Nokia A032 User manual

Wireless LAN Access Point
Getting Started

Nokia A032
Wireless LAN Access Point
Getting Started

ii
Nokia A032 Getting Started
Copyright notices
Copyright © 1999, 2000. Nokia Internet Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation, Finland.
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows NT are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Other products may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
manufacturers.
We reserve the right to make changes and improvements to any of the products described
in this guide without prior notice. Nokia is not responsible for any loss of data, income or
any consequential damage howsoever caused.
ISSUE 1

iii
Welcome
Congratulations on purchasing the Nokia A032
Wireless LAN Access Point.
This guide tells you how to set up and operate
the Access Point. Please see the Advanced User
Guide for information about configuration
options, management and performance tuning.
How to use this guide
If you’re a first-time user, familiarize yourself
with the capabilities of your Access Point by
reading the Overview section, then get up and
running by following the instructions in
Installing and Setting up sections.
• Overview – gives an overview of the Access
Point and the role it plays in a network. It
then provides a detailed description of
available operating modes.
• Installing the Nokia A032 – tells you what
items should have been supplied, and lists
the main features of the unit, it also
explains how to connect your Access Point
to a LAN.
• Setting up and testing – explains how to use
Learn mode to get your Access Point
quickly up and running.
• Supplementary information – describes
special start-up modes, LED functions, and
error codes.

iv
Nokia A032 Getting Started
Conventions used in this guide
Notes
You’ll find tips or other useful facts in side
notes throughout the manual. Pay particular
attention to notes that start with Note or
WARNING .
Text conventions
The following conventions are used throughout
this manual:
•
courier
is used for file names, or to
denote text that appears on your screen.
•
courier bold
is used to denote text that
you should type in.
• new terms are shown in italic text the first
time they appear.
•
bold
text denotes the name of a physical
button or LED on the unit (e.g. the
alert
LED) or a button on screen that you need to
click (e.g. “click
Restart
”).
Related documents
The Advanced User Guide is for more
experienced users and system managers who
want to customize and fine-tune the Access
Point’s performance.
Your Access Point can
transfer information
between a wired LAN
and a wireless LAN.

Contents
v
Table of contents
Copyright notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii
Overview 1
Wireless networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
WEP security and encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Internet access sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installing the Nokia A032 7
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Performing the installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Setting up and testing 17
Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Preparing a wireless station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Starting the Nokia A032 in Learn mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting to the Nokia A032 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Configuring the Nokia A032 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Restarting the Nokia A032 in Normal mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Testing the Nokia A032 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
What next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Supplementary information 29
Operating modes and LED status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Configuring devices to accept automatic IP addresses . . . . 33
Initialization error codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Index 35

vi
Nokia A032 Getting Started

Overview
1
1. Overview
The Nokia A032 is a versatile network device
that offers wireless network access, Internet
access and automatic network configuration in
a single unit.
This chapter contains useful background
information. You can skip this chapter if you’re
familiar with the principles of wireless
networking, WEP security and Internet access,
and go straight to Installing the Nokia A032 on
page 7.
In this chapter, you’ll find information on:
• Wireless networking
• WEP security and encryption
• Dial-up internet access sharing.
Wireless networking
In normal operation, the Access Point simply
acts as a go-between, transferring information
between devices on a local area network (LAN),
rather like a hub. The difference is that some of
the devices are wireless, rather than being
physically connected to the LAN.
The wireless LAN system offers all the same
functions as a wired Ethernet LAN.
The Nokia A032 acts
as a network ‘Access
Point’, connecting
IEEE802.11 compatible
wireless devices to
each other, to a wired
LAN and to the
Internet.

2
Nokia A032 Getting Started
IEEE802.11 standard
The Access Point conforms to IEEE802.11B –
the industry standard for wireless LANs. Not
only will it communicate with computers
equipped with Nokia wireless LAN adapter
cards – it will communicate with any
IEEE802.11 compatible adapter card, using
DSSS (see below), from any vendor.
The Nokia Access Point supports direct
sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) wireless LAN
cards (also known as radio cards). DSSS is a
radio technique which scrambles the data prior
to transmission to improve the communication
quality and range.
Frequency channels and roaming
Wireless LAN systems are allocated a radio
frequency band . IEEE802.11 specifies operation
in a frequency band of approximately 2.4GHz
to 2.48GHz. Within that band a number of
channels can be used to transfer data. The
number of channels available varies from
country to country.
• If you’re only using one Access Point, you
don’t need to worry about channels.
• If you have many Access Points covering a
large area, you can set them to use different
channels to allow wireless stations in
neighboring areas to operate independently.
In this manual, a
computer fitted with
an IEEE802.11
compatible adapter
card is referred to as a
wireless station.
Some countries have
slightly different or
more restricted
frequency ranges.
A wireless station can
switch between
different Access Points
by changing channels
(a technique known as
roaming).

