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ZyXEL Communications NWD217N User Manual

ZyXEL Communications NWD217N User Manual

Wlan 802.11n usb adapter
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NWD217N
WLAN 802.11n USB Adapter
User's Guide
Version 1.0
05/2008
Edition 1
www.zyxel.com

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  • Page 1 NWD217N WLAN 802.11n USB Adapter User’s Guide Version 1.0 05/2008 Edition 1 www.zyxel.com...

  • Page 3: About This User's Guide

    Help us help you. Send all User’s Guide-related comments, questions or suggestions for improvement to the following address, or use e-mail instead. Thank you! The Technical Writing Team, ZyXEL Communications Corp., 6 Innovation Road II, Science-Based Industrial Park, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan.

  • Page 4: Document Conventions

    Document Conventions Document Conventions Warnings and Notes These are how warnings and notes are shown in this User’s Guide. Warnings tell you about things that could harm you or your NWD271N. Notes tell you other important information (for example, other things you may need to configure or helpful tips) or recommendations.
  • Page 5 Document Conventions Icons Used in Figures Figures in this User’s Guide may use the following generic icons. Wireless Access Point Computer Notebook computer Server Modem Telephone Internet Wireless Signal NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 6: Safety Warnings

    Safety Warnings Safety Warnings For your safety, be sure to read and follow all warning notices and instructions. • Do NOT use this product near water, for example, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool. • Do NOT expose your device to dampness, dust or corrosive liquids. •...

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    Contents Overview Contents Overview Introduction and Configuration .................... 19 Getting Started ........................... 21 Tutorial ............................27 Wireless LANs ........................... 37 ZyXEL Utility - Windows ......................49 Maintenance ..........................71 Troubleshooting and Specifications ..................75 Troubleshooting ......................... 77 Product Specifications ....................... 81 Appendices and Index ......................
  • Page 8 Contents Overview NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 9: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Table of Contents About This User's Guide ......................3 Document Conventions......................4 Safety Warnings........................6 Contents Overview ........................7 Table of Contents........................9 List of Figures ......................... 13 List of Tables........................... 17 Part I: Introduction and Configuration..........19 Chapter 1 Getting Started ........................
  • Page 10 Table of Contents 2.2.1 Push Button Configuration (PBC) ................28 2.2.2 PIN Configuration ....................... 29 2.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPS ................31 2.3.1 Manually Connecting to a Wireless LAN ..............31 2.3.2 Creating and Using a Profile ..................33 Chapter 3 Wireless LANs.........................
  • Page 11 Table of Contents Chapter 5 Maintenance ..........................71 5.1 Overview ..........................71 5.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section ................71 5.1.2 What You Need to Know .................... 71 5.1.3 Before You Begin ....................... 71 5.2 The About Screen ....................... 71 5.3 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility ....................
  • Page 12 Table of Contents NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 13: List Of Figures

    List of Figures List of Figures Figure 1 The NWD271N ......................... 22 Figure 2 Application: Infrastructure ......................23 Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc ......................... 24 Figure 4 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon ....................24 Figure 5 Enable WZC ..........................25 Figure 6 Infrastructure Network ......................27 Figure 7 Example WPS Process: PBC Method ..................
  • Page 14 List of Figures Figure 39 Profile: Confirm New Settings ....................63 Figure 40 Profile: Activate the Profile ....................64 Figure 41 Adapter ..........................64 Figure 42 WPS: PBC (Push Button Configuration) ................65 Figure 43 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN ..................66 Figure 44 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router ............
  • Page 15 List of Figures Figure 82 Vista: Successfully Added Network ..................118 Figure 83 Vista: Set Up An Ad-hoc Network ..................119 Figure 84 Vista: Ad-hoc Options ......................119 Figure 85 Vista: Ad-hoc Network Ready ....................120 Figure 86 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status ............. 121 Figure 87 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status .............
  • Page 16 List of Figures NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 17: List Of Tables

    List of Tables List of Tables Table 1 NWD271N External View ......................22 Table 2 NWD271N LEDs ........................22 Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon ....................25 Table 4 ZyXEL Utility Menu Summary ....................50 Table 5 Link Info ............................ 51 Table 6 Link Info: Trend Chart .......................
  • Page 18 List of Tables NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 19: Introduction And Configuration

    Introduction and Configuration Getting Started (21) Tutorial (27) Wireless LANs (37) ZyXEL Utility - Windows (49) Maintenance (71)

  • Page 21: Getting Started

    H A P T E R Getting Started 1.1 Overview The ZyXEL NWD271N USB adapter brings you a better Internet experience over existing 802.11g networks. With data rates of up to 300 Mbps, you can enjoy a breathtaking high-speed connection at home or in the office. It is an excellent solution for daily activities such as file transfers, music downloading, video streaming and online gaming.

  • Page 22: About Your Nwd271N

    Chapter 1 Getting Started 1.2 About Your NWD271N Your NWD271N is an IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 compliant wireless LAN adapter. It can also connect to IEEE 802.11b/g wireless networks. The NWD271N is WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) compliant. WPS allows you to easily connect to another WPS-enabled device. The NWD271N is a USB adapter which connects to an empty USB port on your computer.

