LINKSYS WRT54GC Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router User Manual Book

LINKSYS LLC Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router Book

Users Manual 2

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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Setup Tab - MAC Address Clone
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
TZO.com
E-mail Address, Password, and Domain Name. Enter the Email Address, Password, and Domain Name of
the service you set up with TZO.
Internet IP Address. The Router’s current Internet IP Address is displayed here. Because it is dynamic, this
will change.
Status. The status of the DDNS service connection is displayed here.
When you have finished making changes to this screen, click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or
Cancel Changes to cancel your changes. Help information is shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
The Setup Tab - MAC Address Clone
A MAC address is a 12-digit code assigned to a unique piece of hardware for identification. Some ISPs will
require you to register a MAC address in order to access the Internet. If you do not wish to re-register the MAC
address with your ISP, you may assign the MAC address you have currently registered with your ISP to the Router
with the MAC Address Clone feature.
MAC Address Clone
Enabled/Disabled. To have the MAC Address cloned, select Enabled from the drop-down menu.
MAC Address. Enter the MAC Address registered with your ISP here.
Clone My PC’s MAC. Clicking this button will clone the MAC address of the PC you are currently using.
Change these settings as described here and click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or Cancel
Changes to cancel your changes. Help information is shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
Figure 5-11: Setup Tab - MAC Address Clone
mac address: the unique address that a
manufacturer assigns to each networking device.
Figure 5-10: TZO.com
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Setup Tab - Advanced Routing
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Setup Tab - Advanced Routing
This tab is used to set up the Router’s advanced functions. Operating Mode allows you to select the type(s) of
advanced functions you use. Dynamic Routing will automatically adjust how packets travel on your network. Static
Routing sets up a fixed route to another network destination.
Operating Mode
. Select the mode in which this Router will function. If this Router is hosting your network’s
connection to the Internet, select
Gateway
. If another Router exists on your network, select
Router
. When Router is
chosen,
Dynamic Routing
will be enabled.
Dynamic Routing
. This feature enables the Router to automatically adjust to physical changes in the network’s
layout and exchange routing tables with the other router(s). The Router determines the network packets’ route
based on the fewest number of hops between the source and the destination. This feature is
Disabled
by default.
From the drop-down menu, you can also select
LAN & Wireless
, which performs dynamic routing over your
Ethernet and wireless networks. You can also select
WAN
, which performs dynamic routing with data coming from
the Internet. Finally, selecting
Both
enables dynamic routing for both networks, as well as data from the Internet.
Static Routing
. To set up a static route between the Router and another network, select a number from the Static
Routing drop-down list. (A static route is a pre-determined pathway that network information must travel to reach a
specific host or network.) Enter the information described below to set up a new static route. (Click the
Delete This
Entry
button to delete a static route.)
Enter Route Name
. Enter a name for the Route here, using a maximum of 25 alphanumeric characters.
Destination LAN IP
. The Destination LAN IP is the address of the remote network or host to which you want to
assign a static route.
Subnet Mask
. The Subnet Mask determines which portion of a Destination LAN IP address is the network
portion, and which portion is the host portion.
Default Gateway
. This is the IP address of the gateway device that allows for contact between the Router and
the remote network or host.
Interface
. This interface tells you whether the Destination IP Address is on the
LAN & Wireless
(Ethernet and
wireless networks), the
WAN
(Internet), or a dummy network in which one PC acts like a network—necessary
for certain software programs).
Click the
Show Routing Table
button to view the Static Routes you’ve already set up.
Change these settings as described here and click the
Save Settings
button to apply your changes or
Cancel
Changes
to cancel your changes.
Figure 5-12: Setup Tab - Advanced Routing (Gateway)
Figure 5-13: Setup Tab - Advanced Routing (Router)
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Basic Wireless Settings
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Basic Wireless Settings
The basic settings for wireless networking are set on this screen.
Wireless Network
Wireless-G Settings
Mode. From this drop-down menu, you can select the wireless standards running on your network. If you have
both 802.11g and 802.11b devices in your network, keep the default setting, Mixed. If you have only 802.11g
devices, select G Only. If you have only 802.11b devices, select B Only.
