SparkLAN Communications WUBR102G 802.11bgn USB module User Manual

SparkLAN Communications, Inc. 802.11bgn USB module Users Manual

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WUBR102G User Manual

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880022..1111gg TTuurrbboo WWiirreelleessss LLAANN UUSSBB MMoodduullee User Manual Version: 1.0 (September, 2008)

Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: 1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. 2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. 3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. 4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio technician for help. FCC Caution This device and its antenna must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the authority to operate equipment. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radiation Exposure Statement This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure set forth for an uncontrolled environment. In order to avoid the possibility of exceeding the FCC radio frequency exposure limits, human proximity to the antenna shall not be less than 2.5cm (1 inch) during normal operation. The equipment version marketed in US is restricted to usage of the channels 1-11 only.

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement: This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator & your body. IMPORTANT NOTE: This module is intended for OEM integrator. The OEM integrator is still responsible for the FCC compliance requirement of the end product, which integrates this module. 20cm minimum distance has to be able to be maintained between the antenna and the users for the host this module is integrated into. Under such configuration, the FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an population/uncontrolled environment can be satisfied. Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. USERS MANUAL OF THE END PRODUCT: In the users manual of the end product, the end user has to be informed to keep at least 20cm separation with the antenna while this end product is installed and operated. The end user has to be informed that the FCC radio-frequency exposure guidelines for an uncontrolled environment can be satisfied. The end user has to also be informed that any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. If the size of the end product is smaller than 8x10cm, then additional FCC part 15.19 statement is required to be available in the users manual: This device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. LABEL OF THE END PRODUCT: The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following " Contains TX FCC ID: XXXXX ". If the size of the end product is larger than 8x10cm, then the following FCC part 15.19 statement has to also be available on the label: This device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Exposure Requirements SAR compliance has been established in the laptop computer(s) configurations with USB port on the side near the center, as tested in the application for Certification, and can be used in laptop computer(s) with substantially similar physical dimensions, construction, and electrical and RF characteristics. Use in other devices such a PDAs or lappads is not authorized. This transmitter is restricted for use with the specific antenna(s) tested in the application for Certification. The antenna(s) used for this transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. R&TTE Compliance Statement This equipment complies with all the requirements of DIRECTIVE 1999/5/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL of March 9, 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunication terminal Equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (R&TTE) The R&TTE Directive repeals and replaces in the directive 98/13/EEC (Telecommunications Terminal Equipment and Satellite Earth Station Equipment) As of April 8, 2000. Safety This equipment is designed with the utmost care for the safety of those who install and use it. However, special attention must be paid to the dangers of electric shock and static electricity when working with electrical equipment. All guidelines of this and of the computer manufacture must therefore be allowed at all times to ensure the safe use of the equipment. EU Countries Intended for Use The ETSI version of this device is intended for home and office use in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The ETSI version of this device is also authorized for use in EFTA member states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. EU Countries Not intended for use None.

2 1.1 Features • Works with both IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g products. • High-speed transfer data rate – up to 54Mbps. • Supports Turbo Mode to enhance the data transfer speed within the specific wireless network. • Supports WMM (IEEE 802.11e QoS standard) function to meet the multi-media data bandwidth requirement. • Supports 64/128-bit WEP, WPA (TKIP with IEEE 802.1x), WPA2 (AES with IEEE 802.1x) functions for high level of security. • Supports CCX 2.0 (Cisco Compatible Extensions) for the radio monitoring and fast roaming. • Supports Software AP function, which turns the wireless station into a wireless AP. • Automatic fallback increases data security and reliability. • Supports the most popular operating system: Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista. • Supports USB 2.0/1.1 interface. • Portable and mini-size design. 1.2 Specifications • Standards: IEEE 802.11b/g • Bus Type: USB 2.0 Type A • Frequency Band: 2.4000 ~ 2.4835GHz (Industrial Scientific Medical Band) • Modulation: OFDM with BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM (11g) BPSK, QPSK, CCK (11b) • Data Rate: 54/48/36/24/18/12/11/9/6/5.5/2/1Mbps auto fallback • Securities: 64/128-bit WEP Data Encryption, WPA (TKIP with IEEE 802.1x), WPA2 (AES with IEEE 802.1x) Note: WPA2 is only enabled in Windows 2000/XP/2003. • Antenna: Dipole • Drivers: Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista • LEDs: Link/Activity • Transmit Power: 17dBm ± 2dBm • Receive Sensitivity: -70dBm@54Mbps, -83.5dBm@11Mbps • Dimension: 9(H) x 27(W) x 87(D) mm • Temperature: 32~122°F (0 ~ 50°C) • Humidity: 10-95% (NonCondensing) • Certification: FCC, CE

3 1.3 Package Contents Before you begin the installation, please check the items of your package. The package should include the following items: • One USB Module • One CD (Driver/Utility/User’s Manual) If any of the above items is missing, contact your supplier as soon as possible.

