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Alvarion BreezeNET PRO.11 Series User Manual

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BreezeNET PRO.11 Series
User's Guide
Revision A (Software Version 4.4.)
July, 1999
Cat. No. 213033

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Summary of Contents for Alvarion BreezeNET PRO.11 Series

  • Page 1 BreezeNET PRO.11 Series User’s Guide Revision A (Software Version 4.4.) July, 1999 Cat. No. 213033...
  • Page 2 Front Matter © 1999 by BreezeCOM Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form without the written permission of the copyright owner. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form without the written permission of the copyright owner.
  • Page 3 FCC Radio Frequency Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
  • Page 4 Should you need assistance beyond the scope of this guide, please contact your local BreezeCOM reseller or distributor. If they cannot solve your problem, feel free to contact the BreezeCOM Technical Support Department. The support representatives can assist you in solving any problems that cannot be solved by your reseller.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    1.3.3 The BreezeNET PRO.11 Four Port Station Adapter ......... 1-7 1.3.4 The BreezeNET PRO.11 Workgroup Bridge ............ 1-9 1.3.5 The BreezeNET PRO.11 SA-PCR Card............1-11 1.3.6 The BreezeNET PRO.11 Extended Range Access Point and Bridge....1-12 1.4 BreezeNET PRO.11 Functional Description.............. 1-13 1.4.1 Quick Review of Ethernet ................1-13 1.4.2 Startup Procedure.....................
  • Page 6 Table of Contents 3. USING THE LOCAL TERMINAL FOR UNIT SETUP AND MANAGEMENT ..3-1 3.1 Getting Started with the Local Terminal ..............3-1 3.2 Configuration Screens ....................3-2 3.3 Main Menu ........................3-5 3.4 System Configuration Menu..................3-5 3.4.1 Station Status ..................... 3-6 3.4.2 IP and SNMP Parameters ..................
  • Page 7 5.3.7 Using Outdoor Range Tables................5-21 5.3.8 FCC Outdoor Range Tables (USA) ..............5-21 5.3.9 ETSI Outdoor Range Tables (Europe/Rest-of-World) – D Models, DL Models..5-23 5.3.10 ETSI Outdoor Range Tables (Europe/Rest-of-World) – DE Models ..... 5-24 5.3.11 Non-Regulated Outdoor Range Tables – D Models........5-25 5.3.12 Extending the range using the TPA-24 and LNA-10 ........
  • Page 8 9.2 Technical Specifications....................9-3 9.2.1 Specifications for BreezeNET PRO.11 Units............ 9-3 9.2.2 Specifications for TPA 24 Transmit Power Amplifier ........9-6 9.2.3 Specifications for LNA 10 Low Noise Receive Amplifier........ 9-7 9.2.4 Specifications for RFS 122 Radio Frequency Splitter........9-8 9.2.5 Specifications for AL 1 Lightning Arrestor............
  • Page 9 Table of Contents 9.5.1 Architecture Components ................9-25 9.5.2 IEEE 802.11 Layers Description ..............9-27 9.5.3 The MAC Layer....................9-27 9.5.4 How Does a Station Join an Existing Cell............9-33 9.5.5 Roaming......................9-34 9.5.6 Keeping Synchronization................. 9-35 9.5.7 Security ......................9-35 9.5.8 Frame Types ....................
  • Page 10 Figure 4-6. BreezeCOM SA-PCR Utilities - Folder Selection Window ......4-12 Figure 4-7. BreezeCOM SA-PCR Utilities Setup Complete Window ......4-12 Figure 4-8. SA-PCR Configuration Utility Main Window - Station Status Tab..... 4-13 Figure 4-9. WLAN Parameters Tab ................4-15 Figure 4-10.
  • Page 11 Figure 4-28. Upgrade Program Step 5................4-36 Figure 5-1. Point-to-Point Configuration/Connecting Remote Offices to Main Office Network.... 5-2 Figure 5-2. Wireless Bridging Between Two or More Wireless LAN Segments ..... 5-4 Figure 5-3. Single Cell Configuration ................5-5 Figure 5-4. Three Overlapping Cells................. 5-6 Figure 5-5.
  • Page 12 Figure 9-12. Fresnel Zone ....................9-24 Figure 9-13. Fresnel Zone Clear of Obstacles ..............9-25 Figure 9-14. Typical 802.11 LAN ................... 9-26 Figure 9-15. Transaction Between Stations A and B ............9-30 Figure 9-16. Frame Fragmentation.................. 9-31 Figure 9-17. Access Mechanism ..................9-33 Figure 9-18.

  • Page 13: Introduction

    1.1 Scope of the User’s Guide This User’s Guide provides instructions for planning and setting up your wireless LAN, provides details of how to install each unit, and how to install antennas and accessories. This User’s Guide contains the following chapters: Chapter 1 Introduction –...

  • Page 14: Breezenet Pro.11 Series Features

    PC. It comes with two retractable antennas, or two connectors to which antennas may be connected. Multi-rate support for 1, 2, and 3 Mbps guarantees efficient use of the medium. Throughput is up to 2 Mbps – the highest rate on the market! User’s Guide...

  • Page 15: Breezenet Pro.11 Series Product Line

    Configuration Utility – This user-friendly application helps you quickly setup stations containing SA-PCR Card. You can save the configuration to a file and import the file to other stations for fast installation. Site Survey Utility – This user-friendly application records the signal strength received by the SA-PCR Card at different locations, giving a clear image of existing coverage.

  • Page 16: The Breezenet Pro.11 Access Point

    Station Adapter (Station Adapter, Bridge, and SA-PCR) to communicate with one another inside the cell coverage area (even if they are not in direct line of sight) via the Access Point. Any two wireless stations in two different cells can communicate through their Access Points.
  • Page 17 Multiple Access Points can be positioned in locations where heavy network traffic is expected; this creates a multicell and increases the aggregate throughput capacity in areas where it is needed most. The system implements a Load Balancing algorithm to divide the stations equally between the available co-located Access Points.

  • Page 18: The Breezenet Pro.11 Single Station Adapter

    Integrated Omni-Directional Antennas The Single Station Adapter enables its workstation to communicate with any other wireless station in the same cell coverage area, and to access all network resources such as file servers, wired stations, printers and shared databases via the Access Point.

  • Page 19: The Breezenet Pro.11 Four Port Station Adapter

    The Single Station Adapter is available in three models: SA-10 PRO.11 with two integrated 2dbi omni-directional antennas. SA-10D PRO.11 for use with external antenna(s). SA-10DL PRO.11 for use in Europe with high gain antenna under the ETSI standard. 1.3.3 The BreezeNET PRO.11 Four Port Station Adapter The BreezeNET PRO.11 Four-Port Work group Adapter is a wireless LAN adapter...
  • Page 20 Introduction The Four Port Station Adapter enables connected workstations to communicate with other wireless stations in the same cell coverage area, and to access all network resources such as file servers, wired stations, printers and shared databases via the Access Point. The Four Port Station Adapter also allows highly efficient and fast wired communication among the four connected workstations.

  • Page 21: The Breezenet Pro.11 Workgroup Bridge

    (in Europe, this range is limited by ETSI regulations to 2.5 Km; in deregulated regions, this range can be up to 60 Km). In this way a central Ethernet LAN may be connected with one or more branch office LANs.
  • Page 22 The BreezeNET Workgroup Bridge contains an embedded SNMP agent and software downloading capabilities enabling effective management. Software upgrades are downloaded using TFTP protocol via the Ethernet ports or via the wireless LAN and Access Point. The Workgroup Bridge is available in three models: WB-10 PRO.11 with two integrated 2dbi omni-directional antennas.

