ZyXEL Communications NWD2105 Wireless N-lite USB Adapter User Manual NWD2105 0531

ZyXEL Communications Corporation Wireless N-lite USB Adapter NWD2105 0531

Contents

UserMan-2_I88NWD2105

Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 1115Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then select Properties.Figure 80 Windows 7: Local Area Connection Properties
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide1126The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window opens.Figure 81 Windows 7: Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties7Select Obtain an IP address automatically if your network administrator or ISP assigns your IP address dynamically.Select Use the following IP Address and fill in the IP address,Subnet mask,and Default gateway fields if you have a static IP address that was assigned to you by your network administrator or ISP. You may also have to enter a Preferred DNS server and an AlternateDNS server, if that information was provided. Click Advanced if you want to configure advanced settings for IP, DNS and WINS. 8Click OK to close the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window.9Click OK to close the Local Area Connection Properties window.Verifying Settings1Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.2In the Command Prompt window, type "ipconfig" and then press [ENTER].
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 1133The IP settings are displayed as follows.Figure 82 Windows 7: Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) PropertiesMac OS X: 10.3 and 10.4The screens in this section are from Mac OS X 10.4 but can also apply to 10.3.1Click Apple > System Preferences.Figure 83 Mac OS X 10.4: Apple Menu
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide1142In the System Preferences window, click the Network icon.Figure 84 Mac OS X 10.4: System Preferences3When the Network preferences pane opens, select Built-in Ethernet from the network connection type list, and then click Configure.Figure 85 Mac OS X 10.4: Network Preferences
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 1154For dynamically assigned settings, select Using DHCP from the Configure IPv4list in the TCP/IP tab.Figure 86 Mac OS X 10.4: Network Preferences > TCP/IP Tab.5For statically assigned settings, do the following:•From the Configure IPv4 list, select Manually.•In the IP Address field, type your IP address.•In the Subnet Mask field, type your subnet mask.
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide116•In the Router field, type the IP address of your device.Figure 87 Mac OS X 10.4: Network Preferences > Ethernet6Click Apply Now and close the window.Verifying SettingsCheck your TCP/IP properties by clicking Applications > Utilities > Network Utilities, and then selecting the appropriate Network Interface from the Infotab.Figure 88 Mac OS X 10.4: Network Utility
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 117Mac OS X: 10.5 and 10.6The screens in this section are from Mac OS X 10.5 but can also apply to 10.6.1Click Apple > System Preferences.Figure 89 Mac OS X 10.5: Apple Menu2In System Preferences, click the Network icon.Figure 90 Mac OS X 10.5: Systems Preferences
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide1183When the Network preferences pane opens, select Ethernet from the list of available connection types.Figure 91 Mac OS X 10.5: Network Preferences > Ethernet4From the Configure list, select Using DHCP for dynamically assigned settings.5For statically assigned settings, do the following:•From the Configure list, select Manually.•In the IP Address field, enter your IP address.•In the Subnet Mask field, enter your subnet mask.
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 119•In the Router field, enter the IP address of your NWD2105.Figure 92 Mac OS X 10.5: Network Preferences > Ethernet6Click Apply and close the window.
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide120Verifying SettingsCheck your TCP/IP properties by clicking Applications > Utilities > Network Utilities, and then selecting the appropriate Network interface from the Infotab.Figure 93 Mac OS X 10.5: Network UtilityLinux: Ubuntu 8 (GNOME)This section shows you how to configure your computer’s TCP/IP settings in the GNU Object Model Environment (GNOME) using the Ubuntu 8 Linux distribution. The procedure, screens and file locations may vary depending on your specific distribution, release version, and individual configuration. The following screens use the default Ubuntu 8 installation.Note: Make sure you are logged in as the root administrator. Follow the steps below to configure your computer IP address in GNOME:
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 1211Click System > Administration > Network.Figure 94 Ubuntu 8: System > Administration Menu2When the Network Settings window opens, click Unlock to open the Authenticate window. (By default, the Unlock button is greyed out until clicked.) You cannot make changes to your configuration unless you first enter your admin password.Figure 95 Ubuntu 8: Network Settings > Connections
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide1223In the Authenticate window, enter your admin account name and password then click the Authenticate button.Figure 96 Ubuntu 8: Administrator Account Authentication4In the Network Settings window, select the connection that you want to configure, then click Properties.Figure 97 Ubuntu 8: Network Settings > Connections
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 1235The Properties dialog box opens.Figure 98 Ubuntu 8: Network Settings > Properties•In the Configuration list, select Automatic Configuration (DHCP) if you have a dynamic IP address.•In the Configuration list, select Static IP address if you have a static IP address. Fill in the IP address,Subnet mask, and Gateway address fields. 6Click OK to save the changes and close the Properties dialog box and return to the Network Settings screen.
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide1247If you know your DNS server IP address(es), click the DNS tab in the Network Settings window and then enter the DNS server information in the fields provided. Figure 99 Ubuntu 8: Network Settings > DNS 8Click the Close button to apply the changes.Verifying SettingsCheck your TCP/IP properties by clicking System > Administration > Network Tools, and then selecting the appropriate Network device from the Devices
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 125tab. The Interface Statistics column shows data if your connection is working properly.Figure 100 Ubuntu 8: Network ToolsLinux: openSUSE 10.3 (KDE)This section shows you how to configure your computer’s TCP/IP settings in the K Desktop Environment (KDE) using the openSUSE 10.3 Linux distribution. The procedure, screens and file locations may vary depending on your specific distribution, release version, and individual configuration. The following screens use the default openSUSE 10.3 installation.Note: Make sure you are logged in as the root administrator. Follow the steps below to configure your computer IP address in the KDE:
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide1261Click K Menu > Computer > Administrator Settings (YaST).Figure 101 openSUSE 10.3: K Menu > Computer Menu2When the Run as Root - KDE su dialog opens, enter the admin password and click OK.Figure 102 openSUSE 10.3: K Menu > Computer Menu
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 1273When the YaST Control Center window opens, select Network Devices and then click the Network Card icon.Figure 103 openSUSE 10.3: YaST Control Center4When the Network Settings window opens, click the Overview tab, select the appropriate connection Name from the list, and then click the Configure button. Figure 104 openSUSE 10.3: Network Settings
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide1285When the Network Card Setup window opens, click the Address tabFigure 105 openSUSE 10.3: Network Card Setup6Select Dynamic Address (DHCP) if you have a dynamic IP address.Select Statically assigned IP Address if you have a static IP address. Fill in the IP address,Subnet mask, and Hostname fields.7Click Next to save the changes and close the Network Card Setup window.
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide 1298If you know your DNS server IP address(es), click the Hostname/DNS tab in Network Settings and then enter the DNS server information in the fields provided.Figure 106 openSUSE 10.3: Network Settings9Click Finish to save your settings and close the window.
Appendix ASetting Up Your Computer’s IP AddressNWD2105 User’s Guide130Verifying SettingsClick the KNetwork Manager icon on the Task bar to check your TCP/IP properties. From the Options sub-menu, select Show Connection Information.Figure 107 openSUSE 10.3: KNetwork ManagerWhen the Connection Status - KNetwork Manager window opens, click the Statistics tab to see if your connection is working properly.Figure 108 openSUSE: Connection Status - KNetwork Manager
NWD2105 User’s Guide 131APPENDIX B Wireless LANsWireless LAN TopologiesThis section discusses ad-hoc and infrastructure wireless LAN topologies.Ad-hoc Wireless LAN ConfigurationThe simplest WLAN configuration is an independent (Ad-hoc) WLAN that connects a set of computers with wireless adapters (A, B, C). Any time two or more wireless adapters are within range of each other, they can set up an independent network, which is commonly referred to as an ad-hoc network or Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). The following diagram shows an example of notebook computers using wireless adapters to form an ad-hoc wireless LAN. Figure 109 Peer-to-Peer Communication in an Ad-hoc NetworkBSSA Basic Service Set (BSS) exists when all communications between wireless clients or between a wireless client and a wired network client go through one access point (AP). Intra-BSS traffic is traffic between wireless clients in the BSS. When Intra-BSS is enabled, wireless client A and B can access the wired network and communicate
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide132with each other. When Intra-BSS is disabled, wireless client A and B can still access the wired network but cannot communicate with each other.Figure 110 Basic Service SetESSAn Extended Service Set (ESS) consists of a series of overlapping BSSs, each containing an access point, with each access point connected together by a wired network. This wired connection between APs is called a Distribution System (DS).This type of wireless LAN topology is called an Infrastructure WLAN. The Access Points not only provide communication with the wired network but also mediate wireless network traffic in the immediate neighborhood.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide 133An ESSID (ESS IDentification) uniquely identifies each ESS. All access points and their associated wireless clients within the same ESS must have the same ESSID in order to communicate.Figure 111 Infrastructure WLANChannelA channel is the radio frequency(ies) used by wireless devices to transmit and receive data. Channels available depend on your geographical area. You may have a choice of channels (for your region) so you should use a channel different from an adjacent AP (access point) to reduce interference. Interference occurs when radio signals from different access points overlap causing interference and degrading performance.Adjacent channels partially overlap however. To avoid interference due to overlap, your AP should be on a channel at least five channels away from a channel that an adjacent AP is using. For example, if your region has 11 channels and an adjacent AP is using channel 1, then you need to select a channel between 6 or 11.RTS/CTSA hidden node occurs when two stations are within range of the same access point, but are not within range of each other. The following figure illustrates a
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide134hidden node. Both stations (STA) are within range of the access point (AP) or wireless gateway, but out-of-range of each other, so they cannot "hear" each other, that is they do not know if the channel is currently being used. Therefore, they are considered hidden from each other. Figure 112 RTS/CTSWhen station A sends data to the AP, it might not know that the station B is already using the channel. If these two stations send data at the same time, collisions may occur when both sets of data arrive at the AP at the same time, resulting in a loss of messages for both stations.RTS/CTS is designed to prevent collisions due to hidden nodes. An RTS/CTS defines the biggest size data frame you can send before an RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake is invoked.When a data frame exceeds the RTS/CTS value you set (between 0 to 2432 bytes), the station that wants to transmit this frame must first send an RTS (Request To Send) message to the AP for permission to send it. The AP then responds with a CTS (Clear to Send) message to all other stations within its range to notify them to defer their transmission. It also reserves and confirms with the requesting station the time frame for the requested transmission.Stations can send frames smaller than the specified RTS/CTS directly to the AP without the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake. You should only configure RTS/CTS if the possibility of hidden nodes exists on your network and the "cost" of resending large frames is more than the extra network overhead involved in the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake. If the RTS/CTS value is greater than the Fragmentation Threshold value (see next), then the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake will never occur as data frames will be fragmented before they reach RTS/CTS size. Note: Enabling the RTS Threshold causes redundant network overhead that could negatively affect the throughput performance instead of providing a remedy.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide 135Fragmentation ThresholdAFragmentation Threshold is the maximum data fragment size (between 256 and 2432 bytes) that can be sent in the wireless network before the AP will fragment the packet into smaller data frames.A large Fragmentation Threshold is recommended for networks not prone to interference while you should set a smaller threshold for busy networks or networks that are prone to interference.If the Fragmentation Threshold value is smaller than the RTS/CTS value (see previously) you set then the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake will never occur as data frames will be fragmented before they reach RTS/CTS size.Preamble TypePreamble is used to signal that data is coming to the receiver. Short and long refer to the length of the synchronization field in a packet.Short preamble increases performance as less time sending preamble means more time for sending data. All IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless adapters support long preamble, but not all support short preamble. Use long preamble if you are unsure what preamble mode other wireless devices on the network support, and to provide more reliable communications in busy wireless networks. Use short preamble if you are sure all wireless devices on the network support it, and to provide more efficient communications.Use the dynamic setting to automatically use short preamble when all wireless devices on the network support it, otherwise the NWD2105 uses long preamble.Note: The wireless devices MUSTuse the same preamble mode in order to communicate.IEEE 802.11g Wireless LANIEEE 802.11g is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.11b standard. This means an IEEE 802.11b adapter can interface directly with an IEEE 802.11g access point (and vice versa) at 11 Mbps or lower depending on range. IEEE 802.11g has
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide136several intermediate rate steps between the maximum and minimum data rates. The IEEE 802.11g data rate and modulation are as follows:Wireless Security OverviewWireless security is vital to your network to protect wireless communication between wireless clients, access points and the wired network.Wireless security methods available on the NWD2105 are data encryption, wireless client authentication, restricting access by device MAC address and hiding the NWD2105 identity.The following figure shows the relative effectiveness of these wireless security methods available on your NWD2105.Note: You must enable the same wireless security settings on the NWD2105 and on all wireless clients that you want to associate with it. Table 28 IEEE 802.11gDATA RATE (MBPS) MODULATION1DBPSK (Differential Binary Phase Shift Keyed)2DQPSK (Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying)5.5 / 11CCK (Complementary Code Keying) 6/9/12/18/24/36/48/54 OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) Table 29 Wireless Security LevelsSECURITYLEVEL SECURITY TYPELeast SecureMost SecureUnique SSID (Default)Unique SSID with Hide SSID EnabledMAC Address FilteringWEP EncryptionIEEE802.1x EAP with RADIUS Server AuthenticationWi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)WPA2
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide 137IEEE 802.1xIn June 2001, the IEEE 802.1x standard was designed to extend the features of IEEE 802.11 to support extended authentication as well as providing additional accounting and control features. It is supported by Windows XP and a number of network devices. Some advantages of IEEE 802.1x are:•User based identification that allows for roaming.•Support for RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service, RFC 2138, 2139) for centralized user profile and accounting management on a network RADIUS server. •Support for EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol, RFC 2486) that allows additional authentication methods to be deployed with no changes to the access point or the wireless clients. RADIUSRADIUS is based on a client-server model that supports authentication, authorization and accounting. The access point is the client and the server is the RADIUS server. The RADIUS server handles the following tasks:•Authentication Determines the identity of the users.•AuthorizationDetermines the network services available to authenticated users once they are connected to the network.•AccountingKeeps track of the client’s network activity. RADIUS is a simple package exchange in which your AP acts as a message relay between the wireless client and the network RADIUS server. Types of RADIUS MessagesThe following types of RADIUS messages are exchanged between the access point and the RADIUS server for user authentication:•Access-RequestSent by an access point requesting authentication.•Access-RejectSent by a RADIUS server rejecting access.•Access-AcceptSent by a RADIUS server allowing access.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide138•Access-ChallengeSent by a RADIUS server requesting more information in order to allow access. The access point sends a proper response from the user and then sends another Access-Request message. The following types of RADIUS messages are exchanged between the access point and the RADIUS server for user accounting:•Accounting-RequestSent by the access point requesting accounting.•Accounting-ResponseSent by the RADIUS server to indicate that it has started or stopped accounting. In order to ensure network security, the access point and the RADIUS server use a shared secret key, which is a password, they both know. The key is not sent over the network. In addition to the shared key, password information exchanged is also encrypted to protect the network from unauthorized access. 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 client. The wireless client ‘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.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide 139However, 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. EAP-TLS (Transport Layer Security)With EAP-TLS, digital certifications are needed by both the server and the wireless clients 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.LEAPLEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) is a Cisco implementation of IEEE 802.1x.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide140Dynamic WEP Key ExchangeThe 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 security configuration screen. You may still configure and store keys, but they will not be used while dynamic WEP is enabled.Note: EAP-MD5 cannot be used with Dynamic WEP Key ExchangeFor added security, certificate-based authentications (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS and PEAP) use dynamic keys for data encryption. They are often deployed in corporate environments, but for public deployment, a simple user name and password pair is more practical. The following table is a comparison of the features of authentication types.WPA and WPA2Wi-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 or WPA2 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. Table 30 Comparison of EAP Authentication TypesEAP-MD5 EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP LEAPMutual Authentication No Yes Yes Yes YesCertificate – Client No Yes Optional Optional NoCertificate – Server No Yes Yes Yes NoDynamic Key Exchange No Yes Yes Yes YesCredential Integrity None Strong Strong Strong ModerateDeployment Difficulty Easy Hard Moderate Moderate ModerateClient Identity Protection No No Yes Yes No
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide 141If 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.EncryptionWPA improves data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA2 also uses TKIP when required for compatibility reasons, but offers stronger encryption than TKIP with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP).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 clients. 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
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide142keys. 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 clients 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 successful 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.Wireless Client WPA SupplicantsA wireless client supplicant is the software that runs on an operating system instructing the wireless client how to use WPA. At the time of writing, the most widely available supplicant is theWPA patch for Windows XP, Funk Software's Odyssey client. The Windows XP patch is a free download that adds WPA capability to Windows XP's built-in "Zero Configuration" wireless client. However, you must run Windows XP to use it. WPA(2) with RADIUS Application ExampleTo set up WPA(2), you need the IP address of the RADIUS server, its port number (default is 1812), and the RADIUS shared secret. A WPA(2) application example with an external RADIUS server looks as follows. "A" is the RADIUS server. "DS" is the distribution system.1The AP passes the wireless client's authentication request to the RADIUS server.2The RADIUS server then checks the user's identification against its database and grants or denies network access accordingly.3A 256-bit Pairwise Master Key (PMK) is derived from the authentication process by the RADIUS server and the client.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide 1434The RADIUS server distributes the PMK to the AP. The AP then sets up a key hierarchy and management system, using the PMK to dynamically generate unique data encryption keys. The keys are used to encrypt every data packet that is wirelessly communicated between the AP and the wireless clients.Figure 113 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application ExampleWPA(2)-PSK Application ExampleA WPA(2)-PSK application looks as follows.1First enter identical passwords into the AP and all wireless clients. The Pre-Shared Key (PSK) must consist of between 8 and 63 ASCII characters or 64 hexadecimal characters (including spaces and symbols).2The AP checks each wireless client's password and allows it to join the network only if the password matches.3The AP and wireless clients generate a common PMK (Pairwise Master Key). The key itself is not sent over the network, but is derived from the PSK and the SSID.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide1444The AP and wireless clients use the TKIP or AES encryption process, the PMK and information exchanged in a handshake to create temporal encryption keys. They use these keys to encrypt data exchanged between them.Figure 114 WPA(2)-PSK AuthenticationSecurity Parameters SummaryRefer to this table to see what other security parameters you should configure for each authentication method or key management protocol type. MAC address filters are not dependent on how you configure these security features.Table 31 Wireless Security Relational MatrixAUTHENTICATIONMETHOD/ KEY MANAGEMENTPROTOCOLENCRYPTION METHOD ENTERMANUAL KEY IEEE 802.1XOpenNoneNoDisableEnable without Dynamic WEP KeyOpen WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP KeyYes Enable without Dynamic WEP KeyYes DisableShared WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP KeyYes Enable without Dynamic WEP KeyYes DisableWPA TKIP/AES No EnableWPA-PSK TKIP/AES Yes DisableWPA2 TKIP/AES No EnableWPA2-PSK TKIP/AES Yes Disable
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide 145Antenna OverviewAn antenna couples RF signals onto air. A transmitter within a wireless device sends an RF signal to the antenna, which propagates the signal through the air. The antenna also operates in reverse by capturing RF signals from the air. Positioning the antennas properly increases the range and coverage area of a wireless LAN. Antenna CharacteristicsFrequencyAn antenna in the frequency of 2.4GHz (IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g) or 5GHz (IEEE 802.11a) is needed to communicate efficiently in a wireless LANRadiation PatternA radiation pattern is a diagram that allows you to visualize the shape of the antenna’s coverage area. Antenna GainAntenna gain, measured in dB (decibel), is the increase in coverage within the RF beam width. Higher antenna gain improves the range of the signal for better communications. For an indoor site, each 1 dB increase in antenna gain results in a range increase of approximately 2.5%. For an unobstructed outdoor site, each 1dB increase in gain results in a range increase of approximately 5%. Actual results may vary depending on the network environment. Antenna gain is sometimes specified in dBi, which is how much the antenna increases the signal power compared to using an isotropic antenna. An isotropic antenna is a theoretical perfect antenna that sends out radio signals equally well in all directions. dBi represents the true gain that the antenna provides. Types of Antennas for WLANThere are two types of antennas used for wireless LAN applications.
Appendix BWireless LANsNWD2105 User’s Guide146•Omni-directional antennas send the RF signal out in all directions on a horizontal plane. The coverage area is torus-shaped (like a donut) which makes these antennas ideal for a room environment. With a wide coverage area, it is possible to make circular overlapping coverage areas with multiple access points. •Directional antennas concentrate the RF signal in a beam, like a flashlight does with the light from its bulb. The angle of the beam determines the width of the coverage pattern. Angles typically range from 20 degrees (very directional) to 120 degrees (less directional). Directional antennas are ideal for hallways and outdoor point-to-point applications.Positioning AntennasIn general, antennas should be mounted as high as practically possible and free of obstructions. In point-to–point application, position both antennas at the same height and in a direct line of sight to each other to attain the best performance. For omni-directional antennas mounted on a table, desk, and so on, point the antenna up. For omni-directional antennas mounted on a wall or ceiling, point the antenna down. For a single AP application, place omni-directional antennas as close to the center of the coverage area as possible. For directional antennas, point the antenna in the direction of the desired coverage area.
NWD2105 User’s Guide 147APPENDIX C Windows Wireless ManagementThis appendix shows you how to manage your NWD2105 using the Windows Vista and Windows XP wireless configuration tools.Windows VistaTake the following steps to connect to a wireless network using the Windows Vista wireless configuration tool (WLAN AutoConfig).
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide148Connecting to a Wireless Network1In the Windows Vista taskbar, click Start () > Connect To.Figure 115 Vista: Start MenuThe Connect To window displays, showing all available networks. Figure 116 Vista: The Connect To WindowThe security status of each wireless network displays, as well as an indication of its signal strength. If you use the mouse pointer to hover over a network’s entry, additional information about the network displays.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 149Figure 117 Vista: Additional Information2Double-click the network’s name to join the network, or select a network and click Connect.Note: If the network to which you want to connect does not display, see the section on setting up a connection manually on page 151.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide1503If security is enabled, you may be prompted to enter your security key. Figure 118 Vista: Enter Security KeyYour computer tries to connect to the wireless network.Figure 119 Vista: ConnectingIf your computer has connected to the wireless network successfully, the following screen displays.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 151Figure 120 Vista: Successful Connection4If you will use this network again, ensure that Save this network is selected. If you save the network, you do not have to configure its settings again.5Select Start this connection automatically if you want Windows to always try to use this network when you start up your computer. If you do not select this (but select Save this network) you can connect manually each time by clicking Start>Connect to and selecting the network’s name from the list.Connecting to a Network ManuallyIf the wireless network to which you want to connect does not appear in the Connect to window (if your network’s SSID is hidden, for example), take the following steps to configure your network connection manually
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide1521Click Set up a connection or network at the bottom of the Connect to screen. The following screen displays.Figure 121 Vista: Choose a Connection Option
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 1532Click Manually connect to a wireless network. The following screen displays.Figure 122 Vista: Connect ManuallyThe following table describes the labels in this screen.Table 32 Vista: Connect ManuallyLABEL DESCRIPTIONNetwork nameEnter your network’s SSID (Service Set IDentifier).Security typeSelect the type of security used by the network to which you want to connect. The types of available security shown depend on your computer’s wireless client.In this field, WPA(2)-Personal is the same as WPA(2)-PSK,and WPA(2)-Enterprise is the same as WPA(2)Encryption typeSelect the type of encryption used by the network.When you use WEP or 802.1x,WEP displays.When you use a WPA mode (WPA(2)-Personal or WPA(2)-Enterprise) you can choose AES or TKIP (if supported by your computer’s wireless client).Security Key / Passphrase If your network uses WEP or WPA(2)-Personal security, enter the key here.Display CharactersSelect this if you do not want the security key characters to be hidden.Start this connection automatically Select this box if you always want to try to connect to this network at startup. If you leave this box unchecked, you will need to connect manually each time.Connect even if the network is not broadcastingSelect this box if you always want to try to connect to this network at startup, even if the network is not broadcasting its SSID. The warning in this field refers to the fact that if you do this, your computer sends out probe request packets, which contain the network’s SSID and could be used by an attacker to access the network.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide1543When you have finished filling in the fields, click Next. the following screen displays.Figure 123 Vista: Successfully Added Network4If you want to make any changes to the settings you just configured, click Change connection settings. Otherwise, click Connect to.... In the window that displays, double-click the new network’s name to connect to the network.Setting Up An Ad-Hoc Network Take the following steps to set up a wireless connection between two computers in Windows Vista. NextClick this to save your settings and move on to the next page.CancelClick this to stop setting up your network.Table 32 Vista: Connect ManuallyLABEL DESCRIPTION
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 1551Click Start () > Connect To. In the Connect to screen, click Set up a connection or network. The following screen displays.Figure 124 Vista: Set Up An Ad-hoc Network2Select Set up a wireless ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network and click Next. The following screen displays.Figure 125 Vista: Ad-hoc Options 3Enter the Network name (SSID) you want to use for your network. Select a Security type. If you are not sure what kind of security you want to use, click the Help me choose link. Note: Make sure all the wireless clients on your ad-hoc network can support the type of security you select.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide1564Enter the Security key/Passphrase. Everybody on the network must enter this key in their computer’s wireless client in order to access the network. If you want to see the characters you entered, select the Display characters box. Otherwise, leave it empty (dots display instead of the characters).5If you will use this ad-hoc network again, select the Save this network box. If you do this, the next time you click Start > Connect to, you can select the network from the list.6Click Next. The following screen displays.Figure 126 Vista: Ad-hoc Network Ready 7If you want to share files with other computers on the ad-hoc network, or let other computers use your Internet connection, click the Network and Sharing Centerlink. Otherwise, click Close.Windows XPBe 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.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 157Activating Wireless Zero Configuration1Click Start,Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.2Double-click on the icon for wireless network connection.3The status window displays as shown below. Click Properties.Figure 127 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection StatusFigure 128 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide1584The Wireless Network Connection Properties screen displays. Click the Wireless Networks tab.Make sure the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settingscheck box is selected. Figure 129 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection PropertiesFigure 130 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 159If you see the following screen, refer to article 871122 on the Microsoft web site for information on starting WZC.Figure 131 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not AvailableConnecting to a Wireless Network 1Double-click the network icon for wireless connections in the system tray to open the Wireless Network Connection Status screen.Figure 132 Windows XP SP2: System Tray IconThe type of the wireless network icon in Windows XP SP2 indicates the status of the NWD2105. Refer to the following table for details.Table 33 Windows XP SP2: System Tray IconICON DESCRIPTIONThe NWD2105 is connected to a wireless network.The NWD2105 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 NWD2105 is not connected to a wireless network.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide1602Windows XP SP2: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click View Wireless Networks to open the Wireless Network Connection screen.Figure 133 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection StatusWindows 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 134 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 1613Windows 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 135 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network ConnectionThe following table describes the icons in the wireless network list.Windows XP SP1: Click Refresh to reload and search for available wireless devices within transmission range. Select a wireless network in the Available networks list, click Configure and set the related fields to the same security settings as the associated AP to add the selected network into the Preferred networks table. Click OK to join the selected wireless network. Refer to the section on security settings (discussed later) for more information. Table 34 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network ConnectionICON DESCRIPTIONThis 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 NWD2105 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.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide162Figure 136 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties44.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
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 163security settings for more information. Otherwise click Cancel and connect to another wireless network without data encryption. 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 137 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: WEP or WPA-PSKFigure 138 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security5Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check the connection status in the wireless network list or the connection icon in the Preferred networks or Available networks list.The following table describes the connection icons.Security SettingsWhen you configure the NWD2105 to connect to a secure network but the security settings are not yet enabled on the NWD2105, you will see different screens according to the authentication and encryption methods used by the selected network.Table 35 Windows XP: Wireless NetworksICON DESCRIPTIONThis denotes the wireless network is an available wireless network.This denotes the NWD2105 is associated to the wireless network.This denotes the wireless network is not available.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide164AssociationSelect a network in the Preferred networks list and click Properties to view or configure security.Figure 139 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: AssociationThe following table describes the labels in this screen.Table 36 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: AssociationLABEL DESCRIPTIONNetwork name (SSID) This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless network.NetworkAuthentication This field automatically shows the authentication method (Share,Open,WPA or WPA-PSK) used by the selected network. Data EncryptionThis field automatically shows the encryption type (TKIP,WEP or Disable) used by the selected network. Network KeyEnter 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 automaticallyIf this check box is selected, the wireless AP assigns the NWD2105 a key.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 165AuthenticationClick 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 140 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: AuthenticationThe following table describes the labels in this screen.This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network; wireless access points are not usedIf this check box is selected, you are connecting to another computer directly.OKClick OK to save your changes.CancelClick Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.Table 36 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association (continued)LABEL DESCRIPTIONTable 37 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: AuthenticationLABEL DESCRIPTIONEnable IEEE 802.1x authentication for this networkThis 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 TypeSelect the type of EAP authentication. Options are Protected EAP (PEAP) and Smart Card or other Certificate.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide166Authentication PropertiesSelect an EAP authentication type in the Wireless (network) properties: Authentication screen and click the Properties button to display the following screen. Protected EAP PropertiesFigure 141 Windows XP: Protected EAP PropertiesPropertiesClick this button to open the properties screen and configure certificates. The screen varies depending on what you select in the EAPtype field.Authenticate as computer when computer information is availableSelect 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 unavailableSelect 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.OKClick OK to save your changes.CancelClick Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.Table 37 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication (continued)LABEL DESCRIPTION
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 167The following table describes the labels in this screen.Table 38 Windows XP: Protected EAP PropertiesLABEL DESCRIPTIONValidate 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 CertificationAuthorities:Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). Consult your network administrator for more information.Do not prompt user to authorize new server or trusted certificationauthorities.Select this check box to verify a new authentication server or trusted CA without prompting.This field is available only if you installed the Windows XP server pack 2.Select Authentication Method:Select an authentication method from the drop-down list box and click Configure to do settings.Enable Fast Reconnect Select the check box to automatically reconnect to the network (without re-authentication) if the wireless connection goes down.OKClick OK to save your changes.CancelClick Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide168Smart Card or other Certificate PropertiesFigure 142 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate PropertiesThe following table describes the labels in this screen.Table 39 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate PropertiesLABEL DESCRIPTIONUse my smart card Select this check box to use the smart card for authentication.Use a certificate on this computerSelect 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 CertificationAuthorities:Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). Consult your network administrator for more information.View CertificateClick 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.OKClick OK to save your changes.CancelClick Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 169Ordering the Preferred NetworksFollow the steps below to manage your preferred networks.
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide1701Windows XP SP2: Click Change the order of preferred networks in the Wireless Network Connection screen (see Figure 135 on page 161). The screen displays as shown. Figure 143 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Networks: Preferred NetworksWindows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click Properties and the Wireless Networks tab to open the screen as shown.Figure 144 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks
Appendix CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide 1712Whenever the NWD2105 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 CWindows Wireless ManagementNWD2105 User’s Guide172
NWD2105 User’s Guide 173APPENDIX D Wireless for Windows 7Follow these steps to connect to a wireless network for a computer with the Windows 7 Operating System (OS).You should know the network name (SSID) of the wireless network to which you want to connect. You should also know the password (pre-shared key (PSK)/passphrase) if the wireless network is secured. Enabling the Wireless AdapterDo the following to enable the wireless adapter of your computer. If you know for a fact that the wireless adapter is already working, you can skip this part and go to Connecting to a Wireless Network.1Click Start > Control Panel.Figure 145 Windows 7: Start Menu
Appendix DWireless for Windows 7NWD2105 User’s Guide1742In the Control Panel, click View network status and tasks under the Network and Internet category.Figure 146 Windows 7: Control Panel3Click Change adapter settings.Figure 147 Windows 7: Network And Sharing Center4Right click Wireless Network Connection and select Enable.Figure 148 Windows 7: Wireless Network Connection
Appendix DWireless for Windows 7NWD2105 User’s Guide 175A progress indicator appears. Figure 149 Windows 7: Enabling the Wireless Network ConnectionWhen it shows Enabled, you are ready to connect to your wireless network.Connecting to a Wireless NetworkOnce the computer’s wireless adapter has been enabled, do the following to connect to a wireless network.1Click the wireless adapter icon which appears in the bottom right of your computer monitor. A list ofavailable wireless networks displays.Figure 150 Windows 7: List of Wireless Networks
Appendix DWireless for Windows 7NWD2105 User’s Guide1762Select a wireless network and click Connect.Figure 151 Windows 7: Connect to the Wireless Networks•If the wireless network is not password-protected, you should see a progress indicator as follows.Figure 152 Windows 7: Wireless Connection Progress Indicator•If the wireless network is secured, you should provide the correct credentials before you can gain access as shown below.Figure 153 Windows 7: Wireless Connection SecurityYou may have to wait several minutes while your computer connects to the wireless network.
Appendix DWireless for Windows 7NWD2105 User’s Guide 177Verifying the SettingsOpen a web browser and try to access a website, such as www.zyxel.com. Additionally, do the following to check your wireless network connection status.1Click Start > Control Panel.Figure 154 Windows 7: Start Menu2In the Control Panel, click View network status and tasks under the Network and Internet category.Figure 155 Windows 7: Control Panel
Appendix DWireless for Windows 7NWD2105 User’s Guide1783Check the Connections under View you active networks. If the wireless network name displays and the icon is green, you have successfully connected to the wireless network.Figure 156 Windows 7: Network and Sharing Center
NWD2105 User’s Guide 179APPENDIX E Legal InformationCopyrightCopyright © 2010 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.DisclaimersZyXEL 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.TrademarksTrademarks mentioned in this publication are used for identification purposes only and may be properties of their respective owners.CertificationsFederal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference StatementThe 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.
Appendix ELegal InformationNWD2105 User’s Guide180This device 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 residential installation. This device generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.If this device does cause harmful interference to radio/television reception, which can be determined by turning the device off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:1Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.2Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.3Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.4Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.FCC Radiation Exposure Statement•This device has been tested to the FCC exposure requirements (Specific Absorption Rate). •This device complies with the requirements of Health Canada Safety Code 6 for Canada. •Testing was performed on laptop computers with antennas at 5mm spacing. The maximumSARvalueis:0.733W/kg. The device mustnotbe collocatedwith anyother antennas or transmitters. •This equipment has been SAR-evaluated for use in laptops (notebooks) with side slot configuration.•The device complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment, under 47 CFR 2.1093 paragraph (d)(2). End users must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance.To maintain compliance with FCC RF exposure compliance requirements, please follow operation instruction as documented in this manual.•This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. •IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g operation of this product in the U.S.A. is firmware-limited to channels 1 through 11.
Appendix ELegal InformationNWD2105 User’s Guide 181Industry Canada StatementThis device complies with RSS-210 of the Industry Canada Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:1) this device may not cause interference and2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the deviceThis device has been designed to operate with an antenna having a maximum gainof3.1 dBi.Antenna having a higher gain is strictly prohibited per regulations of Industry Canada. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms.To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the EIRP is not more than required for successful communication.IC Radiation Exposure StatementThis equipment complies with IC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. End users must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance.NoticesChanges or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.This device has been designed for the WLAN 2.4 GHz network throughout the EC region and Switzerland, with restrictions in France.
Appendix ELegal InformationNWD2105 User’s Guide182This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.Viewing Certifications1Go to http://www.zyxel.com.2Select your product on the ZyXEL home page to go to that product's page.3Select the certification you wish to view from this page.ZyXEL Limited WarrantyZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects in material or workmanship for a specific period (the Warranty Period) from the date of purchase. The Warranty Period varies by region. Check with your vendor and/or the authorized ZyXEL local distributor for details about the Warranty Period of this product. 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.NoteRepair 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 your vendor. You may also refer to the warranty policy for the region in which you bought the device at http://www.zyxel.com/web/support_warranty_info.php.
Appendix ELegal InformationNWD2105 User’s Guide 183RegistrationRegister your product online to receive e-mail notices of firmware upgrades and information at www.zyxel.com.
Appendix ELegal InformationNWD2105 User’s Guide184
IndexNWD2105 User’s Guide 185IndexAAbout 86about your ZyXEL Device 18Access Point (AP) 38Access point (AP) 38Access Point. See also AP.ACT LED 19activating a profile 67adapter 68Ad-Hoc 20,65Advanced Encryption Standard 41See AES.advanced settings 68AES 141antennadirectional 146gain 145omni-directional 146Antenna gain 80Antenna output power 78APSee also access point.AP (access point) 133AP MAC address 52AP modeconfiguration 34Association list 35,78authentication 52authentication type 40auto 40open system 40shared key 40auto authentication 40automatic connection 54automatic network scan 29,62BBasic Service Set, See BSS 131BSS 131CCA 41,139CCMP 41Certificate AuthoritySee CA.certifications 179notices 181viewing 182channel 39,52,54,55,65,79,133interference 133configuration method 21important note 21Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) 20,21ZyXEL utility 21configuration status 51,78connection status 51,78copyright 179creating a new profile 64credentials 72CTS (Clear to Send) 134current configuration 51,78current connection status 51,78Ddata encryption 55digital ID 41dimensions 95disclaimer 179download 87driver version 86
IndexNWD2105 User’s Guide186dynamic WEP key exchange 140EEAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) 40EAP Authentication 138EAP authentication 41EAP type 71EAP-PEAP 40EAP-TLS 40EAP-TTLS 40encryption 141encryption type 40,59environmental specifications 95ESS 132Extended Service Set, See ESS 132FFCC interference statement 179fragmentation threshold 135frequency 39,96Ggetting started 17Hhardware connections 20help 22hidden node 133humidity 95IIBSS 131IEEE 802.11g 135IEEE 802.1x 40,59,71Independent Basic Service SetSee IBSS 131infrastructure 19initialization vector (IV) 141installation 20interface 95Internet access 19IP addressdynamic 77LLEDs 19lights 19link information 51,78LINK LED 19link quality 52MMAC 78MAC filter 83action 84manual network connection 29Mbps 78Message Integrity Check (MIC) 41,141NNetwork interface card (NIC) 80network mode 52network name 52network overlap 39network scan 62Network sharing 77network type 52,55
IndexNWD2105 User’s Guide 187Oonline help 22Output power 78Ppacket collisions 52Pairwise Master Key (PMK) 141,143passphrase 40,56,81password 40PEAP 71,72peer computer 19,65physical specifications 95power saving mode 68preamble mode 135product registration 183product specifications 95Profile 62profile 51,63activation 67add new 64configure 29,31default 62delete 63edit 63information 63new 63,64PSK 141QQuick Start Guide 20,92Rradio interference 92radio specifications 95,96RADIUS 40,41,137message types 137messages 137shared secret key 138real-time data traffic statistics 53receive rate 52receive speed 52registrationproduct 183related documentation 3RTS (Request To Send) 134threshold 133,134Ssafety warnings 7Save power 80save power 68scan 54scan info 65search 54Security 78security 39,52,97data encryption 39security settings and Vista 71sensitivity 96Service Set Identity (SSID) 29,38signal strength 52,54site information 54site survey 54scan 54security settings 55,80sleep mode 68SSID 29,38,52,54,78,93statistics 52syntax conventions 5system tray 20Ttemperature 95Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) 41,141The 71TLS 71,73total receive 52
IndexNWD2105 User’s Guide188total transmit 52trademarks 179Transmission rate 78transmission rate 52,64transmit key 56,81transmit rate 52trend chart 52,53TTLS 71Uuninstalling the ZyXEL utility 86upgrading the ZyXEL utility 87important step 87user authentication 39utility installation 20utility version 86VVista 71,73Wwarranty 182note 182weight 95WEP 39,56automatic setup 40manual setup 40,57,82passphrase 40,56,81WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) 39WEP Encryption 56WEP key generation 40Wi-Fi Protected Access 41,140Wi-Fi Protected Setup 51Windows 71Windows XP 21Wired network 80wireless client 38wireless client WPA supplicants 142wireless LANintroduction 37security 39wireless LAN (WLAN) 37wireless network 38wireless security 136wireless standard 95Wireless station modeprofile 62wireless station modeadapter 68security settings 55,80site survey 54trend chart 53wireless tutorial 24WLANinterference 133security parameters 144WPA 41,58,71,140key caching 142pre-authentication 142user authentication 142vs WPA-PSK 141wireless client supplicant 142with RADIUS application example 142WPA2 41,58,71,140user authentication 142vs WPA2-PSK 141wireless client supplicant 142with RADIUS application example 142WPA2-Pre-Shared Key 41,140WPA2-PSK 41,57,82,140,141application example 143WPA-PSK 41,57,82,141application example 143WPSsee also Wi-Fi Protected Setup 51WZCactivating 157network connection 159not available 159preferred network 169security setting 163system tray icon 159WZC (Wireless Zero Configuration) 21
IndexNWD2105 User’s Guide 189ZZyXEL Utilityaccessing 21ZyXEL utility 21accessing 21driver version number 86exiting 21help 22reactivating 21status 21system tray icon 20upgrading 87version number 86

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