4 2 Installation Procedure Before you proceed with the installation, please notice following descriptions. Note1: Please do not connect the network module with your computer before installing the software program from the CD. Note2: The following installation was operated under Windows XP. (Procedures are similar for Windows 98SE/Me/2000/2003/Vista.) Note3: If you have installed the Turbo Wireless LAN USB Module driver & utility before, please uninstall the old version first. Windows XP Installation Instructions: A. Insert the Installation CD to your CD-ROM Drive. Execute the “setup” program. B. Read license agreement and click ‘Yes’ to start driver installation procedure.

5 C. In Windows XP, there is a “Windows Zero Configuration Tool” for you to setup the wireless module. You can choose to configure the module through the Windows Zero Configuration Tool or the Ralink Configuration Tool for the module. It is recommended to choose the Ralink Configuration Tool since it provides more function. Click “Next” to continue. D. If you want to operate the module at higher speed, please choose the “Optimize for performance” to enable the Tx Burst mode. Or you can choose “Optimize for Wi-Fi mode” to let the module run with standard wireless network.

6 E. The system starts to install the software of the module. Please follow the instructions of the program to plug in the module into the USB port of your computer. And the system will automatically detect the module NOTE: In Windows Vista, the following window will appear when you insert network module into computer, please ignore it and wait. It will disappear after driver installation is complete.

7 F. Please click “Finish” to complete the installation.

8 3 Configuration Utility The Ralink Configuration Utility is a powerful application that helps you configure the USB Module and monitor the link status and the statistics during the communication process. When the module is installed, the configuration utility will be displayed automatically. This module will auto connect to wireless device which has better signal strength and no wireless security setting. The Ralink Configuration Utility appears as an icon on the system tray of Windows while the module is running. You can open the utility by double-click on the icon. In Windows XP, there is a “Windows Zero Configuration Tool” for you to setup wireless clients. If you want to switch to use Ralink configuration utility, please follow one of the ways as below. First Way Right click the icon in the system tray and select “Use RaConfig as Configuration utility”. Second Way A. Right-click the icon and select “View Available Wireless Networks”.

9 B. Click “Advanced”. C. Uncheck “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” to enable the utility for the module. Note: If “Wireless Zero Configuration” is enabled, you can only configure the advance setting or check the link status and statistics from the configuration utility of the module.

13 Parameter Description Network Type Infrastructure – This operation mode requires the presence of an 802.11 Access Point. All communication is done via the Access Point or Router. Ad-Hoc – Select this mode if you want to connect to another wireless stations in the Wireless LAN network without through an Access Point or Router. TX Power If you want to lower the transmit power of the module for saving the power of the system, you can select the lower percentages from the list. The lower power will cause the lower signal strength and the coverage range. Preamble The preamble defines the length of the CRC block for communication among wireless devices. This option is only active in the Ad Hoc network. There are two modes including Auto and Long Preamble. If “Auto“ mode is selected, the module will auto switch the preamble mode depending on the wireless devices the module is connecting to. RTS Threshold Minimum packet size required for an RTS (Request To Send). For packets smaller than this threshold, an RTS is not sent and the packet is transmitted directly to the wireless network. Select a setting within a range of 0 to 2347 bytes. Minor change is recommended. Fragment Threshold The value defines the maximum size of packets; any packet size larger than the value will be fragmented. If you have decreased this value and experience high packet error rates, you can increase it again, but it will likely decrease overall network performance. Selecta setting within a range of 256 to 2346 bytes. Minor change is recommended. Channel This setting is only available for Ad Hoc mode. Select the number of the radio channel used for the networking. The channel setting should be the same with the network you are connecting to.

