ANTIFERENCE Clear Flow User manual
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing this Antiference Clear Flow network device.
Please read this user guide carefully and retain for future reference.
Antiference Clear Flow range of wireless networking devices offers a fresh approach to creating
and expanding WiFi networks. With a choice of in wall (WAP) or ceiling mounted (AIR) access
points, there is an option for every requirement. In addition, the BEAM point-to-point bridge ex-
tenders allow the extension of a network wirelessly up to a distance of 10KM if required.
THIS PRODUCT
The Clear Flow Gateway is at its core, a powerful Gigabit network router and rewall. It has
additional functionality when paired with any other Clear Flow network device, allowing auton-
omous control over a single or groups of equipment. Group scheduling allows multiple units to
receive rmware updates, settings changes etc. automatically – greatly increasing the reasonable
expandability available to Clear Flow based networks.
Further to this, the Clear Flow gateway allows the user to analyse and control a network. Manag-
ing trafc in many useful ways; based on IP information, MAC address, routing, load balancing,
QoS changes, VPN tunnelling, remote management among others. This user guide will serve to
aid the user in operating the Gateway, more in depth applications of these techniques will require
previous experience in network management.
POE SWITCH FUNCTIONALITY
This model of the Clear Flow Gateway (GWPOE) has the addition of self-adaptive, 48V 802.3af
PoE ports which can be used to power any other currently existing Clear ow device. It can be
useful when attempting to keep costs down. Smaller budgets (with fewer numbers of access
points), don’t have to factor in the price of PoE injectors or switches. Any device which utilises
standard PoE can be powered and networked directly through the I/O of the router itself.
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ACCESS POINTS
Access Points under control of the Gateway have their trafc monitored and appropriately
balanced to achieve maximum efciency. Having these tasks centrally managed by a device sepa-
rate to the information delivering access points helps to boost productivity through the network.
All devices registering a Clear Flow MAC address will automatically be detected and listed for
management.
Having high quality access points also aids the efciency of a managed network. When consider-
ing the specication of a WiFi device, there are three main factors; processing power, transmis-
sion power and bandwidth.
Processing power is determined by the number and quality of the processing chips used in
the device. Said chips are the brain of the device; the more powerful/numerous they are directly
relates to the efciency and capability of the unit when handling data. Certain brands such as
Qualcomm are a mark of quality and cheaper alternatives often are not worth the reduced cost.
Transmission power or TX power is the maximum signal output the device is capable of without
the aid of additional antennae (measured in dBm). This relates to the device’s ability to transmit
over distance; the larger the distance, the greater the required TX power. TX power also gives an
indication of the device’s ability to function in dense environments where multiple walls will be a
factor.
Lastly we have bandwidth; bandwidth refers to the theoretical maximum 2-way throughput of
a device. For example; a 300Mbps WiFi device is called such as it is capable of up to 150Mbps
download and 150Mbps upload simultaneously, totalling 300Mbps ‘bandwidth’.
Bandwidth essentially represents how much data can be passing in and out of your WiFi unit at
any given point. The larger the bandwidth the greater the number of possible connections, as well
as the bandwidth allocated to each connection. Bandwidth is however limited by the incoming
broadband speed so it is not always the best measure of how well an access point will perform,
the other two factors are usually more important.
There are many additional features which play a role in the real-life performance of devices;
technologies such as beam-forming and MIMO communication aid in different distinctive ways that
help an access point function in a given environment. Unlike the three main factors listed above;
these additional features range from being very powerful in many cases to providing minor boosts
in niche situations.
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CONTENTS
1 – SAFTEY CONSIDERATIONS
2 – CONNECTION
2.1 – Hard wired connection to laptop or PC
3 – LOGIN SCREEN
3.1 – Language selection
4 – PROGRAMMING THE GATEWAY
4.1 – LAN Settings
4.2 – WAN Settings
4.3 – Cable router with dedicated modem
4.4 – Router with built-in DSL Modem
4.5 – DHCP settings
4.6 – Connected devices
5 – ADVANCED NETWORK SETTINGS
5.1 – Balancing
5.2 – Multiline routing
5.3 – Custom ISP
5.4 – VLAN Setup
5.5 – DNS Settings
5.6 – Static and Directed routing
5.7 – Network redial
6 – ACCESS POINT MANAGEMENT
6.1 – Group
6.2 – Members
6.3 – Firmware upgrade
6.4 – Detail list
7 – GUEST PORTAL
7.1 – Local authentication
7.2 – WiFiDog
8 – BANDWIDTH CONTROL
8.1 – QoS
8.2 – Bandwidth limiting via IP address
8.3 – Monitor connected network devices
9 – FIREWALL
10 – SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
10.1 – Log and statistics
10.2 – System tools
10.3 – Remote Access
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1 SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
1.1 Connecting the power supply
This device must be connected to a UK mains power socket via the supplied kettle lead. Please
check the voltage rating to ensure correct supply is used as failure to do so may damage the
product and will not be covered under warranty.
