NETGEAR ProSafe WC7520 User manual

September 2010
202-10686-01
v1.2
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
ProSafe 20-AP Wireless
Controller WC7520
Reference Manual

2|
ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
©2010 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated
into any language in any form or by any means without the written permission of NETGEAR, Inc.
Technical Support
Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. To register your product, get the latest product updates, or get support online,
visit us at http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR
Phone (Other Countries): See Support information card.
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, ReadyNAS, ProSafe, Smart Wizard, and Auto Uplink are trademarks or
registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and Vista are registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their
respective holders.
Statement of Conditions
To improve internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes
to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur
due to the use, or application of, the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein.
Revision History
Publication Part Number Version Publish Date Comments
202-10686-01 2v1.2 September 2010 Add new content to
chapters 1-4
202-10686-01 v1.2 August 2010 Initial publication

Table of Contents |3
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview
Key Features and Capabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Front Panel Ports and LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Rear Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Bottom Panel With Product Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
WC7520 Wireless Controller System Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
NETGEAR ProSafe Access Points: WNAP210 and WNDAP350 . . . . . 11
What Can You Do With the WC7520 Wireless Controller? . . . . . . . . . . 11
Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Maintenance and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Understanding the Web Management Interface Menu Layout . . . . . . . . . 14
Initial Connection and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Understanding Basic and Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Deploy the Wireless Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chapter 2 System Planning and Deployment Scenarios
System Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Single Controller Configuration With Basic Profile Group . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Single Controller Configuration With Access Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . 23
Stacked Controller Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Management VLAN and Data VLAN Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Deployment Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Scenario Example 1: Basic Network with Single VLAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Scenario Example 2: Advanced Network with VLANs and SSIDs. . . . . 28
Scenario Example 3: Advanced Network With Redundancy. . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 3 RF Planning
RF Planning Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Planning Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Defining and Editing Buildings and Floors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Planning Access Point Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Viewing and Managing Heat Maps for Deployed Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
RF Plan Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Chapter 4 Access Point Discovery and Management

ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
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Access Point Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Understanding the Discovery Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Requirements for Auto Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Managing the Access Point List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Adding Access Points to the Managed List After Discovery . . . . . . . . . .46
Editing Access Point Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Rebooting Access Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Chapter 5 Configuring Network Settings
Configuring General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Time Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Configuring IP and VLAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Management VLANs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Untagged VLANs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Managing the DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Managing Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Configuring Syslog and Alarm Notification Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Configuring Syslog Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Configuring Alarm Notification Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Configuring the Email Notification Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Chapter 6 Managing Access Point Groups
Configuring Access Point Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Managing Access Point Groups in the WLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Chapter 7 Configuring Wireless Settings
Configuring the Radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Basic Radio Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Advanced Radio Configuration for Access Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Configuring Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Basic Wireless Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Advanced Wireless Configuration for Access Point Groups. . . . . . . . . .69
Configuring Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Specifying RF Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Basic RF Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Advanced RF Management for Access Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Configuring QoS for Access Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Configuring Load Balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Configuring Rate Limiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Basic Rate Limiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Advanced Rate Limiting for Access Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Chapter 8 Configuring Security and Wireless Security Profiles
Managing Wireless Security Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
Table of Contents |5
Small-Scale WLAN Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Larger Deployments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Configuring Basic Security Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Configuring Advanced Security Profiles for Access Point Groups . . . . .85
Managing Rogue Access Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Configuring Basic Rogue Detection Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Configuring Advanced Rogue Detection Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Managing MAC Authentication and MAC Authentication Groups . . . . . . .90
Configuring Basic MAC Authentication Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Configuring MAC Authentication Settings for Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Managing Authentication Servers and Authentication Server Groups . . . .93
Configuring Basic Authentication Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Configuring Advanced Authentication Server Settings for Groups. . . . .95
Managing Guest Network Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Configuring Captive Portal Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Managing Users and Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Chapter 9 Maintaining the Controller
Managing the Configuration File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Backing Up and Restoring the Configuration File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Upgrading the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Rebooting or Resetting the Wireless Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Managing Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Managing Remote Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Specifying Session Timeouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Viewing Alerts and Events and Saving Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Saving Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Viewing Alerts and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Managing Licenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Viewing Your Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Configuring the License Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Registering Your Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Chapter 10 Managing Stacking and Redundancy
Managing Stacking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Configuring Stacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Managing Redundancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Configuring Redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Appendix A Notification of Compliance

Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview |6
1. Introduction and Overview 11
This chapter includes the following sections:
• Key Features and Capabilities on this page
• Package Contents on page 8
• Hardware Features on page 8
• WC7520 Wireless Controller System Components on page 11
• What Can You Do With the WC7520 Wireless Controller? on page 11
• To manage your licenses, see Managing Licenses on page 111. on page 13
• Maintenance and Support on page 14
• Initial Connection and Configuration on page 15
• Understanding the Web Management Interface Menu Layout on page 14
• Deploy the Wireless Controller. on page 18
Key Features and Capabilities
The ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 is for medium-sized businesses, schools,
and hospitals. In a stacked configuration and with the appropriate licenses, a wireless
controller can support up to 150 access points (APs) with up to 1,500 users or more. The
wireless controller supports the IEEE 802.11a/b/g protocols and is upgradable to support the
IEEE 802.11n protocol. The wireless controller allows you to manage your wireless network
from a central point, implement security features centrally, support layer 2 and layer 3 fast
roaming, configure a guest access captive portal, and support Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi).
The wireless controller provides the following key features and capabilities:
• Scalable architecture with stacking and redundancy
-Support for 20 access points (APs) on a single wireless controller with no additional
license
-Purchased licenses (WC7510L) in increments of 10 APs allow for support of up to a
maximum number of 50 APs on a single wireless controller

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ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
-A maximum of three stacked wireless controllers allows for up to 150 APs in a single
network
-Support of 1:1 redundancy
-Support of 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g modes by default with the option to
purchase a license (WC75NL) to support the 802.11n mode
• Auto discovery of APs
-Auto-discovery of APs in the same layer 2 domain
-Auto-discover of APs across a layer 3 domain
-Automatic download of wireless controller-based firmware to discovered APs that are
added to the managed AP list.
• Centralized management
-Single point of management for the entire wireless network
-Visualization of live coverage and heat maps for the wireless network
-Automatic firmware upgrade to all managed APs
-DHCP server for IP address provisioning
-Configurable management VLAN
• Security
-Identity based security authentication with an external AAA server- RADIUS, Active
Directory, or internal authentication server.
-Up to 8 profiles per Group and 8 groups per radio.
-Depending on the AP model, support for up to 1281AP profiles per wireless controller
(8 profiles per Group and 8 groups per radio). Each AP profile supports settings for
SSID, network authentication, data encryption, client separation, VLAN, MAC ACL
groups, and wireless QoS.
-Depending on the AP models used, support for up 16 AP profile groups per wireless
controller
-Rogue AP detection and classification
-Guest access and captive portal
-Scheduled wireless on/off times
• Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of service and advanced wireless features
-Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) support for video, audio, and voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi)
-WMM power save option
-Automatic ling
-mechanism ensures seamless coverage for wireless users
-Layer 2 and layer 3 seamless roaming support (FRS)
-Local layer 2 traffic switching at AP level for fast processing and roamed layer 3 traffic
processing at controller level
1. Number of profiles depends on AP model used with the controller.

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ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
• RF planning and management
-RF planning tool to predict the number and placement of APs based on signal
strength and the number of users per building floor. Displays the predicted coverage
-Automatic control of AP transmit power and channel allocation to reduce interference
-Automatic load balancing of clients across APs
-Rate limiting per SSID
• Monitoring and reporting
-AP heat maps by wireless band and signal strength for real-time status view of the
WLAN
-Monitoring of the status of the network, wireless controllers, WLANs, and clients, and
network usage statistics
-Specific health monitoring of APs
-Logging and emailing of system events, RF events, load balancing events, rate
limiting events, and redundancy failover events
For a list of all features and capabilities of the wireless controller, see the datasheet at
http://www.netgear.com/products/service-providers/access-points-wireless-controllers/wirele
ss-management/WC7520.aspx.
Package Contents
The ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 product package contains the following
items:
• ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 appliance
• One AC power cable
• Rubber feet (4) with adhesive backing
• One rack-mount kit
• Straight-through Category 5 Ethernet cable
• WC7520 ProSafe Wireless Controller Installation Guide
• Resource CD
If any of the parts are incorrect, missing, or damaged, contact your NETGEAR dealer. Keep
the carton, including the original packing materials, in case you need to return the product for
repair.
Hardware Features
The front panel ports and LEDs, rear panel components, and bottom label of the wireless
controller are described in this section.

