ZyXEL Communications ZyAIR B-420 User manual

ZyAIR B-420
Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
User's Guide
Version 3.50
June 2004

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
ii Copyright
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any part or as a whole, transcribed, stored in a
retrieval system, translated into any language, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, photocopying, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
Published by ZyXEL Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
ZyXEL does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, or software
described herein. Neither does it convey any license under its patent rights nor the patent rights of others.
ZyXEL further reserves the right to make changes in any products described herein without notice. This
publication is subject to change without notice.
Trademarks
ZyNOS (ZyXEL Network Operating System) is a registered trademark of ZyXEL Communications, Inc.
Other trademarks mentioned in this publication are used for identification purposes only and may be
properties of their respective owners.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
FCC Statement iii
Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) Interference Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operations.
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 commercial environment. 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 communications.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio/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:
1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
2. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Notice 1
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the
user's authority to operate the equipment.
This product has been designed for the WLAN 2.4 GHz network throughout the EC region and Switzerland,
with restrictions in France.
Certifications
1. Go to www.zyxel.com
2. Select your product from the drop-down list box on the
ZyXEL home page to go to that product's page.
3. Select the certification you wish to view from this page.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
iv ZyXEL Warranty
ZyXEL Limited Warranty
ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects in materials
or workmanship for a period of up to two years from the date of purchase. During the warranty period, and
upon proof of purchase, should the product have indications of failure due to faulty workmanship and/or
materials, ZyXEL will, at its discretion, repair or replace the defective products or components without
charge for either parts or labor, and to whatever extent it shall deem necessary to restore the product or
components to proper operating condition. Any replacement will consist of a new or re-manufactured
functionally equivalent product of equal value, and will be solely at the discretion of ZyXEL. This warranty
shall not apply if the product is modified, misused, tampered with, damaged by an act of God, or subjected
to abnormal working conditions.
Note
Repair or replacement, as provided under this warranty, is the exclusive remedy of the purchaser. This
warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of
merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose. ZyXEL shall in no event be held liable for indirect
or consequential damages of any kind of character to the purchaser.
To obtain the services of this warranty, contact ZyXEL's Service Center for your Return Material
Authorization number (RMA). Products must be returned Postage Prepaid. It is recommended that the unit
be insured when shipped. Any returned products without proof of purchase or those with an out-dated
warranty will be repaired or replaced (at the discretion of ZyXEL) and the customer will be billed for parts
and labor. All repaired or replaced products will be shipped by ZyXEL to the corresponding return address,
Postage Paid. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that vary
from country to country.
Safety Warnings
1. To reduce the risk of fire, use only No. 26 AWG or larger telephone wire.
2. Do not use this product near water, for example, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool.
3. Avoid using this product during an electrical storm. There may be a remote risk of electric shock from
lightening.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
Customer Support v
Customer Support
Please have the following information ready when you contact customer support.
• Product model and serial number.
• Warranty Information.
• Date that you received your device.
• Brief description of the problem and the steps you took to solve it.
SUPPORT E-MAIL TELEPHONE1WEB SITEMETHOD
LOCATION
SALES E-MAIL FAX1FTP SITE
REGULAR MAIL
[email protected]m.tw [phone] www.zyxel.com
www.europe.zyxel.com
ftp.zyxel.com
WORLDWIDE
[e-mail] [phone] ftp.europe.zyxel.com
ZyXEL Communications Corp.
6 Innovation Road II
Science Park
Hsinchu 300
Taiwan
[email protected]m [phone]
[phone]
www.us.zyxel.comNORTH
AMERICA
[e-mail] [phone] ftp.us.zyxel.com
ZyXEL Communications Inc.
1130 N. Miller St.
Anaheim
CA 92806-2001
U.S.A.
[email protected] [phone] www.zyxel.deGERMANY
[e-mail] [phone]
ZyXEL Deutschland GmbH.
