Systimax AirSPEED AP542 User manual

SYSTIMAX®AirSPEED™
AP542
User Guide
www.systimax.com
SYSTIMAX
®
Structured Connectivity Solutions

SYSTIMAX®AirSPEED™AP542 User Guide
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Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction to Wireless Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Guidelines for Roaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
IEEE 802.11 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Management and Monitoring Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
HTTP/HTTPS Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Command Line Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SNMP Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SNMPv3 Secure Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SSH (Secure Shell) Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
SYSTIMAX AirSPEED AP542 Hardware Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Dual Band Signal Enhancing Antenna Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Antenna Diversity Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Power over Ethernet (PoE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
LED Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Installation in the Plenum (North America Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Prerequisites (for AP Configuration Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Product Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Regulatory Compliance and Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
ScanTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
ScanTool Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Setup Wizard Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Latest Software Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Setup your TFTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Download Updates from your TFTP Server using the Web Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Download Updates from your TFTP Server using the CLI Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Logging into the HTTP Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
3 Viewing Status Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
4 Performing Advanced Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

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System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Dynamic DNS Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Access Point System Naming Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
IP Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
DHCP Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
DHCP Relay Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
DHCP Server IP Address Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Link Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Operational Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Super Mode and Turbo Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
IEEE 802.11d Support for Additional Regulatory Domains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
TX Power Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Wireless-A (802.11a radio) and Wireless-B (802.11b/g radio). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
RTS/CTS Medium Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Wireless Service Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Multicast Rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Wireless Distribution System (WDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Ethernet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Passwords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
IP Access Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Secure Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
SNMP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
HTTP Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
HTTPS Access (Secure Socket Layer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Telnet Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Secure Shell (SSH) Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
SSH Session Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
SSH Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Configuring SSH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Serial Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
RADIUS Based Management Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Automatic Configuration (AutoConfig). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Auto Configuration and the CLI Batch File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Hardware Configuration Reset (CHRD). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Configuration Reset via Serial Port During Bootup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Configuring Hardware Configuration Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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Procedure to Reset Configuration via the Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Ethernet Protocol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Static MAC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Static MAC Filter Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
TCP/UDP Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Adding TCP/UDP Port Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Editing TCP/UDP Port Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Severity Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Alarm Host Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Syslog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Setting Syslog Event Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Configuring Syslog Event Notifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Syslog Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Rogue Scan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Multi-Band Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Continuous Scanning Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Background Scanning Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Rogue Scan Data Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Rogue Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Spanning Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Storm Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Intra BSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Packet Forwarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Configuring Interfaces for Packet Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Wireless Multimedia Extensions (WMM)/Quality of Service (QoS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
QoS Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Priority Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
STA EDCA Table and AP EDCA Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
RADIUS Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
RADIUS Servers per Authentication Mode and per VLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
RADIUS Servers Enforcing VLAN Access Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Configuring RADIUS Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Adding or Modifying a RADIUS Server Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
MAC Access Control Via RADIUS Authentication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

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802.1x Authentication using RADIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
RADIUS Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Session Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Authentication and Accounting Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
SSID/VLAN/Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Management VLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
VLAN Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
VLAN Workgroups and Traffic Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Enabling or Disabling VLAN Protocol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Security Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
WEP Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
802.1x Authentication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Authentication Protocol Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
VLANs and Security Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Configuring Security Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
MAC Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Wireless-A or Wireless-B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Adding or Modifying an SSID/VLAN with VLAN Protocol Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Adding or Modifying an SSID/VLAN with VLAN Protocol Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Broadcast SSID and Closed System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
5 Monitoring the AirSPEED AP542 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
ICMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
IP ARP Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Learn Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
IAPP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
RADIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Station Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Enabling and Viewing Station Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Refreshing Station Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Description of Station Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
6 Performing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Introduction to File Transfer via TFTP or HTTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
TFTP File Transfer Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
HTTP File Transfer Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Image Error Checking during File Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

