ZyXEL Communications G270S 80211g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter User Manual ZyXEL G 220F User s Guide V1 00 Oct 2004
ZyXEL Communications Corporation 80211g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter ZyXEL G 220F User s Guide V1 00 Oct 2004
users manual
ZyXEL G-270S
802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter
User’s Guide
Version 1.00
4/2006
Edition 2
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Copyright 3
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 by ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any part or as a whole, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, photocopying, manual, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
Published by ZyXEL Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
ZyXEL does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, or
software described herein. Neither does it convey any license under its patent rights nor the
patent rights of others. ZyXEL further reserves the right to make changes in any products
described herein without notice. This publication is subject to change without notice.
Trademarks
ZyNOS (ZyXEL Network Operating System) is a registered trademark of ZyXEL
Communications, Inc. Other trademarks mentioned in this publication are used for
identification purposes only and may be properties of their respective owners.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
4Certifications
Certifications
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Statement
The device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operations.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a commercial environment. 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.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio/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:
1Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
2Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
3Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.
4Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Notice 1
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance
could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
This product has been designed for the WLAN 2.4 GHz network throughout the EC region and
Switzerland, with restrictions in France.
Caution
1The equipment complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an
uncontrolled environment, under 47 CFR 2.1093 paragraph (d)(2).
2This Transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other
antenna or transmitter.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Certifications 5
Viewing Certifications
1Go to http://www.zyxel.com.
2Select your product from the drop-down list box on the
ZyXEL home page to go to that product's page.
3Select the certification you wish to view from this
page.
注意 !
依據 低功率電波輻射性電機管理辦法
第十二條 經型式認證合格之低功率射頻電機，非經許可，公司、商號或使用
者均不得擅自變更頻率、加大功率或變更原設計之特性及功能。
第十四條 低功率射頻電機之使用不得影響飛航安全及干擾合法通信；經發現
有干擾現象時，應立即停用，並改善至無干擾時方得繼續使用。
前項合法通信，指依電信規定作業之無線電信。低功率射頻電機須忍
受合法通信或工業、科學及醫療用電波輻射性電機設備之干擾。
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
6ZyXEL Limited Warranty
ZyXEL Limited Warranty
ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects
in materials or workmanship for a period of up to two (2) years from the date of purchase.
During the warranty period, and upon proof of purchase, should the product have indications
of failure due to faulty workmanship and/or materials, ZyXEL will, at its discretion, repair or
replace the defective products or components without charge for either parts or labor, and to
whatever extent it shall deem necessary to restore the product or components to proper
operating condition. Any replacement will consist of a new or re-manufactured functionally
equivalent product of equal or higher value, and will be solely at the discretion of ZyXEL.
This warranty shall not apply if the product has been modified, misused, tampered with,
damaged by an act of God, or subjected to abnormal working conditions.
Note
Repair or replacement, as provided under this warranty, is the exclusive remedy of the
purchaser. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, express or implied, including any
implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose. ZyXEL shall in
no event be held liable for indirect or consequential damages of any kind to the purchaser.
To obtain the services of this warranty, contact ZyXEL's Service Center for your Return
Material Authorization number (RMA). Products must be returned Postage Prepaid. It is
recommended that the unit be insured when shipped. Any returned products without proof of
purchase or those with an out-dated warranty will be repaired or replaced (at the discretion of
ZyXEL) and the customer will be billed for parts and labor. All repaired or replaced products
will be shipped by ZyXEL to the corresponding return address, Postage Paid. This warranty
gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that vary from country to
country.
Online Registration
Register your product online to receive e-mail notices of firmware upgrades and information
at www.zyxel.com for global products, or at www.us.zyxel.com for North American products.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Customer Support 7
Customer Support
Please have the following information ready when you contact customer support.
• Product model and serial number.
• Warranty Information.
• Date that you received your device.
• Brief description of the problem and the steps you took to solve it.
METHOD
LOCATION
SUPPORT E-MAIL TELEPHONEAWEB SITE
REGULAR MAIL
SALES E-MAIL FAX FTP SITE
CORPORATE
HEADQUARTERS
(WORLDWIDE)
support@zyxel.com.tw +886-3-578-3942 www.zyxel.com
www.europe.zyxel.com
ZyXEL Communications Corp.
6 Innovation Road II
Science Park
Hsinchu 300
Ta i w a n
sales@zyxel.com.tw +886-3-578-2439 ftp.zyxel.com
ftp.europe.zyxel.com
CZECH REPUBLIC
info@cz.zyxel.com +420-241-091-350 www.zyxel.cz ZyXEL Communications
Czech s.r.o.
Modranská 621
143 01 Praha 4 - Modrany
Ceská Republika
info@cz.zyxel.com +420-241-091-359
DENMARK
support@zyxel.dk +45-39-55-07-00 www.zyxel.dk ZyXEL Communications A/S
Columbusvej
2860 Soeborg
Denmark
sales@zyxel.dk +45-39-55-07-07
FINLAND
support@zyxel.fi +358-9-4780-8411 www.zyxel.fi ZyXEL Communications Oy
Malminkaari 10
00700 Helsinki
Finland
sales@zyxel.fi +358-9-4780 8448
FRANCE
info@zyxel.fr +33-4-72-52-97-97 www.zyxel.fr ZyXEL France
1 rue des Vergers
Bat. 1 / C
69760 Limonest
France
+33-4-72-52-19-20
GERMANY
support@zyxel.de +49-2405-6909-0 www.zyxel.de ZyXEL Deutschland GmbH.
Adenauerstr. 20/A2 D-52146
Wuerselen
Germany
sales@zyxel.de +49-2405-6909-99
HUNGARY
support@zyxel.hu +36-1-3361649 www.zyxel.hu ZyXEL Hungary
48, Zoldlomb Str.
H-1025, Budapest
Hungary
info@zyxel.hu +36-1-3259100
KAZAKHSTAN
http://zyxel.kz/support +7-3272-590-698 www.zyxel.kz ZyXEL Kazakhstan
43, Dostyk ave.,Office 414
Dostyk Business Centre
050010, Almaty
Republic of Kazakhstan
sales@zyxel.kz +7-3272-590-689
NORTH AMERICA
support@zyxel.com 1-800-255-4101
+1-714-632-0882
www.us.zyxel.com ZyXEL Communications Inc.
1130 N. Miller St.
Anaheim
CA 92806-2001
U.S.A.
sales@zyxel.com +1-714-632-0858 ftp.us.zyxel.com
NORWAY
support@zyxel.no +47-22-80-61-80 www.zyxel.no ZyXEL Communications A/S
Nils Hansens vei 13
0667 Oslo
Norway
sales@zyxel.no +47-22-80-61-81
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
8Customer Support
POLAND
info@pl.zyxel.com +48 (22) 333 8250 www.pl.zyxel.com ZyXEL Communications
ul. Okrzei 1A
03-715 Warszawa
Poland
+48 (22) 333 8251
RUSSIA
http://zyxel.ru/support +7-095-542-89-29 www.zyxel.ru ZyXEL Russia
Ostrovityanova 37a Str.
Moscow, 117279
Russia
sales@zyxel.ru +7-095-542-89-25
SPAIN
support@zyxel.es +34-902-195-420 www.zyxel.es ZyXEL Communications
Arte, 21 5ª planta
28033 Madrid
Spain
sales@zyxel.es +34-913-005-345
SWEDEN
support@zyxel.se +46-31-744-7700 www.zyxel.se ZyXEL Communications A/S
Sjöporten 4, 41764 Göteborg
Sweden
sales@zyxel.se +46-31-744-7701
UKRAINE
support@ua.zyxel.com +380-44-247-69-78 www.ua.zyxel.com ZyXEL Ukraine
13, Pimonenko Str.
Kiev, 04050
Ukraine
sales@ua.zyxel.com +380-44-494-49-32
UNITED KINGDOM
support@zyxel.co.uk +44-1344 303044
08707 555779 (UK only)
www.zyxel.co.uk ZyXEL Communications UK
Ltd.,11 The Courtyard,
Eastern Road, Bracknell,
Berkshire, RG12 2XB,
United Kingdom (UK)
