Black Box LWS300A User manual

Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m pn7008-rev000
Black Box Corporation - 1000 Park Drive - Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
www.blackbox.com -- Tech Support and Ordering: 724-746-5500 - Fax: [phone]
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Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m
Black Box Corporation - 1000 Park Drive - Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
www.blackbox.com -- Tech Support and Ordering: 724-746-5500 - Fax: [phone]

Table of Contents Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m i
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Ta ab bl le e o of f C Co on nt te en nt ts s
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.............................................................................. 1
ABOUT YOUR LWS300A WIRELESS SERIAL SERVER................................................ 1
FEATURES.................................................................................................................. 2
COMMUNICATION MODES ......................................................................................... 2
Direct IP ............................................................................................................... 2
Virtual COM Port.................................................................................................3
Paired Mode ......................................................................................................... 3
Other Communications Modes.............................................................................. 3
802.11 WIRELESS NETWORKING BASICS................................................................... 4
802.11 Wireless Networking................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER 2: HARDWARE OVERVIEW.............................................................. 7
PACKAGE CHECKLIST ................................................................................................ 7
INDICATORS,SWITCHES AND CONNECTORS............................................................... 8
Power LED ........................................................................................................... 8
Link Integrity LED................................................................................................ 8
Network Activity LED........................................................................................... 8
Serial Interface Selector Switch............................................................................ 8
Reset Switch.......................................................................................................... 8
Antenna Connector ............................................................................................... 9
Power Connector.................................................................................................. 9
CONNECTING THE HARDWARE .................................................................................. 9
OTHER HARDWARE CONNECTIONS.......................................................................... 10
CHAPTER 3: GETTING STARTED..................................................................... 11
1. Check the contents of your LWS300A package.… ...................................... 11
2. Set up the Hardware ................................................................................... 11
3. Power it Up................................................................................................. 11
4. Get the IP Address ...................................................................................... 12
5. Login........................................................................................................... 12
6. Configure the LWS300A.............................................................................. 12
7. Set up VCOM (if using the RealPort profile).............................................. 12
8. Communicate .............................................................................................. 12
CHAPTER 4: CONFIGURING THE IP ADDRESS............................................. 13
USING THE DISCOVERY SOFTWARE ......................................................................... 13
ii Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m Table of Contents
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CHAPTER 5: USING THE WEB CONFIGURATION AND MANAGEMENT
INTERFACE............................................................................................................. 15
LOGGING IN............................................................................................................. 15
LOGGING OUT ......................................................................................................... 15
USING TUTORIAL AND HELP.................................................................................... 16
CONFIGURING NETWORK SETTINGS ........................................................................ 16
IP Settings........................................................................................................... 17
Wireless LAN Settings......................................................................................... 18
Wireless Security Settings................................................................................... 19
Wireless 802.1x Authentication Settings............................................................. 19
Network Services Settings................................................................................... 19
Advanced Network Settings................................................................................. 19
CONFIGURING THE SERIAL PORT ............................................................................. 20
Port Profile Settings............................................................................................ 20
Basic Serial Settings ........................................................................................... 25
Advanced Serial Settings..................................................................................... 26
CONFIGURING ALARMS AND NOTIFICATION............................................................ 26
Alarm Notification Settings................................................................................. 26
Alarm Conditions................................................................................................ 26
Alarm Destinations ............................................................................................. 27
CHAPTER 6: MANAGING THE LWS300A......................................................... 29
SYSTEM SETTINGS................................................................................................... 29
Device Identity Settings....................................................................................... 29
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Settings................................... 29
USING REMOTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 29
MANAGING USERS AND PERMISSIONS ..................................................................... 29
Changing the Root Username and Password ..................................................... 30
Adding New Users............................................................................................... 30
Configuring User Access and Permissions......................................................... 30
MANAGING SERIAL PORTS AND CONNECTIONS....................................................... 31
Serial Ports ......................................................................................................... 31
Connections ........................................................................................................ 31
CHAPTER 7: USING ADMINISTRATIVE FEATURES.................................... 33
FILE MANAGEMENT................................................................................................. 33
BACKUP/RESTORE ................................................................................................... 33
UPDATE FIRMWARE................................................................................................. 33
FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS................................................................................. 33
SYSTEM INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 34
General ............................................................................................................... 34
GPIO................................................................................................................... 34
Serial................................................................................................................... 34

