Multilink ZipLink User manual
ZipLink
WirelessPhoneLine&EthernetExtender
UserGuidev.1
Multi‐Link,Inc.
122DeweyDrive|Nicholasville,KY|40356USA
SalesandTechSupport800.535.4651
FAX859.885.6619
www.multi‐link.net
Technical Support
Safety Warning !!
Inordertocomplywithelectricalcodesinmost
areas,aswellasprovideadequateprotection
fromlightning,youMUSTgroundtheZipLink
outdoorunit!
2
Phone Support: 916-947-7444
3
Contents
TechnicalSupport........................................................................................2
SafetyWarning!!.........................................................................................2
Contents......................................................................................................3
Introduction.................................................................................................4
BoxContents................................................................................................4
Cabling.........................................................................................................4
CableGlandAssembly.................................................................................5
BenchTesting..............................................................................................7
Installation...................................................................................................7
AssemblyTips..............................................................................................8
ElectricalConnections...............................................................................11
Aimingtheantennas..................................................................................13
BenchTesting............................................................................................13
Startup/Testing........................................................................................14
SystemDiagram.........................................................................................15
BasicTroubleshooting...............................................................................15
Warranty....................................................................................................18
Specifications.............................................................................................19
4
Introduction
TheMulti-LinkZipLinkis awirelesssystemthatallowsuptotwostandard
analog(POTS)phonelinesandanethernetLAN(internet)connectionto
bequicklyinstalledbetweentwobuildingsorlocationsupto1mile/1.6
kilometersapart.
TheZipLinkis designedtobeeasytoinstall.Youwillneedthefollowing
tools:
‐PowerDrill/Screwdriverw/Phillipsbits
‐10mmnutdriver/wrench
‐Wirefishline
Box Contents
‐2ZipLinKOutdoor Radios: LINE &PHONE
‐2poweradapters
‐2AntennaMounts
‐AccessoryKit(WhiteBox)
Cabling
EachZipLinkradio comesequippedwith30Meters/100feetof
OUTDOORRATEDcablewhichrunsfromtheZipLink to thePower/POTS
PowerInjector,whichisusuallymountedinthecustomer’stelcoroom.
Thecableisusedforthephoneconnectionsaswellaspower.YOUMAY
SHORTENTHISCABLEIFYOUWISH,BUTYOUMAYNOTLENGTHENIT.
Keepinmindthatthiscablelengthmaximumdistanceisduetothe
maximumlengthallowableforthepowerwiresinsidethiscableonly.
ThecablelengthFROMthepower injetorPOTS RJ11connector
TOthetelcoline,PBXordesksetmaybeupto300feetintotalusing
unshieldedtwistedpaircat3cableforthetelephonecircuitsandcat5eor
cat6forethernet/data,orevengreaterdistanceswhenusingshielded
cables.ThisallowsforalmostanyinstallationtousetheZipLinksystem.
TherearetwoconnectionscomingoutoftheZipLink.The precabled
connectionhasthePOTSlinesandpower,thebottommiddle
weatherproofconnectorisforCat5edata.
EachoutdoorZipLinkradio shouldbeelectricallygroundedbyuseofa
groundluginstalledononeoftheboltsusedtoholdtheZipLinkonthe
polemountbracketsandruntoaproperelectricalground.Thisisnot
onlyasafetyrequirementforlightningdissipationpurposes,butalso
improvessystemradioperformance,sincetheenclosureprovidesradio
shieldingagainstunwantedradioandelectricalnoiseonthephonelines.
AssumingthattheoutletwhichthePowerInjectors power supply
isproperlyinstalledaccordingtoelectricalcodes,nofurthergrounding
pointsinthesystemisrequired.Theelectricalcircuitsforthephoneand
ethernet/dataconnectionsshouldNEVERbegrounded.Thisincludesall
connectionsinthepowerinjector.Phoneconnections“float”.
Cable Gland Assembly
InsidetheaccessoryboxthatcamewiththeZipLink,
youwillfind2blackcableglandsthatlooklikethis:
Youshouldunscrewthetwoparts.Youshould
leavethesmallrubberO‐ringwhereitis.
YouwillnoticethattheO‐ringhasaslitinit.Thisisto
allowtheethernetcabletobecompletelyassembledon
theground,priortoinstallingitontheradio.