sales@zyxel.co.uk +44-1344 303034 ftp.zyxel.co.uk
A. “+” is the (prefix) number you enter to make an international telephone call.
METHOD
LOCATION
SUPPORT E-MAIL TELEPHONEAWEB SITE
REGULAR MAIL
SALES E-MAIL FAX FTP SITE
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Table of Contents 9
Table of Contents
Copyright .................................................................................................................. 3
Certifications ............................................................................................................ 4
ZyXEL Limited Warranty.......................................................................................... 6
Customer Support.................................................................................................... 7
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 9
List of Figures ........................................................................................................ 13
List of Tables .......................................................................................................... 15
Preface .................................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 1
Getting Started ....................................................................................................... 19
1.1 About Your ZyXEL G-270S ..............................................................................19
1.1.1 Application Overview ................................................................................19
1.1.1.1 Infrastructure ...................................................................................19
1.1.1.2 Ad-Hoc ............................................................................................20
1.2 ZyXEL G-270S Hardware and Utility Installation ...............................................21
1.3 Configuration Methods ......................................................................................21
1.4 Windows XP Users Only ....................................................................................21
1.5 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility ..............................................................................21
1.6 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary ..........................................................................22
1.7 Connecting to a Wireless LAN ...........................................................................23
1.7.1 Site Survey ...............................................................................................23
Chapter 2
Wireless LAN Network ........................................................................................... 25
2.1 Wireless LAN Overview ....................................................................................25
2.1.1 SSID .........................................................................................................25
2.1.2 Channel ....................................................................................................25
2.1.3 Transmission Rate (Tx Rate) ....................................................................25
2.1.4 Super G ....................................................................................................26
2.2 Wireless LAN Security Overview ......................................................................26
2.2.1 Data Encryption with WEP ........................................................................26
2.2.2 IEEE 802.1x ..............................................................................................26
2.2.2.1 EAP Authentication .........................................................................27
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
10 Table of Contents
2.2.3 WPA(2) .....................................................................................................27
2.2.3.1 Encryption ......................................................................................27
2.2.3.2 User Authentication ........................................................................28
2.2.4 WPA(2)-PSK Application Example ...........................................................28
2.2.5 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example ..............................................28
2.3 Encryption Type .................................................................................................29
2.4 Preamble Type ...................................................................................................29
2.5 Introduction to OTIST .....................................................................................30
2.5.1 Enabling OTIST ........................................................................................30
2.5.1.1 AP ...................................................................................................30
2.5.1.2 Wireless Client ................................................................................31
2.5.2 Starting OTIST .........................................................................................32
2.5.3 Notes on OTIST ........................................................................................32
Chapter 3
ZyXEL Utility Configuration .................................................................................. 35
3.1 The Link Info Screen .........................................................................................35
3.1.1 Trend Chart ..............................................................................................36
3.2 The Site Survey Screen ....................................................................................37
3.2.1 Connecting to a WLAN Network ..............................................................38
3.2.2 Security Settings .......................................................................................38
3.2.2.1 WEP Encryption ..............................................................................38
3.2.2.2 WPA/WPA2 .....................................................................................39
3.2.2.3 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK .....................................................................40
3.2.2.4 802.1x .............................................................................................41
3.2.3 Confirm Save Screen ................................................................................42
3.3 The Profile Screen .............................................................................................43
3.3.1 Adding a New Profile ................................................................................45
3.4 The Adapter Screen ...........................................................................................49
Chapter 4
Maintenance ........................................................................................................... 51
4.1 The About Screen .............................................................................................51
4.2 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility ............................................................................51
4.3 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility ..............................................................................52
Chapter 5
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 53
5.1 Problems Starting the ZyXEL Utility Program ....................................................53
5.2 Problem with the Link Status ..............................................................................53
5.3 Problems Communicating With Other Computers .............................................54
Appendix A
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Table of Contents 11
Product Specifications .......................................................................................... 55
Appendix B
Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool..................................... 57
Appendix C
Management with Wireless Zero Configuration.................................................. 63
Appendix D
Wireless Security ................................................................................................... 75
Index........................................................................................................................ 81
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
12 Table of Contents
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
List of Figures 13
List of Figures
Figure 1 Application: Infrastructure ....................................................................... 20
Figure 2 Application: Ad-Hoc ................................................................................ 20
Figure 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon .............................................................. 21
Figure 4 Menu Summary ....................................................................................... 22
Figure 5 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey ....................................................................... 23
Figure 6 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings .............................................................. 24
Figure 7 ZyXEL Utility: Link Info ............................................................................ 24
Figure 8 WPA(2)-PSK Authentication .................................................................... 28
Figure 9 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example ............................................. 29
Figure 10 Link Info ................................................................................................ 35
Figure 11 Link Info: Trend Chart ............................................................................ 36
Figure 12 Site Survey ............................................................................................ 37
Figure 13 Security Settings: WEP ........................................................................ 38
Figure 14 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2 ............................................................... 40
Figure 15 Security Settings: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK .............................................. 41
Figure 16 Security Settings: 802.1x ...................................................................... 41
Figure 17 Confirm Save Screen ............................................................................ 42
Figure 18 Profile Screen ....................................................................................... 44
Figure 19 Profile: Add New Profile ........................................................................ 45
Figure 20 Profile: Wireless Setting: Select a Channel .......................................... 46
Figure 21 Profile: Security Setting: Encryption Type ............................................. 47
Figure 22 Profile: Security Setting ......................................................................... 48
Figure 23 Profile: Confirm New Settings ............................................................... 48
Figure 24 Profile: Activate the Profile .................................................................... 49
Figure 25 Adapter Screen ..................................................................................... 49
Figure 26 About ..................................................................................................... 51
Figure 27 Uninstall: Finish ..................................................................................... 52
Figure 28 Windows XP: System Tray Icon ............................................................. 57
Figure 29 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection .................................. 58
Figure 30 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection .................................. 58
Figure 31 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................ 59
Figure 32 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................ 59
Figure 33 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status ....................... 60
Figure 34 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status ....................... 60
Figure 35 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................ 61
Figure 36 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................ 61
Figure 37 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not Available .................................................. 63
Figure 38 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon ..................................................... 64
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
14 List of Figures
Figure 39 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status ....................... 64
Figure 40 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status ....................... 65
Figure 41 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection .................................. 65
Figure 42 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................ 66
Figure 43 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: WEP or WPA-PSK .. 67
Figure 44 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security ............. 67
Figure 45 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association ..................... 68
Figure 46 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication ................. 69
Figure 47 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties ................................................ 70
Figure 48 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties ...................... 71
Figure 49 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks .................. 73
Figure 50 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks .................. 73
Figure 51 WPA-PSK Authentication ....................................................................... 79
Figure 52 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example ........................................... 80
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
List of Tables 15
List of Tables
Table 1 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon ............................................................... 22
Table 2 ZyXEL Utility: Menu Screen Summary ..................................................... 22
Table 3 Link Info .................................................................................................... 35
Table 4 Link Info: Trend Chart ............................................................................... 36
Table 5 Site Survey ............................................................................................... 37
Table 6 Security Settings: WEP ............................................................................ 39
Table 7 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2 .................................................................. 40
Table 8 Security Settings: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK ................................................. 41
Table 9 Security Settings: 802.1x .......................................................................... 42
Table 10 Confirm Save Screen ............................................................................. 43
Table 11 Profile Screen ......................................................................................... 44
Table 12 Profile: Add New Profile .......................................................................... 45
Table 13 Profile: Wireless Setting: Select a Channel ............................................ 46
Table 14 Adapter ................................................................................................... 49
Table 15 About ...................................................................................................... 51
Table 16 Troubleshooting Starting ZyXEL Utility Program .................................... 53
Table 17 Troubleshooting Link Quality .................................................................. 53
Table 18 Troubleshooting Communication Problem .............................................. 54
Table 19 Product Specifications ............................................................................ 55
Table 20 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon ...................................................... 64
Table 21 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection .................................. 66
Table 22 Windows XP: Wireless Networks ........................................................... 67
Table 23 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association ...................... 68
Table 24 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication .................. 69
Table 25 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties ................................................ 71
Table 26 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties ....................... 72
Table 27 Comparison of EAP Authentication Types .............................................. 77
Table 28 Wireless Security Relational Matrix ........................................................ 80
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
16 List of Tables
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Preface 17
Preface
Congratulations on your purchase of the ZyXEL G-270S 802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter.
Your ZyXEL G-270S is easy to install and configure.
About This User's Guide
This manual is designed to guide you through the configuration of your ZyXEL G-270S for its
various applications.
Related Documentation
• Supporting Disk
Refer to the included CD for support documents.
• Quick Start Guide
The Quick Start Guide is designed to help you get up and running right away. They
contain hardware installation/connection information.
• ZyXEL Glossary and Web Site
Please refer to www.zyxel.com for an online glossary of networking terms and additional
support documentation.
User Guide Feedback
Help us help you. E-mail all User Guide-related comments, questions or suggestions for
improvement to techwriters@zyxel.com.tw or send regular mail to The Technical Writing
Team, ZyXEL Communications Corp., 6 Innovation Road II, Science-Based Industrial Park,
Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan. Thank you.
Syntax Conventions
• “Enter” means for you to type one or more characters. “Select” or “Choose” means for
you to use one predefined choice.
• Mouse action sequences are denoted using a comma. For example, “In Windows, click
Start, Settings and then Control Panel” means first click the Start button, then point
your mouse pointer to Settings and then click Control Panel.
• “e.g.,” is a shorthand for “for instance”, and “i.e.,” means “that is” or “in other words”.
• The ZyXEL G-270S 802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter may be referred to as the
ZyXEL G-270S in this user’s guide.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
18 Preface
Graphics Icons Key
Wireless Access Point Computer Notebook Computer
Server Modem Wireless Signal
Telephone Switch Router
Internet Cloud
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 1 Getting Started 19
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
This chapter introduces the ZyXEL G-270S and prepares you to use the ZyXEL Utility.
1.1 About Your ZyXEL G-270S
The ZyXEL G-270S is an IEEE 802.11g compliant wireless LAN USB adapter.
The following lists the main features of your ZyXEL G-270S. See the product specifications in
the appendix for detailed features.
• Automatic rate selection.
• Security: WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), IEEE 802.1x, WPA-PSK, WPA (Wi-Fi
Protected Access), WPA2-PSK and WPA2
Note: WPA2 and WPA2-PSK are only available in Windows XP and Windows 2000.
• A built-in antenna
• Driver and utility support for Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, Windows 2000
and Windows XP.
1.1.1 Application Overview
This section describes some network applications for the ZyXEL G-270S.
1.1.1.1 Infrastructure
To connect to a network via an Access Point (AP), set the ZyXEL G-270S network type to
Infrastructure. Through the AP, you can access the Internet or the wired network behind the
AP.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
20 Chapter 1 Getting Started
Figure 1 Application: Infrastructure
1.1.1.2 Ad-Hoc
In case you prefer to set up a small independent wireless workgroup without an AP, use the
Ad-Hoc mode.
Ad-hoc mode does not require an AP or a wired network. Two or more wireless clients
communicate directly to each other.
Figure 2 Application: Ad-Hoc
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 1 Getting Started 21
1.2 ZyXEL G-270S Hardware and Utility Installation
Follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide to install the ZyXEL Utility and make
hardware connections.
