ZyXEL Communications ZyXEL ZyAIR G-300 User Manual
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ZyXEL Communications ZyXEL ZyAIR G-300 User Manual

Zyxel communications wireless lan pci adapter user's guide g-300
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ZyAIR G-300
Wireless LAN PCI Adapter
User's Guide
Version 2.00
October 2004

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Summary of Contents for ZyXEL Communications ZyXEL ZyAIR G-300

  • Page 1 ZyAIR G-300 Wireless LAN PCI Adapter User's Guide Version 2.00 October 2004...
  • Page 2 ZyXEL Communications Corporation. Published by ZyXEL Communications Corporation. All rights reserved. Disclaimer ZyXEL does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, or software described herein.

  • Page 3: Zyxel Limited Warranty

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide ZyXEL Limited Warranty ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects in materials or workmanship for a period of up to one (1) year 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...

  • Page 4: Information For Canadian Users

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Information for Canadian Users The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification means that the equipment meets certain telecommunications network protective operation and safety requirements. The Industry Canada does not guarantee that the equipment will operate to a user's satisfaction. Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible to be connected to the facilities of the local telecommunications company.

  • Page 5: Federal Communications Commission (Fcc) Interference Statement

    Federal Communications Commission 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.

  • Page 7: Customer Support

    +45 39 55 07 07 +47 22 80 61 80 www.zyxel.no +47 22 80 61 81 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide REGULAR MAIL ZyXEL Communications Corp. 6 Innovation Road II Science Park Hsinchu 300 Taiwan ZyXEL Communications Inc. 1130 N. Miller St.
  • Page 8 TELEPHONE WEB SITE FTP SITE +46 31 744 7700 www.zyxel.se +46 31 744 7701 +358-9-4780-8411 www.zyxel.fi REGULAR MAIL ZyXEL Communications A/S Sjöporten 4, 41764 Göteborg Sweden ZyXEL Communications Oy Malminkaari 10 00700 Helsinki Finland Information for Canadian Users...

  • Page 9: Table Of Contents

    Copyright...ii ZyXEL Limited Warranty ...iii Information for Canadian Users...iv Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Statement...v Customer Support ...vii List of Figures ... xi List of Tables... xii Preface... xiii Chapter 1 Getting Started ... 1-1 About Your ZyAIR G-300 ... 1-1 ZyAIR Hardware and Utility Installation...
  • Page 10 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 2.3.1 The Advanced Configuration Screen ... 2-12 2.3.2 The Security Screen... 2-13 2.3.3 The Certificate Screen ... 2-16 The Site Survey Screen ... 2-18 2.4.1 Connecting to a Network... 2-20 The About Screen... 2-20 Chapter 3 Maintenance ... 3-1 Removing the ZyAIR Utility ...

  • Page 11: List Of Figures

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide List of Figures Figure 1-1 ZyAIR Utility: System Tray Icon ... 1-2 Figure 2-1 Ad-hoc Network Example... 2-2 Figure 2-2 BSS Example ... 2-2 Figure 2-3 Infrastructure Network Example... 2-3 Figure 2-4 Roaming Example... 2-3 Figure 2-5 RTS Threshold ... 2-4 Figure 2-6 Wireless LAN Security Levels...
  • Page 12 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide List of Tables Table 1-1 ZyAIR Utility: System Tray Icon ... 1-2 Table 2-1 Configuration... 2-10 Table 2-2 Configuration: Advanced... 2-12 Table 2-3 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Security ... 2-14 Table 2-4 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Certification ... 2-17 Table 2-5 Site Survey...

  • Page 13: Preface

    Bold Arial font. • The ZyXEL ZyAIR G-300 Wireless LAN PCI adapter is referred to as the ZyAIR in this guide. • The ZyAIR G-300 Wireless LAN Utility may be referred to as the ZyAIR Utility in this guide.
  • Page 14 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Notebook computer Computer Wireless Access Point Modem Wireless Signal Server Switch Router Telephone Preface...

  • Page 15: Chapter 1 Getting Started

    About Your ZyAIR G-300 The ZyAIR G-300 is an IEEE 802.11g compliant wireless LAN adapter. With the ZyAIR, you can enjoy the wireless mobility within the coverage area. The following lists the main features of your ZyAIR. • Your ZyAIR can communicate with other IEEE 802.11b/g compliant wireless devices. •...

  • Page 16: Windows Xp Users Only

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Windows XP Users Only Accessing the ZyAIR Utility After you installed the ZyAIR Utility, an icon for the ZyAIR Utility appears in the system tray. When the ZyAIR Utility system tray icon displays, the ZyAIR is installed properly. Figure 1-1 ZyAIR Utility: System Tray Icon The color of the ZyAIR Utility system tray icon indicates the status of the ZyAIR.