  • Page 23: Application Overview

    Chapter 1 Getting Started 1.3 Application Overview This section describes some network applications for the NWD271N. You can either set the network type to Infrastructure and connect to an AP or use Ad-Hoc mode and connect to a peer computer (another wireless device in Ad-Hoc mode). 1.3.1 Infrastructure To connect to a network via an access point (AP), set the NWD271N network type to Infrastructure (see...

  • Page 24: Hardware And Utility Installation

    Chapter 1 Getting Started Figure 3 Application: Ad-Hoc 1.4 Hardware and Utility Installation Follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide to install the ZyXEL utility and make hardware connections. 1.4.1 ZyXEL Utility Icon After you install and start the ZyXEL utility, an icon for the ZyXEL utility appears in the system tray.

  • Page 25: Configuration Methods

    Chapter 1 Getting Started The color of the ZyXEL utility system tray icon indicates the status of the NWD271N. Refer to the following table for details. Table 3 ZyXEL Utility: System Tray Icon COLOR DESCRIPTION The NWD271N is not connected to a wireless network. Green The NWD271N is connected to a wireless network.

  • Page 26: Accessing The Zyxel Utility

    Chapter 1 Getting Started 1.5.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility Double-click on the ZyXEL wireless LAN utility icon in the system tray to open the ZyXEL utility. The ZyXEL utility screens are similar in all Microsoft Windows versions. Screens for Windows XP are shown in this User’s Guide. Click the icon (located in the top right corner) to display the online help window.

  • Page 27: Tutorial

    H A P T E R Tutorial 2.1 Overview This tutorial shows you how to join a wireless infrastructure network using the ZyXEL utility. The wireless client is labeled C and the Access Point is labeled AP. Figure 6 Infrastructure Network 2.1.1 What You Can Do in This Tutorial •...

  • Page 28: Connecting To An Ap Using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (Wps)

    Chapter 2 Tutorial 2.2 Connecting to an AP using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) This section gives you an example of how to set up your wireless network using WPS. This example uses the NWD271N as the wireless client, and ZyXEL’s NBG334W as the Access Point (AP).

  • Page 29: Pin Configuration

    Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 7 Example WPS Process: PBC Method WITHIN 2 MINUTES SECURITY INFO COMMUNICATION 2.2.2 PIN Configuration When you use the PIN configuration method, you need to use both the NWD271N’s utility and the AP’s configuration interface. 1 In the NWD271N’s Adaptor tab, select WPS and PIN - Use this Device’s PIN. Note down the PIN in the screen that appears.

  • Page 30: Figure 8 Example Wps Process: Pin Method

    Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 8 Example WPS Process: PIN Method WITHIN 2 MINUTES Authentication by PIN SECURITY INFO COMMUNICATION NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 31: Connecting To An Ap Without Using Wps

    Chapter 2 Tutorial 2.3 Connecting to an AP Without Using WPS There are three ways to connect the wireless client (the NWD271N) to a network without using WPS. • Configure nothing and leave the wireless client to automatically scan for and connect to any available network that has no wireless security configured.

  • Page 32: Figure 10 Zyxel Utility: Security Settings

    Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 10 ZyXEL Utility: Security Settings 5 The Summary window appears. Check your settings and click Save to continue. Figure 11 ZyXEL Utility: Summary 6 The ZyXEL utility returns to the Link Info screen while it connects to the wireless network using your settings.

  • Page 33: Creating And Using A Profile

    Chapter 2 Tutorial Troubleshooting section of this User's Guide or contact your network administrator if necessary. 2.3.2 Creating and Using a Profile A profile lets you automatically connect to the same wireless network every time you use the ZyXEL utility. You can also configure different profiles for different networks, for example if you connect a notebook computer to wireless networks at home and at work.

  • Page 34: Figure 15 Zyxel Utility: Profile Security

    Chapter 2 Tutorial Figure 15 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Security 5 This screen varies depending on the encryption method you selected in the previous screen. In this example, enter the pre-shared key and leave the encryption type at the default setting. Figure 16 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Encryption 6 Verify the profile settings in the ready-only screen.

  • Page 35: Figure 18 Zyxel Utility: Profile Activate

    Chapter 2 Tutorial Only one profile can be activated and used at any given time. Figure 18 ZyXEL Utility: Profile Activate 8 When you activate the new profile, the ZyXEL utility goes to the Link Info screen while it connects to the AP using your settings. When the wireless link is established, the ZyXEL utility icon in the system tray turns green and the Link Info screen displays details of the active connection.
  • Page 36 Chapter 2 Tutorial NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 37: Wireless Lans

    H A P T E R Wireless LANs 3.1 Overview This section provides background information on wireless Local Area Networks. 3.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section • Connect securely to an AP using many of the strongest and most common encryption protocols.

  • Page 38: Before You Begin

    Chapter 3 Wireless LANs 3.1.3 Before You Begin • You should have valid login information for an existing network Access Point, otherwise you may not be able to make a network connection right away. 3.2 Wireless LAN Overview The following figure provides an example of a wireless network with an AP. See Figure 3 on page 24 for an Ad Hoc network example.