  • Page 23: The Breezenet Pro.11 Sa-Pcr Card

    Introduction 1.3.5 The BreezeNET PRO.11 SA-PCR Card The PC Card provides the portable computer user with continuous connectivity and complete mobility, allowing seamless roaming throughout the wireless LAN campus. Figure 1-5. The SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card The BreezeNET PRO.11 SA-PCR card...

  • Page 24: The Breezenet Pro.11 Extended Range Access Point And Bridge

    The WB-10DE communicates with the BreezeNET AP-10DE Access Points of the remote LANs, effectively creating an extended wireless network spanning sites situated up to 5 Km apart. In this manner, a central Ethernet LAN may be connected with one or more branch office LANs.

  • Page 25: Breezenet Pro.11 Functional Description

    Standard Ethernet LAN stations are wired to a common bus. When one of the stations sends a message, it assigns a destination address to the message and sends the message on the bus. All stations on the bus “hear” the message, but only the station with the matching address processes the message.

  • Page 26: Station Adapter

    SA-10. As each station connected to the SA-40 sends its first message, each address is registered in the AP-10. The AP-10 only keeps up to four addresses for each SA-40, so the SA-40 will not operate properly if connected to more than four stations.

  • Page 27: Sa-Pcr Station Adapter

    The SA-PCR station adapter is inserted into the station’s PCMCIA slot and features identical operation to that of the SA-10. As opposed to the SA-10 and SA-40 station adapters that connect to the station’s network card, the SA-PCR is the station’s network card.

  • Page 29: Basic Installation

    Connect the Ethernet port to the unit Check unit functionality using the LED indicators 2.2 Check the Packing List When you first open the package, verify that the unit is complete with the following components: The unit, complete with two omni-directional antennas or RF connectors for use with external antennas (D models).

  • Page 30: Position The Unit

    Proprietary MIB disk for performing remote unit configuration and monitoring via SNMP (see the Appendix). Open the packaging carefully and make sure that none of the items listed above are missing. Do not discard packaging materials. If, for any reason, the unit is returned, it must be shipped in its original package.

  • Page 31: Additional Considerations When Positioning The Access Point

    Install the Access Point at least 1.5m above the floor, clear of any high office partitions or tall pieces of furniture in the coverage area. The Access Point can be placed on a high shelf, or can be attached to the ceiling or a wall using a mounting bracket.

  • Page 32: Connect The Unit To The Power Supply

    The unit operates on a power input of 5VDC, (1200mA , 1500mA peak) supplied by the power transformer included with the unit. Plug the output jack of the power transformer into the DC input socket on the unit. This socket may be located on the rear or side panel of the unit.

  • Page 33: Check Unit Functionality Via The Led Indicators

    Basic Installation 2.6 Check Unit Functionality via the LED indicators Verify that the unit is functioning correctly via the front panel LEDs. The following tables describe the front panel LEDs for stations (SA-10, SA-40) and bridges (WB- 10), and for Access Points.

  • Page 34: Access Point Leds

    The ETHR LED should blink whenever the unit receives LAN traffic. At the other end of the Ethernet link, verify that the LINK indicator is ON. On APs, the LINK indicator is located on the attached hub port; on station adapters, the LINK indicator is located on the NIC.

  • Page 35: Using The Local Terminal For Unit Setup And Management

    3.1 Getting Started with the Local Terminal 1. Use the Monitor cable supplied with the Access Point. Connect one end of the cable to the MON jack on the rear panel of the unit and the other end to the COM port of the terminal.

  • Page 36: Configuration Screens

    Installer can edit. Default values are listed where applicable. Numbers in the table below indicate how to reach each option. For example, to reach the 1.2.1 IP Address option, start at the main menu and press 1, then 2, and then 1.
  • Page 37 Using the Local Terminal for Unit Setup and Management Menu Sub-Menu Sub-Menu Default Values 1.4. Bridging 1.4.1 LAN to WLAN Bridging Mode (AP Reject Unknown only) 1.4.2 Intelligent Bridging Period (AP only) 15 sec 1.4.3 IP Filtering Disabled 1.4.4 Tunneling Both Enabled 1.4.5 Broadcast Relaying...
  • Page 38 4.S Show Current Access Right Option 1.3.5 Transmit Antenna has the default value Use #2 for the SA-40 unit only. ** Option 1.3.7 Load Sharing has the default value Enabled for the AP-10 unit only. User’s Guide BreezeNET PRO.11 Series...

  • Page 39: Main Menu

    Using the Local Terminal for Unit Setup and Management 3.3 Main Menu Unit Mode Ordering Product Name BreezeNET PRO.11 Series (AP-10 DL) Version No. Official Version : 4.4.1 Date: 26 May 1999 15:10:33 BreezeNET Monitor ================= 1 - System Configuration...

  • Page 40: Station Status

    Unit's WLAN Address (SA or WB) – The address associated with the unit. For the SA-10, this is the address of the PC. For the SA-40 and WB-10, this is the MAC address of the unit. This field does not appear when the unit is an Station Status (SA or WB) –...

  • Page 41: Ip And Snmp Parameters

    SNMP Traps – Type 0 to disable SNMP trap sending. Type 1 to enable SNMP trap sending. When an event occurs, a trap is sent to the defined host address (see the Appendix for a list of traps). You can configure the host address to which the traps are sent through SNMP management.
  • Page 42 When more than one AP is co-located in the same area (even if they are not part of the same network) it is recommended to assign a different hopping sequence to each AP.
  • Page 43 Using the Local Terminal for Unit Setup and Management ESSID –The ESSID (up to 32 printable ASCII characters) of the unit is a string used to identify a WLAN. This ID prevents the unintentional merging of two co-located WLANs. A station can only associate with an AP that has the same ESSID.
  • Page 44 AP unit. When the station powers up, it will associate with the preferred AP even if the signal from that AP is lower than the signal from other APs. The station will roam to another AP only if it stops receiving beacons from the preferred AP.

  • Page 45: Bridging

    Forward Unknown. IP Filtering – Whether IP filtering is enabled for the unit. Enable IP Filtering to filter out any other protocol (such as IPX) if you want that only IP traffic will pass through the WLAN. Tunneling – Whether the unit performs tunneling. Enable Appletalk tunneling if the network contains a mix of Ethertalk1 (ET1) and Ethertalk2 (ET2) stations to ensure smooth communications.

  • Page 46: Station Control

    WLAN devices are transmitted by the AP back to the WLAN devices, as well as to the LAN. If it is disabled, these packets are sent only to the local wired LAN and are not sent back to the WLAN. Disable Broadcast Relaying only if you know that all Broadcast messages from the WLAN will be destined to the wired LAN.

  • Page 47: Security (Authentication Feature)

    Privacy Option Implemented – Yes if Shared Key authentication is supported, No if Shared Key authentication is not supported. WEP Key# 1-4 – The four encryption keys must be set before you can use the Shared Key Authentication mode. The encryption keys you enter for the AP, must match those defined in the stations.

  • Page 48: Advanced Settings Menu

    6 - AP Redundancy Support 7 - Maintenance Select option > Figure 3-3. Advanced Settings Menu Modification of most of the parameters in the Advanced Settings menu is limited to certified BreezeCOM engineers only. 3.5.1 Translation Mode The translation mode determines how the unit handles 802.3 packets. The translation mode is either enabled (default) or disabled.

  • Page 49: Performance

    DTIM Period – Determines at which interval the AP will send its broadcast traffic to all the stations in the cell, both stations that are in power save mode and to stations that are not in power save mode (normal mode). When stations that are in power save mode “wake up”...