  • Page 17: Chapter 2 Using The Zyair Utility

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Chapter 2 Using the ZyAIR Utility This chapter shows you how to configure the ZyAIR using the ZyAIR Utility. About Wireless LAN Network This section describes each wireless LAN parameter. 2.1.1 Channel A radio frequency used by a wireless device is called a channel. 2.1.2 SSID The SSID (Service Set Identity) is a unique name shared among all wireless devices in a wireless network.

  • Page 18: Figure 2-1 Ad-Hoc Network Example

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Figure 2-1 Ad-hoc Network Example To set up an ad-hoc network, configure all wireless clients in ad-hoc network type and use the same SSID and channel. Infrastructure When a number of wireless clients are connected using a single AP, you have a Basic Service Set (BSS). Figure 2-2 BSS Example A series of overlapping BSS and a network medium, such as an Ethernet forms an Extended Service Set (ESS) or infrastructure network.

  • Page 19: Roaming

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Figure 2-3 Infrastructure Network Example 2.1.5 Roaming In an infrastructure network, wireless stations are able to switch from one BSS to another as they move between the coverage areas. During this period, the wireless stations maintain uninterrupted connection to the network.

  • Page 20: Profile

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 2.1.6 Profile The Profile function allows you to save the wireless network settings in this screen, use one of the pre- configured network profiles or reset the settings in this screen to the factory default values. 2.1.7 Threshold Controls Fragmentation Threshold A fragmentation threshold is the maximum data fragment size (between 256 and 2432 bytes) that can be...

  • Page 21: Wireless Lan Security

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 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.

  • Page 22: Authentication Mode

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Data Encryption with WEP WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption scrambles all data packets transmitted between the ZyAIR 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. Your ZyAIR allows you to configure up to four 64-bit or 128-bit WEP keys and only one key is used as the default key at any one time.

  • Page 23: Wpa-Psk Application Example

    Therefore, if you don’t have an external RADIUS server, you should use WPA-PSK (WPA -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 client will be granted access to a WLAN. Encryption WPA improves data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC), IEEE 802.1x and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

  • Page 24: Wpa With Radius Application Example

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 2.2.5 WPA with RADIUS Application Example You need the IP address of the RADIUS server, its port number (default is 1812), and the RADIUS shared secret. A WPA application example with an external RADIUS server looks as follows. “A” is the RADIUS server.

  • Page 25: The Configuration Screen

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Figure 2-8 WPA with RADIUS Application Example The Configuration Screen Click the Configuration tab to display the screen as shown next. Using the ZyAIR Utility...

  • Page 26: Figure 2-9 Configuration

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide The following table describes the labels in this screen. LABEL Profile This field displays the name of a predefined profile. To use a previously saved network profile, select the profile file name from the drop- down list box. Once you activate a profile, the ZyAIR Utility will use that profile the next time it is started.
  • Page 27 LABEL SSID Enter the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of the AP or the peer ad-hoc computer to which you want to associate. To associate to an ad-hoc network, you must enter the same SSID as the peer ad-hoc computer. Enter “any” to associate to or roam between any infrastructure wireless networks. Advanced Click Advanced to display the Advanced Configuration screen.

  • Page 28: The Advanced Configuration Screen

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide LABEL Link Strength The status bar and the percentage number or a number in dBm show the strength of the signal. Rescan Click Rescan to re-establish connection to the wireless device whose SSID is shown in the State field.

  • Page 29: The Security Screen

    LABAL RTS Threshold Data with its frame size larger than this value will perform the RTS/CTS handshake. Setting this attribute to be larger than the maximum MSDU (MAC service data unit) size turns off the RTS/CTS handshake. Setting this attribute to zero turns on the RTS/CTS handshake.

  • Page 30: Figure 2-11 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Security

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Figure 2-11 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Security The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 2-3 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Security LABEL Privacy Authentication Mode Select an authentication mode. Choices are Open, Share, WPA and WPA- PSK.
  • Page 31 Table 2-3 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Security LABEL Enable IEEE 802.1X Select this checkbox to enable IEEE 802.1X authentication to log into the Authentication for this network. network Select an EAP type. Choices are TLS, PEAP and LEAP. EAP Type Keys will be generated Select this checkbox to allow the ZyAIR to obtain the security keys from an automatically for data authentication server (the RADIUS server).

  • Page 32: The Certificate Screen

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Table 2-3 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Security LABEL Network Key Enter the pre-shared key (PSK) or passphrase from 8 to 63 case-sensitive ASCII characters (including spaces and symbols). Confirm Network Key Enter the PSK again for confirmation. Click OK to save the changes.