1.2 Liquids
DO NOT place liquids on or near the devices at any time as this may damage the product.
1.3 Cleaning
Only use a damp cloth for cleaning. We do not recommend using solvent based products as this
may damage the case.
1.4 Repairs
No attempt should be made to carry out repairs on these devices unless trained or qualied to do
so. Opening the device may invalidate the warranty.
BEFORE YOU START
DO NOT connect the Gateway to a network until programming is complete.
Set up is recommended to be completed with a laptop, utilising a solid Ethernet connection.
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2 CONNECTION
2.1 Connection when hard wired to laptop
Power up the Clear Flow Gateway and wait for the device to boot-up. This may take a few min-
utes.
Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN ports of your Gateway to your laptop then type
the default IP address ‘172.16.0.1’ into your web browser. If the Clear Flow home page loads then
please go to section 3.
Your Gateway should come out of the box with its DHCP server activated, meaning that your
laptop will automatically pick up an IP address and hence, allow you to gain access via a web
browser. If for some reason your laptop is struggling to web browse to the Gateway login screen
then it may not have picked up an IP address. In which case, please follow the information listed
below:
When programming via Ethernet, it is only possible when the PC is set onto the same IP range
as the device you are attempting to connect to. This generally refers to the rst 3 numbers of an
IP address i.e. xxx.xxx.xxx.254, which need to match in order for network devices to be able to
communicate.
For example:
The IP addresses 172.16.0.1 and 172.16.0.200 can communicate.
The IP addresses 172.16.0.1 and 172.16.1.200 cannot communicate.
If you need to change the IP address, navigate to the Network & Sharing Centre in the Control
Panel or via the shortcut link on the task bar (if present).
Once in the Network & Sharing Centre, click ‘change adaptor settings’.
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Then double click ‘local area connection’
Click ‘properties’
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Double click ‘Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)’
Next, toggle option to ‘use the following IP address’.
Insert an IP address within the same IP range as the Gateway, 172.16.0.200, for example.
The Subnet Mask should automatically load and be set to 255.255.255.0.
The Default Gateway should be set to 172.16.0.1 as this refers to the router.
Click OK to return out of the networking menu. The IP address of your PC will now be changed
and the Gateway can now be accessed via your web browser.
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3 LOGIN SCREEN
After inputting the IP address into your browser, the login screen will appear:
The default password is ‘admin’.
As a part of the setup process, it is recommended that the default password should be changed.
3.1 Changing the Language
To change the language, click on the cog symbol on the login screen.
Select your language from the drop-down menu.
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4 PROGRAMMING THE GATEWAY
After successfully logging in to your Gateway, you will be presented with the Dashboard.
The Dashboard contains a summary of the settings and real-time activity of the device.
At this point, the Gateway should be connected to nothing except your laptop - the data seen on
the graph represents the ow of information between the two.
4.1 LAN settings
To access the LAN settings, select ‘Network > LAN settings’ from the options on the left hand side.
The LAN in this case refers to the network which will be created; for any device plugged into the
ports on the front of the router – either directly or via a network switch/wireless access point.
The IP address here refers to the IP address of the router on this network.
The ‘Subnet Mask’ has many possible values which relate to how many IP addresses are possible
in total for the network. The Subnet Mask for a standard small network is 255.255.255.0 - this
value allows up to around 250 users - this is going to be the correct setting most of the time.
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4.2 WAN settings
This method requires a dedicated modem to convert the DSL signal into an Ethernet signal.
To access the WAN settings, select ‘Network > WAN settings’ from the options on the left hand
side.
Some set ups make use of a Modem which converts an RJ11 (landline) signal into an Ethernet
port for the Router to connect to while other Routers have an in-built Modem to achieve the same
result.
Please note: cable routers will have only Ethernet ports like this Clear Flow Gateway where as a
modem router will have both an RJ11 and Ethernet ports.
Once you’ve established which type of setup you are dealing with, proceed to 4.3 or 4.4 as
required.
4.3 WAN settings with Modem and Cable Router
When you have a Modem in place converting the landline signal into an Ethernet, you must rst
establish the IP address of the Modem – enter this IP address in the Default gateway eld.
In the example below, the IP address of the Modem is ‘192.168.10.254’ - the other settings can be
worked out based on this Default Gateway IP address.
Firstly, copy the Default Gateway IP and paste it into the main DNS eld then enter ‘8.8.8.8’ in the
backup DNS. Now enter an IP address in the same range as the Default Gateway IP address. As
mentioned earlier in this guide, the subnet is usually 255.255.255.0 however can be many differ-
ent values but only usually in more advanced networking situations.
The value in the Up/Down eld limits the speed if required - to leave it unlimited enter 1000 in
both.
Once you are happy with your settings, click save.
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4.4 Router with built-in DSL Modem
When you have a Router with a built-in Modem, such as most ISP provided models - the setup
is very similar to how it is explained above, under ‘Modem and Cable Router’ except the Modem
here will be your ISP Router with built-in modem.
It is recommended to congure one device to act explicitly as a Modem and one as a Router.
This means you should turn off the Wireless networks and DHCP server on your existing Modem
router, effectively making it act as just a Modem.
In the example below, the IP address of the Cable Modem is ‘192.168.10.254’ - the other settings
can be worked out based on this IP address.
Firstly, enter this IP address in the Default Gateway eld then copy it into the main DNS eld. In
the backup DNS eld enter ‘8.8.8.8’. Now enter an IP address for your Gateway in the same range
as the Modem/Router IP address. The subnet should be set to 255.255.255.0.
The value in the Up/Down eld limits the speed if required - to leave it unlimited enter 1000 in
both.
Once you are happy with your settings, click save.
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4.5 DHCP settings
To access the DHCP settings, select ‘Network > DHCP settings’ from the options on the left hand
side.
The DHCP server congured here serves the network congured via LAN settings in part 4.1
In most situations, the DHCP server will want to be turned on as the Clear Flow Gateway is the
point at which all of the network trafc is managed. Therefore it makes sense for the Gateway to
also be responsible for assigning IP addresses to devices when they join the network.
Below we can see an example set up which allows 100 users in total, starting from 100 onwards -
with our previously entered LAN settings, this means 172.16.0.100 onwards.
The DHCP lease time is set to 1440 minutes; this means a client can connect to the network for
24 hours before needing a new IP address.
The Domain name is essentially the nickname of the DHCP server we are creating.
The main DNS should be the same as your Clear Flow Gateway LAN address while the second-
ary DNS has been set to the Modem/Modem-Router.
Check your settings and click ‘Save’ once you are done.
If you need to disable the DHCP server for whatever reason then use the dropdown menu next to
‘DHCP’ and select ‘Disable’ then save.
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4.6 Connected devices
Client list
To access the list containing information on all of the network devices currently connected to your
Gateway via DHCP, select ‘Network > DHCP settings > Client List’ from the options on the left
hand side.
Static list
To access the list containing information on all of the network devices currently connected to your
Gateway via a static IP address, select ‘Network > DHCP settings > Static list’ from the options on
the left hand side.
5 ADVANCED SETTINGS
5.1 Balancing
Access the load balancing settings, select ‘Network > Balance’ from the options on the left hand
side.
Load balancing assigns a weight to an incoming network line, server or a mixture of the two.
Weight relates to the level of trafc which will be directed towards said network, with a higher
value representing higher priority.
5.2 Multiline Route
Multiline route can be enabled when you have multiple incoming WAN connections and need to
select which will be the main router.
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5.3 Custom ISP
Add your own custom service provider here.
Simply enter the appropriate information for your service provider and click save - you will now
nd your custom ISP in the multiline route list.
5.4 VLAN setup
Access the VLAN settings, select ‘Network > VLAN Setup’ from the options on the left hand side.