  • Page 50: Radio

    Hopping Standard – The Hopping Standard is a set of rules regarding the radio transmission standard allowed in each country. Units will work together only if set to the same hopping standard. Use this parameter to set the unit’s hopping standard to that of the relevant country.

  • Page 51: Maintenance

    The Installer has access to modify the following parameter of the Maintenance menu: Auto Calibration – When the unit is started, it performs an internal self-test. A part of this test is automatic calibration of the DC Offset and deviation pattern. Auto Calibration is not supported in the “DE” models, and therefore, must be disabled for “DE”...

  • Page 52: System Counters

    Reset Counters – Choose this option to reset all counters. After choosing this option you will be requested to type 1 for confirmation or 0 to cancel the reset. Power Saving Counters – Displays the power saving counters per station, the number of transmitted frames and the number of discarded frames.
  • Page 53 When a data frame is transmitted, the unit will wait for an acknowledge from the receiving side. If an acknowledge is not received, the unit will retransmit the frame until it gets an acknowledge (there are no retransmissions for control frames).
  • Page 54 Note: An AP continuously transmits a control frame called beacon in every frequency to which it hops, in order to publish its existence and keep its associated stations synchronized. Thus, the total transmitted frames counter will get high values even if the AP-10 is not connected to an active LAN.
  • Page 55 Internally Discarded – The number of frames that the AP discarded due to a buffer overflow. Frame discard will occur mainly when the wireless conditions are bad, the unit is busy re-transmitting frames, and is not able to handle new frames.
  • Page 56 It is recommended to restrict the Maximum Data Rate for each unit according to the Rate counters (see also Section 3.4.3). The Ret counter displays the number of frames that had to be retransmitted, however it does not count the number of retransmissions that actually accrued.

  • Page 57: Figure 3-5. Display Rx Packets Per Frequency

    Each point of the histogram line corresponds to a frequency. The base frequency appears at the far left, and gradations are marked in steps of ten along the line. A hash (#) represents each packet received on a given frequency. The Max and Min values indicate the highest and lowest number of frames received across all frequencies.
  • Page 58 Table – Valid only when Power Save mode is enabled. Station ID – Current number of buffered frames per station. Aged – Number of buffered frames that were aged out from buffer per station. Send – Number of buffered frames that were sent to a specific station.

  • Page 59: Survey Software

    2. Verify that the Ethernet cables are disconnected from both units. 3. Type 1 to access the Operation mode screen. Set the units on either side of the link to either receive (option 1) or transmit (option 2) packets (one unit should be set to transmit and the other to receive).

  • Page 60: Figure 3-6. Transmit Statistics

    Hit any key to return > Figure 3-6. Transmit Statistics 6. On the receive side of the link, the screen displays a table showing the packet number received, the frequency at which each packet was transmitted, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) for each antenna and the antenna that was selected for reception (refer to Figure 3-7).

  • Page 61: Figure 3-7. Receive Statistics

    Using the Local Terminal for Unit Setup and Management Figure 3-7. Receive Statistics 7. The RSSI is given in arbitrary units. Use the graph in Figure 3-8 to correlate RSSI to dBm.        ...

  • Page 62: Event Log

    This is the maximum attainable RSSI level indicating optimum receive antenna alignment. 9. Switch the functions of either side of the link (set the transmit unit to receive and the receive unit to transmit) and repeat the procedure to check the link from the opposite direction.

  • Page 63: Access Control Menu

    Change Access Rights – This screen determines the level of access rights to the BreezeNET PRO.11 unit’s setup and configuration menus. When the unit is first installed, the default access right is Installer, and the default password is “user”: User – The Local Terminal Management menus are read-only for a user who does not possess the correct password.
  • Page 64 Using the Local Terminal for Unit Setup and Management Technician – Only a Certified BreezeCOM Engineer possessing the correct password can select this option to configure all the parameters and settings. Change Installer Password – Type in the new password according to the directions on screen.

  • Page 65: Sa-Pcr Pro.11 Pc Card Installation, Setup, And Management

    When installing on Windows 95/98, verify that you have the Windows CD with you, or that the Windows CAB files are installed on your local hard disk in a directory whose name does not exceed 8 letters. When the CAB files are on the disk, they are usually found in C:\Windows\Options\Cabs.

  • Page 66: Installing The Sa-Pcr Card

    Section 4.5 provides installation troubleshooting information. Note: If you are installing the card under Windows 95 or Windows 98 systems, there are two installation options. You can install the drivers and utilities separately, or you can use the Upgrade kit program to install all components in one session.

  • Page 67: Installing The Sa-Pcr Drivers

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management 4.3.1 Installing the SA-PCR Drivers The SA-PCR card can be installed to operate under a wide range of PC operating systems. The following table lists the supported operating systems, together with the page number in the user's guide which describes the relevant installation procedure.
  • Page 68 SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management Uninstalling the SA-PCR Drivers in Windows 98 1. From the Windows Start menu, select Settings, and then select Control Panel. Double click on the Network icon, click the Configuration tab, select BreezeNET Wireless LAN PC card, and click Remove.

  • Page 69: Figure 4-1. System Properties Window - Windows 95B

    Properties. The System Properties window opens. Figure 4-1. System Properties Window – Windows 95B 2. Click the General tab. The letter indicating the type of operating system (a or b) is displayed under the System heading. 3. If you are running the Windows 95A operating system, refer to the For Windows 95A section on the next page.

  • Page 70: Figure 4-2. New Hardware Found Window

    (usually found in \Windows\Options\Cabs). 5. If this is the first time a network card has been installed on this PC, a network setup window may appear. It is not necessary to fill out this window for the purposes of this installation.
  • Page 71 Click OK. insert disk labeled Windows 95 CD-ROM 4. If the file BRZCOM.VXD is not found, direct the window to drive A:\ and click OK. 5. If no other windows appear, the installation is complete. If the Please insert disk labeled Windows 95 CD-ROM appears, click OK, enter the path of the Windows 95 CAB files, and click OK.

  • Page 72: Figure 4-3. Sa-Pcr Lan Adapter Properties Window

    2b. a. Click Yes and choose Wired to the network. When a list of supported network adapters appears, click Have Disk. b. Click on the Adapters tab, click Add, and then click Have Disk.

  • Page 73: Figure 4-4. Windows Nt Diagnostics Window

    The Windows NT Diagnostics window appears. Figure 4-4. Windows NT Diagnostics Window 7. Click IRQ and verify that IRQ 11 is not taken. If it is, find a free IRQ. For example, in Figure 4-4 IRQ 5 is free. 8. Click Memory and verify that memory from D0000h to D3FFFh is not taken.

  • Page 74: Checking The Led Indicators

    Data Traffic Blink – According to traffic The LED indicators are useful only if there is an active AP in the area. The LED indicators can be used to verify correct firmware download procedure; the LEDs turn on and off quickly, one LED being ON while the other is OFF.

  • Page 75: Initial Configuration

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management 4.3.3 Initial Configuration If your wireless network uses a non-default ESSID, enter the proper ESSID as follows: 1. Start the SA-PCR Configuration utility as described in Section 4.5. From the Windows Start menu, select Programs - BreezeCOM Utilities, and then Configure.

  • Page 76: Uninstalling Sa-Pcr Utilities

    Figure 4-6. BreezeCOM SA-PCR Utilities - Folder Selection Window 5. When the BreezeCOM SA-PCR Utilities Setup Complete window appears, click OK. Icons for the utilities are added to the Windows Programs menu, and an SA-PCR Configure icon is added to the Control Panel.