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Update AP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Update AP via TFTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Update AP via HTTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Retrieve File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Retrieve File via TFTP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Retrieve File via HTTP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Reboot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Help Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
7 Troubleshooting the AirSPEED AP542 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Troubleshooting Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Symptoms and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Connectivity Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
AP Unit Will Not Boot - No LED Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Serial Link Does Not Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Ethernet Link Does Not Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Basic Software Setup and Configuration Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Lost AP, Telnet, or SNMP Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Client Computer Cannot Connect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
AP Has Incorrect IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
HTTP (browser) or Telnet Interface Does Not Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
HTML Help Files Do Not Appear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Telnet CLI Does Not Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
TFTP Server Does Not Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Client Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Client Software Finds No Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Client PC Card Does Not Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Intermittent Loss of Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Client Does Not Receive an IP Address - Cannot Connect to Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
VLAN Operation Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Verifying Proper Operation of the VLAN Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
VLAN Workgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Power over Ethernet (PoE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
The AP Does Not Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
There Is No Data Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
“Overload” Indications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Recovery Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Reset to Factory Default Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Forced Reload Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Download a New Image Using ScanTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

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Download a New Image Using the Bootloader CLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Setting IP Address using Serial Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Hardware and Software Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Attaching the Serial Port Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Initializing the IP Address using CLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Related Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
RADIUS Authentication Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
TFTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
A Using the Command Line Interface (CLI). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
General Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Prerequisite Skills and Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Notation Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Important Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Navigation and Special Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
CLI Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Command Line Interface (CLI) Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Bootloader CLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
CLI Command Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Operational CLI Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
? (List Commands) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
done, exit, quit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
history. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
passwd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
reboot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
upload. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Parameter Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
“show” CLI Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
“set” CLI Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Configuring Objects that Require Reboot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
“set” and “show” Command Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Using Tables & User Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Working with Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Using Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Configuring the AP using CLI commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Log into the AP using HyperTerminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Log into the AP using Telnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Set Basic Configuration Parameters using CLI Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

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Set System Name, Location and Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Set Static IP Address for the AP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Change Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Set Network Names for the Wireless Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Enable 802.11d Support and Set the Country Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Enable and Configure TX Power Control for the Wireless Interface(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Configure SSID (Network Name) and VLAN Pairs, and Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Download an AP Configuration File from your TFTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Backup your AP Configuration File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Set up Auto Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Other Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Configure the AP as a DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Configure the DNS Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Configure DHCP Relay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Configure DHCP Relay Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Maintain Client Connections using Link Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Change your Wireless Interface Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Set Ethernet Speed and Transmission Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Set Interface Management Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Configure Syslog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Configure Intra BSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Configure MAC Access Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Set RADIUS Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Set Rogue Scan Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Set Hardware Configuration Reset Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Set VLAN/SSID Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
CLI Monitoring Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
Parameter Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
System Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Inventory Management Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Network Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
IP Configuration Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
DHCP Server Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
DHCP Relay Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
DHCP Relay Server Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Link Integrity Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Link Integrity IP Target Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Interface Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Wireless Interface Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Wireless Interface SSID/VLAN/Profile Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Wireless Distribution System (WDS) Security Table Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

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Ethernet Interface Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Management Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Secure Management Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
SNMP Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
HTTP (web browser) Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Telnet Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Serial Port Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
RADIUS Based Management Access Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
SSH Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Auto Configuration Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
TFTP Server Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
IP Access Table Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Filtering Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Ethernet Protocol Filtering Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Static MAC Address Filter Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Proxy ARP Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
IP ARP Filtering Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Broadcast Filtering Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
TCP/UDP Port Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Alarms Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
SNMP Table Host Table Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Syslog Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Bridge Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Spanning Tree Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Storm Threshold Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Intra BSS Subscriber Blocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Packet Forwarding Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
RADIUS Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Security Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
MAC Access Control Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Rogue Scan Configuration Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Hardware Configuration Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
VLAN/SSID Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Security Profile Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Command Syntax and Examples of Configuring Security Profiles: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Other Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
IAPP Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM)/Quality of Service (QoS) parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Enabling QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Configuring QoS Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Specifying the Mapping between 802.1p and 802.1D Priorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Specifying the Mapping between IP Precedence/DSCP Ranges and 802.1D Priorities . 185