Network Name (SSID). The SSID is the network name shared by all devices in a wireless network. The SSID
must be identical for all devices in the wireless network. It is case-sensitive and must not exceed 32 keyboard
characters in length. Make sure this setting is the same for all devices in your wireless network. For added
security, you should change the default SSID (linksys) to a unique name.
Channel. Select the appropriate channel from the list provided to correspond with your network settings. All
devices in your wireless network must broadcast on the same channel in order to communicate.
SSID Broadcast. When wireless clients survey the local area for wireless networks to associate with, they will
detect the SSID broadcast by the Router. To broadcast the Router's SSID, keep the default setting, Enabled. If you
do not want to broadcast the Router's SSID, then select Disabled.
Change these settings as described here and click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or Cancel
Changes to cancel your changes. Help information is shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
Figure 5-14: Wireless Tab - Basic Wireless Settings
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Wireless Security
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Wireless Security
The Wireless Security settings configure the security of your wireless network. There are three wireless security
mode options supported by the Router: WPA Personal, WPA2 Personal, WPA2 Mixed Mode and WEP. (WEP stands
for Wired Equivalent Privacy). These four are briefly discussed here. For detailed instructions on configuring
wireless security for the Router, turn to “Appendix B: Wireless Security.”
Wireless Security
WEP. WEP is a basic encryption method. Select a level of WEP encryption, 64-bit or 128-bit. If you want to use a
Passphrase, then enter it in the Passphrase field and click the Generate button. If you want to enter the WEP key
manually, then enter it in the WEP Key 1-4 field(s). To indicate which WEP key to use, select the appropriate TX
Key number.
WPA Personal. This method offers two encryption methods, TKIP and AES, with dynamic encryption keys. Select
the type of encryption method you want to use, TKIP or AES. Enter the Passphrase, which can have 8 to 63
characters. Then enter the Key Renewal period, which instructs the Router how often it should change the
encryption keys.
Figure 5-15: Wireless Tab - Wireless Security
(WEP)
Figure 5-16: Wireless Tab - Wireless Security
(WPA Personal)
wep (wired equivalent privacy): a method of
encrypting network data transmitted on a
wireless network for greater security.
IMPORTANT: If you are using encryption,
always remember that each device in your
wireless network MUST use the same
encryption method and encryption key, or
else your wireless network will not function
properly.
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Wireless Security
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
Figure 5-18: Wireless Tab - Wireless Security
(WPA2 Mixed Mode)
WPA2 Personal. WPA2 gives you one encryption method, AES, with dynamic encryption keys. Enter a
Passphrase of 8-63 characters. Then enter a Group Key Renewal period, which instructs the Router how often it
should change the encryption keys.
WPA2 Mixed Mode. WPA2 gives you TKIP+AES encryption. Enter a Passphrase of 8-63 characters. Then enter a
Group Key Renewal period, which instructs the Router how often it should change the encryption keys.
Figure 5-17: Wireless Tab - Wireless Security
(WPA2 Personal)
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Wireless MAC Filter
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Wireless MAC Filter
Wireless access can be filtered by using the MAC addresses of the wireless devices transmitting within your
network’s radius.
Wireless MAC Filter
Access Restrictions
To filter wireless users by MAC Address, either permitting or blocking access, click Enabled. If you do not wish to
filter users by MAC Address, select Disabled.
Prevent PCs listed below from accessing the wireless network. Clicking this radio button will block wireless
access by MAC Address.
Permit PCs listed below to access the wireless network. Clicking this radio button will allow wireless access
by MAC Address.
Wireless Client List
Wireless Client List. Click the Wireless Client MAC List button to display a list of network users by MAC
Address.From the To Sort by drop-down menu, you can sort the table by Client Name, IP Address, or MAC
Address. To view the most up-to-date information, click the Refresh button. To exit this screen, click the Close
button.
List users, by MAC Address, whose wireless access you want to control.
