ZyXEL Communications NWD270N Wireless N USB Adapter User Manual
ZyXEL Communications Corporation Wireless N USB Adapter
User Manual
www.zyxel.com
NWD-270N
Wireless N-lite USB Adapter
User’s Guide
Version 1.0
01/2009
Edition 1
About This User's Guide
NWD-270N User’s Guide 3
About This User's Guide
Intended Audience
This 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 Help
Embedded web help for descriptions of individual screens and supplementary
information.
• Support Disc
Refer to the included CD for support documents.
• ZyXEL Web Site
Please refer to www.zyxel.com for additional support documentation and product
certifications.
User’s Guide Feedback
Help 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 Conventions
NWD-270N User’s Guide
4
Document Conventions
Warnings and Notes
These 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 Conventions
NWD-270N User’s Guide 5
Icons Used in Figures
Figures in this User’s Guide may use the following generic icons.
Wireless Access Point Computer Notebook computer
Server Modem Telephone
Internet Wireless Signal
Safety Warnings
NWD-270N User’s Guide
6
Safety Warnings
1For 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 Overview
NWD-270N User’s Guide 7
Contents Overview
Introduction and Configuration ............................................................................................19
Getting Started ........................................................................................................................... 21
Tutorial ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Wireless LANs ........................................................................................................................... 37
ZyXEL Utility - Windows ............................................................................................................ 49
Maintenance .............................................................................................................................. 71
Troubleshooting and Specifications ....................................................................................75
Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................... 77
Product Specifications ............................................................................................................... 81
Appendices and Index ...........................................................................................................85
Contents Overview
NWD-270N User’s Guide
8
Table of Contents
NWD-270N User’s Guide 9
Table of Contents
About This User's Guide..........................................................................................................3
Document Conventions............................................................................................................4
Safety Warnings........................................................................................................................6
Contents Overview ...................................................................................................................7
Table of Contents......................................................................................................................9
List of Figures .........................................................................................................................13
List of Tables...........................................................................................................................17
Part I: Introduction and Configuration................................................. 19
Chapter 1
Getting Started........................................................................................................................21
1.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 21
1.1.1 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 21
1.1.2 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 21
1.2 About Your NWD-270N ......................................................................................................22
1.2.1 Hardware .................................................................................................................... 22
1.3 Application Overview ........................................................................................................... 23
1.3.1 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................. 23
1.3.2 Ad-Hoc ....................................................................................................................... 23
1.4 Hardware and Utility Installation ..........................................................................................24
1.4.1 ZyXEL Utility Icon .......................................................................................................24
1.5 Configuration Methods ....................................................................................................... 25
1.5.1 Enabling Windows Wireless Configuration ................................................................ 25
1.5.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility ...................................................................................... 26
Chapter 2
Tutorial.....................................................................................................................................27
2.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 27
2.1.1 What You Can Do in This Tutorial .............................................................................. 27
2.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 27
2.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 27
2.2 Connecting to an AP using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) .................................................. 28
Table of Contents
NWD-270N User’s Guide
10
2.2.1 Push Button Configuration (PBC) .............................................................................. 28
2.2.2 PIN Configuration ....................................................................................................... 29
2.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPS ........................................................................... 31
2.3.1 Manually Connecting to a Wireless LAN ................................................................... 31
2.3.2 Creating and Using a Profile ...................................................................................... 33
Chapter 3
Wireless LANs.........................................................................................................................37
3.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 37
3.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 37
3.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 37
3.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 38
3.2 Wireless LAN Overview ...................................................................................................... 38
3.3 Wireless LAN Security ........................................................................................................ 39
3.3.1 User Authentication and Encryption ........................................................................... 39
3.4 WiFi Protected Setup ........................................................................................................... 41
3.4.1 Push Button Configuration ......................................................................................... 41
3.4.2 PIN Configuration ....................................................................................................... 42
3.4.3 How WPS Works ........................................................................................................ 43
3.4.4 Limitations of WPS ..................................................................................................... 46
Chapter 4
ZyXEL Utility - Windows.........................................................................................................49
4.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 49
4.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 49
4.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 49
4.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 50
4.2 ZyXEL Utility Screen Summary ........................................................................................... 50
4.3 The Link Info Screen ........................................................................................................... 51
4.3.1 Trend Chart ................................................................................................................ 52
4.4 The Site Survey Screen ...................................................................................................... 53
4.4.1 Security Settings .......................................................................................................54
4.4.2 Summary Screen ....................................................................................................... 59
4.5 The Profile Screen ............................................................................................................... 59
4.5.1 Adding a New Profile .................................................................................................. 61
4.6 The Adapter Screen ............................................................................................................ 64
4.6.1 WPS: PBC (Push Button Configuration) .................................................................... 65
4.6.2 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN ............................................................................. 66
4.6.3 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router .......................................... 67
4.7 Security Settings in Windows Vista ..................................................................................... 67
4.7.1 Using PEAP in Vista ................................................................................................... 68
4.7.2 Using TLS in Vista ..................................................................................................... 69
Table of Contents
NWD-270N User’s Guide 11
Chapter 5
Maintenance ............................................................................................................................71
5.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 71
5.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section .............................................................................. 71
5.1.2 What You Need to Know ............................................................................................ 71
5.1.3 Before You Begin ....................................................................................................... 71
5.2 The About Screen ............................................................................................................... 72
5.3 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility .............................................................................................. 72
5.4 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility ................................................................................................73
Part II: Troubleshooting and Specifications........................................ 75
Chapter 6
Troubleshooting......................................................................................................................77
6.1 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs .......................................................................... 77
6.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility ................................................................................................. 78
6.3 Link Quality .......................................................................................................................... 78
6.4 Problems Communicating with Other Computers ............................................................... 78
Chapter 7
Product Specifications...........................................................................................................81
Part III: Appendices and Index.............................................................. 85
Appendix A Wireless LANs ....................................................................................................87
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management.......................................................................101
Appendix C Legal Information ..............................................................................................123
Appendix D Customer Support.............................................................................................127
Index.......................................................................................................................................133
Table of Contents
NWD-270N User’s Guide
12
List of Figures
NWD-270N User’s Guide 13
List of Figures
Figure 1 The NWD-270N ........................................................................................................................ 22
Figure 2 Application: Infrastructure ........................................................................................................ 23
Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc ................................................................................................................. 24
Figure 4 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon .............................................................................................. 24
Figure 5 Enable WZC ............................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 6 Infrastructure Network .............................................................................................................. 27
Figure 7 Example WPS Process: PBC Method ...................................................................................... 29
Figure 8 Example WPS Process: PIN Method .......................................................................................30
Figure 9 ZyXEL Utility: Site Survey ........................................................................................................ 31
Figure 10 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings ............................................................................................. 32
Figure 11 ZyXEL Utility: Summary .......................................................................................................... 32
Figure 12 ZyXEL Utility: Link Info .......................................................................................................... 32
Figure 13 ZyXEL Utility: Profile ............................................................................................................... 33
Figure 14 ZyXEL Utility: Add New Profile ............................................................................................... 33
Figure 15 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Security ................................................................................................. 34
Figure 16 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Encryption ............................................................................................. 34
Figure 17 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Summary .............................................................................................. 34
Figure 18 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Activate ................................................................................................. 35
Figure 19 Example of a Wireless Network ............................................................................................. 38
Figure 20 Example WPS Process: PIN Method ..................................................................................... 43
Figure 21 How WPS works ..................................................................................................................... 44
Figure 22 WPS: Example Network Step 1 .............................................................................................. 45
Figure 23 WPS: Example Network Step 2 .............................................................................................. 45
Figure 24 WPS: Example Network Step 3 .............................................................................................. 46
Figure 25 ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary ............................................................................................... 50
Figure 26 Link Info ................................................................................................................................. 51
Figure 27 Link Info: Trend Chart ............................................................................................................ 52
Figure 28 Site Survey ............................................................................................................................ 53
Figure 29 Security Setting Selection .................................................................................................... 54
Figure 30 Security Setting: WEP .......................................................................................................... 54
Figure 31 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK ................................................................................. 56
Figure 32 Security Settings: WPA/WPA2 ................................................................................................ 56
Figure 33 Security Setting: 802.1x ........................................................................................................ 58
Figure 34 Summary Screen ................................................................................................................... 59
Figure 35 Profile ................................................................................................................................... 60
Figure 36 Profile: Add a New Profile ..................................................................................................... 61
Figure 37 Profile: Wireless Settings ...................................................................................................... 62
Figure 38 Profile: Wireless Settings ...................................................................................................... 63
List of Figures
NWD-270N User’s Guide
14
Figure 39 Profile: Security Settings ....................................................................................................... 63
Figure 40 Profile: Confirm New Settings ............................................................................................... 63
Figure 41 Profile: Activate the Profile .................................................................................................... 64
Figure 42 Adapter .................................................................................................................................. 64
Figure 43 WPS: PBC (Push Button Configuration) ................................................................................ 65
Figure 44 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN ......................................................................................... 66
Figure 45 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router ...................................................... 67
Figure 46 Vista Security: Additional Information Required ..................................................................... 68
Figure 47 Vista Security: Enter Credentials ............................................................................................ 68
Figure 48 Vista Security: Additional Information Required ..................................................................... 69
Figure 49 Vista Security: Select Certificate ............................................................................................ 69
Figure 50 About ..................................................................................................................................... 72
Figure 51 Uninstall: Confirm ................................................................................................................. 72
Figure 52 Uninstall: Finish ..................................................................................................................... 73
Figure 53 Peer-to-Peer Communication in an Ad-hoc Network ............................................................. 87
Figure 54 Basic Service Set ................................................................................................................... 88
Figure 55 Infrastructure WLAN ............................................................................................................... 89
Figure 56 RTS/CTS ............................................................................................................................... 90
Figure 57 WPA(2) with RADIUS Application Example ........................................................................... 97
Figure 58 WPA(2)-PSK Authentication ................................................................................................... 98
Figure 59 Vista: Start Menu .................................................................................................................. 101
Figure 60 Vista: The Connect To Window ............................................................................................ 102
Figure 61 Vista: Additional Information ................................................................................................. 102
Figure 62 Vista: Enter Security Key ...................................................................................................... 103
Figure 63 Vista: Connecting ................................................................................................................. 103
Figure 64 Vista: Successful Connection ............................................................................................... 104
Figure 65 Vista: Choose a Connection Option ..................................................................................... 105
Figure 66 Vista: Connect Manually ....................................................................................................... 105
Figure 67 Vista: Successfully Added Network ...................................................................................... 106
Figure 68 Vista: Set Up An Ad-hoc Network ......................................................................................... 107
Figure 69 Vista: Ad-hoc Options .......................................................................................................... 107
Figure 70 Vista: Ad-hoc Network Ready .............................................................................................. 108
Figure 71 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status ..................................................... 109
Figure 72 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status ..................................................... 109
Figure 73 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................................................110
Figure 74 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................................................110
Figure 75 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not Available ..................................................................................111
Figure 76 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon ....................................................................................111
Figure 77 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status ......................................................112
Figure 78 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status ......................................................112
Figure 79 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection .................................................................113
Figure 80 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties ................................................114
Figure 81 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: WEP or WPA-PSK .................................114
List of Figures
NWD-270N User’s Guide 15
Figure 82 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security ...........................................115
Figure 83 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association .....................................................115
Figure 84 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication ................................................117
Figure 85 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties ...............................................................................118
Figure 86 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties ......................................................119
Figure 87 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks ................................................ 120
Figure 88 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks ................................................ 120
List of Figures
NWD-270N User’s Guide
16
List of Tables
NWD-270N User’s Guide 17
List of Tables
Table 1 NWD-270N External View ......................................................................................................... 22
Table 2 NWD-270N LEDs ...................................................................................................................... 22
Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon ................................................................................................ 25
Table 4 ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary ................................................................................................... 50
Table 5 Link Info .................................................................................................................................... 51
Table 6 Link Info: Trend Chart ............................................................................................................... 52
Table 7 Site Survey ................................................................................................................................ 53
Table 8 Security Setting: WEP ............................................................................................................... 54
Table 9 Security Setting: WEP ............................................................................................................... 55
Table 10 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK ................................................................................. 56
Table 11 Security Setting: WPA/WPA2 .................................................................................................. 57
Table 12 Security Settings: IEEE 802.1x ............................................................................................... 58
Table 13 Summary Screen .................................................................................................................... 59
Table 14 Profile ...................................................................................................................................... 60
Table 15 Profile: Add a New Profile ....................................................................................................... 61
Table 16 Profile: Wireless Settings ........................................................................................................ 62
Table 17 Adapter ................................................................................................................................... 64
Table 18 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN .......................................................................................... 66
Table 19 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router ...................................................... 67
Table 20 About ....................................................................................................................................... 72
Table 21 Product Specifications ............................................................................................................. 81
Table 22 IEEE 802.11g .......................................................................................................................... 91
Table 23 Wireless Security Levels ......................................................................................................... 92
Table 24 Comparison of EAP Authentication Types .............................................................................. 95
Table 25 Wireless Security Relational Matrix ........................................................................................ 98
Table 26 Vista: Connect Manually ....................................................................................................... 105
Table 27 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon ..................................................................................... 111
Table 28 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection ..................................................................113
Table 29 Windows XP: Wireless Networks ...........................................................................................115
Table 30 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association .....................................................116
Table 31 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication .................................................117
Table 32 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties ................................................................................118
Table 33 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties ......................................................119
List of Tables
NWD-270N User’s Guide
18
20
NWD-270N User’s Guide 21
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
1.1 Overview
The 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 25
1.1.1 What You Need to Know
The 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 Point
An 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.