Adenauerstr. 20/A2 D-52146
Wuerselen
Germany
[phone]FRANCE [email protected]
[phone]
www.zyxel.fr ZyXEL France
1 rue des Vergers
Bat. 1 / C
69760 Limonest
France
[email protected] [phone]SPAIN
[e-mail] [phone]
www.zyxel.es ZyXEL Communications
Alejandro Villegas 33
1º, 28043 Madrid
Spain
[email protected] [phone] www.zyxel.dkDENMARK
[e-mail] [phone]
ZyXEL Communications A/S
Columbusvej 5
2860 Soeborg
Denmark
[email protected] [phone] www.zyxel.noNORWAY
[e-mail] [phone]
ZyXEL Communications A/S
Nils Hansens vei 13
0667 Oslo
Norway
1“+” is the (prefix) number you enter to make an international telephone call.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
vi Customer Support
SUPPORT E-MAIL TELEPHONE1WEB SITEMETHOD
LOCATION
SALES E-MAIL FAX1FTP SITE
REGULAR MAIL
[email protected] [phone] www.zyxel.seSWEDEN
[e-mail] [phone]
ZyXEL Communications A/S
Sjöporten 4, 41764 Göteborg
Sweden
FINLAND [email protected] [phone] www.zyxel.fi ZyXEL Communications Oy
Malminkaari 10
00700 Helsinki
Finland

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
Table of Contents vii
Table of Contents
Copyright.........................................................................................................................................................ii
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Statement .....................................................iii
ZyXEL Limited Warranty.............................................................................................................................iv
Customer Support...........................................................................................................................................v
List of Figures..................................................................................................................................................x
List of Tables..................................................................................................................................................xii
Preface...........................................................................................................................................................xiii
OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................................... I
Chapter 1 Getting to Know Your ZyAIR ...................................................................................................1-1
1.1 Introducing the ZyAIR...............................................................................................................1-1
1.2 ZyAIR Features..........................................................................................................................1-1
1.3 Applications for the ZyAIR........................................................................................................1-4
1.3.1 Infrastructure......................................................................................................................1-4
1.3.2 Ad Hoc ...............................................................................................................................1-5
1.3.3 Bridge.................................................................................................................................1-5
Chapter 2 Introducing the Web Configurator...........................................................................................2-1
2.1 Accessing the ZyAIR Web Configurator ...................................................................................2-1
2.2 Navigating the ZyAIR Web Configurator..................................................................................2-2
2.3 Resetting the ZyAIR ..................................................................................................................2-3
2.3.1 Method of Restoring Factory-Defaults...............................................................................2-3
SYSTEM, WIRELESS AND IP ....................................................................................................................II
Chapter 3 System Screens ...........................................................................................................................3-1
3.1 System Overview .......................................................................................................................3-1
3.2 Configuring General Setup.........................................................................................................3-1
3.3 Configuring Password................................................................................................................3-2
3.4 Configuring Time Setting...........................................................................................................3-3
Chapter 4 Wireless LAN..............................................................................................................................4-1
4.1 Wireless LAN Basis...................................................................................................................4-1
4.1.1 Channel ..............................................................................................................................4-1
4.1.2 ESS ID................................................................................................................................4-1
4.1.3 WEP Encryption.................................................................................................................4-1
4.1.4 RTS/CTS............................................................................................................................4-1
4.1.5 Fragmentation Threshold ...................................................................................................4-3
4.2 Wireless Security Overview.......................................................................................................4-3
4.3 WEP Overview...........................................................................................................................4-3
4.3.1 Data Encryption .................................................................................................................4-4
4.3.2 Authentication ....................................................................................................................4-4
4.4 Configuring Wireless .................................................................................................................4-5
4.4.1 Infrastructure......................................................................................................................4-5

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
viii Table of Contents
4.4.2 Ad-Hoc...............................................................................................................................4-8
4.4.3 Bridge ..............................................................................................................................4-10
Chapter 5 IP Screen.....................................................................................................................................5-1
5.1 Factory Ethernet Defaults ..........................................................................................................5-1
5.2 TCP/IP Parameters.....................................................................................................................5-1
5.2.1 IP Address and Subnet Mask .............................................................................................5-1
5.3 Configuring IP ...........................................................................................................................5-2
LOGS .............................................................................................................................................................III
Chapter 6 Logs Screens ...............................................................................................................................6-1
6.1 Configuring View Log...............................................................................................................6-1