  • Page 33: Figure 2-12 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Certification

    Figure 2-12 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Certification The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 2-4 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Certification LABEL Certificate Information Specify the certificate(s) in the fields. User Certificate This field is applicable for TLS authentication mode. Select a certificate you have enrolled.

  • Page 34: The Site Survey Screen

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Table 2-4 Configuration: Privacy Configuration: Certification LABEL Certificate Authority This field is applicable for PEAP and TLS authentication modes. Select a certificate authority. Verify Server Certificate Select the check box to check the certificate of the authentication server. User Information These fields are applicable for LEAP and PEAP authentication modes.

  • Page 35: Figure 2-13 Site Survey

    The following table describes the labels in the table. LABEL ESSID This field displays the SSID (or name) of each wireless device. BSSID This field displays the MAC address of the wireless device. Channel This field displays the channel number used by each wireless device. Network This field displays the wireless network type (Infrastructure or Ad Hoc) of the wireless Type...

  • Page 36: Connecting To A Network

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide LABEL Join Click Join to associate to the selected wireless device. 2.4.1 Connecting to a Network Follow the steps below to connect to a network using the Site Survey screen. 1. Click Search to scan for all available wireless networks within range. 2.

  • Page 37: Figure 2-14 Zyair Utility: About

    The following table describes the read-only fields in this screen. FIELD Configuration This field displays the version number of the ZyAIR Utility. Utility Version Network Driver This field displays the version number of the Windows driver for the ZyAIR. Version NIC Firmware This field displays the firmware version and the MAC address of the ZyAIR.

  • Page 39: Chapter 3 Maintenance

    Removing the ZyAIR Utility Follow the steps below to remove (or uninstall) the ZyAIR Utility from your computer. 1. Close and exit the ZyAIR Utility. 2. Click Start, (all) Programs, ZyAIR G-300 PCI Adapter Utility, Uninstall ZyAIR G-300 Adapter Utility. 3.

  • Page 41: Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

    This chapter covers potential problems and the possible remedies. After each problem description, some instructions are provided to help you to diagnose and to solve the problem. Problems Starting the ZyAIR Utility Program Table 4-1 Troubleshooting Starting ZyAIR Utility Program Cannot start the ZyAIR Make sure the ZyAIR is properly inserted and the LED is on.

  • Page 42: Problem With The Link Status

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Table 4-2 Troubleshooting Communication Problems PROBLEM Ad-Hoc Problem with the Link Status PROBLEM The link quality and/or signal strength is poor all the time. CORRECTIVE ACTION Verify that the peer computer(s) is turned on. Make sure the ZyAIR and the peer computer(s) are using the same SSID and channel.

  • Page 43: Appendix A Disable Windows Xp Wireless Lan Configuration Tool

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Appendix A Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool Windows XP includes a configuration tool (also known as Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC)) for wireless devices. Follow the steps below to disable the configuration tool in Windows XP after you install the ZyAIR Utility. The screen varies depending on the version of Windows XP service pack.
  • Page 44 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 2. Windows XP SP1: When a Wireless Network Connection window displays, click Advanced…. Diagram 2 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Windows XP SP2: When a Wireless Network Connection window displays, click Change advanced settings under Related Tasks and then the Wireless Networks tab. Diagram 3 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool...
  • Page 45 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 3. In the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, make sure the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is not selected. Click OK. Diagram 4 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool...
  • Page 46 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 5 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties Via the Control Panel 1. If the icon for the wireless network connection is not in the system tray, click Start, Control Panel and double-click Network Connections. Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool...
  • Page 47 2. Double-click on the icon for wireless network connection to display a status window as shown next. Diagram 6 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status Diagram 7 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status 3. Click Properties and click the Wireless Networks tab. Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide...
  • Page 48 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 4. In the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, make sure the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is not selected. Click OK. Diagram 8 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool...
  • Page 49 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 9 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties Disable Windows XP Wireless LAN Configuration Tool...
  • Page 51 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Appendix B Management with Wireless Zero Configuration This appendix shows you how to manage your ZyAIR using the Windows XP wireless configuration tool. Be sure you have the Windows XP service pack 2 installed on your computer. Otherwise, you should at least have the Windows XP service pack 1 already on your computer and download the support patch for WPA from the Microsoft web site.
  • Page 52 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Connecting to a Wireless Network 1. Double-click the network icon for wireless connections in the system tray to open the Wireless Network Connection Status screen. Diagram 11 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon The type of the wireless network icon in Windows XP SP2 indicates the status of the ZyAIR. Refer to the following table for details.
  • Page 53 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 12 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. Management with Wireless Zero Configuration...
  • Page 54 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 13 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status 3. Windows XP SP2: Click Refresh network list to reload and search for available wireless devices within transmission range. Select a wireless network in the list and click Connect to join the selected wireless network.
  • Page 55 Diagram 14 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection The following table describes the icons in the wireless network list. Chart 2 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection ICON This denotes that the wireless security is activated for the wireless network. This denotes that this wireless network is your preferred network.
  • Page 56 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide 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.
  • Page 57 Diagram 16 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: WEP or WPA-PSK Diagram 17 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security 5. Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check 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.
  • Page 58 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 18 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association The following table describes the labels in this screen. Chart 4 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association LABEL Network name This field displays the SSID (Service Set IDentifier) of each wireless network. (SSID) Network This field automatically shows the authentication method (Share, Open, WPA or WPA-...
  • Page 59 Chart 4 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association LABEL Confirm network Enter the key again for confirmation. Key index 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 (advanced) key is provided for me automatically check box is not selected.
  • Page 60 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 19 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication The following table describes the labels in this screen. Chart 5 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication LABEL Enable IEEE This field displays whether the IEEE 802.1x authentication is active. 802.1x If the network authentication is set to Open in the previous screen, you can choose to authentication...
  • Page 61 Chart 5 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication LABEL Authenticate as Select this check box to have the computer access to the network as a guest when a guest when user user is not logged on or computer information is not available. or computer information is unavailable...
  • Page 62 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide The following table describes the labels in this screen. Chart 6 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties LABEL Validate server Select the check box to verify the certificate of the authentication server. certificate Connect to Select the check box and specify a domain in the field below to have your computer these servers connect to a server which resides only within this domain.
  • Page 63 Smart Card or other Certificate Properties Diagram 21 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties The following table describes the labels in this screen. Chart 7 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties LABEL Use my smart Select this check box to use the smart card for authentication. card Use a certificate Select this check box to use a certificate on your computer for authentication.
  • Page 64 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Chart 7 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties LABEL Trusted Root Select a trusted certification authority from the list below. Certification You must first have a wired connection to a network and obtain Authorities: the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).
  • Page 65 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 22 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. Management with Wireless Zero Configuration...