14 3.2.1.2 Authentication and Security Parameter Description Authentication Type This setting has to be consistent with the wireless networks that the module intends to connect. Open – No authentication is needed among the wireless network. Shared – Only wireless devices using a shared key (WEP Key identified) are allowed to connecting each other. LEAP – LEAP is a pre-EAP, Cisco-proprietary protocol, with many of the features of EAP protocols. Cisco controls the ability of other vendors to implement this protocol, so it should be selected for use only when limited vendor choice for client, access-point, and server products is not a concern. When you have set up LEAP authentication, you have to enter the user name and password of your computer. WPA – WPA provides a scheme of mutual authentication using either IEEE 802.1x/Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication or pre-shared key (PSK) technology. It provides a high level of assurance to enterprises, small businesses and home users that data will remain protected and that only authorized users may access their networks. For enterprises that have already deployed IEEE 802.1x authentication, WPA offers the advantage of leveraging existing authentication databases and infrastructure.

15 Parameter Description WPA-PSK – It is a special mode designed for home and small business users who do not have access to network authentication servers. In this mode, known as Pre-Shared Key, the user manually enters the starting password in their access point or gateway, as well as in each wireless station in the network. WPA-PSK takes over automatically from that point, keeping unauthorized users that don't have the matching password from joining the network, while encrypting the data traveling between authorized devices. WPA2 – Like WPA, WPA2 supports IEEE 802.1x/EAP authentication or PSK technology. It also includes a new advanced encryption mechanism using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). AES is required to the corporate user or government users. The difference between WPA and WPA2 is that WPA2 provides data encryption via the AES. In contrast, WPA uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). WPA2-PSK – WPA2-PSK is also for home and small business. The difference between WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK is that WPA2-PSK provides data encryption via the AES. In contrast, WPA-PSK uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). WPA-NONE – WPA-NONE is defined for Ad hoc mode and behaves like WPA-PSK (WPA-PSK is only defined for infrastructure mode). The user manually enters the Pre-Shared Key in each wireless station in the network and WPA-NONE controls unauthorized users that don't have the matching Pre-Shared Key from joining the network and also encrypts the data traveling between authorized devices. 802.1x Setting When you have set the Authentication Type to Open, Shared, WPA or WPA2, you can also enable IEEE 802.1x setting to use the authentication server or certification server to authenticate client users. Encryption Mode None – Disable the encryption mode. WEP – Enable the WEP Data Encryption. When the item is selected, you have to continue setting the WEP Encryption keys. TKIP – TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) changes the temporal key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of message transmitted over a network.) This ensures much greater security than the standard WEP security.

16 Parameter Description AES – AES has been developed to ensure the highest degree of security and authenticity for digital information and it is the most advanced solution defined by IEEE 802.11i for the security in the wireless network. Note: All devices in the network should use the same encryption method to ensure the communication. WPA Pre-Shared Key The WPA-PSK key can be from 8 to 64 characters and can be letters or numbers. This same key must be used on all of the wireless stations in the network. WEP Key (Key1 ~ Key4) The WEP keys are used to encrypt data transmitted in the wireless network. There are two types of key length: 64-bit and 128-bit. Select the default encryption key from Key 1 to Key 4 by selected the radio button. Fill the text box by following the rules below. 64-bit – Input 10-digit Hex values (in the “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” range) or 5-digit ASCII characters (including “a-z” and “0-9”) as the encryption keys. For example: “0123456aef“ or “test1”. 128-bit – Input 26-digit Hex values (in the “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” range) or 13-digit ASCII characters (including “a-z” and “0-9”) as the encryption keys. For example: “01234567890123456789abcdef“ or “administrator”.

17 The IEEE 802.1X specification describes a protocol that can be used for authenticating both clients and servers on a network. The authentication algorithms and methods are those provided by the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), a method of authentication that has been in use for a number of years on networks that provide Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) support as many internet service providers and enterprises do. When an AP acting as an authenticator detects a wireless station on the LAN, it sends an EAP-Request for the user's identity to the device. (EAP, or the Extensible Authentication Protocol, is an authentication protocol that runs before network layer protocols transmit data over the link.) In turn, the device responds with its identity, and the AP relays this identity to an authentication server, which is typically an external RADIUS server. An example for MD5 Authentication RADIUSServerWindows 2000 IAS(Internet AuthenticationService)IEEE 802.1xAccess ClientAccess PointRADIUSClient1234(2) Login with username,password.(1) Client requests to login the network.(4) Approve or deny userlogin to the LAN.(3) Send username, password to RADIUS server.