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ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
Front Panel Ports and LEDs
The following figure shows the front panel ports and status LEDs of the wireless controller.
Figure 1.
From left to right, the wireless controller’s front panel shows the following ports and LEDs:
• Power LED.
• Test LED.
• USB port for external storage, for example for more floor heat maps and extended
statistics history.
• Four 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN Ethernet ports with RJ-45 connectors, left LEDs, and right
LEDs. All Ethernet ports provide switched N-way, automatic speed-negotiating, auto
MDI/MDIX technology.
Note: The four ports of the wireless controller function as a single switch.
The function of each LED is described in the following table:
Table 1.
LED Status Description
Power LED On The green power LED should be lit when the wireless controller is on.
Off If the power LED is not lit when the wireless controller is on, check the
connections and check to see if the power outlet is controlled by a wall switch that
is turned off.
Test LED On The wireless controller is initializing. After approximately 2 minutes, when the
wireless controller has completed its initialization, the Test LED turns off. If the
Test LED remains on, the initialization has failed.
Off The wireless controller has completed its initialization successfully. The Test LED
should be off during normal operation.
Blinking Indicates firmware upgrade.
Left LAN
port LED
(one for
each port)
Off The port has no physical link, that is, no Ethernet cable is plugged into the
wireless controller.
On (green) The port has detected a link with a connected Ethernet device.
Blink (green) Data is being transmitted or received by the port.

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ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
Rear Panel Features
The following figure shows the rear panel components of the wireless controller.
Figure 2.
From left to right, the wireless controller’s rear panel components are:
• Console port. RS232 port for connecting to an optional console terminal. The port has a
DB9 male connector. The default baud rate is 9600 K. The configuration is 8 bits, no
parity, and 1 stop bit.
• Factory default reset button. Using a sharp object, press and hold this button for about
10 seconds until the front panel Test light flashes and the wireless controller returns to
factory default settings.
Note: If you reset the wireless controller, all configuration settings are lost
and the default passwords are restored.
• Kensington lock. Attach an optional Kensington lock to prevent unauthorized removal of
the wireless controller.
• AC power socket. Attach the power cord to this socket. (There is no separate on/off power
switch.)
Bottom Panel With Product Label
The product label on the bottom of the wireless controller’s enclosure displays the default IP
address, default user name, and default password, as well as regulatory compliance, input
power and other information.
Figure 3.
Right LAN
port LED
(one for
each port)
Off The port is operating at 10 Mbps.
On (amber) The port is operating at 100 Mbps.
On (green) The port is operating at 1000 Mbps.
Table 1.
LED Status Description

Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview |11
ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
WC7520 Wireless Controller System Components
A WC7520 wireless controller system consists of one or more wireless controllers and a
collection of APs that are organized into groups based on location or network access.
The wireless controller system can include a single wireless controller, a single wireless
controller with a backup wireless controller for 1:1 redundancy, or a group of up to three
stacked wireless controllers, with or without a redundant wireless controller.
The WC7520 wireless controller system supports the following access point models:
• NETGEAR WNAP210 ProSafe wireless-N Access Point
• NETGEAR WNDAP350 ProSafe dual band wireless-N Access Point
Future releases will support additional access point models.
NETGEAR ProSafe Access Points: WNAP210 and WNDAP350
You can connect APs to the wireless controller either directly with an Ethernet cable through
a router, or switch or remotely through an IP network. After you have used the automatic
discovery process and added APs to the managed AP list on the wireless controller, the
wireless controller converts the standard APs to dependent APs by pushing firmware to the
APs. From then on, you can centrally manage and monitor the APs.
A WC7520 wireless controller system can support the following APs:
• WNAP210 ProSafe Wireless-N Access Point
-Supports 802.11g and 802.11n network devices
-Supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) with a power consumption of up to 5.8W
For product documentation, see http://kb.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/8101.
• WNDAP350 ProSafe Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point
-Supports 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n network devices
-Supports PoE with a power consumption of up to 12.8W
-Concurrent operation in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio band while in 802.11n mode
For product documentation, see http://kb.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/12823.
What Can You Do With the WC7520 Wireless Controller?
These are some of the tasks that you can perform with a WC7520 wireless controller:
Plan a Wireless Network
• Design a WLAN. Design an efficient WLAN with building and floor dimensions for your
specific environment.