  • Page 77: Using The Sa-Pcr Configuration Utility

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management 4.5 Using the SA-PCR Configuration Utility This section describes how to use the SA-PCR Configuration utility to configure and manage your SA-PCR card. Access the SA-PCR Configuration utility as follows: click the Start button, select Programs, select the BreezeCOM Utilities program group and choose Configure.

  • Page 78: Station Status Tab

    Driver Version – Displays the version of unit’s current driver. MAC Address – Displays the unit’s unique IEEE MAC address. BSS Address – The MAC address of the AP with which the unit is currently associated. Station Status – Current status of the unit. There are three options: Scanning –...

  • Page 79: Wlan Parameters Tab

    ESSID – An ASCII string of up to 32 characters used to identify a WLAN that prevents the unintentional merging of two co-located WLANs. It is essential that the ESSID is set to the same value in all stations and Access Points in the extended WLAN. The ESSID field is case-sensitive.

  • Page 80: Station Control Tab

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management off) you may decide not to use the higher rates. Possible values are 1, 2, or 3 Mbps. Transmit Antenna – By default, the unit dynamically selects the antenna where reception and transmission is optimal. If your model has an external antenna and uses only a single antenna, set Transmit Antenna to transmit only from that single antenna.

  • Page 81: Configuration Access Tab

    The Station Control tab contains the Default button which returns all parameters to factory default values. As a time saving feature, you can configure one unit and then save the configuration as a file (with a .BRZ extension). You can later import the configuration file to other units.
  • Page 82 If security is an issue, change the access mode to User before you close the utility. The first time the utility is opened, it is set to Installer access mode. The default password for Installer mode is User, however you can change this password If security considerations play an important role in the construction of your WLAN.

  • Page 83: Power Management Tab

    SA-PCR. Figure 4-12. Power Management Tab Note: Expect a degradation in performance of the entire cell, even if only the AP and one station are set to Power Save mode. 4-19 BreezeNET PRO.11 Series...

  • Page 84: Security Tab

    (unicast packets). This parameter enables performance optimization on a per station basis. In contrast, the DTIM period (that is set in the AP only) defines the time period for all stations in the cell to “wake up” in order to receive broadcasts.

  • Page 85: Figure 4-13. The Security Tab

    Privacy option or if you enabled the WEP feature during the upgrade procedure (as described in Section 4.4.1). The option which was ordered is displayed in a read only field at the top of the dialog box. To see whether the WEP option was enabled during installation, select the Station Status tab described in Section 4.5.1.
  • Page 86 To configure security parameters in ODI/DOS environment, use the brzsetup application. Note: The default Key ID you enter for the SA-PCR must match the Key ID defined in the AP. Section 3.4.6 describes the procedure for setting the encryption keys for BreezeNET APs.

  • Page 87: Maintenance Tab

    802.3 packets. This tab is not visible when in User login mode. When in Installer login mode, you can see the parameters. When in Technician login mode, can edit the parameters.

  • Page 88: Radio Tab

    The Radio tab of the SA-PCR Configuration utility allows you to set the power level of the unit and choose a hopping standard. This tab is not visible when in User login mode. When in Installer login mode, you can see the parameters. When in Technician login mode, the parameters can be edited.

  • Page 89: Performance Tab

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management The Radio tab contains the following parameters: Power Level – Level of power at which the unit is operating. There are two possibilities, Low or High. Default Radio Status – For on the radio receives in regular mode, when off the radio does not work at startup (e.g.

  • Page 90: Resetting The Sa-Pcr Card

    The Performance tab contains the following parameter: Rts threshold (bytes) – Minimum packet size to require an RTS (Request To Send). For packets smaller than this threshold, an RTS is not sent and the packet is transmitted directly to the WLAN.

  • Page 91: Using The Sa-Pcr Site Survey Utility

    Note: This utility can not be used in systems installed under ODI. This section describes how to use the SA-PCR Site Survey utility to manage your SA-PCR card. The Site Survey utility keeps you informed of the signal strength your unit is receiving.

  • Page 92: Sa-Pcr Site Survey Main Window

    APs (up to 4)from which the station is receiving a signal. For each AP, the following parameters are displayed: Alias – The alias you have assigned to the AP. To assign aliases to AP units, click the Alias button. If no alias has been assigned to the AP, this field displays “no alias”.

  • Page 93: Figure 4-18. Connection Quality Graph

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management The following buttons appear on the right side of the Site Survey window. Several of the buttons are used in the course of performing a Site Survey as described in Section 4.6.3.
  • Page 94 SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management Menu Bar – The menu bar at the top of the window contains four menus – Edit, View, Report and Help. These menus contain sub-menus which correspond in most cases to the buttons at the side of the window.

  • Page 95: Performing A Site Survey With The Sa-Pcr

    2. Click Survey Log to expand the bottom of the Site Survey window. 3. Bring the station to a new location. 4. Click Record. Type in the name of the location and a remark, and click OK. The signal details of the current location appear in the Survey Log at the bottom of the window.

  • Page 96: Using The Upgrade Kit Program

    The Upgrade kit program is an application that allows you to upgrade previous versions of the firmware, drivers and utilities of the SAPCR, if installing on a machine that had a previous version installed. The Upgrade kit can be obtained from the BreezeCOM Web site.

  • Page 97: Figure 4-21. Upgrade Kit Program Welcome Window

    Figure 4-22. Upgrade Kit Program Step 1 4. Form the Country drop down list, select the standard applicable to your country and click Next. You do not need to select the country if you are installing the application in the following countries: USA/FCC, Europe/ETSI, Japan.

  • Page 98: Figure 4-23. Upgrade Kit Program Step 2

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management Figure 4-23. Upgrade Kit Program Step 2 6. The MAC address of the PC and the hardware version of the SA-PCR card are displayed in read only field. If you purchased the SA-PCR without the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) feature and you wish to enable this feature, contact your BreezeCOM representative.

  • Page 99: Figure 4-25. Upgrade Program Step 3

    SA-PCR PRO.11 PC Card Installation, Setup, and Management 7. Follow the on screen instructions and check the card LEDs as described in Section 4.3.2. Click Next. The following dialog box is displayed. Figure 4-25. Upgrade Program Step 3 8. When downloading the firmware has completed, the following dialog box is displayed.

  • Page 100: Figure 4-27. Utilities Directory

    Follow these instructions in order to upgrade SA-PCR cards installed in machines running Windows NT or DOS/ODI. 1. Upgrade the firmware in a Windows 95/98 machine, using the Upgrade kit program. 2. Remove the old drivers and utilities from your Windows NT or DOS/ODI machine.

  • Page 101: Installation Troubleshooting

    1. Double click the BreezeCOM Wireless LAN Adapter. 2. Select the Resources tab. 3. In the event that the conflicting resources are listed in the conflicting device list, edit the Memory range and Interrupt to values that do not cause conflicts.

  • Page 102: Installing The Sa-Pcr Drivers In Odi Systems

    BRZWLAN section from the sample NET.CFG file supplied by BreezeCOM, into your existing file. 3. In order to login to a NetWare server you should run the following files (make sure that the NET.CFG and the BRZWLAN.INI files are located in the directory from which you run the following files: LSL.COM (supplied by Novell)
  • Page 103 Running the Configuration Utility 1. Change to the NetWare client directory. 2. Type brzsetup and press Enter. 3. Enter the ESS ID as defined in the AP (if using default ESS ID, do not change). 4. Reset/restart the computer. Note: Default ESSID is ESSID1 in capital letters.
  • Page 104 The yellow LED blinks and turns off after several seconds. The AP is configured with incorrect parameters. Check the AP configuration. The built in antennas are not pulled out or the external antenna is not attached to the PC card.