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QoS Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Defining the QoS Policy used for a Wireless Interface SSID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
CLI Batch File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Auto Configuration and the CLI Batch File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
CLI Batch File Format and Syntax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Sample CLI Batch File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Reboot Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
CLI Batch File Error Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
B ASCII Character Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
C Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Software Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Number of Stations per BSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Management Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Advanced Bridging Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Medium Access Control (MAC) Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Security Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Network Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Hardware Specifications for the SYSTIMAX AirSPEED AP542 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192
Physical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Serial Port Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Power over Ethernet Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
HTTP Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Radio Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193
802.11a Channel Frequencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
802.11b/g Channel Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Wireless Communication Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
802.11b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
802.11a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
802.11g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

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1
Introduction
•Document Conventions
•Introduction to Wireless Networking
•IEEE 802.11 Specifications
•Management and Monitoring Capabilities
Document Conventions
•ThetermAP refers to an Access Point.
•Theterm802.11 is used to describe features that apply to the 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g wireless standards.
• Blue underlined text indicates a link to a topic or Web address. If you are viewing this documentation on your
computer, click the blue text to jump to the linked item.
NOTE
A Note indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
CAUTION
!A Caution indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the
problem.
Introduction to Wireless Networking
An Access Point (AP) is a device used to extend the existing Ethernet network (structured cabling) to mobile clients
(i.e., laptops, PDAs), enabling mobility, productivity, collaboration and flexibility. Mobile clients can connect to a single
Access Point, or move between multiple Access Points located within the same vicinity, maintaining network
connectivity.
To determine the best location for an Access Point, SYSTIMAX recommends following the SYSTIMAX Design and
Installation Guidelines. For information, contact your local reseller or visit our website at www.systimax.com.
Network initialization and configuration should be performed by the network administrator based on network
requirements.
Figure 1-1 Typical Wireless Network Access Infrastructure

Introduction SYSTIMAX®AirSPEED™AP542 User Guide
12
A wireless network provides:
• Seamless client roaming
• Easy installation and operation
• Over-the-air encryption of data
• High speed network links
Guidelines for Roaming
• An Access Point can only communicate with client devices that support its wireless standard.
• All Access Points must have the same Network Name to support client roaming.
• All workstations with an 802.11 client adapter installed must use either a Network Name of “any” or the same
Network Name as the Access Points that they will roam between. If an AP has Closed System enabled, a client
must have the same Network Name as the Access Point to communicate (see Interfaces for details).
• All Access Points and clients must have matching security settings to communicate.
• The Access Points’ cells should overlap to ensure that there are no gaps in coverage and to ensure that the
roaming client will always have a connection available.
• All Access Points in the same vicinity should use a unique, independent channel. By default, the AP automatically
scans for available channels during boot-up; however, you can also set the channel manually (see Interfaces for
details).
• Access Points that use the same channel should be installed as far away from each other as possible to reduce
potential interference.

