Fired4 systems Nx1 User manual

Router &

Wireless

Products

Guide to Operation

Version 2.0 firmware

Router and Wireless Products for Public Internet

Access with Customer Billing, Failure onitoring

and Remote anagement

Ver2 - Rev. 0

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 2

FCC Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to

the following conditions.

1. The device may not cause harmful interference.

2. This device must accept any interference received, including

interference that may cause undesired operation.

Caution: Exposure to Ra io Frequency Ra iation.

The radiated output power of this device is below the FCC radio frequency

exposure limits. Nevertheless, the device shall be used in such a manner that

the potential for human contact during normal operation is minimized.

When connecting an external antenna to the device the antenna shall be

placed in such as manner to minimize the potential for human contact during

normal operation. In order to avoid the possibility of exceeding the FCC radio

frequency exposure limits, human proximity to the antenna shall not be less

than 8 inches during normal operation

Fe eral Communications Commission Notice

This equipment complies with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant

to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable

protection against harmful interference.

The equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If

not installed and used in accordance with the instructions in this manual, it

may cause harmful interference to radio, television or telecommunications

reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on.

The user is encouraged to try and correct the interference by one or more of

the following measures.

•

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

•

Increase the distance between the equipment and the receiver

•

Power the equipment via a different electrical circuit from that which

the receiver is connected

•

Consult the dealer who installed the equipment, or an experienced

radio frequency technician

Mo ifications

The FCC requires the user to be notified that any changes or modifications to

this device that are not expressly approved by Fire4 Systems or its

authorized distributors may void the users authority to operate the

equipment

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 3

Contents

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Connecting the Equipment

The Equipment Configuration Process

Configuring the Equipment Setup Functions

Configuring the Equipment Management Functions

A itional Features: Upgra e, Backup, Reboot an Diagnostics

User Log-in Proce ure

Hot-Spot Billing Kit

Internet Access Payment Using Pre-Pay Scratch-off car s

Payment Using the On-line Cre it Car Billing System

Obtaining Billing System Supplies

Exten ing the Hot-Spot Coverage Area: The Equipment Repeater

Design Example: A Marina Hot Spot Installation

Appen ix: Linux Distribution

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 4

1. Connecting the

Equipment

Equipment configuration is shipped with the ETH0 port (first or only Ethernet

port) set as the uplink (connected to the Internet circuit) In the case of router

equipment, ETH1 is the primary downlink port (DCHP server) and is used for

client connection. All other Ethernet ports are secondary downlink ports. In the

case of wireless equipment, the wireless interface is the primary downlink port

(DCHP server) and is used for client connection.

Router Equipment

Router equipment has a 12 volt power connector. The external power supply plug

is pushed into this connector.

Wireless Equipment

NX1NX1NX1

NX2NX2NX2

Cat-5 cable (up to 300ft)

Cat-5 connection to

DSL router or T1 witch

PoE

LAN

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 5

Power over Ethernet

(PoE) supply

configuration

The PoE unit shipped with the AP series equipment supplies power over the

Ethernet Cat-5 cable. The Ethernet cable supplied with the AP unit should be

plugged into the PoE supply to the connector marked DATA+POWER. A second

Ethernet cable must be connected from the PoE supply terminal marked DATA to

the network switch or DSL modem.

AP series equipments are shipped with a 25ft data cable, however this can be

replaced or extended up to 300 feet between the AP unit and the DSL/cable

modem or T1 hub.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 6

2: The Equipment

Configuration

Process

The equipment is configured wirelessly using a notebook computer with a wireless

card that conforms to the 802.11/g standard. Wireless equipment must be

powered using the external Power over Ethernet (PoE) supply and the data cable

must be connected to a DSL/cable modem or to a T1 circuit. Router equipment

must be powered by the external 12 volt supply.

After powering the equipment unit allow 3 minutes for the unit to perform internal

test routines before beginning the configuration process.

The equipment defaults to the following operating modes:

- The Ethernet circuit is configured to request an IP address via DHCP

(DHCP client mode)

- For wireless devices: the wireless circuit is configured to request a pass

code (commercial mode)

- For router devices: A secondary Ethernet circuits are configured to

request a pass code (commercial mode)

If the equipment is to be used in the configuration described above then the only

required setting is the change of administrative password (described later).

The computer (preferably notebook) should have MS Windows XP installed. Go to

START, CONTROL PANEL then NETWORK CONNECTIONS. There will be two icons,

one for the computers Ethernet port, and one for the wireless network interface.

Right click on the wireless network icon, then left click on SCAN FOR NETWORKS.

One or more wireless network names will appear in the window. Look for the

wireless name:

Hot Spot

.

This is the wireless name of the equipment.

Click on this name then click on the button at the bottom right hand of the

window, CONNECT.

The computers browser is used for configuration. Open the browser and type the

URL:

https: // ap.fire4.com / a min

A box will open requesting the user name and password. The default username

and password are:

- Username =

a min

- Password =

a min

When the password has been accepted then the configuration page will open. The

computer is now logged in as the administrator of the equipment. The initial

configuration page is shown in the figure below. This page has menu items down

the left side of the page. This is called the System Information Page. If Manage

Connections is clicked then this page will be displayed.

Remember that the password must be changed at the end of the configuration

process.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 7

Initial configuration

page: System

Information

The information displayed shows;

- Memory and CPU usage

- Internet connection status

- Node ID (required by the authentication server)

- Firmware version

- Information text box containing ASCII data

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 8

3: Configuring the

Equipment Setup

Functions

Once logged on to the equipment as the administrator then equipment

configuration parameters can be modified. The Setup functions are configured

first. The default configuration for the equipment operation mode is the Access

Point mode. Four modes are available.

- Access point

- Backhaul (bridge or CPE)

- Repeater

- Router (non-wireless application)

If one of the other modes listed is required then open the Device Mo e menu

option. Select the desired mode from the pull-down menu. Then specify which

port will connect to the Internet, and which port will be the primary user access

port.

Device Mo e screen

If DSL modem or T1 switch provides DHCP services then no changes are

required. If however the network requires that the wireless node has a fixed IP

address then a change will have to be made. Select the network interfaces

page. Eth0 is the default connection to the Internet. If a different port will be

used to connect to the Internet then change this on the Device Mo e page.

Select the Eth0 tab and configure the IP parameters required by the network.

The network interfaces screen is shown below.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 9

Network Interfaces

screen

Next the wireless interface parameters are configured using the wireless

interface setup page. Remember that when these parameters are changed then

the configuration computer will loose its connection and have to be re-connected.

For public access networks two parameters are important

- The hot spot name (called the SSID)

- The channel or frequency used for transmission

WEP encryption is generally not used to public access networks, however a WEP

key can be configured. The hot spot name should be selected to facilitate users

identifying the wireless network (e.g.

Keystone Marina Hot Spot

). Keep the

name as short as possible.

Before installing the hot spot use a site survey tool such as Netstumbler to

identify RF channels (frequencies) that are in use. The default channel for most

access point equipment is ch#6 or ch#3 so avoid this channel. Usually channel 11

has less interference. Check RF signals and select the channel with the least

amount of RF transmission.

The wireless interface setup page is shown overleaf.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 10

Wireless Interface Setup

page for access point

If the device mode is set in the backhaul (bridge or CPE) mode then the

configuration of the wireless interface is different, the wireless interface is already

configured as a CPE devices rather than an access point device.

The wireless interface must be configured to connect to the remote access point

that will provide network connectivity. The radio interface requires the name of

the remote access point and this is found by pressing the site survey button. A

window will open listing the remote devices that are available and the user can

click on the remote network name to select it.

The remote network may be WEP encrypted and so the WEP key will be entered

in the box.

If more then one wireless interface is installed in the unit then the default

backhaul interface will be Ath0. Other wireless interfaces, Ath1, Ath2, etc can be

configured as access point. The Wireless interface select for the backhaul function

can be changed using the Device Mo e screen.

The wireless interface setup for backhaul configuration is shown on the following

page.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 11

Wireless Interface Setup

page for backhaul

Pressing the site survey button opens the

window shown. The access points are ordered

by signal strength.

Click on the name of the SSID that the backhaul

should connect to, then close the window. The

SSID name will be transferred to the wireless

interface set up screen.

Enter the WEP key (if any) then click on the

update settings button.

The backhaul radio will establish a connection

with the remote access point and advise if this

was successful, or if the connection was not

obtained.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 12

The setup section of the menu has screens for DNS servers, Hostname, and SSL

certificate. These screens are not necessary for a hot spot configuration. The can

be used if the access point is to be used with modified parameters for Internet

connection and customer billing.

DNS Servers page

DNS server IP addresses can

be added to the list shown in

the box. This feature will be

necessary if the network to

which the access point is

connected requires that the

node use fixed IP address.

No e Hostname Page

The node hostname is the

server used for

authentication. This name will

not be changed if the

customer is using the Avansu

subscription services. If the

customer decides to purchase

an authentication and

management server then this

hostname will be modified to

that of the new server.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 13

SSL Certificate Page

The SSL certificate is used for

the secure server login:

access codes are

authenticated using the https

server in the wireless node.

The SL certificate is provided

for information purposes only.

Change Passwor page

Always change the password

before completing the

wireless node configuration.

Make a note of your

password: if the password is

lost then the wireless device

will have to be re-flashed

with new firmware.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 14

4: Configuring the

Equipment

Management

Functions

The equipment management functions determine how the access point will be

configured for hot-spot public Internet access. A number of options are available:

- Create a custom log in screen or select a log in screen from the library

- Set up log in screen advertising using banners

- Look at reports of users logged on to the hot spot

- Set IP and MAC address filters

The screens will be explained in the order that they are listed in the configuration

screen menu.