Infrastructure
An 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-Hoc
An 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 Started
NWD-270N User’s Guide
22
1.2 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 Hardware
This section describes the NWD-270N’s physical appearance.
Figure 1 The NWD-270N
The following table describes the NWD-270N.
The following table describes the operation of the NWD-270N’s LEDs.
Table 1 NWD-270N External View
LABEL DESCRIPTION
A WPS button
BLED
C USB connector
D USB connector cap
Table 2 NWD-270N LEDs
LED COLOR STATUS DESCRIPTION
Green 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 Started
NWD-270N User’s Guide 23
1.3 Application Overview
This 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 Started
NWD-270N User’s Guide
24
Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc
1.4 Hardware and Utility Installation
Follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide to install the ZyXEL utility and make
hardware connections.
1.4.1 ZyXEL Utility Icon
After 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 Started
NWD-270N User’s Guide 25
The 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 WZC
Refer 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 DESCRIPTION
Red The NWD-270N is not connected to a wireless network.
Green The NWD-270N is connected to a wireless network.
Chapter 1 Getting Started
NWD-270N User’s Guide
26
1.5.2 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 27
CHAPTER 2
Tutorial
2.1 Overview
This 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 Network
2.1.1 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 Know
The following term may help as you read through this section.
WPS
Wi-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 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide
28
2.2 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 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide 29
Figure 7 Example WPS Process: PBC Method
2.2.2 PIN Configuration
When 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 AP
SECURITY INFO
COMMUNICATION
WITHIN 2 MINUTES
Chapter 2 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide
30
Figure 8 Example WPS Process: PIN Method
Authentication by PIN
SECURITY INFO
WITHIN 2 MINUTES
COMMUNICATION
You AP
Chapter 2 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide 31
2.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPS
There 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 Survey
2The 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 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide
32
Figure 10 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings
5The Summary window appears. Check your settings and click Save to continue.
Figure 11 ZyXEL Utility: Summary
6The 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 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide 33
Troubleshooting section of this User's Guide or contact your network administrator if
necessary.
2.3.2 Creating and Using a Profile
A 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: Profile
2The 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 Profile
3Give 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 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide
34
Figure 15 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Security
5This 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 Encryption
6Verify the profile settings in the ready-only screen. Click Save to save and go to the next
screen.
Figure 17 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Summary
7Click 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 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide 35
"Only one profile can be activated and used at any given time.
Figure 18 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Activate
8When 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.
Chapter 2 Tutorial
NWD-270N User’s Guide
36
NWD-270N User’s Guide 37
CHAPTER 3
Wireless LANs
3.1 Overview
This 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 Know
The following terms and concepts may help as you read through this section.
Server
When 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.
Client
When 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.
Authentication
Authentication 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.
Encryption
The 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
38
3.1.3 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 Network
The 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 Internet
Every 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 39
3.3 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 Encryption
You 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 WEP
3.3.1.1.1 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
40
• 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 41
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.
3.4 WiFi Protected Setup
Your 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 Configuration
WPS 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
42
3.4.2 PIN Configuration
Each 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 43
The 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 Method
3.4.3 How WPS Works
When 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.
ENROLLEE
SECURE EAP TUNNEL
SSID
WPA(2)-PSK
WITHIN 2 MINUTES
COMMUNICATION
This device’s
WPS
Enter WPS PIN
WPS
from other device:
WPS PIN: 123456
WPS
START
WPS
START
REGISTRAR
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
44
The following figure shows a WPS-enabled client (installed in a notebook computer)
connecting to a WPS-enabled access point.
Figure 21 How WPS works
The 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 TUNNEL
SECURITY INFO
WITHIN 2 MINUTES
COMMUNICATION
ACTIVATE
WPS
ACTIVATE
WPS
WPS HANDSHAKE
REGISTRARENROLLEE
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 45
3.4.3.1 Example WPS Network Setup
This 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 1
In 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 2
REGISTRARENROLLEE
SECURITY INFO
CLIENT 1 AP1
REGISTRAR
CLIENT 1 AP1
ENROLLEE
CLIENT 2
EXISTING CONNECTION
SECURITY INFO
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
46
In 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 3
3.4.4 Limitations of WPS
WPS 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 AP1
REGISTRAR
CLIENT 2
EXISTING CONNECTION
SECURITY INFO
ENROLLEE
AP1
EXISTING CONNECTION
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs
NWD-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.
Chapter 3 Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
48
NWD-270N User’s Guide 49
CHAPTER 4
ZyXEL Utility
4.1 Overview
This 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 Know
The 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
50
encryption 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 Summary
TAB DESCRIPTION
Link Info Use this screen to see your current connection status, configuration and data rate
statistics.
Site Survey Use this screen to:
• scan for a wireless network.
• configure wireless security (if activated on the selected network).
• connect to a wireless network.
Profile Use this screen to add, delete, edit or activate a profile with a set of wireless and
security settings.
Adapter Use this screen to configure preamble type, enable power saving and use WiFi
Protected Setup (WPS).
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 51
4.3 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 DESCRIPTION
Wireless Network
Status
Profile 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.
Statistics
Transmit Rate This field displays the current data transmission rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Receive Rate This field displays the current data receiving rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Authentication This field displays the authentication method of the 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
52
4.3.1 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 DESCRIPTION
Table 6 Link Info: Trend Chart
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Transmit This field displays the current data transmission rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Receive This field displays the current data reception rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 53
4.4 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 DESCRIPTION
Available Network
List Click a column heading to sort the entries.
,
,
or
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
SSID This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless device.
Channel This field displays the channel number used by each wireless device.
Signal This field displays the signal strength of each wireless device.
Scan Click Scan to search for available wireless devices within transmission range.
Connect Click Connect to associate to the selected wireless device.
Site Information Click an entry in the Available Network List table to display the information of the
selected wireless device.
Network Type This field displays the network type (Infrastructure or Ad Hoc) of the wireless
device.
Channel This field displays the channel number used by each wireless device.
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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
54
4.4.1 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 Selection
When 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 Encryption
Configure WEP security in this screen.
Figure 30 Security Setting: WEP
Table 8 Security Setting: WEP
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Security 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 55
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
4.4.1.3 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
Configure 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 DESCRIPTION
Security Settings
WEP 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.
or
Enter 5 ASCII characters (case sensitive) ranging from “a-z”, “A-Z” and “0-9”
(for example, MyKey) for ASCII key type.
If you select 128 Bits in the WEP field,
Enter either 26 hexadecimal digits in the range of “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9” (for
example, 00112233445566778899AABBCC) for HEX key type
or
Enter 13 ASCII characters (case sensitive) ranging from “a-z”, “A-Z” and “0-9”
(for example, MyKey12345678) for ASCII key type.
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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
56
Figure 31 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
4.4.1.4 WPA/WPA2
The 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-PSK
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Encryption Type The encryption mechanisms used for WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK are
the same. The only difference between the two is that WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK uses
a simple common password, instead of user-specific credentials.
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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 57
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
4.4.1.5 IEEE 802.1x
Configure 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/WPA2
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Encryption Type The encryption mechanisms used for WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK are
the same. The only difference between the two is that WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK uses
a simple common password, instead of user-specific credentials.
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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
58
Figure 33 Security Setting: 802.1x
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 12 Security Settings: IEEE 802.1x
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Encryption 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 59
4.4.2 Summary Screen
Use 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 Screen
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Network 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
60
Figure 35 Profile
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 14 Profile
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Profile List Click a column heading to sort the entries.
,
,
or
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
Profile Name This is the name of the pre-configured profile.
SSID This is the SSID of the wireless network to which the selected profile associate.
Connect To use 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 61
4.5.1 Adding a New Profile
Follow the steps below to add a new profile.
1Click Add in the Profile screen. An Add New Profile screen displays as shown next.
Figure 36 Profile: Add a New Profile
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 15 Profile: Add a New Profile
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Add New Profile
Profile Name Enter a descriptive name in this field.
SSID Select an available wireless device in the Scan Info table and click Select, or
enter the SSID of the wireless device to which you want to associate in this field
manually. Otherwise, enter Any to have the 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.
,
,
or
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode and the wireless
security is activated.
denotes that the wireless device is in Ad-Hoc mode but the wireless
security is deactivated.
SSID This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each AP or peer device.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
62
2If you select the Infrastructure network type in the previous screen, skip to step 3. If
you select the Ad-Hoc network type in the previous screen, a screen displays as follows.
Select a Channel number and 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 DESCRIPTION
Table 16 Profile: Wireless Settings
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Wireless Settings
Channel Select a channel number from the drop-down list box. To associate to an ad-hoc
network, you must use the same channel as the peer computer.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 63
Figure 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
64
6To 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 DESCRIPTION
Adapter Setting
Power 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 65
4.6.1 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
Router
Select 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
66
4.6.2 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN
This 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 PIN
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 18 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN
LABEL DESCRIPTION
This 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 67
4.6.3 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router
This 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 Router
The 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 Router
LABEL DESCRIPTION
AP 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
68
4.7.1 Using PEAP in Vista
Take 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 Required
6The 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 Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide 69
4.7.2 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 Required
6The 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.
Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility
NWD-270N User’s Guide
70
NWD-270N User’s Guide 71
CHAPTER 5
Maintenance
5.1 Overview
This 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 Know
The following term may help as you read through this section.
Device driver
A 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 Maintenance
NWD-270N User’s Guide
72
5.2 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 DESCRIPTION
Driver 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 Maintenance
NWD-270N User’s Guide 73
Figure 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.
Chapter 5 Maintenance
NWD-270N User’s Guide
74
76
NWD-270N User’s Guide 77
CHAPTER 6
Troubleshooting
This 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 Computers
6.1 Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs
VThe 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 Troubleshooting
NWD-270N User’s Guide
78
6.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility
VI cannot access the ZyXEL Utility
1Make 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 Quality
VThe 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 Computers
VThe 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 Troubleshooting
NWD-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.