6.2 Configuring Log Settings...........................................................................................................6-2
MAINTENANCE..........................................................................................................................................IV
Chapter 7 Maintenance ...............................................................................................................................7-1
7.1 Maintenance Overview ..............................................................................................................7-1
7.2 System Status Screen .................................................................................................................7-1
7.2.1 System Statistics ................................................................................................................7-2
7.3 Wireless Screen..........................................................................................................................7-3
7.4 F/W Upload Screen....................................................................................................................7-5
7.5 Configuration Screen .................................................................................................................7-7
7.5.1 Backup Configuration........................................................................................................7-7
7.5.2 Restore Configuration........................................................................................................7-8
7.5.3 Back to Factory Defaults.................................................................................................. 7-10
SMT CONFIGURATION ............................................................................................................................. V
Chapter 8 Introducing the SMT .................................................................................................................8-1
8.1 Connect to your ZyAIR Using Telnet........................................................................................8-1
8.2 Changing the System Password .................................................................................................8-1
8.3 ZyAIR SMT Menu Overview Example .....................................................................................8-2
8.4 Navigating the SMT Interface....................................................................................................8-4
8.4.1 System Management Terminal Interface Summary...........................................................8-5
Chapter 9 General Setup.............................................................................................................................9-1
9.1 General Setup.............................................................................................................................9-1
9.1.1 Procedure To Configure Menu 1........................................................................................9-1
Chapter 10 LAN Setup ..............................................................................................................................10-1
10.1 LAN Setup ...............................................................................................................................10-1
10.2 TCP/IP Ethernet Setup.............................................................................................................10-1
10.3 Wireless LAN Setup ................................................................................................................10-2
10.3.1 Configuring Bridge Link..................................................................................................10-5
Chapter 11 SNMP Configuration ............................................................................................................. 11-1
11.1 About SNMP............................................................................................................................11-1
11.2 Supported MIBs.......................................................................................................................11-2
11.3 SNMP Configuration ...............................................................................................................11-2

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
Table of Contents ix
11.4 SNMP Traps.............................................................................................................................11-3
Chapter 12 System Information................................................................................................................12-1
12.1 System Status ...........................................................................................................................12-1
12.2 System Information..................................................................................................................12-3
12.2.1 System Information..........................................................................................................12-3
12.2.2 Console Port Speed ..........................................................................................................12-4
12.3 Log and Trace ..........................................................................................................................12-5
12.3.1 Viewing Error Log ...........................................................................................................12-5
Chapter 13 Firmware and Configuration File Maintenance..................................................................13-1
13.1 Filename Conventions..............................................................................................................13-1
13.2 Backup Configuration ..............................................................................................................13-2
13.2.1 Backup Configuration Using FTP....................................................................................13-2
13.2.2 Using the FTP command from the DOS Prompt..............................................................13-3
13.2.3 Backup Configuration Using TFTP .................................................................................13-4
13.2.4 Example: TFTP Command...............................................................................................13-4
13.3 Restore Configuration ..............................................................................................................13-5
13.4 Uploading Firmware and Configuration Files..........................................................................13-6
13.4.1 Firmware Upload .............................................................................................................13-7
13.4.2 Configuration File Upload ...............................................................................................13-7
13.4.3 Using the FTP command from the DOS Prompt Example...............................................13-8
13.4.4 TFTP File Upload ............................................................................................................13-9
13.4.5 Example: TFTP Command.............................................................................................13-10
Chapter 14 System Maintenance and Information .................................................................................14-1
14.1 Command Interpreter Mode.....................................................................................................14-1
14.2 Time and Date Setting..............................................................................................................14-2
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................. VI
Appendix A Troubleshooting......................................................................................................................A-1
Problems Starting Up the ZyAIR .........................................................................................................A-1
Problems with the Password.................................................................................................................A-1
Problems Communicating with Other Computers................................................................................A-2
Appendix B Brute-Force Password Guessing Protection ........................................................................B-1
Appendix C Setting up Your Computer’s IP Address ..............................................................................C-1
Appendix D Wireless LAN and IEEE 802.11............................................................................................D-1
Appendix E Antenna Selection and Positioning Recommendation.........................................................E-1
Appendix F Power over Ethernet Specifications ...................................................................................... F-1
Appendix G IP Subnetting......................................................................................................................... G-1
Appendix H Command Interpreter.......................................................................................................... H-1
Appendix I Log Descriptions....................................................................................................................... I-1
Appendix J Power Adaptor Specifications.................................................................................................J-1
Appendix K Index ...................................................................................................................................... K-1

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
x List of Figures
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 PoE Installation Example..............................................................................................................1-2
Figure 1-2 Infrastructure Network Example...................................................................................................1-4
Figure 1-3 Ad-hoc Application Example ........................................................................................................1-5
Figure 1-4 Bridge Application Example .........................................................................................................1-5
Figure 2-1 Web Browser Address Field ..........................................................................................................2-1
Figure 2-2 Change Password Screen ..............................................................................................................2-1
Figure 2-3 The MAIN MENU Screen of the Web Configurator.....................................................................2-2
Figure 3-1 System General Setup ...................................................................................................................3-1
Figure 3-2 Password .......................................................................................................................................3-3
Figure 3-3 Time Setting ..................................................................................................................................3-4
Figure 4-1 RTS/CTS .......................................................................................................................................4-2
Figure 4-2 ZyAIR Wireless Security Levels...................................................................................................4-3
Figure 4-3 WEP Authentication Steps ............................................................................................................4-4
Figure 4-4 Infrastructure Network Example...................................................................................................4-5
Figure 4-5 Roaming Example.........................................................................................................................4-6
Figure 4-6 Wireless : Infrastructure ................................................................................................................4-7
Figure 4-7 Ad-hoc (IBSS) Wireless LAN.......................................................................................................4-9
Figure 4-8 Wireless : Ad Hoc .........................................................................................................................4-9
Figure 4-9 Bridging Example .......................................................................................................................4-10
Figure 4-10 Bridge Loop: Two Bridges Connected to Hub ..........................................................................4-11
Figure 4-11 Bridge Loop: Bridge Connected to Wired LAN........................................................................4-11
Figure 4-12 Wireless : Bridge .......................................................................................................................4-12
Figure 5-1 IP...................................................................................................................................................5-2
Figure 6-1 View Log.......................................................................................................................................6-1
Figure 6-2 Log Settings ..................................................................................................................................6-3
Figure 7-1 System Status ................................................................................................................................7-1
Figure 7-2 System Status: Show Statistics......................................................................................................7-2
Figure 7-3 Channel Usage ..............................................................................................................................7-4
Figure 7-4 Firmware Upload ..........................................................................................................................7-5
Figure 7-5 Firmware Upload In Process.........................................................................................................7-6
Figure 7-6 Network Temporarily Disconnected..............................................................................................7-7
Figure 7-7 Firmware Upload Error .................................................................................................................7-7
Figure 7-8 Backup Configuration ...................................................................................................................7-8
Figure 7-9 Restore Configuration ...................................................................................................................7-8
Figure 7-10 Configuration Upload Successful................................................................................................7-9
Figure 7-11 Network Temporarily Disconnected............................................................................................7-9
Figure 7-12 Configuration Upload Error ......................................................................................................7-10
Figure 7-13 Back to Factory Default ............................................................................................................7-10
Figure 7-14 Reset Warning Message ............................................................................................................ 7-11

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
List of Figures xi
Figure 8-1 Login Screen ................................................................................................................................ 8-1
Figure 8-2 Menu 23.1 System Security : Change Password ..........................................................................8-2
Figure 8-3 ZyAIR B-420 SMT Menu Overview Example ............................................................................ 8-3
Figure 8-4 ZyAIR B-420 SMT Main Menu................................................................................................... 8-5
Figure 9-1 Menu 1 General Setup.................................................................................................................. 9-1
Figure 10-1 Menu 3 LAN Setup .................................................................................................................. 10-1
Figure 10-2 Menu 3.2 TCP/IP Setup............................................................................................................ 10-1
Figure 10-3 Menu 3.5 Wireless LAN Setup................................................................................................. 10-3
Figure 10-4 Menu 3.5 Wireless LAN Setup................................................................................................. 10-5
Figure 10-5 Menu 3.5.4 Bridge Link Configuration .................................................................................... 10-5
Figure 11-1 SNMP Management Model .......................................................................................................11-1
Figure 11-2 Menu 22 SNMP Configuration..................................................................................................11-3
Figure 12-1 Menu 24 System Maintenance ................................................................................................. 12-1
Figure 12-2 Menu 24.1 System Maintenance : Status.................................................................................. 12-2
Figure 12-3 Menu 24.2 System Information and Console Port Speed......................................................... 12-3
Figure 12-4 Menu 24.2.1 System Information : Information ....................................................................... 12-3
Figure 12-5 Menu 24.2.2 System Maintenance : Change Console Port Speed............................................ 12-4
Figure 12-6 Menu 24.3 System Maintenance : Log and Trace .................................................................... 12-5
Figure 12-7 Sample Error and Information Messages ................................................................................. 12-5
Figure 13-1 Menu 24.5 Backup Configuration ............................................................................................ 13-2
Figure 13-2 FTP Session Example............................................................................................................... 13-3
Figure 13-3 Menu 24.6 Restore Configuration ............................................................................................ 13-6
Figure 13-4 Menu 24.7 System Maintenance : Upload Firmware ............................................................... 13-6
Figure 13-5 Menu 24.7.1 System Maintenance : Upload System Firmware................................................ 13-7
Figure 13-6 Menu 24.7.2 System Maintenance : Upload System Configuration File.................................. 13-8
Figure 13-7 FTP Session Example............................................................................................................... 13-9
Figure 14-1 Menu 24 System Maintenance ................................................................................................. 14-1
Figure 14-2 Valid CI Commands ................................................................................................................. 14-1
Figure 14-3 Menu 24.10 System Maintenance : Time and Date Setting...................................................... 14-2

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
xii List of Tables
List of Tables
Table 3-1 System General Setup.....................................................................................................................3-2
Table 3-2 Password.........................................................................................................................................3-3
Table 3-3 Time Setting....................................................................................................................................3-4
Table 4-1 Wireless : Infrastructure..................................................................................................................4-7
Table 4-2 Wireless : Ad Hoc .........................................................................................................................4-10
Table 4-3 Wireless : Bridge...........................................................................................................................4-12
Table 5-1 Private IP Address Ranges..............................................................................................................5-2
Table 5-2 IP.....................................................................................................................................................5-3
Table 6-1 View Log ........................................................................................................................................6-2
Table 6-2 Log Settings....................................................................................................................................6-3
Table 7-1 System Status..................................................................................................................................7-1
Table 7-2 System Status: Show Statistics .......................................................................................................7-2
Table 7-3 Channel Usage................................................................................................................................7-4
Table 7-4 Firmware Upload............................................................................................................................7-6
Table 7-5 Restore Configuration.....................................................................................................................7-9
Table 8-1 Main Menu Commands ..................................................................................................................8-4
Table 8-2 Main Menu Summary .....................................................................................................................8-5
Table 9-1 Menu 1 General Setup ....................................................................................................................9-2
Table 10-1 Menu 3.2 TCP/IP Setup ..............................................................................................................10-2
Table 10-2 Menu 3.5 Wireless LAN Setup ...................................................................................................10-3
Table 10-3 Menu 3.5.4 Bridge Link Configuration ......................................................................................10-6
Table 11-1 Menu 22 SNMP Configuration ...................................................................................................11-3
Table 11-2 SNMP Traps................................................................................................................................ 11-4
Table 11-3 Ports and Interface Types............................................................................................................11-4
Table 12-1 Menu 24.1 System Maintenance : Status ....................................................................................12-2
Table 12-2 System Maintenance : Information.............................................................................................12-4
Table 13-1 Filename Conventions ................................................................................................................13-2
Table 13-2 General Commands for Third Party FTP Clients........................................................................13-3
Table 13-3 General Commands for Third Party TFTP Clients .....................................................................13-5
Table 14-1 Menu 24.10 System Maintenance : Time and Date Setting ........................................................14-2

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
Preface xiii
Preface
Congratulations on your purchase of the ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge.