5
Thisistheorderthateverythinggoestogetherprioronthecable:
6
Thenextstepistopushtherubberringinto
positionsothatitwillcompresswhentheglandis
assembled.YoushouldGENTLYuseasmall
screwdrivertoslideitinsidethemainbodyofthe
glandhousinguntilitisflushwiththelittleplastic
fingersatthebottomofthegland,likeshownin
thepicturetotheright‐>
Youcannowslidetheglandupanddownthecablewhileyoupluginthe
ethernetconnectorintothebottomoftheradio:
Screwintheglandhousing: Andthenthebottomglandcap:
7
Bench Testing
WhenbenchtestingtheZipLink,youneedtoknowthefollowing:
‐Theminimumdistancebetweentheradiosmustbe25feetor8
meters.IfyouhavetheLineandPhoneZipLinkcloser together
thanthisduringtesting,thesystemmaynotoperateproperly,
especiallyinmodemtesting.
‐Youshouldalwaysorienttheradiossimilarlytohowtheywillbe
orientedwhentheyareinstalled.Optionally,youmaysitthem
BOTHsidewayswiththeSKYarrowpointingatthesamewallto
facilitateeasyRJ45cableinstallation.
‐Bothunitsshouldbeelectricallygroundedontheirchassisto
ensurenoisefromlightsandmotorsinthevicinitydonotaffect
callquality.
Installation
MounttheZipLinkRadios ashighupaspossibleonbothbuildings.The
radiosmust“see”eachotherwithoutobstructionsbetweenthem,and
sinceradiotravelsina“football”shapebetweenantennas,youmustnot
onlyhaveadirectpathbetweentheantennas,butthepathalsomustbe
wideenough,asdeterminedbythedistancebetweentheradios:
Radio height required by distance between radios
Distance (mi./km) .25/.40.5/.801/1.6
Minimum Height( ft/m)
10/314/4.319/6
Forexample,ifyouhavetwobuildingsahalfmileapart,theZipLink
radiosshouldbe14feetabovetheground,plustheheightofanything
elsethatisinbetweenthebuildings.So,iftherearedeliverytrucks
movingbetweentheradios,theyneedtobe14abovetheheightofthe
trucks,soabout30feetup.Sameruleappliesfortrees,etc.
TherearetwoZipLinkradios included ineachkit.Thereis oneLINEunit
andonePHONEunit.ThePHONEunitneedstobeconnectedtoaPhone
atthe“remote”end.TheLINEunitneedstobeconnectedtothePBX,
KeySystem,orPOTSLINEatthe“main”location.
DialtoneislocallygeneratedonthePHONEunit,soifyoureversethe
radios,youwillnotgetdialtoneatthephoneend.Thefastestwayto
checkifyouhavethecorrectradioateachendistolookatthecolorof
thecableglandontheZipLink.PHONEZipLinkradioshave BLACKcable
glandsonthetelcocable.LINEZiplinkradioshave Beigecableglandson
thetelcocable:
Beige(LINE)Radio Black(PHONE)Radio
Assembly Tips
Therearetwoofeverything.Herearesomebasicsetuptips:
•It REALLY matters what radio is at what end!!
•The ZipLinkunit that has a BLACK cable gland on the cat3 cable
should plug into a phone or modem or fax machine. (You may
also say that this is the radio that goes to the REMOTE end, or
the end that currently does not have a phone)
•The ZipLinkthat has a BEIGE (or WHITE) cable gland on the cat3
cable should plug into a telephone LINE (that comes from a
phone company, or office PBX).
•You can use any other component at either end of the
installation. This includes the ZipLinkPower Injectors
8
•Here is what each end will look like just before you install it:
•First,attachthe
aluminumbrackettothe
backoftheZipLink.Use
the4bolts,washers,and
lockwashersthatare
alreadyonthebackof
theradio:
9
•Next, put the U-Bolts in place.
These are also packaged in the
Accessory Kit (the white box), and
are wrapped in plastic wrap, along
with washers and lock washers:
•The hardware for the
pole mounts is included
with the brackets
themselves. Look for
three bolts and 3 nuts in
brass. Here is how you
should put the pieces
together prior to
tightening anything:
10
Electrical Connections
Here is a diagram of all the components in the ZipLinkkit, and how they
hook together:
•The electrical connection between the power injectors and the
wall adapters have not been shown for clarity. They must be
plugged into the wall once the other connections have been
made.
•The only difference (electrically) between the ZipLinkand the
ZipLink2 is the ZipLink2 had connections to extend a second
line over the radio link. The ZipLink2 has a second “dongle” that
is connected to the Power Injector for the second POTS circuit.
In all other respects, the installation of the system is identical.
•It does not matter the order in which the radios are powered up.
11
12
•The weatherproof RJ45 connectors may be left unused, as long as
you tighten them to ensure no moisture or contaminants get
inside them.
•The RJ45 connection performance is about the same as an office
network LAN connection. It is suitable for email, internet access
etc.
•The RJ-45 connection on the LINE side may be plugged into an
office router, etc. If the PHONE RJ-45 connection is to be
shared between computers, it is recommended that it is routed
as well, to ensure LAN traffic between computers at the remote
end does not go “over the air”, thereby affecting the performance
of the wireless LAN connection by relaying unnecessary LAN
traffic.
•When using the ZipLinkwith devices other than standard phones
and telco lines, you need to be careful about the polarity lines in
use. Some third party devices will not automatically switch when
the lines are reversed.
•Standard telephone cables have the two ends reversed. This
means that red will be on pin 2 on one end and pin 3 on the
other, and vice versa for green.
•If you have a phone cable that is a straight through cable, ie. Red
is always pin 2 and green is always pin 3, it may cause an issue
with the ZipLinkoperation.
•Even if you use a ZipLinkonly for the Ethernet capability, you
MUST still run the provided Cat 3 cable inside to the power
injector. The ZipLinkdoes not support power over ethernet.
13
Aiming the antennas
Onceyouhavecompletedtheinstallation,trytogetbothradiospointing
attheotherasbestasyoucan.Itisessentialthattheradiosaremounted
insuchawaythatthecablingcomesoutthebottom(towardsthe
ground).
TheZipLinkantennas allowupto15degreesvariationinbetweenthe
PHONEandLINEunitsleft/rightandup/down.Youraimingdoesnothave
tobeperfecttohavethesystemwork.Youcanessentially“eyeballthem
in”andgetagood,stablesignal.
Forexample,ifyourZipLinkPHONEand LINEunitsare500yards/meters
apart,andoneismounted5feethigherthantheother,andtheleft/right
angleisoutby3or4degrees,youwillstillhaveagoodstablelink.
TheMulti-Linkwebsitehassoftwarethatcanassistyouingettingthebest
signalpossible.ThesoftwareiscalledTUtilZipLink24,andcan be
obtainedatwww.multi-link.net.
Bench Testing
When bench testing the ZipLinkprior to doing a field installation, there
are a few important things to know.
First, the radios are designed to be at least 20 feet apart when in
operation. It is possible to overdrive the radios if they are only a few feet
apart and facing each other.
Generally, it is okay to put both ZipLinkradios on the bench facing
upwards and a few feet apart when testing. This will bring the signal
strength down to a reasonable level.
When using the ZipLinkwith devices other than standard phones and
telco lines, you need to be careful about the polarity lines in use. Some
14
third party devices will not automatically switch when the lines are
reversed.
Standard telephone cables have the two ends reversed. This means that
red will be on pin 2 on one end and pin 3 on the other, and vice versa for
green.
If you have a phone cable that is a straight through cable, ie. Red is always
pin 2 and green is always pin 3, it may cause an issue with the ZipLink
operation.
Startup / Testing
Once the antennas have been aligned, you may test the system by dialing
in and out of the phone at the remote end. You do not need to do
anything different than you would for any other phone that is on the
system, with one exception. If your phone system requires you to dial
“9” for an outside line, you need to dial the entire phone number with
the leading 9 at one time, ie. 919165551212, instead of “9” (Wait for dial
tone), then the number. This is called one stage dialing, and is the only
method used with the ZipLink.
If you are using the RJ45 data connection as well, you should be able to
use your computer in exactly the same way you would at the other end.
System Diagram
Basic Troubleshooting
•If you do not get a dial tone when you pick up the phone, it
is most likely that you either have no power to the PHONE
ZipLinkradio, or have accidentally installed the LINE unit at
the remote end. Check that the phone is plug into a
ZipLinkunit with two black cable glands (one small and one
large), and that the power adapters LED is illuminating when
power is applied.
•If you are experiencing any kind of AC hum or noise during
a phone call, this usually indicates that one of the outdoor
units has not been properly grounded. You need to ground
the outside chassis of the outdoor units in order to ensure
a suitable path to ground, both in the case of a lightning
strike, and to reduce spurious radio noise.
•Incoming ring forwarding delay is what happens to capture
caller ID on incoming calls. If you dial into the remote site
while you are right next to it, you will notice about two
rings occur before the remote site phone will ring. This is
15
16
required by the ZipLinkto capture the caller ID
information, which is supplied after the first ring by the
phone company, prior to completing the call to the remote
site’s phone. This is normal.
•Grounding – The ZipLinkis considered to be a low voltage
device, and therefore usually may be installed by anyone
without need for permits or inspections. However, you
need to make certain the outside case is grounded for
lightning reasons, and you should consult your local
electrical / safety codes in your area prior to performing any
kind of permanent equipment installation. Additionally, the
ZipLinkPower Injector lid can be removed if you want to
either permanently screw it to the communications room
wall, or directly run telephone wire to the unit. However,
DO NOT GROUND ANY CONNECTIONS INSIDE THE
ZipLinkPOWER INJECTOR. The green wire inside the
ZipLinkPower Injector is a floating phone signal – the
system will malfunction if you ground it!
•Use with Modems – The ZipLinkhas been tested up to
14.4kbps using standard modems and phone lines. In many
cases, higher data rates can be obtained, due to
compression that is automatically provided by the modem
protocol. To improve dial up connection times and
reliability, you should set the maximum connect speed for a
ZipLinkconnected remote site to 14.4 Kbps. This is
typically by setting register S37 using the ATS37=10 and
AT&N8 commands to set maximum data rates. These
commands may vary by your particular modem
manufacturer.
•ZipLinksystems that are shipped pre-programmed for
operation with modems have a MODEM sticker on the
17
shipping box. If you are uncertain what kind of ZipLinkyou
have, or if you want to change a ZipLinkfrom a Voice/Fax
unit to a Modem unit, you will need the TUtil ZipLink24
software utility, which can be obtained through
technical support or on the Multi-Link website at
www.multi-link.net.
•It is important to understand that each ZipLinksystem is
programmed to ONLY talk to itself. If you have two
ZipLinksystems, you cannot mix and match Phone and Line
units.
•The ZipLinkdoes not currently support distinctive ring. If
you require servicing two phone numbers from the same
line, there are accessory products that may be used in
conjunction with the ZipLink-2 to create a second line
occurrence. Please contact tech support for details.
•If you are experiencing unclear voice or data performance
problems, there is a testing utility called TUtil ZipLink24
which may be downloaded from the Multi-Link website at
www.multi-link.net along with the manual for how to use this
utility.
•Fax – The ZipLinksupports fax machine receive and
transmit up to 14.4kbps.
•Should you wish to remove the original ZipLinksticker from
the front of the outdoor unit, and replace it with something
else, please ensure that anything installed on the front of the
ZipLink radio allows high frequency radio to pass through.
You cannot use labels that have any kind of metallic based
18
inks, or a foil label without harming the ZipLink, or seriously
degrading it’s performance.
Warranty
Multi-Link warrants the ZipLinksystem for one year from date of
purchase by the original owner.
Multi-Link will replace or repair, at its option, any ZipLinksystem that
fails to perform under normal use, provided that the system is
returned, at the cost of the owner, to Multi-Link. Items that are
returned for warranty repair must be accompanied by a copy of the
original invoice or proof of purchase. For further details about
how to receive warranty or after warranty service information,
please contact your Multi-Link distributor, or visit the Multi-Link
website at www.Multi-Link.com
Any operation of the ZipLinkoutside of specified temperatures,
power, environment, or in a manner specified in this manual as
harmful to the device will void any warranty. Additionally, any
attempted repair or dismantling of any Multi-Link product, in any way,
will void all warranties.
In no event shall Multi-Link liability exceed the original purchase price
of the product from direct, indirect, special, incidental, or
consequential damages resulting from the use, or misuse, of this
product.
19
Specifications
RadioRange1Mile/1.6km
POTSlines1or2regularanalogphonelines
EthernetPortRJ45/10BTequivalent
FaxSpeed14.4kbps
ModemSpeed(ModemVersion)upto4800baud
OperatingTemperature‐40C/‐40Fto+50C/+125F
PowerRequired7W,(ZipLink)/10W(ZipLink2)
RadioType5.8 GHzDSSS,LicenseFree
Encryption256bitAES
RadioPower+34dBm
RadioSensitivity‐89dBm@10‐5BER
OutdoorUnitSize 9”x9”x3.5”
(23cmx23cmx9cm)
SystemShippingWeight23lbs/10.5kg
ShippingDimensions 24”x11”x8.75”
(61cmx28cmx22cm)
Other manuals for ZipLink
1
Table of contents
Other Multilink Extender manuals