18 3.2.1.3 802.1x Setting-Certification Parameter Description Authentication Type The EAP authentication protocols this module has supported are included as follows. This setting has to be consistent with the wireless APs or Routers that the module intends to connect. PEAP &TTLS – PEAP and TTLS are similar and easier than TLS in that they specify a stand-alone authentication protocol be used within an encrypted tunnel. TTLS supports any protocol within its tunnel, including CHAP, MS-CHAP, MS-CHAPv2, PAP and EAP-MD5. PEAP specifies that an EAP-compliant authentication protocol must be used; this module supports EAP-MSCHAP v2, EAP-TLS/Smart Card and Generic Token Card. The client certificate is optional required for the authentication. TLS/Smart Card –TLS is the most secure of the EAP protocols but not easy to use. It requires that digital certificates be exchanged in the authentication phase. The server presents a certificate to the client. After validating the server’s certificate, the client presents a client certificate to the server for validation. Session Resumption There are “Disabled”, “Reauthentication”, “Roaming”, “SameSsid” and “Always” selections for you to choose whether to recovery the session in different status. Password Enter the password as the identity for the server. Use Client Certificate A client certificate is required for TLS, and is optional for TTLS and PEAP. This forces a client certificate to be selected from the appropriate Windows Certificate Store and made available to the RADIUS server for certification. Tunneled Authentication Protocol When the authentication type is PEAP or TTLS, select a protocol to be used to build the encrypted tunnel. Identity This is the protected user EAP Identity used for authentication. The identity specified may contain up to 63 ASCII characters, is case sensitive and takes the form of a Network Access Identifier, consisting of <name of the user>@<user’s home realm>. The user’s home realm is optional and indicates the routing domain. Password The password used for authentication. It may contain up to 63 ASCII characters and is case sensitive.

19 3.2.1.4 802.1x Setting-CA Server Parameter Description Use Certificate Chain When the EAP authentication type such as TLS, TTLS or PEAP is selected and required a certification to tell the client what server credentials to accept from the authentication server in order to verify the server, you have to enable this function. Certificate Issuer Choose the server from the list to issue the certificate. If “Any Trusted CA” is selected, any CA included in the list (provided by the Microsoft Certificate Store) is permitted. Allow Intermediate Certificates A server designates an issuer as a trusted root authority by placing the issuer's self-signed certificate, which contains the issuer's public key, into the trusted root certification authority certificate store of the host computer. Intermediate or subordinate certification authorities are trusted only if they have a valid certification path from a trusted root certification authority. Server Name Enter the authentication server name. Server name must match exactly When selected, the server name must match exactly the server name found on the certificate. Domain name must end in specified name When selected, the server name field identifies a domain. The certificate must use a server name belonging to this domain or to one of its sub-domains (e.g. zeelans.com, where the server is blueberry.zeelans.com) but it may be any name used in the certificate name field.

20 3.3 Link Status From the “Link Status” option, you can view all the information of the network you are connecting to. Parameter Description Status Display the SSID and MAC ID of the network the module is connecting to. Extra Info Display the link status. Channel Display the number of the radio channel and the frequency used for the networking. Link Speed (Mbps) Display the transmission and reception rate of the network. The maximum transmission rate is 54Mbps. Throughput (Kbps) Display the speed of data transmitted and received. Link Quality This bar indicates the quality of the link. The higher the percentage, the better the quality. dBm If you want to know the signal strength in the unit of dBm, select this check box. Signal Strength This bar shows the signal strength level. The higher percentage shown in the bar, the more radio signal been received by the module. This indicator helps to find the proper position of the wireless device for quality network operation.

21 Parameter Description Noise Level Display the noise level in the wireless environment. 3.4 Statistics This option enables you to view the statistic information of the connection including transmit statistics and receive statistics. You may reset the counters by clicking ”Reset Counter”. 3.5 Advance This option enables you to configure more advanced settings, for example: wireless mode, protection mode and etc.