1.3 Configuration Methods
To configure your ZyXEL G-270S, use one of the following applications:
• Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) (recommended for Windows XP)
• ZyXEL Utility (This guide shows you how to configure the ZyXEL G-270S using the
ZyXEL Utility)
• Odyssey Client Manager (not supplied)
Refer to the Odyssey Client Manager documentation for more information.
Note: Do NOT use WZC or the Odyssey Client Manager and the ZyXEL Utility at the
same time.
1.4 Windows XP Users Only
You must disable WZC if you want to use the ZyXEL utility. Refer to the appendices on how
to deactivate WZC or how to use WZC to manage the ZyXEL G-270S.
Note: When you use the ZyXEL Utility, it automatically disables the Windows XP
wireless configuration tool.
1.5 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility
After you install and start the ZyXEL Utility, an icon for the ZyXEL Utility appears in the
system tray.
Note: When the ZyXEL Utility system tray icon displays, the ZyXEL G-270S is
installed properly.
When you use the ZyXEL Utility, it automatically disables the Windows XP
wireless configuration tool.
Figure 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
22 Chapter 1 Getting Started
The color of the ZyXEL Utility system tray icon indicates the status of the ZyXEL G-270S.
Refer to the following table for details.
Double-click on the ZyXEL Wireless LAN Utility icon in the system tray to open the ZyXEL
Utility. The ZyXEL Utility screens are similar in all Microsoft Windows versions. Screens for
Windows 2000 are shown.
Note: Click the icon (located in the top right corner) to display the on-line help
window.
1.6 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary
This sections describes the ZyXEL Utility screens.
Figure 4 Menu Summary
The following table describes the menus.
Table 1 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon
COLOR DESCRIPTION
Red The ZyXEL G-270S is operating in wireless station mode but is not connected to a wireless
network.
Green The ZyXEL G-270S is operating in wireless station mode and connected to a wireless
network.
Table 2 ZyXEL Utility: Menu Screen Summary
TAB DESCRIPTION
Link Info Use this screen to see your current connection status, configuration and data rate
statistics.
Site Survey Use this screen to
• scan for a wireless network
• configure wireless security (if activated on the selected network).
• connect to a wireless network.
Profile Use this screen to add, delete, edit or activate a profile with a set of wireless and
security settings.
Adapter Use this screen to configure a transfer rate, enable power saving and use OTIST
(One-Touch Intelligent Security Technology).
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 1 Getting Started 23
1.7 Connecting to a Wireless LAN
The following sections show you how to associate with a network using the ZyXEL Utility.
You can either manually connect to a network or configure a profile to have the ZyXEL G-
270S automatically connect to a specific network. Otherwise, configure nothing and leave the
ZyXEL G-270S to automatically scan for and connect to any other available network without
security.
See the next chapters for detailed field descriptions.
1.7.1 Site Survey
After you install the ZyXEL Utility and then insert the ZyXEL G-270S, follow the steps below
to connect to a network using the Site Survey screen.
1Make sure a wireless network is available and within range.
2Open the ZyXEL Utility and click the Site Survey tab to open the screen as shown next.
3Click Scan to search for available wireless networks.
Figure 5 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey
4To join a network, either click an SSID in the table and then click Connect or double-
click an SSID.
5If the wireless security is activated for the selected wireless network, the Security
Settings screen displays. This screen varies according to the network’s encryption
method. Configure the same security settings as the associated network.
Note: If the selected network is unavailable or security settings are not correct, the
ZyXEL G-270S will be disconnected.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
24 Chapter 1 Getting Started
Figure 6 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings
6Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check the
network information in the Link Info screen. If the ZyXEL G-270S is not connected to a
network, the fields in this screen are blank.
Figure 7 ZyXEL Utility: Link Info
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 25
CHAPTER 2
Wireless LAN Network
This chapter provides background information on wireless LAN network.
2.1 Wireless LAN Overview
This section describes the wireless LAN network terms and applications.
2.1.1 SSID
The SSID (Service Set Identity) is a unique name shared among all wireless devices in a
wireless network. Wireless devices must have the same SSID to communicate with each other.
2.1.2 Channel
A radio frequency used by a wireless device is called a channel.
2.1.3 Transmission Rate (Tx Rate)
The ZyXEL G-270S provides various transmission (data) rate options for you to select.
Options include Fully Auto, 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 5.5 Mbps, 6 Mbps, 9 Mbps, 11 Mbps, 12
Mbps, 18 Mbps, 24 Mbps, 36 Mbps, 48 Mbps and 54 Mbps. In most networking scenarios,
the factory default Fully Auto setting proves the most efficient. This setting allows your
ZyXEL G-270S to operate at the maximum transmission (data) rate. When the communication
quality drops below a certain level, the ZyXEL G-270S automatically switches to a lower
transmission (data) rate. Transmission at lower data speeds is usually more reliable. However,
when the communication quality improves again, the ZyXEL G-270S gradually increases the
transmission (data) rate again until it reaches the highest available transmission rate. You can
select any of the above options. If you wish to balance speed versus reliability, select 54 Mbps
in a networking environment where you are certain that all wireless devices can communicate
at the highest transmission (data) rate. 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps are used often in networking
environments where the range of the wireless connection is more important than speed.
Note: With USB1.0/1.1, the ZyXEL G-270S can only transmit at up to 11Mbps.
Your ZyXEL G-270S can transmit at up to 108 Mbps when connected to an AP
or wireless router with the Super G feature enabled.
Actual speeds attained also depend on the distance from the AP, noise, etc.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
26 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network
2.1.4 Super G
The Super G technology works with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g products. It doubles IEEE 802.11g
performance by bonding two 54Mbps channels and allowing larger frames to be sent. IEEE
802.11g wireless LAN devices using Super G can transmit at up to 108 Mbps.
2.2 Wireless LAN Security Overview
Wireless LAN security is vital to your network to protect wireless communications.
Configure the wireless LAN security using the Profile Security Setting screen. If you do not
enable any wireless security on your ZyXEL G-270S, the ZyXEL G-270S’s wireless
communications are accessible to any wireless networking device that is in the coverage area.
2.2.1 Data Encryption with WEP
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption scrambles all data packets transmitted between
the ZyXEL G-270S and the AP or other wireless stations to keep network communications
private. Both the wireless stations and the access points must use the same WEP key for data
encryption and decryption.
There are two ways to create WEP keys in your ZyXEL G-270S.
• Automatic WEP key generation based on a “password phrase” called a passphrase. The
passphrase is case sensitive. You must use the same passphrase for all WLAN adapters
with this feature in the same WLAN.
For WLAN adapters without the passphrase feature, you can still take advantage of this
feature by writing down the four automatically generated WEP keys from the Security
Setting screen of the ZyXEL Utility and entering them manually as the WEP keys in the
other WLAN adapter(s).
• Enter the WEP keys manually.
Your ZyXEL G-270S allows you to configure up to four 64-bit, 128-bit or 152-bit WEP
keys and only one key is used as the default key at any one time.
2.2.2 IEEE 802.1x
The IEEE 802.1x standard outlines enhanced security methods for both the authentication of
wireless stations and encryption key management. Authentication can be done using an
external RADIUS server.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 27
2.2.2.1 EAP Authentication
EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) is an authentication protocol that runs on top of the
IEEE 802.1x transport mechanism in order to support multiple types of user authentication. By
using EAP to interact with an EAP-compatible RADIUS server, an access point helps a
wireless station and a RADIUS server perform authentication.
The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server and an intermediary AP(s)
that supports IEEE 802.1x. The ZyXEL G-270S supports EAP-TLS and EAP-PEAP. Refer to
Appendix D on page 75 for descriptions.
For EAP-TLS authentication type, you must first have a wired connection to the network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). A certificate (also called digital IDs)
can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of
each certificate owner.
2.2.3 WPA(2)
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a subset of the IEEE 802.11i standard. WPA2 (IEEE
802.11i) is a wireless security standard that defines stronger encryption, authentication and
key management than WPA.
Key differences between WPA(2) and WEP are improved data encryption and user
authentication.
If both an AP and the wireless clients support WPA2 and you have an external RADIUS
server, use WPA2 for stronger data encryption. If you don't have an external RADIUS server,
you should use WPA2-PSK (WPA2-Pre-Shared Key) that only requires a single (identical)
password entered into each access point, wireless gateway and wireless client. As long as the
passwords match, a wireless client will be granted access to a WLAN.
If the AP or the wireless clients do not support WPA2, just use WPA or WPA-PSK depending
on whether you have an external RADIUS server or not.
Select WEP only when the AP and/or wireless clients do not support WPA or WPA2. WEP is
less secure than WPA or WPA2.
2.2.3.1 Encryption
Both WPA and WPA2 improve data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
(TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. In addition to TKIP, WPA2 also
uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining
Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP) to offer stronger encryption.
The encryption mechanisms used for WPA(2) and WPA(2)-PSK are the same. The only
difference between the two is that WPA(2)-PSK uses a simple common password, instead of
user-specific credentials. The common-password approach makes WPA(2)-PSK susceptible to
brute-force password-guessing attacks but it’s still an improvement over WEP as it employs
an easier-to-use, consistent, single, alphanumeric password.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
28 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network
2.2.3.2 User Authentication
WPA or WPA2 applies IEEE 802.1x and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to
authenticate wireless clients using an external RADIUS database.
2.2.4 WPA(2)-PSK Application Example
A WPA(2)s-PSK application looks as follows.
1First enter identical passwords into the AP and all wireless clients. The Pre-Shared Key
(PSK) must consist of between 8 and 63 ASCII characters (including spaces and
symbols).
2The AP checks each client's password and (only) allows it to join the network if it
matches its password.
3The AP derives and distributes keys to the wireless clients.
4The AP and wireless clients use the TKIP or AES encryption process to encrypt data
exchanged between them.
Figure 8 WPA(2)-PSK Authentication
2.2.5 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example
You need the IP address of the RADIUS server, its port number (default is 1812), and the
RADIUS shared secret. A WPA(2)-RADIUS application example with an external RADIUS
server looks as follows. "A" is the RADIUS server. "DS" is the distribution system.
1The AP passes the wireless client's authentication request to the RADIUS server.
2The RADIUS server then checks the user's identification against its database and grants
or denies network access accordingly.
3The RADIUS server distributes a Pairwise Master Key (PMK) key to the AP that then
sets up a key hierarchy and management system, using the pair-wise key to dynamically
generate unique data encryption keys to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly
communicated between the AP and the wireless clients.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 29
Figure 9 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example
2.3 Encryption Type
The IEEE 802.11b/g standard describes a simple encryption method between the wireless
stations and AP. Two encryption types are defined: an Open system mode and a Shared key
mode.
• Open system mode is implemented for ease-of-use and when security is not an issue.
The wireless station and the AP do not share a secret key. Thus the wireless stations can
associate with any AP and listen to any data transmitted plaintext.
• Shared key mode involves a shared secret key to authenticate the wireless station to the
AP. This requires you to enable the wireless LAN security and use same settings on both
the wireless station and the AP.
2.4 Preamble Type
Preamble is used to signal that data is coming to the receiver.
Short preamble increases performance as less time sending preamble means more time for
sending data. All IEEE 802.11b/g compliant wireless adapters support long preamble, but not
all support short preamble.
Select Long preamble if you are unsure what preamble mode the wireless adapters support,
and to provide more reliable communications in busy wireless networks.
Select Long and Short to have the ZyXEL G-270S automatically use short preamble when
access point/wireless stations support it, otherwise the ZyXEL G-270S uses long preamble.
Note: The ZyXEL G-270S and the access point/wireless stations MUST use the same
preamble mode in order to communicate.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
30 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network
2.5 Introduction to OTIST
In a wireless network, the wireless clients must have the same SSID and security settings as
the access point (AP) or wireless router (we will refer to both as “AP” here) in order to
associate with it. Traditionally this meant that you had to configure the settings on the AP and
then manually configure the exact same settings on each wireless client.
OTIST (One-Touch Intelligent Security Technology) allows you to transfer your AP’s SSID
and WEP or WPA-PSK security settings to wireless clients that support OTIST and are within
transmission range. You can also choose to have OTIST generate a WPA-PSK key for you if
you didn’t configure one manually.
2.5.1 Enabling OTIST
You must enable OTIST on both the AP and wireless client before you start transferring
settings.
We use the Prestige 334WT in this guide as an example. Screens may vary slightly for your
ZyXEL devices.
Note: The AP and wireless client(s) MUST use the same Setup key.
2.5.1.1 AP
On the Prestige 334WT, you can enable OTIST using the Reset button or the web
configurator. If you use the Reset button, the default (01234567) or previous saved (through
the web configurator) Setup key is used to encrypt the settings that you want to transfer.
Hold in the Reset button for one or two seconds.
Note: If you hold in the Reset button too long, the device will reset to the factory
defaults!
In the web configurator, go to the Wireless LAN main screen and then select OTIST. To
change the Setup key, enter zero to eight printable characters. To have OTIST automatically
generate a WPA-PSK key, select the Ye s check box. If you manually configured a WEP key
or a WPA-PSK key and you also selected this check box, then the key you manually
configured is used.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 31
2.5.1.2 Wireless Client
Start the ZyXEL Utility and click the Adapter tab. Select the OTIST check box, enter the
same Setup Key as your AP’s and click Save.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
32 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network
2.5.2 Starting OTIST
Note: You must click Start in the AP OTIST web configurator screen and Save in the
wireless client(s) Adapter screen all within three minutes (at the time of
writing). You can start OTIST in the wireless clients and AP in any order but
they must all be within range and have OTIST enabled.
2.5.3 Notes on OTIST
1If you enabled OTIST in the wireless client, you see this screen each time you start the
ZyXEL utility. Click Yes for it to search for an OTIST-enabled AP.
2If an OTIST-enabled wireless client loses its wireless connection for more than ten
seconds, it will search for an OTIST-enabled AP for up to one minute. (If you manually
have the wireless client search for an OTIST-enabled AP, there is no timeout; click
Cancel in the OTIST progress screen to stop the search.)
1In the AP, a web configurator screen pops
up showing you the security settings to
transfer. After reviewing the settings, click
OK.
2This screen appears while OTIST settings are being transferred. It closes when the
transfer is complete.
• In the wireless client, you see this screen if
it can't find an OTIST-enabled AP (with the
same Setup key). Click OK to go back to
the ZyXEL utility main screen.
• If there is more than one OTIST-enabled AP within range, you see a screen asking you to
select one AP to get settings from.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 33
3When the wireless client finds an OTIST-enabled AP, you must still click Start in the AP
OTIST web configurator screen or hold in the Reset button (for one or two seconds) for
the AP to transfer settings.
4If you change the SSID or the keys on the AP after using OTIST, you need to run OTIST
again or enter them manually in the wireless client(s).
5If you configure OTIST to generate a WPA-PSK key, this key changes each time you run
OTIST. Therefore, if a new wireless client joins your wireless network, you need to run
OTIST on the AP and ALL the wireless clients again.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
34 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 35
CHAPTER 3
ZyXEL Utility Configuration
This chapter shows you how to configure your ZyXEL G-270S in wireless station mode.
3.1 The Link Info Screen
When the ZyXEL Utility starts, the Link Info screen displays, showing the current
configuration and connection status of your ZyXEL G-270S.
Figure 10 Link Info
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 3 Link Info
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Wireless Network
Status
Profile Name This is the name of the profile you are currently using.
Network Name
(SSID)
The SSID identifies the Service Set to which a wireless station is associated. This
field displays the name of the wireless device to which the ZyXEL G-270S is
associated.
AP MAC Address This field displays the MAC address of the wireless device to which the ZyXEL G-
270S is associated.
Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure(BSS) or Ad Hoc) of the
wireless network.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
36 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
3.1.1 Trend Chart
Click Trend Chart in the Link Info screen to display a screen as shown below. Use this
screen to view real-time data traffic statistics.
Figure 11 Link Info: Trend Chart
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Transmission Rate This field displays the current transmission rate of the ZyXEL G-270S in megabits
per second (Mbps).
Security This field displays whether data encryption is activated (WEP (WEP or 802.1x),
TKIP (WPA/WPA-PSK), AES (WPA2/WPA2-PSK)) or inactive (DISABLE).
Channel This field displays the radio channel the ZyXEL G-270S is currently using.
Statistics
Transmit Rate This field displays the current data transmission rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Receive Rate This field displays the current data receiving rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Authentication This field displays the authentication method of the ZyXEL G-270S.
Network Mode This field displays the network standard (B or G) of the wireless device.
Total Transmit This field displays the total number of data frames transmitted.
Total Receive This field displays the total number of data frames received.
Link Quality This field displays the quality of the signal of the ZyXEL G-270S.
Trend Chart Click this button to display the real-time statistics of the data rate in kilobits per
second (Kbps).
Signal Strength The status bar shows the strength of the signal.
Link Quality The status bar shows the quality of the signal.
Table 3 Link Info (continued)
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Table 4 Link Info: Trend Chart
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Transmit This field displays the current data transmission rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Receive This field displays the current data receiving rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 37
3.2 The Site Survey Screen
Use the Site Survey screen to scan for and connect to a wireless network automatically.
Figure 12 Site Survey
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 5 Site Survey
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Available Network
List
Click a column heading to sort the entries.
,
,
or
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
SSID This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless device.
Channel This field displays the channel number used by each wireless device.
Signal This field displays the signal strength of each wireless device.
Scan Click Scan to search for available wireless devices within transmission range.
Connect Click Connect to associate to the selected wireless device.
Site Information Click an entry in the Available Network List table to display the information of the
selected wireless device.
Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad Hoc) of the wireless
device.
Channel This field displays the channel number used by each wireless device.
Encryption This field shows whether data encryption is activated (WEP (WEP or 802.1x),
WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK) or inactive (Disabled).
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
38 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
3.2.1 Connecting to a WLAN Network
Follow the steps below to connect to a WLAN network using the Site Survey screen.
1Click Scan to search for all available wireless networks within range.
2To join a network, click an entry in the table to select a wireless network and then click
Connect.
3If the WEP encryption is activated for the selected wireless network, the Security Setting
screen displays. You must set the related fields in the Security Setting screen to the same
security settings as the associated wireless device. Refer to Section 3.2.2 on page 38 for
more information.
Otherwise click the Back or Exit button and connect to another wireless network without
data encryption.
4Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check the
network information in the Link Info screen.
3.2.2 Security Settings
When you configure the ZyXEL G-270S to connect to a network with wireless security
activated and the security settings are disabled on the ZyXEL G-270S, the screen varies
according to the encryption method used by the selected network.
3.2.2.1 WEP Encryption
Figure 13 Security Settings: WEP
MAC address This field displays the MAC address of the wireless device.
Surveyed at This field displays the time when the wireless device is scanned.
Table 5 Site Survey (continued)
LABEL DESCRIPTION
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 39
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
3.2.2.2 WPA/WPA2
Note: WPA2 and WPA2-PSK are only available in Windows XP and Windows 2000.
Table 6 Security Settings: WEP
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Security Setting
WEP Select 64 Bits, 128 Bits or 152 Bits to activate WEP encryption and then fill in the
related fields.
Select Disable to deactivate WEP encryption.
Encryption Type Select an encryption type. Choices are Open and Shared. Refer to Section 2.3 on
page 29 for more information.
