Planet WAP-900 User manual

1
WAP-900
WireFree
USER'S MANUAL

WireFree Wireless LAN
2
FCC Information
The Federal Communication Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement includes the
following paragraph:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply 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 in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communication. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
♦Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
♦Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
♦Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
♦Consult the dealer or an experienced radio / TV technician for help.
The user should not modify or change this equipment without written approval from company name.
Modification could void authority to use this equipment.
For the safety reason, people should not work in a situation which RF Exposure limits be exceeded.
To prevent the situation happening, people who work with the antenna should be aware of the
following rules:
1. Install the antenna in a location where a distance of 6.5 cm from the antenna may be maintained.
2. While installing the antenna in the location, please do not turn on the power of wireless card.
3. While the device is working, please do not contact the antenna.

WAP-900 User’ s Guide
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 Planet Technology Corp., all rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, adapted, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language, or
transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Planet Technology
Corp.
Trademarks
Planet is trademark of Planet Technology Corp., all other trademarks throughout this manual
are the property of their respective companies.
Limited Warranty
In no event will Planet be liable for any damage, including loss of data or profits, cost of cover,
or other incidental, consequential or indirect damages arising from the installation, maintenance,
use, performance, failure or interruption of Planet’s products, whatever caused and on any
theory of liability. This limitation will apply even if Planet has been advised of the
possibility of such damage.
CE Mark Warning
This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio
interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.
About This Manual
WireFree WAP-900 User’s Guide is first published by Planet Technology Corp. in 1999.
This Revision is for WireFree WAP-900 Version 2.0, issued in August, 1999.The purpose of
this manual is for the setup of the product WireFree WAP-900.
Revision
WireFree WAP-900 User’s Guide
Part No.EM-WAP900
August,1999

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Contents
CHAPTER 1 ABOUT WAP-900 MICRO AP ..........................................................................................................1
1-1 FEATURES AND BENEFITS ...................................................................................................................................1
1-2 APPLICATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................1
1-3 PRODUCT KIT ....................................................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 2 HARDWARE INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................4
2-1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.....................................................................................................................................4
2-2 MECHANICAL DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................................4
2-3 MICRO AP INSTALLATION..................................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 3 HOW TO CONFIGURE MICRO AP ................................................................................................6
3-1 USING THE UTILITY............................................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 4 TROUBLESHOOTING....................................................................................................................13
APPENDIX A USING THE TERMINAL PROGRAM..........................................................................................14
APPENDIX B NETWORK CONFIGURATION AND PLANNING.....................................................................17
B-1 NETWORK TOPOLOGY......................................................................................................................................17
B-2 ROAMING........................................................................................................................................................20
B-3 NETWORK PLANNING.......................................................................................................................................21
APPENDIX C SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................................................................22
APPENDIX D GLOSSARY.....................................................................................................................................23

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Chapter 1 About WAP-900 Micro AP
WireFree WAP-900 is a Micro AP that acts as a Media Access Control (MAC) bridge between
wired Local Area Networks, and one or more WireFree wireless networks. Placed anywhere
along an Ethernet LAN, WAP-900 allows wireless stations within its area of coverage to access
transparently to the corporate network. WireFree WAP-900, together with WireFree network
adapter cards, enable you to build a variety of network configurations.
1-1 Features and Benefits
lProtocol-independent networking functionality
lAccess to the wired Ethernet LAN for mobile WireFree WL-2400/WL-3501 /WAP-900.
lGUI Utility support
lRoaming capability
lSeamless connectivity to wired Ethernet and PC network LANs augments existing
networks quickly and easily.
lOmnidirectional antenna included.
lWireless connection without the hassles and cost of cabling.
lGreat flexibility to locate or move networked PCs
1-2 Applications
WireFree products offer a fast, reliable, cost-effective solution, allowing clients to wirelessly access
the network in applications such as following:
1. Remote access to corporate network information
E-mail, file transfer and terminal emulation.
2. Difficult-to-wireenvironments
Historical or old buildings, asbestos installations, and open area where wiring is difficult to
employ.
3. Frequently changing environments
Retailers, manufacturers and banks who frequently rearrange the workplace and change
location.
4. Temporary LANs for special projects or peak time
Trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites need temporary setup for a short time period.
Retailers, airlinesand shipping companies need additional workstations for a peak period.
Auditors require workgroups at customer sites.