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13
IEEE 802.11 Specifications
In 1997, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) adopted the 802.11 standard for wireless devices
operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. This standard includes provisions for three radio technologies: direct
sequence spread spectrum, frequency hopping spread spectrum, and infrared. Devices that comply with the 802.11
standard operate at a data rate of either 1 or 2 Megabits per second (Mbits/s).
In 1999, the IEEE modified the 802.11 standard to support direct sequence devices that can operate at speeds of up to
11 Mbits/s. The IEEE ratified this standard as 802.11b. 802.11b devices are backwards compatible with 2.4 GHz
802.11 direct sequence devices (that operate at 1 or 2 Mbits/s). Available Frequency Channels vary by regulatory
domain and/or country. See 802.11b/g Channel Frequencies for details.
Also in 1999, the IEEE modified the 802.11 standard to support devices operating in the 5 GHz frequency band. This
standard is referred to as 802.11a. 802.11a devices are not compatible with 2.4 GHz 802.11 or 802.11b devices.
802.11a radios use a radio technology called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to achieve data
rates of up to 54 Mbits/s. Available Frequency Channels vary by regulatory domain and/or country. See 802.11a
Channel Frequencies for details.
In 2003, the IEEE introduced the 802.11g standard. 802.11g devices operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency band using
OFDM to achieve data rates of up to 54 Mbits/s. In addition, 802.11g devices are backwards compatible with 802.11b
devices. Available Frequency Channels vary by regulatory domain and/or country. See 802.11b/g Channel
Frequencies for details.
Management and Monitoring Capabilities
There are several management and monitoring interfaces available to allow the network administrator to configure and
manage an AP on the network:
•HTTP/HTTPS Interface
•Command Line Interface
•SNMP Management
•SSH (Secure Shell) Management
HTTP/HTTPS Interface
The HTTP interface (Web browser interface) provides easy access to configuration settings and network statistics
from any computer on the network. You can access the HTTP interface over your LAN (switch, hub, etc.), over the
Internet, or with a “crossover” Ethernet cable connected directly to your computer’s Ethernet port.
HTTPS provides an HTTP connection over a Secure Socket Layer. HTTPS is one of three available secure
management options on the AP; the other secure management options are SNMPv3 and SSH. Enabling HTTPS
allows the user to access the AP in a secure fashion using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) over port 443. The AP supports
SSLv3 with a 128-bit encryption certificate maintained by the AP for secure communications between the AP and the
HTTP client. All communications are encrypted using the server and the client-side certificate.
The AP comes pre-installed with all required SSL files: default certificate, private key and SSL Certificate Passphrase
installed.
Command Line Interface
The Command Line Interface (CLI) is a text-based configuration utility that supports a set of keyboard commands and
parameters to configure and manage an AP.
Users enter Command Statements, composed of CLI commands and their associated parameters. Statements may be
issued from the keyboard for real-time control, or from scripts that automate configuration. For example, when
downloading a file, administrators enter the download CLI command along with the IP Address, file name, and file
type parameters.
You access the CLI over a HyperTerminal serial connection or via Telnet. During initial configuration, you can use the
CLI over a serial port connection to configure an Access Point’s IP address. When accessing the CLI via Telnet, you
can communicate with the Access Point over your LAN (switch, hub, etc.), over the Internet, or with a “crossover”
Ethernet cable connected directly to your computer’s Ethernet Port. See Using the Command Line Interface (CLI) for
more information on the CLI and for a list of CLI commands and parameters.

Introduction SYSTIMAX®AirSPEED™AP542 User Guide
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SNMP Management
In addition to the HTTP and the CLI interfaces, you can also manage and configure an AP using the Simple Network
Management Protocol (SNMP). Note that this requires an SNMP manager program, like HP Openview or Castlerock’s
SNMPc. The AP supports several Management Information Base (MIB) files that describe the parameters that can be
viewed and/or configured over SNMP:
– MIB-II (RFC 1213)
– Bridge MIB (RFC 1493)
– Ethernet-like MIB (RFC 1643)
– 802.11 MIB
– AirSPEED Enterprise MIB
SYSTIMAX provides these MIB files on the CD-ROM included with each Access Point. You need to compile one or
more of the above MIBs into your SNMP program’s database before you can manage an Access Point using SNMP.
Refer to the documentation that came with your SNMP manager for instructions on how to compile MIBs.
The Enterprise MIB defines the read and read-write objects that can be viewed or configured using SNMP. These
objects correspond to most of the settings andstatistics that are available with the other management interfaces. Refer
to the Enterprise MIB for more information; the MIB can be opened with any text editor, such as Microsoft Word,
Notepad, or WordPad.
SNMPv3 Secure Management
SNMPv3 is based on the existing SNMP framework, but addresses security requirements for device and network
management.
The security threats addressed by Secure Management are:
•Modification of information: An entity could alter an in-transit message generated by an authorized entity in such a
way as to effect unauthorized management operations, including the setting of object values. The essence of this
threat is that an unauthorized entity could change any management parameter, including those related to
configuration, operations, and accounting.
•Masquerade: Management operations that are not authorized for some entity may be attempted by that entity by
assuming the identity of an authorized entity.
•Message stream modification: SNMP is designed to operate over a connectionless transport protocol. There is a
threat that SNMP messages could be reordered, delayed, or replayed (duplicated) to effect unauthorized
management operations. For example, a message to reboot a device could be copied and replayed later.
•Disclosure: An entity could observe exchanges between a manager and an agent and thereby could learn of
notifiable events and the values of managed objects. For example, the observation of a set command thatchanges
passwords would enable an attacker to learn the new passwords.
To address the security threats listed above, SNMPv3 provides the following when secure management is enabled:
• Authentication: Provides data integrity and data origin authentication.
• Privacy (a.k.a Encryption): Protects against disclosure of message payload.
• Access Control: Controls and authorizes access to managed objects.
The default SNMPv3 username is administrator, with SHA authentication, and DES privacy protocol.
SSH (Secure Shell) Management
You may also securely manage the AP using SSH (Secure Shell). The AP supports SSH version 2, for secure remote
CLI (Telnet) sessions. SSH provides strong authentication and encryption of session data.
The SSH server (AP) has host keys - a pair of asymmetric keys - a private key that resides on the AP and a public
key that is distributed to clients that need to connect to the AP. As the client has knowledge of the server host keys,
the client can verify that it is communicating with the correct SSH server.
NOTE
The remainder of this guide describes how to configure an AP using the HTTP Web interface or the CLI
interface. For information on how to manage devices using SNMP or SSH, refer to the documentation that
came with your SNMP or SSH program. Also, refer to the MIB files for information on the parameters available
via SNMP and SSH.