  • Page 105: Planning And Installing Wireless Lans

    LANS All products in the BreezeNET PRO.11 series are available in several models: standard, D, and DE. The standard model is equipped with two integrated 2 dBi omni-directional antennas and is suitable for indoor, short-to-medium range installations. The D and DE models are equipped with two customized female connectors for use with a range of external antennas.

  • Page 106: Single Cell Configuration

    Planning and Installing Wireless LANS 5.1.1 Single Cell Configuration A basic BreezeNET cell consists of an Access Point and the wireless workstations associated with it. You can convert most workstations (e.g., PCs and X-Terminals) that are equipped with an Ethernet network interface card (NIC) to wireless workstations by connecting a BreezeNET SA-10 PRO.11 station adapter.

  • Page 107: Mobile Applications

    In the United States, the Omni-7.2 antenna (which also has a 360 radiation pattern but has a wider range) can also be used. The Omni-7.2 antenna comes with a 20ft. low loss cable and a mast mount bracket for rooftop installations.

  • Page 108: Figure 5-2. Wireless Bridging Between Two Or More Wireless Lan Segments

    LAN. The WB-10 PRO.11 enables these wireless stations in its coverage area to communicate with the wireless LAN and to gain access to its network resources such as file servers, printers and shared databases.

  • Page 109: Figure 5-3. Single Cell Configuration

    1. Install the Access Point (refer to Chapter 2 for installation instructions). Be sure to position the Access Point as high as possible. Note: It is not necessary at this point to connect the Access Point to an Ethernet backbone, since Access Points continuously transmit signals (beacon frames) whether they are connected to an Ethernet backbone or not.

  • Page 110: Overlapping Cell Configuration System Configurations

    5.1.2 Overlapping Cell Configuration System Configurations When two adjacent Access Points are positioned close enough to each other, a part of the coverage area of Access Point #1 overlaps that of Access Point #2. This overlapping area has two very important attributes: Any workstation situated in the overlapping area can associate and communicate with either Access Point #1 or Access Point #2.
  • Page 111 10. Continue setting up overlapping cells until the required area is covered. Note: It is not necessary at this point to connect the Access Points to an Ethernet backbone, since Access Points continuously transmit signals (beacon frames) whether they are connected to an Ethernet backbone or not.

  • Page 112: Multicell Configuration

    Planning and Installing Wireless LANS 5.1.3 Multicell Configuration Areas congested by many users and a heavy traffic load may require a multicell structure. In a multicell structure, several Access Points are installed in the same location. Each Access Point has the same coverage area, thereby creating a common coverage area that increases aggregate throughput.

  • Page 113: Multi-Hop Configuration (Relay)

    2. Install a WB at the remote site. 3. Install an AP-WB pair in a high location that has a clear line of sight to both the main office and the remote site. Many AP-WB pairs can form a chain.

  • Page 114: Figure 5-6. Multi-Hop Configuration

    4. When an AP and WB communicate over the wireless LAN, set them both to the same ESSID. For example, set the AP of the main office and the WB of the first AP-WB relay pair to the same ESSID. Also, set the AP of the last AP-WB relay and the WB of the remote site to the same ESSID;...

  • Page 115: Indoor Installation Considerations

    LAN. Position the units clear of metal furniture and away from moving objects such as metal fans or doors. For best performance, position the units clear of radiation sources that emit in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, such as microwave ovens.
  • Page 116 Install the Access Point at least 1.5m above the floor, clear of any high office partitions or tall pieces of furniture in the coverage area. The Access Point can be placed on a high shelf, or can be attached to the ceiling or a wall using a mounting bracket.

  • Page 117: Antennas For Indoor Applications

    These reflectors may be buildings or moving objects such as airplanes and motor vehicles. If this is the case, the radio signal does not travel in a straight line, but is reflected or deflected off of the object, creating multiple propagation paths.

  • Page 118: Construction Materials

    Metal objects reflect radio signals. They do not let the signals pass through. Wood, glass, plastic and brick reflect part of the radio signals and allow part of the radio signals to pass through.

  • Page 119: Cell Size

    5.2.4 Cell Size Cell size is determined by the maximum possible distance between the Access Point and the Station Adapter. This distance varies according to the building floor plan and the nature of that environment. There are several general categories: Open office areas with no partitioning and no obstacles between the Access Point and the BreezeNET workstation.

  • Page 120: Outdoor Installation Considerations

    Maximum line of sight clearance Maximum separation between antennas (diversity option) A propagation path is the path that signals traverse between the antennas of any two bridges. The “line” between two antenna sites is an imaginary straight line, which may be drawn between the two antennas. Any obstacles in the path of the “line”...

  • Page 121: Rooftop Installation

    Planning and Installing Wireless LANS Install indoor antennas as close as possible to a window (or wall if a window is not accessible) facing the required direction. Avoid metal obstacles such as metal window frames or metal film anti-glare windows in the transmission path. Install outdoor antennas high enough to avoid any obstacles, which may block the signal.

  • Page 122: Antennas For Outdoor Applications

    5.3.3.1 Point-to-Point A point-to-point link is based on the use of one Access Point with external antennas (AP-10D or AP-10DE) and one adapter (SA-10/40D, WB-10D or WB-10DE). The AP and the WB must be equipped with one or two directional antennas. The necessary antenna gain depends on the required range and performance.

  • Page 123: Antenna Diversity

    These reflectors may be buildings or moving objects such as airplanes and motor vehicles. If this is the case, the radio signal does not travel in a straight line, but is reflected or deflected off of the object, creating multiple propagation paths.

  • Page 124: Antenna Seal

    Link distance is the maximum distance between the AP and the station adapter, usually related to point-to-point installations using external antennas. For open outdoor areas with an unobstructed line of sight between the Access Point and the wireless bridge, the suggested maximum distance is:...

  • Page 125: Using Outdoor Range Tables

    5.3.7 Using Outdoor Range Tables Outdoor installations must have a clear line-of-sight. Solid obstacles such as buildings or hills prevent the establishment of a link. Partial obstacles such as trees or traffic can reduce range. Extending coaxial cables can cause an increase in assembly signal loss and a reduction in range.
  • Page 126 The use of an LNA can improve the range by 30%-40%. To achieve this it is necessary to install an LNA on both sides of the link (in each site). An LNA will NOT enlarge the link if it is installed only on one side of the link. When using an LNA you must use two antennas - one for TX and one for RX.
  • Page 127 Installing this antenna at both ends of the link increases the total range. Installing this antenna at one end of the link does not increase the range, but it does increase the throughput of traffic received at the end with the 18 dBi antenna.

  • Page 128: Etsi Outdoor Range Tables (Europe/Rest-Of-World) - De Models

    170m 670m 730m 790m Note: All antennas above 8.5 (i.e. 12, 18, and 24), require a filter to be ETSI- compliant. 5.3.10 ETSI Outdoor Range Tables (Europe and Rest-of-World) – DE Models The following tables are compliant with ETSI regulations.

  • Page 129: Non-Regulated Outdoor Range Tables - D Models

    The use of an LNA can improve the range by 30%-40%. To achieve this it is necessary to install an LNA on both sides of the link (in each site). An LNA will NOT enlarge the link if it is installed only on one side of the link. When using an LNA you must use two antennas - one for TX and one for RX.
  • Page 130 Planning and Installing Wireless LANS Table 5-12. BreezeNET Non-Regulation Range Table – D Models Data Rate = 2Mbps, Sen=-75dBm Antenna Kits Omni-2 Omni-6 Uni-8.5 Uni- Uni- Uni- Uni- Uni- Uni-24/10 18/20 18/15 18/10 24/20 24/15 Omni-2 350m 400m 380m 1,290m...