Pass Phrase When you select the radio button, enter a passphrase of up to 63 case-sensitive
printable characters. As you enter the passphrase, the ZyXEL G-270S
automatically generates four different WEP keys and displays it in the key field
below. Refer to Section 2.2.1 on page 26 for more information.
Transmit Key Select a default WEP key to use for data encryption. The key displays in the field
below.
Key x (where x is a
number between 1
and 4)
Select this option if you want to manually enter the WEP keys. Enter the WEP key
in the field provided.
If you select 64 Bits in the WEP field.
Enter either 10 hexadecimal digits in the range of “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” (for
example, 11AA22BB33) for HEX key type.
or
Enter 5 ASCII characters (case sensitive) ranging from “a-z”, “A-Z” and “0-9”
(for example, MyKey) for ASCII key type.
If you select 128 Bits in the WEP field,
Enter either 26 hexadecimal digits in the range of “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” (for
example, 00112233445566778899AABBCC) for HEX key type
or
Enter 13 ASCII characters (case sensitive) ranging from “a-z”, “A-Z” and “0-9”
(for example, MyKey12345678) for ASCII key type.
If you select 152 Bits in the WEP field,
Enter either 32 hexadecimal digits in the range of "A-F", "a-f" and "0-9" (for
example, 00112233445566778899AABBCCDDEEFF) for HEX key type
or
Enter 16 ASCII characters (case sensitive) ranging from "a-z", "A-Z" and "0-9"
(for example, MyKey12345678901) for ASCII key type.
Note: The values for the WEP keys must be set up exactly the
same on all wireless devices in the same wireless LAN.
ASCII WEP keys are case sensitive.
Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to other network.
Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Confirm Save screen.
Refer to Section 3.2.3 on page 42.
Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
40 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
Figure 14 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
3.2.2.3 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
Note: WPA2 and WPA2-PSK are only available in Windows XP and Windows 2000.
Table 7 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Authentication
Type
Select an authentication method from the drop down list. Options are TLS and
PEAP.
Login Name Enter a user name.
This is the user name that you or an administrator set up on a WPA/WPA2 server.
Password This field is not available when you select TLS in the Authentication Type field.
Enter the password associated with the user name above.
Certificate This field is only available when you select TLS in the Authentication Type field.
Select a certificate from the drop-down list box.
Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).
Consult your network administrator for more information.
Validate Server
Certificate
Select the check box to check the certificate of the authentication server.
PEAP Inner EAP This field is only available when you select PEAP in the Authentication Type
field.
The PEAP protocol is MS CHAP v2.
Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to other network.
Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Confirm Save screen.
Refer to Section 3.2.3 on page 42.
Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 41
Figure 15 Security Settings: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
3.2.2.4 802.1x
Figure 16 Security Settings: 802.1x
Table 8 Security Settings: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Security Setting
Encryption Type The encryption mechanisms used for WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK are
the same. The only difference between the two is that WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK uses
a simple common password, instead of user-specific credentials.
The encryption types for WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK are TKIP and AES
respectively. Refer to Section 2.2.3 on page 27 for more information.
Pass Phrase Type a passphrase from 8 to 63 case-sensitive ASCII characters (including spaces
and symbols).
Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to other network.
Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Confirm Save screen.
Refer to Section 3.2.3 on page 42.
Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
42 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
3.2.3 Confirm Save Screen
Use the Confirm Save screen to confirm and save the security settings.
Figure 17 Confirm Save Screen
Table 9 Security Settings: 802.1x
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Authentication
Type
Select an authentication method from the drop down list. Options are TLS and
PEAP.
Login Name Enter a user name.
This is the user name that you or an administrator set up on a RADIUS server.
Password This field is not available when you select TLS in the Authentication Type field.
Enter the password associated with the user name above.
Certificate This field is only available when you select TLS in the Authentication Type field.
Select a certificate from the drop-down list box.
Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).
Consult your network administrator for more information.
Validate Server
Certificate
Select the check box to check the certificate of the authentication server.
PEAP Inner EAP This field is only available when you select PEAP in the Authentication Type
field.
The PEAP protocol is MS CHAP v2.
Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to other network.
Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Confirm Save screen.
Refer to Section 3.2.3 on page 42.
Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 43
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
3.3 The Profile Screen
A profile is a set of wireless parameters that you need to connect to a wireless network. With a
profile activated, each time you start the ZyXEL G-270S, it automatically scans for the
specific SSID and joins that network with the pre-defined wireless security settings. If the
specified network is not available, the ZyXEL G-270S will be disconnected.
If you do not configure and activate a profile, each time you start the ZyXEL G-270S, the
ZyXEL G-270S uses the default profile to connect to any available network with security
disabled.
The default profile is a profile that allows you to connect to any SSID without security.
Click the Profile tab in the ZyXEL Utility program to display the Profile screen as shown
next.
The profile function allows you to save the wireless network settings in this screen, or use one
of the pre-configured network profiles.
Table 10 Confirm Save Screen
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Security Setting
Network Name This field displays the SSID previously entered.
Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad Hoc) of the wireless
device.
Channel This field displays the channel number used by the profile.
Security This field shows whether data encryption is activated (WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA-PSK,
WPA2-PSK or 802.1x) or inactive (Disabled).
Back Click Back to return to the Encryption/Authentication screen
Save Click Save to save the changes back to the ZyXEL G-270S and display the Link Info
screen. Otherwise, click Back to go back to the Encryption Type screen or click Exit
to discard changes and go back to the Site Survey screen.
Exit Click Exit to discard changes and return to the Site Survey screen.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
44 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
Figure 18 Profile Screen
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 11 Profile Screen
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Profile List Click a column heading to sort the entries.
,
,
or
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
Profile Name This is the name of the pre-configured profile.
SSID This is the SSID of the wireless network to which the selected profile associate.
Connect To use a previously saved network profile, select a pre-configured profile name in
the table and click Connect.
Add To add a new profile into the table, click Add.
Delete To delete an existing wireless network configuration, select a profile in the table
and click Delete.
Edit To edit an existing wireless network configuration, select a profile in the table and
click Edit.
Profile Info The following fields display detail information of the selected profile in the Profile
List table.
Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad Hoc) of the profile.
SSID This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of the profile.
Channel This field displays the channel number used by the profile.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 45
3.3.1 Adding a New Profile
Follow the steps below to add a new profile.
1Click Add in the Profile screen. An Add New Profile screen displays as shown next.
Click Next to continue.
Figure 19 Profile: Add New Profile
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Security This field shows whether data encryption is activated (WEP (WEP or 802.1x),
WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK) or inactive (DISABLE).
Transfer Rate This field displays the transfer speed of the selected profile in megabits per second
(Mbps).
Table 11 Profile Screen (continued)
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Table 12 Profile: Add New Profile
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Add New Profile
Profile Name Enter a descriptive name in this field.
SSID Select an available wireless device in the Scan Info table and click Select, or enter
the SSID of the wireless device to which you want to associate in this field
manually. Otherwise, enter Any to have the ZyXEL G-270S associate to or roam
between any infrastructure wireless networks.
Network Type Select the Infrastructure radio button to associate to an AP. Select the Ad-Hoc
radio button to associate to a peer computer.
Next Click Next to go to the next screen.
Exit Click Exit to go back to the previous screen without saving.
Scan Info This table displays the information of the available wireless networks within the
transmission range.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
46 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
2If you select the Infrastructure network type in the previous screen, skip to step 3. If you
select the Ad-Hoc network type in the previous screen, a screen displays as follows.
Select a channel number and click Next to continue.
Figure 20 Profile: Wireless Setting: Select a Channel
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
,
,
or
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode but the wireless security
is deactivated.
SSID This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless device.
Scan Click Scan to search for available wireless devices within transmission range.
Select Select an available wireless device in the table and click Select to add it to this
profile.
Whenever you activate this profile, the ZyXEL G-270S associates to the selected
wireless network only.
Table 13 Profile: Wireless Setting: Select a Channel
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Wireless Setting
Channel Select a channel number from the drop-down list box. To associate to an ad-hoc
network, you must use the same channel as the peer computer.
Back Click Back to return to the Add New Profile screen.
Table 12 Profile: Add New Profile (continued)
LABEL DESCRIPTION
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 47
3If you select Infrastructure network type in the first screen, select WEP, WPA, WPA2,
WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK or 802.1x from the drop-down list box to enable data
encryption. If you select Ad-Hoc network type in the first screen, you can only use WEP
encryption method. Otherwise, select DISABLE to allow the ZyXEL G-270S to
communicate with the access points or other peer wireless computers without any data
encryption and skip to step 5.
Figure 21 Profile: Security Setting: Encryption Type
4The screen varies depending on the encryption method you select in the previous screen.
The settings must be exactly the same on the APs or other peer wireless computers as
they are on the ZyXEL G-270S. Refer to Section 3.2.2 on page 38 for detailed
information on wireless security configuration.
Next Click Next to confirm your selection and advance to the Encryption Type screen.
Exit Click Exit to discard changes and return to the Add New Profile screen.
Table 13 Profile: Wireless Setting: Select a Channel (continued)
LABEL DESCRIPTION
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
48 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
Figure 22 Profile: Security Setting
5This read-only screen shows a summary of the new profile settings. Verify that the
settings are correct. Click Save to save and go to the next screen. Click Back to return to
the previous screen. Otherwise, click Exit to go back to the Profile screen without
saving.
Figure 23 Profile: Confirm New Settings
6To use this network profile, click the Activate Now button. Otherwise, click the Activate
Later button.
Note: Once you activate a profile, the ZyXEL Utility will use that profile the next time it
is started.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 49
Figure 24 Profile: Activate the Profile
3.4 The Adapter Screen
To set the advanced features on the ZyXEL G-270S, click the Adapter tab.