22 Parameter Description Wireless Mode 802.11 B/G mix – If you have a mix of 802.11b and 802.11g wireless stations in your network, it is recommended to set the module to this mode. This mode is also the default setting. 802.11 B only – This module can be compatible with both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless stations. If there are only 802.11b wireless stations in the network, you can set the module to this mode. Ad Hoc Wireless Mode When the module is set in Ad Hoc (Peer to Peer Mode), you can designate the wireless connection mode for the Ad Hoc network. Only B – This module can be compatible with both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless stations. If there are only 802.11b wireless stations in the network, you can set the module to this mode. B/G Mixed – If you have a mix of 802.11b and 802.11g wireless stations in your network, it is recommended to set the module to this mode. This mode is also the default setting. Only G – This module can be compatible with both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless stations. If there are only 802.11g wireless stations in the network, you can set the module to this mode. Select Your Country Region Code The available channel differs from different countries. For example: USA (FCC) is channel 1-11, Europe (ETSI) is channel 1-13. The operating frequency channel will be restricted to the country user located before importing. B/G Protection If you have a mix of 802.11b and 802.11g wireless stations in the network, it is recommended to enable the protection mechanism. This mechanism can decrease the rate of data collision between 802.11b and 802.11g wireless stations. When the protection mode is enabled, the throughput of the module will be a little lower due to many of frame traffic should be transmitted. Auto – Based on the status of the network and automatically disable/enable protection mode. On – Always enable the protection mode. Off – Always disable the protection mode.

23 Parameter Description Tx Rate There are several options including Auto/1/2/5.5/11/6/9/12/18/24/36/48/54Mbps for you to select. When the “Auto” is selected, the device will choose the most suitable transmission rate automatically. The higher data rate you designated in the network, the shorter distance is allowed between the module and the wireless stations. When the wireless mode is “802.11 B only”, the maximum data rate is 11Mbps (11b) so that there are only “Auto/1/2/5.5/11Mbps” options you can select. Tx BURST Tx Burst enables the module to deliver better throughput in the same period and environment. Enable TCP Window Size The TCP Window is the amount of data a sender can send on a particular connection before it gets an acknowledgment back from the receiver that it has gotten some of it. When the Router or AP the module is connecting to have set up the TCP Window, you can enable the parameter to meet the data size for the Router or AP connection. The larger TCP Window the better performance. Fast Roaming at -70dBm When you want to fast roaming to the network nearby without intercepting the wireless connection especially the module is applied to the multimedia application or a voice call, you can enable the parameter. The module will fast roaming to the near network when the receive sensitivity (signal strength) is lower to the value you have set up. Turn Off RF Button If you want to turn off the radio of the module temporarily, click this button. To turn on the radio, click this button again. CCX 2.0 CCX 2.0 (Cisco Compatible Extensions) is developed by Cisco for the radio monitoring and fast roaming.

24 Parameter Description LEAP Turn on CCKM During normal operation, LEAP-enabled client devices mutually authenticate with a new access point by performing a complete LEAP authentication, including communication with the main RADIUS server. When you configure your wireless LAN for fast re-association, however, LEAP-enabled client devices roam from one access point to another without involving the main server. Using Cisco Centralized Key Management (CCKM), an access point configured to provide Wireless Domain Services (WDS) takes the place of the RADIUS server and authenticates the client so quickly that there is no perceptible delay in voice or other time-sensitive applications. Enable Radio Measurement When this parameter is enabled, the Cisco AP can run the radio monitoring through the associated CCX-compliant clients to continuously monitor the WLAN radio environment and discover any new APs that are transmitting beacons. Non-Serving Channel Measurements The Cisco AP can perform monitoring measurements through the CCX-compliant clients on the non-serving channels when this parameter is enabled. Limit xxx milliseconds (0-2000) It limits the channel measurement time. The default value is 250 milliseconds. 3.6 QoS This option enables you to configure QoS settings, for example: WMM, WMM - Power Save and Direct Link Setup.

25 Parameter Description WMM Enable Check on this item and click “Apply” to enable WMM function, and then further you can configure WMM Power Save and Direct Link Setup function. WMM – Power Save Enable Check on this item to enable WMM Power Save function. Click “Setting” to further configure WMM Power Save setting, which includes: AC_BK, AC_BE, AC_VI and AC_VO. Direct Link Setup Enable Check on this item and click “Apply” to enable DLS function. Direct Link Direct Link Setup MAC Address Specify the MAC Address of the client module you want to direct link to and click “Apply” to add into DLS Status table. Timeout Value Specify the timeout value for the direct link you want to setup. DLS Status The DLS Status displays all the direct link connections and you can click “Tear Down” to stop any of them. 3.7 About By choosing this option, you can click the hyperlink to connect the website for the information of the wireless chipset vendor and review basic information about the Utility such as the Driver, Utility and EEPROM Version. The MAC Address of the module is displayed in the screen as well.