Table of Contents Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m iii
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Network............................................................................................................... 35
REBOOT................................................................................................................... 36
CHAPTER 8: USING REALPORT........................................................................ 37
Configuring the IP Address................................................................................. 37
Configuring the Serial Port for RealPort............................................................ 37
Adding a Virtual COM Port using RealPort....................................................... 38
Removing a Virtual COM Port using RealPort .................................................. 38
Updating RealPort.............................................................................................. 39
APPENDIX A: DEFAULT CONFIGURATION SETTINGS..............................41
APPENDIX B: PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS ................................................... 43
APPENDIX C: LWS300A DIMENSIONAL DIAGRAM..................................... 45
APPENDIX D: RS-232, RS-422 & RS-485 CONNECTIONS............................... 47
iv Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m Table of Contents
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Introduction
Chapter 1 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m 1
Black Box Corporation - 1000 Park Drive - Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
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Ch ha ap pt te er r 1 1: : I In nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on n
Thank you for purchasing an LWS300A Wireless Serial Server! Like all
Black Box products, your serial server has been manufactured to high
standards of quality and performance to ensure your complete satisfaction.
Please read this manual and carefully follow the instructions to achieve best
results. For additional information on this and other products, and for
technical support, call 724-746-5500, or access the Black Box website at:
www.blackbox.com
About Your LWS300A Wireless Serial
Server
LWS300A Wireless Serial Servers are part of Black Box growing family of
device servers, products that allow you to connect equipment with available
serial connections into existing networks. LWS300A wireless serial servers
connect RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 devices to a wireless network via
wireless access points, eliminating the need for network cabling. Based on
the 802.11b wireless standard, LWS300A servers operate at up to 11 Mbps
over the 2.4 GHz band, which does not require licensing.
LWS300A wireless serial servers are built for use in industrial environments
and feature rugged DIN or panel mountable enclosures. They feature a wide
DC power supply range and removable screw terminal power connectors.
A serial device connected to the serial port on your LWS300A can be
accessed from any node on the LAN using virtual COM port, console
management, TCP and UDP socket, serial bridge, terminal, modem
emulation and custom connections. Network addresses can be obtained
dynamically or manually. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is
supported. Configuration is accomplished through a web-based user
interface.
Introduction
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Features
•Wireless networking at up to 11 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, as specified
by the 802.11b standard
•Multi-interface switch-selectable serial port supports RS-232, RS-422
and RS-485 using a standard DB-M connector
•Supports TD, RD, TRS, CTS, DTR, DCD, DSR and GND RS-232 lines
•LAN and WAN Communications via wireless access point
•TCP or UDP Client or Server operation - configurable
•Software Support - Windows 98/ME/2000/XP or NT 4.0
•Firmware Upload for future revisions/upgrades
•Rugged DIN rail or panel mountable IP30 enclosure
•LEDs indicate link integrity and data transfer activity
•10/100 Mbps auto-detecting operation
•Web Configuration and Management user interface
•Email event notification
Communication Modes
LWS300A Wireless Serial Servers allow you to connect serial devices over
a wireless network. The connection can be configured in several modes.
Direct IP
Direct IP Mode allows applications using TCP/IP or UDP/IP socket
programs to communicate with the asynchronous serial ports on the serial
server. In this mode the LWS300A is configured as a TCP or UDP server.
The socket program running on the PC establishes a communication
connection. The data is sent directly to and from the serial port on the server.
•TCP Server Mode allows network devices to initiate a TCP connection
to the serial device connected to the serial port on the LWS300A. This is
also referred to as reverse telnet.
•UDP Server Mode allows network devices to initiate a UDP connection
to the serial device attached to the serial port of the LWS300A. When
using UDP protocol the LWS300A can be configured to broadcast data
to and receive data from multiple IP addresses.