Figure 25 Adapter Screen
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 14 Adapter
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Adapter Setting
Transfer Rate Select a transfer speed from the drop-down list box. Choose from Fully Auto
(default), 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 5.5 Mbps, 6 Mbps, 9 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 18 Mbps, 24
Mbps, 36 Mbps, 48 Mbps and 54 Mbps.
Preamble Type Select a preamble type. Choices are Long Only and Long and Short.The default
setting is Long and Short.
Refer to Section 2.4 on page 29 for more information.
Power Saving
Mode
Select Maximum or Normal to save power (especially for notebook computers).
This forces the ZyXEL G-270S to go to sleep mode when it is not transmitting data.
When you select Off, the ZyXEL G-270S will never go to sleep mode.
SuperG Select the check box to have the ZyXEL G-270S transmit at up to 108 Mbps when
connected to an AP or wireless router with the Super G feature enabled.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
50 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration
OTIST (One-
Touch Intelligent
Security)
Select this check box to enable auto security.
Setup Key Enter the same setup key (up to eight printable characters) as the ZyXEL AP or
wireless router to which you want to associate. The default OTIST setup key is
"01234567".
Note: If you change the OTIST setup key on the ZyXEL AP or
wireless router, you must also make the same change here.
Start Click Start to encrypt the wireless security data using the setup key and have the
ZyXEL AP or wireless router set your ZyXEL G-270S to use the same wireless
settings as the ZyXEL AP or wireless router. You must also activate and start
OTIST on the ZyXEL AP or wireless router at the same time.
The process takes three minutes to complete
Save Click Save to save the changes back to the ZyXEL G-270S and return to the Link
Info screen.
Table 14 Adapter
LABEL DESCRIPTION
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 4 Maintenance 51
CHAPTER 4
Maintenance
This chapter describes how to uninstall or upgrade the ZyXEL Utility.
4.1 The About Screen
The About screen displays related version numbers of the ZyXEL G-270S. To display the
screen as shown below, click the about ( ) button.
Figure 26 About
The following table describes the read-only fields in this screen.
4.2 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility
Follow the steps below to remove (or uninstall) the ZyXEL Utility from your computer.
1Click Start, Programs, ZyXEL G-270S Utility, Uninstall ZyXEL G-270S Utility.
2Click Finish to complete uninstalling the software and restart the computer when
prompted.
Table 15 About
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Driver Version This field displays the version number of the ZyXEL G-270S driver.
Utility Version This field displays the version number of the ZyXEL Utility.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
52 Chapter 4 Maintenance
Figure 27 Uninstall: Finish
4.3 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility
Note: Before you uninstall the ZyXEL Utility, take note of the current network
configuration.
To perform the upgrade, follow the steps below.
1Download the latest version of the utility from the ZyXEL web site and save the file on
your computer.
2Follow the steps in Section 4.2 on page 51 to remove the current ZyXEL Utility from
your computer.
3Restart your computer when prompted.
4Disconnect the ZyXEL G-270S from your computer.
5Double-click on the setup program for the new utility to start the ZyXEL Utility
installation.
6Insert the ZyXEL G-270S and check the version numbers in the About screen to make
sure the new utility is installed properly.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting 53
CHAPTER 5
Troubleshooting
This chapter covers potential problems and the possible remedies. After each problem
description, some instructions are provided to help you to diagnose and to solve the problem.
5.1 Problems Starting the ZyXEL Utility Program
5.2 Problem with the Link Status
Table 16 Troubleshooting Starting ZyXEL Utility Program
PROBLEM CORRECTIVE ACTION
Cannot start the
ZyXEL Wireless
LAN Utility
Make sure the ZyXEL G-270S is properly inserted and the LED is on.
Use the Device Manager to check for possible hardware conflicts. Click Start,
Settings, Control Panel, System, Hardware and Device Manager. Verify the
status of the ZyXEL G-270S under Network Adapter. (Steps may vary depending
on the version of Windows).
Install the ZyXEL G-270S in another computer.
If the error persists, you may have a hardware problem. In this case, you should
contact your local vendor.
The ZyXEL Utility
icon does not
display.
If you install the Funk Odyssey Client software on the computer, uninstall (remove)
both the Funk Odyssey Client software and ZyXEL utility, and then install the
ZyXEL utility again after restarting the computer.
Table 17 Troubleshooting Link Quality
PROBLEM CORRECTIVE ACTION
The link quality
and/or signal
strength is poor all
the time.
Search and connect to another AP with a better link quality using the Site Survey
screen.
Move your computer closer to the AP or the peer computer(s) within the
transmission range.
There may be too much radio interference (for example microwave or another AP
using the same channel) around your wireless network. Relocate or reduce the
radio interference.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
54 Chapter 5 Troubleshooting
5.3 Problems Communicating With Other Computers
Table 18 Troubleshooting Communication Problem
PROBLEM CORRECTIVE ACTION
In wireless station
mode, the
computer with the
ZyXEL G-270S
installed cannot
communicate with
the other
computer(s).
In Infrastructure Mode
• Make sure that the AP and the associated computers are turned on and
working properly.
• Make sure the ZyXEL G-270S computer and the associated AP use the same
SSID.
• Change the AP and the associated wireless clients to use another radio
channel if interference is high.
• Make sure that the computer and the AP share the same security option and
key. Verify the settings in the Profile Security Setting screen.
In Ad-Hoc (IBSS) Mode
• Verify that the peer computer(s) is turned on.
• Make sure the ZyXEL G-270S computer and the peer computer(s) are using
the same SSID and channel.
• Make sure that the computer and the peer computer(s) share the same
security settings.
• Change the wireless clients to use another radio channel if interference is high.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix A Product Specifications 55
APPENDIX A
Product Specifications
Table 19 Product Specifications
PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
Product Name ZyXEL G-270S 802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter
Interface USB 2.0 bus-powered
Standards IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
Network Architectures Infrastructure
Ad-Hoc
Security 64/128/152-bit WEP Encryption
Operating Temperature 0 ~ 50 degrees Centigrade
Storage Temperature -10 ~ 60 degrees Centigrade
Operating Humidity 20 ~ 95% (non-condensing)
Storage Humidity 20 ~ 95% (non-condensing)
Power Consumption TX: <480mA RX: <430mA
Voltage 5V
Weight 25.8 g
Dimension (L) 95 mm × (M) 30 mm × (H) 16 mm
RADIO SPECIFICATIONS
Media Access Protocol IEEE 802.11
Frequency USA (FCC) & Canada & Taiwan 11 Channels: 2.412GHz~2.462GHz
Europe (ETSI) 13 Channels: 2.412GHz~2.472GHz
Japan (TELEC) 14 Channels: 2.412GHz~2.483GHz
Data Rate 11g: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM): 54, 48,
36, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6 Mbps
11b: 11, 5.5, 2, 1 Mbps
Modulation 11g: OFDM (64QAM, 16QAM, QPSK, BPSK)
11b: PBCC, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), (CCK,
DQPSK, DBPSK)
Output Power 11g: 64QAM 20dBm typical +/-3dBi
11b: DBPSK, DQPSK, CCK 17dBm typical +/-3dBi
RX Sensitivity 11g (OFDM): 54 Mbps: < -68 dBm (typical)
11b (CCK): 11 Mbps: < -83 dBm (typical)
SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS
Device Drivers Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, Windows 2000,
Windows XP
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
56 Appendix A Product Specifications
Roaming IEEE 802.11b/g compliant
WEP 64/128/152-bit WEP encryption
Table 19 Product Specifications (continued)
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool 57
APPENDIX B
Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN
Configuration Tool
Windows XP includes a configuration tool (also known as Wireless Zero Configuration
(WZC)) for wireless devices.
Follow the steps below to disable the configuration tool in Windows XP after you install the
ZyXEL Utility. The screen varies depending on the version of Windows XP service pack.
Via the Wireless Network System Tray Icon
If the network icon for wireless connections is not present in the system tray, see the next
section.
1Double-click the network icon for wireless connections in the system tray.
Figure 28 Windows XP: System Tray Icon
2Windows XP SP1: When a Wireless Network Connection window displays, click
Advanced….
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
58 Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool
Figure 29 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection
Windows XP SP2: When a Wireless Network Connection window displays, click
Change advanced settings under Related Tasks and then the Wireless Networks tab.
Figure 30 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection
3In the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, make sure the Use Windows
to configure my wireless network settings check box is not selected. Click OK.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool 59
Figure 31 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties
Figure 32 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
60 Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool
Via the Control Panel
1If the icon for the wireless network connection is not in the system tray, click Start,
Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.
2Double-click on the icon for wireless network connection to display a status window as
shown below.
3Click Properties and click the Wireless Networks tab.
Figure 33 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status
Figure 34 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool 61
4In the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, make sure the Use Windows
to configure my wireless network settings check box is not selected. Click OK.
Figure 35 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties
Figure 36 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
62 Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 63
APPENDIX C
Management with Wireless Zero
Configuration
This appendix shows you how to manage your ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter using the
Windows XP wireless zero configuration tool.
Be sure you have the Windows XP service pack 2 installed on your computer. Otherwise, you
should at least have the Windows XP service pack 1 already on your computer and download
the support patch for WPA from the Microsoft web site.
Windows XP SP2 screen shots are shown unless otherwise specified. Click the help icon ( )
in most screens, move the cursor to the item that you want the information about and click to
view the help.
Activating Wireless Zero Configuration
Make sure the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is
selected in the Wireless Network Connection Properties screen. Refer to Appendix B on
page 57.
If you see the following screen, refer to article 871122 on the Microsoft web site for
information on starting WZC.
Figure 37 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not Available
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
64 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration
Connecting to a Wireless Network
1Double-click the network icon for wireless connections in the system tray to open the
Wireless Network Connection Status screen.
