Black Box LWE121A User manual

BLACK BOX®
Quick Installation Guide
Wireless Ethernet Extender
Order toll-free in the U.S.: Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500)
FREE technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax
724-746-0746 • Mailing address: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence,
PA 15055-1018 • Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: [e-mail]
Customer
Support
Information
March 2009
codes codes
codes codes
codes codes
LWE121A LWE121A-KIT
LWE121AE LWE121UK-KIT
LWE121UK

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Chapter 1: Overview
About the Quick Installation Guide
This Quick Installation Guide is intended to guide professional installers to install
and configure the Wireless Ethernet Extender. It covers procedures to assist you in
avoiding unforeseen problems.
1. Overview
1.1 Introduction
The Wireless Ethernet Extender is a 2x2 outdoor access point. The LWE120A
operates at 2.4-GHz band. Ideally suited for SMB or hotspot networks, this
breakthrough innovation provides superior Wi-Fi network solutions at significantly
lower cost.
In addition, the easy-to-install Wireless Ethernet Extender is also a high-
performance last-mile broadband solution that provides reliable wireless network
coverage for outdoor broadband application.
Figure 1-1. Front view.

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Chapter 1: Overview
Figure 1-2. Back view.
RJ-45 port Grounding point
Reset button
Figure 1-3. Bottom view.

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Chapter 2: Preparing for Installation
2. Preparing for Installation
This chapter describes safety precautions and product information you have to
know. Read this chapter before installing the Wireless Ethernet Extender.
Professional Installation Required
Seek assistance from a professional installer who is well trained in RF installation
and knowledgeable in the local regulations.
Safety Precautions
To keep you safe and install the hardware properly, read and follow these safety
precautions.
1. If you are installing the Wireless Ethernet Extender for the first time, for your
safety as well as others’, please assistance from a professional installer who has
received safety training on the hazards involved.
2. Keep safety as well as performance in mind when selecting your installation
site, especially where there are electric power and phone lines.
3. When installing the Wireless Ethernet Extender, note the following things:
• Do not use a metal ladder;
• Do not work on a wet or windy day;
• Wear shoes with rubber soles and heels, rubber gloves, and a long-sleeved shirt
or jacket.
4. When the system is operational, avoid standing directly in front of it. Strong RF
fields are present when the transmitter is on.
Installation Precautions
To keep the Wireless Ethernet Extender well while you are installing it, read and
follow these installation precautions.
1. Users MUST use a proper and well-installed grounding and surge arrestor with
the Wireless Ethernet Extender; otherwise, random lightning could easily cause
fatal damage to the unit.
WARNING: EMD (Lightning) DAMAGE IS NOT COVERED UNDER
WARRANTY.
2. Users MUST use the power cord and PoE injector shipped in the box with the
Wireless Ethernet Extender. Using other options will damage the unit.

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Chapter 2: Preparing for Installation
3. Users MUST power off the Wireless Ethernet Extender first before connecting
the external antenna to it. Do not switch from a built-in antenna to the external
antenna from WEB management without physically attaching the external
antenna onto the unit; otherwise, the Wireless Ethernet Extender might be
damaged.
What‘s Included
Your package should contain the following items. If anything is missing or
damaged, contact Black Box Technical Support at 724-746-5500 or
[e-mail].
The LWE121A, LWE121AE, and LWE121UK packages contain the following items:
• (1) IEEE 802.11n Wireless Ethernet Extender
• (2) detachable 5-dBi antennas
• (2) pole-mounting rings
• (1) 24-VDC power cord and PoE injector
• (1) ferrite suppression core
• (1) grounding wire
• This printed quick installation guide
The LWE121A-KIT and LWE121UK-KIT packages contain:
• (2) IEEE 802.11n Wireless Ethernet Extenders
• (4) detachable 5-dBi antennas
• (4) pole-mounting rings
• (2) 24-VDC power cords and PoE injectors
• (2) ferrite suppression cores
• (2) grounding wires
• This printed quick installation guide
To download the user manual from the Web site:
1. Go to www.blackbox.com
2. Enter the part number (LWE121A) in the search box:
3. Click on the “Resources” tab on the product page, and select the document
you wish to download.
NOTE: Users MUST use the power cord and PoE injector shipped in the box with
the Wireless Ethernet Extender. Using other options will damage the unit.

