ZyXEL Communications NWD270N Wireless N USB Adapter User Manual

ZyXEL Communications Corporation Wireless N USB Adapter

User Manual

www.zyxel.comNWD-270NWireless N-lite USB AdapterUser’s GuideVersion 1.001/2009Edition 1
About This User's GuideNWD-270N User’s Guide 3About This User's GuideIntended AudienceThis manual is intended for people who want to configure the NWD-270N using the ZyXEL utility. You should have at least a basic knowledge of TCP/IP networking concepts and topology.Related Documentation• Quick Start Guide The Quick Start Guide is designed to help you get up and running right away. It contains information on setting up your network and configuring for Internet access.• Online HelpEmbedded web help for descriptions of individual screens and supplementary information.• Support DiscRefer to the included CD for support documents.• ZyXEL Web SitePlease refer to www.zyxel.com for additional support documentation and product certifications.User’s Guide FeedbackHelp us help you. Send all User’s Guide-related comments, questions or suggestions for improvement to the following address, or use e-mail instead. Thank you!The Technical Writing Team,ZyXEL Communications Corp.,6 Innovation Road II,Science-Based Industrial Park, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan.E-mail: techwriters@zyxel.com.tw
Document ConventionsNWD-270N User’s Guide4Document ConventionsWarnings and NotesThese are how warnings and notes are shown in this User’s Guide. 1Warnings tell you about things that could harm you or your NWD-270N."Notes tell you other important information (for example, other things you may need to configure or helpful tips) or recommendations.Syntax Conventions• The NWD-270N may be referred to as the “NWD-270N”, the “device”, the “system” or the “product” in this User’s Guide.• Product labels, screen names, field labels and field choices are all in bold font.• A key stroke is denoted by square brackets and uppercase text, for example, [ENTER] means the “enter” or “return” key on your keyboard.• “Enter” means for you to type one or more characters and then press the [ENTER] key. “Select” or “choose” means for you to use one of the predefined choices.• A right angle bracket ( > ) within a screen name denotes a mouse click. For example, Maintenance > Log > Log Setting means you first click Maintenance in the navigation panel, then the Log sub menu and finally the Log Setting tab to get to that screen.• Units of measurement may denote the “metric” value or the “scientific” value. For example, “k” for kilo may denote “1000” or “1024”, “M” for mega may denote “1000000” or “1048576” and so on.• “e.g.,” is a shorthand for “for instance”, and “i.e.,” means “that is” or “in other words”.
Document ConventionsNWD-270N User’s Guide 5Icons Used in FiguresFigures in this User’s Guide may use the following generic icons. Wireless Access Point Computer Notebook computerServer Modem TelephoneInternet Wireless Signal
Safety WarningsNWD-270N User’s Guide6Safety Warnings1For your safety, be sure to read and follow all warning notices and instructions.• Do NOT use this product near water, for example, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool.• Do NOT expose your device to dampness, dust or corrosive liquids.• Do NOT store things on the device.• Do NOT install, use, or service this device during a thunderstorm. There is a remote risk of electric shock from lightning.• Connect ONLY suitable accessories to the device.• Ground yourself (by properly using an anti-static wrist strap, for example) whenever working with the device’s hardware or connections.• ONLY qualified service personnel should service or disassemble this device.• Antenna Warning! This device meets ETSI and FCC certification requirements when using the included antenna(s). Only use the included antenna(s).This product is recyclable. Dispose of it properly.
Contents OverviewNWD-270N User’s Guide 7Contents OverviewIntroduction and Configuration ............................................................................................19Getting Started ........................................................................................................................... 21Tutorial ....................................................................................................................................... 27Wireless LANs ........................................................................................................................... 37ZyXEL Utility - Windows ............................................................................................................ 49Maintenance .............................................................................................................................. 71Troubleshooting and Specifications ....................................................................................75Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................... 77Product Specifications ............................................................................................................... 81Appendices and Index ...........................................................................................................85
Contents OverviewNWD-270N User’s Guide8
Table of ContentsNWD-270N User’s Guide 9Table of ContentsAbout This User's Guide..........................................................................................................3Document Conventions............................................................................................................4Safety Warnings........................................................................................................................6Contents Overview ...................................................................................................................7Table of Contents......................................................................................................................9List of Figures .........................................................................................................................13List of Tables...........................................................................................................................17Part I: Introduction and Configuration................................................. 19Chapter 1Getting Started........................................................................................................................211.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 211.1.1 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 211.1.2 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 211.2 About Your NWD-270N ......................................................................................................221.2.1 Hardware .................................................................................................................... 221.3 Application Overview ........................................................................................................... 231.3.1 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................. 231.3.2 Ad-Hoc ....................................................................................................................... 231.4 Hardware and Utility Installation ..........................................................................................241.4.1 ZyXEL Utility Icon .......................................................................................................241.5 Configuration Methods ....................................................................................................... 251.5.1 Enabling Windows Wireless Configuration ................................................................ 251.5.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility ...................................................................................... 26Chapter 2Tutorial.....................................................................................................................................272.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 272.1.1 What You Can Do in This Tutorial .............................................................................. 272.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 272.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 272.2 Connecting to an AP using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) .................................................. 28
Table of ContentsNWD-270N User’s Guide102.2.1 Push Button Configuration (PBC) .............................................................................. 282.2.2 PIN Configuration ....................................................................................................... 292.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPS ........................................................................... 312.3.1 Manually Connecting to a Wireless LAN ................................................................... 312.3.2 Creating and Using a Profile ...................................................................................... 33Chapter 3Wireless LANs.........................................................................................................................373.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 373.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 373.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 373.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 383.2 Wireless LAN Overview ...................................................................................................... 383.3 Wireless LAN Security ........................................................................................................ 393.3.1 User Authentication and Encryption ........................................................................... 393.4 WiFi Protected Setup ........................................................................................................... 413.4.1 Push Button Configuration ......................................................................................... 413.4.2 PIN Configuration ....................................................................................................... 423.4.3 How WPS Works ........................................................................................................ 433.4.4 Limitations of WPS ..................................................................................................... 46Chapter 4ZyXEL Utility - Windows.........................................................................................................494.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 494.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 494.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 494.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 504.2 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary ........................................................................................... 504.3 The Link Info Screen ........................................................................................................... 514.3.1 Trend Chart ................................................................................................................ 524.4 The Site Survey Screen ...................................................................................................... 534.4.1 Security Settings .......................................................................................................544.4.2 Summary Screen ....................................................................................................... 594.5 The Profile Screen ............................................................................................................... 594.5.1 Adding a New Profile .................................................................................................. 614.6 The Adapter Screen ............................................................................................................ 644.6.1 WPS: PBC (Push Button Configuration) .................................................................... 654.6.2 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN ............................................................................. 664.6.3 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router .......................................... 674.7 Security Settings in Windows Vista ..................................................................................... 674.7.1 Using PEAP in Vista ................................................................................................... 684.7.2 Using TLS in Vista ..................................................................................................... 69
Table of ContentsNWD-270N User’s Guide 11Chapter 5Maintenance ............................................................................................................................715.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 715.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 715.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 715.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 715.2 The About Screen ............................................................................................................... 725.3 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility .............................................................................................. 725.4 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility ................................................................................................73Part II: Troubleshooting and Specifications........................................ 75Chapter 6Troubleshooting......................................................................................................................776.1 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs .......................................................................... 776.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility ................................................................................................. 786.3 Link Quality .......................................................................................................................... 786.4 Problems Communicating with Other Computers ............................................................... 78Chapter 7Product Specifications...........................................................................................................81Part III: Appendices and Index.............................................................. 85Appendix A Wireless LANs ....................................................................................................87Appendix B Windows Wireless Management.......................................................................101Appendix C Legal Information ..............................................................................................123Appendix D Customer Support.............................................................................................127Index.......................................................................................................................................133
Table of ContentsNWD-270N User’s Guide12
List of FiguresNWD-270N User’s Guide 13List of FiguresFigure 1 The NWD-270N ........................................................................................................................ 22Figure 2 Application: Infrastructure ........................................................................................................ 23Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc ................................................................................................................. 24Figure 4 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon .............................................................................................. 24Figure 5 Enable WZC ............................................................................................................................. 25Figure 6 Infrastructure Network .............................................................................................................. 27Figure 7 Example WPS Process: PBC Method ...................................................................................... 29Figure 8 Example WPS Process: PIN Method .......................................................................................30Figure 9 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey ........................................................................................................ 31Figure 10 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings ............................................................................................. 32Figure 11 ZyXEL Utility: Summary .......................................................................................................... 32Figure 12 ZyXEL Utility: Link Info .......................................................................................................... 32Figure 13 ZyXEL Utility: Profile ............................................................................................................... 33Figure 14 ZyXEL Utility: Add New Profile ............................................................................................... 33Figure 15 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Security ................................................................................................. 34Figure 16 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Encryption ............................................................................................. 34Figure 17 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Summary .............................................................................................. 34Figure 18 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Activate ................................................................................................. 35Figure 19 Example of a Wireless Network ............................................................................................. 38Figure 20 Example WPS Process: PIN Method ..................................................................................... 43Figure 21 How WPS works ..................................................................................................................... 44Figure 22 WPS: Example Network Step 1 .............................................................................................. 45Figure 23 WPS: Example Network Step 2 .............................................................................................. 45Figure 24 WPS: Example Network Step 3 .............................................................................................. 46Figure 25 ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary ............................................................................................... 50Figure 26 Link Info ................................................................................................................................. 51Figure 27 Link Info: Trend Chart ............................................................................................................ 52Figure 28 Site Survey ............................................................................................................................ 53Figure 29 Security Setting Selection .................................................................................................... 54Figure 30 Security Setting: WEP .......................................................................................................... 54Figure 31 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK ................................................................................. 56Figure 32 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2 ................................................................................................ 56Figure 33 Security Setting: 802.1x ........................................................................................................ 58Figure 34 Summary Screen ................................................................................................................... 59Figure 35 Profile ................................................................................................................................... 60Figure 36 Profile: Add a New Profile ..................................................................................................... 61Figure 37 Profile: Wireless Settings ...................................................................................................... 62Figure 38 Profile: Wireless Settings ...................................................................................................... 63
List of FiguresNWD-270N User’s Guide14Figure 39 Profile: Security Settings ....................................................................................................... 63Figure 40 Profile: Confirm New Settings ............................................................................................... 63Figure 41 Profile: Activate the Profile .................................................................................................... 64Figure 42 Adapter .................................................................................................................................. 64Figure 43 WPS: PBC (Push Button Configuration) ................................................................................ 65Figure 44 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN ......................................................................................... 66Figure 45 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router ...................................................... 67Figure 46 Vista Security: Additional Information Required ..................................................................... 68Figure 47 Vista Security: Enter Credentials ............................................................................................ 68Figure 48 Vista Security: Additional Information Required ..................................................................... 69Figure 49 Vista Security: Select Certificate ............................................................................................ 69Figure 50 About ..................................................................................................................................... 72Figure 51 Uninstall: Confirm ................................................................................................................. 72Figure 52 Uninstall: Finish ..................................................................................................................... 73Figure 53 Peer-to-Peer Communication in an Ad-hoc Network ............................................................. 87Figure 54 Basic Service Set ................................................................................................................... 88Figure 55 Infrastructure WLAN ............................................................................................................... 89Figure 56 RTS/CTS ............................................................................................................................... 90Figure 57 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example ........................................................................... 97Figure 58 WPA(2)-PSK Authentication ................................................................................................... 98Figure 59 Vista: Start Menu .................................................................................................................. 101Figure 60 Vista: The Connect To Window ............................................................................................ 102Figure 61 Vista: Additional Information ................................................................................................. 102Figure 62 Vista: Enter Security Key ...................................................................................................... 103Figure 63 Vista: Connecting ................................................................................................................. 103Figure 64 Vista: Successful Connection ............................................................................................... 104Figure 65 Vista: Choose a Connection Option ..................................................................................... 105Figure 66 Vista: Connect Manually ....................................................................................................... 105Figure 67 Vista: Successfully Added Network ...................................................................................... 106Figure 68 Vista: Set Up An Ad-hoc Network ......................................................................................... 107Figure 69 Vista: Ad-hoc Options .......................................................................................................... 107Figure 70 Vista: Ad-hoc Network Ready .............................................................................................. 108Figure 71 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status ..................................................... 109Figure 72 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status ..................................................... 109Figure 73 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................................................110Figure 74 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................................................110Figure 75 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not Available ..................................................................................111Figure 76 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon ....................................................................................111Figure 77 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status ......................................................112Figure 78 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status ......................................................112Figure 79 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection .................................................................113Figure 80 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................................................114Figure 81 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: WEP or WPA-PSK .................................114
List of FiguresNWD-270N User’s Guide 15Figure 82 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security ...........................................115Figure 83 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association .....................................................115Figure 84 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication ................................................117Figure 85 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties ...............................................................................118Figure 86 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties ......................................................119Figure 87 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks ................................................ 120Figure 88 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks ................................................ 120
List of FiguresNWD-270N User’s Guide16
List of TablesNWD-270N User’s Guide 17List of TablesTable 1 NWD-270N External View ......................................................................................................... 22Table 2 NWD-270N LEDs ...................................................................................................................... 22Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon ................................................................................................ 25Table 4 ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary ................................................................................................... 50Table 5 Link Info .................................................................................................................................... 51Table 6 Link Info: Trend Chart ............................................................................................................... 52Table 7 Site Survey ................................................................................................................................ 53Table 8 Security Setting: WEP ............................................................................................................... 54Table 9 Security Setting: WEP ............................................................................................................... 55Table 10 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK ................................................................................. 56Table 11 Security Setting: WPA/WPA2 .................................................................................................. 57Table 12 Security Settings: IEEE 802.1x ............................................................................................... 58Table 13 Summary Screen .................................................................................................................... 59Table 14 Profile ...................................................................................................................................... 60Table 15 Profile: Add a New Profile ....................................................................................................... 61Table 16 Profile: Wireless Settings ........................................................................................................ 62Table 17 Adapter ................................................................................................................................... 64Table 18 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN .......................................................................................... 66Table 19 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router ...................................................... 67Table 20 About ....................................................................................................................................... 72Table 21 Product Specifications ............................................................................................................. 81Table 22 IEEE 802.11g .......................................................................................................................... 91Table 23 Wireless Security Levels ......................................................................................................... 92Table 24 Comparison of EAP Authentication Types .............................................................................. 95Table 25 Wireless Security Relational Matrix ........................................................................................ 98Table 26 Vista: Connect Manually ....................................................................................................... 105Table 27 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon ..................................................................................... 111Table 28 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection ..................................................................113Table 29 Windows XP: Wireless Networks ...........................................................................................115Table 30 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association .....................................................116Table 31 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication .................................................117Table 32 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties ................................................................................118Table 33 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties ......................................................119
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19PART IIntroduction and ConfigurationGetting Started (21)Tutorial (27)Wireless LANs (37)ZyXEL Utility - Windows (49)Maintenance (71)
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NWD-270N User’s Guide 21CHAPTER 1 Getting Started1.1 OverviewThe ZyXEL NWD-270N Wireless N-lite USB Adapter adapter brings you a better Internet experience over existing 802.11 networks. With data rates of up to 150 Mbps, you can enjoy a breathtaking high-speed connection at home or in the office. It is an excellent solution for daily activities such as file transfers, music downloading, video streaming and online gaming.This section includes:• About Your NWD-270N on page 22• Application Overview on page 23• Hardware and Utility Installation on page 24• Configuration Methods on page 251.1.1 What You Need to KnowThe following terms and concepts may help as you read through this section, and subsequently as you read through the rest of the User’s Guide.Access PointAn Access Point (AP) is a network device that acts as a bridge between a wired and a wireless network. Outside of the home or office, APs can most often be found in coffee shops, bookstores and other businesses that offer wireless Internet connectivity to their customers.InfrastructureAn infrastructure network is one that seamlessly combines both wireless and wired components. One or more APs often serve as the bridge between wireless and wired LANs.Ad-HocAn Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is a self-contained group of computers connected wirelessly and which is independent of any other networks and Access Points.1.1.2 Before You Begin• Read the Quick Start Guide for information on making hardware connections and using the ZyXEL utility to connect your NWD-270N to a network.
Chapter 1 Getting StartedNWD-270N User’s Guide221.2 About Your NWD-270N Your NWD-270N is an IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 compliant wireless LAN adapter. It can also connect to IEEE 802.11b/g wireless networks. The NWD-270N is WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) compliant. WPS allows you to easily connect to another WPS-enabled device. The NWD-270N is a USB adapter which connects to an empty USB port on your computer.See your NWD-270N’s Quick Start Guide for installation instructions, and see the section on product specifications in this User’s Guide for detailed information.1.2.1 HardwareThis section describes the NWD-270N’s physical appearance.Figure 1 The NWD-270NThe following table describes the NWD-270N.The following table describes the operation of the NWD-270N’s LEDs.Table 1 NWD-270N External ViewLABEL DESCRIPTIONA WPS buttonBLEDC USB connectorD USB connector capTable 2 NWD-270N LEDsLED COLOR STATUS DESCRIPTIONGreen Slow Blinking The NWD-270N is turned on, connected to an AP, and is not transmitting or receiving data.Rapid Blinking The NWD-270N is turned on, connected to an AP, and is transmitting or receiving data. It also blinks when the WPS feature is being used or a WPS connection is being initiated.Off The NWD-270N is turned off.
Chapter 1 Getting StartedNWD-270N User’s Guide 231.3 Application OverviewThis section describes some network applications for the NWD-270N. You can either set the network type to Infrastructure and connect to an AP or use Ad-Hoc mode and connect to a peer computer (another wireless device in Ad-Hoc mode).1.3.1 Infrastructure To connect to a network via an access point (AP), set the NWD-270N network type to Infrastructure (see Chapter 4 on page 59). Through the AP, you can access the Internet or the wired network behind the AP. Figure 2 Application: Infrastructure 1.3.2 Ad-Hoc To set up a small independent wireless workgroup without an AP, use Ad-Hoc (see Chapter 4 on page 59).Ad-Hoc does not require an AP or a wired network. Two or more wireless clients communicate directly with each other."Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is not available in ad-hoc mode.
Chapter 1 Getting StartedNWD-270N User’s Guide24Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc 1.4 Hardware and Utility InstallationFollow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide to install the ZyXEL utility and make hardware connections.1.4.1 ZyXEL Utility IconAfter you install and start the ZyXEL utility, an icon for the ZyXEL utility appears in the system tray."The ZyXEL utility system tray icon displays only when the NWD-270N is installed properly."When you use the ZyXEL utility, it automatically disables Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) in Windows XP.Figure 4 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon
Chapter 1 Getting StartedNWD-270N User’s Guide 25The color of the ZyXEL utility system tray icon indicates the status of the NWD-270N. Refer to the following table for details. 1.5 Configuration Methods To configure your NWD-270N, use one of the following applications:• Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC, the Windows XP wireless configuration tool) or WLAN AutoConfig (the Windows Vista wireless configuration tool).• The ZyXEL utility. "Do NOT use Windows XP’s Wireless Zero Configuration tool at the same time you use the ZyXEL utility.1.5.1 Enabling Windows Wireless Configuration "When you use the ZyXEL utility, it automatically disables Windows XP’s wireless configuration tool. If you want to use the Windows XP wireless configuration tool to configure the NWD-270N, you need to disable the ZyXEL utility. Right-click the utility icon ( ) in the system tray and select Exit. Figure 5 Enable WZCRefer to the appendices for information on how to use the Windows wireless configuration tool to manage the NWD-270N.To reactivate the ZyXEL utility, double-click the ( ) icon on your desktop or click Start > (All) Programs > ZyXEL Wireless N-lite USB Adapter > ZyXEL Wireless N USB Adapter Utility.Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon COLOR DESCRIPTIONRed The NWD-270N is not connected to a wireless network.Green The NWD-270N is connected to a wireless network.
Chapter 1 Getting StartedNWD-270N User’s Guide261.5.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility 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 XP are shown in this User’s Guide. "Click the icon (located in the top right corner) to display the online help window.
NWD-270N User’s Guide 27CHAPTER 2 Tutorial2.1 OverviewThis tutorial shows you how to join a wireless infrastructure network using the ZyXEL utility. The wireless client is labeled C and the Access Point is labeled AP.Figure 6 Infrastructure Network2.1.1 What You Can Do in This Tutorial• Connect securely either to an infrastructure AP using the WPS protocol. See Section 2.2 on page 28 for details.• Connect securely to an infrastructure AP using many of the strongest and most common encryption protocols. See Section 2.3 on page 31 for details.• Save a your settings so that you can later connect again to an infrastructure AP with a single click. See Section 2.3.2 on page 33 for details.2.1.2 What You Need to KnowThe following term may help as you read through this section.WPSWi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is a security protocol that lets two or more devices connect securely to one another with a minimum amount of hassle on your part. It most cases, establishing a secure connection with another WPS device is as easy as pushing a button.2.1.3 Before You Begin• Make sure that you have already familiarized yourself with the NWD-270N’s features and hardware, as described in Chapter 1 on page 21.• You should have valid login information for an existing network Access Point, otherwise you may not be able to make a network connection right away.
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide282.2 Connecting to an AP using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)This section gives you an example of how to set up your wireless network using WPS. This example uses the NWD-270N as the wireless client, and ZyXEL’s NBG334W as the Access Point (AP). "The Access Point must be a WPS-aware device.There are two WPS methods for creating a secure connection. This tutorial shows you both.•Push Button Configuration (PBC) - create a secure wireless network simply by pressing a button. See Section 2.2.1 on page 28.This is the easier method.•PIN Configuration - create a secure wireless network simply by entering a wireless client's PIN (Personal Identification Number) in the NWD-270N’s interface. See Section 2.2.2 on page 29. This is the more secure method, since one device can authenticate the other.2.2.1 Push Button Configuration (PBC)1Make sure that your access point is turned on and that it is within range of the computer with the NWD-270N installed. 2Make sure that you have installed the NWD-270N’s driver and utility on your computer.3In the NWD-270N’s utility, click the Adapter tab, enable WPS and select PBC (Push Button Configuration). In the screen that appears, click Start. 4Log into the AP’s web configurator and locate its WPS settings section. On the NBG334W, press the Push Button button in the Network > Wireless Client > WPS Station screen. "It doesn’t matter which button is pressed first. You must press the second button within two minutes of pressing the first one. The AP sends the proper configuration settings to the NWD-270N. This may take up to two minutes. Then the NWD-270N is able to communicate with the AP securely. The following figure shows you an example to set up wireless network and security by pressing a button on both the AP (the NBG334W in this example) and the NWD-270N.
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide 29Figure 7 Example WPS Process: PBC Method2.2.2 PIN ConfigurationWhen you use the PIN configuration method, you need to use both the NWD-270N’s utility and the AP’s configuration interface.1In the NWD-270N’s Adaptor tab, select WPS and PIN - Use this Device’s PIN. Note down the PIN in the screen that appears. 2Enter the PIN number in the AP’s configuration interface. In the NBG334W, use the PIN field in the Network > Wireless LAN > WPS Station screen. 3Click the Start buttons on both the NWD-270N utility screen and the AP’s configuration utility (the WPS Station screen on the NBG334W) within two minutes. The NBG334W authenticates the wireless client and sends the proper configuration settings to the wireless client. This may take up to two minutes. Then the wireless client is able to communicate with the NBG334W securely. The following figure shows you the example of configuring the wireless network and security on the NWD-270N and the AP (ZyXEL’s NBG334W in this example) by using the PIN method. You APSECURITY INFOCOMMUNICATIONWITHIN 2 MINUTES
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide30Figure 8 Example WPS Process: PIN MethodAuthentication by PINSECURITY INFOWITHIN 2 MINUTESCOMMUNICATIONYou AP
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide 312.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPSThere are three ways to connect the wireless client (the NWD-270N) to a network without using WPS.• Configure nothing and leave the wireless client to automatically scan for and connect to any available network that has no wireless security configured.• Manually connect to a network (see Section 2.3.1 on page 31).• Configure a profile to have the wireless client automatically connect to a specific network or peer computer (see Section 2.3.2 on page 33). 2.3.1 Manually Connecting to a Wireless LAN This example illustrates how to manually connect your wireless client to an access point (AP) configured for WPA-PSK security and connected to the Internet. Before you connect to the access point, you must know its Service Set IDentity (SSID) and WPA-PSK pre-shared key. In this example, the AP’s SSID is “SSID_Example3” and its pre-shared key is “ThisismyWPA-PSKpre-sharedkey”. After you install the ZyXEL utility and then insert the wireless client, follow the steps below to connect to a network using the Site Survey screen. 1Open the ZyXEL utility and click the Site Survey tab to open the screen shown next.Figure 9 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey2The wireless client automatically searches for available wireless networks. Click Scan if you want to search again. If no entry displays in the Available Network List, that means there is no wireless network available within range. Make sure the AP or peer computer is turned on, or move the wireless client closer to the AP or peer computer. See Table 4.4 on page 53 for detailed field descriptions.3To connect to an AP or peer computer, either click an entry in the list and then click Connect or double-click an entry (SSID_Example3 in this example). 4When you try to connect to an AP with security configured, a window will pop up prompting you to specify the security settings. Enter the pre-shared key and leave the encryption type at the default setting.Use the Next button to move on to the next screen. You can use the Back button at any time to return to the previous screen, or the Exit button to return to the Site Survey screen.
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide32Figure 10 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings 5The Summary window appears. Check your settings and click Save to continue.Figure 11 ZyXEL Utility: Summary6The ZyXEL utility returns to the Link Info screen while it connects to the wireless network using your settings. When the wireless link is established, the ZyXEL utility icon in the system tray turns green and the Link Info screen displays details of the active connection. Check the network information in the Link Info screen to verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network. If the wireless client is not connected to a network, the fields in this screen remain blank. See Table 4.3 on page 51 for detailed field descriptions.Figure 12 ZyXEL Utility: Link Info 7Open your Internet browser and enter http://www.zyxel.com or the URL of any other web site in the address bar. If you are able to access the web site, your wireless connection is successfully configured. If you cannot access the web site, check the
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide 33Troubleshooting section of this User's Guide or contact your network administrator if necessary.2.3.2 Creating and Using a ProfileA profile lets you automatically connect to the same wireless network every time you use the ZyXEL utility. You can also configure different profiles for different networks, for example if you connect a notebook computer to wireless networks at home and at work.This example illustrates how to set up a profile and connect the wireless client to an access point configured for WPA-PSK security. In this example, the AP’s SSID is “SSID_Example3” and its pre-shared key is “ThisismyWPA-PSKpre-sharedkey”. You have chosen the profile name “PN_Example3”.1Open the ZyXEL utility and click the Profile tab to open the screen as shown. Click Add to configure a new profile.Figure 13 ZyXEL Utility: Profile2The Add New Profile screen appears. The wireless client automatically searches for available wireless networks, which are displayed in the Scan Info box. You can also configure your profile for a wireless network that is not in the list. Figure 14 ZyXEL Utility: Add New Profile3Give the profile a descriptive name (of up to 32 printable ASCII characters). Select Infrastructure and either manually enter or select the AP's SSID in the Scan Info table and click Select.4Choose the same encryption method as the AP to which you want to connect (In this example, WPA-PSK).
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide34Figure 15 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Security5This screen varies depending on the encryption method you selected in the previous screen. In this example, enter the pre-shared key and leave the encryption type at the default setting.Figure 16 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Encryption6Verify the profile settings in the ready-only screen. Click Save to save and go to the next screen. Figure 17 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Summary7Click Activate Now to use the new profile immediately. Otherwise, click the Activate Later button to go back to the Profile List screen. If you clicked Activate Later you can select the profile from the list in the Profile screen and click Connect to activate it.
Chapter 2 TutorialNWD-270N User’s Guide 35"Only one profile can be activated and used at any given time.Figure 18 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Activate8When you activate the new profile, the ZyXEL utility goes to the Link Info screen while it connects to the AP using your settings. When the wireless link is established, the ZyXEL utility icon in the system tray turns green and the Link Info screen displays details of the active connection. 9Make sure the selected AP in the active profile is on and connected to the Internet. Open your Internet browser, enter http://www.zyxel.com or the URL of any other web site in the address bar and press ENTER. If you are able to access the web site, your new profile is successfully configured.10 If you cannot access the Internet, go back to the Profile screen. Select the profile you are using and click Edit. Check the details you entered previously. Also, refer to the Troubleshooting section of this User's Guide or contact your network administrator if necessary.
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NWD-270N User’s Guide 37CHAPTER 3 Wireless LANs3.1 OverviewThis section provides background information on wireless Local Area Networks.3.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section• Connect securely to an AP using many of the strongest and most common encryption protocols. See Section 3.3 on page 39 for details.• Connect securely either to an AP or computer-to-computer using WPS. See Section 3.4 on page 41 for details.3.1.2 What You Need to KnowThe following terms and concepts may help as you read through this section.ServerWhen two or more devices are connected digitally to form a network, the one that distributes data to the other devices is known as the “server”. A RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) is a kind of server that manages logins and logout, among other things, for the network to which it is connected.ClientWhen two or more devices are connected digitally to form a network, the one that contacts and obtains data from a server is known as the “client”. Each client is designed to work with one or more specific kinds of servers, and each server requires a specific kind of client. Wireless adapters are clients that connect to a network server through an AP.AuthenticationAuthentication is the process of confirming a client’s or user’s digital identity when they connect to a network. Turning off authentication means disabling all security protocols and opening your network to anyone with the means to connect to it.EncryptionThe process of taking data and encoding it, usually using a mathematical formula, so that it becomes unreadable unless decrypted with the proper code or pass phrase.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide383.1.3 Before You Begin• You should have valid login information for an existing network Access Point, otherwise you may not be able to make a network connection right away.3.2 Wireless LAN Overview The following figure provides an example of a wireless network with an AP. See Figure 3 on page 24 for an Ad Hoc network example.Figure 19 Example of a Wireless NetworkThe wireless network is the part in the blue circle. In this wireless network, devices A and B are called wireless clients. The wireless clients use the access point (AP) to interact with other devices (such as the printer) or with the InternetEvery wireless network must follow these basic guidelines.• Every device in the same wireless network must use the same SSID.The SSID is the name of the wireless network. It stands for Service Set IDentity.• If two wireless networks overlap, they should use a different channel.Like radio stations or television channels, each wireless network uses a specific channel, or frequency, to send and receive information.• Every device in the same wireless network must use security compatible with the AP or peer computer.Security stops unauthorized devices from using the wireless network. It can also protect the information that is sent in the wireless network.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 393.3 Wireless LAN Security Wireless LAN security is vital to your network to protect wireless communications.If you do not enable any wireless security on your NWD-270N, the NWD-270N’s wireless communications are accessible to any wireless networking device that is in the coverage area. "You can use only WEP encryption if you set the NWD-270N to Ad-hoc mode.See the appendices for more detailed information about wireless security.3.3.1 User Authentication and EncryptionYou can make every user log in to the wireless network before they can use it. This is called user authentication. However, every wireless client in the wireless network has to support IEEE 802.1x to do this.Wireless networks can use encryption to protect the information that is sent in the wireless network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot understand the message.3.3.1.1 WEP3.3.1.1.1 Data Encryption WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption scrambles all data packets transmitted between the NWD-270N 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 NWD-270N.• 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 Settings 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 NWD-270N allows you to configure up to four 64-bit or 128-bit WEP keys. Only one key is used as the default key at any one time.3.3.1.1.2 Authentication Type The IEEE 802.11b/g standard describes a simple authentication method between the wireless stations and AP. Three authentication types are defined: Auto, Open and Shared.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide40• Open mode is implemented for ease-of-use and when security is not an issue. The wireless station and the AP or peer computer do not share a secret key. Thus the wireless stations can associate with any AP or peer computer and listen to any transmitted data that is not encrypted.• Shared mode involves a shared secret key to authenticate the wireless station to the AP or peer computer. This requires you to enable the wireless LAN security and use same settings on both the wireless station and the AP or peer computer.• Auto authentication mode allows the NWD-270N to switch between the open system and shared key modes automatically. Use the auto mode if you do not know the authentication mode of the other wireless stations.3.3.1.2 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.3.3.1.2.1 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 NWD-270N supports EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS (at the time of writing, TTLS is not available in Windows Vista) and EAP-PEAP. Refer to Appendix A on page 87 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). Certificates (also called digital IDs) can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of each certificate owner.3.3.1.3 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.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.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.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 41If 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 WPA2.3.4 WiFi Protected SetupYour NWD-270N supports WiFi Protected Setup (WPS), which is an easy way to set up a secure wireless network. WPS is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance.WPS allows you to quickly set up a wireless network with strong security, without having to configure security settings manually. Each WPS connection works between two devices. Both devices must support WPS (check each device’s documentation to make sure). Depending on the devices you have, you can either press a button (on the device itself, or in its configuration utility) or enter a PIN (a unique Personal Identification Number that allows one device to authenticate the other) in each of the two devices. When WPS is activated on a device, it has two minutes to find another device that also has WPS activated. Then, the two devices connect and set up a secure network by themselves.3.4.1 Push Button ConfigurationWPS Push Button Configuration (PBC) is initiated by pressing a button on each WPS-enabled device, and allowing them to connect automatically. You do not need to enter any information. Not every WPS-enabled device has a physical WPS button. Some may have a WPS PBC button in their configuration utilities instead of or in addition to the physical button.Take the following steps to set up WPS using the button.1Ensure that the two devices you want to set up are within wireless range of one another. 2Look for a WPS button on each device. If the device does not have one, log into its configuration utility and locate the button (see the device’s User’s Guide for how to do this - for the NWD-270N, see Section 4.6.1 on page 65).3Press the button on one of the devices (it doesn’t matter which).4Within two minutes, press the button on the other device. The registrar sends the network name (SSID) and security key through an secure connection to the enrollee.If you need to make sure that WPS worked, check the list of associated wireless clients in the AP’s configuration utility. If you see the wireless client in the list, WPS was successful.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide423.4.2 PIN ConfigurationEach WPS-enabled device has its own PIN (Personal Identification Number). This may either be static (it cannot be changed) or dynamic (in some devices you can generate a new PIN by clicking on a button in the configuration interface). Use the PIN method instead of the push-button configuration (PBC) method if you want to ensure that the connection is established between the devices you specify, not just the first two devices to activate WPS in range of each other. However, you need to log into the configuration interfaces of both devices to use the PIN method.When you use the PIN method, you must enter the PIN from one device (usually the wireless client) into the second device (usually the Access Point or wireless router). Then, when WPS is activated on the first device, it presents its PIN to the second device. If the PIN matches, one device sends the network and security information to the other, allowing it to join the network.Take the following steps to set up a WPS connection between an access point or wireless router (referred to here as the AP) and a client device using the PIN method.1Ensure WPS is enabled on both devices.2Access the WPS section of the AP’s configuration interface. See the device’s User’s Guide for how to do this. 3Look for the client’s WPS PIN; it will be displayed either on the device, or in the WPS section of the client’s configuration interface (see the device’s User’s Guide for how to find the WPS PIN - for the NWD-270N, see Section 4.6 on page 64).4Enter the client’s PIN in the AP’s configuration interface."If the client device’s configuration interface has an area for entering another device’s PIN, you can either enter the client’s PIN in the AP, or enter the AP’s PIN in the client - it does not matter which. 5Start WPS on both devices within two minutes. "Use the configuration utility to activate WPS, not the push-button on the device itself.6On a computer connected to the wireless client, try to connect to the Internet. If you can connect, WPS was successful.If you cannot connect, check the list of associated wireless clients in the AP’s configuration utility. If you see the wireless client in the list, WPS was successful.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 43The following figure shows a WPS-enabled wireless client (installed in a notebook computer) connecting to the WPS-enabled AP via the PIN method.Figure 20 Example WPS Process: PIN Method3.4.3 How WPS WorksWhen two WPS-enabled devices connect, each device must assume a specific role. One device acts as the registrar (the device that supplies network and security settings) and the other device acts as the enrollee (the device that receives network and security settings. The registrar creates a secure EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) tunnel and sends the network name (SSID) and the WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK pre-shared key to the enrollee. Whether WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK is used depends on the standards supported by the devices. If the registrar is already part of a network, it sends the existing information. If not, it generates the SSID and WPA(2)-PSK randomly.ENROLLEESECURE EAP TUNNELSSIDWPA(2)-PSKWITHIN 2 MINUTESCOMMUNICATIONThis device’s WPSEnter WPS PIN WPSfrom other device: WPS PIN: 123456WPSSTARTWPSSTARTREGISTRAR
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide44The following figure shows a WPS-enabled client (installed in a notebook computer) connecting to a WPS-enabled access point.Figure 21 How WPS worksThe roles of registrar and enrollee last only as long as the WPS setup process is active (two minutes). The next time you use WPS, a different device can be the registrar if necessary.The WPS connection process is like a handshake; only two devices participate in each WPS transaction. If you want to add more devices you should repeat the process with one of the existing networked devices and the new device.Note that the access point (AP) is not always the registrar, and the wireless client is not always the enrollee. All WPS-certified APs can be a registrar, and so can some WPS-enabled wireless clients.By default, a WPS devices is “unconfigured”. This means that it is not part of an existing network and can act as either enrollee or registrar (if it supports both functions). If the registrar is unconfigured, the security settings it transmits to the enrollee are randomly-generated. Once a WPS-enabled device has connected to another device using WPS, it becomes “configured”. A configured wireless client can still act as enrollee or registrar in subsequent WPS connections, but a configured access point can no longer act as enrollee. It will be the registrar in all subsequent WPS connections in which it is involved. If you want a configured AP to act as an enrollee, you must reset it to its factory defaults.SECURE TUNNELSECURITY INFOWITHIN 2 MINUTESCOMMUNICATIONACTIVATEWPSACTIVATEWPSWPS HANDSHAKEREGISTRARENROLLEE
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 453.4.3.1 Example WPS Network SetupThis section shows how security settings are distributed in an example WPS setup.The following figure shows an example network. In step 1, both AP1 and Client 1 are unconfigured. When WPS is activated on both, they perform the handshake. In this example, AP1 is the registrar, and Client 1 is the enrollee. The registrar randomly generates the security information to set up the network, since it is unconfigured and has no existing information.Figure 22 WPS: Example Network Step 1In step 2, you add another wireless client to the network. You know that Client 1 supports registrar mode, but it is better to use AP1 for the WPS handshake with the new client since you must connect to the access point anyway in order to use the network. In this case, AP1 must be the registrar, since it is configured (it already has security information for the network). AP1 supplies the existing security information to Client 2.Figure 23 WPS: Example Network Step 2REGISTRARENROLLEESECURITY INFOCLIENT 1 AP1REGISTRARCLIENT 1 AP1ENROLLEECLIENT 2EXISTING CONNECTIONSECURITY INFO
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide46In step 3, you add another access point (AP2) to your network. AP2 is out of range of AP1, so you cannot use AP1 for the WPS handshake with the new access point. However, you know that Client 2 supports the registrar function, so you use it to perform the WPS handshake instead.Figure 24 WPS: Example Network Step 33.4.4 Limitations of WPSWPS has some limitations of which you should be aware. • WPS works in Infrastructure networks only (where an AP and a wireless client communicate). It does not work in Ad-Hoc networks (where there is no AP).• When you use WPS, it works between two devices only. You cannot enroll multiple devices simultaneously, you must enroll one after the other. For instance, if you have two enrollees and one registrar you must set up the first enrollee (by pressing the WPS button on the registrar and the first enrollee, for example), then check that it successfully enrolled, then set up the second device in the same way.• WPS works only with other WPS-enabled devices. However, you can still add non-WPS devices to a network you already set up using WPS. WPS works by automatically issuing a randomly-generated WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK pre-shared key from the registrar device to the enrollee devices (see Section 4.4.1.3 on page 55 for information on pre-shared keys). Whether the network uses WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK depends on the device. You can check the configuration interface of the registrar device to discover the key the network is using (if the device supports this feature). Then, you can enter the key into the non-WPS device and join the network as normal (the non-WPS device must also support WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK).CLIENT 1 AP1REGISTRARCLIENT 2EXISTING CONNECTIONSECURITY INFOENROLLEEAP1EXISTING CONNECTION
Chapter 3 Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 47• When you use the PBC method, there is a short period (from the moment you press the button on one device to the moment you press the button on the other device) when any WPS-enabled device could join the network. This is because the registrar has no way of identifying the “correct” enrollee, and cannot differentiate between your enrollee and a rogue device. This is a possible way for a hacker to gain access to a network.You can easily check to see if this has happened. WPS works between only two devices simultaneously, so if another device has enrolled your device will be unable to enroll, and will not have access to the network. If this happens, open the access point’s configuration interface and look at the list of associated clients (usually displayed by MAC address). It does not matter if the access point is the WPS registrar, the enrollee, or was not involved in the WPS handshake; a rogue device must still associate with the access point to gain access to the network. Check the MAC addresses of your wireless clients (usually printed on a label on the bottom of the device). If there is an unknown MAC address you can remove it or reset the AP.
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NWD-270N User’s Guide 49CHAPTER 4 ZyXEL Utility4.1 OverviewThis section shows you how to configure your NWD-270N using the ZyXEL utility in Windows."Some features available in Windows XP or Windows 2000 are not available in Windows Vista.4.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section•On the Link Info screen, you can see your current connection details, monitor signal strength and quality, and more. See Section 4.3 on page 51 for details.•On the Site Survey screen, you can connect to any available unsecured wireless network in range of the NWD-270N, or open the security settings screen for any secured wireless network in range. See Section 4.4 on page 53 for details.\•On the Profile screen, you can create, delete and manage your wireless network profiles. See Section 4.5 on page 59 for details.•On the Adapter screen, you can configure the NWD-270N hardware, such as activating WPS mode or its power saving feature. See Section 4.6 on page 64 for details.4.1.2 What You Need to KnowThe following terms and concepts may help as you read through this section.Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encrypts data transmitted between wired and wireless networks to keep the transmission private. Although one of the original wireless encryption protocols, WEP is also the weakest. Many people use it strictly to deter unintentional usage of their wireless network by outsiders.Wi-fi Protected Access (WPA)Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a subset of the IEEE 802.11i standard. It improves data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP) to offer stronger
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide50encryption than TKIP. WPA applies IEEE 802.1x and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to authenticate wireless clients using an external RADIUS database. The WPA protocol affords users with vastly stronger security than the WEP protocol. It comes in two different varieties: WPA and WPA2. Always try to use WPA2 as it implements the full version of the security standard while WPA does not.Pre-Shared Key (PSK)A pre-shared key is a password shared between the server and the client that unlocks the algorithm used to encrypt the data traffic between them. Without the proper password, the client and the server cannot communicate.Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)An enhanced security framework designed to improve an existing security protocol, such as WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK.4.1.3 Before You Begin• Make sure the ZyXEL utility is already installed. See the Quick Start Guide for more.4.2 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary This section describes the ZyXEL utility screens. Figure 25 ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary The following table describes the menus. Table 4 ZyXEL Utility Menu SummaryTAB DESCRIPTIONLink 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 preamble type, enable power saving and use WiFi Protected Setup (WPS).
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 514.3 The Link Info Screen When the ZyXEL utility starts, the Link Info screen displays, showing the current configuration and connection status of your NWD-270N.Figure 26 Link Info The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 5 Link Info LABEL DESCRIPTIONWireless Network StatusProfile Name This is the name of the profile you are currently using.Network Name (SSID) The SSID identifies the wireless network to which a wireless station is associated. This field displays the name of the wireless device to which the NWD-270N is associated.AP MAC Address This field displays the MAC address of the AP or peer computer to which the NWD-270N is associated.Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad-Hoc) of the wireless network.Transmission Speed This field displays the current transmission speed of the NWD-270N in megabits per second (Mbps).Receive Speed This field displays the current receive speed of the NWD-270N in megabits per second (Mbps).Security This field displays whether data encryption is activated (WEP / 802.1x / WPA /WPA-PSK / WPA2 / WPA2-PSK) or inactive (DISABLE).Channel This field displays the radio channel the NWD-270N is currently using.StatisticsTransmit 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 NWD-270N.Network Mode This field displays the wireless standard used by the selected wireless device. It shows B for 802.11b, G for 802.11g or N for 802.11n. Total Transmit This field displays the total number of data frames transmitted.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide524.3.1 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 27 Link Info: Trend Chart The following table describes the labels in this screen. Total Receive This field displays the total number of data frames received.Link Quality This field displays the signal strength of the NWD-270N.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. The signal strength mainly depends on the antenna output power and the distance between your NWD-270N and the AP or peer computer.Link Quality The status bar shows the quality of wireless connection. This refers to the percentage of packets transmitted successfully. If there are too many wireless stations in a wireless network, collisions may occur which could result in a loss of messages even though you have high signal strength.Table 5 Link Info (continued)LABEL DESCRIPTIONTable 6 Link Info: Trend Chart LABEL DESCRIPTIONTransmit This field displays the current data transmission rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).Receive This field displays the current data reception rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 534.4 The Site Survey Screen Use the Site Survey screen to scan for and connect to a wireless network automatically.Figure 28 Site Survey The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 7 Site Survey LABEL DESCRIPTIONAvailable Network List Click a column heading to sort the entries.,, ordenotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless security is activated.denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless security is deactivated.denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless security is activated.denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode but the wireless security is deactivated.SSID This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless device.Channel This field displays the channel number used by each wireless device.Signal This field displays the signal strength of each wireless device.Scan Click Scan to search for available wireless devices within transmission range.Connect Click Connect to associate to the selected wireless device.Site Information Click an entry in the Available Network List table to display the information of the selected wireless device.Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad Hoc) of the wireless device.Channel This field displays the channel number used by each wireless device.Security This field shows whether data encryption is activated (WEP, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK or 802.1x) or inactive (DISABLE).MAC address This field displays the MAC address of the wireless device.Surveyed at This field displays the time when the wireless device was scanned.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide544.4.1 Security Settings When you configure the NWD-270N to connect to a network with wireless security activated and the security settings are disabled on the NWD-270N, the screen varies according to the encryption method used by the selected network.4.4.1.1 Security Type SelectionWhen you choose to connect to a network that has security, you are presented with is a security selection screen. Choose the security of the network you are attempting to join.Figure 29 Security Setting Selection The following table describes the labels in this screen. 4.4.1.2 WEP EncryptionConfigure WEP security in this screen. Figure 30 Security Setting: WEP Table 8 Security Setting: WEP LABEL DESCRIPTIONSecurity Type Select the security type that matches the security setting of the network you’re trying to join. The options are: WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, and 802.1x.Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to another network.Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Security Settings screen that corresponds to the one you select here. Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 55The following table describes the labels in this screen. 4.4.1.3 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSKConfigure WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK security in this screen."The procedure to configure WPA or WPA2 is different in Windows Vista. See Section 4.7 on page 67 for information on setting up your NWD-270N to use WPA or WPA2 in Vista.Table 9 Security Setting: WEP LABEL DESCRIPTIONSecurity SettingsWEP Select 64 Bits or 128 Bits to activate WEP encryption and then fill in the related fields.Authentication Type Select an authentication method. Choices are Open and Shared.Refer to Section 3.3.1.1.2 on page 39 for more information.Pass Phrase Enter a passphrase of up to 32 case-sensitive printable characters. As you enter the passphrase, the NWD-270N automatically generates four different WEP keys and displays the first in the key field below. Refer to Section 3.3.1.1.1 on page 39 for more information.Transmit Key Select a default WEP key to use for data encryption. The key displays in the adjacent field.Key x (where x is a number between 1 and 4)Select this option if you want to manually enter the WEP keys. Enter the WEP key in the field provided.If you select 64 Bits in the WEP field.Enter either 10 hexadecimal digits in the range of “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” (for example, 11AA22BB33) for HEX key type.orEnter 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 typeorEnter 13 ASCII characters (case sensitive) ranging from “a-z”, “A-Z” and “0-9” (for example, MyKey12345678) 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 another network.Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Summary screen. Refer to Section 4.4.2 on page 59. Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide56Figure 31 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSKThe following table describes the labels in this screen. 4.4.1.4 WPA/WPA2The screen that displays when you select WPA or WPA2 differs, depending on the EAP Type you select (TLS, PEAP or TTLS).Figure 32 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2 Table 10 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSKLABEL DESCRIPTIONEncryption 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.Select the encryption type (TKIP or AES) for data encryption.Refer to Section 3.3.1.3 on page 40 for more information.Pre-Shared Key Type a pre-shared key (same as the AP or peer device) of between 8 and 63 case-sensitive ASCII characters (including spaces and symbols) or 64 hexadecimal characters.Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to another network.Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Summary screen. Refer to Section 4.4.2 on page 59. Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 57The following table describes the labels in this screen. 4.4.1.5 IEEE 802.1xConfigure IEEE 802.1x security with various authentication methods in this screen. "The procedure to configure 802.1x is different in Windows Vista. See Section 4.7 on page 67 for information on setting up your NWD-270N to use 802.1x in Vista.Table 11 Security Setting: WPA/WPA2LABEL DESCRIPTIONEncryption 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.Select the encryption type (TKIP or AES) for data encryption.Refer to Section 3.3.1.3 on page 40 for more information.EAP Type The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server or AP.Select an authentication method from the drop down list. Options are TLS, PEAP and TTLS (at the time of writing, TTLS is not available in Windows Vista).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 EAP Type field. Enter the password associated with the user name above. Certificate This field is only available when you select TLS in the EAP Type field. Click Browse to select a certificate.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.PEAP Inner EAP This field is only available when you select PEAP in the EAP Type field.The PEAP method used by the RADIUS server or AP for client authentication is MS CHAP v2.TTLS Protocol This field is available only when you select TTLS in the EAP Type field. Select a TTLS protocol that the RADIUS server uses. Options are CHAP, MS-CHAP, MS-CHAP-V2 and PAP.Note: This feature is not available on Windows Vista.Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to another network.Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Summary screen. Refer to Section 4.4.2 on page 59.Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide58Figure 33 Security Setting: 802.1x The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 12 Security Settings: IEEE 802.1xLABEL DESCRIPTIONEncryption Type Select WEP if the access point is configured to use 802.1x with WEP encryption. A dynamic WEP key is generated automatically.Otherwise, select None (at the time of writing, this is not available in Windows Vista).EAP Type The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server or AP.Select an authentication method from the drop down list. Options are TLS, PEAP and TTLS (at the time of writing, TTLS is not available in Windows Vista).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 EAP Type field. Enter the password associated with the user name above. Certificate This field is only available when you select TLS in the EAP Type field. Click Browse to select a certificate.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.TTLS Protocol This field is available only when you select TTLS in the EAP Type field. Select a TTLS protocol that the RADIUS server uses. Options are CHAP, MS-CHAP, MS-CHAP-V2 and PAP.Note: This feature is not available on Windows Vista.PEAP Inner EAP This field is only available when you select PEAP in the EAP Type field.The PEAP method used by the RADIUS server or AP for client authentication is MS CHAP v2.Back Click Back to go to the Site Survey screen to select and connect to another network.Next Click Next to confirm your selections and advance to the Summary screen. Refer to Section 4.4.2 on page 59.Exit Click Exit to return to the Site Survey screen without saving.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 594.4.2 Summary ScreenUse this screen to confirm and save the security settings. Figure 34 Summary Screen The following table describes the labels in this screen. 4.5 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 NWD-270N, 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 NWD-270N cannot connect to a network.If you do not configure and activate a profile, each time you start the NWD-270N, the NWD-270N uses the default profile to connect to any available network that has no security enabled. The default profile is a profile that allows you to connect to any SSID that has no security enabled. Click the Profile tab in the ZyXEL utility program to display the Profile screen as shown next.The profile function allows you to save the wireless network settings in this screen, or use one of the pre-configured network profiles.Table 13 Summary ScreenLABEL DESCRIPTIONNetwork Name (SSID) 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, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK, 802.1x) or inactive (DISABLE).Back Click Back to return to the previous screen.Save Click Save to save the changes back to the NWD-270N and display the Link Info screen. Exit Click Exit to discard changes and return to the Site Survey screen.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide60Figure 35 Profile The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 14 Profile LABEL DESCRIPTIONProfile List Click a column heading to sort the entries.,, ordenotes 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 and activate 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 detailed 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 network’s Service Set IDentity (the name of the network).Channel This field displays the channel number used by the profile.Security This field shows whether data encryption is activated (WEP, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK or 802.1x) or inactive (DISABLE).Transmit Rate This field displays the transmission speed of the selected profile in megabits per second (Mbps).
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 614.5.1 Adding a New ProfileFollow the steps below to add a new profile.1Click Add in the Profile screen. An Add New Profile screen displays as shown next. Figure 36 Profile: Add a New Profile The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 15 Profile: Add a New Profile LABEL DESCRIPTIONAdd New ProfileProfile 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 NWD-270N associate to any AP or roam between any infrastructure wireless networks.Network Type Select Infrastructure to associate to an AP. Select Ad-Hoc 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.,, ordenotes 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 AP or peer device.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide622If 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 Wireless Mode and click Next to continue."To associate to an ad-hoc network, you must use the same channel as the peer computer.Figure 37 Profile: Wireless Settings The following table describes the labels in this screen. 3If you selected 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 selected Ad-Hoc network type in the first screen, you can use only WEP encryption method. Otherwise, select DISABLE to allow the NWD-270N to communicate with the access points or other peer wireless computers without any data encryption, and skip to step 5.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 NWD-270N associates to the selected wireless network only.Table 15 Profile: Add a New Profile (continued)LABEL DESCRIPTIONTable 16 Profile: Wireless Settings LABEL DESCRIPTIONWireless SettingsChannel 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.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 63Figure 38 Profile: Wireless Settings 4The screen varies depending on the encryption method you select in the previous screen. The settings must be exactly the same on the AP or other peer wireless computers as they are on the NWD-270N. Refer to Section 4.4.1 on page 54 for detailed information on wireless security configuration.Figure 39 Profile: Security Settings 5This read-only screen shows a summary of the new profile settings. Verify that the settings are correct. Click Save to save and go to the next screen. Click Back to return to the previous screen. Otherwise, click Exit to go back to the Profile screen without saving.Figure 40 Profile: Confirm New Settings
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide646To use this network profile, click the Activate Now button. Otherwise, click the Activate Later button. You can activate only one profile at a time. "Once you activate a profile, the ZyXEL utility will use that profile the next time it is started.Figure 41 Profile: Activate the Profile 4.6 The Adapter Screen To set the other advanced features on the NWD-270N, click the Adapter tab. Figure 42 Adapter The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 17 Adapter LABEL DESCRIPTIONAdapter SettingPower Saving Mode Select Fast Power Save to save power. This forces the NWD-270N to go to sleep mode when it is not transmitting data.When you select Continuous Access Mode, the NWD-270N will never go to sleep mode.At the time of writing, this field is not available in Windows Vista.WMM QoS Select this to enable Wi-fi MultiMedia Quality of Service on the NWD-270N.At the time of writing, this field is not available in Windows Vista.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 654.6.1 WPS: PBC (Push Button Configuration) This screen allows you to use the WPS Push Button Configuration mode. See Section 3.4.1 on page 41 for more information. Select WPS and PBC (Push Button Configuration) in the Adapter screen. The following screen displays.Figure 43 WPS: PBC (Push Button Configuration)Press Start when you want to begin the WPS process. You must also press the button on the other device within two minutes.WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) Select this to enable Wi-fi Protected Setup on the NWD-270N.PBC (Push Button Configuration)Select this to use the PBC (Push-Button Configuration) WPS mode. When you use the PBC mode you do not use a PIN. When you select this, the PBC (Push Button Configuration screen appears (see Section 4.6.1 on page 65).PIN - Use This Device’s PIN Select this to use the PIN (Personal Identification Number) WPS mode. Use this option when you want to enter the NWD-270N’s PIN in another WPS-enabled device.When you select this, the PIN - Use this Device’s PIN screen appears (see Section 4.6.2 on page 66).PIN - Use the PIN From the AP or Wireless RouterSelect this to use the PIN (Personal Identification Number) WPS mode. Use this option when you want to enter the PIN from another WPS-enabled device in the NWD-270N.When you select this, the PIN - Use the PIN From the AP or Wireless Router screen appears (see Section 4.6.3 on page 67).Save Click Save to save the changes to the NWD-270N and return to the Link Info screen.Table 17 Adapter (continued)LABEL DESCRIPTION
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide664.6.2 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PINThis screen allows you to use the WPS Personal Identification Number mode, by entering the NWD-270N’s unique PIN in the configuration utility of the other WPS-enabled device. See Section 3.4.2 on page 42 for more information. Select WPS and PIN - Use this Device’s PIN in the Adapter screen. The following screen displays.Figure 44 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PINThe following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 18 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PINLABEL DESCRIPTIONThis device’s PIN This is the NWD-270N’s Personal Identification Number (PIN). This field is read-only. Enter the number that displays in this field into the configuration interface of the other WPS-enabled device.Note: Each time this screen displays, the PIN is different. The PIN is valid for only one WPS transaction.Start Click this to start WPS. You must start WPS on the other WPS-enabled device within two minutes.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 674.6.3 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless RouterThis screen allows you to use the WPS Personal Identification Number mode, by entering the PIN from another WPS-enabled device into the NWD-270N’s utility. See Section 3.4.2 on page 42 for more information. Select WPS and PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router in the Adapter screen. The following screen displays.Figure 45 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless RouterThe following table describes the labels in this screen. 4.7 Security Settings in Windows Vista When you use the NWD-270N in Windows Vista, the procedure for setting up WPA, WPA2 and 802.1x security settings is different from that of other operating systems (other security types are not affected).The procedures for setting up WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x in Vista are the same. However, the procedure differs depending on whether you use PEAP (Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption. Consult your network administrator if you are unsure which type of encryption to use. See Section 4.7.1 on page 68 to use PEAP, or see Section 4.7.2 on page 69 to use TLS."TTLS (Tunneled TLS) is not available when using Windows Vista, at the time of writing.Table 19 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless RouterLABEL DESCRIPTIONAP or Router’s PIN Enter the PIN from your AP or wireless router in this field before you click Start.Start Click this to start WPS. You must start WPS on the other WPS-enabled device within two minutes.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide684.7.1 Using PEAP in VistaTake the following steps to set up WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security using PEAP in Windows Vista.1Either select the AP to which you want to connect in the Site Survey screen (see Section 4.4 on page 53), or configure a profile in the normal way (see Section 4.5 on page 59).2In the WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security screen (see Section 4.4.1.4 on page 56 and Section 4.4.1.5 on page 57), select PEAP as the EAP Type. Note that the Login Name and Password fields are greyed-out (not available).3Click Next.4In the Summary screen that appears, click Save.5A message similar to the following appears in the bottom-right of your screen. Click the message.Figure 46 Vista Security: Additional Information Required6The Enter Credentials screen displays. Enter your User name and Password for the network to which you want to connect.Figure 47 Vista Security: Enter Credentials"If you are not sure what to enter, contact your network administrator.7Click OK. The Enter Credentials screen disappears and the NWD-270N tries to connect to the network. The ZyXEL utility’s Link Info screen displays, showing the connection status (see Section 4.3 on page 51). If the Link Info screen displays an active connection, you have successfully completed the procedure.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL UtilityNWD-270N User’s Guide 694.7.2 Using TLS in Vista Take the following steps to set up WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security using TLS in Windows Vista.1Either select the AP to which you want to connect in the Site Survey screen (see Section 4.4 on page 53), or configure a profile (see Section 4.5 on page 59) in the normal way.2In the WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security screen, select TLS as the EAP Type. Note that the Login Name, Certificate and Validate Server Certificate fields are greyed-out (not available).3Click Next.4In the Summary screen, click Save.5A message similar to the following appears in the bottom-right of your screen. Click the message.Figure 48 Vista Security: Additional Information Required6The Select Certificate screen displays. Select the certificate you want to use in order to authenticate with the server, and enter your username.Figure 49 Vista Security: Select Certificate"If you do not have the right certificate, or are not sure which certificate you should use, contact your network administrator.7Click OK. The Select Certificate screen disappears and the NWD-270N tries to connect to the network. The ZyXEL utility’s Link Info screen displays, showing the connection status (see Section 4.3 on page 51). If the Link Info screen displays an active connection, you have successfully completed the procedure.
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NWD-270N User’s Guide 71CHAPTER 5 Maintenance5.1 OverviewThis section describes how to uninstall or upgrade the ZyXEL utility.5.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section• Learn which version of the ZyXEL utility and device driver you’re currently using. See Section 5.2 on page 72 for details.• Remove the ZyXEL utility from your computer. See Section 5.3 on page 72 for details.• Upgrade the ZyXEL utility. See Section 5.4 on page 73 for details.5.1.2 What You Need to KnowThe following term may help as you read through this section.Device driverA system file that lets other programs interact with a piece of hardware, or “device.” You should never try to locate and install or uninstall device drivers yourself since they are modifications to an operating system at the core (or “kernel”) level. Doing so could irreparably damage your installation.5.1.3 Before You Begin• Disconnect the NWD-270N if you are going to uninstall or upgrade the ZyXEL utility, save your work in any other open programs, and then close them.
Chapter 5 MaintenanceNWD-270N User’s Guide725.2 The About Screen The About screen displays driver and utility version numbers of the NWD-270N. To display the screen as shown below, click the About ( ) button.Figure 50 About The following table describes the read-only fields in this screen. 5.3 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility Follow the steps below to remove (or uninstall) the ZyXEL utility from your computer."Before you uninstall the ZyXEL utility, take note of your current wireless configurations.1Click Start > (All) Programs > ZyXEL Wireless N-lite USB Adapter > Uninstall ZyXEL Wireless N-lite USB Adapter Utility.2When prompted, click OK or Yes to remove the driver and the utility software.Figure 51 Uninstall: Confirm 3Click Finish to complete uninstalling the software and restart the computer when prompted.Table 20 About LABEL DESCRIPTIONDriver Version This field displays the version number of the NWD-270N driver.Utility Version This field displays the version number of the ZyXEL utility.
Chapter 5 MaintenanceNWD-270N User’s Guide 73Figure 52 Uninstall: Finish 5.4 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility"Before you uninstall the ZyXEL utility, take note of your current wireless configurations.To perform the upgrade, follow the steps below.1Download the latest version of the utility from the ZyXEL web site and save the file on your computer.2Follow the steps in Section 5.3 on page 72 to remove the current ZyXEL utility from your computer.3Restart your computer when prompted.4Disconnect the NWD-270N from your computer.5Double-click on the setup program for the new utility to start the ZyXEL utility installation.6Insert the NWD-270N and check the version numbers in the About screen to make sure the new utility is installed properly.
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75PART IITroubleshooting and SpecificationsTroubleshooting (77)Product Specifications (81)
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NWD-270N User’s Guide 77CHAPTER 6 TroubleshootingThis chapter offers some suggestions to solve problems you might encounter. The potential problems are divided into the following categories. •Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs•Accessing the ZyXEL Utility•Link Quality•Problems Communicating with Other Computers6.1 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDsVThe NWD-270N does not turn on. None of the LEDs turn on.1Make sure the NWD-270N is correctly installed (refer to your Quick Start Guide).2Restart the computer to which the NWD-270N is attached.3If the problem continues, contact the vendor.VOne of the LEDs does not behave as expected.1Make sure you understand the normal behavior of the LED. See Section 1.2 on page 22.2Check the hardware connection. See the Quick Start Guide and Section 1.2 on page 22. 3Restart the computer to which the NWD-270N is attached.4If the problem continues, contact the vendor.
Chapter 6 TroubleshootingNWD-270N User’s Guide786.2 Accessing the ZyXEL UtilityVI cannot access the ZyXEL Utility1Make sure the NWD-270N is properly inserted and the LEDs are on. Refer to the Quick Start Guide for information on how to properly connect the NWD-270N.2Use the Device Manager to check for possible hardware conflicts. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager. Verify the status of the NWD-270N under Network Adapter (steps may vary depending on the version of Windows). 3Install the NWD-270N on another computer.4If the error persists, you may have a hardware problem. In this case, you should contact your vendor.6.3 Link QualityVThe link quality and/or signal strength is poor.1Scan for and connect to another AP with a better link quality using the Site Survey screen.2Move your computer closer to the AP or the peer computer(s) within the transmission range.3There may be too much radio interference (for example from a microwave oven, or another AP using the same channel) around your wireless network. Lower the output power of each AP.4Make sure there are not too many wireless stations connected to a wireless network.6.4 Problems Communicating with Other ComputersVThe computer with the NWD-270N 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 NWD-270N computer and the associated AP use the same SSID.
Chapter 6 TroubleshootingNWD-270N User’s Guide 79• 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.• If you are using WPA(2) or WPA(2)-PSK security, try changing your encryption type from TKIP to AES or vice versa.In Ad-Hoc Mode• Verify that the peer computer(s) is turned on.• Make sure the NWD-270N 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.
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NWD-270N User’s Guide 81CHAPTER 7 Product SpecificationsTable 21 Product Specifications PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTALProduct Name NWD-270N Wireless N-lite USB AdapterInterface USB 2.0Standards IEEE 802.11bIEEE 802.11gIEEE 802.11n (Draft 2.0)Operating Frequency 2.4GHZAntenna Type ChipOperating Temperature 0 - 50 degrees CelsiusStorage Temperature -30 - 70 degrees CelsiusOperating Humidity 20 - 90% (non-condensing)Storage Humidity 10 - 90% (non-condensing)Voltage 5VPower Saving Mode YesCurrent Consumption Transmit: <300 mAReceive: <160 mAWeight 21g / 0.74ozDimensions 59 mm (L) x 24mm (W) x 13mm (H)RADIO SPECIFICATIONSTransmit Power 802.11b: Typical 18dBM802.11g: Typical 15dBM802.11n: Typical 15dBMReceiver Sensitivity 802.11b: 11Mbps at -86dBm802.11g: 54Mbps at -68dBm802.11n: at -62dBmWIRELESS STANDARDSIEEE 802.11b Dynamically shifts between 11, 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps network speed.Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHz
Chapter 7 Product SpecificationsNWD-270N User’s Guide82Operation Channels N. America &Taiwan2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11Euro ETSI2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13IEEE 802.11g Dynamically shifts between 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6 Mbps network speed.Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHzOperation Channels N. America &Taiwan2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11Euro ETSI2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)Downstream data rate 150 MbpsUpstream data rate 150 MbpsOperation Frequency 2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz Operation Channels N. America & Taiwan HT202.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11N. America & Taiwan HT402.422GHz~ 2.452GHz 3-9Euro ETSI HT202.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13Euro ETSI HT402.422GHz~ 2.462GHz 3-11Networking Mode Infrastructure, Ad-HocApprovals SafetyEuropean Union: EN60950-1 (CE-LVD)EMIUnited States: FCC Part 15B Class BCanada: ICES-003European Union: CE EN 55022 Class BEMSEuropean Union: CE EN55024RFUnited States: FCC Part 15CCanada: RSS-210European Union: CE EN 300 328Taiwan: NCC LP0002Wi-Fi Certification11 b/g WPA/WPA2/WPSMicrosoft CertificationWHQL: Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows XP (32- and 64-bit), Windows 2000SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONSDevice Drivers Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit)Windows XP (32- and 64-bit)Windows 2000Mac OS X (10.3/10.4/10.5)WIRELESS FEATURESTable 21 Product Specifications (continued)
Chapter 7 Product SpecificationsNWD-270N User’s Guide 83Wireless Security WEP 64bit, 128bit, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK 802.1x (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP), WPS.Note: EAP-TTLS is not supported in Windows VistaWireless QoS Wi-Fi Multi Media (WMM)Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) Push button configurationUse device's PINUse AP or Router's PINOther WMM power-saving supportCompatible with Windows Zero ConfigurationTable 21 Product Specifications (continued)
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85PART IIIAppendices and Index"The appendices provide general information. Some details may not apply to your NWD-270N.Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address (87)Wireless LANs (87)Windows Wireless Management (101)Legal Information (123)Customer Support (127)Index (133)
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NWD-270N User’s Guide 87APPENDIX A 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 53 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 with each other. When Intra-BSS is disabled, wireless client A and B can still access the wired network but cannot communicate with each other.
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide88Figure 54 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. An 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.
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 89Figure 55 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 hidden 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.
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide90Figure 56 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. "Enabling the RTS Threshold causes redundant network overhead that could negatively affect the throughput performance instead of providing a remedy.Fragmentation ThresholdA Fragmentation 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.
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 91If 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 NWD-270N uses long preamble."The wireless devices MUST use 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 several 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.Table 22 IEEE 802.11gDATA RATE (MBPS) MODULATION1 DBPSK (Differential Binary Phase Shift Keyed)2 DQPSK (Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying)5.5 / 11 CCK (Complementary Code Keying) 6/9/12/18/24/36/48/54 OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing)
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide92Wireless security methods available on the NWD-270N are data encryption, wireless client authentication, restricting access by device MAC address and hiding the NWD-270N identity.The following figure shows the relative effectiveness of these wireless security methods available on your NWD-270N."You must enable the same wireless security settings on the NWD-270N and on all wireless clients that you want to associate with it. IEEE 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.• AuthorizationTable 23 Wireless Security LevelsSECURITY LEVEL SECURITY TYPELeast S e c u r e Most SecureUnique SSID (Default)Unique SSID with Hide SSID EnabledMAC Address FilteringWEP EncryptionIEEE802.1x EAP with RADIUS Server AuthenticationWi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)WPA2
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 93Determines 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. • 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. .
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide94For 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. 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. 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 A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 95Dynamic 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."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. 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.Table 24 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 A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide96Encryption 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.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 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 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.
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 97Wireless 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 the WPA 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.4The 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 57 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.
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide983The 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. 4The 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 58 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 25 Wireless Security Relational MatrixAUTHENTICATION METHOD/ KEY MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLENCRYPTION METHOD ENTER MANUAL KEY IEEE 802.1XOpen None No DisableEnable 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 A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide 99Antenna 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.• 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.
Appendix A Wireless LANsNWD-270N User’s Guide100Positioning 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.
NWD-270N User’s Guide 101APPENDIX B Windows Wireless ManagementThis appendix shows you how to manage your NWD-270N 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).Connecting to a Wireless Network1Click Start () > Connect To. Figure 59 Vista: Start MenuThe Connect To window displays, showing all available networks.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide102Figure 60 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.Figure 61 Vista: Additional Information2Double-click the network’s name to join the network, or select a network and click Connect. "If the network to which you want to connect does not display, see the section on setting up a connection manually on page 104.3If security is enabled, you may be prompted to enter your security key.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 103Figure 62 Vista: Enter Security KeyYour computer tries to connect to the wireless network.Figure 63 Vista: ConnectingIf your computer has connected to the wireless network successfully, the following screen displays.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide104Figure 64 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 manually1Click Set up a connection or network at the bottom of the Connect to screen. The following screen displays.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 105Figure 65 Vista: Choose a Connection Option2Click Manually connect to a wireless network. The following screen displays.Figure 66 Vista: Connect ManuallyThe following table describes the labels in this screen.Table 26 Vista: Connect ManuallyLABEL DESCRIPTIONNetwork name Enter your network’s SSID (Service Set IDentifier).Security type Select 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)
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide1063When you have finished filling in the fields, click Next. the following screen displays.Figure 67 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. Encryption type Select 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 Characters Select 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.Next Click this to save your settings and move on to the next page.Cancel Click this to stop setting up your network.Table 26 Vista: Connect ManuallyLABEL DESCRIPTION
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 1071Click Start () > Connect To. In the Connect to screen, click Set up a connection or network. The following screen displays.Figure 68 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 69 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.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide108"Make sure all the wireless clients on your ad-hoc network can support the type of security you select.4Enter 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 70 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 Center link. 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.Activating Wireless Zero Configuration1Click Start > Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 1092Double-click on the icon for wireless network connection.3The status window displays as shown below. Click Properties.Figure 71 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection StatusFigure 72 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status4The Wireless Network Connection Properties screen displays. Click the Wireless Networks tab.Make sure the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is selected.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide110Figure 73 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection PropertiesFigure 74 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection PropertiesIf you see the following screen, refer to article 871122 on the Microsoft web site for information on starting WZC.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 111Figure 75 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 76 Windows XP SP2: System Tray IconThe type of the wireless network icon in Windows XP SP2 indicates the status of the NWD-270N. Refer to the following table for details.2Windows XP SP2: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click View Wireless Networks to open the Wireless Network Connection screen.Table 27 Windows XP SP2: System Tray IconICON DESCRIPTIONThe NWD-270N is connected to a wireless network.The NWD-270N 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 NWD-270N is not connected to a wireless network.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide112Figure 77 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 78 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status3Windows 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.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 113Figure 79 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 28 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 NWD-270N 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 B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide114Figure 80 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 security 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 81 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: WEP or WPA-PSK
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 115Figure 82 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 NWD-270N to connect to a secure network but the security settings are not yet enabled on the NWD-270N, you will see different screens according to the authentication and encryption methods used by the selected network.AssociationSelect a network in the Preferred networks list and click Properties to view or configure security.Figure 83 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: AssociationTable 29 Windows XP: Wireless NetworksICON DESCRIPTIONThis denotes the wireless network is an available wireless network.This denotes the NWD-270N is associated to the wireless network.This denotes the wireless network is not available.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide116The following table describes the labels in this screen.AuthenticationClick 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.Table 30 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: AssociationLABEL DESCRIPTIONNetwork 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 automaticallyIf this check box is selected, the wireless AP assigns the NWD-270N a key.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.OK Click OK to save your changes.Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 117Figure 84 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: AuthenticationThe following table describes the labels in this screen.Authentication PropertiesSelect an EAP authentication type in the Wireless (network) properties: Authentication screen and click the Properties button to display the following screen. Table 31 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 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.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.OK Click OK to save your changes.Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide118Protected EAP PropertiesFigure 85 Windows XP: Protected EAP PropertiesThe following table describes the labels in this screen.Table 32 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 Certification Authorities:Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). Consult your network administrator for more information.Do not prompt user to authorize new server or trusted certification authorities.Select this check box to verify a new authentication server or trusted CA without prompting.This field is available only if you installed the Windows XP server pack 2.Select Authentication Method: Select an authentication method from the drop-down list box and click Configure to do settings.Enable Fast Reconnect Select the check box to automatically reconnect to the network (without re-authentication) if the wireless connection goes down.OK Click OK to save your changes.Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 119Smart Card or other Certificate PropertiesFigure 86 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate PropertiesThe following table describes the labels in this screen.Ordering the Preferred NetworksFollow the steps below to manage your preferred networks.Table 33 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 computer Select this check box to use a certificate on your computer for authentication.Validate server certificate Select the check box to check the certificate of the authentication server.Connect to these servers Select the check box and specify a domain in the field below to have your computer connect to a server which resides only within this domain. Trusted Root Certification Authorities:Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). Consult your network administrator for more information.View Certificate Click this button if you want to verify the selected certificate.Use a different user name for the connection:Select the check box to use a different user name when the user name in the smart card or certificate is not the same as the user name in the domain that you are logged on to.OK Click OK to save your changes.Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide1201Windows XP SP2: Click Change the order of preferred networks in the Wireless Network Connection screen (see Figure 79 on page 113). The screen displays as shown. Figure 87 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 88 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks2Whenever the NWD-270N 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
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide 121the security, authentication or connection information of the selected network. Click Add to add a preferred network into the list manually.
Appendix B Windows Wireless ManagementNWD-270N User’s Guide122
NWD-270N User’s Guide 123APPENDIX C Legal InformationCopyrightCopyright © 2008 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.This 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.
Appendix C Legal InformationNWD-270N User’s Guide124If 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 maximum SAR value is: 1.0 W/kg. The device must not be collocated with any other 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. 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。本機限在不干擾合法電臺與不受被干擾保障條件下於室內使用。 減少電磁波影響，請妥適使用。
Appendix C Legal InformationNWD-270N User’s Guide 125Notices Changes 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.This 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 materials or workmanship for a period of up to two 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.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 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.
Appendix C Legal InformationNWD-270N User’s Guide126RegistrationRegister your product online to receive e-mail notices of firmware upgrades and information at www.zyxel.com.
NWD-270N User’s Guide 127APPENDIX D Customer SupportPlease have the following information ready when you contact customer support.Required Information• 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.“+” is the (prefix) number you dial to make an international telephone call.Corporate Headquarters (Worldwide)• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.com.tw• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.com.tw• Telephone: +886-3-578-3942• Fax: +886-3-578-2439• Web: www.zyxel.com, www.europe.zyxel.com• FTP: ftp.zyxel.com, ftp.europe.zyxel.com• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications Corp., 6 Innovation Road II, Science Park, Hsinchu 300, TaiwanCosta Rica• Support E-mail: soporte@zyxel.co.cr• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.co.cr• Telephone: +506-2017878• Fax: +506-2015098• Web: www.zyxel.co.cr• FTP: ftp.zyxel.co.cr• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Costa Rica, Plaza Roble Escazú, Etapa El Patio, Tercer Piso, San José, Costa RicaCzech Republic• E-mail: info@cz.zyxel.com• Telephone: +420-241-091-350• Fax: +420-241-091-359• Web: www.zyxel.cz
Appendix D Customer SupportNWD-270N User’s Guide128• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications, Czech s.r.o., Modranská 621, 143 01 Praha 4 - Modrany, Ceská RepublikaDenmark• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.dk• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.dk• Telephone: +45-39-55-07-00• Fax: +45-39-55-07-07• Web: www.zyxel.dk • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Columbusvej, 2860 Soeborg, DenmarkFinland• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.fi• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.fi• Telephone: +358-9-4780-8411• Fax: +358-9-4780-8448• Web: www.zyxel.fi• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications Oy, Malminkaari 10, 00700 Helsinki, FinlandFrance• E-mail: info@zyxel.fr • Telephone: +33-4-72-52-97-97• Fax: +33-4-72-52-19-20• Web: www.zyxel.fr• Regular Mail: ZyXEL France, 1 rue des Vergers, Bat. 1 / C, 69760 Limonest, FranceGermany• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.de• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.de• Telephone: +49-2405-6909-69• Fax: +49-2405-6909-99• Web: www.zyxel.de• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Deutschland GmbH., Adenauerstr. 20/A2 D-52146, Wuerselen, GermanyHungary• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.hu• Sales E-mail: info@zyxel.hu• Telephone: +36-1-3361649• Fax: +36-1-3259100• Web: www.zyxel.hu• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Hungary, 48, Zoldlomb Str., H-1025, Budapest, Hungary
Appendix D Customer SupportNWD-270N User’s Guide 129India• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.in• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.in• Telephone: +91-11-30888144 to +91-11-30888153• Fax: +91-11-30888149, +91-11-26810715• Web: http://www.zyxel.in• Regular Mail: India - ZyXEL Technology India Pvt Ltd., II-Floor, F2/9 Okhla Phase -1, New Delhi 110020, IndiaJapan• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.co.jp• Sales E-mail: zyp@zyxel.co.jp• Telephone: +81-3-6847-3700• Fax: +81-3-6847-3705• Web: www.zyxel.co.jp• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Japan, 3F, Office T&U, 1-10-10 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0022, JapanKazakhstan• Support: http://zyxel.kz/support• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.kz• Telephone: +7-3272-590-698• Fax: +7-3272-590-689• Web: www.zyxel.kz• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Kazakhstan, 43 Dostyk Ave., Office 414, Dostyk Business Centre, 050010 Almaty, Republic of KazakhstanMalaysia• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.com.my• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.com.my• Telephone: +603-8076-9933• Fax: +603-8076-9833• Web: http://www.zyxel.com.my• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Malaysia Sdn Bhd., 1-02 & 1-03, Jalan Kenari 17F, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47100 Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MalaysiaNorth America• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.com• Support Telephone: +1-800-978-7222• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.com• Sales Telephone: +1-714-632-0882• Fax: +1-714-632-0858• Web: www.zyxel.com
Appendix D Customer SupportNWD-270N User’s Guide130• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications Inc., 1130 N. Miller St., Anaheim, CA 92806-2001, U.S.A.Norway• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.no • Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.no• Telephone: +47-22-80-61-80• Fax: +47-22-80-61-81• Web: www.zyxel.no• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Nils Hansens vei 13, 0667 Oslo, NorwayPoland• E-mail: info@pl.zyxel.com• Telephone: +48-22-333 8250• Fax: +48-22-333 8251• Web: www.pl.zyxel.com• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications, ul. Okrzei 1A, 03-715 Warszawa, PolandRussia• Support: http://zyxel.ru/support• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.ru• Telephone: +7-095-542-89-29• Fax: +7-095-542-89-25• Web: www.zyxel.ru• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Russia, Ostrovityanova 37a Str., Moscow 117279, RussiaSingapore• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.com.sg• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.com.sg• Telephone: +65-6899-6678• Fax: +65-6899-8887• Web: http://www.zyxel.com.sg• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Singapore Pte Ltd., No. 2 International Business Park, The Strategy #03-28, Singapore 609930Spain• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.es• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.es• Telephone: +34-902-195-420• Fax: +34-913-005-345• Web: www.zyxel.es • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications, Arte, 21 5ª planta, 28033 Madrid, Spain
Appendix D Customer SupportNWD-270N User’s Guide 131Sweden• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.se• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.se• Telephone: +46-31-744-7700• Fax: +46-31-744-7701• Web: www.zyxel.se• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Sjöporten 4, 41764 Göteborg, SwedenThailand• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.co.th• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.co.th• Telephone: +662-831-5315• Fax: +662-831-5395• Web: http://www.zyxel.co.th• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Thailand Co., Ltd., 1/1 Moo 2, Ratchaphruk Road, Bangrak-Noi, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.Ukraine• Support E-mail: support@ua.zyxel.com• Sales E-mail: sales@ua.zyxel.com• Telephone: +380-44-247-69-78• Fax: +380-44-494-49-32• Web: www.ua.zyxel.com• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Ukraine, 13, Pimonenko Str., Kiev 04050, UkraineUnited Kingdom• Support E-mail: support@zyxel.co.uk• Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.co.uk• Telephone: +44-1344-303044, 08707-555779 (UK only)• Fax: +44-1344-303034• Web: www.zyxel.co.uk• FTP: ftp.zyxel.co.uk• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications UK Ltd., 11 The Courtyard, Eastern Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2XB, United Kingdom (UK)
Appendix D Customer SupportNWD-270N User’s Guide132
IndexNWD-270N User’s Guide 133IndexAAbout 72about your ZyXEL Device 22Access Point (AP) 38Access point (AP) 38Access Point. See also AP.ACT LED 22activating a profile 64adapter 64Ad-Hoc 23, 62Advanced Encryption Standard 40See AES.advanced settings 64AES 96antennadirectional 99gain 99omni-directional 99AP 89See also access point.AP MAC address 51authentication 51authentication type 39auto 40open system 40shared key 40auto authentication 40automatic connection 53automatic network scan 31, 59BBasic Service Set, See BSS 87BSS 87CCA 40, 94CCMP 40Certificate AuthoritySee CA.certifications 123notices 125viewing 125channel 38, 51, 53, 62, 89interference 89configuration method 25important note 25Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) 24, 25ZyXEL utility 25configuration status 51connection status 51contact information 127continuous access mode 64copyright 123creating a new profile 61credentials 68CTS (Clear to Send) 90current configuration 51current connection status 51customer support 127Ddata encryption 53digital ID 40dimensions 81disclaimer 123download 73driver version 72dynamic WEP key exchange 95EEAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) 40EAP Authentication 93EAP authentication 40EAP type 67EAP-PEAP 40EAP-TLS 40EAP-TTLS 40
IndexNWD-270N User’s Guide134encryption 96encryption type 39, 57environmental specifications 81ESS 88Extended Service Set, See ESS 88Ffast power save 64FCC interference statement 123fragmentation threshold 90frequency 38, 81, 82Ggetting started 21Hhardware connections 24help 26hidden node 89humidity 81IIBSS 87IEEE 802.11g 91IEEE 802.1x 40, 57, 67Independent Basic Service SetSee IBSS 87infrastructure 23Initialization Vector (IV) 96installation 24interface 81Internet access 23LLEDs 22lights 22link information 51LINK LED 22link quality 52Mmanual network connection 31Message Integrity Check (MIC) 40, 96Nnetwork mode 51network name 51network overlap 38network scan 59network type 51, 53Oonline help 26Ppacket collisions 52Pairwise Master Key (PMK) 96, 98passphrase 39, 55password 39PEAP 67, 68peer computer 23, 62physical specifications 81power saving 64power saving mode 64preamble mode 91product registration 125product specifications 81profile 51, 60activation 64add new 61configure 31, 33default 59delete 60edit 60information 60new 60, 61
IndexNWD-270N User’s Guide 135PSK 96QQuick Start Guide 24, 78Rradio interference 78radio specifications 81RADIUS 40, 92message types 93messages 93shared secret key 93real-time data traffic statistics 52receive rate 51receive speed 51registrationproduct 125related documentation 3RTS (Request To Send) 90threshold 89, 90Ssafety warnings 6save power 64scan 53scan info 62search 53security 38, 39, 51, 83data encryption 39security settings and Vista 67sensitivity 81Service Set Identity (SSID) 31, 38signal strength 52, 53site information 53site survey 53scan 53security settings 54sleep mode 64SSID 31, 38, 51, 53, 78statistics 51syntax conventions 4system tray 24Ttemperature 81Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) 40, 96The 67TLS 67, 69total receive 52total transmit 51trademarks 123transmission rate 51, 60transmit key 55transmit rate 51trend chart 52TTLS 67Uuninstalling the ZyXEL utility 72upgrading the ZyXEL utility 73important step 73user authentication 39utility installation 24utility version 72VVista 67, 69Wwarranty 125note 125weight 81WEP 39, 55automatic setup 39manual setup 39, 55passphrase 39, 55WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) 39WEP Encryption 54WEP key generation 39Wi-Fi Protected Access 40, 95Wi-Fi Protected Setup 50Windows 67Windows XP 25wireless client 38
IndexNWD-270N User’s Guide136wireless client WPA supplicants 97wireless LANintroduction 37security 39wireless LAN (WLAN) 37wireless network 38wireless security 91wireless standard 81wireless station modeadapter 64security settings 54site survey 53trend chart 52wireless tutorial 28WLANinterference 89security parameters 98WPA 40, 56, 67, 95key caching 96pre-authentication 96user authentication 96vs WPA-PSK 96wireless client supplicant 97with RADIUS application example 97WPA2 40, 56, 67, 95user authentication 96vs WPA2-PSK 96wireless client supplicant 97with RADIUS application example 97WPA2-Pre-Shared Key 40, 95WPA2-PSK 40, 55, 95, 96application example 97WPA-PSK 41, 55, 95, 96application example 97WPSsee also Wi-Fi Protected Setup 50WZCactivating 108network connection 111not available 110preferred network 119security setting 115system tray icon 111WZC (Wireless Zero Configuration) 25ZZyXEL Utilityaccessing 26ZyXEL utility 25accessing 26driver version number 72exiting 25help 26reactivating 25status 25system tray icon 24upgrading 73version number 72

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