26 3.8 Turbo Mode This module supports specific ways to increase the data transfer rate at a time; compress the data and decrease the waiting time to send the next data to the Routers or APs, this feature (known as Turbo Mode) enables higher throughput than IEEE 802.11g standard (Up to 54Mbps). When the module is connecting to the Routers or APs with the proprietary Turbo Mode feature, the Turbo Mode will be enabled automatically without any configuration. 3.9 WPS Configuration This network module supports WPS function; you can connect this network module to the wireless access point without complicated procedures - just press the button or input an 8-digit code. This network module supports two WPS configuration methods: PBC (Push-Button Configuration) and PIN. Parameter Description SSID The SSID of the WPS-enabled access point. BSSID The MAC address of the WPS-enabled access point. Channel The channel of the WPS-enabled access point. ID Device password ID Authentication The authentication type of the WPS-enabled access point Encryption The encryption type of the WPS-enabled access point

28 3.10 SoftAP This module can run as a wireless AP. The relative configurations of the AP including channel, SSID, MAC Address Filtering and so on are described as follows. Right click the Ralink Configuration Utility icon on the system tray of Windows and select “Switch to AP Mode” to turn on SoftAP function. 3.10.1 Config The Config page enables you to configure the AP connection setting, Country Region Code and other advanced functions.

29 Parameter Description Wireless Mode Selects the wireless mode supports by the AP. 802.11 B/G Mixed – The AP works in 11b+g mixed mode. 802.11 B Only – The AP works in 11b mode. 802.11 G Only – The AP works in 11g mode. TX Rate There are several options including Auto/1/2/5.5/11/6/9/12/18/24/36/48/54Mbps for you to select. When the “Auto” is selected, the AP will choose the most suitable transmission rate automatically. The higher data rate you designated in the network, the shorter distance is allowed between the AP and the wireless clients. When the wireless mode is “802.11 B only”, the maximum data rate is 11Mbps (11b) so that there are only “Auto/1/2/5.5/11Mbps” options you can select. Channel Select the number of the radio channel used by the AP. The wireless modules connected to the AP should set up the same channel. SSID The SSID (up to 32 printable ASCII characters) is the unique name identified in a WLAN. The ID prevents the unintentional merging of two co-located WLANs. The default SSID of the AP is SoftAP-X. (X is the last number of this module’s Mac Address) Wireless modules connect to the AP should set up the same SSID as the AP. Use Mac Address Click this button to create a unique SSID based on the module’s Mac Address. Auth. vs. Security Click this button to further configure WLAN authentication and security setting. Please refer to 3.10.1.1. Country Region Code The available channel differs from different countries. For example: USA (FCC) is channel 1-11, Europe (ETSI) is channel 1-13. The operating frequency channel will be restricted to the country user located before importing.

30 Parameter Description B/G Protection If you have a mix of 802.11b and 802.11g wireless clients in the network, it is recommended to enable the protection mechanism. This mechanism can decrease the rate of data collision between 802.11b and 802.11g wireless clients. When the protection mode is enabled, the throughput of the AP will be a little lower due to many of frame traffic should be transmitted. Auto – Based on the status of the network and automatically disable/enable protection mode. On – Always enable the protection mode. Off – Always disable the protection mode. Preamble 802.11g wireless modules support both long and short preamble, but for 802.11b wireless modules, supporting short preamble is optional. The throughput will be better when using short preamble, Long Preamble – 128 bits sync field. Short Preamble – 56 bits sync field. Beacon (ms) Here defines the time between two beacons, the default value is 100ms. TX Power If you want to lower the transmit power of the AP for saving the power of the system, you can select the lower percentages from the list. The lower power will cause the lower signal strength and the coverage range. Tx BURST Tx BURST enables the AP to deliver better throughput in the same period and environment. No forwarding among wireless clients Enable this setting to force the wireless clients connected to this AP not sharing information each other. Hide SSID If “Hide SSID” checkbox is enabled, the AP will not appear in the site survey list of any wireless clients. It means only the wireless clients set the same SSID can connect to the AP. It avoids the AP being connected by unauthorized users. Use Short Slot Short slot time is 9 us and long slot time is 20 us. Auto Channel Selection at next boot The AP will select a random channel at next booting.