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ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
• Estimate the number of required APs and their approximate locations. Estimate how
many APs you need for your wireless coverage and determine their optimum location for
best coverage and performance.
For more information, see Chapter 3, RF Planning.
Discover APs in the Network and Provision IP Addresses and Firmware
• Discover APs in the network. The APs can be in factory default state or functioning in
standalone mode, but after discovery by the wireless controller and addition to the
managed AP List, the APs become dependent (managed) APs.
• Provision IP addresses to the APs. Use the internal DHCP server to provision IP
addresses to all or selected managed APs in the network.
• Upgrade AP Firmware. Update and synchronize new firmware versions to all managed
APs in the network.
For more information, see Chapter 4, Access Point Discovery and Management.
Centrally Manage the Wireless Settings for the Network
• Schedule the radios. Schedule the entire network to go offline or schedule AP profile
groups to go offline.
• Manage wireless settings and channel allocation. Manage the wireless settings such
as wireless mode, data rate, channel width, and so on, for the entire network or for AP
profile groups, and manage channel allocation for the entire network.
• Manage QoS settings. Manage QoS queue settings for data, background, video. and
voice traffic for AP profile groups.
• Configure RF management settings. Configure WLAN healing and wireless coverage
hole detection for the entire network or for AP profile groups.
Organize the Network
• Create AP profiles. Organize APs in profiles to differentiate between SSIDs, client
authentication, authentication settings, and wireless QoS settings.
• Create AP profile groups. Organize AP profiles in AP profile groups to differentiate
between buildings, floors, businesses or business divisions, and so on. Easily assign APs
to profile groups or make changes to assignments.
For more information, see Chapter 6, Managing Access Point Groups and Chapter 8,
Configuring Security and Wireless Security Profiles.
Centrally Manage Security in the Network
• Manage secure access to the network and secure data transmission. Manage client
authentication, encryption, wireless client security separation, and MAC authentication in
AP profiles
• Manage authentication servers for the network. Manage all internal and external
authentication servers for the entire network or for AP profile groups.

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ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 Reference Manual
• Manage MAC authentication. Specify trusted and untrusted MAC addresses for the
entire network.
• Manage rogue APs. Manage rogue APs and their associated clients in the network.
• Manage guest access. Manage guest access and captive portal access to the network.
For more information, see Chapter 8, Configuring Security and Wireless Security Profiles.
Manage Other Wireless Controllers in the Network
• Manage stacking. Specify the primary and secondary wireless controllers in a stack and
synchronize information between the wireless controller.
• Manage redundancy groups. Specify the primary and secondary wireless controllers in
redundancy group and enable failover protection.
For more information, see Chapter 10, Managing Stacking and Redundancy.
Monitor the Network and its Components
• View heat maps. View the real-time heat maps for a deployed WLA. See the RF signal
propagation per floor. Identify coverage holes and weak signal spots.
• Monitor the status of all wireless devices. View the status the wireless controllers,
APs, clients, AP profiles, and the entire network, and view network usage statistics.
• Monitor network health. See which APs are healthy and which ones are down or
compromised.
To manage your licenses, see Managing Licenses on page 111.
Licenses
The wireless controller includes a license to support up to 20 APs in 802.11a/b/g mode. You
can purchase licenses in 10-AP increments (WC7510L) for support of up to 50 APs in
802.11a/b/g mode for a single wireless controller. To support 50 APs in 802.11a/b/g mode,
you would need to purchase 3 WC7510L licenses; if you have three wireless controllers in
stack and want to support the maximum number of 150 APs, you would need to purchase 9
WC7510L licenses.
Adding a redundant wireless controller also requires you to purchase licenses to support the
required number of APs on the redundant wireless controller.
You can also purchase a license (WC75NL) to support the 802.11n mode. A single WC75NL
license supports up to 50 APs in 802.11n mode on a single wireless controller; if you have
three wireless controllers in stack and want to support the maximum number of 150 APs in
802.11n mode, you would need to purchase 3 WC75NL licenses. The WC75NL licenses for
802.11n mode support are in addition to the WC7510L licenses to increase the number of
supported APs.
Licenses are tied to the serial number and MAC address of the wireless controller.

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For more information, see the License Configuration section in the datasheet at
http://www.netgear.com/products/service-providers/access-points-wireless-controllers/wirele
ss-management/WC7520.aspx.
Maintenance and Support
NETGEAR offers technical support seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Information about
support is available on the NETGEAR ProSupport website at
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/212.
Understanding the Web Management Interface Menu
Layout
The following figure shows the menu at the top and the left of the wireless controller’s Web
management interface (the screen’s content has been removed for more clarity).
1st level: Main navigation menu tab
2nd level: Configuration menu tab
3rd level: Submenu link
Action buttons
Figure 4.
The Web Management Interface menu consists of the following components:
• 1st Level: Main navigation menu tab. The main navigation menu tabs in the light gray
bar across the top of the Web management interface provide access to all configuration
menu tabs of the wireless controller and remain constant. When you select a main
navigation menu tab, the letters are displayed in orange against a blue background.
• 2nd Level: Configuration menu tab. The configuration menu tabs in the blue bar
(immediately below the main navigation menu bar) change according to the main
navigation menu tab that you select. When you select a configuration menu tab, the
letters are displayed in orange against a blue background.
• 3rd Level: Submenu link. Each configuration menu tab has one or more submenu links
that are listed on the left side of the screen in a gray box. When you select a submenu
link, the text is displayed in orange against a gray background. On many screens, the

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submenus as divided in a basic submenu and an advanced submenu (see To manage
your licenses, see Managing Licenses on page 111. on page 13).
• Action buttons. Action buttons change the configuration or allow you to make changes
to the configuration. These are the most common action buttons:
-Apply. Saves all configuration changes made on the current screen. Saved settings
are retained when the wireless controller is powered off or rebooted while unsaved
configuration changes are lost.
-Cancel. Resets options on the current screen to the last-applied or saved settings.
-Add. Adds a new item to the current screen. Typically, a popup screen opens that
enables you to enter information in additional fields.
-Edit. Allows you to edit the configuration of the selected item.
-Remove or Delete. Removes the selected item from the table or screen
configuration.
-Back. Return to the previous screen.
-Next. Advance to the next screen.
Initial Connection and Configuration
Follow the steps in this section to set up the wireless controller. For additional information,
see the WC7520 ProSafe Wireless Controller Installation Guide at
http://kb.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/13060.
To set up, configure, and deploy the wireless controller:
1. Connect the wireless controller to your computer:
a. Configure a computer with a static IP address of 192.168.0.210 and 255.255.255.0
as the subnet mask.
b. Connect the wireless controller to the computer via the network or directly to one of
the wireless controller’s ports.
c. Connect the power cord from the wireless controller to an AC power outlet.
d. Check the lights on the front of the wireless controller:
• Power. The green power light should be lit. If the power light is not lit, check the
connections and check to see if the power outlet is controlled by a wall switch that
is turned off.
• Test. The Test light is on briefly when the controller is first turned on.
• LAN The Ethernet (LAN) light should be lit (amber for 10/100 Mbps and green for
1000 Mbps) indicating that a connection has been made. If not, make sure the
Ethernet cable is securely attached at both ends.
2. Log in to the wireless controller:
a. Open your browser and enter http://192.168.0.250 in the browser’s address field.

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Note: You must use a Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer
5.1 or later, Mozilla Firefox l.x or later with JavaScript, cookies, and
SSL enabled.
The wireless controller’s login window displays.
Figure 5.
b. When prompted, enter admin for the user name and password for the password,
both in lower case letters.
c. Click Login. The wireless controller’s Web management interface displays, with the
default status screen (Monitor > Network > Summary) that shows the network
status, rogue access points, and wireless client:
Figure 6.
For information about the layout and general characteristics of the Web management
interface, see Understanding the Web Management Interface Menu Layout on
page 14.

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3. Configure the wireless controller and your network:
a. RF Planning: Follow instructions in Chapter 3, RF Planning to plan the number and
location of the APs.
b. Configuring your network: Follow instructions in Chapter 4 through to Chapter 10
to configure your network including the SSIDs, security, MAC ACLs, captive portal,
QoS, rate limiting and so on.
c. Set up the wireless controller and add access points: Follow instructions in
System Planning on page 20 to select your type of deployment and steps to
discover your access points and add them to controller’s Managed AP List.
Understanding Basic and Advanced Settings
You can deploy the wireless controller in a small wireless network with 10 or 20 APs or in a
large wireless network with up to 150 APs. Small networks require a basic configuration but
large networks can become very complex and require you to configure the advanced
features of the wireless controller.
Depending on your network configuration, use basic settings or advanced settings to
manage your APs:
• Basic settings for a typical network. The basic settings work with the most common
network configuration. For example, all APs on the WLAN are for the same organization
or business and therefore adhere to the same policies and use a small number of service
set identifiers (SSIDs, or network names).
• Advanced settings for access point groups. If you have a large wireless network, or if
completely separate networks share a single WLAN, use the advanced settings to set up
multiple AP profile groups and multiple security profiles (SSIDs). For example, a
shopping mall might need several AP profile groups if several businesses share a WLAN
but each business has its own network. Larger networks could require multiple AP profile
groups to allow different policies per building or department. The APs could have different
SSIDs per building and department, for example, one for guests, one for management,
one for sales, and so on.
To accommodate all types of networks, almost all configuration menus of the Web
management interface are divided into basic and advanced submenus. Figure 7 shows an
example of the Security > Wireless > Basic submenu on the left and of the Security >
Wireless > Advanced submenu on the right.
Figure 7.

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One of the advanced features of the wireless controller is the capability to create multiple AP
profile groups. Each access point operates using one profile group. The default profile group
is called ‘basic.’ A profile group includes all the features that you can configure for an
individual AP, including up to 8 SSIDs, security, QoS, load balancing and so on. For a basic
configuration, the default profile group applies to all APs that are controlled by the wireless
controller.
For an advanced configuration, AP profile groups are an important tool: you can create
separate policies per profile group such as separate sets of 8 SSIDs per group, QoS,
authentication servers, MAC ACLs, rogue AP, rate limiting, wireless-on/off schedules, and so
on. The following figure shows an example AP profile groups.
Figure 8.
Before you start the configuration of your wireless controller, decide whether you can use a
basic configuration (that is, follow the basic submenus) or need to use an advanced
configuration (that is, follow the advanced submenus). Once you have made your choice,
configuring the wireless controller should be fairly easy if you consistently follow either the
basic submenus or the advanced submenus.
Deploy the Wireless Controller.
If needed, you can now reconfigure the computer that you used above back to its original
TCP/IP settings.
1. Disconnect the wireless controller from the computer and place it where you will deploy
it.
2. Connect an Ethernet cable from your wireless controller to a LAN port on your network.
3. Connect the power cord to the wireless controller and plug the power cord to a power outlet.
The Power, Test, and Ethernet lights should light up.

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The wireless controller is suitable for use in an office environment where it can be
freestanding on its runner feet or mounted into a standard 19-inch equipment rack.
Alternatively, you can rack-mount the wireless controller in a wiring closet or equipment
room. A mounting kit containing two mounting brackets and screws is provided in the
wireless controller package.
Consider the following when deciding where to position the wireless controller:
• The unit is accessible and cables can be connected easily.
• Cabling is away from sources of electrical noise. These include lift shafts, microwave
ovens, and air-conditioning units.
• Water or moisture cannot enter the case of the unit.
• Airflow around the unit and through the vents in the side of the case is not restricted.
Provide a minimum of 25 mm or 1 inch clearance.
• The air is as free of dust as possible.
Temperature operating limits are not likely to be exceeded. Install the unit in a clean,
air-conditioned environment.

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