Introduction
Chapter 1 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m 3
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Virtual COM Port
Virtual COM Port mode (also called COM port redirection) allows you to
map a COM port on your PC to the serial port on your LWS300A. Using the
RealPort software (included with the LWS300A) you create virtual COM
ports on your PC. When your application sends data to this port, RealPort
redirects the data across the network to serial device connected to the
LWS300A serial port. The network is transparent to the user application and
the serial device connected to the LWS300A.
Paired Mode
Paired Mode (also called Serial Tunneling or Serial Bridge mode) allows
serial devices connected to two LWS300A serial servers to communicate
across a network. The two LWS300A serial servers automatically connect to
each other.
In Paired Mode the heartbeat feature ensures reliable communications by
restoring the connection if communications are temporarily lost at either end
due to loss of power or Ethernet connection.
Other Communications Modes
LWS300A Wireless Serial Servers also feature the following
communications profiles:
Terminal Mode allows you to connect a PC running terminal software to the
LWS300A serial port and communicate with the LWS300A via a command
line interface.
Modem Emulation Mode allows you to configure the serial port to operate
as if it is a modem. For legacy applications where a serial device is set up to
communicate through a modem, the serial device can now be connected to
the LWS300A and communication occurs over the network. The LWS300A
emulates modem responses to and from the serial device.
In Console Management Mode the LWS300A can be configured for
connection to the management port typically found on network devices such
as routers, switches and servers. This allows remote management of the
network device. Communication can be accomplished using telnet to a
specific port in the serial server.
Custom Mode allows you to custom configure the LWS300A serial port and
is used if your application does not fit into any other predefined modes.
Introduction
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Black Box Corporation - 1000 Park Drive - Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
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802.11 Wireless Networking Basics
LWS300A wireless serial servers allow you to connect non-network-
enabled serial devices into a wireless network, giving you the capability to
gather more data and implement remote programming and management.
Serial devices no longer are limited to a physical connection to a PC. The
serial device can be connected to an LWS300A wireless serial server
anywhere within range of an 802.11b-compatible wireless access point.
Communication occurs transparently using TCP/IP or UDP/IP over a
wireless link. This allows traditional Windows PC software access to serial
devices anywhere on the wireless network.
The enabling technology for LWS300A wireless serial servers is based on
the IEEE 802 standard. Some background on the standard follows.
802.11 Wireless Networking
IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards that defines how multiple devices can
communicate on a wireless network. The standard has grown into a set of
several standards that define various features and functions. The 802.11b
standard defines the physical and data link layers for a wireless network
using the 2.4 GHz frequency band, a band that does not require licensing. As
a part of the IEEE family of standards, 802.11 WLANs are easily connected
to 802.3 (Ethernet) LANs. Higher layer LAN protocols, network operating
systems and internetworking protocols such as TCP/IP integrate seamlessly.
Under the IEEE 802.11 standard there can be two different types of devices
on the wireless network: stations and access points (AP). A station may be a
PC equipped with a wireless network adapter or it can be a wireless serial
server such as the LWS300A. An 802.11 access point is a radio with an
interface that allows connection to a wired LAN. Access points run bridging
software to facilitate the connection from wireless to wired network. The
access point becomes the base station for the WLAN. It aggregates access to
the wired network for multiple wireless stations. An access point may be a
standalone device, such as a wireless router or switch, or a card in a PC.
Wireless Network Configurations
The 802.11 standard defines two modes of operation: infrastructure mode
and ad hoc mode. Infrastructure mode makes use of one or more access
points connected to a wired LAN. Wireless stations communicate with access
points to gain access to each other and/or the LAN. In the Basic Service Set

Introduction
Chapter 1 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m 5
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(BSS) several stations communicate with one access point, which is
connected to a wired LAN. In the Extended Service Set (ESS) two or more
access points connect to the LAN creating a subnetwork.
In ad hoc mode, also called Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS), access
points are not used. Wireless stations communicate directly with each other
in a peer-to-peer fashion. This mode allows individual computers to set up a
network where wireless infrastructure does not exist.
LWS300A wireless serial servers can be configured to operate in
infrastructure or ad hoc mode. From the Web Configuration and
Management Interface you can set up the type of network, naming the
network (specifying the SSID, or service set identifier) and other parameters.
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11b standard specifies a WLAN that operates on the 2.4 GHz band
at data rates up to 11 Mbps. Equipment that conforms to the 802.11b
standard can interoperate with equipment conforming to faster (up to 54
Mbps) 802.11g equipment and they will interoperate. However, when
connected into the same network the 802.11g equipment will operate at the
11 Mbps limitation of the 802.11b equipment.
For media access, 802.11 wireless networks use CSMA/CA, a scheme in
which a station that intends to transmit ‘listens’ for traffic on the radio carrier
frequency and sends data packets if the frequency is clear. If the receiving
station receives the packet intact it sends an acknowledgement (ACK) to
confirm the packet has been received. If the transmitting station does not
receive an ACK it assumes a collision occurred and transmits again after a
random delay period.
Communication distances vary depending on the type and thickness of
material around a wireless node. The transmitter power output, the type of
antenna used and the amount of attenuation through materials also affects the
useable range. Electromagnetic noise, reflections, the amount of network
traffic, other radio devices operating in the same frequency band also affect
range and overall performance. In an infrastructure network the number of
access points and their coverage pattern also affect how well the system
operates. Typically an 802.11 device operating indoors will have a range
from 100 feet minimum to about 500 feet maximum. Outdoors, some
products, using high gain antennae may achieve line-of-sight ranges of five
miles or more.
Introduction
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Security is a significant concern for WLAN users. Whether security threats
originate intentionally or unintentionally, wireless systems are more
susceptible than wired systems. LWS300A serial servers offer several
security options including WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi
Protected Access), PEAP (Protected EAP) w/EAP-MS-CHAPv2 and others.

Hardware Overview
Chapter 2 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m pn7008-rev000 7
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Package Checklist
LWS300A Wireless Serial Servers are shipped with the following
items included:
9The LWS300A module
9A printed version of this user manual
9A printed version of the LWS300A Quick Start Guide
9CD-ROM disc with
oDiscovery software
oRealPort drivers for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/NT 4.0
oThis manual in pdf format
oThe LWS300A Quick Start Guide in pdf format
Figure 1. Front View of the LWS300A Serial server
Hardware Overview
8 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m Chapter 2
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Indicators, Switches and Connectors
Power LED
When DC power has been applied (between 10 VDC and 30VDC)
the red power LED is illuminated.
Link Integrity LED
•When the yellow LED is illuminated it indicates that a
connection (link integrity) has been established between the
serial server and an access point.
•If this LED is blinking slowly the LWS300A is in ad hoc
mode.
•If this LED is blinking quickly the LWS300A is scanning for a
network.
Network Activity LED
When the green LED is flashing it indicates data is being sent
across the network.
Serial Interface Selector Switch
By setting the Serial Interface Selector Switch the serial interface
on the LWS300A can be configured for:
•RS-232 operation
•RS-422 operation
•RS-485 (four wire) operation.
For information on RS-422/485, including two-wire RS-485
operation read the RS-422/485 Application Note available on the
Black Box website at www.blackbox.com
Reset Switch
The Reset switch is a recessed switch located on the front panel of
the LWS300A. The Reset switch operates as follows:
•Press for at least 1 second, release in less than 10 seconds:
reset serial server operating system

Hardware Overview
Chapter 2 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m pn7008-rev000 9
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•Press and hold 10+ seconds: reset serial server to factory
default settings.
Antenna Connector
The antenna connector is a reverse SMA connector.
An omni-directional antenna is supplied with LWS300A wireless
serial servers. All LWS300A serial servers are FCC-certified
when the supplied antenna is used.
Power Connector
The power connector is a removable terminal block with two screw
terminals. The top terminal is negative (-) power supply. The
bottom terminal is positive (+) power supply. The power supply
voltage range is 10 VDC to 30 VDC.
Connecting the Hardware
A typical connection for the LWS300A Wireless Serial Server is
infrastructure mode operation, in which the LWS300A
communicates with a PC on a wired network via an access point,
which is often a wireless switch or router.
Figure 2. Connection via the Wireless LAN
Hardware Overview
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Other Hardware Connections
The Wireless Serial Server also can communicate directly with a PC
equipped with a wireless card (in ad hoc mode).
Figure 3. Wireless Ad Hoc Connection
In Serial Tunneling mode two serial devices can communicate via
two Wireless Serial Servers.
Figure 4. Serial Tunneling Ad Hoc Connection
Serial tunneling also can occur between two serial servers
communicating with individual access points and across a wired
network.
Figure 5. Serial Tunneling via Infrastructure

Getting Started
Chapter 3 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m 11
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Ch ha ap pt te er r 3 3: : G Ge et tt ti in ng g S St ta ar rt te ed d
1. Check the contents of your LWS300A package. It should
contain…
The LWS300A module with SMA antenna
A printed version of this user manual
A printed version of the LWS300A Quick Start Guide
CD-ROM disc with discovery software, RealPort software, this
manual and Quick Start guide
2. Set up the Hardware
Connect your PC to the network
Connect the antenna to the LWS300A
Connect 10 VDC to 30 VDC to the power supply terminals of the
LWS300A
Connect the LWS300A serial port to the serial port on your serial
device
For RS-232 operation, your LWS300A is configured as a DTE
and uses a DB-9M connector. Use a straight through RS-232
cable if your serial device is configured as a DCE. If your serial
device is configured as a DTE you will have to use a null modem
(crossover) cable.
3. Power it Up
Apply power to the LWS300A
The yellow LED will blink while looking for a wireless network.
When a connection is established with the network the yellow LED
will remain on steadily.
The LWS300A will automatically try to obtain an IP address
(dynamically). If it cannot find a DHCP server, it will generate an IP
address itself. It will look for a wireless network with the name
(SSID) Connect.
Getting Started
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If you are configuring your own access point (a wireless switch or
router) ensure that it is configured as a DHCP server with the
Wireless Network Name (SSID):Connect
4. Get the IP Address
Use the discovery software on your CD (finder.exe) to get the IP
address for your LWS300A
5. Login
In a web browser on your PC, type in the IP address and access the
Web Configuration and Management Interface
Login using the username ‘root’ and password ‘dbps’
6. Configure the LWS300A
In the Configuration, Network page configure your Wireless LAN,
Security and other settings required to work on the type of wireless
network you will be connecting to.
In the Configuration, Serial Ports page select the Port Profile you
require for use with your application (e.g. RealPort for virtual COM
port, TCP Server, UDP server, Serial Bridge, etc)
Configure the serial port settings for the selected Port Profile (s.g. In
TCP Sockets select client or server, TCP port numbers, etc.) Also
configure baud rate, data bits, etc in Basic Serial Settings.
Configure any required alarms and notification
If RealPort profile was selected (virtual COM port) do the next step
(Set up VCOM)
7. Set up VCOM (if using the RealPort profile)
Start the RealPort software wizard (located on the included CD)
Select Add a New Device
Select your LWS300A from the list
Select an unused COM port number
Follow the wizard to set up a virtual COM port
8. Communicate
Configure and then start your application