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5. Access to database for mobile workers
Doctors, nurses, retailers, white-collar workers need access to database while being mobile in
the hospital, retail store or office campus.
6. SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) users
SOHO users need easy and quick installation of a small computer network.
1-3 Product Kit
Each WAP-900 package comes with:
uWAP-900 …………………………………………………… x 1
uAntenna (dipole, omni-directional)…………………………….. x 1
uWAP-900 Access Point Utility Diskette ……………………... x 1
uWAP-900 User’s Manual CD-ROM………………………….x 1
uA/C Power Cord …………………………………………….. x 1
uCrossover RJ-45 Ethernet connector …………..…………….. x 1
If any of the listed items are not included or found damaged, please contact your local dealer.

WAP-900 User’ s Guide
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Chapter 2Hardware Installation
2-1 System Requirements
Installation of WAP-900 requires:
1. An A/C power outlet (100~240V,50~60Hz) which will supplythe power for the WAP-900
Access Point.
2. A 10Base-T (UTP) Ethernet cable drop (RJ-45 connector).
2-2 Mechanical Description
Front Panel:
The following is the description of each LED. (Left to Right)
:Power The Power LED will assert when Power supply to the WAP-
900 works normally.
:(Wired) Ethernet Tx/Rx This LED asserts when power is on. It blinks when the WAP-
900 is Tx/Rx data with the Ethernet.
: Wireless LAN This LED asserts when power is on. It blinks when the WAP-
900 is Tx/Rx data with wireless clients.
: Alive Status This LED asserts when power is on. It indicates that the
WAP-900 is working normally.
: Link Status This LED is always asserted when the WAP-900 works as an
Access Point. When the WAP-900 works as station Adapter,
this LED blinks only when the WAP-900 is talking with its
host Access Point.

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Side Panel:
Fig 2.1 Mechanical Instruction of WAP-900 Access Point
2-3 Micro AP Installation
Please follow these procedures when setting up hardware:
1. Site Selection
Choose a proper place for your WAP-900 Micro AP.
In general, the best location to place your WAP-900 Micro AP is the center of your wireless
coverage, with line of sight to all your mobile stations.
2. Attach the Antenna
Connect the antenna on the Antenna connector of your WAP-900 Micro AP. Proper antenna
placement will improve the WAP-900’s performance. Try to place the antenna in the position that
can best cover its BSS. Normally, the higher you place the antenna, the better the performance
will be.
3. Connect the Ethernet Cable
WAP-900 can be connected to the 10 Base-T Ethernet network. Connect your UTP Ethernet
cable to the RJ-45 connector of the WAP-900 Micro AP.
a. To set the WAP-900 in the Station Adapter Mode, connect the WAP-900 to a computer with
a normal RJ-45 cable. Your PC must be with an Ethernet port for the WAP-900 to work as
a Station Adapter.
b. To connect the WAP-900 to a hub, use the “crossover”RJ-45 Ethernet cable included in the
product kit.
Caution: Do not use the “crossover”RJ-45 Ethernet cable when configuring the WAP-900 as a
Station Adapter. Connect the Micro AP to a computer by using a normal RJ-45 cable.
4. Connect the Power Cable
Connect the power adapter cable to the DC12V Power Socket of the WAP-900. ONLY USE the
power adapter supplied with the WireFree WAP-900. Otherwise, the product may be damaged.

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Chapter 3 How to Configure Micro AP
The WAP-900 Micro AP can be configured over Ethernet network, simply using a RJ-45 cable.
You may either connect the WAP-900 to a HUB, or to the Ethernet port on your PC station.
Then, run the WAP-900 Utility, and you can configure the WAP-900 remotely.
3-1 Using the Utility
The WAP-900 can be configured using the utility enclosed in the product kit. Please follow the
instructions shown in the next two sections.
3-1-1 Installation of Utility
1. Insert the WireFree WAP-900 Utility Diskette into the floppy drive, and then execute
A:\ setup.exe. The following window will pop-up, then click “OK”to proceed.
Fig 3.1Step1 of the Wireless LAN Utility setup.
2. Click on the “Next”button to go to the next window.