  • Page 131: Extending The Range Using The Tpa-24 And Lna-10

    In this case, Antenna Diversity is not applicable. The use of an LNA or a Booster (TPA 24) will only enlarge the range if they are installed on both sides of the link.

  • Page 132: Planning And Installing Wireless Lans

    Planning and Installing Wireless LANS Table 5-14. TPA-24 and LNA-10 Extension Range Table. Data Rate = 1Mbps, Sen=81dBm Transmit and Receive TX kit Omni-6/10 Omni-6/10 Omni-6 Omni-6 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-24/10 Uni-24/10 Uni-24/10 Uni-24/10 Antenna Kits (TPA) (TPA) (TPA)
  • Page 133 Planning and Installing Wireless LANS Table 5-15. TPA-24 and LNA-10 Extension Range Table. Data Rate = 2Mbps, Sen=-75dBm Transmit and Receive TX kit Omni- Omni- Omni-6 Omni-6 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-24/10 Uni- Uni-24/10 Uni-24/10 Antenna Kits 6/10 6/10 (TPA)
  • Page 134 Planning and Installing Wireless LANS Table 5-16. TPA-24 and LNA-10 Extension Range Table. Data Rate = 3Mbps, Sen=-67dBm Transmit and Receive TX kit Omni- Omni-6/10 Omni-6 Omni-6 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni-18/10 Uni- Uni- Uni- Uni-24/10 Antenna Kits 6/10 (TPA) (TPA)

  • Page 135: Available Antennas And Antenna Kits

    Planning and Installing Wireless LANS 5.4 Available Antennas and Antenna Kits This following table describes several transmit/receive antennas that work well with BreezeNET PRO.11 units. Table 5-17. FCC Available Antennas (USA) Model Ant. Cable Kit Contains: Ideal for: Dispersion Dimensions...
  • Page 136 Long range 6°H/ 24"x36"x15" UNI-24 Mounting outdoor point-to- 10° V Hardware 50-ft point links Cable Assembly Table 5-18. ETSI Available Antennas (Europe and Rest-of-World) Model Ant. Cable Kit Contains: Ideal for: Dispersion Dimensions Gain H x W x D 2 dBi 2 OMNI-2 Converting “D”...

  • Page 137: Precautions

    The FCC in the United States and ETSI in Europe limit effective transit power to 36dBm (USA) and 20dBm (Europe). The maximum total assembly gain of antennas and cables in this case equals 19dBi (USA) and 3dBi (Europe).

  • Page 138: Lightning Protection

    BreezeNET AL 1 Lightning Arrestor - Part No. 872905 5 ft (1.5m), “N” Male to “N” Female. 5.5.4 Rain Proofing 12, 18, and 24 dBi antennas must be sealed against rain at the point the cable enters the pole before they are suitable for external use. 5-34 User’s Guide...

  • Page 139: Accessory Installation

    The TPA 24 Transmit Power Amplifier is used to amplify the transmit power to a fixed output of 24 dBm (250 mW). The TPA 24 is especially useful when long RF cable runs are required. In addition, the TPA 24 simplifies antenna alignment by enabling the use of wider dispersion transmit antennas.

  • Page 140: Installing The Tpa 24

    Accessory Installation 6.1.1 Installing the TPA 24 1. Choose one of the TPA 24 models according to the power level at the input of the booster. In general the NH model is used. For installations with long cables (high attenuation), the NL model should be used.

  • Page 141: Lna 10 Low Noise Receive Amplifier

    RG-59 coaxial cable connected to the power supply. The LNA 10 is internally protected against lightning and voltage surge protection. The Power Supply (PS) and Power Inserter are supplied with the LNA 10. The RG- 59 coaxial cable with F-type connector is not supplied and must be purchased separately.

  • Page 142: Rfs 122 Radio Frequency Splitter

    Accessory Installation 4. Attach the LNA 10 RF output directly to the RF cable going down to the receive antenna connector on the BreezeNET PRO.11 unit. 5. Connect the RG-59 coaxial cable which leads down to the Power Inserter to the “Signal and Power out”...

  • Page 143: Installing The Rfs 122

    The AL 1 Lightning Arrestor is used to protect transmitters and receivers from transients originating from lightning or EMP. The AL 1 is gas tube-based and is not radioactive. The gas discharge tube can sustain several transients if the time period between transients is sufficient to allow the tube to cool down.

  • Page 144: Amp 2440 Bi-Directional Amplifier

    Accessory Installation Figure 6-4. AL-1 Connection Block Diagram One of the female-type N connectors is mounted directly through a hole in the shelter wall and held in place with a lockwasher and nut. 6.5 AMP 2440 Bi-Directional Amplifier The AMP 2440 is a bi-directional amplifier designed for extending the range of BreezeNET wireless LAN radios.
  • Page 145 2.1 mm barrel plugs (which are configured as positive (+) tip and negative (-) outer conductor). Although normally supplied with a power supply, any regulated 12 Volt DC 1 amp supply can be used. The power supply can be used with 110 or 240 VAC power.

  • Page 146: Installing The Amp 2440 Bi-Directional Amplifier

    Several key factors unique to the particular installation determine the power level at the input of the amplifier. The most important consideration is the cable loss in the transmission cable between the radio and the pole mounted amp. The installer should understand these and other factors when computing the input power to the amplifier.

  • Page 147: Figure 6-7. Amp 2440 Installation Details

    Accessory Installation The DC Power Injector is not in a waterproof enclosure and must be protected from the weather. It can be permanently mounted to a surface using the mounting flanges. For more information on amplifier installation, refer to Figure 6-7.

  • Page 149: Upgrade Procedure

    Ping command. 2. Run TFTP software and connect to the device. 3. Use TFTP to download the Flash erase file to the device. Use the tables below to determine the specific file to use, according to the unit’s current version.

  • Page 151: System Troubleshooting

    The following troubleshooting guide provides answers to some of the more common problems which may occur when installing and using BreezeNET PRO.11 series products. If problems not mentioned in this guide should arise, checking the Ethernet and WLAN counters may help (see Section 8.2). If the problem persists, please feel free to contact your local distributor or the BreezeCOM Technical Support Department.
  • Page 152 1. Check that the LINK LED is on and but there is no Ethernet UTP cable is faulty. solid at the hub port. If this is not the case, activity (AP and WB units). 2. Ethernet port in unit is the port is inactive.
  • Page 153 Ethernet counters which indicates Ethernet activity (see Section 3.6.1). High quality signal but 1. Too much interference 1. Move the unit or the antennas out of throughput is poor. or multipath propagation. the range of interference. 2. Ethernet port of the unit Check counters to see if more than may be faulty.
  • Page 154 Access Point. overlapping cells, the units Access Point, assign a unique may not associate with the ESSID to the Access Point and to all the closest Access Point. units you want to include in that wireless network. Reduced performance in a...

  • Page 155: Checking Counters

    System Troubleshooting 8.2 Checking Counters Checking counters is also a good way to pinpoint any problems that may occur in the BreezeNET wireless LAN. Counters can be checked from the monitor. See Section 3.6.1. 8.2.1 WLAN Counters When checking WLAN counters, total retransmitted fragments should be below 10% of total transmitted (bridge) frames.

  • Page 157: Appendix

    Management Information Base (MIB) using an SNMP application. IP host software BreezeNET PRO.11 series agents support the following MIBs: MIB-II (RFC1213) BRIDGE-MIB (RFC1286) BreezeCOM Private MIB The BreezeCOM Private MIB can be viewed by opening the MIB file on the provided diskette. User’s BreezeNET PRO.11 Guide...