Configuring the IP Address
Chapter 4 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m 13
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Ch ha ap pt te er r 4 4: : C Co on nf fi ig gu ur ri in ng g t th he e I IP P A Ad dd dr re es ss s
Before you can begin the configuration of your LWS300A you must know its
IP address to access it with a web browser. Once you have access to the
Configuration and Management Interface via a web browser you can reset
the IP address using static IP addressing, if necessary.
Your LWS300A comes from the factory configured to obtain an IP address
dynamically, or failing that, to generate its own IP address using the APIPA
protocol. You can determine the current IP address using the discovery
software included on the CD with your LWS300A.
Using the Discovery Software
1. Power up the LWS300A. The yellow LED will blink while looking
for a wireless network. When a connection is established with the
network the yellow LED will remain on steadily. The LWS300A
will then obtain or generate an IP address.
2. To determine the initial IP address of your LWS300A, start the
finder.exe utility included on the included CD.
Figure 6. Discovery Utility Dialog
3. The finder.exe utility scans the network for devices and then lists
each device’s IP Address, MAC Address, Name and Product ID.
Configuring the LWS300A
14 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m pn7008-rev000 Chapter 4
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Identify your LWS300A by its MAC address (printed on a label on
the LWS300A).
If you need to change the IP address of the LWS300A, you can
accomplish this using the discovery software, or you can open the
Web Configuration and Management Interface and do it there. (See
Configuring Network Settings later in the next chapter.)
1. To change the IP address of the LWS300A from the discovery
software, click Configure IP Settings.
2. In the dialog that appears, select Manually configure network
settings.
3. Type the new IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and
system password (initially dbps) in the appropriate boxes, then click
Apply.
4. Click Reboot Device. This may take a minute or more to complete.
5. Click Refresh List to confirm the new IP address has been
accepted.

Using the Web Configuration and Management Interface
Chapter 5 Manual Documentation Number: LWS300A-1105m pn7008-rev000 15
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an nd d M Ma an na ag ge em me en nt t I In nt te er rf fa ac ce e
The LWS300A Serial Server can be configured using the Configuration
and Management Interface via a standard web browser such as Internet
Explorer or Firefox.
Logging In
1. Before you can begin configuring your LWS300A Serial server, you
must login to the Configuration and Management Interface. To
login, open your browser, type the IP address of your LWS300A
serial server into the address bar and press Enter. The Login page
will appear.
2. Enter your Username and Password, then click Login.
The first time you login, type the default (root) username and
password.
oUsername: root
oPassword: dbps
The default username and password are preconfigured to give you full
administrator permissions, allowing you to add and configure permissions for
additional users. For security purposes, you may want to change the username
and password after you have accessed the interface for the first time. To
change usernames and passwords, and to add and configure new users, see
Managing Users and Permissions in Chapter 6.
When the username and password are accepted the Configuration and
Management Interface homepage will appear.
Logging Out
To log out of the Web Configuration and Management Interface, click
Logout on the menu bar. To finish logging out of the web server, and prevent
access by other users, you also must close the browser.
Using the Web Configuration and Management Interface
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Using Tutorial and Help
You can access the LWS300A Tutorial by clicking Tutorial on the
Configuration and Management homepage. Clicking Help on any page of the
Configuration and Management Interface opens topics specific to that page.
After logging in, if there is no activity for a period of time your session may time
out. Clicking on any link will return you to the Web Login page where you will
have to log in again to continue your session.
Figure 7. LWS300A Configuration and Management Homepage
Configuring Network Settings
The Network Configuration page contains six sections with hyperlinked
menu bars.
•IP Settings
•Wireless LAN Settings
•Wireless Security Settings
•Wireless 802.1x Authentication Settings
•Network Services Settings