  • Page 39: Wireless Lan Security

    Chapter 3 Wireless LANs 3.3 Wireless LAN Security Wireless LAN security is vital to your network to protect wireless communications. If you do not enable any wireless security on your NWD271N, the NWD271N’s wireless communications are accessible to any wireless networking device that is in the coverage area. You can use only WEP encryption if you set the NWD271N to Ad-hoc mode.
  • Page 40 Chapter 3 Wireless LANs • Open mode is implemented for ease-of-use and when security is not an issue. The wireless station and the AP or peer computer do not share a secret key. Thus the wireless stations can associate with any AP or peer computer and listen to any transmitted data that is not encrypted.

  • Page 41: Wifi Protected Setup

    Chapter 3 Wireless LANs If the AP or the wireless clients do not support WPA2, just use WPA or WPA-PSK depending on whether you have an external RADIUS server or not. Select WEP only when the AP and/or wireless clients do not support WPA or WPA2. WEP is less secure than WPA or WPA2.
  • Page 42 Chapter 3 Wireless LANs Use the PIN method instead of the push-button configuration (PBC) method if you want to ensure that the connection is established between the devices you specify, not just the first two devices to activate WPS in range of each other. However, you need to log into the configuration interfaces of both devices to use the PIN method.

  • Page 43: How Wps Works

    Chapter 3 Wireless LANs Figure 20 Example WPS Process: PIN Method ENROLLEE REGISTRAR This device’s WPS PIN: 123456 Enter WPS PIN from other device: START START WITHIN 2 MINUTES SECURE EAP TUNNEL SSID WPA(2)-PSK COMMUNICATION 3.4.3 How WPS Works When two WPS-enabled devices connect, each device must assume a specific role. One device acts as the registrar (the device that supplies network and security settings) and the other device acts as the enrollee (the device that receives network and security settings.

  • Page 44: Figure 21 How Wps Works

    Chapter 3 Wireless LANs Figure 21 How WPS works ACTIVATE ACTIVATE WITHIN 2 MINUTES WPS HANDSHAKE ENROLLEE REGISTRAR SECURE TUNNEL SECURITY INFO COMMUNICATION The roles of registrar and enrollee last only as long as the WPS setup process is active (two minutes).

  • Page 45: Figure 22 Wps: Example Network Step 1

    Chapter 3 Wireless LANs Figure 22 WPS: Example Network Step 1 ENROLLEE REGISTRAR SECURITY INFO CLIENT 1 In step 2, you add another wireless client to the network. You know that Client 1 supports registrar mode, but it is better to use AP1 for the WPS handshake with the new client since you must connect to the access point anyway in order to use the network.

  • Page 46: Limitations Of Wps

    Chapter 3 Wireless LANs Figure 24 WPS: Example Network Step 3 EXISTING CONNECTION CLIENT 1 REGISTRAR CLIENT 2 ENROLLEE 3.4.4 Limitations of WPS WPS has some limitations of which you should be aware. • WPS works in Infrastructure networks only (where an AP and a wireless client communicate).
  • Page 47 Chapter 3 Wireless LANs You can easily check to see if this has happened. WPS works between only two devices simultaneously, so if another device has enrolled your device will be unable to enroll, and will not have access to the network. If this happens, open the access point’s configuration interface and look at the list of associated clients (usually displayed by MAC address).
  • Page 48 Chapter 3 Wireless LANs NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 49: Zyxel Utility - Windows

    H A P T E R ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.1 Overview This section shows you how to configure your NWD271N using the ZyXEL utility in Windows. Some features available in Windows XP or Windows 2000 are not available in Windows Vista.

  • Page 50: Before You Begin

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows encryption than TKIP. WPA applies IEEE 802.1x and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to authenticate wireless clients using an external RADIUS database. The WPA protocol affords users with vastly stronger security than the WEP protocol. It comes in two different varieties: WPA and WPA2.

  • Page 51: The Link Info Screen

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.3 The Link Info Screen When the ZyXEL utility starts, the Link Info screen displays, showing the current configuration and connection status of your NWD271N. Figure 26 Link Info The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 5 Link Info LABEL DESCRIPTION...

  • Page 52: Trend Chart

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Table 5 Link Info (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION Link Quality This field displays the signal strength of the NWD271N. Trend Chart Click this button to display the real-time statistics of the data rate in kilobits per second (Kbps).

  • Page 53: The Site Survey Screen

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.4 The Site Survey Screen Use the Site Survey screen to scan for and connect to a wireless network automatically. Figure 28 Site Survey The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 7 Site Survey LABEL DESCRIPTION Available Network...

  • Page 54: Security Settings

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Table 7 Site Survey (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION MAC address This field displays the MAC address of the wireless device. Surveyed at This field displays the time when the wireless device was scanned. 4.4.1 Security Settings When you configure the NWD271N to connect to a network with wireless security activated and the security settings are disabled on the NWD271N, the screen varies according to the encryption method used by the selected network.

  • Page 55: Figure 30 Security Setting: Wpa-Psk/Wpa2-Psk

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Table 8 Security Setting: WEP (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION Key x (where x is Select this option if you want to manually enter the WEP keys. Enter the WEP key a number in the field provided. between 1 and 4) If you select 64 Bits in the WEP field.

  • Page 56: Figure 31 Security Settings: Wpa/Wpa2

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 9 Security Setting: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK LABEL DESCRIPTION Encryption Type The encryption mechanisms used for WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK are the same. The only difference between the two is that WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK uses a simple common password, instead of user-specific credentials.

  • Page 57: Figure 32 Security Setting: 802.1X

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Table 10 Security Setting: WPA/WPA2 LABEL DESCRIPTION Certificate This field is only available when you select TLS in the EAP Type field. Click Browse to select a certificate. Note: You must first have a wired connection to a network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA).

  • Page 58: Table 11 Security Settings: Ieee 802.1X

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 11 Security Settings: IEEE 802.1x LABEL DESCRIPTION Encryption Type Select WEP if the access point is configured to use 802.1x with WEP encryption. A dynamic WEP key is generated automatically. Otherwise, select Disable (at the time of writing, this is not available in Windows Vista).

  • Page 59: Summary Screen

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.4.2 Summary Screen Use this screen to confirm and save the security settings. Figure 33 Summary Screen The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 12 Summary Screen LABEL DESCRIPTION Network Name This field displays the SSID previously entered.

  • Page 60: Figure 34 Profile

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Figure 34 Profile The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 13 Profile LABEL DESCRIPTION Profile List Click a column heading to sort the entries. denotes that the wireless device is in infrastructure mode and the wireless security is activated.

  • Page 61: Adding A New Profile

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.5.1 Adding a New Profile Follow the steps below to add a new profile. 1 Click Add in the Profile screen. An Add New Profile screen displays as shown next. Figure 35 Profile: Add a New Profile The following table describes the labels in this screen.

  • Page 62: Figure 36 Profile: Wireless Settings

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Table 14 Profile: Add a New Profile (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION Scan Click Scan to search for available wireless devices within transmission range. Select Select an available wireless device in the table and click Select to add it to this profile.

  • Page 63: Figure 37 Profile: Wireless Settings

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Figure 37 Profile: Wireless Settings 4 The screen varies depending on the encryption method you select in the previous screen. The settings must be exactly the same on the AP or other peer wireless computers as they are on the NWD271N.

  • Page 64: The Adapter Screen

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 6 To use this network profile, click the Activate Now button. Otherwise, click the Activate Later button. You can activate only one profile at a time. Once you activate a profile, the ZyXEL utility will use that profile the next time it is started.

  • Page 65: Wps: Pbc (Push Button Configuration)

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows Table 16 Adapter (continued) LABEL DESCRIPTION Power Saving Select Fast Power Save to save power. This forces the NWD271N to go to sleep Mode mode when it is not transmitting data. When you select Continuous Access Mode, the NWD271N will never go to sleep mode.

  • Page 66: Wps: Pin - Use This Device's Pin

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.6.2 WPS: PIN - Use this Device’s PIN This screen allows you to use the WPS Personal Identification Number mode, by entering the NWD271N’s unique PIN in the configuration utility of the other WPS-enabled device. See Section 3.4.2 on page 41 for more information.

  • Page 67: Wps: Pin - Use The Pin From The Ap Or Wireless Router

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.6.3 WPS: PIN - Use the PIN from the AP or Wireless Router This screen allows you to use the WPS Personal Identification Number mode, by entering the PIN from another WPS-enabled device into the NWD271N’s utility. See Section 3.4.2 on page for more information.

  • Page 68: Using Peap In Vista

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.7.1 Using PEAP in Vista Take the following steps to set up WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security using PEAP in Windows Vista. 1 Either select the AP to which you want to connect in the Site Survey screen (see Section 4.4 on page 53), or configure a profile in the normal way (see...

  • Page 69: Using Tls In Vista

    Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows 4.7.2 Using TLS in Vista Take the following steps to set up WPA, WPA2 or 802.1x security using TLS in Windows Vista. 1 Either select the AP to which you want to connect in the Site Survey screen (see Section 4.4 on page 53), or configure a profile (see...
  • Page 70 Chapter 4 ZyXEL Utility - Windows NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 71: Maintenance

    H A P T E R Maintenance 5.1 Overview This section describes how to uninstall or upgrade the ZyXEL utility. 5.1.1 What You Can Do in This Section • Learn which version of the ZyXEL utility and device driver you’re currently using. See Section 5.2 on page 71 for details.

  • Page 72: Uninstalling The Zyxel Utility

    Chapter 5 Maintenance Figure 49 About The following table describes the read-only fields in this screen. Table 19 About LABEL DESCRIPTION Driver Version This field displays the version number of the NWD271N driver. Utility Version This field displays the version number of the ZyXEL utility. 5.3 Uninstalling the ZyXEL Utility Follow the steps below to remove (or uninstall) the ZyXEL utility from your computer.

  • Page 73: Upgrading The Zyxel Utility

    Chapter 5 Maintenance Figure 51 Uninstall: Finish 5.4 Upgrading the ZyXEL Utility Before you uninstall the ZyXEL utility, take note of your current wireless configurations. To perform the upgrade, follow the steps below. 1 Download the latest version of the utility from the ZyXEL web site and save the file on your computer.
  • Page 74 Chapter 5 Maintenance NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 75: Troubleshooting And Specifications

    Troubleshooting and Specifications Troubleshooting (77) Product Specifications (81)

  • Page 77: Troubleshooting

    H A P T E R Troubleshooting This chapter offers some suggestions to solve problems you might encounter. The potential problems are divided into the following categories. • Power, Hardware Connections, and LEDs • Accessing the ZyXEL Utility • Link Quality •...