Change these settings as described here and click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or Cancel
Changes to cancel your changes. Help information is shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
Figure 5-19: Wireless Tab - Wireless MAC Filter
Figure 5-20: Wireless Tab - Wireless Client List
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Advanced Wireless Settings
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Advanced Wireless Settings
This tab is used to set up the Router’s advanced wireless functions. These settings should only be adjusted by an
expert administrator as incorrect settings can reduce wireless performance.
Advanced Wireless
Wireless-G Settings
Authentication Type. The default is set to Auto (Default), allows either Open System or Shared Key
authentication to be used. With Open System authentication, the sender and the recipient do NOT use a WEP key
for authentication. With Shared Key authentication, the sender and recipient use a WEP key for authentication.
Transmission Rate. The rate of data transmission should be set depending on the speed of your wireless
network. You can select from a range of transmission speeds, or you can select Auto (Default) to have the
Router automatically use the fastest possible data rate and enable the Auto-Fallback feature. Auto-Fallback will
negotiate the best possible connection speed between the Router and a wireless client. The default value is Auto
(Default).
Basic Rate. The Basic Rate setting is not actually one rate of transmission but a series of rates at which the
Router can transmit. The Router will advertise its Basic Rate to the other wireless devices in your network, so
they know which rates will be used. The Router will also advertise that it will automatically select the best rate
for transmission. The default setting is Default, when the Router can transmit at all standard wireless rates
(1-2Mbps, 5.5Mbps, 11Mbps, 18Mbps, and 24Mbps). Other options are 1-2Mbps, for use with older wireless
technology, and All, when the Router can transmit at all wireless rates. The Basic Rate is not the actual rate of
data transmission. If you want to specify the Router’s rate of data transmission, configure the Transmission Rate
setting.
CTS Protection Mode. CTS (Clear-To-Send) Protection Mode should be set to Auto (Default). The Router will
automatically use CTS Protection Mode when your Wireless-G products are experiencing severe problems and
are not able to transmit to the Router in an environment with heavy 802.11b traffic. This function boosts the
Router’s ability to catch all Wireless-G transmissions but will severely decrease performance.
DTIM Interval. This value indicates the interval of the Delivery Traffic Indication Message (DTIM). A DTIM field is
a countdown field informing clients of the next window for listening to broadcast and multicast messages. When
the Router has buffered broadcast or multicast messages for associated clients, it sends the next DTIM with a
DTIM Interval value. Its clients hear the beacons and awaken to receive the broadcast and multicast messages.
The default value is 1.
Figure 5-21: Wireless Tab - Advanced Wireless
Settings
cts (clear to send): a signal sent by a wireless
device, signifying that it is ready to receive data.
dtim: a message included in data packets
that can increase wireless efficiency.
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Wireless Tab - Advanced Wireless Settings
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
Fragmentation Threshold. This value specifies the maximum size for a packet before data is fragmented into
multiple packets. If you experience a high packet error rate, you may slightly increase the Fragmentation
Threshold. Setting the Fragmentation Threshold too low may result in poor network performance. Only minor
reduction of the default value is recommended. In most cases, it should remain at its default value of 2346.
RTS Threshold. Should you encounter inconsistent data flow, only minor reduction of the default value, 2347, is
recommended. If a network packet is smaller than the preset RTS threshold size, the RTS/CTS mechanism will
not be enabled. The Router sends Request to Send (RTS) frames to a particular receiving station and negotiates
the sending of a data frame. After receiving an RTS, the wireless station responds with a Clear to Send (CTS)
frame to acknowledge the right to begin transmission. The RTS Threshold value should remain at its default value
of 2347.
Beacon Interval. The default value is 100. The Beacon Interval value indicates the frequency interval of the
beacon. A beacon is a packet broadcast by the Router to synchronize the wireless network.
Change these settings as described here and click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or Cancel
Changes to cancel your changes. Help information is shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
beacon interval: data transmitted on your wireless
network that keeps the network synchronized.
fragmentation: breaking a packet into smaller units
when transmitting over a network medium that
cannot support the original size of the packet.
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Security Tab - Firewall
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Security Tab - Firewall
The Firewall screen offers Filters and the option to Block WAN Requests. Filters block specific Internet data types
and block anonymous Internet requests. To enable a feature, select Enabled from the drop-down menu. To
disable a feature, select Disabled from the drop-down menu.