Using the Web Configuration and Management Interface
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•Advanced Network Settings
Figure 8. Network Configuration, IP Settings Page
IP Settings
The IP Settings section allows you to select between dynamic or static IP
addressing. The LWS300A’s default setting is Obtain an IP address
automatically using DHCP, or dynamic IP addressing.
When the LWS300A is first connected it will try to obtain an IP address
automatically. If it fails, it will assign an IP address to itself using the Automatic
Private IP Addressing (APIPA) protocol. You can re-configure the LWS300A
for static IP address by selecting Use the following IP address and assign the
IP address yourself.
If Use the following IP address: is selected, you are choosing static IP
addressing. When this option is selected the IP Address, Subnet Mask and
Default Gateway text boxes become available. You must determine the
appropriate parameters and enter them yourself. (If you do not know what to
enter ask your network administrator for assistance.)
To implement any changes in this section, click Apply. A page will appear
asking you to Reboot the LWS300A so that the changes can take effect.
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Wireless LAN Settings
The Wireless LAN Settings section allows you to specify the Network
Name or SSID (Service Set Identifier). Multiple wireless networks
sometimes exist. Specifying the network name allows your LWS300A serial
server to connect to and associate with a specific network. If the network
name is left blank the serial server will connect to the first available network.
Figure 9. Network Configuration, Wireless LAN Settings
By making the appropriate selection you can configure your serial server to
•Connect to any available wireless network
•Connect to access point (infrastructure) networks only
•Connect to peer-to-peer (ad-hoc) networks only
Select a Country from the dropdown list to restrict the channel settings to
the legal set for that country.
Select a specific wireless Channel to restrict the serial server to a specific
channel. Select Auto-Scan to allow the serial server to scan all frequencies
until it finds an available access point to wireless network it can join.
Select Enable Short Preamble if your wireless network supports this
feature. Short preambles can boost throughput.

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Wireless Security Settings
The Wireless Security Settings section is divided into several subsections
including:
•Network Authentication
•Data Encryption
•WEP Keys
•WPA PSK
•Username/Password
Multiple options can be accessed under each security-related area. For
Network Authentication and Data Encryption selecting Any enables all
methods and the actual method used will depend on the capabilities of the
wireless network.
Access the online Help file for detailed descriptions of these settings.
Wireless 802.1x Authentication Settings
The Wireless 802.1x Authentication Settings section is available only if
WEP with 802.1x authentication or WPA with 802.1x authentication have
been selected in the Wireless Security Settings area.
Access the online Help file for detailed descriptions of these settings.
Network Services Settings
The Network Services Settings section allows you to enable or disable
several common network services and configure their associated ports.
Typically you will not have to change these settings.
Access the online Help file for detailed descriptions of these settings.
Advanced Network Settings
The Advanced Network Settings section allows you to fine tune the
network connection. Typically these setting will not need to be changed.
Access the online Help file for detailed descriptions of these settings.
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Configuring the Serial Port
The Serial Port Configuration page displays information about the serial
port on your LWS300A, including its description, its profile (operating
mode) and serial settings (baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits). You will
have to configure these parameters to set up your system for the type of
operation required and to match the parameters of the serial device to which
the LWS300A is connected.
To open the Serial Port Configuration page, under the Configuration
menu click Serial Ports. When you first access this page a list of ports, their
description, profile and serial configuration appears. (If the LWS300A has
not yet been configured for the first time the Profile column may indicate
<Unassigned>.)
To access detailed settings for the LWS300A serial port, click Port 1. The
Serial Port Configuration page that appears includes three sections with
hyperlinked menu bars.
•Port Profile Settings
•Basic Serial Settings
•Advanced Serial Settings
Port Profile Settings
The Port Profile Settings section displays the current serial port mode of
operation, a description of that profile and a hyperlink to Change Profile…
Click the Change Profile… menu bar to open the Select Port Profile page.
Any of eight possible serial port profiles can be selected.

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Figure 10. Select Port Profile Page
RealPort
Select RealPort to implement the use of virtual COM ports. This allows you to
map a COM port on a PC to the serial port on your LWS300A. Using RealPort
software (included with the LWS300A) you create a virtual COM port on the
PC. When your application sends data to this port, RealPort redirects the data
across the network to the LWS300A. The LWS300A passes the data to the
serial device connected to its serial port. The network is transparent to the user
application and the serial device connected to the LWS300A.
For information on how to use RealPort to create virtual COM ports on your PC
see Chapter 8
ConsoleManagement
In Console Management the LWS300A can be configured for connection to
the management port typically found on network devices such as routers,
switches and servers. This allows remote management of the network device.
Communication can be accomplished using telnet to a specific port in the
serial server.
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TCP Sockets
Select TCP Sockets to implement Direct IP Mode using TCP. When using
TCP Sockets your serial server can be configured as a TCP server or TCP
client.
TCP Server Settings
If your LWS300A is configured as a TCP server, other network
devices can initiate a TCP connection with the serial device
connected to the LWS300A serial port. (This is also referred to as
reverse telnet.) Network devices initiating connections must be
configured with the IP address of the LWS300A and the TCP port
number associated with its serial port.
After selecting TCP Sockets, click Apply to return to the Serial
Port Configuration page. Select the TCP Server Settings as
required by your application.
Figure 11. TCP Server Settings
For each option, the TCP port number is shown. You can also
Enable TCP Keep Alive for each selection. (If Enable Keep Alive
is selected the connections is maintained even if no data is being
sent.)
TCP Client Settings
If your LWS300A is configured as a TCP client it will automatically
establish a bi-directional TCP connection between the serial device
and a server or other networked device. Selecting Automatically
establish TCP connections enables this feature and its
configuration options become available.