  • Page 78: Accessing The Zyxel Utility

    Chapter 6 Troubleshooting 6.2 Accessing the ZyXEL Utility I cannot access the ZyXEL Utility 1 Make sure the NWD271N is properly inserted and the LEDs are on. Refer to the Quick Start Guide for information on how to properly connect the NWD271N. 2 Use the Device Manager to check for possible hardware conflicts.
  • Page 79 Chapter 6 Troubleshooting • Change the AP and the associated wireless clients to use another radio channel if interference is high. • Make sure that the computer and the AP share the same security option and key. Verify the settings in the Profile Security Setting screen. •...
  • Page 80 Chapter 6 Troubleshooting NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 81: Product Specifications

    H A P T E R Product Specifications Table 20 Product Specifications PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL Product Name NWD271N WLAN 802.11n USB Adapter Interface USB 2.0 Standards IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g IEEE 802.11n (Draft 2.0) Antenna 2.4GHz and 5 GHz Operating Temperature 0 - 40 degrees Celsius Storage Temperature -30 - 70 degrees Celsius...
  • Page 82 Chapter 7 Product Specifications Table 20 Product Specifications (continued) WIRELESS STANDARDS IEEE 802.11b Dynamically shifts between 11, 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps network speed. Operation Frequency 2.412GHz~2.472GHz Operation Channels N. America &Taiwan 2.412GHz~ 2.462GHz 1-11 Euro ETSI 2.412GHz~ 2.472GHz 1-13 IEEE 802.11g Dynamically shifts between 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6 Mbps network speed.
  • Page 83 Chapter 7 Product Specifications Table 20 Product Specifications (continued) Device Drivers Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit) Windows XP (32- and 64-bit) Windows 2000 WIRELESS FEATURES Wireless Security WEP 64bit, 128bit, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK 802.1x (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP), WPS. Note: EAP-TTLS is not supported in Windows Vista Wireless QoS Note: Not supported in Windows Vista.
  • Page 84 Chapter 7 Product Specifications NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 85: Appendices And Index

    Appendices and Index The appendices provide general information. Some details may not apply to your NWD271N. Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address (87) Wireless LANs (99) Windows Wireless Management (113) Legal Information (135) Customer Support (139) Index (145)

  • Page 87: Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer's Ip Address

    P P E N D I X Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address This appendix shows you how to configure the TCP/IP settings on your computer in order for it to be able to communicate with the other devices on your network. Windows Vista/XP/2000 include the software components you need to use TCP/IP on your computer.

  • Page 88: Figure 52 Windows Xp: Start Menu

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address Windows XP/2000/NT The following example uses the default Windows XP display theme but can also apply to Windows 2000 and Windows NT. 1 Click Start > Control Panel. Figure 52 Windows XP: Start Menu 2 In the Control Panel, click the Network Connections icon.

  • Page 89: Figure 54 Windows Xp: Control Panel > Network Connections > Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 3 Right-click Local Area Connection and then select Properties. Figure 54 Windows XP: Control Panel > Network Connections > Properties 4 On the General tab, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and then click Properties. Figure 55 Windows XP: Local Area Connection Properties NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 90: Figure 56 Windows Xp: Internet Protocol (Tcp/Ip) Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 5 The Internet Protocol TCP/IP Properties window opens. Figure 56 Windows XP: Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties 6 If you have a dynamic IP address, select Obtain an IP address automatically. 7 If you have a static IP address, select Use the following IP Address and fill in the IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway fields.

  • Page 91: Figure 57 Windows Xp: Advanced Tcp/Ip Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 9 The Advanced TCP/IP Settings window opens. Figure 57 Windows XP: Advanced TCP/IP Properties 10 If you do not know your gateway's IP address, remove any previously installed gateways in the IP Settings tab and click OK. Do one or more of the following if you want to configure additional IP addresses: 11 On the IP Settings tab, click Add in the IP addresses category.

  • Page 92: Figure 58 Windows Xp: Internet Protocol (Tcp/Ip) Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 19 The Internet Protocol TCP/IP Properties comes back into focus: Figure 58 Windows XP: Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties 20 Select Obtain DNS server address automatically if you do not know your DNS server IP address(es).

  • Page 93: Figure 59 Windows Vista: Start Menu

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address Windows Vista This section shows screens from Windows Vista Professional. 1 Click Start > Control Panel. Figure 59 Windows Vista: Start Menu 2 In the Control Panel, click the Network and Internet icon. Figure 60 Windows Vista: Control Panel 3 Click the Network and Sharing Center icon.

  • Page 94: Figure 62 Windows Vista: Network And Sharing Center

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 4 Click Manage network connections. Figure 62 Windows Vista: Network and Sharing Center 5 Right-click Local Area Connection and then select Properties. Figure 63 Windows Vista: Network and Sharing Center During this procedure, click Continue whenever Windows displays a screen saying that it needs your permission to continue.

