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 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. Copyright ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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: 1 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. 2 Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver. 3 Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. 4 Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/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 1 The equipment complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment, under 47 CFR 2.1093 paragraph (d)(2). 2 This Transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. Certifications ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Viewing Certifications 1 Go to http://www.zyxel.com. 2 Select your product from the drop-down list box on the ZyXEL home page to go to that product's page. 3 Select 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。 Certifications ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 Limited Warranty ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 SUPPORT E-MAIL TELEPHONEA WEB SITE FAX FTP SITE REGULAR MAIL LOCATION CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS (WORLDWIDE) CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK FINLAND SALES E-MAIL support@zyxel.com.tw +886-3-578-3942 sales@zyxel.com.tw info@cz.zyxel.com +420-241-091-350 info@cz.zyxel.com +420-241-091-359 support@zyxel.dk +45-39-55-07-00 sales@zyxel.dk +45-39-55-07-07 support@zyxel.fi +358-9-4780-8411 sales@zyxel.fi +358-9-4780 8448 info@zyxel.fr +33-4-72-52-97-97 HUNGARY KAZAKHSTAN Customer Support ZyXEL Communications Czech s.r.o. Modranská 621 143 01 Praha 4 - Modrany Ceská Republika www.zyxel.dk ZyXEL Communications A/S Columbusvej 2860 Soeborg Denmark www.zyxel.fi ZyXEL Communications Oy Malminkaari 10 00700 Helsinki Finland www.zyxel.fr ZyXEL France 1 rue des Vergers Bat. 1 / C 69760 Limonest France www.zyxel.de ZyXEL Deutschland GmbH. Adenauerstr. 20/A2 D-52146 Wuerselen Germany www.zyxel.hu ZyXEL Hungary 48, Zoldlomb Str. H-1025, Budapest Hungary www.zyxel.kz ZyXEL Kazakhstan 43, Dostyk ave.,Office 414 Dostyk Business Centre 050010, Almaty Republic of Kazakhstan ZyXEL Communications Inc. 1130 N. Miller St. Anaheim CA 92806-2001 U.S.A. support@zyxel.de +49-2405-6909-0 sales@zyxel.de +49-2405-6909-99 support@zyxel.hu +36-1-3361649 info@zyxel.hu +36-1-3259100 http://zyxel.kz/support +7-3272-590-698 sales@zyxel.kz +7-3272-590-689 support@zyxel.com 1-800-255-4101 +1-714-632-0882 www.us.zyxel.com sales@zyxel.com +1-714-632-0858 ftp.us.zyxel.com support@zyxel.no +47-22-80-61-80 www.zyxel.no sales@zyxel.no +47-22-80-61-81 NORTH AMERICA NORWAY www.zyxel.cz +33-4-72-52-19-20 FRANCE GERMANY +886-3-578-2439 www.zyxel.com ZyXEL Communications Corp. www.europe.zyxel.com 6 Innovation Road II Science Park ftp.zyxel.com Hsinchu 300 Taiwan ftp.europe.zyxel.com ZyXEL Communications A/S Nils Hansens vei 13 0667 Oslo Norway ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide TELEPHONEA WEB SITE SALES E-MAIL FAX FTP SITE info@pl.zyxel.com +48 (22) 333 8250 www.pl.zyxel.com ZyXEL Communications ul. Okrzei 1A 03-715 Warszawa Poland www.zyxel.ru ZyXEL Russia Ostrovityanova 37a Str. Moscow, 117279 Russia www.zyxel.es ZyXEL Communications Arte, 21 5ª planta 28033 Madrid Spain www.zyxel.se ZyXEL Communications A/S Sjöporten 4, 41764 Göteborg Sweden www.ua.zyxel.com ZyXEL Ukraine 13, Pimonenko Str. Kiev, 04050 Ukraine ZyXEL Communications UK Ltd.,11 The Courtyard, Eastern Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 2XB, United Kingdom (UK) METHOD SUPPORT E-MAIL REGULAR MAIL LOCATION POLAND RUSSIA SPAIN SWEDEN +48 (22) 333 8251 http://zyxel.ru/support +7-095-542-89-29 sales@zyxel.ru +7-095-542-89-25 support@zyxel.es +34-902-195-420 sales@zyxel.es +34-913-005-345 support@zyxel.se +46-31-744-7700 sales@zyxel.se +46-31-744-7701 support@ua.zyxel.com +380-44-247-69-78 UKRAINE sales@ua.zyxel.com +380-44-494-49-32 support@zyxel.co.uk +44-1344 303044 08707 555779 (UK only) www.zyxel.co.uk sales@zyxel.co.uk +44-1344 303034 ftp.zyxel.co.uk UNITED KINGDOM A. “+” is the (prefix) number you enter to make an international telephone call. Customer Support ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 Table of Contents ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 10 Table of Contents ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 Table of Contents 11 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 12 Table of Contents ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 List of Figures 13 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 14 List of Figures ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 List of Tables 15 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 16 List of Tables ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Preface 17 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Graphics Icons Key Wireless Access Point Computer Notebook Computer Server Modem Wireless Signal Telephone Switch Router Internet Cloud 18 Preface ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Chapter 1 Getting Started 19 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 20 Chapter 1 Getting Started ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 Chapter 1 Getting Started 21 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide The color of the ZyXEL Utility system tray icon indicates the status of the ZyXEL G-270S. Refer to the following table for details. 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. 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 window. icon (located in the top right corner) to display the on-line help 1.6 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary This sections describes the ZyXEL Utility screens. Figure 4 Menu Summary The following table describes the menus. Table 2 ZyXEL Utility: Menu Screen Summary 22 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). Chapter 1 Getting Started ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 G270S 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. 1 Make sure a wireless network is available and within range. 2 Open the ZyXEL Utility and click the Site Survey tab to open the screen as shown next. 3 Click Scan to search for available wireless networks. Figure 5 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey 4 To join a network, either click an SSID in the table and then click Connect or doubleclick an SSID. 5 If 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. Chapter 1 Getting Started 23 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Figure 6 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings 6 Verify 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 24 Chapter 1 Getting Started ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 25 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 26 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 27 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 1 First 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). 2 The AP checks each client's password and (only) allows it to join the network if it matches its password. 3 The AP derives and distributes keys to the wireless clients. 4 The 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. 1 The AP passes the wireless client's authentication request to the RADIUS server. 2 The RADIUS server then checks the user's identification against its database and grants or denies network access accordingly. 3 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 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. 28 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 29 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 Yes 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. 30 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 31 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 1 In the AP, a web configurator screen pops up showing you the security settings to transfer. After reviewing the settings, click OK. 2 This 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. 