The ZyAIR B-420 is an IEEE 802.11b compliant 11Mbps wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge, which
supports Wireless Distribution System (WDS) for workgroup bridge applications.
This User’s Guide is designed to guide you through the configuration of your ZyAIR using the web
configurator or the SMT.
Use the web configurator, System Management Terminal (SMT) or command
interpreter interface to configure your ZyAIR. Not all features can be configured
through all interfaces.
The web configurator parts of this guide contain background information on features configurable by the web
configurator and the SMT. The SMT parts of this guide contain background information solely on features
not configurable by the web configurator.
Related Documentation
 Supporting Disk
Refer to the included CD for support documents.
 Quick Installation Guide
Our Quick Installation Guide is designed to help you get up and running right away. It contains
information on the configuration of key features and hardware connections and installation.
 ZyXEL Web Site
The ZyXEL download library at www.zyxel.com contains additional support documentation. Please
also refer to www.zyxel.com for an online glossary of networking terms.
Syntax Conventions
• “Type” means for you to type one or more characters and press the carriage return. “Select” or “Choose”
means for you to use one predefined choices.
• Enter, or carriage return, key; [ESC] means the escape key and [SPACE BAR] means the space bar.
[UP] and [DOWN] are the up and down arrow keys.
• Mouse action sequences are denoted using a comma. For example, “click the Apple icon, Control
Panels and then Modem” means first click the Apple icon, then point your mouse pointer to Control
Panels and then click Modem.
• For brevity’s sake, we will use “e.g.,” as a shorthand for “for instance”, and “i.e.,” for “that is” or “in
other words” throughout this manual.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
xiv Preface
• The ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge will be referred to simply as the ZyAIR
in the user’s guide.
User Guide Feedback
Help us help you. E-mail all User Guide-related comments, questions or suggestions for improvement to
[email protected] or send regular mail to The Technical Writing Team, ZyXEL Communications
Corp., 6 Innovation Road II, Science-Based Industrial Park, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan. Thank you.

Overview
I
P
Pa ar rt t I I: :
OVERVIEW
This part introduces the main features and applications of the ZyAIR and shows how to access the web configurator.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
Getting to Know Your ZyAIR 1-1
Chapter 1
Getting to Know Your ZyAIR
This chapter introduces the main features and applications of the ZyAIR.
1.1 Introducing the ZyAIR
The ZyAIR is an IEEE802.11b compliant 11Mbps wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge. The ZyAIR
provides easy network access to mobile users. The ZyAIR also supports Wireless Distribution System
(WDS) for workgroup bridge applications.
You may configure and manage the ZyAIR using SMT via Telnet, embedded web configurator or SNMP.
You can access the SMT or web configurator from the LAN only in Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc modes. But in
WDS mode, the ZyAIR is configurable from either end of the bridge link.
1.2 ZyAIR Features
Your ZyAIR is packed with a number of features that give it the flexibility to provide a complete networking
solution for almost any user.
10/100M Auto-negotiating Ethernet/Fast Ethernet Interface
This auto-negotiating feature allows the ZyAIR to detect the speed of incoming transmissions and adjust
appropriately without manual intervention. It allows data transfer of either 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps in either
half-duplex or full-duplex mode depending on your Ethernet network.
10/100M Auto-crossover Ethernet/Fast Ethernet Interface
The LAN interface automatically adjusts to either a crossover or straight-through Ethernet cable.
Reset Button
The ZyAIR reset button is built into the top panel. Use this button to restore the factory default password to
1234; IP address to 192.168.1.11, subnet mask to 255.255.255.0.