  • Page 158: Supported Traps

    9.1.2 Supported Traps The following traps are implemented by BreezeNET PRO.11 units. All BreezeNET PRO.11 units that have the SNMP Traps parameter enabled will send traps to the network’s designated managers. The traps can be viewed and filtered using SNMPc.

  • Page 159: Technical Specifications

    For future use. brzTrapText 9.2 Technical Specifications 9.2.1 Specifications for BreezeNET PRO.11 Units The following table provides the technical specifications for all products in the BreezeNET PRO.11 series. Technical Specifications AP-10 PRO. 11, SA-10/40 PRO. 11, SA-PCR PRO.11 WB-10 PRO. 11 SA-PCD PRO.11...
  • Page 160 Modulation Multilevel GFSK Demodulation Technology DSP-based with adaptive equalization Antenna Diversity Two antennas, selected for use on a packet basis + /- 10 PPM Frequency Accuracy Approvals of Compliance FCC part 15, ETS 300-328, UL, UL/C, TUV/GS, CE Configuration and Management...
  • Page 161 Europe ETSI (DL model only) - up to 2.5 antennas (models D, DE and Europe ETSI (DE model only) - up to 5 km Non-Regulated - 30 km and above Range - Office Environment Up to 500 ft. (150m) Maximum no.

  • Page 162: Specifications For Tpa 24 Transmit Power Amplifier

    12V; 420 mA (Power Supply and Power Inserter are supplied with models TPA-24 NL and TPA-24 NH) • TPA 24: IN - N-type Male; OUT - N-type Female Connectors • Power Inserter: RF - N-type Male; RF&DC - N-type Female Dimensions 70mm x 150mm x 25mm (2.8”x 6”x 1”)

  • Page 163: Specifications For Lna 10 Low Noise Receive Amplifier

    Appendix 9.2.3 Specifications for LNA 10 Low Noise Receive Amplifier Gain 10dB Noise Figure 1.5dB Typ, 2dB Max. Response Flatness ± 1.5dB Max. RF Input Level -15dBm Input Impedance Output Impedance Connectors • LNA-10: RF IN: N-type, female RF OUT: N-type, male...

  • Page 164: Specifications For Rfs 122 Radio Frequency Splitter

    Operating Environment Indoor/Outdoor Grounding One of the female-type N connectors is mounted directly through a hole in the shelter wall and held in place with a lockwasher and nut. Note: All specifications are subject to change without notice. User’s Guide...

  • Page 165: Specifications For Amp 2440 Bi-Directional Power Amplifier

    Connectors N-female Indicators TX and RX LEDs on both the amplifier and the DC bias injector Lightning Protection Direct DC ground at antenna connector DC Surge Protection 600 Watt TVS at 12 VDC input from transmission...

  • Page 166: Wireless Lan Concepts

    Wireless LANs are designed to be modular and very flexible. They can also be optimized for different environments. For example, point-to-point outdoor links are...

  • Page 167: Figure 9-1. Wired Lan Topology

    The basic building block of the wireless LAN is the Cell. This is the area in which wireless communication takes place. The coverage area of a cell depends on the strength of the propagated radio signal and the type and construction of walls, partitions and other physical characteristics of the indoor environment.

  • Page 168: Figure 9-2. The Basic Wireless Lan Cell

    This is coordinated by an Access Point (AP) which communicates with each wireless station in its coverage area. Stations also communicate with each other via the AP, so communicating stations can be hidden from one another. In this way, the AP functions as a relay, extending the range of the system.

  • Page 169: Figure 9-3. Wireless Lan Connectivity

    Appendix Figure 9-3. Wireless LAN Connectivity When any area in the building is within reception range of more than one Access Point, the cells’ coverage is said to overlap. Each wireless station automatically establishes the best possible connection with one of the Access Points. Overlapping coverage areas are an important attribute of the wireless LAN setup, because this enables seamless roaming between overlapping cells.

  • Page 170: Figure 9-4. Roaming Through Overlapping Cells

    Multiple Access Points can provide wireless coverage for an entire building or campus. When the coverage area of two or more APs overlap, the stations in the overlapping area can establish the best possible connection with one of the APs, continuously searching for the best AP.

  • Page 171: Figure 9-5. The Common Coverage Area Of A Multi-Cell Structure

    If the medium is free for several microseconds, the unit can transmit for a limited time. If the medium is busy, the unit will back off for a random time before it senses again. Since transmitting units compete for air time, the protocol should ensure equal fairness between the stations.
  • Page 172 This frame is received by all the stations in the cell, notifying them that another unit will transmit during the following Xmsec, so they can not transmit even if the medium seems to be free (the transmitting unit is out of range).

  • Page 173: Radio Signal Propagation

    The electromagnetic wave is intercepted by the receiving antenna which converts it back to an RF signal. Ideally, this RF signal is the same as that originally generated by the transmitter. The original information is then demodulated back to its original form.

  • Page 174: Rf Terms And Definitions

    The dB convention is an abbreviation for decibels. It shows the relationship between two values. RF power level at either the transmitter output or the receiver input is expressed in Watts. It can also be expressed in dBm. The relation between dBm and Watts can...
  • Page 175 (gain). Antenna Gain A measure of directivity. It is defined as the ratio of the radiation intensity in a given direction to the radiation intensity that would be obtained if the power accepted by the antenna was radiated equally in all directions (isotropically).

  • Page 176: Figure 9-8. Side View

    Figure 9-8. Side View Figure 9-9. Top View Directional Antenna Radiates and receives most of the signal power in one direction. The following diagram shows the radiation pattern of a directional antenna with its side lobes in polar form: User’s Guide 9-20...

  • Page 177: Figure 9-10. Radiation Pattern Of Directional Antenna

    The directiveness of a directional antenna. Defined as the angle between two half- power (-3 dB) points on either side of the main lobe of radiation. Receiver Sensitivity The minimum RF signal power level required at the input of a receiver for certain performance (e.g. BER). EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) The antenna transmitted power.
  • Page 178 Frequency: 2.4 Ghz = 4 dBm (2.5 mW) Tx and Rx cable length (Ct and Cr) = 10 m. cable type RG214 (0.6 dB/meter) Tx and Rx antenna gain (Gt and Gr) = 18 dBi Distance between sites = 3 Km...

  • Page 179: Figure 9-11. Multipath Reception

    An optical line of sight exists if an imaginary straight line can connect the antennas on either side of the link. Radio wave clear line of sight exists if a certain area around the optical line of sight (Fresnel zone) is clear of obstacles. A bad line of sight exists if the first Fresnel zone is obscured.

  • Page 180: Figure 9-12. Fresnel Zone

    A clear line of sight exists when no physical objects obstruct viewing one antenna from the location of the other antenna. A radio wave clear line of sight exists if a defined area around the optical line of sight (Fresnel Zone) is clear of obstacles.

  • Page 181: Ieee 802.11 Technical Tutorial

    Appendix Figure 9-13. Fresnel Zone Clear of Obstacles When at least 80% of the first Fresnel Zone is clear of obstacles, propagation loss is equivalent to that of free space. 9.5 IEEE 802.11 Technical Tutorial The purpose of this chapter is to give technical readers a basic overview of the new IEEE 802.11 Standard, enabling them to understand the basic concepts, principles...

  • Page 182: Figure 9-14. Typical 802.11 Lan

    The whole interconnected wireless LAN, including the different cells, their respective Access Points and the Distribution System, is seen as a single 802 network to the upper layers of the OSI model and is known in the Standard as the Extended Service Set (ESS).