Firewall
• SPI Firewall Protection. Enable this feature to employ Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) for more detailed
review of data packets entering your network environment.
• Block Anonymous Internet Requests. When enabled, this feature keeps your network from being “pinged,” or
detected, by other Internet users. It also reinforces your network security by hiding your network ports. Both
functions of this feature make it more difficult for outside users to work their way into your network. This
feature is enabled by default. Select Disabled to allow anonymous Internet requests.
• Filter Multicast. Multicasting allows for multiple transmissions to specific recipients at the same time. If
multicasting is permitted, then the Router will allow IP multicast packets to be forwarded to the appropriate
computers. Select Enable to filter multicasting, or Disable to disable this feature.
• Filter Internet NAT Redirection. This feature uses port forwarding to block access to local servers from local
networked computers. Check the box to enable filter Internet NAT redirection, or uncheck the box to disable
this feature.
• Web Filters
Proxy. Use of WAN proxy servers may compromise the Gateway's security. Denying Filter Proxy will disable
access to any WAN proxy servers. To enable proxy filtering, click the checkbox.
Java. Java is a programming language for websites. If you deny Java, you run the risk of not having access to
Internet sites created using this programming language. To enable Java filtering, click the checkbox.
ActiveX. ActiveX is a programming language for websites. If you deny ActiveX, you run the risk of not having
access to Internet sites created using this programming language. To enable ActiveX filtering, click the
checkbox.
Cookies. A cookie is data stored on your computer and used by Internet sites when you interact with them. To
enable cookie filtering, click the checkbox.
Change these settings as described here and click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or Cancel
Changes to cancel your changes. Help information is shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
Figure 5-22: Security Tab - Firewall
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Chapter 5: Configuring the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Security Tab - VPN Passthrough
Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router
The Security Tab - VPN Passthrough
Use the settings on this tab to allow VPN tunnels using IPSec, L2TP, or PPTP protocols to pass through the
Router’s firewall.
VPN Passthrough
IPSec Passthrough. Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) is a suite of protocols used to implement secure exchange
of packets at the IP layer. IPSec Pass-Through is enabled by default. To disable IPSec Passthrough, select
Disabled.
L2TP Passthrough. Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol is the method used to enable Point-to-Point sessions via the
Internet on the Layer 2 level. L2TP Pass-Through is enabled by default. To disable L2TP Passthrough, select
Disabled.
PPTP Passthrough. Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) allows the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) to be
tunneled through an IP network. PPTP Pass-Through is enabled by default. To disable PPTP Passthrough, select
Disabled.
Change these settings as described here and click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or Cancel
Changes to cancel your changes. Help information is shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
The Access Restrictions Tab - Internet Access Policy
The Internet Access Policy screen allows you to block or allow specific kinds of Internet usage and traffic, such as
Internet access, designated applications, websites, and inbound traffic during specific days and times.
Internet Access Policy
Access Policy. Access can be managed by a policy. Use the settings on this screen to establish an access policy
(after the Save Settings button is clicked). Selecting a policy from the drop-down menu will display that policy’s
settings. To delete a policy, select that policy’s number and click the Delete This Policy button. To view all the
policies, click the Summary button.
On the Summary screen, the policies are listed with the following information: No., Policy Name, Access, Days,
Time, and status (Enabled). You can change the type of access, days, and times of a policy. To activate a policy,
click the Enabled checkbox. To delete a policy, click its Delete button. Click the Save Settings button to save
your changes, or click the Cancel Changes button to cancel your changes. To return to the Internet Access Policy
tab, click the Close button. To view the list of PCs for a specific policy, click the PCs List button.
ipsec: a VPN protocol used to implement
secure exchange of packets at the IP layer.
pptp: a VPN protocol that allows the Point to Point
Protocol (PPP) to be tunneled through an IP network.
This protocol is also used as a type of broadband
connection in Europe.
Figure 5-23: Security Tab - VPN Passthrough
Figure 5-24: Access Restrictions Tab - Internet
Access Policy

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