2.5.3 Notes on OTIST 1 If 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. 2 If 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.) 32 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 3 When 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. 4 If 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). 5 If 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. Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network 33 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 34 Chapter 2 Wireless LAN Network ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 G270S is associated. Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure(BSS) or Ad Hoc) of the wireless network. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 35 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 3 Link Info (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION 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. 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. Table 4 Link Info: Trend Chart 36 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). Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 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. or 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). Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 37 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 5 Site Survey (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION 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. 3.2.1 Connecting to a WLAN Network Follow the steps below to connect to a WLAN network using the Site Survey screen. 1 Click Scan to search for all available wireless networks within range. 2 To join a network, click an entry in the table to select a wireless network and then click Connect. 3 If 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. 4 Verify 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 38 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide The following table describes the labels in this screen. 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 Select this option if you want to manually enter the WEP keys. Enter the WEP key number between 1 in the field provided. and 4) 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. 3.2.2.2 WPA/WPA2 Note: WPA2 and WPA2-PSK are only available in Windows XP and Windows 2000. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 39 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Figure 14 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2 The following table describes the labels in this screen. 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. 3.2.2.3 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK Note: WPA2 and WPA2-PSK are only available in Windows XP and Windows 2000. 40 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Figure 15 Security Settings: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK The following table describes the labels in this screen. 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. 3.2.2.4 802.1x Figure 16 Security Settings: 802.1x Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 41 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide The following table describes the labels in this 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. 3.2.3 Confirm Save Screen Use the Confirm Save screen to confirm and save the security settings. Figure 17 Confirm Save Screen 42 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide The following table describes the labels in this screen. 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. 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. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 43 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 44 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. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 11 Profile Screen (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION 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). 3.3.1 Adding a New Profile Follow the steps below to add a new profile. 1 Click 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. 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. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 45 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 12 Profile: Add New Profile (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION 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. 2 If 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. Table 13 Profile: Wireless Setting: Select a Channel LABEL DESCRIPTION Wireless Setting 46 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. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 13 Profile: Wireless Setting: Select a Channel (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION 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. 3 If 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 4 The 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. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 47 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Figure 22 Profile: Security Setting 5 This 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 6 To 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. 48 Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration 49 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 14 Adapter LABEL DESCRIPTION OTIST (OneTouch 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. 50 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. Chapter 3 ZyXEL Utility Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 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. 4.2 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility Follow the steps below to remove (or uninstall) the ZyXEL Utility from your computer. 1 Click Start, Programs, ZyXEL G-270S Utility, Uninstall ZyXEL G-270S Utility. 2 Click Finish to complete uninstalling the software and restart the computer when prompted. Chapter 4 Maintenance 51 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 1 Download the latest version of the utility from the ZyXEL web site and save the file on your computer. 2 Follow the steps in Section 4.2 on page 51 to remove the current ZyXEL Utility from your computer. 3 Restart your computer when prompted. 4 Disconnect the ZyXEL G-270S from your computer. 5 Double-click on the setup program for the new utility to start the ZyXEL Utility installation. 6 Insert the ZyXEL G-270S and check the version numbers in the About screen to make sure the new utility is installed properly. 52 Chapter 4 Maintenance ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 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. 5.2 Problem with the Link Status 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. Chapter 5 Troubleshooting 53 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 5.3 Problems Communicating With Other Computers Table 18 Troubleshooting Communication Problem 54 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. Chapter 5 Troubleshooting ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 Voltage 5V Weight 25.8 g Dimension (L) 95 mm × (M) 30 mm × (H) 16 mm RX: <430mA 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 Appendix A Product Specifications Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP 55 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 19 Product Specifications (continued) 56 Roaming IEEE 802.11b/g compliant WEP 64/128/152-bit WEP encryption Appendix A Product Specifications ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 1 Double-click the network icon for wireless connections in the system tray. Figure 28 Windows XP: System Tray Icon 2 Windows XP SP1: When a Wireless Network Connection window displays, click Advanced…. Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool 57 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 3 In the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, make sure the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is not selected. Click OK. 58 Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Figure 31 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties Figure 32 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool 59 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Via the Control Panel 1 If the icon for the wireless network connection is not in the system tray, click Start, Control Panel and double-click Network Connections. 2 Double-click on the icon for wireless network connection to display a status window as shown below. 3 Click 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 60 Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 4 In 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 Appendix B Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool 61 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 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 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 63 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Connecting to a Wireless Network 1 Double-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. 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. 2 Windows 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 64 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 3 Windows 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 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 65 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide The following table describes the icons in the wireless network list. 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. 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 4 4.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. 66 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 5 Verify 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. 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. 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. Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 67 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 68 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. Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 23 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION If this check box is selected, you are connecting to another computer directly. This is a computer-tocomputer (ad hoc) network; wireless access points are not used OK Click OK to save your changes. Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made. 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. 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. Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 69 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Table 24 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION 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. 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 70 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide The following table describes the labels in this screen. 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. 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 reauthentication) 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. 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. Smart Card or other Certificate Properties Figure 48 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 71 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide The following table describes the labels in this screen. 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. 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. 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. Ordering the Preferred Networks Follow the steps below to manage your preferred networks. 1 Windows 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. 72 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 2 Whenever 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. Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration 73 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 74 Appendix C Management with Wireless Zero Configuration ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. Appendix D Wireless Security 75 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 76 Appendix D Wireless Security ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 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 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. Appendix D Wireless Security 77 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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. 78 Appendix D Wireless Security ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide WPA(2)-PSK Application Example A WPA(2)s-PSK application looks as follows. 1 First 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). 2 The AP checks each client's password and (only) allows it to join the network if it matches its password. 3 The AP and wireless clients use the pre-shared key to generate a common PMK. 4 The 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. 1 The AP passes the wireless client's authentication request to the RADIUS server. 2 The RADIUS server then checks the user's identification against its database and grants or denies network access accordingly. 3 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 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. Appendix D Wireless Security 79 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide 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 ENCRYPTION ENTER METHOD/ KEY METHOD MANUAL KEY MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL IEEE 802.1X Open Disable None No Enable without Dynamic WEP Key Open Shared 80 WEP WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP Key Yes Enable without Dynamic WEP Key Yes Disable 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 Appendix D Wireless Security ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide Index Numerics 802.1x 41 data encryption 37 Disclaimer 3 driver version 51 Dynamic WEP Key Exchange 76 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 EAP 28 Enabling OTIST 30 Encryption 27, 77 Extensible Authentication Protocol 28 FCC 4 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 getting started 19 graphics icons key 18 Index hardware connections 21 initialization vector (IV) 78 installation utility 19 Interference Statement 4 81 ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide link information 35 radio interference 53 real-time data traffic statistics 36 Related Documentation 17 Message Integrity Check 27 Message Integrity Check (MIC) 77 MIC 27 network type 35 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 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 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 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 Quick Start Guide 17, 21 82 Index ZyXEL G-270S User’s Guide uninstalling ZyXEL Utility 51 upgrading ZyXEL Utility 52 important step 52 User Authentication 28, 78 opening 22 system tray icon 21 upgrade 52 version 51 voltage 55 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 ZyXEL Limited Warranty Note 6 ZyXEL Utility 21 accessing 21 help 22 Index 83
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File Type : PDF File Type Extension : pdf MIME Type : application/pdf PDF Version : 1.4 Linearized : No Encryption : Standard V2.3 (128-bit) User Access : Print, Annotate, Fill forms, Extract, Print high-res Modify Date : 2006:05:03 14:16:58+08:00 Create Date : 2006:04:28 13:02:41Z Page Count : 83 Creation Date : 2006:04:28 13:02:41Z Mod Date : 2006:05:03 14:16:58+08:00 Producer : Acrobat Distiller 5.0.5 (Windows) Author : Cindy Yang Metadata Date : 2006:05:03 14:16:58+08:00 Creator : Cindy Yang Title : ZyXEL G-220F User’s Guide V1.00 (Oct 2004) Page Mode : UseOutlines Page Layout : OneColumnEXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools