Video54 MediaFlex 2900 User manual

MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point
User’s Guide
Part number: 8000001
May, 2005

2 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 8000001, May, 2005
Copyright © 2005 Video54, Inc. All rights reserved. May, 2005.
Trademarks
Video54, BeamFlex™, MediaFlex™, MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point, MediaFlex 2501 Multimedia Wireless Adapter,
M2900 AP, and M2501 Adapter are trademarks of Video54, Inc.
All other brand and product names are registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Statement of Conditions
In the interest of improving internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, Video54, Inc. reserves the right to make changes
to the products described in this document without notice.
Video54,Inc.doesnotassumeanyliabilitythatmayoccurduetotheuseorapplicationoftheproduct(s)orcircuitlayout(s)described
herein.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Compliance Notice: Radio Frequency Notice
The device has met the FCC 15.247 requirement. In order to comply with the FCC RF exposure requirement, the user must keep
20cm away from the antenna.
This device 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 device
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 communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this device 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.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate
the equipment.
EN 55 022 Declaration of Conformance
This is to certify that the MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point is shielded against the generation of radio interference in
accordance with the application of Council Directive 89/336/EEC, Article 4a. Conformity is declared by the application of EN 55
022 Class B (CISPR 22).

8000001, May, 2005 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 3
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Who Should Use this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What You’ll Find in this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Typographic conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Support and Warranty Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 1: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MediaFlex™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
BeamFlex™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Key Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 2: Installation and Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Packing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
LED Status Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Rear View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Placement Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Establishing a good general location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Using the Air Quality Indicator to fine-tune the placement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting to the M2900 AP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Manually Configuring an IP Address on Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting a PC to the M2900 AP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Accessing the Web Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chapter 3: Using the Video54 Web Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Wireless Settings Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
M2900 AP Settings Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Video54 Web Interface Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Common Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Air Quality Indicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Configuring the M2900 AP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
System Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Customizing the System Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Configuring the Wireless Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Advanced Wireless Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Configuring WEP Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Configuring WPA PSK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Adding an ACL entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Deleting an ACL entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Viewing System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Viewing Wireless Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Viewing Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Viewing LAN Interface Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Viewing Wireless Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Viewing the Station List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Viewing Station Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Updating the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Performing a Web Download. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
TFTP or FTP Download. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Rebooting the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Taking a System Support Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Appendix A: Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Physical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Performance and Supported Configurations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Traffic Management and QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

8000001, May, 2005 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 5
Who Should Use this Guide
Preface
This MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide will help you understand the MediaFlex 2900
Multimedia Access Point, how to install it, and configure it using the Video54 Web Interface.
Who Should Use this Guide
This User’s Guide assumes that the reader has basic to intermediate computer and Internet skills. All the
basic computer networking, Internet, and other information required to configure this device is provided
herein.
What You’ll Find in this Guide
The following topics are covered:
•Chapter 1: “Introduction”
•Chapter 2: “Installation and Setup”
•Chapter 3: “Using the Video54 Web Interface”
•Appendix A: “Technical Specifications”
Typographic conventions
This User’s Guide uses the following typographic conventions:
Table 1—Typographic conventions
Typeface or
Symbol Meaning Example
italics Emphasis, book titles, CD names, special
terms.
Also used to denote optional input if
surrounded by <brackets>
Read your User’s Guide thoroughly.
Enter an address in the range
192.168.0.<2-253>
bold System menu names, user input Open the Control Panel.
fixed Screen text, URLs, IP addresses Browse to the following IP address:
http://192.168.0.1

6 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 8000001, May, 2005
System Requirements
System Requirements
The MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point is compatible with most contemporary personal computers
and operating systems that are configured for Internet and wireless networking.
The M2900 AP is accessed and configured via a Web browser interface. Any of the following Web browsers
are supported:
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher
• Netscape version 6.0 and higher
• Apple Safari 1.0 and higher
• Mozilla Firefox version 1.0 and higher
Support and Warranty Information
See the Warranty and Support card for detailed information about contacting Technical Support, and the
Warranty terms for your MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point.

8000001, May, 2005 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 7
Chapter 1: Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point (M2900 AP). The
M2900 AP is a device that enables wireless multimedia networking for video, voice and data, without
replacing existing routers, network adapters and media receivers.
A typical installation consists of a Video54, Inc. MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point connected to a
DSL router or cable modem. The M2900 AP sends wireless signals to MediaFlex 2501 Multimedia Wireless
Adapter or other adapter that is connected to a set top box. Video, data and voice traffic are distributed
amongst TV, video appliances, and other wireless-enabled home entertainment appliances.
Figure 1—The MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point in a Typical Home Network
Internet
Cable Modem
or DSL Router
Set-Top Box
MediaFlex 2900
Multimedia Access Point
MediaFlex 2501
Multimedia Wireless Adapter
Ethernet Ethernet

8 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 8000001, May, 2005
MediaFlex™
MediaFlex™
MediaFlex™ is Video54, Inc.’s family of purpose-built, multimedia WiFi appliances that enable reliable
wireless distribution of entertainment-quality, real-time media applications throughout the home. Media
applications require consistent and uninterrupted bandwidth; however most wireless LANs (WLANs)
cannot provide consistent service because of the variable nature of the wireless medium.
Video54, Inc.’s new, patent-pending Multicast TV-over-WLAN (TVoWLAN) technology differentiates
multicast video frames from general multicast and broadcast traffic to provide robust wireless transport for
IPTV streams—from the broadband gateway to the set top boxes.
To mitigate the performance impact of concurrent applications and interfering devices in a shared medium
network, MediaFlex integrates Video54’s new, patent-pending Media Quality of Service (QoS) technology
to automatically classify video traffic and prioritize transmissions among applications.
BeamFlex™
BeamFlex™ is Video54, Inc.’s patent-pending antenna technology that allows wireless signals to navigate
around interference, extend wireless signal range, and increase speeds and capacity for 802.11b/g wireless
networks. The BeamFlex™ antenna system consists of an array of six high-gain directional antenna
elements, that allow the M2900 AP to find quality signal paths in a changing environment, and sustain the
baseline performance required for supporting data, audio and video applications.
Key Features
BeamFlex™ Smart MIMO Antenna Maximizes Wireless Range and Performance
• Multi-In,Multi-Out(MIMO)technologysupportsrealtimelearningofRadioFrequency,station,network
and application conditions.
• On-the-fly adaptation to each receiving device in responseto environmental changes such as interference
to maximize signal quality, data rate and minimize packet errors and retransmissions.
• Internal driver software controls an antenna array with 6 high-gain, directional antenna elements and 63
unique antenna combinations.
• Expert system 802.11 driver controls data rate and retransmission policies on a per-packet basis.
Media QoS Ensures Highest Video Quality
• Automatic traffic classification and Type-of-Service (TOS) tagging eliminates complex QoS
configurations.
• Priority queuing for voice, video, best-effort and background traffic, per WiFi Alliance WiFi Multimedia
(WMM) specifications.
• Strict priority with short (2 frames) hardware queue depth to ensure rapid feedback from the remote AP.

8000001, May, 2005 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 9
Key Features
Multiple Concurrent Video Streams with Simultaneous Data Traffic
• Delivers 15-20 Mbps of bandwidth at 99.9% availability throughout a typical 2500ft2(300m2) home.
• Supports one MPEG-4/WMV stream, one DVD-quality MPEG-2 streams, or one 10Mbps+ high
definition video stream at 50ft (18m), with simultaneous data traffic.
Simple Configuration and Installation
• SimpleWeb-baseduserinterfaceforeasyconfigurationandcustomizationoffeaturessuchasSSID,WEP
or WPA key, statistics monitoring and software upgrade.
Standards-based Solution Protects User Investment, Minimizes Replacement Cost
• Compliant with 802.11b and 802.11g: supports 802.11g wireless networking at up to 108 Mbps; and can
interoperate in 802.11g-only or mixed networks.
• Compliant with 802.1x (WEP and WPA with TKIP) and Wi-Fi Alliance WMM specifications.
• Supports Wi-Fi Protected Access-Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK) data encryption. WPA provides strong
data encryption and authentication based on a pre-shared key.
• Supports 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption security. WEP keys can be generated manually or by
passphrase.
• Provides Access Control List (ACL) configuration to restrict wireless access based on MAC address,
WEP keys or WPA passphrase.
• Attaches to installed routers or home gateways via Ethernet to optimize the WLAN without replacing
existing router, firewall or media devices.
• Forward compatible with the emerging 802.11n WLAN standard.

10 MediaFlex 2900 Multimedia Access Point User’s Guide 8000001, May, 2005
Key Features