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting
NWD-270N User’s Guide
80
NWD-270N User’s Guide 81
CHAPTER 7
Product Specifications
Table 21 Product Specifications
PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
Product Name NWD-270N Wireless N-lite USB Adapter
Interface USB 2.0
Standards IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n (Draft 2.0)
Operating Frequency 2.4GHZ
Antenna Type Chip
Operating Temperature 0 - 50 degrees Celsius
Storage Temperature -30 - 70 degrees Celsius
Operating Humidity 20 - 90% (non-condensing)
Storage Humidity 10 - 90% (non-condensing)
Voltage 5V
Power Saving Mode Yes
Current Consumption Transmit: <300 mA
Receive: <160 mA
Weight 21g / 0.74oz
Dimensions 59 mm (L) x 24mm (W) x 13mm (H)
RADIO SPECIFICATIONS
Transmit Power 802.11b: Typical 18dBM
802.11g: Typical 15dBM
802.11n: Typical 15dBM
Receiver Sensitivity 802.11b: 11Mbps at -86dBm
802.11g: 54Mbps at -68dBm
802.11n: at -62dBm
WIRELESS STANDARDS
IEEE 802.11b Dynamically shifts between 11, 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps network speed.
Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHz
Chapter 7 Product Specifications
NWD-270N User’s Guide
82
Operation Channels N. America &Taiwan
2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11
Euro ETSI
2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13
IEEE 802.11g Dynamically shifts between 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6 Mbps
network speed.
Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHz
Operation Channels N. America &Taiwan
2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11
Euro ETSI
2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13
IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
Downstream data rate 150 Mbps
Upstream data rate 150 Mbps
Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz
Operation Channels N. America & Taiwan HT20
2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11
N. America & Taiwan HT40
2.422GHz~ 2.452GHz 3-9
Euro ETSI HT20
2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13
Euro ETSI HT40
2.422GHz~ 2.462GHz 3-11
Networking Mode Infrastructure, Ad-Hoc
Approvals Safety
European Union: EN60950-1 (CE-LVD)
EMI
United States: FCC Part 15B Class B
Canada: ICES-003
European Union: CE EN 55022 Class B
EMS
European Union: CE EN55024
RF
United States: FCC Part 15C
Canada: RSS-210
European Union: CE EN 300 328
Taiwan: NCC LP0002
Wi-Fi Certification
11 b/g WPA/WPA2/WPS
Microsoft Certification
WHQL: Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows XP (32- and
64-bit), Windows 2000
SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS
Device Drivers Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit)
Windows XP (32- and 64-bit)
Windows 2000
Mac OS X (10.3/10.4/10.5)
WIRELESS FEATURES
Table 21 Product Specifications (continued)
Chapter 7 Product Specifications
NWD-270N User’s Guide 83
Wireless 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 Vista
Wireless QoS Wi-Fi Multi Media (WMM)
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) Push button configuration
Use device's PIN
Use AP or Router's PIN
Other WMM power-saving support
Compatible with Windows Zero Configuration
Table 21 Product Specifications (continued)
Chapter 7 Product Specifications
NWD-270N User’s Guide
84
86
NWD-270N User’s Guide 87
APPENDIX A
Wireless LANs
Wireless LAN Topologies
This section discusses ad-hoc and infrastructure wireless LAN topologies.
Ad-hoc Wireless LAN Configuration
The 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 Network
BSS
A 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
88
Figure 54 Basic Service Set
ESS
An 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 89
Figure 55 Infrastructure WLAN
Channel
A 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/CTS
A 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
90
Figure 56 RTS/CTS
When 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 Threshold
A 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 91
If the Fragmentation Threshold value is smaller than the RTS/CTS value (see previously)
you set then the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake will never occur as
data frames will be fragmented before they reach RTS/CTS size.
Preamble Type
Preamble 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 LAN
IEEE 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 Overview
Wireless security is vital to your network to protect wireless communication between wireless
clients, access points and the wired network.
Table 22 IEEE 802.11g
DATA RATE (MBPS) MODULATION
1 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
92
Wireless 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 802.1x
In 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.
RADIUS
RADIUS 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.
• Authorization
Table 23 Wireless Security Levels
SECURITY
LEVEL SECURITY TYPE
Least
S e c u r e
Most Secure
Unique SSID (Default)
Unique SSID with Hide SSID Enabled
MAC Address Filtering
WEP Encryption
IEEE802.1x EAP with RADIUS Server Authentication
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
WPA2
Appendix A Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 93
Determines the network services available to authenticated users once they are connected
to the network.
• Accounting
Keeps 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 Messages
The following types of RADIUS messages are exchanged between the access point and the
RADIUS server for user authentication:
• Access-Request
Sent by an access point requesting authentication.
• Access-Reject
Sent by a RADIUS server rejecting access.
• Access-Accept
Sent by a RADIUS server allowing access.
• Access-Challenge
Sent 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-Request
Sent by the access point requesting accounting.
• Accounting-Response
Sent 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
94
For EAP-TLS authentication type, you must first have a wired connection to the network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). A certificate (also called digital IDs)
can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of
each certificate owner.
EAP-MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5)
MD5 authentication is the simplest one-way authentication method. The authentication server
sends a challenge to the wireless client. The wireless client ‘proves’ that it knows the password
by encrypting the password with the challenge and sends back the information. Password is
not sent in plain text.
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.
LEAP
LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) is a Cisco implementation of IEEE
802.1x.
Appendix A Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 95
Dynamic WEP Key Exchange
The AP maps a unique key that is generated with the RADIUS server. This key expires when
the wireless connection times out, disconnects or reauthentication times out. A new WEP key
is generated each time reauthentication is performed.
If this feature is enabled, it is not necessary to configure a default encryption key in the
wireless 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 Exchange
For added security, certificate-based authentications (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS and PEAP) use
dynamic keys for data encryption. They are often deployed in corporate environments, but for
public deployment, a simple user name and password pair is more practical. The following
table is a comparison of the features of authentication types.
WPA and WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a subset of the IEEE 802.11i standard. WPA2 (IEEE
802.11i) is a wireless security standard that defines stronger encryption, authentication and
key management than WPA.
Key differences between WPA 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 Types
EAP-MD5 EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP LEAP
Mutual Authentication No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Certificate – Client No Yes Optional Optional No
Certificate – Server No Yes Yes Yes No
Dynamic Key Exchange No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Credential Integrity None Strong Strong Strong Moderate
Deployment Difficulty Easy Hard Moderate Moderate Moderate
Client Identity Protection No No Yes Yes No
Appendix A Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
96
Encryption
Both WPA and WPA2 improve data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
(TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA and WPA2 use Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message
authentication code Protocol (CCMP) to offer stronger encryption than TKIP.
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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 97
Wireless Client WPA Supplicants
A 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 Example
To 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 Example
WPA(2)-PSK Application Example
A 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
98
3The AP and wireless clients generate a common PMK (Pairwise Master Key). The key
itself is not sent over the network, but is derived from the PSK and the SSID.
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 Authentication
Security Parameters Summary
Refer 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 Matrix
AUTHENTICATION
METHOD/ KEY
MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL
ENCRYPTIO
N METHOD ENTER
MANUAL KEY IEEE 802.1X
Open None No Disable
Enable without Dynamic WEP Key
Open WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Enable without Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Disable
Shared WEP No Enable with Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Enable without Dynamic WEP Key
Yes Disable
WPA TKIP/AES No Enable
WPA-PSK TKIP/AES Yes Disable
WPA2 TKIP/AES No Enable
WPA2-PSK TKIP/AES Yes Disable
Appendix A Wireless LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide 99
Antenna Overview
An 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 Characteristics
Frequency
An 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 LAN
Radiation Pattern
A radiation pattern is a diagram that allows you to visualize the shape of the antenna’s
coverage area.
Antenna Gain
Antenna 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 WLAN
There 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 LANs
NWD-270N User’s Guide
100
Positioning Antennas
In 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 101
APPENDIX B
Windows Wireless Management
This appendix shows you how to manage your NWD-270N using the Windows Vista and
Windows XP wireless configuration tools.
Windows Vista
Take the following steps to connect to a wireless network using the Windows Vista wireless
configuration tool (WLAN AutoConfig).
Connecting to a Wireless Network
1Click Start () > Connect To.
Figure 59 Vista: Start Menu
The Connect To window displays, showing all available networks.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
102
Figure 60 Vista: The Connect To Window
The 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 Information
2Double-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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 103
Figure 62 Vista: Enter Security Key
Your computer tries to connect to the wireless network.
Figure 63 Vista: Connecting
If your computer has connected to the wireless network successfully, the following
screen displays.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
104
Figure 64 Vista: Successful Connection
4If 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 Manually
If the wireless network to which you want to connect does not appear in the Connect to
window (if your network’s SSID is hidden, for example), take the following steps to configure
your network connection manually
1Click Set up a connection or network at the bottom of the Connect to screen. The
following screen displays.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 105
Figure 65 Vista: Choose a Connection Option
2Click Manually connect to a wireless network. The following screen displays.
Figure 66 Vista: Connect Manually
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 26 Vista: Connect Manually
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Network 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
106
3When you have finished filling in the fields, click Next. the following screen displays.
Figure 67 Vista: Successfully Added Network
4If 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
broadcasting
Select 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 Manually
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 107
1Click 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 Network
2Select 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
108
"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 XP
Be sure you have the Windows XP service pack 2 installed on your computer. Otherwise, you
should at least have the Windows XP service pack 1 already on your computer and download
the support patch for WPA from the Microsoft web site.
Windows XP SP2 screen shots are shown unless otherwise specified. Click the help icon ( )
in most screens, move the cursor to the item that you want the information about and click to
view the help.
Activating Wireless Zero Configuration
1Click Start > Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 109
2Double-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 Status
Figure 72 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status
4The 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
110
Figure 73 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties
Figure 74 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties
If you see the following screen, refer to article 871122 on the Microsoft web site for
information on starting WZC.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 111
Figure 75 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not Available
Connecting to a Wireless Network
1Double-click the network icon for wireless connections in the system tray to open the
Wireless Network Connection Status screen.
Figure 76 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon
The 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 Icon
ICON DESCRIPTION
The 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
112
Figure 77 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status
Windows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click
Properties and the Wireless Networks tab to open the Wireless Network Connection
Properties screen.
Figure 78 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status
3Windows XP SP2: Click Refresh network list to reload and search for available
wireless devices within transmission range. Select a wireless network in the list and click
Connect to join the selected wireless network.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 113
Figure 79 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection
The following table describes the icons in the wireless network list.
Windows XP SP1: Click Refresh to reload and search for available wireless devices
within transmission range. Select a wireless network in the Available networks list,
click Configure and set the related fields to the same security settings as the associated
AP to add the selected network into the Preferred networks table. Click OK to join the
selected wireless network. Refer to the section on security settings (discussed later) for
more information.
Table 28 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection
ICON DESCRIPTION
This denotes that wireless security is activated for the wireless network.
This denotes that this wireless network is your preferred network. Ordering your
preferred networks is important because the 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
114
Figure 80 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties
44.Windows XP SP2: If the wireless security is activated for the selected wireless
network, the Wireless Network Connection screen displays. You must set the related
fields in the Wireless Network Connection screen to the same security settings as the
associated AP and click Connect. Refer to the section about security settings for more
information. Otherwise click Cancel and connect to another wireless network without
data encryption. 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 115
Figure 82 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security
5Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check the
connection status in the wireless network list or the connection icon in the Preferred
networks or Available networks list.
The following table describes the connection icons.
Security Settings
When you configure the 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.
Association
Select a network in the Preferred networks list and click Properties to view or configure
security.
Figure 83 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association
Table 29 Windows XP: Wireless Networks
ICON DESCRIPTION
This 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
116
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Authentication
Click the Authentication tab in the Wireless (network) properties screen to display the
screen shown next. The fields on this screen are grayed out when the network is in Ad-Hoc
mode or data encryption is disabled.
Table 30 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Network name
(SSID) This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless network.
Network
Authentication This field automatically shows the authentication method (Share, Open, WPA or
WPA-PSK) used by the selected network.
Data Encryption This field automatically shows the encryption type (TKIP, WEP or Disable) used
by the selected network.
Network Key Enter the pre-shared key or WEP key.
The values for the keys must be set up exactly the same on all wireless devices in
the same wireless LAN.
Confirm network
key Enter the key again for confirmation.
Key index
(advanced) Select a default WEP key to use for data encryption.
This field is available only when the network use WEP encryption method and the
The key is provided for me automatically check box is not selected.
The key is
provided for me
automatically
If this check box is selected, the wireless AP assigns the NWD-270N a key.
This is a
computer-to-
computer (ad hoc)
network; wireless
access points are
not used
If this check box is selected, you are connecting to another computer directly.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have
made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 117
Figure 84 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Authentication Properties
Select 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: Authentication
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Enable IEEE
802.1x
authentication for
this network
This field displays whether the IEEE 802.1x authentication is active.
If the network authentication is set to Open in the previous screen, you can
choose to disable or enable this feature.
EAP Type Select the type of EAP authentication. Options are Protected EAP (PEAP) and
Smart Card or other Certificate.
Properties Click this button to open the properties screen and configure certificates. The
screen varies depending on what you select in the EAP type field.
Authenticate as
computer when
computer
information is
available
Select this check box to have the computer send its information to the network for
authentication when a user is not logged on.
Authenticate as
guest when user
or computer
information is
unavailable
Select this check box to have the computer access to the network as a guest when
a user is not logged on or computer information is not available.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have
made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
118
Protected EAP Properties
Figure 85 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Table 32 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Validate server
certificate Select the check box to verify the certificate of the authentication server.
Connect to these
servers Select the check box and specify a domain in the field below to have your
computer connect to a server which resides only within this domain.
Trusted Root
Certification
Authorities:
Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.
Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).
Consult your network administrator for more information.
Do not prompt
user to authorize
new server or
trusted
certification
authorities.
Select this check box to verify a new authentication server or trusted CA without
prompting.
This field is available only if you installed the Windows XP server pack 2.
Select
Authentication
Method:
Select an authentication method from the drop-down list box and click Configure
to do settings.
Enable Fast
Reconnect Select the check box to automatically reconnect to the network (without re-
authentication) if the wireless connection goes down.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have
made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 119
Smart Card or other Certificate Properties
Figure 86 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Ordering the Preferred Networks
Follow the steps below to manage your preferred networks.
Table 33 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Use my smart
card Select this check box to use the smart card for authentication.
Use a certificate
on this computer Select this check box to use a certificate on your computer for authentication.
Validate server
certificate Select the check box to check the certificate of the authentication server.
Connect to these
servers Select the check box and specify a domain in the field below to have your
computer connect to a server which resides only within this domain.
Trusted Root
Certification
Authorities:
Select a trusted certification authority from the list below.
Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and
obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).
Consult your network administrator for more information.
View Certificate Click this button if you want to verify the selected certificate.
Use a different
user name for the
connection:
Select the check box to use a different user name when the user name in the
smart card or certificate is not the same as the user name in the domain that you
are logged on to.
OK Click OK to save your changes.
Cancel Click Cancel to leave this screen without saving any changes you may have
made.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
120
1Windows 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 Networks
Windows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click
Properties and the Wireless Networks tab to open the screen as shown.
Figure 88 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks
2Whenever 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 Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide 121
the security, authentication or connection information of the selected network. Click
Add to add a preferred network into the list manually.
Appendix B Windows Wireless Management
NWD-270N User’s Guide
122
NWD-270N User’s Guide 123
APPENDIX C
Legal Information
Copyright
Copyright © 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.
Disclaimers
ZyXEL does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, or
software described herein. Neither does it convey any license under its patent rights nor the
patent rights of others. ZyXEL further reserves the right to make changes in any products
described herein without notice. This publication is subject to change without notice.
Trademarks
Trademarks mentioned in this publication are used for identification purposes only and may be
properties of their respective owners.
Certifications
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Statement
The device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operations.
This 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 Information
NWD-270N User’s Guide
124
If this device does cause harmful interference to radio/television reception, which can be
determined by turning the device off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
1Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
2Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
3Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
4Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement
• This device has been tested to the FCC exposure requirements (Specific Absorption Rate).
• This device complies with the requirements of Health Canada Safety Code 6 for Canada.
• Testing was performed on laptop computers with antennas at 5mm spacing. The 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 Information
NWD-270N User’s Guide 125
Notices
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 Certifications
1Go 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 Warranty
ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects
in materials or workmanship for a period of up to two years from the date of purchase. During
the warranty period, and upon proof of purchase, should the product have indications of failure
due to faulty workmanship and/or materials, ZyXEL will, at its discretion, repair or replace the
defective products or components without charge for either parts or labor, and to whatever
extent it shall deem necessary to restore the product or components to proper operating
condition. Any replacement will consist of a new or re-manufactured functionally equivalent
product of equal or higher value, and will be solely at the discretion of ZyXEL. This warranty
shall not apply if the product has been modified, misused, tampered with, damaged by an act
of God, or subjected to abnormal working conditions.
Note
Repair or replacement, as provided under this warranty, is the exclusive remedy of the
purchaser. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, express or implied, including any
implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose. ZyXEL shall in
no event be held liable for indirect or consequential damages of any kind to the purchaser.
To obtain the services of this warranty, contact ZyXEL's Service Center for your Return
Material Authorization number (RMA). Products must be returned Postage Prepaid. It is
recommended that the unit be insured when shipped. Any returned products without proof of
purchase or those with an out-dated warranty will be repaired or replaced (at the discretion of
ZyXEL) and the customer will be billed for parts and labor. All repaired or replaced products
will be shipped by ZyXEL to the corresponding return address, Postage Paid. This warranty
gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that vary from country to
country.
Appendix C Legal Information
NWD-270N User’s Guide
126
Registration
Register your product online to receive e-mail notices of firmware upgrades and information
at www.zyxel.com.
NWD-270N User’s Guide 127
APPENDIX D
Customer Support
Please 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, Taiwan
Costa 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 Rica
Czech Republic
• E-mail: info@cz.zyxel.com
• Telephone: +420-241-091-350
• Fax: +420-241-091-359
• Web: www.zyxel.cz
Appendix D Customer Support
NWD-270N User’s Guide
128
• Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications, Czech s.r.o., Modranská 621, 143 01 Praha 4 -
Modrany, Ceská Republika
Denmark
• 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, Denmark
Finland
• 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, Finland
France
• 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, France
Germany
• 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,
Germany
Hungary
• 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 Support
NWD-270N User’s Guide 129
India
• 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, India
Japan
• 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, Japan
Kazakhstan
• 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 Kazakhstan
Malaysia
• 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, Malaysia
North 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 Support
NWD-270N User’s Guide
130
• 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, Norway
Poland
• 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, Poland
Russia
• 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, Russia
Singapore
• 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 609930
Spain
• 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 Support
NWD-270N User’s Guide 131
Sweden
• 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, Sweden
Thailand
• 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, Ukraine
United 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 Support
NWD-270N User’s Guide
132
Index
NWD-270N User’s Guide 133
Index
A
About 72
about your ZyXEL Device 22
Access Point (AP) 38
Access point (AP) 38
Access Point. See also AP.
ACT LED 22
activating a profile 64
adapter 64
Ad-Hoc 23, 62
Advanced Encryption Standard 40
See AES.
advanced settings 64
AES 96
antenna
directional 99
gain 99
omni-directional 99
AP 89
See also access point.
AP MAC address 51
authentication 51
authentication type 39
auto 40
open system 40
shared key 40
auto authentication 40
automatic connection 53
automatic network scan 31, 59
B
Basic Service Set, See BSS 87
BSS 87
C
CA 40, 94
CCMP 40
Certificate Authority
See CA.
certifications 123
notices 125
viewing 125
channel 38, 51, 53, 62, 89
interference 89
configuration method 25
important note 25
Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) 24, 25
ZyXEL utility 25
configuration status 51
connection status 51
contact information 127
continuous access mode 64
copyright 123
creating a new profile 61
credentials 68
CTS (Clear to Send) 90
current configuration 51
current connection status 51
customer support 127
D
data encryption 53
digital ID 40
dimensions 81
disclaimer 123
download 73
driver version 72
dynamic WEP key exchange 95
E
EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) 40
EAP Authentication 93
EAP authentication 40
EAP type 67
EAP-PEAP 40
EAP-TLS 40
EAP-TTLS 40
Index
NWD-270N User’s Guide
134
encryption 96
encryption type 39, 57
environmental specifications 81
ESS 88
Extended Service Set, See ESS 88
F
fast power save 64
FCC interference statement 123
fragmentation threshold 90
frequency 38, 81, 82
G
getting started 21
H
hardware connections 24
help 26
hidden node 89
humidity 81
I
IBSS 87
IEEE 802.11g 91
IEEE 802.1x 40, 57, 67
Independent Basic Service Set
See IBSS 87
infrastructure 23
Initialization Vector (IV) 96
installation 24
interface 81
Internet access 23
L
LEDs 22
lights 22
link information 51
LINK LED 22
link quality 52
M
manual network connection 31
Message Integrity Check (MIC) 40, 96
N
network mode 51
network name 51
network overlap 38
network scan 59
network type 51, 53
O
online help 26
P
packet collisions 52
Pairwise Master Key (PMK) 96, 98
passphrase 39, 55
password 39
PEAP 67, 68
peer computer 23, 62
physical specifications 81
power saving 64
power saving mode 64
preamble mode 91
product registration 125
product specifications 81
profile 51, 60
activation 64
add new 61
configure 31, 33
default 59
delete 60
edit 60
information 60
new 60, 61
Index
NWD-270N User’s Guide 135
PSK 96
Q
Quick Start Guide 24, 78
R
radio interference 78
radio specifications 81
RADIUS 40, 92
message types 93
messages 93
shared secret key 93
real-time data traffic statistics 52
receive rate 51
receive speed 51
registration
product 125
related documentation 3
RTS (Request To Send) 90
threshold 89, 90
S
safety warnings 6
save power 64
scan 53
scan info 62
search 53
security 38, 39, 51, 83
data encryption 39
security settings and Vista 67
sensitivity 81
Service Set Identity (SSID) 31, 38
signal strength 52, 53
site information 53
site survey 53
scan 53
security settings 54
sleep mode 64
SSID 31, 38, 51, 53, 78
statistics 51
syntax conventions 4
system tray 24
T
temperature 81
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) 40, 96
The 67
TLS 67, 69
total receive 52
total transmit 51
trademarks 123
transmission rate 51, 60
transmit key 55
transmit rate 51
trend chart 52
TTLS 67
U
uninstalling the ZyXEL utility 72
upgrading the ZyXEL utility 73
important step 73
user authentication 39
utility installation 24
utility version 72
V
Vista 67, 69
W
warranty 125
note 125
weight 81
WEP 39, 55
automatic setup 39
manual setup 39, 55
passphrase 39, 55
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) 39
WEP Encryption 54
WEP key generation 39
Wi-Fi Protected Access 40, 95
Wi-Fi Protected Setup 50
Windows 67
Windows XP 25
wireless client 38
Index
NWD-270N User’s Guide
136
wireless client WPA supplicants 97
wireless LAN
introduction 37
security 39
wireless LAN (WLAN) 37
wireless network 38
wireless security 91
wireless standard 81
wireless station mode
adapter 64
security settings 54
site survey 53
trend chart 52
wireless tutorial 28
WLAN
interference 89
security parameters 98
WPA 40, 56, 67, 95
key caching 96
pre-authentication 96
user authentication 96
vs WPA-PSK 96
wireless client supplicant 97
with RADIUS application example 97
WPA2 40, 56, 67, 95
user authentication 96
vs WPA2-PSK 96
wireless client supplicant 97
with RADIUS application example 97
WPA2-Pre-Shared Key 40, 95
WPA2-PSK 40, 55, 95, 96
application example 97
WPA-PSK 41, 55, 95, 96
application example 97
WPS
see also Wi-Fi Protected Setup 50
WZC
activating 108
network connection 111
not available 110
preferred network 119
security setting 115
system tray icon 111
WZC (Wireless Zero Configuration) 25
Z
ZyXEL Utility
accessing 26
ZyXEL utility 25
accessing 26
driver version number 72
exiting 25
help 26
reactivating 25
status 25
system tray icon 24
upgrading 73
version number 72