Click Add to create a new VLAN then enter your parameters (IP address here can refer to the LAN
IP address of the router conguring the VLAN).
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5.5 DNS settings
To enter your DNS settings, navigate to Network > DNS settings then enable the DNS switch.
After you’ve done this, edit your desired network and input your DNS settings.
5.6 Static and Directed routing
Static routing allows you to link two IP address together – these can be devices within your net-
work or on a greater WAN (Internet).
Directed routing allows you to link two IP address together but with a direction of trafc, meaning
that data on the start network cannot be accessed by the end point.
5.7 Timing Redial
Allows you to manage how often your router will attempt to check the status of your internet
connection.
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6 ACCESS POINT MANAGEMENT
Navigate to AC Control to access the AP management settings.
6.1 Group settings
Multiple access points can be assigned to a group, this allows you to congure your desired WiFi
settings and apply them to every AP within the group. More than one group can be utilised to
allow for different set ups on the same network.
To create a group, navigate to ‘Group’ under the AC Control menu then click the plus symbol next
to the WLAN Group dropdown menu. A small wizard should appear allowing you enter the group
name and SSID/password which will be broadcasted by any AP assigned to your new group.
Once the new group is created, be sure that it is selected from the dropdown menu before
proceeding to change any settings. With your group selected, you should see your SSID and
password under ‘Client network’, if you would like to make amendments then you can here.
Admin network is a separate WLAN which will be broadcasted for maintenance use and can be
turned off if not required.
Advanced settings can be found underneath the admin network - the default options should be
‘Europe’ under country and a bandwidth of 20Mhz for 2.4Ghz radios and 40Mhz for 5Ghz radios.
The examples below show how you should congure for most cases.
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Advanced Group settings
Advanced WiFi settings for the group can be accessed here – recommended for experienced
users only, in most cases the default should be sufcient.
Timed Restart
This feature allows you to congure a schedule to reboot all the Aps contained within a group.
This can be at a set time on selected days or be done at intervals – a set time (ie. early AM) is
usually the best method as it guarantees no users will be active.
WiFi Roaming
Enable WiFi roaming when using multiple APs to manage the handoff between devices when
moving around an area. The quality test period represents how long between access points
checking your receiving signal, the reconnect period is how long you will remain on a device
before needing to refresh your lease and reconnect threshold is the signal strength in dBm that
determines if your device needs to move over to a closer access point.
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6.2 Member management
Once you have created a group, you need to apply the group settings to your desired Access
Points. To do this, select ‘Members’ under AC Control then ‘management’ in the centre of the
screen. You should now see all Clear Flow devices currently operating on your network.
Put a tick in the box to select each AP you would like to assign a group then select your group
from the dropdown menu and click ‘Move Group’ – after around 30 seconds your APs will have
adopted the group settings.
You can adjust individual AP settings by clicking the blue pencil icon on the right hand side.
To monitor the performance and activity of Clear Flow devices on your network, select ‘Perfor-
mance’ in the centre of the screen - here you can see live data.
You may also turn off the LED light on an Access Point by clicking the blue light bulb icon on the
right hand side underneath ‘state’.
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6.3 Batch Firmware upgrading
The Clear Flow Gateway allows multiple units to upgraded at once, to access these options navi-
gate to Batch Upgrade under AC Control.
First make sure you have the correct rmware for the model of device you have then upload it
by selecting ‘Browse’ browsing to it, selecting it and the clicking upload. Once your rmware is
uploaded, select the relevant models of equipment from the list and click upgrade.
6.4 Access Point List
To quickly view the information of any discovered devices; go to ‘Details’ under AC Control.
7 GUEST PORTAL
Guest portal settings can by navigating to ‘Authentication’ – these options are recommended for
advanced users, incorrect conguration of guest network could leave your main network vulnera-
ble.
7.1 Local Authentication
Allows you to congure a guest network which will require users to connect locally to the Gateway
for authentication.
Select ‘local’ under Authentication. Here you will see a multitude of methods which allow your
guests to authenticate themselves. Options include a simple timer, an ad click or even WeChat
login. Select your method from the dropdown menu then design the portal based on your require-
ments.
7.2 WiFiDog authentication
To use a dedicated server to host the web portal and authenticate guests, you will need to use
WiFiDog authentication, found under ‘Authentication > WiFiDog’.
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