31 Parameter Description Default Click to use with default value. Apply Click to apply the setting change. 3.10.1.1 Auth. Vs. Security This option enables you to configure the authentication mode and encryption algorithm used within the AP. Parameter Description Authentication Type There are four types of authentication mode supported. Open – No authentication is needed among the wireless network. WPA-PSK - It is a special mode designed for home and small business users who do not have access to network authenticationservers. In this mode, known as Pre-Shared Key, the user manually enters the starting password in their access point or gateway, as well as in each wireless station in the network. WPA-PSK takes over automatically from that point, keeping unauthorized users that don't have the matching password from joining the network, while encrypting the data traveling between authorized devices. WPA2-PSK - WPA2-PSK is also for home and small business. WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK – When selecting this mode, the AP supports both WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK.

32 Parameter Description Encryption Type Not Use - Disable the encryption mode. WEP - Enable the WEP Data Encryption. When the item is selected, you have to continue setting the WEP Key. TKIP - TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) changes the temporal key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of messagetransmitted over a network.) This ensures much greater security than the standard WEP security. AES - AES has been developed to ensure the highest degree of security and authenticity for digital information and it is the most advanced solution defined by IEEE 802.11i for the security in the wireless network. BOTH – When selecting this mode, the AP supports both TKIP and AES. WPA Pre-shared Key The WPA Pre-shared Key can be from 8 to 64 characters and can be letters or numbers. This same key must be used on all of the wireless stations in the network. Group Rekey Interval This function is available when using WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK encryption algorithm. The key will change compliance with seconds or beacon that user set. Wep Key (Key#1 ~ Key#4) The WEP keys are used to encrypt data transmitted in the wireless network. There are two types of key length: 64-bit and 128-bit. Select the default encryption key from Key 1 to Key 4 by selected the radio button. Fill the text box by following the rules below. 64-bit – Input 10-digit Hex values (in the “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” range) or 5-digit ASCII characters (including “a-z” and “0-9”) as the encryption keys. For example: “0123456aef“ or “test1”. 128-bit – Input 26-digit Hex values (in the “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” range) or 13-digit ASCII characters (including “a-z” and “0-9”) as the encryption keys. For example: “01234567890123456789abcdef“ or “administrator”. Show Password The password will be shown in clear text instead of in asterisk.

33 3.10.2 Access Control The Access Control page enables you to configure the access control policy used within the AP. Parameter Description Access Policy Disable – Disable the MAC Address filtering function. Allow All – Only the wireless modules with the MAC Address listed in Access List can connect to the AP. Reject All – The wireless modules with the MAC Address listed in Access List will be rejected to connect to the AP. MAC Address MAC Address is a unique identification for hardware devices in the network. It is a 12-digit hexadecimal values. Access List Display all the MAC Address user adds. Add Add the MAC Address to Access List. Delete Delete the selected MAC Address from Access List. Remove All Remove all the MAC Address from Access List. Apply Click to apply the setting change.

34 3.10.3 Mac Table The Mac Table page displays the detail information of the wireless modules connected to the AP. Parameter Description MAC Address The MAC Address of the wireless modules connected to the AP. AID The Association ID of current connection. Power Saving Mode The supporting status of Power Saving Mode of the wireless module connected.

35 3.10.4 Event Log The Event Log page displays all the event time and message. You may clear the table by clicking “Clear”. 3.10.5 Statistics The Statistics page displays the statistic information of the AP including transmit statistics and receive statistics. You may reset the counters by clicking “Reset Counters”.

36 3.10.6 About The About page displays the basic information about the Utility, including Driver, Utility and EEPROM Version. The MAC Address of the module is displayed in the screen as well.

37 4 Glossary This chapter provides solutions to problems usually encountered during the installation and operation of the module. 1. What is the IEEE 802.11g standard? 802.11g is the new IEEE standard for high-speed wireless LAN communications that provides for up to 54 Mbps data rate in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11g is quickly becoming the next mainstream wireless LAN technology for the home, office and public networks. 802.11g defines the use of the same OFDM modulation technique specified in IEEE 802.11a for the 5 GHz frequency band and applies it in the same 2.4 GHz frequency band as IEEE 802.11b. The 802.11g standard requires backward compatibility with 802.11b. The standard specifically calls for: A. A new physical layer for the 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC) in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, known as the extended rate PHY (ERP). The ERP adds OFDM as a mandatory new coding scheme for 6, 12 and 24 Mbps (mandatory speeds), and 18, 36, 48 and 54 Mbps (optional speeds). The ERP includes the modulation schemes found in 802.11b including CCK for 11 and 5.5 Mbps and Barker code modulation for 2 and 1 Mbps. B. A protection mechanism called RTS/CTS that governs how 802.11g devices and 802.11b devices interoperate. 2. What is the IEEE 802.11b standard？ The IEEE 802.11b Wireless LAN standard subcommittee, which formulates the standard for the industry. The objective is to enable wireless LAN hardware from different manufactures to communicate. 3. What does IEEE 802.11 feature support？ The product supports the following IEEE 802.11 functions: z CSMA/CA plus Acknowledge Protocol z Multi-Channel Roaming z Automatic Rate Selection z RTS/CTS Feature z Fragmentation z Power Management 4. What is Ad-hoc？ An Ad-hoc integrated wireless LAN is a group of computers, each has a Wireless LAN module, Connected as an independent wireless LAN. Ad hoc wireless LAN is applicable at a departmental scale for a branch or SOHO operation. 5. What is Infrastructure？ An integrated wireless and wireless and wired LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration. Infrastructure is applicable to enterprise scale for wireless access to central database, or wireless application for mobile workers.