Overview
3
Scanning and network names
When a wireless station starts up it needs to
find and communicate with the Access Point.
The wireless station will search all the available
frequency bands — a process called scanning .
Each wireless network has a network name
which can be assigned by the network
manager. Generally this name will define a
logical group of wireless stations. If you have
multiple Access Points you will normally
assign them all the same network name.
However you could use additional Access
Points to create new wireless networks by
assigning a new name. The Network Name is a
string of up to 32 characters which you can
choose.
Remember that the wireless stations should be
configured with the same Network Name as the
Access Point to ensure that they connect to the
correct logical network.
There may be several Access Points with the
same Network Name, in which case a station
will choose between the available Access Points
automatically – this is called roaming .
Beaconing
At startup, a wireless station listens for beacons
sent by an Access Point. A beacon is a short
message containing the Network Name that is
broadcast roughly ten times a second.
If the wireless station receives a beacon with an
Network Name matching its own, it knows that
an Access Point is available and it may attempt
to make a connection.

4
Nokia A032 Getting Started
Operating modes
IEEE802.11 defines two operating modes:
• Infrastructure mode
• Ad hoc mode – (This is not applicable to
Access Points).
Infrastructure mode
This is the default mode of operation for your
Nokia Access Point.
Each wireless station associates with a single
Access Point. That Access Point is responsible
for receiving and sending all data to the
station. A station cannot be associated with
more than one Access Point at a time.
This mode provides a high degree of control
over connections because they pass through a
single Access Point. Also, a station can change
radio channels when switching from one
Access Point to another. This is known as
multi-channel roaming .

Overview
5
WEP security and encryption
The Nokia A032 can provide access security
and eavesdropping protection using a method
called wire equivalent privacy (WEP). WEP is
specified as an option under the IEEE802.11
standard. It is designed to protect the wireless
portion of a network.
WEP provides:
• Secure data encryption, using a secret key
(or password) which is known only by a
specific group of users.
• Sophisticated network access control, to
restrict access to a specific group of wireless
users, or be applied on a per-user basis.
Using WEP
A wireless client must go through an
authentication process before the access point
will allow any connection to occur.
This is done using a challenge-response
method, which means that outsiders cannot
find out the value of the encryption key.
Encryption keys
The Nokia A032 provides two basic approaches
for encryption key management:
• Shared WEP keys – All wireless clients in a
group use the same key.
• Personal WEP keys – Each wireless client
has an individual key.
You can use the Nokia
A032 in conjunction
with other vendors’
wireless LAN clients
which adhere to the
IEEE802.11 standard.

6Nokia A032 Getting Started
Internet access sharing
You can use your Nokia A032 with a modem to
connect a wireless station to the Internet.
Getting started explains how to configure your
Nokia A032 to connect automatically. All you
need is the phone number of your Internet
Service Provider (ISP) and your log-on
information, and you’re all set. The Nokia A032
connects automatically and invisibly when a
station requests access to the Internet.
This means that you don't need to connect the
modem to your PC, and you only need one
modem even if there are several users accessing
the Internet. This can result in significant
savings compared to using a phone line and an
ISP account for each user. Furthermore, when
you add another computer to the network it can
immediately share the connection as soon as it
joins the LAN.
The Nokia A032 can also provide firewall
security, preventing unwanted access to your
network from external Internet users. See NAT
setup in the Advanced User Guide for details.
A PC can dial up and
connect to most
internet service
providers (ISPs) using
point-to-point
protocol (PPP)
A NAT firewall
converts all the IP
addresses on your
local network into a
single IP address for
use on the Internet.

Installing the Nokia A032 7
2. Installing the Nokia A032
This chapter describes the connectors, buttons
and LEDs on the front and rear panels of your
Nokia Access Point.
It then explains how to install the Nokia A032
prior to testing.
Features
Checklist
After unpacking your Nokia A032, check the
contents against the packing list. The
components listed below are included:
• This User Guide
• Advanced User Guide
• Nokia A032 Wireless LAN Access Point
(often referred to simply as the Access
Point)
• Power supply
• Nokia A032 System Utilities CD-ROM
• Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card, referred to
simply as the wireless LAN card (other
manufacturers may use the term radio card)
• Nokia C950 Omnidirectional Antenna for
the Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card.
One of these is supplied. You can actually fit
two (see Installing the external antenna on
page 13). Extra antennas are available from
your Nokia supplier – ask for item AWC-1.

8Nokia A032 Getting Started
Rear panel
After unpacking the unit, look at the rear panel
and identify the various connectors:
•Power connector – This is where you connect
the power unit. Only use the power unit
supplied with the Nokia A032.
•RJ45 (10baseT) connector – Use this to make
the LAN connection.
•PCMCIA slot – This is where you insert the
Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card.
•Serial port – The serial port can be used for
a number of functions depending on the
application:
• Modem connection for Internet access
• Management functions
• Diagnostics
• Downloading new firmware.
Note: The Nokia A032
has no integral power
switch – switch on
and off at the wall
outlet or by removing
the power connector
from the rear of the
unit.
PCMCIA
slot
serial
port
RJ45
(10baseT)
connector
power
connector
WARNING: Use of a
power unit other than
that supplied with the
Nokia A032 may result
in unreliable operation
or permanent damage
to the unit and will
void the warrantee.