ZyAIR LED
The blue ZyAIR LED (also known as the Breathing LED) is on when the ZyAIR is on and blinks (or breaths)
when data is being transmitted to/from its wireless stations. You may use the web configurator to turn this
LED off even when the ZyAIR is on and data is being transmitted/received.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
1-2 Getting to Know Your ZyAIR
Bridge
A Bridge link LED turns steady on green when your ZyAIR is in bridge mode, indicating a wireless link to
another WLAN adapter in bridge mode or any wireless device with a bridging function.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
Power over Ethernet (PoE) is the ability to provide power to your ZyAIR via an 8-pin CAT 5 Ethernet cable,
eliminating the need for a nearby power source. An injector or PoE device (not included) is also needed to
supply the Ethernet cable with power. This feature allows increased flexibility in the locating of your ZyAIR.
You only need to connect the external power adaptor if you are not using PoE. If you simultaneously use
both PoE and the external power adaptor, the ZyAIR will draw power from the PoE connection only. Refer
to the appendix for more information about PoE.
Figure 1-1 PoE Installation Example
802.11b Wireless LAN Standard
ZyAIR products containing the letter “B” in the model name, such as ZyAIR B-420, ZyAIR B-3000, comply
with the 802.11b wireless standard.
The 802.11b data rate and corresponding modulation techniques are as follows. The modulation technique
defines how bits are encoded onto radio waves.
802.11b
Data Rate (Mbps) Modulation
1 DBPSK (Differential Binary Phase Shift Keyed)
2 DQPSK (Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying)
5.5 / 11 CCK (Complementary Code Keying)

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
Getting to Know Your ZyAIR 1-3
The ZyAIR may be prone to RF (Radio Frequency) interference from other 2.4 GHz
devices such as microwave ovens, wireless phones, Bluetooth enabled devices,
and other wireless LANs.
Output Power Management
Power Management is the ability to set the level of output power. This feature is only available in bridge
mode.
There may be interference or difficulty with channel assignment when there is a high density of APs within a
coverage area. In this case you can lower the output power of each access point, thus enabling you to place
access points closer together.
WDS Functionality
A Distribution System (DS) is a wired connection between two or more wireless devices, while a Wireless
Distribution System (WDS) is a wireless connection. Your ZyAIR supports WDS for one point-to-point
connection, providing a cost-effective solution for wireless network expansion.
Brute-Force Password Guessing Protection
The ZyAIR has a special protection mechanism to discourage brute-force password guessing attacks on the
ZyAIR's management interfaces. You can specify a wait-time that must expire before entering a fourth
password after three incorrect passwords have been entered. Please see the appendix for details about this
feature.
SNMP
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a protocol used for exchanging management information
between network devices. SNMP is a member of the TCP/IP protocol suite. Your ZyAIR supports SNMP
agent functionality, which allows a manger station to manage and monitor the ZyAIR through the network.
The ZyAIR supports SNMP version one (SNMPv1) and version two c (SNMPv2c).
Full Network Management
The embedded web configurator is an all-platform web-based utility that allows you to easily access the
ZyAIR’s management settings. Most functions of the ZyAIR are also software configurable via the SMT
(System Management Terminal) interface. The SMT is a menu-driven interface that you can access from a
terminal emulator over a telnet connection.
Logging and Tracing
♦ Built-in message logging and packet tracing.
♦ Unix syslog facility support.

ZyAIR B-420 Wireless LAN Ethernet Adapter and Bridge
1-4 Getting to Know Your ZyAIR
Embedded FTP and TFTP Servers
The ZyAIR’s embedded FTP and TFTP servers enable fast firmware upgrades as well as configuration file
backups and restoration.
Wireless LAN Channel Usage
The Wireless Channel Usage screen displays whether the radio channels are used by other wireless devices
within the transmission range of the ZyAIR. This allows you to select the channel with minimum interference
for your ZyAIR.
1.3 Applications for the ZyAIR
Here are some application examples of what you can do with your ZyAIR WLAN Ethernet adapter.
1.3.1 Infrastructure
When wireless stations wish to access and share resources on the wired network, they should use
infrastructure mode. Wireless stations may move from one coverage area to another seamlessly without
network interruption. This is called roaming.
The figure below depicts an infrastructure network example.
Figure 1-2 Infrastructure Network Example