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2
Getting Started
•SYSTIMAX AirSPEED AP542 Hardware Description
•Dual Band Signal Enhancing Antenna Description
•Power over Ethernet (PoE)
•LED Indicators
•Installation in the Plenum (North America Only)
•Prerequisites (for AP Configuration Only)
•Product Package
•System Requirements
•Initialization
•Latest Software Availability
•Logging into the HTTP Interface
SYSTIMAX AirSPEED AP542 Hardware Description
The SYSTIMAX AirSPEED AP542 is a tri-mode AP that can support 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11a clients. The
AirSPEED AP542 contains two embedded radios: one 802.11b/g radio and one 802.11a only radio.
SYSTIMAX recommends powering the AirSPEED AP542 with Power over Ethernet (802.3af); alternatively, an
external DC power source using the power cord may be used to power the device.
The AirSPEED AP542 includes a power jack, a 10/100 base-T Ethernet port, and an RS-232 serial data
communication port. The AirSPEED AP542 cable cover allows access to the power cord and cables and to the reset
and reload buttons. The area below the cable cover also serves as a cable routing area.
Figure 2-1 AirSPEED AP542 Cable Cover
Dual Band Signal Enhancing Antenna Description
The AirSPEED AP542 can use internal or external antennas. The AirSPEED AP542 has two diversity antennas
embedded for each radio system. For each radio, the internal antennas are arranged to provide both spatial and
polarization diversity.

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The Dual Band SEA is a dual band indoor antenna that works with both 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g) and 5 GHz (802.11a)
radios. The Dual Band SEA can be used with either radio on the AirSPEED AP542. The Dual Band SEA allows for
better antenna placement to enhance the signal for installations in the ceiling or in RF unfriendly environments.
Antenna Diversity Options
With one Dual Band SEA connected to one of the two external antenna connectors on a radio, the AP supports
antenna diversity (one embedded antenna and one external SEA) and one of the two embedded antennas is disabled.
With two Dual Band SEAs connected to the two external antenna connectors, the AP supports antenna diversity (two
external SEAs), and both embedded antennas are disabled.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
The AirSPEED AP542 is equipped with an 802.3af-compliant Power over Ethernet (PoE) module. Power over Ethernet
delivers both data and power to the Access Point over a single Ethernet cable. SYSTIMAX recommends using a
midspan Power over Ethernet device to power the AP as an alternative to the power adaptor. The use of such device
will not affect the operation of the AP.
– The Power over Ethernet (PoE) integrated module receives ~48 VDC over a standard Category 5e/6 Ethernet
cable.
– To use PoE, you must have a midspan PoE device (also known as a power injector) connected to the network.
– The cable length between the midspan PoE device and the Access Point should not exceed 100 meters
(~325 feet). The midspan PoE device is not a repeater and does not amplify the Ethernet data signal.
– If connected to a midspan PoE device and AC power simultaneously, the Access Point draws power from
Power over Ethernet.
Refer to Power over Ethernet Interface in the Hardware Specifications for the SYSTIMAX AirSPEED AP542 section for
more information.
LED Indicators
The top panel of the AirSPEED AP542 has the following LED indicators.
Figure 2-2 LED Indicators on the AirSPEED AP542 Top Panel
Power Wireless
Interfaces Ethernet