Installing the Nokia A032 9
Front panel
The diagram below shows the Nokia A032
viewed from the top:
•mode button – This controls Access Point
start-up modes, and affects the information
displayed in the info LEDs.
•power LED – This illuminates when power is
applied to the unit.
•info (users/busy) LEDs – These six LEDs
provide information depending on the state
of the unit and the mode button (see
Operating modes and LED status on
page 29).
•radio (air tx/air rx) – These indicate activity
on the wireless LAN connection:
air rx illuminates when data is received.
air tx illuminates when data is transmitted.
power info LEDs radio lan alert
1%
5%
10%
50%
80%
100%
busy
air tx
air tx
2+
4+
8+
16+
32+
users
power
1%
5%
10%
50%
80%
100%
busy
air tx
air rx
lan link
lan busy
alert
1
2+
4+
8+
16+
32+
users
mode button

10 Nokia A032 Getting Started
•lan (lan link/lan busy) – These indicate the
state of the wired LAN connection. lan link
is illuminated when there is a good
connection to the LAN hub.
lan busy illuminates when there is data on
the wired LAN.
•alert – This indicates special operations such
as initialization or updates to the unit flash
memory. If the alert LED remains
illuminated this indicates an error condition
(see Troubleshooting in the Advanced User
Guide).
Wireless LAN card and external antenna
The Nokia A032 is supplied with a Nokia C111
Wireless LAN Card. This has two internal
antennas, so for most purposes you should not
need to fit an external antenna.
However, should you experience radio
coverage problems, the Nokia C111 Wireless
LAN Card comes supplied with one external
antenna, the Nokia C950 Omnidirectional
Antenna:
See Installing the external antenna on page 13
for fitting instructions.
lan busy indicates any
activity on the wired
LAN regardless of
whether the
information is used by
the wireless LAN. The
LED may flicker even
when there are no
wireless stations
turned on in the area.

Installing the Nokia A032 11
Performing the installation
This chapter shows you how to set up your
Nokia A032 on an isolated LAN segment and
test it with a wireless station.
In brief, the steps you’ll need to take to install
your Nokia A032 are as follows (these are
explained in detail in the following sections):
1Make sure your Nokia A032 is positioned
for good wireless coverage.
2Insert the Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card
into the Nokia A032.
3Attach the Nokia A032 to a wired 10baseT
LAN.
4Switch on the Nokia A032.
The following chapter explains how to
configure and test the Nokia A032.
Installing the Nokia A032
Consider the following when positioning your
Nokia A032:
• Radio waves will pass through walls and
glass but not metal. Metal reinforcing in
some walls may block the signal.
• You will get the most range in open spaces
but large metal walls, such as in a
warehouse may cause unwanted reflections
and reduce the data rate.
• Steel girders and metal fire block materials
in floors may stop radio waves travelling
from floor to floor.
• Install as high as possible, and away from
metal objects (such as filing cabinets).
Note: You’ll need a
working wireless
station and LAN
connection to test that
your Access Point is
working properly.
The Nokia C111
Wireless LAN Card is
referred to as the
wireless LAN card.

12 Nokia A032 Getting Started
If you are not getting good coverage try
moving the Nokia A032 to a new location or
fitting an external antenna.
Installing the wireless LAN card
The Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card conforms to
the PCMCIA type II specification.
1Insert the card into the PCMCIA slot at the
rear of the unit:
2Take care to ensure that the card is aligned
correctly and pressed all the way into the
slot.
After you’ve installed the wireless LAN card,
you shouldn’t need to remove it again.
If you do want to remove the card, switch off the
power and pull gently on the end of the card
which protrudes from the unit.
Note: Install the
wireless LAN card
before powering the
unit up, otherwise the
unit will not initialize
properly, and you’ll
have to restart it.

Installing the Nokia A032 13
Installing the external antenna
In most operational situations, the two internal
antennas in the Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card
will give adequate radio coverage. However, if
necessary you can fit one or two external
antennas to improve transmission and
reception.
The Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card comes
supplied with one external antenna, the Nokia
C950 Omnidirectional Antenna. Additional
antennas are available from your Nokia
supplier as item AWC-1.
Fitting a single antenna
If you’re only going to fit one external antenna,
it needs to go into the correct socket on the
Nokia C111 Wireless LAN Card.
1Plug the antenna’s cable into the righthand
socket on the Nokia C111 Wireless LAN
Card (looking at it from the back):
Note: You only need
to install an antenna if
you are getting
insufficient radio
coverage.
Note: Fitting one
external antenna
disables an internal
antenna. Fitting two
disables both.
righthand
hole