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Fig 3.2Step2 of the Wireless LAN Utility setup.
Fig 3.3Step3 of the Wireless LAN Utility setup.
The Micro AP Utility has been successfully installed.

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Fig 3.4Step 4 of the Wireless LAN Utility setup.

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3-1-2 Using the WireFree WAP-900 Utility
ØExecute the installed Micro AP Utility, the program will automatically detect all the WAP-900s
over the Ethernet network with a RJ-45 cable or over serial port with a RS-232 cable. Or,
the Micro APs will be detected via wireless network.
Fig 3.5. The Configuration and Upgrade Utility window

WAP-900 User’ s Guide
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ØAmong all the detected WAP-900s, select and double click the WAP-900 you want to configure,
the “Information”dialog box will appear as follows:
OEM
MicroAP
AP

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ØThe Information dialog box includes 4 items: Password, Configuration, Access Control and
Firmware Information.
Password:
The password is required to configure the WAP-900 (default value is 1234). This password only
allows network managers to change the settings for the WAP-900. Click “Change”if you want
to change the password. It is suggested to change the password for your network security.
Fig. 3.6 Change Password dialog box
Configuration:
In the Mode item, select either the station mode (Ad-hoc without Access Point or Infrastructure
with Access Point), or the stand alone AP mode.
channel:Select the channel number as your operating radio channel. (Default setting:
the channel 1)
essid:Input an ESS ID for your Micro AP. (Default setting: ANY). If you
want to enable “Roaming”, the ESSID for each WAP-900 must be set as the
same.
repeating:The micro-AP can serve wireless LAN access point (AP) function as well as
repeating IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN traffic. If the repeating feature is
enabled, the micro-AP utilizes a well designed algorithm to select a non-loop
repeating path for each destination address among a group of micro-APs.
Click “Modify”to save all the changed parameters.
Access Control:
Using Access Control, users can decide which wireless devices are allowed to connect to the WAP-
900 by controlling the MAC address of each client. Click “Edit”and the Access Control dialog
box will show up. The Access Control dialog box includes two options: Allow to Access and
Deny to Access.

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Fig 3.7Access Control Table
Firmware Information:
The Firmware Information item displays Manufacturer, Product, Machine Model as well as
Firmware Version. Users can get the newest firmware from Planet’s web site and upgrade the
WAP-900 by clicking the “Upgrade”icon. You must type in the directory of the new firmware in
the “Firmware File Name”field.
Fig 3.8Firmware Upgrade
Click “Modify”to complete WAP-900 configuration and WAP-900 will reset automatically.

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Chapter 4 Troubleshooting
lThe WAP-900 cannot be configured using the RS-232 direct connection
Probable Causes & Solution:
a. Check the RS-232C cable to make sure there are no physical connection problems with the
WAP-900 or the configuration station.
b. Make sure the COM port number (i.e., COM1 or COM2) of your configuration station is
correct and functioning normally.
lThe WAP-900 cannot be configured using the Ethernet connection
Probable Causes & Solution:
a. Make sure the Ethernet connection to your configuration station is intact.
b. Be sure to use a crossover UTP RJ-45 cable to connect the WAP-900 to the hub. You can
also use a normal RJ-45 cable to connect the WAP-900 to the Ethernet NIC.
lWireFree mobile users do not have roaming capabilities on WAP-900s
Probable Causes & Solution:
a. Make sure all the WAP-900s in the ESS, in which WireFree mobile users can roam, are
configured to the same ESS ID.
b. Make sure all the WAP-900sin the ESS are operating on the same radio channel.
c. Make sure the WireFree mobile users are configured to the right ESS ID.
ØHow to obtain further assistance:
a. Direct your questions to [e-mail]
b. Planet’s technical support hot-line is:
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Direct any of your questions to the sales support department.
c. Check Planet’s Web Site at www.planet.com.tw for FAQ and updated information.