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17
The LED indicators exhibit the following behavior:
Installation in the Plenum (North America Only)
In an office building, the plenum is the 18 inches of space located above office ceiling tiles used to house the
structured cabling infrastructure. All products located in the plenum must comply with specific safety instructions, such
as Underwriter Labs (UL) Standard 2043: “Standard for Fire Test for Heat and Visible Smoke Release for Discrete
Products and Their Accessories Installed in Air-Handling Spaces”.
The AirSPEED AP542 has been certified under UL Standard 2043 and can be installed in the plenum.
SYSTIMAX recommends that an AirSPEED AP542 that is installed in the plenum be powered by Power over Ethernet
and use a minimum of one Signal Enhancing Antenna (SEA) per radio.
Prerequisites (for AP Configuration Only)
Before installing an AirSPEED AP542, you need to gather certain network information. The following section identifies
the information you need.
Indication Power Wireless Interface A
(802.11a radio) Wireless Interface B (802.11b/g radio) Ethernet
Solid Green AP image running. Wireless interface A is
preparing for use. Wireless interface B is preparing for use. Ethernet interface is connected at 100 Mbps with
no traffic
Blinking
Green n/a Wireless interface A is transmitting or receiving
wireless packets.
Wireless interface B is
transmitting or receiving
wireless packets.
Ethernet interface is
connected at 100 Mbps with
traffic
Solid Yellow n/a n/a n/a Ethernet interface is
connected at 10 Mbps with
no traffic
Blinking
Yellow n/a n/a n/a The Ethernet interface is connected at 10 Mbps with
traffic
Solid Amber The Bootloader is loading
the application software. n/a n/a n/a
Blinking
Amber The AP is reloading. n/a n/a n/a
Solid Red Power On Self Test (POST)
running. n/a n/a n/a
Blinking Red Rebooting. n/a n/a n/a
Network Information Description
Network Name (SSID of the embedded radios) You must assign the Access Point a Network Name before wireless users can
communicate with it. The clients also need the same Network Name. This is not the same
as the System Name, which applies only to the Access Point. The network administrator
typically provides the Network Name.
AP’s IP Address If you do not have a DHCP server on your network, then you need to assign the
Access Point an IP address that is valid on your network.
HTTP Password Each Access Point requires a read/write password to access the web interface. The default
password is “public”.
CLI Password Each Access Point requires a read/write password to access the CLI interface. The default
password is “public”.
SNMP Read Password Each Access Point requires a password to allow get requests from an SNMP manager.
The default password is “public”.
SNMP Read-Write Password Each Access Point requires a password to allow get and set requests from an SNMP
manager. The default password is “public”.
SNMPv3 Authentication Password If Secure Management is enabled, each Access Point requires a password for sending
authenticated SNMPv3 messages. The default password is “public”.
SNMPv3 Privacy Password If Secure Management is enabled, each Access Point requires a password when sending
encrypted SNMPv3 data. The default password is “public”.

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Security Settings You need to determine what security features you will enable on the Access Point.
Authentication Method A primary authentication server may be configured; a backup authentication server is
optional. The network administrator typically provides this information.
Authentication Server Shared Secret This is a password shared between the Access Point and the RADIUS authentication
server (so both passwords must be the same), and is typically provided by the network
administrator.
Authentication Server Authentication Port This is a port number (default is 1812) and is typically provided by the network
administrator.
Client IP Address Pool Allocation Scheme The Access Point can automatically provide IP addresses to clients as they sign on. The
network administrator typically provides the IP Pool range.
DNS Server IP Address The network administrator typically provides this IP Address.
Gateway IP Address and Subnet Mask The gateway IP address and subnet mask of the network environment where the
Access Point is deployed.
Network Information Description

Getting Started SYSTIMAX®AirSPEED™AP542 User Guide
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Product Package
• AirSPEED AP542 unit (with integrated 802.11a radio, integrated 802.11b/g radio, and Power over Ethernet)
• Power adapter
• One mounting plate and hardware
• One installation CD-ROM that contains the following:
– Software Installation Wizard
– ScanTool
– Solarwinds TFTP software
–MIBs
–HTMLHelp
– User Guide in PDF format
• Regulatory Compliance flyer
• One Installation Guide
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact your reseller.
System Requirements
To begin using an AP, you must have the following minimum requirements:
• A 10Base-T Ethernet or 100Base-TX Fast Ethernet switch or hub or cross-over Ethernet cord
• At least one of the following IEEE 802.11-compliant devices:
– An 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11b/g client device
• A computer that is connected to the same IP network as the AP and has one of the following Web browsers
installed:
– Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 with Service Pack 1 or later and patch Q323308
– Netscape 7.1 or later
(The computer is required to configure the AP using the HTTP interface.)
Regulatory Compliance and Safety Instructions
Refer to the Regulatory Compliance flyer for radio approvals, safety instructions, and regulatory information.

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Initialization
SYSTIMAX provides two tools to simplify the initialization and configuration of an AP:
•ScanTool
•Setup Wizard
ScanTool is included on the Installation CD-ROM; the Setup Wizard launches automatically the first time you access
the HTTP interface.
NOTE
These initialization instructions describe how to configure an AP over an Ethernet connection using ScanTool
and the HTTP interface. If you want to configure the unit over the serial port, see Setting IP Address using
Serial Port for information on how to access the CLI over a serial connection and Using the Command Line
Interface (CLI) for a list of supported commands.
ScanTool
ScanTool is a software utility that is included on the installation CD-ROM. ScanTool allows you to find the IP address
of an Access Point by referencing the MAC address in a Scan List, or to assign an IP address if one has not been
assigned.
The tool automatically detects the Access Points installed on your network, regardless of IP address, and lets you
configure each unit’s IP settings. In addition, you can use ScanTool to download new software to an AP that does not
have a valid software image installed (see Client Connection Problems).
To access the HTTP interface and configure the AP, the AP must be assigned an IP address that is valid on its
Ethernet network. By default, the AP is configured to obtain an IP address automatically from a network Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server during boot-up. If your network contains a DHCP server, you can run ScanTool
to find out what IP address the AP has been assigned. If your network does not contain a DHCP server, the
Access Point’s IP address defaults to 169.254.128.132. In thiscase, you can use ScanTool to assign the AP a static IP
address that is valid on your network.
ScanTool Instructions
Follow these steps to install ScanTool, initialize the Access Point, and perform initial configuration:
1. Locate the unit’s Ethernet MAC address and write it down for future reference. The MAC address is printed on the
product label. Each unit has a unique MAC address, which is assigned at the factory.
2. Confirm that the AP is connected to the same LAN subnet as the computer that you will use to configure the AP.
3. Power up, reboot, or reset the AP.
– Result: The unit requests an IP Address from the network DHCP server.
4. Insert the Installation CD into the CD-ROM drive of the computer that you will use to configure the AP.
– Result: The installation program will launch automatically.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Access Point software and documentation.
NOTE
The installation program supports the following operating systems:
• Windows 98SE
• Windows 2000
• Windows NT
• Windows ME
• Windows XP
6. After the software has been installed, double-click the ScanTool icon on the Windows desktop to launch the
program (if the program is not already running).
– Result: ScanTool scans the subnet and displays all detected Access Points. The ScanTool’s Scan List screen
appears, as shown in the following example.