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Chapter 2: Preparing for Installation
Figure 2-1. Pole-mounting ring.
Figure 2-2. Power cord and PoE injector.
Figure 2-3. Ferrite suppression core.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
3. System Installation
Connect up
1. The bottom of the Wireless Ethernet Extender is a movable cover. Grab the
cover and pull it back harder to take it out as the figure shown below.
Figure 3-1. Removing the bottom cover from the extender.
2. Plug a standard Ethernet cable into the RJ-45 port.
Figure 3-2. Plugging a standard Ethernet cable into the RJ-45 port.
3. Slide the cover back and press down the lock button to seal the bottom of the
Wireless Ethernet Extender.
Figure 3-3. Replacing the bottom cover.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
Using the Grounding Wire
The extender has a grounding wire. Be sure to connect the extender, cables, and
PoE injector to earth ground properly during normal use to protect against surges
or ESD.
1. Remove the screw on the grounding point at the bottom of the Wireless
Ethernet Extender.
Figure 3-4. Grounding point on the extender.
2. Put the grounding wire on the grounding point at the bottom of the Wireless
Ethernet Extender. Then screw the grounding wire to tighten up.
Figure 3-5. Tighten the grounding wire.
3. Connect the grounding wire to earth ground.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
Install the External Antenna
The Wireless Ethernet Extender provides two reverse SMA antenna connectors for
connecting the external antennas.
Figure 3-6. External antenna connectors.
1. Connect your external antennas to the SMA-type connectors on top of the
Wireless Ethernet Extender. For longer distance, we recommend using
higher-gain antennas to best suit the application.
Figure 3-7. External antennas connected to the extender.
WARNING: Users MUST power off the extender first before connecting the
external antennas to it. Do not power on the device without physically
attaching the antenna; otherwise, your extender might be damaged.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
2. Bend the antenna to 90 degrees or 45 degrees.
90°
45°
Figure 3-8. Bend antenna.
3. You may turn one antenna 45 degrees to the left and the other 45 degrees to
the right. The tilted antennas couple together much less than if they are both
pointed in the same direction.
NOTE: Align the polarization of the antennas properly. Maximum signal strength
between bridges occurs when both antennas are using identical
polarization.
4. Tighten the connector joint clockwise to fix the antennas.
Figure 3-9. Tighten the connector clockwise.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
5. To adjust antennas, loosen the connector joint counterclockwise first, then
adjust the antenna to the desired position. DO NOT bend or turn the antennas
without loosening the connector joint; otherwise, you might damage the
antennas.
6. Antenna installation is complete.
Figure 3-10. Installed antennas.
Mount the AP on a Pole
1. Turn the Wireless Ethernet Extender over. Put the pole mounting ring through
the middle hole of it.
NOTE: Unlock the pole mounting ring with a screw driver before putting it
through the device as the following right picture shows.
Figure 3-11. Installing the pole mounting ring on the extender.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
2. Mount the Wireless Ethernet Extender steadily to the pole by locking the pole
mounting ring tightly.
Figure 3-12. Extender mounted on a pole.
Power Up
1. Plug the power cord into the DC port of the PoE injector.
Figure 3-13. Power cord plugged into the injector’s DC port.
2. Connect the power plug to a power socket.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
3. Use an Ethernet cable to connect the Wireless Ethernet Extender to the “POE”
port of the PoE injector as shown below.
Figure 3-14. Power up the extender.
4. Connect the power plug to a power socket. The Wireless Ethernet Extender will
be powered up immediately.
Connect to the Extender
To be able to configure and manage the extender, do the following:
1. Open the ferrite core by unsnapping the connector latches. The core will open,
revealing a concave surface.
Figure 3-15. Open the connector latches.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
2. Lay the Ethermet cable into the core, usually within 2 to 3 inches of the
connector.
Figure 3-16. Putting cable into the core.
3. Loop the cable around and through the core. This helps “lock” the core in
place, and may be required in circumstances withe severe interference.
Figure 3-17. Loop cable around core.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
4. Close the core and snap the halves back together.
Figure 3-18. Close core.
5. Connect the Ethernet cable with suppression core to the “Data In” port of the
PoE injector.
Data in
Figure 3-19. Connecting cable to data-in port.