Figure 38 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon
The type of the wireless network icon in Windows XP SP2 indicates the status of the ZyXEL
wireless LAN adapter. Refer to the following table for details.
2Windows XP SP2: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click View
Wireless Networks to open the Wireless Network Connection screen.
Figure 39 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status
Table 20 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon
ICON DESCRIPTION
The ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter is connected to a wireless network.
The ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter is in the process of connecting to a wireless network.
The connection to a wireless network is limited because the network did not assign a
network address to the computer.
The ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter is not connected to a wireless network.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 65
Windows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click Properties
and the Wireless Networks tab to open the Wireless Network Connection Properties
screen.
Figure 40 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status
3Windows XP SP2: Click Refresh network list to reload and search for available wireless
devices within transmission range. Select a wireless network in the list and click Connect
to join the selected wireless network.
Figure 41 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
66 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration
The following table describes the icons in the wireless network list.
Windows XP SP1: Click Refresh to reload and search for available wireless devices
within transmission range. Select a wireless network in the Available networks list, click
Configure and set the related fields to the same security settings as the associated AP to
add the selected network into the Preferred networks table. Click OK to join the selected
wireless network. Refer to the section on security settings (discussed later) for more
information.
Figure 42 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties
44.Windows XP SP2: If the wireless security is activated for the selected wireless network,
the Wireless Network Connection screen displays. You must set the related fields in the
Wireless Network Connection screen to the same security settings as the associated AP
and click Connect. Refer to the section about security settings for more information.
Otherwise click Cancel and connect to another wireless network without data encryption.
Table 21 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection
ICON DESCRIPTION
This denotes that wireless security is activated for the wireless network.
This denotes that this wireless network is your preferred network. Ordering your preferred
networks is important because the ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter tries to associate to the
preferred network first in the order that you specify. Refer to the section on ordering the
preferred networks for detailed information.
This denotes the signal strength of the wireless network.
Move your cursor to the icon to see details on the signal strength.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 67
If there is no security activated for the selected wireless network, a warning screen
appears. Click Connect Anyway if wireless security is not your concern.
Figure 43 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: WEP or WPA-PSK
Figure 44 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security
5Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check the
connection status in the wireless network list or the connection icon in the Preferred
networks or Available networks list.
The following table describes the connection icons.
Security Settings
When you configure the ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter to connect to a secure network but the
security settings are not yet enabled on the ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter, you will see
different screens according to the authentication and encryption methods used by the selected
network.
Table 22 Windows XP: Wireless Networks
ICON DESCRIPTION
This denotes the wireless network is an available wireless network.
This denotes the ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter is associated to the wireless network.
This denotes the wireless network is not available.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
68 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration
Association
Select a network in the Preferred networks list and click Properties to view or configure
security.
Figure 45 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 23 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Network name
(SSID)
This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless network.
Network
Authentication
This field automatically shows the authentication method (Share, Open, WPA or
WPA-PSK) used by the selected network.
Data Encryption This field automatically shows the encryption type (TKIP, WEP or Disable) used
by the selected network.
Network Key Enter the pre-shared key or WEP key.
The values for the keys must be set up exactly the same on all wireless devices in
the same wireless LAN.
Confirm network
key
Enter the key again for confirmation.
Key index
(advanced)
Select a default WEP key to use for data encryption.
This field is available only when the network use WEP encryption method and the
The key is provided for me automatically check box is not selected.
The key is
provided for me
automatically
If this check box is selected, the wireless AP assigns the ZyXEL wireless LAN
adapter a key.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 69
Authentication
Click the Authentication tab in the Wireless (network) properties screen to display the
screen shown next. The fields on this screen are grayed out when the network is in Ad-Hoc
mode or data encryption is disabled.
Figure 46 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
This is a
computer-to-
computer (ad hoc)
network; wireless
access points are
not used
If this check box is selected, you are connecting to another computer directly.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Table 23 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association (continued)
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Table 24 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Enable IEEE
802.1x
authentication for
this network
This field displays whether the IEEE 802.1x authentication is active.
If the network authentication is set to Open in the previous screen, you can choose
to disable or enable this feature.
EAP Type Select the type of EAP authentication. Options are Protected EAP (PEAP) and
Smart Card or other Certificate.
Properties Click this button to open the properties screen and configure certificates. The
screen varies depending on what you select in the EAP type field.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
70 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration
Authentication Properties
Select an EAP authentication type in the Wireless (network) properties: Authentication
screen and click the Properties button to display the following screen.
Protected EAP Properties
Figure 47 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties
Authenticate as
computer when
computer
information is
available
Select this check box to have the computer send its information to the network for
authentication when a user is not logged on.
Authenticate as
guest when user
or computer
information is
unavailable
Select this check box to have the computer access to the network as a guest when
a user is not logged on or computer information is not available.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Table 24 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication (continued)
LABEL DESCRIPTION
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 71
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Smart Card or other Certificate Properties
Figure 48 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties
Table 25 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Validate server
certificate
Select the check box to verify the certificate of the authentication server.
Connect to these
servers
Select the check box and specify a domain in the field below to have your
computer connect to a server which resides only within this domain.
Trusted Root
Certification
Authorities:
Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.
Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).
Consult your network administrator for more information.
Do not prompt
user to authorize
new server or
trusted
certification
authorities.
Select this check box to verify a new authentication server or trusted CA without
prompting.
This field is available only if you installed the Windows XP server pack 2.
Select
Authentication
Method:
Select an authentication method from the drop-down list box and click Configure
to do settings.
Enable Fast
Reconnect
Select the check box to automatically reconnect to the network (without re-
authentication) if the wireless connection goes down.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
72 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Ordering the Preferred Networks
Follow the steps below to manage your preferred networks.
1Windows XP SP2: Click Change the order of preferred networks in the Wireless
Network Connection screen (see Figure 41 on page 65). The screen displays as shown.
Table 26 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Use my smart card Select this check box to use the smart card for authentication.
Use a certificate
on this computer
Select this check box to use a certificate on your computer for authentication.
Validate server
certificate
Select the check box to check the certificate of the authentication server.
Connect to these
servers
Select the check box and specify a domain in the field below to have your
computer connect to a server which resides only within this domain.
Trusted Root
Certification
Authorities:
Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.
Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).
Consult your network administrator for more information.
View Certificate Click this button if you want to verify the selected certificate.
Use a different
user name for the
connection:
Select the check box to use a different user name when the user name in the smart
card or certificate is not the same as the user name in the domain that you are
logged on to.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 73
Figure 49 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks
Windows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click Properties
and the Wireless Networks tab to open the screen as shown.
Figure 50 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks
2Whenever the ZyXEL wireless LAN adapter tries to connect to a new network, the new
network is added in the Preferred networks table automatically. Select a network and
click Move up or Move down to change it's order, click Remove to delete it or click
Properties to view the security, authentication or connection information of the selected
network. Click Add to add a preferred network into the list manually.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
74 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix D Wireless Security 75
APPENDIX D
Wireless Security
Types of EAP Authentication
This section discusses some popular authentication types: EAP-MD5, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS,
PEAP and LEAP. Your wireless LAN device may not support all authentication types.
EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) is an authentication protocol that runs on top of the
IEEE 802.1x transport mechanism in order to support multiple types of user authentication. By
using EAP to interact with an EAP-compatible RADIUS server, an access point helps a
wireless station and a RADIUS server perform authentication.
The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server and an intermediary AP(s)
that supports IEEE 802.1x. .
For EAP-TLS authentication type, you must first have a wired connection to the network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). A certificate (also called digital IDs)
can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of
each certificate owner.
EAP-MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5)
MD5 authentication is the simplest one-way authentication method. The authentication server
sends a challenge to the wireless station. The wireless station ‘proves’ that it knows the
password by encrypting the password with the challenge and sends back the information.
Password is not sent in plain text.
However, MD5 authentication has some weaknesses. Since the authentication server needs to
get the plaintext passwords, the passwords must be stored. Thus someone other than the
authentication server may access the password file. In addition, it is possible to impersonate an
authentication server as MD5 authentication method does not perform mutual authentication.
Finally, MD5 authentication method does not support data encryption with dynamic session
key. You must configure WEP encryption keys for data encryption.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
76 Appendix D Wireless Security
EAP-TLS (Transport Layer Security)
With EAP-TLS, digital certifications are needed by both the server and the wireless stations
for mutual authentication. The server presents a certificate to the client. After validating the
identity of the server, the client sends a different certificate to the server. The exchange of
certificates is done in the open before a secured tunnel is created. This makes user identity
vulnerable to passive attacks. A digital certificate is an electronic ID card that authenticates the
sender’s identity. However, to implement EAP-TLS, you need a Certificate Authority (CA) to
handle certificates, which imposes a management overhead.
EAP-TTLS (Tunneled Transport Layer Service)
EAP-TTLS is an extension of the EAP-TLS authentication that uses certificates for only the
server-side authentications to establish a secure connection. Client authentication is then done
by sending username and password through the secure connection, thus client identity is
protected. For client authentication, EAP-TTLS supports EAP methods and legacy
authentication methods such as PAP, CHAP, MS-CHAP and MS-CHAP v2.
PEAP (Protected EAP)
Like EAP-TTLS, server-side certificate authentication is used to establish a secure connection,
then use simple username and password methods through the secured connection to
authenticate the clients, thus hiding client identity. However, PEAP only supports EAP
methods, such as EAP-MD5, EAP-MSCHAPv2 and EAP-GTC (EAP-Generic Token Card),
for client authentication. EAP-GTC is implemented only by Cisco.
LEAP
LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) is a Cisco implementation of IEEE
802.1x.