The first screen shows clients connected to the hot spot access point. Two tables

show clients that have obtained an IP address, and clients that have provided a

valid access code and been authenticated.

The authenticated clients table shows the duration of the connection. The

administrator can for a user logout by clicking on the box.

Connecte Clients screen

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 15

The Captive Portal screen provides the tools to configure all aspects of the hot

spot user interface and billing. When a user gets an IP address from the hot-spot

and then tries to access a web site, the user is redirected first to the log in page.

This log in page is called the captive portal. There are three modes:

- Open: the access point operates like any other access point

- Disclaimer: a disclaimer log-in page is displayed. The disclaimer text can

be modified and the log-in page can be configured for banner

advertising. The disclaimer mode also has a timer that can determine

how long the user can be connected to the network before being

disconnected. A useful feature for coffee bars.

- Commercial: the user needs an access code to log in. This can be

purchased via a scratch card, provided by the hot-spot operator, or the

page can be configured for credit card billing. The log-in page can also

display banner advertising.

Some of the commercial mode features require that the hot-spot operator

subscribed to the Avansu billing site services. Each wireless node has a unique

name and this can be entered on the captive portal page.

The hot-spot operator can design a login page and install it using the captive

portal page. Developed notes are available for hot spot operators who wish to

design log-in pages.

Captive Portal screen

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 16

A custom design log in page can include advertising banners. Banner advertising

is enabled using the Advert Banners screen shown below. The server name is

specified for the location of the banners.

Creation of custom log-in pages with banner advertising is described in a

technical note available from Fire4 Systems. Fire4 Systems can also provide a

login page creation service and can set up banner advertising for customers.

Please call Fire4 Systems for a quote for this work.

A vert Banners screen

Examples of customized log in pages with banner advertising are shown on the

following page.

The login page (sometimes called a splash page) should be created in HTML

using the format described in the technical note. Banner references should be

added at this time. The HTML page must be zipped together with all graphic files

to generate the file that is then uploaded to the access point.

When the new login page is uploaded then the access point must be restarted to

load the new login page.

If errors appear in the log in page it will be necessary to repeat this process,

possibly several times, until, the login page design is satisfactory.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 17

Login page example

If the hot spot operator wishes users the click through banners free of charge to

advertisers web sites then the URL of each banner must be entered in the

allowed IP list. See the screen on the following page. Allowed IP addresses can

be written as URL’s also.

Allowe IP A resses

screen

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 18

MAC addresses can also be permitted to bypass the authentication system. This

facility is useful for various applications.

- Service personnel computers can be authorized for any access point in

the network to facilitate maintenance

- The hot spot operator can authorize his business computers to use the

wireless network without authorization

- Authorization of a remote wireless repeater when it is configured in a

router mode (the repeated provides DHCP services). When the repeater

is configured to forward DHCP requests (using WDS services) then this

feature is not required.

Allowe MAC A resses

screen

Configuration characteristics may change slightly between different wireless and

router hardware platforms.

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 19

5: A itional

Features:

Upgra e, Backup,

Reboot an

Diagnostics

The node firmware can be upgraded by downloading the firmware file from the

Fire4 Systems website to the computer being used for node configuration.

Firmware upgrades will be announced on the website as they become available.

Remember that different hardware platforms have individual firmware files.

Ensure that you are downloading the correct firmware file for your equipment.

When the firmware file has been downloaded to the computer then log in to the

access point as ADMIN. When the status page opens click on Upgra e from file

in the menu. Click on browse to find the correct upgrade file on the configuration

computer. When located click on Upgrade Firmware.

The upgrade process will take several minutes. Do not disconnect power to the

device during this process or the program storage memory may be corrupted.

A message will indicate when the upgrade process is complete and then the unit

must be rebooted to work with the new firmware.

Firmware Upgra e screen

To reboot the device select Reboot System from the menu. The screen will open

like that shown on the following page.

Click on the Reboot button to restart the device. This process is identical to

cycling the power to the device. The firmware is reloaded from the flash memory

Guide to Operation:

On the Web at: www . fire4 . com 20

and all interface ports are initialized using the data stored in the configuration file.

The reboot procedure will be required after several of the commands in the menu.

Each command will indicate if the unit should be rebooted on completion of the

command so that the command takes effect.

Reboot System screen

All the device configuration parameters are stored in a configuration file. The

configuration file is very important and should be saved by using the Save

Settings procedure when a device has been configured.

The configuration file is identical to any device that has the Avansu firmware

installed, even if the device hardware is completely different. Therefore a

configuration file saved on any device can be restored on any other device, to

transfer the configuration characteristics.

This feature is extremely useful for any type of maintenance procedure. If a

device has failed in the field then it can be replaced an the configuration file

restored to the device to make it operational quickly.

The backup and restore procedure can also be initiated remotely by a central

network manager. A field technician therefore does not require technical

knowledge about the device configuration. The field technician is only required to

exchange units and power up the replacement. After then the network manager

Fired4 Systems NX1 User manual

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