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Chapter 3: System Installation
6. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to a PC or a switch hub. The
harware installation is complete.
Figure 3-20. Completed installation.

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Chapter 4: Configuration
4. Configuration
The Wireless Ethernet Extender covers “Thin AP mode,” “AC+Thin AP mode,”
and “FAT AP mode.” The default mode is Thin AP. To allow the Wireless Ethernet
Extender to manage the thin APs, you need to switch one of the Wireless
Ethernet Extender to virtual controller mode first. To change the mode, do the
following.
1. To connect the Wireless Ethernet Extender to your PC, plug one end of an
Ethernet cable into the LAN port of PoE injector the other end into the LAN
port of the PC. Then power on the Wireless Ethernet Extender using the PoE
from PoE injector.
2. Assign a static IP address to your PC that should be in the same network
segment with the Wireless Ethernet Extender. The default IP address of the
extender is 192.168.1.1; you may choose from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254.
Then click “OK.”
Figure 4-1. TCP/IP properties screen, general tab.
3. Open the web browser on your PC, type in the IP address (192.168.1.1) of the
Wireless Ethernet Extender in the address bar, and then press “Enter.”

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Chapter 4: Configuration
Figure 4-2. Address bar.
4. You will now see the login page of the Wireless Ethernet Extender. The default
“Name” and “Password” are “admin” and “password,” respectively. Enter
them and then click “Login.”
NOTE: The login page (not shown) contains a space where you can enter the
default Name (admin) and the default password (password).
Emter name: admin
Enter password: password
Figure 4-3. Login page.

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Chapter 4: Configuration
Configure the AC+Thin AP mode
5. To operate as AC+Thin AP mode, go to Basic Settings. From the Device Mode
drop-down list, select “Virtual AC” mode. To use the extender as a virtual
controller and access point concurrently, select “Virtual AC + Thin AP” mode.
Then assign an IP address to the Wireless Ethernet Extender and specify subnet
mask, gateway, and DNS address, respectively. Press “Apply” and wait for
about 50 seconds to take effect.
Figure 4-4. Basic settings screen.
NOTE: AC+ Thin AP mode allows the Wireless Ethernet Extender to operate as
access controller and thin AP at the same time.
NOTE: To operate the extender as a standalone Access Point, wireless client, or
bridge, select FAT AP from device mode.
For Virtual Controller + Thin AP mode, if you need to configure the wireless set-
tings for the Wireless Ethernet Extender, especially SSID and encryption method,
go to Wireless Settings —> Wireless Networks and click on “#1 Wireless SSID”
for configuration. Click “Save” to save the settings.

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Chapter 4: Configuration
Figure 4-5. Wireless Networks screen.
The wireless setting will also apply to the VAC-managed APs. A dialog message
will pop up to remind you changes will also apply to other extender-managed
APs. Click “Apply” to apply the configuration immediately.
Figure 4-6. Wireless Settings screen.
To make the change on the Wireless Ethernet Extender itself take effect, you need
to reboot the extender. To reboot the Wireless Ethernet Extender, go to
Management —> Configuration File and click the “Reboot” button. The reboot
process will take about 50 seconds.