  • Page 183: Ieee 802.11 Layers Description

    As in any 802.x protocol, the IEEE 802.11 protocol covers the Media Access Control Layer (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY). The Standard currently defines a single MAC which interacts with three PHYs (all of them running at 1 or 2 Mbit/s) as follows: Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) in the 2.4 GHz Band...
  • Page 184 In order to overcome these problems, 802.11 uses a Collision Avoidance (CA) mechanism together with a Positive Acknowledge scheme, as follows: 1. A station wanting to transmit senses the medium. If the medium is busy then it delays. If the medium is free for a specified time (called Distributed Inter Frame Space (DIFS) in the standard), then the station is allowed to transmit.
  • Page 185 ACK (from stations that are out of range of the acknowledging station). It should also be noted that, due to the fact that the RTS and CTS are short frames, the mechanism also reduces the overhead of collisions, since these are recognized faster than if the whole packet was to be transmitted.

  • Page 186: Figure 9-15. Transaction Between Stations A And B

    There are several reasons why it is preferable to use smaller packets in a wireless LAN environment: Due to the higher Bit Error Rate of a radio link, the probability of a packet getting corrupted increases with the packet size.

  • Page 187: Figure 9-16. Frame Fragmentation

    2. Decides that the fragment was retransmitted too many times and drops the whole frame. It should be noted that the standard does allow the station to transmit to a different address between retransmissions of a given fragment. This is particularly useful when an AP has several outstanding packets to different destinations and one of them does not respond.
  • Page 188 This value is a fixed value per PHY and is calculated in such a way that the transmitting station will be able to switch back to receive mode and be capable of decoding the incoming packet.

  • Page 189: How Does A Station Join An Existing Cell

    After each retransmission, and After a successful transmission The only case when this mechanism is not used is when the station decides to transmit a new packet and the medium has been free for more than DIFS. The following figure shows a schematic of the access mechanism: Figure 9-17.

  • Page 190: Roaming

    9.5.4.1 The Authentication Process Once the station has located an Access Point, and decides to join its BSS, it goes through the Authentication Process. This is the interchange of information between the AP and the station, where each side proves the knowledge of a given password.

  • Page 191: Keeping Synchronization

    The AP periodically transmits frames called Beacon Frames. These frames contain the value of the AP’s clock at the moment of transmission (note that this is the moment when transmission actually occurs, and not when it is put in the queue for transmission.

  • Page 192: Power Saving

    This is very similar to Wired LAN privacy, in the sense that an intruder needs to enter the premises (by using a physical key) in order to connect his workstation to the wired LAN.

  • Page 193: Frame Types

    Power Saving Stations have frames buffered at the AP, so these stations wake up in order to receive the Beacon Frame. If there is an indication that there is a frame stored at the AP waiting for delivery, then the station stays awake and sends a Polling message to the AP to get these frames.

  • Page 194: Frame Formats

    PHY Layer to decode the frame. It consists of: PLCP_PDU Length Word: which represents the number of bytes contained in the packet. This is useful for the PHY to correctly detect the end of packet. PLCP Signaling Field: which currently contains only the rate information, encoded in 0.5 Mbps increments from 1 Mbit/s to 4.5 Mbit/s.

  • Page 195: Figure 9-18. Mac Frame Format

    This field consists of 2 bits which are invariant in size and placement across following versions of the 802.11 Standard, and will be used to recognize possible future versions. In the current version of the standard the value is fixed as 0. 9-39 User’s...
  • Page 196 Reserved ToDS This bit is set to 1 when the frame is addressed to the AP for forwarding to the Distribution System (including the case where the destination station is in the same BSS, and the AP is to relay the frame).

  • Page 197: Power Management

    Power Save to Active or vice versa. More Data This bit is used for Power Management as well as by the AP to indicate that there are more frames buffered for this station. The station may decide to use this information to continue polling or even changing to Active mode.
  • Page 198 In all other frames this is the duration value used for the NAV Calculation. $GGUHVV)LHOGV A frame may contain up to 4 Addresses depending on the ToDS and FromDS bits defined in the Control Field, as follows: Address-1 is always the Recipient Address (i.e. the BSS station that is the immediate recipient of the packet).

  • Page 199: Most Common Frame Formats

    The RTS frame looks as follows: Figure 9-20. RTS Frame Format The RA of the RTS frame is the address of the STA on the wireless medium that is the intended immediate recipient of the next Data or Management frame.

  • Page 200: Figure 9-21. Cts Frame

    The Receiver Address of the ACK frame is copied from the Address 2 field of the immediately previous frame. If the More Fragment bit was set to 0 in the Frame Control field of the previous frame, the Duration value is set to 0, otherwise the Duration value is obtained from User’s Guide...

  • Page 201: Point Coordination Function (Pcf)

    Coordination Function, which may be used to implement time-bounded services, like voice or video transmission. This Point Coordination Function makes use of the higher priority that the Access Point may gain by the use of a smaller Inter Frame Space (PIFS).
  • Page 203 Authentication Process ........9-34 An Existing BSS ........9-33 SA-PRC Configuration Utility ....4-13 Accessory Installation ........6-1 Back-off Method..........9-32 Activating the Power Save Feature ....4-19 Booster .............6-1 Active Scanning ..........9-34 BreezeNET PRO.11 Address Fields ..........9-42 Functional Description......1-13 Ad-Hoc Networks..........
  • Page 204 Configuration utility, SA-PCR, using ... 4-13 D-models...........5-23 Connecting Event Log, viewing........3-28 Remote Offices to Main Office Network ... 5-3 Exponential Back-Off Algorithm ..9-28, 9-32 Units to the Ethernet Port ......2-4 Exporting configuration files......4-17 Units to the Power Supply ......2-4 Extended Range Access Point and Bridge ..1-12...
  • Page 205 Index Lightning Protection ........5-34 Line of Sight Concept........9-24 Handling 802.3 packets ......... 4-23 Link Distance..........5-20 Histogram, Rx Packets per Frequency ..3-23 LNA 10 Installation .........6-3 HyperTerminal ..........3-1 LNA 10 Low Noise Receive Amplifier...6-3 Specifications..........9-7 Load Sharing........1-2, 5-9, 9-14 Iconize button ..........
  • Page 206 Event Storage Policy ........ 3-28 Stop Statistics..........3-25 Export ............4-17 Subnet Mask..........3-7 Firmware Version ........4-14 Total No. of Associations since Last Reset..3-6 Forward Unknown ........3-11 Transmit Antenna......3-9, 4-16 Hopping Sequence........3-7 Tunneling ..........3-11 Hopping Set ..........3-8 Unicast Relaying........3-12...
  • Page 207 Rain Proofing..........5-34 Resetting ...........4-26 Receive Statistics, viewing......3-27 Troubleshooting installation problems ..4-37 Received bad frames ........3-19 Uninstalling drivers in Win 98... 4-4, 4-7, 4-10 Received good frames ........3-19 Uninstalling utilities........4-12 Receiver Sensitivity........9-21 Upgrading the firmware and drivers..4-32 Record button ..........
  • Page 208 Side Lobes ............. 9-20 Technical Specifications........9-3 SIFS ............... 9-32 Terminal Emulation Program ......3-1 Signal Fading..........9-23 TFTP protocol. 1-5, 1-6, 1-8, 1-10, 1-12, 3-7, 7-1 Signal Loss Chart .......... 5-14 Topology............9-10 Single Cell Configuration........ 5-1 Torque Key ............2-2 Mobile Applications ........5-3 Total received data frames......3-21...
  • Page 209 Index Troubleshooting Card does not function properly ....4-37 Conflict with DOS drivers......4-37 WB-10 Wireless Bridge.........1-14 ODI Installation ........4-40 WEP ..........3-13, 4-22, 9-35 System Problems ........8-1 Upgrading the card for WEP support ..4-34 Wired Equivalent Privacy......3-13...

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