WAP-900 User’ s Guide
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Appendix A Using the Terminal Program
The WAP-900 Micro AP can be connected to your configuration station via Terminal Program
using aRS-232 cable (Sync Type),or the Micro AP utility program using a RJ-45 cable or a RS-232
cable.
Fig a-1 Connecting the RS-232 cable
1. Connect the WAP-900 to your PC with the RS-232 cable.
2. Turn on the power of your PC.
3. Run Terminal Program in Windows 95/98, NT or any operation system that installs Terminal
Program, and then configure the WAP-900. The parameters required are shown as follows:
Baud Rate = 19200 BPS

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AT command list:
Command Adminstrator
Only Description
AT#999 No Display the status of administrator mode.
1: In the administrator mode
0: Not in the administrator mode
AT#999=1/passwd -Enter the administrator mode. A password is
required. (Default password is 1234)
AT#999=0 -Leave the administrator mode.
AT#PWold/new Yes Change administrator’s password from old to new.
The password can be any ASCII string of any its
length within 10 characters.
ATI0 No Display the station ID (MAC address).
ATI1 No Display the firmware version.
ATI2 No Display the manufacturer ID.
ATI3 No Display the model ID.
ATN1 Yes Change the micro-AP to function in the Infrastructure
(BSS) Station Mode.
ATN2 Yes Change the micro-AP to function in the Ad-hoc
(IBSS) Station Mode.
ATN3 Yes Change the micro-AP to function in the AP Mode
without the repeating function.
ATN4 Yes Change the micro-AP into AP Mode with the
repeating function.
ATN No Display the current mode of the adapter.
ATESSID=”” Yes Set the ESS ID (a.k.a., SSID) as ANY (null string).
ANY is a special ID, meaning the station can join any
BSS regardless of its ESS ID.
ATESSID=”string”Yes Set the ESS ID as the string provided. The ESS ID can
be any ASCII string of any its length within 32
characters.
ATESSID No Display the current ESS ID.

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Command Adminstrator
Only Description
ATC=number Yes Set the radio channel for Ad-hoc STA and AP Mode.
number: e.g. 1~11 (FCC/IC)
ATC No Display the current radio channel.
AT&F No Restore the configurationsto default values.
AT&W Yes Save the configuration on the adapter.
ATZ No Reset the micro-AP.
Note: If you’ve changed any parameters, including the administrator’s password or the
default values (AT&F), you must save it (AT&W) and reset the WAP-900 (ATZ) for the new
configurations to take effect.
I. Using it as the AP Mode
1. Connect the micro-AP to your 10BAST-T network (hub) with a RXD/TXD crossover UTP
cable. Use the crossover RJ-45 connector included in the product kit.
2. Power on the micro-AP. Configure it to operate in the AP mode (ATN3),set the ESS ID
(ATESSID=”string”, don’t specify a null string ESS ID (ANY) to the micro-AP while it is in
the AP Mode),and set the radio channel (ATC=number).
3. Save the configuration (AT&W) and reset the micro-AP (ATZ).
4. The micro-AP is now acting as an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN access point.
II. Using it as the Station Mode
1. Connect the computer’s 10BASE-T network outlet to the micro-AP with exactly the same UTP
cable that you’ve used to connect the hub. (Simply treat the micro-AP as a hub.)
2. Power on the micro-AP and configure the adapter to function in the Station Mode (ATN1 or
ATN2: Infrastructure or Ad-hoc),choose the proper ESS ID and radio channel (radio channel
is required if you’re using the Ad-hoc mode).
3. Save the configuration (AT&W) and reset the micro-AP (ATZ).
4. The computer can now use the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN.

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Appendix BNetwork Configuration and Planning
WireFree supports the same network configuration options of the legacy Ethernet LANs as defined
by the IEEE 802 standard committee.
WireFree can be configured as:
uAd-Hoc for departmental or SOHO LANs
uInfrastructure for enterprise LANs
uLAN-Interconnection for point-to-point link as a campus backbone.
B-1 Network Topology
uAd-Hoc
Ad-Hoc
Wireless LAN 1
Desktop PC
WL-2400
Notebook PC
WL-3501
Desktop PC
WL-2400
Notebook PC
WL-3501
Ad-Hoc
Wireless LAN 2
Desktop PC
WL-2400
Desktop PC
WL-2400
Notebook PC
WL-3501
Notebook PC
WL-3501
Desktop PC
WL-2400
Notebook PC
WL-3501
Notebook PC
WL-3501
Fig b-1.An Example of Ad-Hoc Wireless LAN
An Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers, each equipped with one WireFree adapter,
connected as an independent wireless LAN. Computers in a specific Ad-Hoc wireless LAN must
be configured at the same radio channel.
Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is applicable at a departmental scale for a branch or SOHO operation.