial Application DiagramEIA-232RTUEIA-232Terminalor Computer192.168.0.10 192.168.0.1 192.168.0.2iNET 900RemoteiNET 900Access PointLANCOM1COM2PWRLINKTable 2-2. Serial Port Application Configuration MDS entraNET 900 Unit Location Menu Item SettingAccess Point (COM2)1Status EnabledData Baud Rate 9,600 (Example)Flow Control Hardware (Example)Seamless Mode DisabledDelimiter (Chars) 0Buffer Size 0IP Protocol UDPSend to Address 192.168.0.2(IP address of the entraNET Remote)Send to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 (Not used)Receive on Address 0.0.0.0 (Not used)Remote Unit (COM2)1Status EnabledData Baud Rate 9,600 (Example)Flow Control X-ON/X-OFF (Example)Seamless Mode Disabled Delimiter 0 (Characters)Buffer Size 0 (Characters)IP Protocol UDPSend to Address 192.168.0.1(IP address of the entraNET AP)Send to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 (Not used)Receive on Address 0.0.0.0 (Not used)1. Either COM port can be used, but they must be the same ones at both ends of the link. Both COM ports can be used simultaneously for two independent data channels.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 392.5.5 Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Application ExampleThe operation and data flow for this mode is very similar to Point-to-Point serial-to-serial application, except that it uses multicast addressing. The primary difference is that data presented at the Access Point’s COM port will be packetized and sent via UDP to all of the Remotes. Upon receiving the packet all of the Remotes strip the data out of the UDP packet and send it out their COM port. Likewise, data pre-sented at any of the Remotes’ COM ports is packetized, sent to the Access Point, stripped, and sent out the Access Point’s COM port.Invisible place holderFigure 2-18. Point-to-Multipoint Serial-to-Serial Application Diagram Invisible place holder192.168.0.3192.168.0.4EIA-232Terminalor ComputerRTURTURTUEIA-232EIA-232EIA-232192.168.0.10 192.168.0.1192.168.0.2iNET 900Access PointLANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900RemoteLANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900RemoteLANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900RemoteTable 2-3. Serial Port Application ConfigurationMDS entraNET 900Unit Location Menu Item SettingAccess Point (COM2)1Status EnabledBaud Rate 9600 (Example)Seamless Mode Disabled Flow Control DisabledIP Protocol UDPSend to Address 224.254.1.1—Multicast Address2Send to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 Receive on Address 0.0.0.0 (Not applicable)Remote Units (COM2)1Enable EnabledBaud Rate 2,400 (Example)Seamless Mode Disabled Flow Control Hardware (Example)IP Protocol UDPSend to Address 192.168.0.1
40 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.5.6 Mixed ModesNote that in this example, the TCP mode does not involve the Access Point. Thus, the transceiver in a single network can run in both modes at the same time. In other words, some Remotes can be configured for TCP mode while others can be configured (along with the Access Point) for UDP mode. In this configuration, the Host PC can use both data paths to reach the RTUs. This may be helpful when a mixed collection of RTUs is present where some RTUs can operate in a broadcast form while others cannot. (See Figure 2-19 on Page 40 and Table 2-4 on Page 41)Operation and Data Flow• Communicate with RTU A by Telneting to Remote 1, port 30011.• Communicate with RTU B by Telneting to Remote 2, port 30011.• Communicate with RTUs C and D by sending and receiving data from the Access Point’s COM port.• All communication paths can be used simultaneously.Invisible place holderFigure 2-19. Mixed-Modes Application DiagramSend to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 Receive on Address 224.254.1.1 —Multicast Address2 1. Either COM port can be used, but they must be the same ones at both ends of the link. Both COM ports can be used simultaneously for two independent data channels.2. This address is an example only. Any Class D IP address will work.Table 2-3. Serial Port Application ConfigurationMDS entraNET 900Unit Location Menu Item SettingEIA-232Terminalor ComputerRTU–CEIA-232EIA-232EIA-232RTU–DEIA-232LANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900Remote 4EthernetCrosssoverRTU–BRTU–AiNET 900Access PointLANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900Remote 1LANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900Remote 2LANCOM1COM2PWRLINKiNET 900Remote 3
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 41Table 2-4. Serial Port Application ConfigurationMDS entraNET 900Unit Location Menu Item SettingAccess Point Status EnabledBaud Rate 9,600Flow Control DisabledIP Protocol UDPSend to Address A multicast IP address such as 224.254.1.1Send to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 Receive on Address 0.0.0.0 (Not Used)Remote Units 1 & 2 (COM2) Status EnabledBaud Rate 2,400Flow Control DisabledIP Protocol TCPReceive on Port 30011 Remote Units 3 & 4 (COM2) Status EnabledBaud Rate 9,600Flow Control DisabledIP Protocol UDPSend to Address IP address of the entraNET APSend to Port 30011 Receive on Port 30011 Receive on Address 224.254.1.1(The multicast IP address used for the AP’s Send To Address above)
42 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.6 SECURITY CONFIGURATIONThere are many options for assisting you in providing secondary secu-rity for your transceivers and the network. These options start with con-trolling remote access to the network via Telnet, Web Browser, and SNMP. Other areas include multiple levels of encryption and MD5-level security for HTTP connections. Figure 2-20. Security Configuration Menu(Access Point Version Shown)•Provisioning— Enable provisioning at the Remote. [Enabled/Disabled; Disabled]Enabling forces the entraNET 900 to check the Approved AP List before continuing the authorization process. In the case of a Remote, the AP must be in the Approved Access Points List before it accepts the beacon as valid. In the case of an AP, a Remote must be in the Approved Remotes List to be granted authorization. Before enabling this option, at least one entry must already exist in the Approved List.•Encryption— Enable encryption of over-the-air data pack-ets. [Enabled, Disabled; Disabled]Enabling forces the transceiver to use 128-bit encryption on all over-the-air messages. This option requires the Encryption Phrase to be previously configured.•Auto Key Rotation—Enable automatic rotation of encryption keys. [Enabled, Disabled; Disabled]Enabling forces the transceiver to use the key rotation algorithm to generate a new encryption key after 500 kilobytes of informa-tion has been transmitted, or one hour has elapsed. Key rotation prevents reusing encryption data that could result in key-crack-ing, unlike standard 802.11b communications that rely on static encryption keys.•HTTP Access—Prevents remote access through HTTP (Web browser) on Port 80 [Enabled/Disabled; Disabled] MIS Wireless IP Host Security Configuration Menu -==========================================================================- A) Provisioning enabled G) Approved Remotes List B) Encryption disabled H) Encryption Phrase ******** C) Auto Key Rotation disabled I) Force Key Rotation D) HTTP Access disabled J) HTTP Security Mode Basic Auth E) SNMP Access disabled K) User Password ******** F) Telnet Access enabled Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 43•SNMP Access— Prevents remote access through SNMP com-mands on Port 161 [Enabled, Disabled; Enabled]•Telnet Access—Prevents remote access through Telnet sessions on Port 23 [Enabled, Disabled; Enabled]•Approved Access Points/Remotes List (Menu)—Go to menu providing the creation and management list of units permitted (provisioned) with which this unit will be permitted to communicate.•Encryption Phrase—Phrase (text & numbers) that will be part of the encryption algorithm. [Any 30-character alphanu-meric string; Blank]•Force Key Rotation— It triggers an immediate key rota-tion of the encryption keys before the internal counters do it automatically.•HTTP Security Mode—Select security mode/level of login via HTTP browser. HTTP Access disabled prevents access through HTTP. HTTP Security Mode is functional if HTTP Access is enabled. [Basic Auth, MD5 Digest; Basic Auth]Basic mode requires a password, but the actual password text is transmitted in the clear (unencrypted). MD5 is the most secure. MD5 Digest protects/encrypts the password but is only supported by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer™ browser at the time of publication.User Password—General administrative password only for this unit. Used at log-in via COM1 Port, Telnet and Web browser. [Up to 8-character alphanumeric string without spaces (case-sensitive); Default=admin]TIP: For enhanced security, consider using a misspelled word. This helps protect against sophisticated hackers who may use a database of common words (e.g., dictionary file) to determine a password.
44 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.6.1 Approved Remotes/Access Points List MenuThis menu is the same for both Access Points and Remotes and the names change to reflect their mode. Replace “Remotes” with Access Points” in the following description. Figure 2-21. Approved Remotes List Menu•Add Remote—Enter MAC address of Remote.[Any valid 6-octet MAC address; 00:00:00:00:00:00] •Delete Remote—Enter MAC address of Remote.For security purposes, you may want to delete a stolen or depro-visioned radio.•Add Associated Remotes—Add all currently associated remotes (1-255) to the approved remote list. Alternatively, you can enter each Remote MAC manually.•Delete All Remotes—Remove (complete purge) of all Remotes from current list.•View Approved Remotes—Simple listing of approved Remotes by MAC address, of radios authorized to join this AP. If a Remote is not in this list, it will not be able to associate with this AP.•Save Changes—Save all changes made during this session with this menu. Changes will be implemented only if they are “saved” before exiting this menu.2.7 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATIONAfter the basic operation of the radio has been checked, you may wish to optimize the network’s performance using some of the following sug-gestions. The effectiveness of these techniques will vary with the design of your system and the format of the data being sent.There are two major areas for possible improvement—the radio and the data network. The following sections will provide you with a variety of MIS Wireless IP Host Approved Remotes List Menu -==========================================================================- A) Add Remote 00:06:3D:00:0B:D7 Remote Added B) Delete Remote 00:00:00:00:00:00 C) Add Associated Remotes D) Delete All Remotes E) View Approved Remotes F) Save Changes Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 45items to check and on many occasions, ways to correct or improve their performance.2.7.1 Performance Information MenuThis menu/screen is one of two primary sources of information on the radio layer and shows network performance.Figure 2-22. Performance Information Menu(Remote Version Shown)•RF Output Power (Display only)—Measured power output. (See “How Much Output Power Can be Used?” on Page 110)•Signal-to-Noise (Display only)—Current running-average SNR value all active operating frequencies. (No value displayed on APs) •RSSI (Display only)—Current running-average Received Signal Strength Indication for all active operating frequencies. (No value displayed on APs.) •Actual Data Rate—Over-the-air transmission rate (as opposed to selected data rate) for the remote being monitored. The fastest data rates can generally be achieved with stronger signal levels.•RSSI by Zone—Received Signal Strength Indicator by Zone. (See “RSSI by Zone Menu (Remotes Only)” on Page 46)•Event Log—Access the menu for managing the unit’s log of operational activities.(See “Authorization Key —Alter the unit’s overall capabilities by enabling the built-in resources. (See “Authorization Keys Menu” on Page 71)” on Page 58)•Packet Statistics—Multiple radio and network operat-ing statistics. (See “Packet Statistics Menu” on Page 49)•Wireless Network Status (Displayed only at Remotes)—Current association state and MAC address of the Access Point. (See “Wireless Network Status (Remotes Only)” on Page 50)•Remote Listing (AP Display only) —List of basic information for all Remote units currently associated with this Access Point. (See “Remote Listing Menu (Access Points Only)” on Page 52) Library Admin Office Performance Information Menu -==========================================================================- RF Output Power 25 dBm Signal to Noise 26 dBm RSSI -80 dBm Actual Data Rate 115.2 kbps A) RSSI By Zone C) Packet Statistics B) Event Log D) Wireless Network Status Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
46 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A•Endpoint Listing (AP Display only)—List of units accessible by this AP through associated Remote ports. (See “Endpoint Listing Menu (Access Points Only)” on Page 53)•Remote Performance Listing (AP Display only)—(See “Remote Performance Listing Menu (Access Points Only)” on Page 54) RSSI by Zone Menu (Remotes Only)This screen displays the strength of RF signals received from the cur-rently associated Access Point. Wireless network integrity depends partially on stable radio signal levels being received at each end of a data link. In general, signal levels stronger than –80 dBm will provide reliable communication that includes a 15 dB fade margin.If you find there is a poor signal level on one zone, check the Packet Sta-tistics Menu section on Page 49 and record the values. Then, set the questionable zone to “Skipped” in the Radio Configuration Menu (Page 29) and look for an improvement in the Packet Statistics error rates. If there is none, return the Zone to “Active.”RSSI measurements and Wireless Packet Statistics are based on mul-tiple samples over a period of several seconds. The average of these measurements will be displayed by the entraNET Management System.Figure 2-23. RSSI by Zone MenuTIP: Under normal circumstances, the signal levels in each zone should be within a few decibels of each other. If you see one that is signif-icantly lower or higher, it may be a sign of radio frequency inter-ference from another signal source on the 900 MHz band. See “Network Performance Notes” on Page 54 for further infor-mation. MIS Com. Room RSSI by Zone Menu -==========================================================================- Zone #1 -93 dBm Zone #6 -95 dBm Zone #2 Skipped Zone #7 -92 dBm Zone #3 -98 dBm Zone #8 -88 dBm Zone #4 -99 dBm Zone #9 -87 dBm Zone #5 -97 dBm Zone #10 -86 dBm Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 47Event Log MenuThe transceiver’s microprocessor monitors many operational parame-ters and logs them. Events are classified into four levels of importance, which are described in Table 2-5. Some of these events will result from a condition that prevents the normal of the unit—these are “critical” events. These will cause the unit to enter an “alarmed” state and the POWER LED to blink until the condition is corrected. All events are stored in the Events Log that can hold up to 8,000 entries.Time and Date The events stored in the Event Log are time-stamped using the time and date of the local transceiver. Remote transceivers obtain this informa-tion from the Access Point when they associate with it. The Access Point obtains the time and date from a Time Server. This server can generally be provided by a standard Windows PC server SNTP application. In the absence of the SNTP services, the user must manually enter it at the Access Point. (See “Device Information Menu” on Page 25 for SNTP server identification.) The manually set time and date clock is dependent on the unit’s primary power. A loss of power will reset the clock to Jan-uary 1, 2002 but will not affect previously stored error events.Figure 2-24. Event Log Menu •Current Alarms (Telnet/Terminal only)—View list of root causes that have placed the Device Status in the alarmed state. (See “Alarm Conditions” on Page 92)•View Log—View a list of events stored in the current log. Some of these events are stored in volatile memory and will be erased with a loss of power.Table 2-5. Event ClassificationsLevel Description/ImpactInformational Normal operating activitiesMinor Does not affect unit operationMajor Degraded unit performance but still capable of operationCritical Prevents the unit from operating Library Admin Office Event Log Menu -==========================================================================- A) Current Alarms B) View Log C) Clear Log D) Send Log E) TFTP Host Address 127.0.0.1 F) Filename G) TFTP Timeout 10 sec Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
48 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A•Clear Log—Purges the log of all eventsTIP: Save your Event Log before choosing to clear it in order to retain potentially valuable troubleshooting information. (See “Upgrading the Firmware” on Page 59 for an over-view on how to transfer files from the transceiver to a computer on the network using TFTP.)•Send Log (Telnet/Terminal only)—Initiate TFTP transfer of the unit’s event Event Log in a plain text (ASCII) file to a TFTP server at the remote location.•TFTP Host Address (Telnet/Terminal only)—IP address of the computer on which the TFTP server resides. [Any valid IP address; 127.0.0.1]•Filename (Telnet/Terminal only)—Name to be given to the Event Log file sent to the TFTP server for archiving. [Any 40-char alphanumeric string; Blank]NOTE: You may want to change it to reflect the type of log you intend to archive and/or its date. •TFTP Time-out (Telnet/Terminal only)—Time in seconds the TFTP server will wait for a packet ACK (acknowledgment) from the transceiver before suspending the file transfer.[10 to 120 seconds; 10]View Current AlarmsFigure 2-25. Current Alarms Screen Library Admin Office Current Alarms -==========================================================================- EVENT_BRIDGE Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 49View Event Log Figure 2-26. Sample Event Log ScreenPacket Statistics Menu Figure 2-27. Sample Packet Statistics MenuWireless Packet Statistics •Packets received—Over-the-air data packets received by this unit•Packets sent—Over-the-air data packets sent by this Remote.•Bytes received—Over-the-air data bytes received by this Remote.•Bytes sent—Over-the-air data bytes sent by this Remote.•Packets dropped—Received packets dropped as a result of a lack of buffers.•Receive errors—Packets that do not pass CRC. This may be due to transmissions corrupted by RF interference.•Retries—Number of requests to re-send a data packet•Retry errors—Packets discarded after exceeding five retries over-the-air.•Clear Wireless stats—Resets the statistics counter. Library Admin Office Event Log -==========================================================================-Num Date Time Description------------------------------------------------------------------------------==START OF OPERATIONS LOG== 1 28 Dec 2001 23:21 Hop Table Write Successful 2 28 Dec 2001 23:21 Scanning Started 3 29 Dec 2001 20:55 Received Beacon OK 4 29 Dec 2001 20:55 Hop Table Write Successful 5 29 Dec 2001 20:55 Expected Sync Established 6 29 Dec 2001 20:55 Hop Sync Established 7 29 Dec 2001 20:55 Association Established 8 29 Dec 2001 20:56 Association Lost 9 29 Dec 2001 20:56 Hop Table Write Successful 10 29 Dec 2001 20:56 Scanning Started 11 29 Dec 2001 20:57 Received Beacon OK 12 29 Dec 2001 20:57 Hop Table Write Successful 13 29 Dec 2001 20:57 Expected Sync Established 14 29 Dec 2001 20:57 Hop Sync Established Use Up, Down, Pg-Up, Pg-Dn, Home or End to view log, <ESC> for the prev menu Library Admin Office Packet Statistics Menu-==========================================================================- Wireless Packet Statistics Ethernet Packet Statistics Packets received 2206 Packets received 0 Packets sent 2177 Packets sent 2172 Bytes received 247575 Bytes received 0 Bytes sent 236106 Bytes sent 161877 Packets dropped 0 Packets dropped 0 Receive errors 1 Receive errors 0 Retries 4 Lost carrier detected 0 Retry errors 2 A) Clear Wireless stats B) Clear Ethernet stats Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
50 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AEthernet Packet Statistics •Packets received—Packets received by the transceiver through the Ethernet port.•Packets sent—Packets received by the transceiver through the Ethernet port.•Bytes received—Data bytes received by this Remote.•Bytes sent—Data bytes sent by this Remote.•Packets dropped—Received packets dropped as a result of a lack of buffers.•Receive errors—Packets discarded after exceeding five retries the network.•Lost carrier detected—A count of how many times the carrier signal on the Ethernet port has been missing. This count increase significantly when the Ethernet cable is plugged in and unplugged.•Clear Ethernet stats—Resets the statistics counter.Wireless Network Status(Remotes Only)The Wireless Network Status screen provides information on a key operating process of the transceiver—the association of the Remote with the Access Point. The following is a description of how this process takes place and as monitored on the Figure 2-28. Wireless Network Status Screen" on page 51.The Association Process After the Remote is powered up and finishes its boot cycle, it begins scanning the 900 MHz band for beacon signals being sent out from AP units. If the Remote sees a beacon with a Network Name that is the same as its own, the Remote will stop its scanning and temporarily synchro-nize its frequency-hopping pattern to match the one encoded on the AP’s beacon signal. The Remote waits for three identical beacon signals from the AP and then it toggles into a fully synchronized “associated” state. If the Remote does not receive three identical beacons from the Access Point unit within a predetermined time period, the Remote returns to a scanning mode and continues to search for an AP with a matching net-work name in its beacon. Under normal circumstances, the association process should be com-pleted within 20 seconds after boot-up.Remote units are always monitoring the beacon signal. If an associated Remote loses the AP’s beacon for more than 20 seconds, the association process starts again.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 51The Wireless Network Status ScreenFigure 2-28. Wireless Network Status Screen•Connection Status—Current state of the wireless net-work communication. •Scanning—The unit is looking for an Access Point beacon signal.•Exp(ecting) Sync(hronization)—The unit has found a valid beacon signal for its network.•Hop Sync—The unit has changed its frequency hopping pat-tern to match that of the Access Point.•Associated —This unit has successfully synchronized and associated with an Access Point. This is the normal status.•Alarmed—The unit is has detected one or more alarms that have not been cleared.•Current AP—Wireless address of Access Point with which the Remote is associated.•Association Date—Date of last successful association with an Access Point.•Association Time—Time of day association was estab-lished on the association date. Library Admin Office Wireless Network Status -==========================================================================- Connection Status Associated Current AP 00:06:3d:00:00:f2 Association Date 03 Aug 2002 Association Time 19:38 Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
52 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ARemote Listing Menu(Access Points Only) Figure 2-29. Remote Listing Menu(List of MDS transceiver units associated with this AP)•MAC Address—Hardware address of Remote.•IP Address—IP Address of Remote.•State—Current association state of Remote.•AgeTime—Time, in minutes, remaining before the device (address) will be deleted from the table.Each transceiver maintains a table with the addresses of the devices it communicates with. The age time countdown is restarted to 5 min-utes every time a message to/from that device is detected. If no traf-fic with that device happens, it then “ages out” of the table. When traffic is detected it is included again in the table. This optimizes memory space utilization.•SuppRates—Supported data rate by this unit. Library Admin Office Remote Listing Menu -==========================================================================- MAC Address IP Address State AgeTime SuppRates 00:06:3d:00:00:36 10.2.208.100 Assoc'ed 4 min 115.2kbps Number of remotes: 1 Page 1 of 1 Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 53Endpoint Listing Menu(Access Points Only)This list shows all of the non-entraNET 900 Ethernet devices that are known to the transceiver and is equivalent to the ARP table of IP devices. Figure 2-30. Endpoint Listing Menu(Lists all equipment attached to REMOTE transceivers in the network)•MAC Address—Hardware address of endpoint device.•IP Address—IP Address of endpoint device.•AgeTime—Time, in minutes, remaining before the device (address) will be deleted from the table. Each transceiver maintains a table with the addresses of the devices it communicates with. The age time countdown is restarted to 5 min-utes every time a message to/from that device is detected. If no traf-fic with that device happens, it then “ages out” of the table. When traffic is detected it is included again in the table. This optimizes memory space utilization.•via Remote—Hardware address of the transceiver connected to this device.•RxPkts—Over-the-air data packets received by the transceiver. and passed on to the endpoint device.•TxPkt—Number of packets received from the endpoint device and passed over-the-air. Library Admin Office Endpoint Listing Menu -==========================================================================- MAC Address IP Address AgeTime via Remote RxPkts TxPkt 00:b0:24:b9:e9:94 10.3.145.49 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 22 3 00:b0:24:4d:db:15 10.3.128.124 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 50 0 00:c0:4f:41:e3:8b 10.3.145.84 < 1 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 9 0 00:50:08:14:35:ff <Unknown> 4 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 1 0 00:b0:24:41:02:b0 10.3.128.25 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 19 0 00:20:bf:07:47:b2 10.3.145.123 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 21 1 00:50:08:17:4e:2c 10.3.144.27 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 18 0 00:40:8b:b4:b1:39 <Unknown> 4 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 18 0 00:c0:59:01:00:8c <Unknown> 4 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 197 0 00:c0:59:01:23:00 <Unknown> 4 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 387 0 00:50:97:45:fc:14 10.3.145.88 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 18 0 00:50:97:e0:7f:71 10.3.144.47 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 33 0 00:c0:4f:41:df:70 10.3.128.245 < 1 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 1 0 00:10:4b:27:cb:d5 10.3.145.41 3 min 00:05:3d:00:00:35 22 0 Number of endpoints: 285 Page 1 of 21 Press Enter to continue, Escape to quit Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
54 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ARemote Performance Listing Menu (Access Points Only) Figure 2-31. Remote Performance Listing MenuThis screen provides a unit-by-unit summary of all Remote units cur-rently associated with this Access Point. The parameters are displayed in a column format with each line corresponding to one Remote.•RxRate—Over-the-air data rate the transceiver is currently using. All units do not need to use the same rate.•RxPkts—Over-the-air data packets received from this unit.•TxPkts—Over-the-air data packets sent to this unit.•RxBCMC—Total number of Broadcast and/or Multicast packets received over-the-air.•RxViaEP—Packets received by the transceiver through the Ethernet port.•TxViaEP—Packets sent by the transceiver through the Ether-net port.•RetryEr—Packets discarded after exceeding five retries over-the-air.2.7.2 Network Performance NotesPrinciples of Network OperationThe following is a list of points that could be of value in dealing with the networking aspects of the transceiver.1. The transceiver serves as a network bridge• The transceiver goes through a “listening and learning” period at start-up before it will send any packets over either of its ports. This lasts about 10 seconds after the CPU’s operating system has finished its boot cycle. Library Admin Office Event Log Menu Remote Performance Listing Menu -==========================================================================- MAC Address RxRate RxPkts TxPkts RxBCMC RxViaEP TxViaEP RetryEr 00:06:3d:00:00:36 115.2 kbps 509 7 502 105027 41 4 Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 55• The bridge code in the transceiver operates and makes decisions about packet forwarding just like any other bridge. The bridge code builds a list of source MAC addresses that it has seen on each of its ports. There are a few general rules that are followed when a packet is received on any port:• If the destination address is a multicast or broadcast address, forward the packet to all other ports.• If the destination address is not known, forward the packet to all other ports. • If the destination address is known, forward the packet to the port that the destination is known to be on (usually the RF port).• The bridge code uses Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) to prevent loops from being created when connecting bridges in parallel. For example, connecting two remotes to the same wired LAN could create a loop if STP was not used. Every bridge running STP sends out Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDU's) at regular intervals so that the spanning tree can be built and maintained. BPDU's are 60-byte multicast Ethernet frames.2. The wireless MAC has two settings that can be adjusted.•Fragmentation threshold is the threshold in bytes, which causes the MAC to fragment a packet.•RTS threshold is the threshold in bytes that causes the MAC to use RTS/CTS before sending the packet.3. Throughput calculations must take into account all overhead.The following is an example of the overhead at each layer for a 100-bytes of data over UDP:• Data: 100 bytes• UDP header: 8 bytes• IP header: 20 bytes• Ethernet header: 14 bytes• 802.11 header 24 bytes • LLC and SNAP header: 8 bytes• FHSS header and FCS: 16 bytesTotal over-the-air frame size=190 bytesIf the frame is directed (for example: not multicast/broadcast), the 802.11 ACK frame must be accounted for:• 14 bytes—802.11 ACK• 30 bytes—Over-the-air ACK frame (added 16 the FHSS PHY)If the 802.11 encapsulated Ethernet frame (NOT the UDP or Ethernet frame) exceeds the RTS threshold, then the overhead for RTS/CTS frames must also be accounted for.
56 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A• 20 bytes—802.11 RTS.• 14 bytes—802.11 CTS.• 66 bytes—Total Over-the-air bytes for RTS/CTS with PHY headers.If the frame is TCP, then there is a 32-byte TCP header instead of the 8-byte UDP header.• ARP requests, ARP replies and BPDU’s will affect throughput.• ARP requests are 60-byte Ethernet frames. 142 bytes over-the-air.• ARP replies are 60-byte Ethernet frames. 142 bytes over-the-air.• BPDUs are 60-byte Ethernet frames. 142 bytes over-the-air.Note that the overhead to put a single Ethernet frame over-the-air is 82 bytes. If RTS/CTS is invoked, it is 148 bytes. Therefore, the overhead for a minimal Ethernet frame (60 bytes) is 128% and, as such, gives the transceiver a poor small-packet performance.If any transceiver in your entraNET network is connected to a large LAN, such as may be found in a large office complex, there may be undesired multicast/broadcast traffic over the air.4. Station-to-Station Traffic• When sending frames from an endpoint connected to one trans-ceiver to another endpoint with a different transceiver, the throughput will be halved at best. This is because all frames must go through the AP. Therefore, in the previous 100-byte UDP example, the number of over-the-air bytes will be 380 bytes (190 bytes x 2) if the frame has to go station-to-station.5. Interference has a direct correlation to throughput.• Interference could be caused by any unnecessary traffic on the network from unrelated activities, or Radio Frequency Interfer-ence in the wireless spectrum.Tips for Optimizing Network Performance Here are some suggestion on things to try that may maximize throughput:1. AP Only: Increment the Dwell Time to the maximum of 262.1 ms. This lowers the overhead since it will stay longer on a channel. The down side is that if a particular channel is interfered with it will take longer to hop to another channel.(Main Menu>Radio Configuration>Dwell Time)
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 572. AP Only: Change the Beacon Period to Normal (508 ms). This will also reduce the overhead of beacons sent out. On the down side, association time may be a little longer.(Main Menu>Radio Configuration>Beacon Period)3. Change the Fragmentation Threshold to the maximum of 1600. Longer packets will be sent over the air reducing overhead. On the down side, if a packet is corrupted it will take longer to be retransmitted.(Main Menu>Radio Configuration>Fragmentation Threshold)4. Increase the RTS Threshold to 1600. RTS mechanism is used to reserve a time slot if packets exceed this number. On the down side, a hidden-node might interfere more often than if RTS is not used.(Main Menu>Radio Configuration>RTS Threshold)5. Decreasing the RTS Threshold, to the 100 to 200 range, will improve throughput on a busy network. It will add small packets, but reduce collisions (and resulting re-tries) of large packets.(Main Menu>Radio Configuration>RTS Threshold)6. Use Performance Information Menu to check RSSI by zone. (Remotes Only / Main Menu>Performance Information>RSSI by Zone) Readings should be close in value (±2 dB). A lower value might indicate interference. Block the zones at the Access Point that affect the Remotes. (Main Menu>Radio Configuration>Skip Zone Option)7. Use Performance Information Menu to check for errors, retries and dropped packets. Do the same with Ethernet traffic.With weak signals, interference, or hidden nodes, the optimal per-formance may be lower due to collisions and retries.Data Latency—TCP versus UDP ModeThe latency of data passing through a network will depend on user data message length, the overall level of traffic on the network, and the quality of the radio path.Under ideal conditions—low traffic and good RF signal path—the latency for units operating in the TCP mode, will typically be around 5 ms in each direction. However, when UDP multicast traffic is trans-ported, the outbound packet latency (from AP to remote) is dependent on the beacon period.UDP multicast packet latency can be minimized by setting the Beacon Period to “Fast” (52 ms). Changing beacon rate to Fast will result in an average latency of 29 ms, assuming outbound packets wait for a beacon transmission 50% of the time (26ms) plus the normal packet latency (5 ms).
58 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A2.8 MAINTENANCEIn the normal course of operating an transceiver network, you will want to take advantage of product improvements, and to read and archive the configuration of your individual transceivers. The Maintenance Menu provides several tools to make this possible. This section provides detail information on how to take advantage of these services.The three maintenance tasks are: • Reprogramming— Managing and selecting the unit’s operating system firmware resources. (See “Reprogramming Menu” on Page 58)• Configuration Scripts—Saving and importing data files con-taining unit operating parameters/settings. (See “Configuration Scripts Menu” on Page 63)• Authorization Key —Alter the unit’s overall capabilities by enabling the built-in resources. (See “Authorization Keys Menu” on Page 71)• Radio Test—A diagnostic tool for testing RF operation. (See “Radio Test Menu” on Page 71)• Ping Utility—Diagnostic tool to test network connectivity. (See “Ping Utility Menu” on Page 73)Figure 2-32. Maintenance Menu2.8.1 Reprogramming MenuThe transceiver has two copies of the firmware (microprocessor code) used for the operating system and applications. One copy is “active” and the second one is standing by, ready to be used. You can upload a new Library Admin Office Maintenance / Tools Menu -==========================================================================- A) Reprogramming B) Configuration Scripts C) Authorization Key D) Radio Test E) Ping Utility Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 59release into the inactive position and place it in service whenever you desire. Figure 2-33. Reprogramming Menu(Shown with “Image Copy” Selected)•TFTP Host Address—IP address of the host computer from which to get the file. [Any valid IP address]•Filename—Name of file to be received by the TFTP server.[Any 40-character alphanumeric string] Verify that this corre-sponds to the TFTP directory location. May require sub-direc-tory, for example: br\inet-bkrf-3_1_0.ipk. •TFTP Timeout—Time in seconds the TFTP server will wait for a packet ACK (acknowledgment) from the transceiver before suspending the file transfer. [10 to 120 seconds; 10]•Retrieve File—Initiate the file transfer from the file from TFTP server. Placed into inactive firmware position in the trans-ceiver’s non-volatile memory [Y, N]•Image Verify—Initiate the verification of the integrity of firmware file held in unit.•Image Copy—Initiate the copying of the active firmware into the inactive image.•Reboot Device—Initiate rebooting the transceiver. This will interrupt data traffic through this unit, and the network if performed on an Access Point. Intended to be used to toggle between firmware images.NOTE: See “Upgrading the Firmware” on Page 59 for details on setting up the TFTP server.Upgrading the FirmwareFrom time-to-time MDS will offer upgrades to the transceiver firmware. One version of the firmware provides core software resources for all radio models. Uploading new firmware into the unit will not alter any privileges provided by Authorization Keys and does not require the transceiver to be taken off-line until you want to operate the unit from the new firmware image in the unit. Library Admin Office Reprogramming Menu-==========================================================================- A) TFTP Host Address 10.4.2.1 B) Filename entranet-bkrf-3_1_0.ipk C) TFTP Timeout 120 sec D) Retrieve File E) Image Verify F) Image Copy G) Reboot Device Current Firmware Image 1: 1.1.0 (active) Image 2: 1.1.0 Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
60 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AYou must use the embedded entraNET Management System for all firmware activities, including uploading from a TFTP server.The uploads can be initiated through any of the three entraNET Manage-ment System gateways: •Terminal-Emulator—Use a terminal emulator program on your PC, such as HyperTerminal, connected directly to the transceiver’s COM1 port via a serial cable.•Telnet—Text-based access to the Management System through a network connection.•Web Browser—Connect to the transceiver using a Web browser on a local PC connected directly to the transceiver’s LAN port or associated network.Firmware images are provided free-of-charge on the MDS Web site at: www.microwavedata.com/service/technical/supportInstalling Transceiver Firmware by TFTPTo install firmware by TFTP, the user will need:• A PC with a TFTP server running.• The IP address of the PC running the TFTP server.If you do not know your computer’s address on a Windows PC, you can use the RUN function from the Start menu and enter winipcfg or ipconfig to determine your local PC’s IP address. The IP address of the radio can be found under the entraNET Management Systems’ Configuration menu. (See “Network Configuration Menu” on Page 27.)A TFTP server can be found on the MDS Web site at:www.microwavedata.com/service/technical/support/downloads.asp There are several alternatives to connecting the transceiver to the server containing the firmware and TFTP server, and a computer control point. Figure 2-34 and Figure 2-35 show two variations. It is essential all of the equipment be on the same subnet.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 61Invisible place holderFigure 2-34. Upload Configuration—Option 1(TFTP Server and Firmware File on Same CPU)Invisible place holderFigure 2-35. Upload Configuration—Option 2(TFTP Server and Firmware File on Remote Server)NOTE: The LAN and COM1 ports share a common data channel whenloading firmware over-the-air. Transferring the radio firmwareimage file (≈ 3 Mb), may take several minutes depending ontraffic between the TFTP server and the transceiver. Regardless of your connection to the transceiver, loading firm-ware/configuration files into the unit’s flash-RAM is muchslower than loading software onto a PC hard drive or RAM.Upload Procedure To upload a new firmware file (filename.ipk) into the transceiver use the following procedure:LANCOM1COM2PWRLINKLANPORTLOCAL WINDOWS PCWITH iNET FILESIP ADDRESS: 172.0.0.AIP ADDRESS: 172.0.0.BTFTPSERVER& TELNETMDS iNET 900CROSS-OVERCABLEINITIATE UPLOADFROM HERETFTPSERVER ETHERNETPORTCOM1PORT(DCE)INITIATE UPLOADFROM HEREREMOTE PCW/FIRMWARE FILESHUB/LAN/WAN/MANTCP/IPLANPORTCOM1, 2, ETC.(DTE)IP ADDRESS: w.x.y.zLOCAL WINDOWS PCMDS iNET 900LANCOM1COM2PWRLINKIP ADDRESS: 172.0.0.AIP ADDRESS: 172.0.0.BTERMINALPROGRAM9-PINSERIALCABLE
62 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A1. Launch a TFTP server on a PC connected either directly or via a LAN to the Ethernet port (LAN) of the transceiver. Point the server towards the directory containing the firmware image file.2. Connect to the entraNET Management System by whichever means is convenient: Browser or Telnet via the LAN, or Terminal emulator via the COM1 port.3. Go to the entraNET MS Reprogramming Menu. (Main Menu>Maintenance Menu>Reprogramming Menu)4. Fill in the information for the:•TFTP Host Address—IP Address of server (host com-puter) running TFTP server.•Retrieve File—Name of file (filename.ipk) to be pulled from the TFTP server holding the firmware file.5. Pull the firmware file through the TFTP server into the entraNET unit.(Main Menu>Maintenance Menu>Reprogramming Menu>Retrieve File)Status messages on the transfer are posted on the entraNET Man-agement System screen.NOTE: The uploaded firmware image file replaces the “Inactive Image” file will be automatically verified.6. Reboot the transceiver.Main Menu>Maintenance Menu>Reprogramming Menu>Reboot Device7. Test the transceiver for normal operation.End of Procedure
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 632.8.2 Configuration Scripts MenuFigure 2-36. Configuration Files Menu•TFTP Host Address—IP address of the computer on which the TFTP server resides. [Any valid IP address]•Filename—Name of file containing this unit’s configuration profile that will be transferred to the TFTP server. The configu-ration information will be in a plain-text ASCII format.[Any 40-character alphanumeric string] May require sub-direc-tory, for example: config\inet-config.txt. (See “Using Configura-tion Scripts” on Page 64)NOTE: The filename field is used in identifying the desired incoming file and as the name of file being exported to the TFTP server. Before exporting the unit’s configuration, you may want to name it something that reflect the unit’s services or identifi-cation.•TFTP Timeout—Time in seconds the TFTP server will wait for a packet ACK (acknowledgment) from the transceiver before suspending the file transfer. [10 to 120 seconds; 10]•Retrieve File—Initiate the file transfer of the configura-tion file from TFTP server into the transceiver.•Send File—Initiate the file transfer from the transceiver’s current configuration file to TFTP server.NOTE: See “Upgrading the Firmware” on Page 59 for details on setting up the TFTP server.A brief description of configuration filesIf you plan to have more than a few transceivers in your network, use the configuration file feature to configure similar units from a common set of parameters. There are over 50 user-controllable settings that can be used to optimize the network and saved into a Configuration File. How-ever, only four essential parameters need to be reviewed and altered to use the file with another transceiver. Library Admin Office Configuration Scripts Menu -==========================================================================- A) TFTP Host Address 127.0.0.0 B) Filename C) TFTP Timeout 20 sec D) Retrieve File E) Send File Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
64 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AA Configuration File (data file) will make it easy to apply your unique settings to any transceiver(s) you wish. Configuration files will also pro-vide you with a tool to restore parameters to a “known good” set, in the event that a parameter is improperly set and performance is affected. (See “Using Configuration Scripts” on Page 64 for detailed instructions and a sample configuration file.)Using Configuration ScriptsConfiguration Scripts can be created and downloaded from the trans-ceiver that contain a wealth of information on the unit. This file can serve many purposes, not the least of which is to keep a permanent “snapshot” of the unit’s configuration at a point in time. These files can also be used to view the setup of a unit without needing to connect to it. Examining archival files can be a useful source of information during troubleshooting.In the next few sections you will learn about the contents of the file and, how to use it as a template for configuring multiple transceivers with the same profile. Ultimately, standardized files can be uploaded into the transceiver to speed up the installation process.Configuration Files can also be uploaded into a transceiver to restore the settings of a unit using a previously saved configuration of the unit. This is particularly convenient after finishing a test using some experimental settings.Sample of an Exported Configuration FileThe following is a sample of a typical configuration file as produced by a transceiver that contains over 150 parameters; many of which are user editable. The presentation has been slightly altered to allow notes to appear below associated parameter lines. Some of the values used in the calibration of the unit’s built-in test equipment have been deleted to reduce space. This presentation is offered as a guide to the type of infor-mation contained in the file. See “Editing Configuration Files” on Page 70 for further information.NOTE: The parameter names and the data values from the ExportedConfiguration File are shown in bolded text. Any descriptionwill be found below in an indented paragraph. Descriptions forparameters that are functionally identical to both COM1 &COM2 are not repeated.Beginning of Configuration File; MDS entraNET; Created 00-03-2002 6:59:41IP Address: 192.168.1.1The IPv4 address of this unit. This field is unnecessary if DHCP is enabled.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 65NOTE: Changing the IP value via the network will cause a loss ofcommunication with other devices unaware of the newaddress.IP Netmask: 255.255.255.0The IPv4 local subnet mask. This field is unnecessary if DHCP is enabled.IP Gateway: 0.0.0.0The IPv4 address of the network gateway device, typically a router. This field is unnecessary if DHCP is enabled.Ethernet Address: 00:06:3D:00:00:5DThe physical Ethernet MAC (Media Access Controller) address of the device. This value is set by the factory and cannot be changed.Wireless Address: 00:06:3D:00:00:5CThe physical wireless MAC (Media Access Controller) address of the device. This value is set by the factory and cannot be changed.Model Number: 900The model number of this unit. This value is set by the factory and cannot be changed.Serial Number: 1026295The serial number of this unit. This value is set by the factory and cannot be changed.Unit Name: Library Admin OfficeA name for this unit. It appears at the top of every menu screen.Owner: Hilltop College MISThe name of the owner of this unit.Contact: MIS Dept. X232The contact person regarding this unit.Description: Link to Campus ServerA brief general description of this unit.Location: Hollister Bldg. RM450The location of this unit.Com1 Port Config: 8N1Configuration of character size, type of parity, and number of stop bits to be used.Com2 Port Config: 8N1Configuration of character size, type of parity, and number of stop bits to be usedMax Remotes Allowed: 50
66 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AThe maximum number of remotes allowed to connect to this Access Point.Device Mode: Access PointConfigures the unit to act as a Remote or an Access Point. The Access Point option is not allowed unless the unit is specifically ordered as such, or an Authorization Key has been purchased to allow it.Dwell Time: 32.8The amount of time the unit spends at any given frequency in its hopping pattern. This field is only changeable by an Access Point. Remotes read the Masters value upon association.Hop Pattern: 1RSSH Calibration: 235RSSL Calibration: 190Freq Calibration: 8402Network Name: West Campus NetThe name of the network this unit belongs to. The unit will only communicate with devices having identical Network Names.Date Format: GenericSpecifies the format of the date. • Generic = dd Mmm yyyy• European = dd-mm-yyyy• US = mm-dd-yyyyConsole Baud: 19200The baud rate of the serial menu console. Default value is 19200 bps.Company Name: MDSVersion Name: 06-1234567Product Name: entraNETBeacon Period: NormalThe amount of time in milliseconds between beacon transmissions by the AP.Data Rate: 115.2 kbpsThe selected over-the-air data rate. A lower data rate generally allows more distance between the unit and its Access Point.RF Output Power Setpoint: 30The desired amount of RF output power, measured in dBm.Power Cal Table DAC1: 9821 additional values follow; do not alterActive Boot Image: 0
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 67Tx Coefficient1: 031 additional values follow; do not alterRx Coefficient1: 014 additional values follow; do not alterSkipped Hop Zone1: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone2: SkipSkipped Hop Zone3: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone4: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone5: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone6: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone7: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone8: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone9: ActiveSkipped Hop Zone10: ActiveFirmware TFTP Host IP: 63.249.227.105Address of the TFTP Host from which firmware images are down-loadedFirmware TFTP Filename: entraNET-krf-3_0_0.ipkEventlog TFTP Host IP: 192.168.1.3Address of TFTP Host to which to send the event logEventlog TFTP Filename:Config Script TFTP Host IP: 192.168.1.33Address of TFTP Host to which to send the event logConfig Script TFTP Filename: entraNET_config.txtFragmentation Threshold: 1600Maximum packet size allowed before fragmentation occursRTS Threshold: 500Number of bytes for the RTS/CTS handshake boundaryRSSI Threshold: 0RSSI value at that the connection is deemed “degraded”SNR Threshold: 0SNR value at that the connection is deemed “degraded”SNMP Read Community: publicCommunity string for read access using SNMPv1SNMP Write Community: privateCommunity string for write access using SNMPv1SNMP Trap Community: publicCommunity string sent with traps using SNMPv1
68 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ASNMP Trap Manager #1: 0.0.0.0IP Address of a SNMP manager to which traps will be sentSNMP Trap Manager #2: 0.0.0.0SNMP Trap Manager #3: 0.0.0.0SNMP Trap Manager #4: 0.0.0.0SNMP Trap Manager #5: 0.0.0.0Auth trap enable: disabledSetting to enable SNMP authentication trapsTrap Version: v1 TrapsSelects which SNMP trap format Package 1 Version: 1.1.0Indicates the version of firmware in Image 1Package 2 Version: 1.1.0TFTP Timeout: 20Com1 Serial Data Enable: disabledSetting to enable COM1 data modeCom1 Serial Data Mode: UDPIP Protocol for COM1 data modeCom1 Serial Data Baud Rate: 9600Baud rate for COM1 data modeCom1 Serial Data Tx IP Address: 0.0.0.0COM1 data will be sent to this IP addressCom1 Serial Data Tx IP Port: 0COM1 data will be sent to this IP portCom1 Serial Data Rx IP Port: 0COM1 data will be received on this IP portCom2 Serial Data Enable: enabledCom2 Serial Data Mode: UDPCom2 Serial Data Baud Rate: 9600Com2 Serial Data Tx IP Address: 169.254.10.2Com2 Serial Data Tx IP Port: 0Com2 Serial Data Rx IP Port: 0Com1 Serial Data Rx IP Address: 0.0.0.0COM1 data will be received on this IP addressCom2 Serial Data Rx IP Address: 169.254.0.2Com2 Serial Data Flow Control: disabledSetting to enable hardware flow control (RTS/CTS) in COM2 data mode
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 69SNTP Server IP: 0.0.0.0The IPv4 address of NTP/SNTP Time ServerCom1 Serial Data Seamless Mode: enabledSetting to enable seamless mode for COM1 data modeCom2 Serial Data Seamless Mode: enabledCom1 Serial Data Delimiter Chars: 4Minimum number of characters which will be considered a gap in seamless mode for COM1Com2 Serial Data Delimiter Chars: 4Com1 Serial Data Buffer Size: 20Number of output characters which will be buffered in seamless mode for COM1Com2 Serial Data Buffer Size: 20RF Frequency Hopping Format: USA/CANADA(Read Only) The frequency-hopping rules the radio is configured to operate underSNMP Enable: disabledEnable/Disable SNMP AgentHop Protocol: 1Frequency hopping protocol versionDHCP Server Enable: disabledEnable/Disable DHCP Server DaemonDHCP Netmask: 255.255.255.0The IP Address to be used as the DHCP NetmaskDHCP Start Address: 192.168.0.11The IP Address to be used as the starting addressDHCP End Address: 192.168.0.22The IP Address to be used as the ending addressApproved Remotes List Enable: disabledSetting to enable the Approved Remotes ListEncryption Enable: disabledSetting to enable over-the-air data encryptionHTTP Enable: enabledSetting to enable the HTTP interfaceTelnet Enable: enabledSetting to enable the Telnet interfaceHTTP MD5 Authentication: disabled
70 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ASetting to enable MD5 Digest AuthenticationAutomatic Key Rotation: disabledSetting to enable Automatic Key RotationApproved APs List Enable: disabledSetting to enable the Approved Access Points ListWatch-Link-Status Flag @ AP: disabledA flag that controls whether the Remotes care about the AP's Ether-net Link StatusNetwork Name Hash Enable: disabledA flag that controls whether MD5 hashing is applied to the network nameEnd of Configuration FileEditing Configuration FilesOnce a Remote unit’s operation is fine-tuned, use the Configuration Scripts Menu on Page 63 to save a copy of the configuration in a PC. Once the file is saved in the PC it can be used as a source to generate modified copies adjusted to match other devices. The configuration files can be modified using a text editor or an automated process. (Not pro-vide by MDS).We recommend that you review and update the following parameters for each individual unit. Other parameters may also be changed.Table 2-6. Common User-Alterable Parameters Field Comment RangeIP Address Unique for each individual radio Any legal IP addressIP Gateway May change for different groups or locations Any legal IP addressUnit Name Should reflect a specific device. This information will appear in entraNET Management System headings Any 20-character alphanumeric stringLocation Used only as reference for network administration Any 40-character alphanumeric stringSystem Mode The application of the parameter in this field is dependent on the authorized options stored in the unit’s permanent memory. The mode must be compatible with any previously installed Authorization Keys.“Access Point”“Dual Remote”“Serial Remote”“Ethernet Remote”NOTE: These are case-sensitive.Network Name Used to identify different groups or locations Any 15-character alphanumeric string
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 71Each resulting file should be saved with a different name. We recom-mend using directories and file names that reflect the location of the unit to facilitate its identification.Editing Rules • You may include only parameters you want to change.• Change only the parameter values.• Capitalization counts in some field parameters. (Example: System Mode)• Comment Fieldsa. Edit, or delete anything on each line to the right of the comment delineator, the semicolon (;).b. Comments can be of any length, but must be on the same line as the parameter, or on a new line that begins with a semicolon character.c. Comments after parameters included in files exported from a transceiver do not need to be present in your cus-tomized files.2.8.3 Authorization Keys MenuFigure 2-37. Authorization Key Menu•Authorization Key—Initiate the entering of an Authori-zation Key into the transceiver’s non-volatile memory.•Authorized Features—List of authorized features. In addition to the four transceiver configurations fields, is the MDS NETview MS access control. NETview MS is designed to help users monitor system performance, configure network ele-ments, detect faults and correct problems in the convenience of an office setting or at any other point in the network.2.8.4 Radio Test MenuThis area provides several useful tools for installers and maintainers. You can manually key the transceiver to make measurements of antenna Library Admin Office Authorization Key Menu -==========================================================================- A) Authorization Key Authorized Features Access Point enabled Dual Remote enabled Remote Serial Gateway enabled Remote Ethernet Bridge enabled MDS NETview MS enabled Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
72 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. Aperformance. (See “Antenna Direction Optimization” on Page 97 for details.Figure 2-38. Radio Test MenuShown with Test Mode EnabledNOTE :Use of the test mode will disrupt traffic through this unit. If theunit is the Access Point, it will disrupt traffic through the entirenetwork.Test Mode function is automatically limited to 10 minutes andshould only be used to measure transmit power. It may also bemanually reset to continue with the testing or turned off.•Test Mode—Controls access to the transceiver’s suite of tools. [(ON, OFF; OFF]•Frequency—Set radio operating frequency during the testing period to a single frequency. [915.0000 MHz]•TX Output Power—Temporarily overrides the power level setting in the Radio Configuration Menu. [20]•TxKey—Manually key the radio transmitter for power mea-surements. [Enable, Disable; Disable]•RSSI—Incoming received signal strength on frequency entered in the frequency parameter on this screen (–dBm). This RSSI measurement is updated more frequently than the RSSI by Zone display of the Performance Information menu. Library Admin Office Radio Test Menu -==========================================================================- A) Test Mode ON B) Frequency 915.000000 MHz C) TX Output Power 25 dBm D) TxKey disabled RSSI -67 dBm Time Remaining 09:50 Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 732.8.5 Ping Utility MenuFigure 2-39. Ping Utility Menu•IP Addr—Address to send a PING. [Any valid IP address]•Count—Number of PING packets to be sent.•Packet Size—Size of each PING data packet (bytes).•Go—Send PING packets to address shown on screen.Screen will be replaced with detailed report of PING activity. Press any key after viewing the results to return to this menu. Library Admin Office Ping Utility Menu -==========================================================================- A) IP Addr 192.168.1.1 B) Count 4 C) Packet Size 32 D) Go Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
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MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 753 TABLETOP EVALUATIONAND TEST SETUP3 Chapter Counter Reset ParagraphContents3.1 OVERVIEW................................................................................833.2 STEP 1—INSTALL THE ANTENNA CABLING..........................833.3 STEP 2—MEASURE & CONNECT THE PRIMARY POWER...843.4 STEP 3—CONNECT PC TO THE TRANSCEIVER...................843.5 STEP 4—REVIEW THE TRANSCEIVER’S CONFIGURATION 853.5.1 Getting Started ............................................................................853.5.2 Procedure ....................................................................................853.5.3 Basic Configuration Defaults .......................................................853.6 STEP 5—CONNECT LAN AND/OR SERIAL EQUIPMENT......863.7 STEP 6—CHECK FOR NORMAL OPERATION .......................87
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MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 773.1 OVERVIEWIt is convenient to set up a tabletop network that can be used to verify the basic operation of the transceivers and give you a chance to experi-ment with network designs, configurations or network equipment in a convenient location. This test can be performed with any number of radios.NOTE: It is important to use a “Network Name” that is different fromany currently in use in your area during the testing period. Thiswill eliminate unnecessary disruption of traffic on the existingnetwork while you become familiar with the transceiver orevaluate variations of unit operating parameters.To simulate data traffic over the radio network, connect a PC or LAN to the Ethernet port of the Access Point and PING each transceiver several times.3.2 STEP 1—INSTALL THE ANTENNA CABLINGFigure 3-1 is a drawing of the tabletop arrangement. Connect the antenna ports of each transceiver as shown. This will provide stable radio communications between each unit while preventing interference to nearby electronic equipment from a large number of co-located units.Invisible place holderFigure 3-1. Typical setup for tabletop-testing of radiosNOTE: It is very important to use attenuation between all units in thetest setup. The amount of attenuation required will depend onthe number of units being tested and the desired signal strength(RSSI) at each transceiver during the test. In no case should asignal greater than –50 dBm be applied to any transceiver inthe test setup. An RF power output level of +20 dBm is recom-mended. (See “Radio Configuration Menu” on Page 29.)POWER ATTENUATORS• Fixed or adjustable• 1W Minimum RatingPOWER DIVIDERNON-RADIATING ATTENUATORS• Install on unused divider ports (if any)• 1W Minimum RatingCOMPUTERPWRSYNCTXDRXDRXDTXDSYNCPWRPWRSYNCTXDRXDRemoteRemoteAccess PointRemote
78 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A3.3 STEP 2—MEASURE & CONNECT THE PRIMARY POWER The primary power at the transceiver’s power connector must be within 10.5–30 Vdc and be capable of continuously providing a minimum of 8 Watts. (Typical power consumptions are: 760 mA @ 10.5 Vdc, 580 mA @ 13.8 Vdc, and 267 mA @ 30 Vdc.) A power connector with screw-terminals is provided with each unit. Strip the wire leads to 6 mm (0.25"). Be sure to observe proper polarity as shown in Figure 3-2 with the positive lead (+) on the left.NOTE: It will take about 30 seconds for the transceiver to power upand be ready for operation.Invisible place holderFigure 3-2. Power Connector, Polarity: Left +, Right –The transceiver must be used only with nega-tive-ground systems. Make sure the polarity of the power source is correct. The unit is protected from reverse polarity by an internal diode and fuse.3.4 STEP 3—CONNECT PC TO THE MDS TRANSCEIVERConnect a PC’s Ethernet port to the LAN port using an Ethernet cross-over cable. The LAN LED should light. Alternately, you can use a serial cable to connect to the COM1 port. (Figure 3-3 on Page 81)Wire PortsLeadScrews (2)BindingCAUTIONPOSSIBLEEQUIPMENT
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 793.5 STEP 4—REVIEW THE TRANSCEIVER’S CONFIGURATION3.5.1 Getting StartedStart with the Access Point and log-in. It should be the first unit to be set up as the Remotes are dependent on its beacon signal to achieve the “associated” state.Login credentials (all lower case):Username: rootPassword: zonukh4xOnce the Access Point is up and running, move the computer connection to each of the Remote units, log-in at each unit, review their configura-tion, set their IP addresses and wait for each to achieve the associated state.With all units associated, you will be ready to connect and test your data services.3.5.2 ProcedureThe following is a summary of the configuration procedure that must be done on each unit in the system. Key parameters are highlighted on the embedded Management System flowchart on Figure 3-4 on Page 83, Management System Menu Flowchart (abbreviated). A lists of parame-ters can found in two tables: Table 4-5 on Page 92 and Table 4-7 on Page 95. Detailed information on using the Management System can be found in INTRODUCTION on Page 15 in this manual.NOTE: The Management System supports the use of “configurationfiles” to aid in uniformly configuring multiple transceivers.These are detailed in Using Configuration Scripts on Page 64.3.5.3 Basic Configuration Defaults Table 3-1 provides a selection of key transceiver operating parameters, their range, and default values. All of these are accessible through a ter-minal emulator connected to the COM1 serial port or through a Web browser connected to the LAN Port. (See Figure 5-1 on Page 103 for hookup.)
80 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ANOTE: Access to the entraNET’s Management System and changes tosome parameters, are controlled by password when accessingby means of a Web browser or Telnet.A unique IP address and subnet are required to access the browser-based entraNET Management System through the LAN port.Table 3-1. Basic Configuration Defaults (AP) Item Mgt. System Location Default Values/RangeNetwork Name Main Menu> Network Configuration> Network Name“Not Programmed”•1–15 alphanumeric characters•Case-sensitive; can be mixed caseIP Address Main Menu> Network Configuration> IP Address192.168.1.1 Contact your network administratorSubnet MaskNet AddressRF Output Power Main Menu> Radio Configuration> RF Power Output+30 dBm (1.0 Watt) 20–30 dBm @ 50Ω (0.1–1.0 Watts)Unit Password Main Menu> Device Information> User Passwordadmin (lower case) •1–8 alphanumeric characters •Case-sensitive; can be mixed caseTable 3-2. Basic Configuration Defaults (Remote) Item Mgt. System Location Default Values/RangePayloadRadioRemote IP AddressUnit IDModeLocal IP PortRemote IP PortNetwork Name Main Menu> Network Configuration> Network Name“Not Programmed”•1–15 alphanumeric characters•Case-sensitive; can be mixed caseIP Address Main Menu> Network Configuration> IP Address192.168.1.1 Contact your network administrator
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 813.6 STEP 5—CONNECT LAN AND/OR SERIAL EQUIPMENTConnect a local area network to the LAN port or serial devices to the COM1 (DCE) or COM2 (DTE) ports. Make sure your transceivers are capable of supporting your devices. (See Table 1-1 . MDS entraNET 900 Models and Data Interface Services, on page 5 for a summary of model capabilities.) The LAN port will support any Ethernet-compatible equip-ment. This includes devices that use the Internet Protocol (IP).NOTE: The COM1 port also provides access to the transceiver’sManagement System. If you use the COM1 port for normal dataservices, you may find it convenient to use the LAN port foraccess to the entraNET Management System.Figure 3-3 shows the default functions and services for the interface connectors.Invisible place holderFigure 3-3. Transceiver (AP) Interface Default Configuration & FunctionsSubnet MaskNet AddressRF Output Power Main Menu> Radio Configuration> RF Power Output+30 dBm (1.0 Watt) 20–30 dBm @ 50Ω (0.1–1.0 Watts)Unit Password Main Menu> Device Information> User Passwordadmin (lower case) •1–8 alphanumeric characters •Case-sensitive; can be mixed caseTable 3-2. Basic Configuration Defaults (Remote) (Continued)Item Mgt. System Location Default Values/RangeCOM2◆ DCE Serial Data Equip.◆ 9,600 bps/8N1◆ Full Handshaking◆ RS/EIA-232.LAN◆ 10BaseT◆ IP/Ethernet Port◆IP Address: 192.168.1.1COM1◆DCE Console/Terminal◆ 19,200 bps/8N1◆No Handshaking◆ RS/EIA-232PRIMARY POWER◆ 13.8 Vdc @ 500 ma (10.5–30 Vdc)◆ Negative Ground◆ + Left – RightANTENNA◆ 50Ω TNC◆ +30 dBm/1W Out (Max.)◆ –30 dBm Input (Max.)
82 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A3.7 STEP 6—CHECK FOR NORMAL OPERATIONOnce the data equipment is connected, you are ready to check the trans-ceiver for normal operation.Observe the transceiver LEDs on the top cover for the proper indica-tions. In a normally operating system, the following LED indications will be seen within 30 seconds of start-up:•PWR—Lit continuously•LINK—on or blinking intermittently•LAN—On or blinks intermittently Table 3-3 provides details on the LED functions.If the radio network seems to be operating properly based on observa-tion of the unit’s LEDs, you can use the PING command to verify the link integrity with the Access Point or pointing your browser to another Remote unit’s IP address in the same network.Invisible place holderTable 3-3. Transceiver LED Functions LED Label Activity IndicationLAN ON LAN detectedBlinking Data TX/RXOFF LAN not detectedCOM1(MGT System) Blinking Data TX/RXOFF No data activityCOM2 Blinking Data TX/RXOFF No data activityPWR ON Primary power (DC) presentBlinking Unit in “Alarmed” stateOFF Primary power (DC) absentLINK(Access Point)ON Default stateBlinking Data Tx/RxLINK(Remote Gateway)ON Associated to APBlinking Data Tx/RxOFF Not associated with AP
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 83Figure 3-4. entraNET Management System Menu Flowchart (Security, Performance & Maintenance Menus are abbreviated. See Figure 2-2 on Page 17 for details for these areas.)NOTES•Not all items are user configurable•Some menu items depend on Device Mode•Dotted lines indicate read-only items •Basic configuration parameters are shown in boxes•Use keyboard’s spacebar to make some menu selections•AP = Access Point Only•RMT = Remote OnlyUser PasswordConsole Baud RateDevice NamesDevice NameOwnerContactDescriptionLocationDateTimeDate FormatModel NumberSerial NumberHardware VersionFirmware VersionUptimeNetworkConfiguration RadioConfiguration Serial GatewayConfiguration DeviceInformation MaintenanceSecurityConfigurationProvisioningApproved RemotesList (AP)Approved AccessPoints (RMT)EncryptionEncryption PhraseHTTP AccessHTTP Security ModeAuto KeyRotation (AP)Force KeySNMP AccessUser PasswordTelnet AccessReprogrammingConfigurationScriptsAuthorization KeySerial Config.WizardCOM1 & COM2Serial Data PortStatusModeData Baud RateFlow ControlSend to AddressSent to PortReceive on PortReceive onAddressSeamless ModeDelimiterBuffer SizeSerial DataStatisticsSTARTING INFORMATION SCREENMAIN MENURF OutputPowerData RateDwell TimeBeacon PeriodHop PatternSeed (AP)FragmentationThresholdRTS ThresholdRSSI Threshold(RMT)SNR ThresholdRF HoppingFormatSkip Zone OptionsDevice ModeNetwork NameIP AddressIP NetmaskIP GatewaySNTP Server (IP)DHCP ClientDHCP Server Config.SNMP Config.MenuMax. AllowedRemotes (AP)Ethernet AddressWireless AddressEthernet LinkWatch (AP)PerformanceInformationEvent LogPacket StatisticsWireless NetworkStatus (RMT)Remote Listing (AP)Endpoint Listing (AP)Remote Perf.Listing (AP)RF Power OutputSignal-to-NoiseRSSIActual Data RateDiagnostic ToolsRadio TestTest ModeFrequencyTX Output PowerTxKeyRSSIPing Utility
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MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 854 TROUBLESHOOTING & RADIO MEASUREMENTS4 Chapter Counter Reset ParagraphContents4.1 TROUBLESHOOTING...............................................................934.1.1 Interpreting the Front Panel LEDs ...............................................934.1.2 Troubleshooting Using the Embedded Management System .....944.1.3 Using Logged Operation Events .................................................984.1.4 Alarm Conditions .........................................................................984.1.5 Correcting Alarm Conditions .......................................................994.1.6 Logged Non-Critical Events ......................................................1004.2 RADIO MEASUREMENTS......................................................1024.2.1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power Output ..............1024.2.2 Antenna Direction Optimization .................................................103
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MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 874.1 TROUBLESHOOTINGSuccessful troubleshooting of a wireless system is not difficult, but requires a logical approach. It is best to begin troubleshooting at the Access Point unit, as the rest of the system depends on the Access Point for synchronization data. If the Access Point has problems, the operation of the entire wireless network will be affected.When communication problems are found, it is good practice to begin by checking the simple things. Applying basic troubleshooting tech-niques in a logical progression can identify many problems.Multiple Communication LayersIt is important to remember the operation of the network is built upon a radio communications link. On top of that are two data levels— wireless MAC, and the data layer. It is essential that the wireless aspect of the Access Point and the Remotes units to be associated are operating prop-erly before data-layer traffic will function.Unit Configuration There are over 50 user-configurable parameters in the entraNET Man-agement System. Do not overlook the possibility that human-error may be the cause of the problem. With so many possible things to look at and change, a parameter may be incorrectly set, and then what was changed is forgotten.To help you avoid these problems, we recommend creating an archive of the transceiver’s profile when your installation is complete in a Con-figuration File. This file can be reloaded into the transceiver to restore the unit to the factory defaults or your unique profile. For details on cre-ating and archiving Configuration Files, See “Using Configuration Scripts” on Page 64.Factory Assistance If problems cannot be resolved using the guidance provided here, review the MDS Web site’s technical support area for recent soft-ware/firmware updates, general troubleshooting help, and service infor-mation. Additional help is available through the MDS Technical Support Department. (See “TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE” on the inside of the rear cover.)4.1.1 Interpreting the Front Panel LEDsAn important set of troubleshooting tools are the LED status indicators on the front panel of case. They should be the first thing to check when-ever a problem is suspected. Table 3-3 on Page 82 describes the func-tion of each status LED. Table 4-1 below provides suggestions for
88 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. Aresolving common system difficulties using the LEDs, and Table 4-2 other simple techniques. 4.1.2 Troubleshooting Using the Embedded Management SystemIf you have looked over and tried the things mentioned in Table 4-1and still have not resolved the problem, there are some additional tools and techniques that can be used. The embedded Management System is a good source of information that may be used remotely to provide pre-liminary diagnostic information, or may even provide a path to cor-recting the problem.Table 4-1. Troubleshooting Using LEDs—Symptom-BasedSymptom Problem/Recommended System ChecksPWR LED does not turn on. a. Voltage too low—Check for the proper supply voltage at the power connector. (10.5–30 Vdc)b. Indefinite Problem—Cycle the power and wait (≈ 30 seconds) for the unit to reboot. Then, recheck for normal operation.LINK LED does not turn on. a. Network Name of Remote not identical to desired Access Point—Verify that the system has a unique Network Name. b. Not yet associated with an Access Point with the same Network Name.Check the “Status” of the unit’s process of associating with the Access Point. Use the entraNET Management System.c. Poor Antenna System—Check the antenna, feedline and connectors. Reflected power should be less than 10% of the forward power reading (SWR 2:1 or lower). PWR LED is blinking. a. Blinking indicates an alarm condition exists. b. View Current Alarms and Event Log and correct the problem if possible.(See “Using Logged Operation Events” on Page 92)c. Blinking will continue until the source of the alarm is corrected, for example, a valid IP address is entered, etc.LAN LED does not turn on. a. Verify the Ethernet cable is connect at both ends.b. Verify that the appropriate type of Ethernet cable is used: straight-through, or crossover.Table 4-2. Basic Troubleshooting with the entraNET MS Symptom Problem/Recommended System ChecksRemote does not associate; stays in HOPSYNCa. Verify the AP has sufficiently large number in the “Max Remotes” parameter of the Network Configuration Menu.b. Verify the correct MAC address is listed in the “Approved Remotes List” or “Approved Access Points List” of the Security Configuration menu.Serial data is slow with UDP multicast traffica. Change Beacon Period to FAST. (Radio Configuration Menu)
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 89The following is a summary of how several screens in the entraNET Management System can be used as diagnostic tools. For information on how to connect to the entraNET Management System See “STEP 3—CONNECT PC TO THE MDS TRANSCEIVER” on Page 78. Starting Information Screen(See Starting Information Screen on Page 23)The entraNET MS’s “home page” provides some valuable bits of data. Probably the most important is the “Device Status” field. This one item will tell you if the unit is showing signs of life. If the Device Status field says “associated,” then look in the network areas beginning with network data statistics. If it displays some other Cannot access the entraNET MS through COM1a. Connect to unit via Telnet or Web browserb. Disable the serial mode for COM1(Serial Gateway Configuration>Com1 Serial Data Port>Status>Disabled) or, if you know the unit’s data configurationa. Connect to COM 1 via a terminal set to VT100 and the port’s data baud rate.b. Type “+++ [ENTER]”c. Change the terminal’s baud rate to match the transceiver’s Console Baud Rate.d. Type “+++ [ENTER]”Display on terminal/Telnet screen garbleda. Verify the terminal/terminal emulator or Telnet application is set to VT100Cannot pass IP data to WAN. a. Verify your IP settings.b. Use the PING command to test communication with transceivers in the local radio system.c. If successful with local PING, attempt to PING an IP unit attached to a radio.d. If successful with the LAN PINGs, try connecting to a known unit in the WAN.Wireless Retries too high. Possible Radio Frequency Interference—a. If omnidirectional antennas are used, consider changing to directional antennas. This will often limit interference to and from other stations.b. Try skipping some zones where persistent interference is known or suspected.c. The installation of a filter in the antenna feedline may be necessary. Consult the factory for further assistance.Password forgotten. a. Connect to the transceivertransceiver using a terminal through the COM1 Port.b. Call MDS. Get a password-resetting Authorization Key.c. Enter the Authorization Key at the login prompt as a password.Table 4-2. Basic Troubleshooting with the entraNET MS Symptom Problem/Recommended System Checks
90 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. Amessage, such as Scanning, Hop Sync or Alarmed, you will need to determine why it is in this state.The Scanning state indicates a Remote unit is looking for an Access Point beacon signal to lock onto. It should move to the Hop Sync and finally to the Associated state within less than a minute. If this Remote unit is not providing reliable service, look at the Event Logs for signs of lost association with the Access Point or low signal alarms. Table 4-3 provides a description of the Device Status messages.If the Remote is in an “Alarmed” state, the unit may still be operational and associated. Look for the association state in the Wireless Network Status screen to determine if the unit is associated. If it is, then look at the Error Log for possible clues.If the unit is in an “Alarmed” state and not able to associate with an Access Point unit, then there may be problem with the wireless network layer. Call in a radio technician to deal with wireless issues. Refer the technician to the RADIO MEASUREMENTS on Page 96 for information on antenna system checks.Packet Statistics Menu (See Packet Statistics Menu on Page 49)This screen provides detailed information on data exchanges between the unit being viewed and the network through the wireless and the Ethernet (data) layers. These include:Table 4-3. Device Status1 1. Only available in the Startup Information Screen at Remotes.Scanning The unit is looking for an Access Point beacon signal. If this is a Remote, Associated means that the unit is associated with an Access PointHop Sync The unit has found a valid beacon signal for its network and has changed its frequency hopping pattern to match that of the AP.Associated This unit has successfully synchronized and is “associated” with an Access Point. This is the normal operating state.Alarmed The unit is has detected one or more alarms that have not been cleared.Wireless Packet Statistics• Packets received • Packets dropped• Packets sent • Receive errors • Bytes received • Retries• Bytes sent • Retry errors
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 91The most significant fields are the Packets Dropped, Retries, Retry Errors, Receive Errors and Lost Carrier Detected. If the data values are more than 10% of their sent and received counterparts, or the Lost Car-rier Detected value is greater than a few dozen, there may be trouble with radio-frequency interference or a radio link of marginal strength. Look over the RSSI by Zone Screen’s values (Page 46) for zones that are more than a couple of dBs (decibels) below the average level, and for signal level values that are likely to provide marginal service. For example, the average level is less than –85 dBm during normal condi-tions with a data rate of 115.2 kbps. If the RSSI levels in each zone are within a few decibels (dB) of each other, but less than –85 dBm, then a check should be made of the aiming of the antenna system and for a satisfactory SWR. Call in a radio tech-nician to deal with wireless issues. Refer the technician to the RADIO MEASUREMENTS on Page 96 for information on antenna system checks.NOTE: For a data rate of 115.2 kbps, the average signal level shouldbe –77 dBm or stronger.Serial Port Statistics Menu (See Serial Data Statistics Menu on Page 36)This screen provides top-level information on data exchanges between the unit’s serial ports and the network through the wireless and the Ethernet (data) layers. These include:You can use this screen as a barometer of port activity at the data and IP levels.Diagnostic Tools(See MAINTENANCE on Page 58)The radio’s Maintenance menu contains two tools that are especially useful to network technicians—the Radio Test Menu and the Ping Utility. The Radio Test selection allows for testing RF operation, while the Ping Utility can be used to verify reachability to pieces of equipment connected to the network. This includes entraNET 900 transceivers as well as user-supplied Ethernet devices.Ethernet Packet Statistics• Packets received • Packets dropped• Packets sent • Receive errors• Bytes received • Retries• Bytes sent • Retry errors• Lost carrier detected• Bytes In On Port xxx • Bytes In On Socket xxx• Bytes Out On Port xxx • Bytes Out On Socket xxx
92 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A4.1.3 Using Logged Operation Events(See Event Log Menu on Page 47)The transceiver’s microprocessor monitors many operational parame-ters and logs them as various classes of “events”. If the event is one that affects performance, it is an “alarmed”. There are also normal or routine events such as those marking the rebooting of the system, implementa-tion of parameter changes and external access to the entraNET Manage-ment System. Informational events are stored in temporary (RAM) memory that will be lost in the absence of primary power, and Alarms will be stored in permanent memory (Flash memory) until cleared by user request. Table 2-5 summarizes these classifications. These various events are stored in the transceiver’s “Event Log” and can be a valuable aid in troubleshooting unit problems or detecting attempts at breaching network security.4.1.4 Alarm Conditions(See View Current Alarms on Page 48)Most events, classified as “critical”, will make the POWER LED blink, and will inhibit normal operation of the transceiver. The LED will remain blinking until the corrective action has been completedTable 4-4. Event ClassificationsLevel Description/Impact StorageInformational Normal operating activities Flash MemoryMinor Does not affect unit operation RAMMajor Degraded unit performance but still capable of operation RAMCritical Prevents the unit from operating RAMTable 4-5. Alarm Conditions (Alphabetical Order) Alarm Condition Reported Event Log Entry SNMP TrapEVENT_ADC ADC output Railed adcInput(3)EVENT_BRIDGE Network Interface /Error networkInterface(17)EVENT_ETH_LINK_AP* AP Ethernet Link Disconnected apEthLinkLost(19)EVENT_FLASH_TEST Flash Test Failed -EVENT_FPGA FPGA communication Failed fpgaCommunication(2)EVENT_FREQ_CAL Frequency Not Calibrated frequencyCal(7)EVENT_INIT_ERR Initialization Error initializationError(18)EVENT_IPADDR*IP Address Invalid ipAddressNotSet(4)EVENT_IPMASK*IP Mask Invalid ipNetmaskNotSet(5)
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 93*Condition may be corrected by user and alarm cleared.4.1.5 Correcting Alarm Conditions(See View Event Log on Page 49)Table 4-6 provides insight on the causes of events that inhibit the unit from operating, and possible corrective actions The Event Description column appears on the Event Log screen.EVENT_MAC MAC communication Failed macCommunication(1)EVENT_MACADDR MAC Address Invalid noMacAddress(6)EVENT_NETNAME*Netname Invalid invalidNetname(12)EVENT_PLL_LOCK PLL Not locked pllLock(10)EVENT_POWER_CAL Power Calibrated/Not Calibrated powerCal(8)EVENT_POWER_HIGH RF Power Control Saturated High rfPowerHigh(13)EVENT_POWER_LOW RF Power Control Saturated Low rfPowerLow(14)EVENT_RSSI*RSSI Exceeds threshold rssi(11)EVENT_RSSI_CAL RSSI Not Calibrated rssiCal(9)EVENT_SYSTEM_ERROR* System Error Cleared; Please Reboot systemError(16)Table 4-5. Alarm Conditions (Alphabetical Order) (Continued)Alarm Condition Reported Event Log Entry SNMP TrapTable 4-6. Correcting Alarm Conditions (Alphabetical Order) Event Log Entry Generating Condition Clearing Condition or ActionADC Failure The ADC always reads the same value (either high or low limit)Contact MDS Technical Services for assistanceAP Ethernet Link Monitor will check state of Ethernet link and set alarm if it finds the link downEthernet link is re-establishedBridge Down When the Bridge fails to be initialized Contact MDS Technical Services for assistanceFlash Test Failed Internal check indicates corruption of Flash memory Contact MDS Technical Services for assistanceFPGA Failure Communication lost to the FPGA Contact MDS Technical Services for assistanceGeneral System Error Internal checks suggest unit is not functioning properly Reboot the transceiverInitialization Error Unit fails to complete boot cycle Contact MDS Technical Services for assistance
94 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A4.1.6 Logged Non-Critical Events(See View Event Log on Page 49)The following events allow the transceiver to continue operation and do not make the POWER LED blink. Each is reported through an SNMP Invalid IP Address The IP address is either 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1 IP address is programmed to something other than 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1 by the userMAC Failure The monitor task reads the LinkStatus from the MAC every second. If the MAC does not reply 10 consecutive times (regardless of what the result is) the CPU assumes the transceiver has lost communication to the MAC.Contact MDS Technical Services for assistanceNetwork Interface Error Unit does not recognize the LAN interface Contact MDS Technical Services for assistanceNetwork Name Not Programmed Network name is “Not Programmed”Change Network Name to something other than “Not Programmed”PLL Out-of-Lock The FPGA reports a synthesizer out-of-lock condition when monitored by the CPU.Contact MDS Technical Services for assistance.Power Control Railed High Power control can no longer compensate and reaches the high railContact MDS Technical Services for assistancePower Control Railed Low Power control can no longer compensate and reaches the low railContact MDS Technical Services for assistanceRSSI Exceeds Threshold The running-average RSSI level is weaker (more negative) than the user-defined value.Check aiming of the directional antenna used at the Remote; or raise the threshold level to a stronger (less-negative) value.Table 4-6. Correcting Alarm Conditions (Alphabetical Order) (Continued)Event Log Entry Generating Condition Clearing Condition or Action
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 95trap. The left hand column, “Event Log Entry” is what will be shown in the Event Log.Table 4-7. Non-Critical Events (Alphabetical Order) Event Log Entry Severity SNMP TrapAssociation Attempt Success/Failed MAJOR assocTryFail(60)Association Lost - AP Hop Parameter Changed MINOR apParmChange(44)Association Lost - AP's Ethernet Link Down MAJOR apEthLinkDown(55)Association Lost - Local IP Address Changed MAJOR ipAddrChanged(59)Association Lost - Local Network Name Changed MAJOR netnameChanged(58)Association Lost/Established MAJOR associated(43)Auth Demo Mode Expired -- Rebooted Radio/Enabled MAJOR authDemoMode(53)Auth Key Entered - Key Valid/Key Invalid MAJOR keyEntered(54)Bit Error Rate Below threshold/Above threshold INFORM ber(42)Console Access Locked for 5 Min MAJOR consoleLockdown(63)Console User Logged Out/Logged In MAJOR consoleLogin(62)Country/SkipZone Mismatch INFORM countrySkipZoneMismatch(50)Current AP is No Longer Approved MAJOR apNotApproved(57)Desired AP IP Addr Mismatch INFORM desiredAPIPMismatch(51)Expected Sync Lost/Established INFORM expectedSync(38)Hop Sync Lost/Established INFORM hopSync(39)Hop Table Generated/Generation Failed INFORM hopTableWrite(40)HTTP Access Locked for 5 Min MAJOR httpLockdown(65)HTTP User Logged Out/Logged In MAJOR httpLogin(49)Log Cleared INFORM eventLogCleared(52)Max Beacon Wait Time Exceeded MAJOR noBeacons(56)Received Beacon - AP is Blacklisted INFORM rxBeaconFromBlacklistAP(37)Received Beacon - Netname Does Not Match INFORM rxBeaconWrongNetworkName(36)Received Beacon - Valid/Errored INFORM rxBeaconErrored(35)Rem Ethernet Link Connected/Disconnected MAJOR remEthLinkLost(61)
96 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A4.2 RADIO MEASUREMENTSThere are several measurements that are a good practice to perform during the initial installation. The will confirm proper operation of the unit and if they are recorded, serve as a benchmark in troubleshooting should difficulties appear in the future. These measurements are:• Transmitter Power Output• Antenna System SWR (Standing-Wave Ratio)• Antenna Direction OptimizationThese procedures may interrupt traffic through an established network and should only be performed by a skilled radio-technician in coopera-tion with the network manager.4.2.1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power OutputIntroductionA proper impedance match between the transceiver and the antenna system is important. It ensures the maximum signal transfer between the radio and antenna. The impedance match can be checked indirectly by measuring the SWR (standing-wave ratio) of the antenna system. If the results are normal, record them for comparison for use during future routine preventative maintenance. Abnormal readings indicate a pos-sible trouble with the antenna or the transmission line that will need to be corrected.The SWR of the antenna system should be checked before the radio is put into regular service. For accurate readings, a wattmeter suited to 1000 MHz measurements is required. One unit meeting this criteria is the Bird Model 43™ directional wattmeter with a 5J element installed.Reprogramming Complete INFORM reprogComplete(46)Reprogramming Failed MAJOR reprogFailed(47)Reprogramming Started INFORM reprogStarted(45)Scanning Started INFORM startScan(34)SNR Within threshold/Below threshold INFORM snr(41)System Bootup (power on) INFORM systemBoot(32)Telnet Access Locked for 5 Min MAJOR telnetLockdown(64)Telnet User Logged Out/Logged In MAJOR telnetLogin(48)User Selected Reboot MAJOR systemReboot(33)Table 4-7. Non-Critical Events (Alphabetical Order) (Continued)Event Log Entry Severity SNMP Trap
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 97The reflected power should be less than 10% of the forward power (≈2:1 SWR). Higher readings usually indicate problems with the antenna, feedline or coaxial connectors.If the reflected power is more than 10%, check the feedline, antenna and its connectors for damage.Record the current transmitter power output level, and then set it to 30 dBm for the duration of the test to provide an adequate signal level for the directional wattmeter.Procedure1. Place a directional wattmeter between the ANTENNA connector and the antennas system.2. Place the transceiver into the Radio Test Mode.(Main Menu>Maintenance Menu>Radio Test>Test Mode>Y>ON)NOTE: The Test Mode has a 10-minute timer, after which it will return the transceiver to normal operation. The Radio Test Mode can be terminated manually.3. Set the transmitter power to 30 dBm.(Main Menu>Maintenance Menu>Radio Test>Test Mode>Tx Power Output)NOTE: The Radio Test Mode RF power setting will not affect the output level during normal operation.4. Key the transceiver.(Main Menu>Maintenance Menu>Radio Test>Test Mode>TxKey> Enable)User the spacebar to key and unkey the transmitter ON and OFF. (Enable/Disable)5. Measure the forward and reflected power into the antenna system and calculate the SWR and power output level. The output should agree with the programmed value.(Main Menu>Radio Configuration>RF Power Output)6. Turn off Radio Test Mode at the Access Point and Remote.(Main Menu>Maintenance Menu>Radio Test>Test Mode>Disable)End of procedure4.2.2 Antenna Direction OptimizationIntroductionThe wireless network integrity depends, in a large part, on stable radio signal levels being received at each end of a data link. In general, signal
98 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. Alevels stronger than –77 dBm will provide the basis for reliable commu-nication that includes a 15 dB fade margin. As the distance between the Access Point and Remotes increases, the influence of terrain, foliage and man-made obstructions become more influential and the use of directional antennas at Remote locations becomes necessary. Direc-tional antennas usually require some fine-tuning of their bearing to opti-mize the received signal strength. The transceiver has a built-in received signal strength indicator (RSSI) that can be used to tell you when the antenna is in a position that provides the optimum received signal.RSSI measurements and Wireless Packet Statistics are based on mul-tiple samples over a period of several seconds. The average of these measurements will be displayed by the entraNET Management System.The measurement and antenna alignment process will usually take 10 or more minutes at each transceiver.The path to the Management System menu item is shown in bold text below each step of the procedure.Procedure1. Verify the Remote is associated with an Access Point unit. Observe the condition of the LINK LED.LINK LED = On or BlinkingThis will indicate that you have an adequate signal level for the measurements and it is safe to proceed.2. View and record the Wireless Packets Dropped and Received Error rates.(Main Menu>Performance Information>Packet Statistics>Wireless Packet Statistics)This information will be used later.3. Clear the Wireless Packets Statistics history. (Main Menu>Performance Information>Packet Statistics>Wireless Packet Statistics>Clear Wireless Stats)\4. Read the RSSI level at the Remote.(Main Menu>Performance Information>RSSI by Zone)5. Optimize RSSI (less negative is better) by slowly adjusting the direction of the antenna.Watch the RSSI indication for several seconds after making each adjustment so that the RSSI accurately reflects any change in the link signal strength.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 996. View the Wireless Packets Dropped and Received Error rates at the point of maximum RSSI level. They should be the same or lower than the previous reading.(Main Menu>Performance Information>Packet Statistics>Wireless Packet Statistics)If the RSSI peak results in an increase in the Wireless Packets Dropped and Received Error, the antenna may be aimed at an undes-ired signal source. Try a different antenna orientation.End of procedure
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MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 1015PLANNING AN MDS entraNET 900RADIO NETWORK5 Chapter Counter Reset ParagraphContents5.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................1095.1.1 General Requirements ..............................................................1095.1.2 Site Selection ............................................................................1115.1.3 Terrain and Signal Strength .......................................................1115.1.4 Antenna & Feedline Selection ...................................................1125.1.5 Conducting a Site Survey ..........................................................1145.1.6 A Word About Radio Interference .............................................1145.1.7 How Much Output Power Can be Used? ..................................1165.2 dBm-WATTS-VOLTS CONVERSION CHART .........................118
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MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 1035.1 INSTALLATIONThis section provides tips for selecting an appropriate site, choosing an antenna system, and reducing the chance of harmful interference.5.1.1 General RequirementsThere are three main requirements for installing transceiver—adequate and stable primary power, a good antenna system, and the correct inter-face between the transceiver and the data device. Figure 5-1 shows a typical Remote Gateway installation.Invisible place holderFigure 5-1. Typical Installation with a tower-mounted antenna(Connect user data equipment to any compatible LAN or COM Port)Unit DimensionsFigure 5-2 shows the dimensions of the transceiver case and its mounting holes, and Figure 5-3 on Page 105, the dimensions for mounting with MDS-supplied brackets. If possible, choose a mounting location that provides easy access to the connectors on the end of the radio and an unobstructed view of the LED status indicators.DC POWER SUPPLY10.5–30 Vdc (580 mA Max.) Negative Ground OnlyCOMPUTERW/TERMINALEMULATORMDS entraNETLOW-LOSS FEEDLINEANTENNASYSTEMDATA TERMINALEQUIPMENT ORLAN/WANNetwork
104 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AFigure 5-2. Transceiver Dimensions4.25˝ (10.8 cm)4.75˝ (12 cm)1.25˝ (3.17 cm)6.75˝ (17.15 cm)4.5˝ (11.4 cm)TOPSIDEBOTTOM2.5˝ (6.35 cm)4.85˝ (12/3 cm)THREADEDHOLES FORMOUNTINGSCREWS (4)Not to scaleFRONT
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 105Invisible place holderInvisible place holder.Figure 5-3. Mounting Brackets Dimensions5.1.2 Site SelectionSuitable sites should provide:•Protection from direct weather exposure•A source of adequate and stable primary power•Suitable entrances for antenna, interface or other required cabling•Antenna location that provides as unobstructed a transmission path as possible in the direction of the associated station(s)These requirements can be quickly determined in most cases. A possible exception is the last item—verifying that an unobstructed transmission path exists. Radio signals travel primarily by line-of-sight, and obstruc-tions between the sending and receiving stations will affect system per-formance. If you are not familiar with the effects of terrain and other obstructions on radio transmission, the discussion below will provide helpful background.5.1.3 Terrain and Signal StrengthWhile the license-free 900 MHz band offers many advantages for data transmission services, signal propagation is affected by attenuation from obstructions such as terrain, foliage or buildings in the transmission path.A line-of-sight transmission path between the central transceiver and its associated transceiver site(s) is highly desirable and provides the most reliable communications link. Much depends on the minimum signal strength that can be tolerated in a given system. Although the exact figure will differ from one system to another, a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of –77 dBm or stronger will provide acceptable performance in many systems. While the equipment will work at lower-strength signals, signals stronger than – 77 dBm provide a “fade margin” of 15 dB to account for variations in 2.75˝ (7 cm)7.25˝ (18.4 cm)
106 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. Asignal strength that may occur from time-to-time. RSSI can be measured with a terminal connected to the COM1 Port or with a HTTP browser to the LAN (Ethernet) connector. (See “Antenna Direction Optimization” on Page 97 for details.)5.1.4 Antenna & Feedline SelectionAntennasThe equipment can be used with a number of antennas. The exact style used depends on the physical size and layout of a system. Contact your MDS representative for specific recommendations on antenna types and hardware sources.In general, an omnidirectional antenna (Figure 5-4) is used at the Access Point station site. This provides equal coverage to all of the Remote Gateway sites.NOTE: Antenna polarization is important. If the wrong polarization isused, a signal reduction of 20 dB or more will result. Mostsystems using a gain-type omnidirectional antenna at theAccess Point station employ vertical polarization of the signal;therefore, the remote antenna(s) must also be vertically polar-ized (elements oriented perpendicular to the horizon).When required, horizontally polarized omnidirectionalantennas are also available. Contact your MDS representativefor details.Invisible place holderFigure 5-4. Typical Omnidirectional AntennasAt Remote Gateway sites and units in point-to-point LANs, a directional Yagi (Figure 5-5) antenna is generally recommended to minimize inter-ference to and from other users. Antennas are available from a number of manufacturers.High-gain TypeUnity-gain Type
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 107Invisible place holderFigure 5-5. Typical Yagi antenna (mounted to mast)FeedlinesThe choice of feedline used with the antenna should be carefully consid-ered. Poor-quality coaxial cables should be avoided, as they will degrade system performance for both transmission and reception. The cable should be kept as short as possible to minimize signal loss.For cable runs of less than 20 feet (6 meters), or for short range trans-mission, an inexpensive type such as Type RG-8A/U may be acceptable. Otherwise, we recommend using a low-loss cable type suited for 900 MHz, such as Heliax®.Table 5-1 lists several types of popular feedlines and indicates the signal losses (in dB) that result when using various lengths of cable at 900 MHz. The choice of cable will depend on the required length, cost considerations, and the amount of signal loss that can be tolerated. Table 5-1. Length vs. loss in coaxial cables at 900 MHz Cable Type 10 Feet(3.05 m) 50 Feet(15.24 m) 100 Feet(30.48 m) 500 Feet(152.4 m)LMR-400 0.39 dB 1.95 dB 3.90 dB Unacceptable Loss1/2 inch HELIAX 0.23 dB 1.15 dB 2.29 dB 11.45 dB7/8 inch HELIAX 0.13 dB 0.64 dB 1.28 dB 6.40 dB1-1/4 inch HELIAX 0.10 dB 0.48 dB 0.95 dB 4.75 dB1-5/8 inch HELIAX 0.08 dB 0.40 dB 0.80 dB 4.00 dB
108 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ATable 5-2 outlines the minimum lengths of RG-214 coaxial cable that must be used with common MDS omnidirectional antennas in order to maintain compliance with FCC maximum limit of +36 dBm.5.1.5 Conducting a Site SurveyIf you are in doubt about the suitability of the radio sites in your system, it is best to evaluate them before a permanent installation is underway. This can be done with an on-the-air test (preferred method); or indi-rectly, using path-study software.An on-the-air test is preferred because it allows you to see firsthand the factors involved at an installation site and to directly observe the quality of system operation. Even if a computer path study was conducted ear-lier, this test should be done to verify the predicted results.The test can be performed by first installing a radio and antenna at the proposed Access Point (AP) station site (one-per-system). Then visit the Remote site(s) with a transceiver and a hand-held antenna. (A PC with a network adapter can be connected to each radio in the network to sim-ulate data during this test using the PING command.)With the hand-held antenna positioned near the proposed mounting spot, a technician can check for synchronization with the Access Point station (shown by a lit LINK LED on the front panel) and measure the reported RSSI value. (See “Antenna Direction Optimization” on Page 97 for details.) If adequate signal strength cannot be obtained, it may be necessary to mount the station antennas higher, use higher gain antennas, select a different site or consider installing a repeater station. To prepare the equipment for an on-the-air test, follow the general installation procedures given in this guide and become familiar with the operating instructions found in the CHAPTER-4 TROUBLE-SHOOTING & RADIO MEASUREMENTS section Page 85.5.1.6 A Word About Radio InterferenceThe transceivers share the radio-frequency spectrum with other 900 MHz services and other Part 15 (unlicensed) devices in the USA. As such, near 100% error-free communications may not be achieved in a given location, and some level of interference should be expected. How-ever, the radio’s flexible design and hopping techniques should allow adequate performance as long as care is taken in choosing station loca-Table 5-2. Minimum Feedline Length versus Antenna GainAntenna Gain (dBd) Antenna Gain (dBi) Minimum Feedline Length (Loss in dB) Power Level @ Minimum LengthUnity (0 dB) 2.15 dBi 3 meters (1.0 dB) +31.15 dBi3 dBd 5.15 dBi 3 meters (1.0 dB) +34.15 dBi5 dBd 7.15 dBi 3.1 meters (1.2 dB) +35.95 dBi
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 109tion, configuration of radio parameters and software/protocol tech-niques.In general, keep the following points in mind when setting up your com-munications network.1. Systems installed in rural areas are least likely to encounter interference; those in suburban and urban environments are more likely to be affected by other devices operating in the license-free frequency band and by adjacent licensed services.2. Use a directional antenna at remote sites whenever possible. Although these antennas may be more costly than omnidirectional types, they confine the transmission and reception pattern to a com-paratively narrow lobe, that minimizes interference to (and from) stations located outside the pattern.3. If interference is suspected from a nearby licensed system (such as a paging transmitter), it may be helpful to use horizontal polarization of all antennas in the network. Because most other services use ver-tical polarization in this band, an additional 20 dB of attenuation to interference can be achieved by using horizontal polarization.Another approach is to use a bandpass filter to attenuate all signals outside the 900 MHz band.4. Multiple Access Point units can co-exist in proximity to each other with only very minor interference. Each network name has a differ-ent hop pattern. (See “Protected Network Operation through Multi-ple Access Points” on Page 8.) Additional isolation can be achieved by using separate directional antennas with as much vertical or hori-zontal separation as is practical. 5. If constant interference is present in a particular frequency zone (collection of 8 RF channels), it may be necessary to “skip” that zone from the radio’s hopping pattern. The radio includes built-in software to help users identify and remove blocked frequency zones from its hopping pattern. (See “Skip Zone Options Menu” on Page 31 for more information.) 6. If interference problems persist even after skipping some zones, try reducing the length of data streams. Groups of short data streams have a better chance of getting through in the presence of interfer-ence than do long streams.7. The power output of all radios in a system should be set for the low-est level necessary for reliable communications. This lessens the chance of causing unnecessary interference to nearby systems.
110 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AIf you are not familiar with these interference-control techniques, con-tact your MDS sales or Technical Support Department for more infor-mation.5.1.7 How Much Output Power Can be Used?The transceiver is normally supplied from the factory set for a nominal +30 dBm (1 Watt) RF power output setting; this is the maximum trans-mitter output power allowed under FCC rules. The power must be decreased from this level if the antenna system gain exceeds 6 dBi. The allowable level is dependent on the antenna gain, feedline loss, and the transmitter output power setting.NOTE: In some countries, the maximum allowable RF output may belimited to less than 1 watt (For example, 100 mW /+20 dBm).Be sure to check for and comply with the requirements foryour area.Calculating System GainTo determine the maximum allowable power setting of the radio, per-form the following steps:1. Determine the antenna system gain by subtracting the feedline loss (in dB) from the antenna gain (in dBi). For example, if the antenna gain is 9.5 dBi, and the feedline loss is 1.5 dB, the antenna system gain would be 8 dB. (If the antenna system gain is 6 dB or less, no power adjustment is required.)2. Subtract the antenna system gain from 36 dBm (the maximum allowable EIRP). The result indicates the maximum transmitter power (in dBm) allowed under the rules. In the example above, this is 28 dBm.3. If the maximum transmitter power allowed is less than 30 dBm, set the power to the desired level using the entraNET Management Sys-tem.(Main Menu>Radio Configuration>RF Output Power Setpoint)For convenience, Table 5-3 lists several antenna system gains and shows the maximum allowable power setting of the radio. Note that a gain of 6 dB or less entitles you to operate the radio at full power output –30 dBm (1 Watt).
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 111* Most antenna manufacturers rate antenna gain in dBd in their litera-ture. To convert to dBi, add 2.15 dB.† Feedline loss varies by cable type and length. To determine the loss for common lengths of feedline, see Table 5-1 on Page 107.For assistance in the conversion of dBm to Watts, please see dBm-WATTS-VOLTS CONVERSION CHART on Page 112.Table 5-3. Antenna system gain vs. power output setting (USA)Antenna System Gain(Antenna Gain in dBi*minus Feedline Loss in dB†)Maximum PowerSetting(in dBm) EIRP(in dBm)6 (or less) 30 368283610 26 3612 24 3614 22 3616 20 36
112 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A5.2 dBm-WATTS-VOLTS CONVERSION CHARTTable 5-4 is provided as a convenience for determining the equivalent voltage or wattage of an RF power expressed in dBm.Table 5-4. dBm-Watts-Volts conversion—for 50 ohm systemsdBm V Po+53 100.0 200W+50 70.7 100W+49 64.0 80W+48 58.0 64W+47 50.0 50W+46 44.5 40W+45 40.0 32W+44 32.5 25W+43 32.0 20W+42 28.0 16W+41 26.2 12.5W+40 22.5 10W+39 20.0 8W+38 18.0 6.4W+37 16.0 5W+36 14.1 4W+35 12.5 3.2W+34 11.5 2.5W+33 10.0 2W+32 9.0 1.6W+31 8.0 1.25W+30 7.10 1.0W+29 6.40 800mW+28 5.80 640mW+27 5.00 500mW+26 4.45 400mW+25 4.00 320mW+24 3.55 250mW+23 3.20 200mW+22 2.80 160mW+21 2.52 125mW+20 2.25 100mW+19 2.00 80mW+18 1.80 64mW+17 1.60 50mW+16 1.41 40mW+15 1.25 32mW+14 1.15 25mW+13 1.00 20mW+12 .90 16mW+11 .80 12.5mW+10 .71 10mW+9 .64 8mW+8 .58 6.4mW+7 .500 5mW+6 .445 4mW+5 .400 3.2mW+4 .355 2.5mW+3 .320 2.0mW+2 .280 1.6mW+1 .252 1.25mWdBm V Po0 .225 1.0mW-1 .200 .80mW-2 .180 .64mW-3 .160 .50mW-4 .141 .40mW-5 .125 .32mW-6 .115 .25mW-7 .100 .20mW-8 .090 .16mW-9 .080 .125mW-10 .071 .10mW-11 .064-12 .058-13 .050-14 .045-15 .040-16 .0355dBm mV Po-17 31.5-18 28.5-19 25.1-20 22.5 .01mW-21 20.0-22 17.9-23 15.9-24 14.1-25 12.8-26 11.5-27 10.0-28 8.9-29 8.0-30 7.1 .001mW-31 6.25-32 5.8-33 5.0-34 4.5-35 4.0-36 3.5-37 3.2-38 2.85-39 2.5-40 2.25 .1µW-41 2.0-42 1.8-43 1.6-44 1.4-45 1.25-46 1.18-47 1.00-48 0.90dBm mV Po-49 0.80-50 0.71 .01µW-51 0.64-52 0.57-53 0.50-54 0.45-55 0.40-56 0.351-57 0.32-58 0.286-59 0.251-60 0.225 .001µW-61 0.200-62 0.180-63 0.160-64 0.141dBm µV Po-65 128-66 115-67 100-68 90-69 80-70 71 .1nW-71 65-72 58-73 50-74 45-75 40-76 35-77 32-78 29-79 25-80 22.5 .01nW-81 20.0-82 18.0-83 16.0-84 11.1-85 12.9-86 11.5-87 10.0-88 9.0-89 8.0-90 7.1 .001nW-91 6.1-92 5.75-93 5.0-94 4.5-95 4.0-96 3.51-97 3.2dBm µV Po-98 2.9-99 2.51-100 2.25 .1pW-101 2.0-102 1.8-103 1.6-104 1.41-105 1.27-106 1.18dBm nV Po-107 1000-108 900-109 800-110 710 .01pW-111 640-112 580-113 500-114 450-115 400-116 355-117 325-118 285-119 251-120 225 .001pW-121 200-122 180-123 160-124 141-125 128-126 117-127 100-128 90-129 80 .1ƒW-130 71-131 61-132 58-133 50-134 45-135 40-136 35-137 33-138 29-139 25-140 23 .01ƒW
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 1136TECHNICAL REFERENCE6 Chapter Counter Reset ParagraphContents6.1 DATA INTERFACE CONNECTORS.........................................1216.1.1 LAN Port ....................................................................................1216.1.2 COM1 Port ................................................................................1226.1.3 COM2 Port ................................................................................1226.2 FUSE REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE ...................................1236.3 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ................................................124
114 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 1156.1 REMOTE TRANSCEIVER COMMAND REFERENCE6.1.1 Command DescriptionThe following commands are used to set the configuration and operating parameters for the MDS entraNET radio...They can be issued from a console terminal connected as shown in Section...HELPLists the commands available through the console interface.HELP DUMP TOR RADIOLOGIN AUTH BOOT DATECOM1 CONSOLE PAYLOAD OEMREG POWER WAKE TRENDENCRYPT REPROG H2H VERDEVICE CONFIG CONFIGTAB IMAGEDUMPLists the current value of all variables.TORSyntax: TOR [optional arguments as follows]...<COMMAND> command string to send to TOR PASS=<choices> 0 ;COM2 passthrough to/from TOR LCP data port DISABLED 1 ;COM1 passthrough to/from TOR diagnostic port 2 ;COM2 passthrough to/from TOR LCP data port REPROG=<choices> 0 ;reprogram tor with image for currently executing OIB image.
116 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A1 ;reprogram tor with image 1 2 ;reprogarm tor with image 2 CMD=<0|1> dump command line format RADIOSyntax: RADIO [optional arguments as follows]...ADDR=<integer> Current Radio Network Address MAC=<integer> Current Radio MAC Address SYNC=<integer> Current state of Radio Sync CMD=<0|1> dump command line format LOGINSyntax: LOGIN [optional arguments as follows]...<PASS> Login securely; prompt username + password and echo '*' when inputting password. ADMIN=<string> Administrator console login password. DIST=<string> Distributor console login password. NONE=<string> User Read-only login. FACT=<string> ENG=<string> AUTHSyntax: AUTH [optional arguments as follows]...<CODE=> ELI_NOT_BLUNET ;1: ELI; 0: BLUNET MAC_UNIT_MASTER ;1: MASTER; 0: REMOTE RS232_NOT_4XX ;1: RS232; 0: RS485
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 117 ETHERNET_ENABLE ;1: ETHERNET ENABLED; 0: DISABLED NETWKMGMT_ENABLE ;1: NETWORK MANAGEMENT ENABLED; 0: DISABLED CMD=<0|1> dump command line format BOOTSyntax: BOOT [optional arguments as follows]...RUN=<choices> RESET ;goto Reset Vector APP1 ;Application Image 1 APP2 ;Application Image 2 CMD=<0|1> dump command line format DATESyntax: DATE [optional arguments as follows]...<DATE> Current real time clock date. FORM=<choices> US ;US Date Format EUROPE ;Europe Date Format GENERIC ;Generic Date Format TIME=<string> Current system time-of-day in military format CMD=<0|1> dump command line format COM1Syntax: COM1 [optional arguments as follows]...MODE=<choices> CMDL ;Console port in Command-line mode
118 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A DATA ;Console port in transparent data mode DLINK ;Console port in DLINK remote diagnostic mode. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format CONSOLESyntax: CONSOLE [optional arguments as follows]...BAUD=<choices> Data Rate of Console Port (COM1):1200 ;1200 bps 2400 ;2400 bps 4800 ;4800 bps 9600 ;9600 bps 19200 ;19200 bps 38400 ;38400 bps 57600 ;57600 bps 115200 ;115200 bps CBITS=<choices> Number of Bits that form one character (byte):7 ;7 character bits 8 ;8 character bits 9 ;9 character bits PAR=<choices> NONE ;no parity ODD ;odd parity EVEN ;even parity SBITS=<choices> 1 ;1 stop bit 2 ;2 stop bits CMD=<0|1> dump command line format
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 119PAYLOAD (Serial)Syntax: PAYLOAD [optional arguments as follows]... <untagged index> COM1 ;COM1 port COM2 ;COM2 port BAUD=<choices> 1200 ;1200 bps 2400 ;2400 bps 4800 ;4800 bps 9600 ;9600 bps 19200 ;19200 bps 38400 ;38400 bps 57600 ;57600 bps 115200 ;115200 bps 230400 ;230400 bps CBITS=<choices> 7 ;7 character bits 8 ;8 character bits 9 ;9 character bits EN=<choices> OFF ;Payload data disabled on port ON ;Payload data enabled on port PAR=<choices> NONE ;no parity bit ODD ;Odd Parity
120 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A EVEN ;Even Parity SBITS=<choices> 1 ;1 stop bit 2 ;2 stop bit CMD=<0|1> dump command line format COM1 port COM2 port OEMSyntax: OEM [optional arguments as follows]... COMP=<string> Name of company selling the radio. MODEL=<string> Model number given to the radio PROD=<string> Product Name given to the radio SREV=<string> Software ID. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format REGSyntax: REG [optional arguments as follows]... REG=<0|1> Whether the device (remote) has registered with a master CA=<integer> Master-assigned connection address (mac address) after registration MASTER=<integer> serial number of registered master PROT=<integer> agreed protocl version for H2H after registration w/ master REFRESH=<integer> registration refresh period - determined from Age Out time provided by Master at registration SAF=<choices>
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 121 OFF ;Store and Forward Disabled ON ;Store and Forward Enabled LOWPOWER ;Store and Froward w/ Low Power Enabled SHUTDOWN=<0|1> Agreement with master whether disconnect sent when shutting down - yes/no SLEEP=<choices> NONE ;Sleep Disabled on Network XPARENT ;Transparent Sleep Only on Network SIMPLE ;Simple Sleep Supported on Network TIWAKE ;Traffic Indication w/ Wake on Data at Master TINOWAKE ;Traffic Indication w/o Wake on Data at Master SLEEPIND=<integer> Master-assigned sleep TIM index after regis-tration TYPE=<integer> RegMasterType - type of master accepting reg-istration CMD=<0|1> dump command line format POWERSyntax: POWER [optional arguments as follows]... CNTRL=<choices> DTR ;DTR controls power mode PERM ;Power mode is permanent until explicitly wake up b y master or local data. PERIOD ;Wake-up is periodically MODE=<choices> NORM ;Normal low power mode SLEEP ;Sleep mode SHUT ;Shutdown mode
122 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A PWKTIME=<integer> This determines the period of wake-up when power mode control is periodic wake-up. PHGTIME=<integer> This determines how long the remotes hang out after awaken before going back to sleep. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format WAKESyntax: WAKE [optional arguments as follows]... LDATA=<0|1> When in sleep mode this enable whether remote can wake on local data/console or not. MDATA=<0|1> When in sleep mode this enable whether remote can wake on data at master. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format TRENDSyntax: TREND [optional arguments as follows]... <TREND> Writing to this register invokes a request to return trending data at the next non-intrusive opportunity. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format ENCRYPTSyntax: ENCRYPT [optional arguments as follows]... EN=<0|1> Enable encryption of payload Data PHRASE=<string> Encryption Pass Phrase MASTKEY=<string of bytmaster key KEYIDX=<integer> current key KEY0=<string of bytes>key 0
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 123 KEY1=<string of bytes>key 1 KEY2=<string of bytes>key 2 KEY3=<string of bytes>key 3 IV=<integer> current IV CMD=<0|1> dump command line format REPROGSyntax: REPROG [optional arguments as follows]... START=<hex> Start address of Flash reprogramming process. SIZE=<hex> Number of reprogramming bytes to be downloaded. H2HSyntax: H2H [optional arguments as follows]... PROT=<choices> LCP_ONLY ;LCP, no network or H2H layer H2H_ONLY ;H2H but no Network layer H2H_NETWORK ;Full H2H/Network protocol CMD=<0|1> dump command line format VERSyntax: VER [optional arguments as follows]... IMAGE=<integer> Currently active image: 1 or 2 SREV=<string> Current Software Version number. xx.yy.zz SWID=<string> Current Software ID text. 06-nnnnAnn XSREV=<string> Current Radio Software Version number. xx.yy.zz H2H=<integer> Host to Host protocol version number.