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Figure 12. TCP Client Settings
Consult the Tutorial and online Help for more detail.
UDP Sockets
Select UDP Sockets to implement Direct IP Mode using UDP protocol.
When using UDP Sockets your serial server can be configured as a UDP
server or UDP client.
UDP Server Settings
If your LWS300A is configured as a UDP server, other network
devices can initiate a UDP connection with the serial device
connected to the LWS300A serial port. Network devices initiating
connections must be configured with the IP address of the
LWS300A and the UDP port number associated with its serial port.
After selecting UDP Sockets, click Apply to return to the Serial
Port Configuration page. Select the TCP Server Settings as
required by your application.
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Figure 13. UDP Server Settings
UDP Client Settings
If your LWS300A is configured as a UDP client you can
automatically distribute serial data from you LWS300A to many
devices at the same time. This is sometimes referred to as Data
Distribution or UDP Multicast.
Figure 14. UDP Client Settings
You can configure multiple destinations. In the appropriate boxes,
type the Description, Send To IP address or DNS name and UDP
Port number, then click Add. You can also configure the conditions
under which to send data.
Consultthe Tutorialand online Help for more detail.

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Serial Bridge
Select Serial Bridge to implement Paired Mode (also called serial
tunneling). This allows serial devices connected to two LWS300A serial
servers to communicate across the network. The two LWS300A serial
servers automatically connect to each other.
Terminal
Select Terminal to communicate with the LWS300A via its serial port using
a terminal program and a command line interface. For more information on
this option and the command line interface contact Black Box Technical
Support.
Modem Emulation
Select Modem Emulation to configure the serial port to operate as if it is a
modem. For legacy applications where a serial device is set up to
communicate through a modem, the serial device can be connected to the
LWS300A and communication occurs over the network. The LWS300A
emulates modem responses to and from the serial device.
Custom
Select Custom to custom configure the LWS300A serial port and is used if
your application does not fit into any other predefined modes. This is an
advanced option that allows full configuration of the serial port.
Apply
After you have selected a port profile, click the Apply button. The Serial
Port Configuration page will re-appear and will contain additional
configuration settings specific to the profile you have chosen.
For more information on these configuration options see the web-based Tutorial
and onlineHelp.
Basic Serial Settings
Click the Basic Serial Settings menu bar on the Serial Port Configuration
page to configure the LWS300A’s serial port Baud Rate, Data Bits, Parity,
Stop Bits and Flow Control parameters. For all profiles except RealPort, the
Basic Serial Settings configuration section allows you to set these
parameters. When the RealPort profile is selected the serial port settings will
be directed by the PC applications using the virtual COM port.
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Advanced Serial Settings
Click the Advanced Serial Settings menu bar to access settings used to fine
tune the serial port. Typically these setting will not need to be changed.
Consult the web-based tutorial for more information if necessary.
Configuring Alarms and Notification
The LWS300A can be configured to generate alarms and send notification
emails based on the occurrence of specific events. Events include the states
of some RS-232 handshake (GPIO) lines and the detection of specified
character patterns within the serial data stream. The Alarms Configuration
page displays the current alarm settings and allows you to configure them. It
contains two sections: Alarm Notification Settings and Alarm Conditions.
Note: In the LWS300A GPIO lines are permanently configured as RS-232
hardware handshake lines to support the standard RS-232 interface. Do not
attempt to re-configure the settings in the GPIO section of the Web
Configuration and Management Interface.
Alarm Notification Settings
The Alarm Notification Settings page provides a checkbox to enable alarm
notifications. Text boxes are provided to enter the IP address of your SMTP
mail server and the email address that will be placed in the From field of the
email.
Alarm Conditions
The Alarm Conditions page is a tabular listing of 32 alarms that can be
configured. Table headings include Enable (a checkbox), Alarm
name/number, Type of alarm, Trigger conditions, SNMP Trap, Send to
address and Email Subject line.
Clicking on the Alarm name opens an Alarm Configuration page for that
specific alarm. The page contains two sections: Alarm Conditions and
Alarm Destinations.
Alarm Conditions allows you to select GPIO-based or serial data pattern-
based events.
GPIO is not supported in the LWS300A but it is possible to use the Send
alarms based on GPIO pin states feature to generate alarms based on the
condition of some RS-232 hardware handshake lines. For assistance in
implementing this feature contact Black Box Technical Support at 724-746-5500