  • Page 95: Figure 64 Windows Vista: Local Area Connection Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 6 Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then select Properties. Figure 64 Windows Vista: Local Area Connection Properties NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 96: Figure 65 Windows Vista: Internet Protocol Version 4 (Tcp/Ipv4) Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 7 The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window opens. Figure 65 Windows Vista: Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties 8 If you have a dynamic IP address, select Obtain an IP address automatically. 9 If you have a static IP address, select Use the following IP address and fill in the IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway fields.

  • Page 97: Figure 66 Windows Vista: Advanced Tcp/Ip Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 11 The Advanced TCP/IP Settings window opens. Figure 66 Windows Vista: Advanced TCP/IP Properties 12 If you do not know your gateway's IP address, remove any previously installed gateways in the IP Settings tab and click OK. Do one or more of the following if you want to configure additional IP addresses: 13 On the IP Settings tab, click Add in the IP addresses category.

  • Page 98: Figure 67 Windows Vista: Internet Protocol Version 4 (Tcp/Ipv4) Properties

    Appendix A Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address 21 In the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties comes back into focus. Figure 67 Windows Vista: Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties 22 Select Obtain DNS server address automatically if you do not know your DNS server IP address(es).

  • Page 99: Appendix B Wireless Lans

    P P E N D I X Wireless LANs Wireless LAN Topologies This section discusses ad-hoc and infrastructure wireless LAN topologies. Ad-hoc Wireless LAN Configuration The simplest WLAN configuration is an independent (Ad-hoc) WLAN that connects a set of computers with wireless adapters (A, B, C). Any time two or more wireless adapters are within range of each other, they can set up an independent network, which is commonly referred to as an ad-hoc network or Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS).

  • Page 100: Figure 69 Basic Service Set

    Appendix B Wireless LANs Figure 69 Basic Service Set An Extended Service Set (ESS) consists of a series of overlapping BSSs, each containing an access point, with each access point connected together by a wired network. This wired connection between APs is called a Distribution System (DS). This type of wireless LAN topology is called an Infrastructure WLAN.

  • Page 101: Figure 70 Infrastructure Wlan

    Appendix B Wireless LANs Figure 70 Infrastructure WLAN Channel A channel is the radio frequency(ies) used by wireless devices to transmit and receive data. Channels available depend on your geographical area. You may have a choice of channels (for your region) so you should use a channel different from an adjacent AP (access point) to reduce interference.

  • Page 102: Figure 71 Rts/Cts

    Appendix B Wireless LANs Figure 71 RTS/CTS When station A sends data to the AP, it might not know that the station B is already using the channel. If these two stations send data at the same time, collisions may occur when both sets of data arrive at the AP at the same time, resulting in a loss of messages for both stations.

  • Page 103: Table 21 Ieee 802.11G

    Appendix B Wireless LANs If the Fragmentation Threshold value is smaller than the RTS/CTS value (see previously) you set then the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear to Send) handshake will never occur as data frames will be fragmented before they reach RTS/CTS size. Preamble Type Preamble is used to signal that data is coming to the receiver.

  • Page 104: Table 22 Wireless Security Levels

    Appendix B Wireless LANs Wireless security methods available on the NWD271N are data encryption, wireless client authentication, restricting access by device MAC address and hiding the NWD271N identity. The following figure shows the relative effectiveness of these wireless security methods available on your NWD271N.
  • Page 105 Appendix B Wireless LANs Determines the network services available to authenticated users once they are connected to the network. • Accounting Keeps track of the client’s network activity. RADIUS is a simple package exchange in which your AP acts as a message relay between the wireless client and the network RADIUS server.
  • Page 106 Appendix B Wireless LANs For EAP-TLS authentication type, you must first have a wired connection to the network and obtain the certificate(s) from a certificate authority (CA). A certificate (also called digital IDs) can be used to authenticate users and a CA issues certificates and guarantees the identity of each certificate owner.

  • Page 107: Table 23 Comparison Of Eap Authentication Types

    Appendix B Wireless LANs Dynamic WEP Key Exchange The AP maps a unique key that is generated with the RADIUS server. This key expires when the wireless connection times out, disconnects or reauthentication times out. A new WEP key is generated each time reauthentication is performed. If this feature is enabled, it is not necessary to configure a default encryption key in the wireless security configuration screen.
  • Page 108 Appendix B Wireless LANs Encryption Both WPA and WPA2 improve data encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Message Integrity Check (MIC) and IEEE 802.1x. WPA and WPA2 use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in the Counter mode with Cipher block chaining Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP) to offer stronger encryption than TKIP.

  • Page 109: Figure 72 Wpa(2) With Radius Application Example

    Appendix B Wireless LANs Wireless Client WPA Supplicants A wireless client supplicant is the software that runs on an operating system instructing the wireless client how to use WPA. At the time of writing, the most widely available supplicant is the WPA patch for Windows XP, Funk Software's Odyssey client.

  • Page 110: Figure 73 Wpa(2)-Psk Authentication

    Appendix B Wireless LANs 3 The AP and wireless clients generate a common PMK (Pairwise Master Key). The key itself is not sent over the network, but is derived from the PSK and the SSID. 4 The AP and wireless clients use the TKIP or AES encryption process, the PMK and information exchanged in a handshake to create temporal encryption keys.
  • Page 111 Appendix B Wireless LANs Antenna Overview An antenna couples RF signals onto air. A transmitter within a wireless device sends an RF signal to the antenna, which propagates the signal through the air. The antenna also operates in reverse by capturing RF signals from the air. Positioning the antennas properly increases the range and coverage area of a wireless LAN.
  • Page 112 Appendix B Wireless LANs Positioning Antennas In general, antennas should be mounted as high as practically possible and free of obstructions. In point-to–point application, position both antennas at the same height and in a direct line of sight to each other to attain the best performance. For omni-directional antennas mounted on a table, desk, and so on, point the antenna up.

  • Page 113: Appendix C Windows Wireless Management

    P P E N D I X Windows Wireless Management This appendix shows you how to manage your NWD271N using the Windows Vista and Windows XP wireless configuration tools. Windows Vista Take the following steps to connect to a wireless network using the Windows Vista wireless configuration tool (WLAN AutoConfig).

  • Page 114: Figure 75 Vista: The Connect To Window

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 75 Vista: The Connect To Window The security status of each wireless network displays, as well as an indication of its signal strength. If you use the mouse pointer to hover over a network’s entry, additional information about the network displays.

  • Page 115: Figure 77 Vista: Enter Security Key

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 77 Vista: Enter Security Key Your computer tries to connect to the wireless network. Figure 78 Vista: Connecting If your computer has connected to the wireless network successfully, the following screen displays. NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 116: Figure 79 Vista: Successful Connection

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 79 Vista: Successful Connection 4 If you will use this network again, ensure that Save this network is selected. If you save the network, you do not have to configure its settings again. 5 Select Start this connection automatically if you want Windows to always try to use this network when you start up your computer.

  • Page 117: Figure 80 Vista: Choose A Connection Option

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 80 Vista: Choose a Connection Option 2 Click Manually connect to a wireless network. The following screen displays. Figure 81 Vista: Connect Manually The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 25 Vista: Connect Manually LABEL DESCRIPTION Network name...

  • Page 118: Figure 82 Vista: Successfully Added Network

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Table 25 Vista: Connect Manually LABEL DESCRIPTION Encryption type Select the type of encryption used by the network. When you use WEP or 802.1x, WEP displays. When you use a WPA mode (WPA(2)-Personal or WPA(2)-Enterprise) you can choose AES or TKIP (if supported by your computer’s wireless client).

  • Page 119: Figure 83 Vista: Set Up An Ad-Hoc Network

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management 1 Click Start ( ) > Connect To. In the Connect to screen, click Set up a connection or network. The following screen displays. Figure 83 Vista: Set Up An Ad-hoc Network 2 Select Set up a wireless ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network and click Next. The following screen displays.

  • Page 120: Figure 85 Vista: Ad-Hoc Network Ready

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Make sure all the wireless clients on your ad-hoc network can support the type of security you select. 4 Enter the Security key/Passphrase. Everybody on the network must enter this key in their computer’s wireless client in order to access the network. If you want to see the characters you entered, select the Display characters box.

  • Page 121: Figure 86 Windows Xp Sp1: Wireless Network Connection Status

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management 2 Double-click on the icon for wireless network connection. 3 The status window displays as shown below. Click Properties. Figure 86 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Status Figure 87 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status 4 The Wireless Network Connection Properties screen displays.

  • Page 122: Figure 88 Windows Xp Sp1: Wireless Network Connection Properties

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 88 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties Figure 89 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Properties If you see the following screen, refer to article 871122 on the Microsoft web site for information on starting WZC. NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 123: Figure 90 Windows Xp Sp2: Wzc Not Available

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 90 Windows XP SP2: WZC Not Available 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. Figure 91 Windows XP SP2: System Tray Icon The type of the wireless network icon in Windows XP SP2 indicates the status of the NWD271N.

  • Page 124: Figure 92 Windows Xp Sp2: Wireless Network Connection Status

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 92 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection Status Windows XP SP1: In the Wireless Network Connection Status screen, click Properties and the Wireless Networks tab to open the Wireless Network Connection Properties screen. Figure 93 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.

  • Page 125: Figure 94 Windows Xp Sp2: Wireless Network Connection

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 94 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection The following table describes the icons in the wireless network list. Table 27 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection ICON DESCRIPTION This denotes that wireless security is activated for the wireless network. This denotes that this wireless network is your preferred network.

  • Page 126: Figure 95 Windows Xp Sp1: Wireless Network Connection Properties

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 95 Windows XP SP1: Wireless Network Connection Properties 4 4.Windows XP SP2: If the wireless security is activated for the selected wireless network, the Wireless Network Connection screen displays. You must set the related fields in the Wireless Network Connection screen to the same security settings as the associated AP and click Connect.

  • Page 127: Figure 97 Windows Xp Sp2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 97 Windows XP SP2: Wireless Network Connection: No Security 5 Verify that you have successfully connected to the selected network and check the connection status in the wireless network list or the connection icon in the Preferred networks or Available networks list.

  • Page 128: Table 29 Windows Xp: Wireless (Network) Properties: Association

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 29 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Association LABEL DESCRIPTION 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 Authentication WPA-PSK) used by the selected network.

  • Page 129: Figure 99 Windows Xp: Wireless (Network) Properties: Authentication

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Figure 99 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 30 Windows XP: Wireless (network) properties: Authentication LABEL DESCRIPTION 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 authentication for...

  • Page 130: Figure 100 Windows Xp: Protected Eap Properties

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Protected EAP Properties Figure 100 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 31 Windows XP: Protected EAP Properties LABEL DESCRIPTION Validate server Select the check box to verify the certificate of the authentication server. certificate Connect to these Select the check box and specify a domain in the field below to have your...

  • Page 131: Figure 101 Windows Xp: Smart Card Or Other Certificate Properties

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management Smart Card or other Certificate Properties Figure 101 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties The following table describes the labels in this screen. Table 32 Windows XP: Smart Card or other Certificate Properties LABEL DESCRIPTION Use my smart...

  • Page 132: Figure 102 Windows Xp Sp2: Wireless Networks: Preferred Networks

    Appendix C Windows Wireless Management 1 Windows XP SP2: Click Change the order of preferred networks in the Wireless Network Connection screen (see Figure 94 on page 125). The screen displays as shown. Figure 102 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.
  • Page 133 Appendix C Windows Wireless Management the security, authentication or connection information of the selected network. Click Add to add a preferred network into the list manually. NWD271N User’s Guide...
  • Page 134 Appendix C Windows Wireless Management NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 135: Appendix D Legal Information

    ZyXEL Communications Corporation. Published by ZyXEL Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.
  • Page 136 Appendix D Legal Information If this device does cause harmful interference to radio/television reception, which can be determined by turning the device off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: 1 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Page 137 Appendix D Legal Information Notices Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. This device has been designed for the WLAN 2.4 GHz network throughout the EC region and Switzerland, with restrictions in France.
  • Page 138 Appendix D Legal Information NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 139: Appendix E Customer Support

    • Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.com.tw • Telephone: +886-3-578-3942 • Fax: +886-3-578-2439 • Web: www.zyxel.com, www.europe.zyxel.com • FTP: ftp.zyxel.com, ftp.europe.zyxel.com • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications Corp., 6 Innovation Road II, Science Park, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan Costa Rica • Support E-mail: soporte@zyxel.co.cr • Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.co.cr •...
  • Page 140 Appendix E Customer Support • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications, Czech s.r.o., Modranská 621, 143 01 Praha 4 - Modrany, Ceská Republika Denmark • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.dk • Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.dk • Telephone: +45-39-55-07-00 • Fax: +45-39-55-07-07 • Web: www.zyxel.dk • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Columbusvej, 2860 Soeborg, Denmark Finland •...
  • Page 141 Appendix E Customer Support India • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.in • Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.in • Telephone: +91-11-30888144 to +91-11-30888153 • Fax: +91-11-30888149, +91-11-26810715 • Web: http://www.zyxel.in • Regular Mail: India - ZyXEL Technology India Pvt Ltd., II-Floor, F2/9 Okhla Phase -1, New Delhi 110020, India Japan •...
  • Page 142 Appendix E Customer Support • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications Inc., 1130 N. Miller St., Anaheim, CA 92806- 2001, U.S.A. Norway • Support E-mail: support@zyxel.no • Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.no • Telephone: +47-22-80-61-80 • Fax: +47-22-80-61-81 • Web: www.zyxel.no • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications A/S, Nils Hansens vei 13, 0667 Oslo, Norway Poland •...
  • Page 143 • Sales E-mail: sales@zyxel.co.uk • Telephone: +44-1344-303044, 08707-555779 (UK only) • Fax: +44-1344-303034 • Web: www.zyxel.co.uk • FTP: ftp.zyxel.co.uk • Regular Mail: ZyXEL Communications UK Ltd., 11 The Courtyard, Eastern Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2XB, United Kingdom (UK) NWD271N User’s Guide...
  • Page 144 Appendix E Customer Support NWD271N User’s Guide...

  • Page 145: Index

    Index Index See CA. certifications notices About viewing about your ZyXEL Device channel 38, 51, 53, 62, 101 Access Point (AP) interference Access point (AP) configuration method Access Point. See also AP. important note Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) 24, 25 ACT LED ZyXEL utility activating a profile...
  • Page 146 Index encryption link information encryption type 39, 56 LINK LED environmental specifications link quality Extended Service Set, See ESS manual network connection Message Integrity Check (MIC) 40, 108 fast power save FCC interference statement fragmentation threshold frequency 38, 82 network mode network name network overlap network scan...
  • Page 147 Index information 60, 61 temperature Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) 40, 108 67, 69 total receive total transmit Quick Start Guide 24, 78 trademarks transmission rate 51, 60 transmit key transmit rate trend chart TTLS radio interference radio specifications 81, 82 RADIUS 40, 104 message types...
  • Page 148 Index wireless client driver version number exiting wireless client WPA supplicants help wireless LAN reactivating introduction status security system tray icon wireless LAN (WLAN) upgrading wireless network version number wireless security wireless standard wireless station mode adapter security settings site survey trend chart wireless tutorial WLAN...

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