124 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A HREV=<string> OIB Board Hardware Revision XHREV=<string> OEM Radio Board Hardware Revision. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format DEVICESyntax: DEVICE [optional arguments as follows]... UNIT=<integer> This is the remote unit ID which is used for Host to Host interface as well as DLINK remote diagnostic messages. SNUM=<integer> OIB Board Serial Number. OWNER=<string> Owner can program any information (as 1 string). UPTIME=<string> Current system uptime. XSNUM=<integer> OEM Radio Board Serial Number CMD=<0|1> dump command line format CONFIGSyntax: CONFIG [optional arguments as follows]... ELI=<string> Product configurator string. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format CONFIGTABSyntax: CONFIGTAB [optional arguments as follows]... VER=<integer> Config Table Version CMD=<0|1> dump command line format IMAGESyntax123
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 125: IMAGE [optional arguments as follows]... <untagged index> APP1 ;Application Image 1 APP2 ;Application Image 2 SREV=<string> Software Version number. (xx.yy.zz). Not sup-ported SWID=<string> Software ID text. (06-nnnnAnn). Not supported XSREV=<string> Display TOR radio software version. Not sup-ported. CMD=<0|1> dump command line format Application Image 1 Application Image 2
126 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A6.2 DATA INTERFACE CONNECTORS(Pubs Note: There will be separate sections for the AP and Remote in the final book. Presently, only the AP is covered.)Three data interface connectors are provided on the face of the Access Point transceiver. The first, the LAN Port, is an RJ-45 connector. The other two use two DB-9 interface connectors that use the RS-232 (EIA-232) signaling standard. Note that the connector for COM1 Port is DCE (Female DB-9) and the COM2 Port is DTE (male DB-9). The transceiver meets U.S.A.’s FCC Part 15, Class A limits when used with shielded data cables. 6.2.1 LAN PortThe LAN Port is used to connect the radio to an Ethernet network. The transceiver will provide a data link to an Internet Protocol-based (IP) data network through the radio network’s Access Point station. Each transceiver in the network must have a unique IP address for the network to function properly.•To connect a PC directly to the radio’s LAN port, an RJ-45 to RJ-45 cross-over cable is required. •To connect the radio to a Ethernet hub or bridge, use a straight-through cable.The connector uses the standard Ethernet RJ-45 cables and wiring. For custom-made cables, use the pinout information below.Figure 6-1. LAN Port (RJ-45) Pinout(Viewed from the outside of the unit) Table 6-1. LAN Port (IP/Ethernet)Pin Functions Ref.1 Transmit Data (TX) High2 Transmit Data (TX) Low3 Receive Data (RX) High4 Unused5 Unused6 Receive Data (RX) Low7 Unused8 UnusedCAUTIONRADIO FREQUENCYINTERFERENCE POTENTIAL1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 1276.2.2 COM1 PortTo connect a PC to the transceiver’s COM1 port use a DB-9M to DB-9F cross-over cable. This cable may also be purchased from a computer retail store or mail-order company. For custom interface cables, use the pinout information in Figure 6-2 and Table 6-2.Figure 6-2. COM1 Port (DCE)(Viewed from the outside of the unit.) 6.2.3 COM2 PortFigure 6-3. COM2 Port (DTE)Viewed from the outside of the radioTable 6-2. COM1 Port Pinout, DB-9F/RS-232 InterfacePin Functions DCE1 Unused2 Receive Data (RXD) <—[ Out3 Transmit Data (TXD) —>[ In4 Unused5 Signal Ground (GND)6–9 UnusedTable 6-3. COM2 Port, DB-9M/EIA-232 InterfacePin Functions DTE1 Data Carrier Detect (DCD) In ]<—2 Receive Data (RXD) In ]<—3 Transmit Data (TXD) Out ]—>4 Data Terminal Ready (DTR) Out ]—>5 Signal Ground (GND)6 Data Set Ready (DSR) In ]<—7 Request-to-Send (RTS) Out ]—>8 Clear-to-Send (CTS) In ]<—9 Unused15965169
128 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A6.3 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONSGENERALTemperature Range: –40° C to +70° C (–40° F to 158° F)Humidity: 95% at +40° C (104° F); non-condensingPrimary Power: 6–30 Vdc (13.8 Vdc Nominal)Supply Current (typical): (8 Watts Maximum @ 1 Watt RF Output)Transmit: 28 mA @ 13.8 VdcReceive: 100 mA @ 13.8 VdcSleep: <7 mA @ 13.8 VdcMTBF: 35 Years (Telcordia Method 1, Case 3)Size (Excluding mtg. hardware): 1.5" x 6" x 4" (H x W x D)3.8 x 15.2 x 10.2 cmWeight: 0.9 kg / 2 lb (AP)0.0 kg/0 lb (Remote)Case: Cast AluminumBoot Time: ≈ 30 sec Time Required to Associatewith Access Point: ≈ 20 sec APPROVALS/HOMOLOGATION:• FCC Part 15.247 (Pending)• Industry Canada RSS-210 and RSS-139 (Pend-ing)• UL/CSA Class 1, Div. 2; Groups A, B, C and D hazardous locations (Pending)• Contact MDS for information on availability and governmental approvals in other countriesEMBEDDED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMAccess Point: • HTTP (Embedded Web server)• Text-based menu on COM1 serial port• TelnetRemote Radios: • Command line via COM1 portDATA CHARACTERISTICSPORTS (AP):Ethernet:Interface Connectors: RJ-45 StandardData Rate: 10BaseTCOM1, COM2:Signaling Standard: EIA-232/V.24Interface Connectors: RJ-45Interface: COM1: DCE / COM2: DTE
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 129Data Rate: 1200–115,200 bpsasynchronousData Latency: < 10 ms typicalPORTS (Remote):Ethernet:Interface Connectors: RJ-45 StandardData Rate: 10BaseTCOM1, COM2:Signaling Standard: EIA-232/V.24Interface Connectors: DB-9Interface: COM1: DCE / COM2: DTEData Rate: 1200–115,200 bpsasynchronousData Latency: < 10 ms typicalPROTOCOLS: •CSMA/CA Wireless Protocol with Collision Avoid-ance (802.11)•IEEE 802.11 CSMA/CD (Wireless)•IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet)•IP/Ethernet (ICMP, UDP, TCP, ARP)•Clear-channel mode for serial async multidrop protocols including: Modbus, DNP.3, Bisync, BSAP, DF1, TotalFlow, Poll SelectRADIO CHARACTERISTICSGENERAL:Frequency Range: 902–928 MHz ISM BandFrequency Hopping Range: Ten user-configurable 2.5 MHz-wide zones, each containing 8 frequencies Hop Pattern: Based on network nameFrequency Stability: 20 ppmTRANSMITTER:Power Output(at antenna connector): 0.1 to 1.0 watt (+20 dBm to +30 dBm) ±1.0 dB,set by userDuty Cycle: ContinuousModulation Type: Binary CPFSKOutput Impedance: 50 OhmsSpurious: –67 dBcOccupied Bandwidth: 200 kHzRECEIVER:Type: Double conversion superheterodyneSensitivity: –108 dBm @ 106 kbps < 1x10-6 BERIntermodulation: 59 dB Minimum (EIA)
130 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. ADesensitization: 70 dBSpurious: 60 dB
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 131
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MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 1337GLOSSARY OF TERMSAND ABBREVIATIONS7 Chapter Counter Reset ParagraphIf you are new to wireless IP/Ethernet systems, some of the terms used in this guide may be unfamiliar. The following glossary explains many of these terms and will prove helpful in understanding the operation of the transceiver.Access Point (AP)—The transceiver in the network that provides syn-chronization information to one or more associated Remote units. AP units may be configured for either the Access Point (master) or Remote services. (See “Network Configuration Menu” on Page 27.)Active Scanning—See Passive ScanningAntenna System Gain—A figure, normally expressed in dB, repre-senting the power increase resulting from the use of a gain-type antenna. System losses (from the feedline and coaxial connectors, for example) are subtracted from this figure to calculate the total antenna system gain.AP—See Access PointAssociation—Condition in which, the frequency hopping pattern of the Remote is synchronized with the Access Point station in a network and is ready to pass traffic.Authorization Key—Alphanumeric string (code) that is used to enable additional capabilities in a transceiver.Bit—The smallest unit of digital data, often represented by a one or a zero. Eight bits (plus start, stop, and parity bits) usually comprise a byte.Bits-per-second—See BPS.BPDU—Bridge Protocol Data UnitsBPS—Bits-per-second (bps). A measure of the information transfer rate of digital data across a communication channel.Byte—A string of digital data usually made up of eight data bits and start, stop and parity bits.CSMA/CA—Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision AvoidanceCSMA/CD—Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision DetectionData Circuit-terminating Equipment—See DCE.
134 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. AData Communications Equipment—See DCE.Data Terminal Equipment—See DTE.dBi—Decibels referenced to an “ideal” isotropic radiator in free space. Frequently used to express antenna gain.dBm—Decibels referenced to one milliwatt. An absolute unit used to measure signal power, as in transmitter power output, or received signal strength.DCE—Data Circuit-terminating Equipment (or Data Communications Equipment). In data communications terminology, this is the “modem” side of a computer-to-modem connection. COM1 Port of the transceiver is set as DCE.Decibel (dB)—A measure of the ratio between two signal levels. Fre-quently used to express the gain (or loss) of a system.Device Mode—The operating mode/role of a transceiver (Access Point or Remote) in a wireless network.DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)—An Internet stan-dard that allows a client (i.e. any computer or network device) to obtain an IP address from a server on the network. This allows network admin-istrators to avoid the tedious process of manually configuring and man-aging IP addresses for a large number of users and devices. When a network device powers on, if it is configured to use DHCP, it will con-tact a DHCP server on the network and request an IP address. The DHCP server will provide an address from a pool of addresses allocated by the network administrator. The network device may use this address on a “time lease” basis or indefinitely depending on the policy set by the network administrator. The DHCP server can restrict allocation of IP addresses based on security policies. An MDS NET 900 access point may be configured by the system administrator to act as a DHCP server if one is not available on the wired network.Digital Signal Processing—See DSP.DSP—Digital Signal Processing. DSP circuitry is responsible for the most critical real-time tasks; primarily modulation, demodulation, and servicing of the data port.DTE—Data Terminal Equipment. A device that provides data in the form of digital signals at its output. Connects to the DCE device.Encapsulation—Process in by which, a complete data packet, such asModbus frame or any other polled asynchronous protocol frame, isplaced in the data portion of another protocol frame (in this case IP) tobe transported over a network. Typically this action is done at the receiv-ing end, before being sent as an IP packet to a network. A similar re-
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 135versed process is applied at the other end of the network extracting thedata from the IP envelope, resulting in the original packet in the originalprotocol.Endpoint—IP address of data equipment connected to the ports of the radio.Equalization—The process of reducing the effects of amplitude, fre-quency or phase distortion with compensating networks.Fade Margin—The greatest tolerable reduction in average received signal strength that will be anticipated under most conditions. Provides an allowance for reduced signal strength due to multipath, slight antenna movement or changing atmospheric losses. A fade margin of 15 to 20 dB is usually sufficient in most systems.Frame—A segment of data that adheres to a specific data protocol and contains definite start and end points. It provides a method of synchro-nizing transmissions.Frequency Hopping—The spread spectrum technique used by the transceivers, where two or more associated radios change their oper-ating frequencies several times per second using a set pattern. Since the pattern appears to jump around, it is said to “hop” from one frequency to another.Frequency Zone—The transceiver uses up to 80 discrete channels in the 902 to 928 MHz spectrum. A group of 8 channels is referred to as a zone; in total there are 10 zones.Hardware Flow Control—An transceiver feature used to prevent data buffer overruns when handling high-speed data from the connected data communications device. When the buffer approaches overflow, the radio drops the clear-to-send (CTS) line, that instructs the connected device to delay further transmission until CTS again returns to the high state.Hop Pattern Seed—A user-selectable value to be added to the hop pat-tern formula in an unlikely event of nearly identical hop patterns of two co-located or nearby networks to eliminate adjacent-network interfer-ence.Host Computer—The computer installed at the master station site, that controls the collection of data from one or more remote sites.HTTP—Hypertext Transfer ProtocolIAPP (inter-Access Point Protocol)—A protocol by which access points share information about the stations that are connected to them. When a station connects to an access point, the access point updates its database. When a station leaves one access point and roams to another
136 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. Aaccess point, the new access point tells the old access point, using IAPP, that the station has left and is now located on the new access point.ICMP—Internet Control Message ProtocolIEEE—Institute of Electrical and Electronic EngineersImage (File)—Data file that contains the operating system and other essential resources for the basic operation of the transceiver’s CPU. LAN—Local Area NetworkLatency—The delay (usually expressed in milliseconds) between when data is applied at the transmit port at one radio, until it appears at the receive port at the other radio.MAS—Multiple Address System. A radio system where a central master station communicates with several remote stations for the pur-pose of gathering telemetry data. Figure 1-2 on Page 6 shows an example of an MAS system.MAC—Media Access ControllerMCU—Microcontroller Unit. This is the processor responsible for con-trolling system start-up, synthesizer loading, hop timing, and key-up control.MD5—A highly secure data encoding scheme. MD5 is a one-way hash algorithm that takes any length of data and produces a 128 bit “finger-print”. This fingerprint is “non-reversible”, it is computationally infea-sible to determine the file based on the fingerprint. For more details check out “RFC 1321” on the Internet.Microcontroller Unit—See MCU.Mobile IP—An emerging standard by which access points and stations maintain network connectivity as the stations move between various IP networks. Through the use of Mobile IP a station can move from its home IP network to a foreign network while still sending and receiving data using it's original IP address. Other hosts on the network will not need to know that the station is no longer in its home network and can continue to send data to the IP address that was assigned to the station. Mobile IP also uses DHCP when the station moves into a foreign net-work.Mobility—Refers to a station that moves about while maintaining active connections with the network. Mobility generally implies phys-ical motion. The movement of the station is not limited to a specific net-work and IP subnet. In order for a station to be mobile it must establish and tear down connections with various access points as it moves
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 137through the access points' territory. In order to do this, the station employs roaming and Mobile IP.Mode—See Device Mode.MTBF—Mean-Time Between FailuresMultiple Address System (MAS)—See Point-Multipoint System.Network Name—User-selectable alphanumeric string that is used to identify a group of transceivers that form a communications network. The Access Point and all Remotes within a given system should have the same network address.Network-Wide Diagnostics—An advanced method of controlling and interrogating MDS radios in a radio network.Passive Scanning—Scanning is a process used by stations to detect other access points on network to which it may connect if it needs to roam. Passive scanning is a slower process in which it listens for infor-mation offered by the access points on a regular basis. Active scanning is a faster process in which the station sends out probe message to which the access points respond. Passive scanning can be done while main-taining the current network connectivity. Active scanning affects the RF configuration of the radio and therefore, at least temporarily, discon-nects the station from the access point.PING—Packet INternet Groper. Diagnostic message generally used to test reachability of a network device, either over a wired or wireless net-work.Point-Multipoint System—A radio communications network or system designed with a central control station that exchanges data with a number of remote locations equipped with terminal equipment.Poll—A request for data issued from the host computer (or master PLC) to a remote radio.Portability—A station is considered connected when it has successfully authenticated and associated with an access point. A station is consid-ered authenticated when it has agreed with the access point on the type of encryption that will be used for data packets traveling between them. The process of association causes a station to be bound to an access point and allows it to receive and transmit packets to and from the access point. In order for a station to be associated it must first authenticate with the access point. The authentication and association processes occur automatically without user intervention.Portability refers to the ability of a transceiver to connect to an access point from multiple locations without the need to reconfigure the net-work settings. For example, a transceiver located in one place and con-
138 MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. Anected to an access point can be turned off, moved to another place, turned back on, and when the right information is entered can immedi-ately reconnect to the access point without user intervention.PLC—Programmable Logic Controller. A dedicated microprocessor configured for a specific application with discrete inputs and outputs. It can serve as a host or as an RTU.Remote—A transceiver in a network that communicates with an asso-ciated Access Point unit.Remote Terminal Unit—See RTU.RFI—Radio Frequency InterferenceRoaming—An station's ability to automatically switch its wireless con-nection between various MDS NET 900 access points as the need arises. A station may roam from one access point to another because the signal strength or quality of the current access point has degraded below what another access point can provide. When two access points are co-located for redundancy, roaming allows the stations to switch between the access points to provide a robust network. Roaming may also be employed in conjunction with Portability where the station has been moved beyond the range of the original access point to which it was con-nected. As the station comes in range of a new access point, it will switch its connection to the stronger signal. Roaming refers to a station's logical, not necessarily physical, move between access points within a specific network and IP subnet.RSSI—Received Signal Strength IndicatorRTU—Remote Terminal Unit. A data collection device installed at a remote radio site.SCADA—Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition. An overall term for the functions commonly provided through an MAS radio system.Skip Zone(s)—Groups of operating channels (frequencies) deleted from the radio transmitter and receiver operating range.SNMP—Simple Network Management ProtocolSNR—Signal-to-Noise Ratio. A measurement of relative received signal quality. High ratios will likely result in better signal detection and performance.SNTP—Simple Network Time ProtocolSTP—Spanning Tree ProtocolStanding-Wave Ratio—See SWR.
MDS 05-4055A01, Rev. A MDS entraNET 900 System Guide (Preliminary) 139SWR—Standing-Wave Ratio. A parameter related to the ratio between forward transmitter power and the reflected power from the antenna system. As a general guideline, reflected power should not exceed 10% of the forward power (≈ 2:1 SWR).TCP—Transmission Control ProtocolTFTP—Trivial File Transfer ProtocolUDP—User Datagram ProtocolZone—See Frequency Zone.
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