38 6. What is BSS ID？ A specific Ad hoc LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Computers in a BSS must be configured with the same BSS ID. 7. What is WEP？ WEP is Wired Equivalent Privacy, a data privacy mechanism based on a 40 bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802 .11 standard. 8. What is TKIP? TKIP is a quick-fix method to quickly overcome the inherent weaknesses in WEP security, especially the reuse of encryption keys. TKIP is involved in the IEEE 802.11i WLAN security standard, and the specification might be officially released by early 2003. 9. What is AES? AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), a chip-based security, has been developed to ensure the highest degree of security and authenticity for digital information, wherever and however communicated or stored, while making more efficient use of hardware and/or software than previous encryption standards. It is also included in IEEE 802.11i standard. Compare with AES, TKIP is a temporary protocol for replacing WEP security until manufacturers implement AES at the hardware level. 10. Can Wireless products support printer sharing？ Wireless products perform the same function as LAN products. Therefore, Wireless products can work with Netware, Windows 2000, or other LAN operating systems to support printer or file sharing. 11. Would the information be intercepted while transmitting on air？ WLAN features two-fold protection in security. On the hardware side, as with Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum technology, it has the inherent security feature of scrambling. On the software side, WLAN series offer the encryption function (WEP) to enhance security and Access Control. Users can set it up depending upon their needs. 12. What is DSSS？What is FHSS？And what are their differences？ Frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) uses a narrowband carrier that changes frequency in a pattern that is known to both transmitter and receiver. Properly synchronized, the net effect is to maintain a single logical channel. To an unintended receiver, FHSS appears to be short-duration impulse noise. Direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) generates a redundant bit pattern for each bit to be transmitted. This bit pattern is called a chip (or chipping code). The longer the chip is, the greater the probability that the original data can be recovered. Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during transmission, statistical techniques embedded in the radio can recover the original data without-the need for retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSS appears as low power wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most narrowband receivers.

39 13. What is Spread Spectrum？ Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequency technique developed by the military for use in reliable, secure, mission-critical communication systems. It is designed to trade off bandwidth efficiency for reliability, integrity, and security. In other words, more bandwidth is consumed than in the case of narrowband transmission, but the trade off produces a signal that is, in effect, louder and thus easier to detect, provided that the receiver knows the parameters of the spread-spectrum signal being broadcast. If a receiver is not tuned to the right frequency, a spread –spectrum signal looks like background noise. There are two main alternatives, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). 14. What is WMM？ Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM), a group of features for wireless networks that improve the user experience for audio, video and voice applications. WMM is based on a subset of the IEEE 802.11e WLAN QoS draft standard. WMM adds prioritized capabilities to Wi-Fi networks and optimizes their performance when multiple concurring applications, each with different latency and throughput requirements, compete for network resources. By using WMM, end-user satisfaction is maintained in a wider variety of environments and traffic conditions. WMM makes it possible for home network users and enterprise network managers to decide which data streams are most important and assign them a higher traffic priority. 15. What is WMM Power Save？ WMM Power Save is a set of features for Wi-Fi networks that increase the efficiency and flexibility of data transmission in order to conserve power. WMM Power Save has been optimized for mobile devices running latency-sensitive applications such as voice, audio, or video, but can benefit any Wi-Fi device. WMM Power Save uses mechanisms included in the IEEE 802.11e standard and is an enhancement of IEEE 802.11 legacy power save. With WMM Power Save, the same amount of data can be transmitted in a shorter time while allowing the Wi-Fi device to remain longer in a low-power “dozing” state.

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