Dynamic WEP Key Exchange
The AP maps a unique key that is generated with the RADIUS server. This key expires when
the wireless connection times out, disconnects or reauthentication times out. A new WEP key
is generated each time reauthentication is performed.
If this feature is enabled, it is not necessary to configure a default encryption key in the
Wireless screen. You may still configure and store keys here, but they will not be used while
Dynamic WEP is enabled.
Note: EAP-MD5 cannot be used with Dynamic WEP Key Exchange
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix D Wireless Security 77
For added security, certificate-based authentications (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS and PEAP) use
dynamic keys for data encryption. They are often deployed in corporate environments, but for
public deployment, a simple user name and password pair is more practical. The following
table is a comparison of the features of authentication types.
WPA and WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a subset of the IEEE 802.11i standard. WPA2 (IEEE
802.11i) is a wireless security standard that defines stronger encryption, authentication and
key management than WPA.
Key differences between WPA(2) and WEP are improved data encryption and user
authentication.
If both an AP and the wireless clients support WPA2 and you have an external RADIUS
server, use WPA2 for stronger data encryption. If you don't have an external RADIUS server,
you should use WPA2-PSK (WPA2-Pre-Shared Key) that only requires a single (identical)
password entered into each access point, wireless gateway and wireless client. As long as the
passwords match, a wireless client will be granted access to a WLAN.
If the AP or the wireless clients do not support WPA2, just use WPA or WPA-PSK depending
on whether you have an external RADIUS server or not.
Select WEP only when the AP and/or wireless clients do not support WPA or WPA2. WEP is
less secure than WPA or WPA2.
Encryption
Both WPA and WPA2 improve data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
(TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA and WPA2 use Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message
authentication code Protocol (CCMP) to offer stronger encryption than TKIP.
Table 27 Comparison of EAP Authentication Types
EAP-MD5 EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP LEAP
Mutual Authentication No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Certificate – Client No Yes Optional Optional No
Certificate – Server No Yes Yes Yes No
Dynamic Key Exchange No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Credential Integrity None Strong Strong Strong Moderate
Deployment Difficulty Easy Hard Moderate Moderate Moderate
Client Identity Protection No No Yes Yes No
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
78 Appendix D Wireless Security
TKIP uses 128-bit keys that are dynamically generated and distributed by the authentication
server. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a block cipher that uses a 256-bit
mathematical algorithm called Rijndael. They both include a per-packet key mixing function,
a Message Integrity Check (MIC) named Michael, an extended initialization vector (IV) with
sequencing rules, and a re-keying mechanism.
WPA and WPA2 regularly change and rotate the encryption keys so that the same encryption
key is never used twice.
The RADIUS server distributes a Pairwise Master Key (PMK) key to the AP that then sets up
a key hierarchy and management system, using the PMK to dynamically generate unique data
encryption keys to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly communicated between the AP
and the wireless stations. This all happens in the background automatically.
The Message Integrity Check (MIC) is designed to prevent an attacker from capturing data
packets, altering them and resending them. The MIC provides a strong mathematical function
in which the receiver and the transmitter each compute and then compare the MIC. If they do
not match, it is assumed that the data has been tampered with and the packet is dropped.
By generating unique data encryption keys for every data packet and by creating an integrity
checking mechanism (MIC), with TKIP and AES it is more difficult to decrypt data on a Wi-Fi
network than WEP and difficult for an intruder to break into the network.
The encryption mechanisms used for WPA(2) and WPA(2)-PSK are the same. The only
difference between the two is that WPA(2)-PSK uses a simple common password, instead of
user-specific credentials. The common-password approach makes WPA(2)-PSK susceptible to
brute-force password-guessing attacks but it’s still an improvement over WEP as it employs a
consistent, single, alphanumeric password to derive a PMK which is used to generate unique
temporal encryption keys. This prevent all wireless devices sharing the same encryption keys.
(a weakness of WEP)
User Authentication
WPA and WPA2 apply IEEE 802.1x and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to
authenticate wireless stations using an external RADIUS database. WPA2 reduces the number
of key exchange messages from six to four (CCMP 4-way handshake) and shortens the time
required to connect to a network. Other WPA2 authentication features that are different from
WPA include key caching and pre-authentication. These two features are optional and may not
be supported in all wireless devices.
Key caching allows a wireless client to store the PMK it derived through a sucessful
authentication with an AP. The wireless client uses the PMK when it tries to connect to the
same AP and does not need to go with the authentication process again.
Pre-authentication enables fast roaming by allowing the wireless client (already connecting to
an AP) to perform IEEE 802.1x authentication with another AP before connecting to it.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Appendix D Wireless Security 79
WPA(2)-PSK Application Example
A WPA(2)s-PSK application looks as follows.
1First enter identical passwords into the AP and all wireless clients. The Pre-Shared Key
(PSK) must consist of between 8 and 63 ASCII characters or 64 hexadecimal characters
(including spaces and symbols).
2The AP checks each client's password and (only) allows it to join the network if it
matches its password.
3The AP and wireless clients use the pre-shared key to generate a common PMK.
4The AP and wireless clients use the TKIP or AES encryption process to encrypt data
exchanged between them.
Figure 51 WPA-PSK Authentication
WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example
You need the IP address of the RADIUS server, its port number (default is 1812), and the
RADIUS shared secret. A WPA(2) application example with an external RADIUS server
looks as follows. "A" is the RADIUS server. "DS" is the distribution system.
1The AP passes the wireless client's authentication request to the RADIUS server.
2The RADIUS server then checks the user's identification against its database and grants
or denies network access accordingly.
3The RADIUS server distributes a Pairwise Master Key (PMK) key to the AP that then
sets up a key hierarchy and management system, using the pair-wise key to dynamically
generate unique data encryption keys to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly
communicated between the AP and the wireless clients.
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
80 Appendix D Wireless Security
Figure 52 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example
Security Parameters Summary
Refer to this table to see what other security parameters you should configure for each
Authentication Method/ key management protocol type. MAC address filters are not
dependent on how you configure these security features.
Table 28 Wireless Security Relational Matrix
AUTHENTICATION
METHOD/ KEY
MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL
ENCRYPTION
METHOD
ENTER
MANUAL KEY IEEE 802.1X
Open None No Disable
Enable without Dynamic WEP Key
Open WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Enable without Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Disable
Shared WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Enable without Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Disable
WPA TKIP/AES No Enable
WPA-PSK TKIP/AES Yes Disable
WPA2 TKIP/AES No Enable
WPA2-PSK TKIP/AES Yes Disable
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Index 81
Index
Numerics
802.1x 41
A
About 51
activating a profile 48
Adapter 49
Ad-Hoc 46
Advanced Encryption Standard 27, 77
advanced settings 49
AES 27
antenna 19
antenna power output 55
authentication 39
authentication method
open system 29
shared key 29
C
CA 76
Certificate Authority 76
Certifications
viewing 5
channel 25, 36, 37, 46
configuration method
important note 21
Odyssey Client Manager 21
Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) 21
ZyXEL Utility 21
connecting to a WLAN 38
Copyright 3
creating a new profile 45
current configuration 35
current connection status 35
Customer Support 7
D
data encryption 37
Disclaimer 3
driver version 51
Dynamic WEP Key Exchange 76
E
EAP 28
Enabling OTIST 30
Encryption 27, 77
Extensible Authentication Protocol 28
F
FCC 4
G
getting started 19
graphics icons key 18
H
hardware connections 21
I
initialization vector (IV) 78
installation
utility 19
Interference Statement 4
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
82 Index
L
link information 35
M
Message Integrity Check 27
Message Integrity Check (MIC) 77
MIC 27
N
network type 35
O
Odyssey Client Manager 21
One-Touch Intelligent Security Technology 30
open system authentication 29
OTIST 32
OTIST (One-Touch Intelligent Security) 50
OTIST Introduction 30
P
Pairwise Master Key (PMK) 78
passphrase 26, 39
password phrase 26
Power Saving Mode 49
preamble 49
product specifications 55
profile 35, 44
activation 48
add new 44, 45
delete 44
edit 44
information 44
Q
Quick Start Guide 17, 21
R
radio interference 53
real-time data traffic statistics 36
Related Documentation 17
S
save power 49
Scan Info 46
security 26, 55
data encryption 26
Security Parameters 80
Setup Key 30
shared key authentication 29
signal strength 37
site survey 37
connecting to a WLAN network 38
scan 37
security settings 38
sleep mode 49
SSID 35, 37
SSID (Service Set Identity) 25
Starting OTIST 32
statistics 36
support CD 17
syntax conventions 17
T
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol 27
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) 77
TKIP 27
Trademarks 3
transmission rate 36, 45, 49
transmission rate (Tx Rate) 25
transmit key 39
Trend Chart 36
troubleshooting 53
link status 53
network communication 54
starting ZyXEL Utility 53
ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide
Index 83
U
uninstalling ZyXEL Utility 51
upgrading ZyXEL Utility 52
important step 52
User Authentication 28, 78
V
voltage 55
W
WEP 26, 38, 39
manual setup 26, 39
passphrase 26, 39
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) 26
Wi-Fi Protected Access 27, 77
Windows XP 21
wireless LAN
authentication 29
channel 25
introduction 25
security 26
SSID 25
transmission rate 25
Wireless LAN (WLAN) 25
wireless standard 55
wireless station mode
configuration 35
WLAN
Security parameters 80
WPA 27, 39, 77
WPA2 27, 39, 77
WPA2-Pre-Shared Key 27, 77
WPA2-PSK 27, 40, 77
WPA-PSK 27, 40, 77
WZC (Wireless Zero Configuration) 21
Z
ZyXEL Limited Warranty
Note 6
ZyXEL Utility 21
accessing 21
help 22
opening 22
system tray icon 21
upgrade 52
version 51