  • Page 66: Appendix B Management With Wireless Zero Configuration

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Diagram 23 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks 2. Whenever the ZyAIR tries to connect to a new network, the new network is added in the Preferred networks table automatically. Select a network and click Move up or Move down to change it’s order, click Remove to delete it or click Properties to view the security, authentication or connection information of the selected network.

  • Page 67: Appendix C Types Of Eap Authentication

    ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Appendix C Types of EAP Authentication This appendix discusses the five popular EAP authentication types: EAP-MD5, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, PEAP and LEAP. The type of authentication you use depends on the RADIUS server. Consult your network administrator for more information. EAP-MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5) MD5 authentication is the simplest one-way authentication method.
  • Page 68 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide For added security, certificate-based authentications (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS and PEAP) use dynamic keys for data encryption. They are often deployed in corporate environments, but for public deployment, a simple user name and password pair is more practical. The following table is a comparison of the features of five authentication types.

  • Page 69: Appendix D Product Specifications

    Product Name ZyAIR G-300 Wireless LAN PCI Adapter Type 3.3V 32-bit PCI adapter IEEE 802.11b Standards IEEE 802.11g Infrastructure Network Architectures Ad-Hoc Operating Frequencies 2.412-2.483GHz IEEE 802.11b: 11 Channels (North America) IEEE 802.11g: 11 Channels (North America) Operating Channels IEEE 802.11b: 13 Channels (Europe) IEEE 802.11g: 13 Channels (Europe) IEEE 802.11b: 11, 5.5, 2, 1Mbps Data Rate...
  • Page 70 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide Weight <80g Dimension 134mm(L)*121mm(W)*22mm(H) Product Specifications Product Specifications...

  • Page 71: Index

    About ... 2-20 Accessing the ZyAIR Utility ... 1-2 AdHoc Channel ... 2-11 authentication ... 2-19 authentication mode ... 2-14 Authentication Mode... 2-6 Open ... 2-6 Shared... 2-6 automatically key generation ... 2-15 Basic Service Set ... See BSS BSS... 2-2 CA...
  • Page 72 ZyAIR G-300 User’s Guide IEEE 802.1X ... 2-15 IEEE 802.1X authentication... 2-15 Independent Basic Service Set...See IBSS Information for Canadian Users... iv Caution ... iv Note... iv Infrastructure... 2-2 Link quality ... 2-11 Link strength ... 2-12 MD5 ... Y Message Digest Algorithm 5...
  • Page 73 Upgrading the ZyAIR Utility ... 3-1 User Authentication ... 2-6 Using the ZyAIR Utility... 2-1 Warranty ... iii Note... iii WEP... 2-6 WEP Data Encryption with ... 2-6 WEP key ... 2-15 confirmation ... 2-15 format ... 2-15 index... 2-15 length ...

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