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To Send alarms based on serial data pattern matching, select that option
and type a character string into the text box provided.
Alarm Destinations
Alarm Destinations allows you to specify where to send alarm notification
emails, their priority and subject title. Type the information into the Mail to
email address, CC address, set the Priority and type in the Subject line.
To send an SNMP trap, select Send SNMP trap to following destination
when alarm occurs and type the destination IP address for the SNMP trap.
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Managing the LWS300A
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System Settings
The System configuration page contains two sections: the Device Identity
Settings and the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Settings.
Device Identity Settings
The Device Identity Settings page allows you to enter a Description such as
the network name of the LWS300A, the SNMP Contact person, a text
description of the Location of the LWS300A and the Device ID number.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Settings
The SNMP Settings page allows you to enable and configure SNMP and
SNMP traps.
For more information on using SNMP access the Tutorial and Help files and/or
request assistance from your network administrator.
Using Remote Management
The LWS300A can be remotely managed using the Connectware Manager, a
server installed on a separate computer. There are three sections to the
Remote Management Configuration page: Connections, Security and
Advanced settings.
For more information on Remote Management Configuration click the
Connectware Manager Tutorial link.
Managing Users and Permissions
The Users configuration page allows you to add, remove and edit Users
information including passwords, access privileges and user permissions.
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Changing the Root Username and Password
You may want to change the Root username and password after you have
gained access to the Web Configuration and Management Interface. To
change your username and password click Users under the Configuration
menu. Follow the prompts to enter a new username and password. Click
Apply to complete the procedure.
Adding New Users
The root user of the LWS300A (using the default username and password),
has complete administrative rights, including access and control of all
configuration parameters. As administrator you can add other users and
configure the specific rights of each.
Non-administrators can also set up new users, access and permissions (if they
have permission) but a user cannot set another user’s permission level higher
than their own permission level, nor can a user raise their own permission
level.
1. In the Configuration menu, click Users. The User Configuration
page appears.
2. Click New. The Add New User page appears.
3. Type a new username in the New Username box.
4. Type a new password in the New Password box. The characters
you type will be masked by asterisks.
5. Type the new password again in the Confirm Password box. The
characters you type will be masked by asterisks.
6. Click Apply. After a short delay a message box appears at the top of
the page announcing “Changes have been saved successfully.”
Configuring User Access and Permissions
1. In the Configuration menu, click Users. The User Configuration
page appears.
2. Click the username to be configured. The User Configuration –
Username page appears. To change the username or password,
make the changes under User Configuration and click Apply.

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3. Click the User Access link. The User Access page opens. Select
Allow command line access and/or Web Interface Access. Click
Apply. (See the online help for more information on these choices.)
4. Click the User Permissions link. The User Permissions page
appears containing a list of permissions and dropdown lists. For
each item on the list select the level of permission to be granted to
the user. (See the online help for more information on these
choices.)
Managing Serial Ports and Connections
The Management section of the Web Configuration and Management
Interface provides information about the current operational state of the
LWS300A.
Serial Ports
The Serial Port Management page displays information on: Port number,
Description, Profile and Connections. If you click Connections the Port
Connections Management page appears displaying information on where the
port is Connected From, Connected To, the Protocol (or profile) being
used and the number of Sessions. This information can be Refreshed and, if
the Action box is selected the Disconnect button becomes available,
allowing you to disconnect.
Connections
The Connections Management page displays network connections
information including Connected From, Connected To, the Protocol in use
and the number of Sessions.
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Using Administrative Features
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For additional information on each of the following features access the
Tutorial and Help files.
File Management
The File Management page provides facilities to upload and/or manage
custom web pages and files such as your applet and HTML files to the
LWS300A. Uploading an index.htm or index.html file will automatically
load that page upon logging into the LWS300A.
Backup/Restore
The Backup/Restore page allows you to back up the current configuration
settings on your LWS300A to a folder on your PC. You can also restore the
configuration from a saved file.
Update Firmware
The Update Firmware page allows you to select firmware from a folder on
your computer and upload it to the LWS300A.
Caution: When updating the firmware, check the support site and release notes
for more information to determine if the LWS300A must update the POST
before updating the firmware.
Factory Default Settings
The Factory Default Settings page allows you to reset the LWS300A to
factory defaults (see Appendix A) with the option of keeping network
settings as they are.
Caution: Restoring the factory default settings will clear all current settings and
automatically reboot the LWS300A.
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System Information
The System Information page displays information about your LWS300A:
General
•Model
•MAC Address
•Firmware Version
•Boot Version
•POST Version
•CPU Utilization
•Up Time
•Total Memory
•Used Memory
•Free Memory
GPIO
Not applicable to the LWS300A
Serial
The Serial page displays a table containing the following information:
•Port number
•Description
•Profile
•Serial Configuration (baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits
If you click Port 1 the Serial Port Diagnostics page appears: