ZyXEL Communications NR2101 User manual

Default Login Details
User’s Guide
NR2101
5G NR Portable Router
Copyright © 2020 Zyxel Communications Corporation
LAN IP Address http: //192.168.225.1
Username admin
Password admin
Version 1.0 Edition 2, 7/2020

NR2101 User’s Guide
2
IMPORTANT!
READ CAREFULLY BEFORE USE.
KEEP THIS GUIDE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
Screenshots and graphics in this book may differ slightly from your product due to differences in your
product firmware. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate.
Related Documentation
•QuickStartGuide
The Quick Start Guide shows how to connect and install the NR2101.
•MoreInformation
Go to support.zyxel.com to find other information on the NR2101.

Contents Overview
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Contents Overview
User’s Guide ........................................................................................................................................9
Get to Know Your NR2101 ................................................................................................................... 10
Web Configurator ................................................................................................................................. 33
Setup Wizard ......................................................................................................................................... 39
Tutorials .................................................................................................................................................. 43
Status ...................................................................................................................................................... 50
Technical Reference ........................................................................................................................52
APN & SIM PIN ....................................................................................................................................... 53
WLAN & WWAN ..................................................................................................................................... 58
NAT ......................................................................................................................................................... 74
Firewall ................................................................................................................................................... 81
LAN Settings ........................................................................................................................................... 86
SMS ......................................................................................................................................................... 88
Maintenance ........................................................................................................................................ 90
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................................... 95

Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Contents Overview..............................................................................................................................3
Table of Contents.................................................................................................................................4
Document Conventions ......................................................................................................................8
Part I: User’s Guide............................................................................................9
Chapter 1
Get to Know Your NR2101 .................................................................................................................10
1.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Applications .................................................................................................................................... 10
1.3 Ways to Manage the NR2101 ....................................................................................................... 10
1.4 Hardware Description .................................................................................................................... 11
1.4.1 Hardware Installation ............................................................................................................ 13
1.5 LCD Screens .................................................................................................................................... 13
1.5.1 The Home & Menu Screen ...................................................................................................13
1.5.2 Connection Guide ................................................................................................................ 14
1.5.3 Power Saving ......................................................................................................................... 15
1.5.4 SSID ......................................................................................................................................... 16
1.5.5 SMS .......................................................................................................................................... 17
1.5.6 Settings ................................................................................................................................... 18
1.5.7 About ..................................................................................................................................... 31
Chapter 2
Web Configurator...............................................................................................................................33
2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 33
2.2 Accessing the Web Configurator ................................................................................................. 33
2.3 Navigating the Web Configurator ............................................................................................... 34
2.3.1 Title Bar ................................................................................................................................... 35
2.3.2 The Main Window ................................................................................................................. 35
2.3.3 Navigation Panel .................................................................................................................. 35
Chapter 3
Setup Wizard.......................................................................................................................................39
3.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 39
3.2 Access the Setup Wizard ............................................................................................................... 39
3.3 Use the Setup Wizard ..................................................................................................................... 39

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Chapter 4
Tutorials...............................................................................................................................................43
4.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 43
4.2 Set Up Your WiFi Network ............................................................................................................... 43
4.3 Connect to the NR2101 WiFi Network .......................................................................................... 44
4.4 Set Up a Wireless Network Using WPS ........................................................................................... 46
4.5 Configure the MAC Address Filter ................................................................................................ 48
Chapter 5
Status...................................................................................................................................................50
5.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 50
5.2 Status ................................................................................................................................................ 50
Part II: Technical Reference...........................................................................52
Chapter 6
APN & SIM PIN.....................................................................................................................................53
6.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 53
6.1.1 What You Can Do in this Chapter ....................................................................................... 53
6.1.2 What You Need To Know ..................................................................................................... 53
6.2 APN Settings .................................................................................................................................... 55
6.3 SIM PIN Settings ............................................................................................................................... 56
6.3.1 SIM Information ...................................................................................................................... 57
Chapter 7
WLAN & WWAN...................................................................................................................................58
7.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 58
7.1.1 What You Can Do in this Chapter ....................................................................................... 58
7.1.2 What You Need to Know ..................................................................................................... 59
7.2 SSID Settings(2.4G/5G) .................................................................................................................. 60
7.2.1 Wireless Security .................................................................................................................... 62
7.3 WPS Settings .................................................................................................................................... 66
7.4 MAC Filter ........................................................................................................................................ 67
7.5 WWAN Settings ............................................................................................................................... 68
7.5.1 IPv4/IPv6 WWAN Settings ..................................................................................................... 69
7.5.2 WWAN Statistics ..................................................................................................................... 70
Chapter 8
NAT......................................................................................................................................................74
8.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 74
8.1.1 What You Can Do ................................................................................................................. 74

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8.1.2 What You Need to Know ..................................................................................................... 75
8.2 NAT Settings ..................................................................................................................................... 76
8.3 Technical Reference ...................................................................................................................... 78
8.3.1 NAT Port Forwarding: Services and Port Numbers ............................................................. 78
8.3.2 NAT Port Forwarding Example ............................................................................................. 79
8.3.3 Trigger Port Forwarding ........................................................................................................ 79
8.3.4 Trigger Port Forwarding Example ........................................................................................ 79
8.3.5 Two Points To Remember About Trigger Ports ................................................................... 80
Chapter 9
Firewall................................................................................................................................................81
9.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 81
9.1.1 What You Can Do ................................................................................................................. 81
9.1.2 What You Need To Know ..................................................................................................... 81
9.2 Firewall Settings ............................................................................................................................... 82
9.2.1 IPv4/IPv6 Firewall Entry ......................................................................................................... 83
Chapter 10
LAN Settings........................................................................................................................................86
10.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 86
10.1.1 What You Can Do ............................................................................................................... 86
10.1.2 What You Need To Know ...................................................................................................86
10.2 DHCP Server General Settings .................................................................................................... 86
Chapter 11
SMS......................................................................................................................................................88
11.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 88
11.1.1 What You Can Do in this Chapter ..................................................................................... 88
11.2 SMS-Inbox ...................................................................................................................................... 88
Chapter 12
Maintenance......................................................................................................................................90
12.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 90
12.1.1 What You Can Do in this Chapter ..................................................................................... 90
12.2 Firmware Upgrade ........................................................................................................................ 90
12.3 Account Configuration ................................................................................................................ 91
12.4 About ............................................................................................................................................. 92
12.5 Factory Reset ................................................................................................................................ 93
12.6 Logout ............................................................................................................................................ 93
Chapter 13
Troubleshooting..................................................................................................................................95
13.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 95

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13.2 Power ............................................................................................................................................. 95
13.3 Zyxel Device Access and Login .................................................................................................. 95
13.4 Internet Access ............................................................................................................................. 97
13.5 Wireless Internet Access ............................................................................................................... 98
13.6 WiFi Connections .......................................................................................................................... 99
13.7 Getting More Troubleshooting Help .........................................................................................100
Appendix A Customer Support ..................................................................................................... 101
Appendix B Legal Information....................................................................................................... 107
Index.................................................................................................................................................114

Document Conventions
NR2101 User’s Guide
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Document Conventions
Warnings and Notes
These are how warnings and notes are shown in this guide.
Warnings tell you about things that could harm you or your device.
Note: Notes tell you other important information (for example, other things you may need to
configure or helpful tips) or recommendations.
Syntax Conventions
• Product labels, screen names, field labels and field choices are all in bold font.
• A right angle bracket ( > ) within a screen name denotes a mouse click. For example, WWAN SETTINGS
> IPv4 WWAN Settings means you first click WWAN SETTINGS in the navigation panel, and then click the
IPv4 WWAN Settings tab to get to that screen.
Icons Used in Figures
Figures in this user guide may use the following generic icons. The NR2101 icon is not an exact
representation of your device.
NR2101 Generic Router Switch
Server Firewall Smartphone
Tablet Antenna Tower Home
Outdoors Printer

9
PART I
User’s Guide

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CHAPTER 1
Get to Know Your NR2101
1.1 Overview
Your NR2101 (A) is a 5G router that allows you to share Internet Access via WiFi anytime. The NR2101
supports 5G/4G/3G multi-mode and complies with the IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards. It can
provide data rates of up to 300Mbps to up to 10 simultaneous WiFi clients. The NR2101’s slim design is
easy to use anywhere anytime and leaves your smartphone’s bandwidth and battery free for other
purposes.
1.2 Applications
You can have the following networks with the NR2101:
• Wireless LAN (WiFi): Wireless clients can connect to the NR2101 using the network’s SSID and
Password. For WPS-compatible devices you can create an instant network connection using WPS
(WiFi Protected Security).
•WAN: Connect to a mobile network using an Ethernet cable.
1.3 Ways to Manage the NR2101
• LCD Touch Screen
A

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You can use the LCD touch screen to navigate and manage the NR2101.
• Web Configurator
The Web Configurator is recommended for everyday management by using a supported web browser.
1.4 Hardware Description
The following image shows the front and side panels of the NR2101.
Figure 1 Front/Side Panel
You can use Power Button on the front panel to turn on the NR2101 and use LCD Touch Screen to
navigate the NR2101.
1Press Power Button and Home screen appears. (Press the power button for three seconds and then
release the button to turn on or off the NR2101.)
Power Button
Ethernet Port
Reset Button
LCD Touch Screen

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Figure 2 Home Screen
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
2To start navigating the NR2101, slide right to unlock Home Screen and then Menu screen appears as
shown next. Tap an icon on the menu screen to configure the selected setting. Slide left if you want to
go to another menu screen.
Table 1 NR2101’s Home Screen
LABEL DESCRIPTION
This displays the type of network your NR2101 is connected to. Your network can be
either 3G, 4G, or 5G.
This displays the signal strength of the current WWAN of the NR2101.
This displays when the NR2101 is receiving or transmitting data to/from the Internet.
This displays the WiFi network status. The number indicates how many clients are
currently connected to the NR2101.
This displays when the NR2101 receives an SMS (Short Message Service) message.
This icon shows the NR2101 battery life.
Clock WWAN Signal
Operator Name Battery percentage
MiFi SSID
Data Usage percentage Date
The number of wireless clients
connected to the NR2101

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Figure 3 Menu Screen
The following table describes the labels in the Menu screen.
1.4.1 Hardware Installation
See your Quick Start Guide for detailed information about hardware installation procedures.
1.5 LCD Screens
This section describes the labels or icons displayed on the LCD screen of your NR2101.
1.5.1 The Home & Menu Screen
Swipe right to unlock the home screen on the LCD. The menu screen appears. Tap an icon on the menu
screen to select an option.
Table 2 Menu Screen
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Connection Guide Use Connection Guide to activate WPS. If your wireless client supports WPS, use WPS
to connect to the NR2101.
Power Saving Use Power Saving to change the screen off time. You can also configure WiFi auto-
close duration here.
SSID Use SSID to allow wireless clients to connect (2.4G/5G) to the NR2101 using SSID and
password. Enter a password of 8 to 20 characters, including spaces and special
characters.
SMS Use SMS to view and delete SMS messages.
Settings Use Settings to configure features, such as WPS, WiFi Connection, Data Usage, Data
Roaming, PIN Code, Language, Date and Time, and Restore settings.
About Use About to view the NR2101 hardware/firmware information and notifications.

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Figure 4 Home Screen
Figure 5 Menu Screen
1.5.2 Connection Guide
To enable a wireless client to connect to the NR2101 using WPS, go to Connection Guide > Next >WPS.
•TapManual, if you wan to enter the wireless network setting manually. Otherwise, tap WPS to quickly
establish a wireless connection.
Figure 6 Connection Guide Screen
•TapWPS PIN and type the PIN code of a four-digit number to start the wireless connection. Tap the
check mark at the upper-right corner to confirm the password.

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Figure 7 WPS PIN
The following table describes the labels in this screen.
1.5.3 Power Saving
Use this screen to configure the screen off time. Go to Power Saving >Screen off time and select from
15s, 30s, 60s, 120s, and 10 minutes. Tap the check mark at the upper-right corner to save the changes
made. To configure the time set up for turning off WiFi automatically if no client is connected to the
NR2101, select Auto-close WiFi and then choose from 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes in the WiFi
auto off field. Tap the check mark at the upper-right corner to save the changes made.
Figure 8 Power Saving
Table 3 Connection Guide
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Manual Select this to change wireless network information and security modes manually.
WPS Select this to connect to the NR2101 using WPS.
WPS PIN Type the WPS password to enable WPS.

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.
1.5.4 SSID
To enable a wireless client to connect to the NR2101 and set up a security mode:
1Tap SSID on the menu screen to go to the SSID setting.
2Select SSID password visible to view the SSID passwords.
3To configure the SSID and password (2.4G/5G), tap 2.4G SSID/2.4G Password or 5G SSID/5GPassword on
the screen and then the Modify screen appears. Type your user name or a password of 8 to 20
characters, including spaces and special characters. Tap the check mark at the upper-right corner to
save the changes made.
4To configure the security mode (2.4G/5G), tap 2.4G Security or 5G Security on the screen and then the
SSID Security screen appears. Select a security mode from None (Open), WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, and
WPA3/WPA2 mixed mode.Tap the check mark at the upper-right corner to save the changes made.
Table 4 Power Saving
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Screen off time This displays the screen off time on the NR2101. If the NR2101 is not in use for a certain
period of time, the system will automatically turn off the screen.
Auto-close WiFi Select this to enable Auto-close WiFi on the NR2101. The NR2101 will automatically
turn off Wi-Fi if no wireless client is connected to the NR2101 for a certain period of
time.
WiFi auto off This displays the time length set up to turn off WiFi automatically.

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From another device, find this SSID and enter the Password to connect wirelessly to the NR2101.
1.5.5 SMS
SMS (Short Message Service) allows you to view and delete SMS messages that the NR2101 received
from mobile devices or Internet Service Provider.
Tap SMS on the Menu screen to go to the SMS setting. The following screen displays.
• Read Message: Use the LCD screen to navigate and select an SMS message to read.
Figure 9 Read Message
• Delete Message: Use the Delete icon to delete an SMS message. Select OK to delete the message.
Otherwise, select Cancel to return to the SMS screen.
Figure 10 Delete Message

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Note: You can only create an SMS messages using the Web Configurator.
1.5.6 Settings
Use the Settings screen to manage and view the following features of the NR2101. Tap Settings and the
following screen displays. Scroll up and down the screen to select the feature you want to configure.
Figure 11 Settings
1.5.6.1 WPS
Your NR2101 supports WiFi Protected Setup (WPS), which is an easy way to set up a secure WiFi network.
WPS is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance.
WPS allows you to quickly set up a WiFi network with strong security, without having to configure security
settings manually. Each WPS connection works between two devices. Both devices must support WPS
(check each device’s documentation to make sure). When WPS is activated on a device, it has two
minutes to find another device that also has WPS activated. Then, the two devices connect and set up
a secure network by themselves.
You can use the LCD screen of the NR2101 to activate WPS in order to quickly set up a WiFi network with
strong security.
Go to Settings >WPS, select WPS Enable, and then WPS connect appears. Go to WPS connect >WPS to
activate WPS or type WPS PIN to connect. The following screen displays.
Figure 12 WPS PIN

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.
Note: You must activate WPS on the NR2101 and on another device within 2 minutes of each
other.
1.5.6.2 WiFi 2.4G
To enable a wireless client to connect to the 2.4GHz WiFi band, select WiFi Enable.
•TapBandwidth to select the 2.4G bandwidth (20MHz or 20/40 MHz) from the list. Tap the check mark
at the upper-right corner to save the change made.
Figure 13 2.4G WiFi bandwidth
•SelectWiFi PMF to improve security for the wireless connection (WiFi PMF will not be available when
WPA3/WPA2 mixed mode is selected in the Security Type field).
Figure 14 2.4G WiFi PMF
Table 5 WPS
LABEL DESCRIPTION
WPS Use this to establish a WPS connection.
WPS PIN Type the WPS password to enable wireless clients to connect to the NR2101.

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The following table describes the labels in this screen.
1.5.6.3 WiFi 5G
To enable a wireless client to connect to the 5GHz WiFi band, select WiFi Enable. The following screen
displays.
•TapBandwidth to select the 5G bandwidth (20MHz, 20/40 MHz, or 80/40/20 MHz) from the list. Tap the
check mark at the upper-right corner to save the change made.
Figure 15 5G WiFi bandwidth
•SelectWiFi PMF to improve security for the wireless connection (WiFi PMF will not be available when
WPA3/WPA2 mixed mode is selected in the Security Type field).
Table 6 2.4G WiFi
LABEL DESCRIPTION
WiFi Enable Select this to enable 2.4G wireless connections.
Bandwidth Select whether the NR2101 uses a WiFi channel width of 20MHz or 20/40MHz.
A standard 20MHz channel offers transfer speeds of up to 150Mbps whereas a
40MHz channel uses two standard channels and offers speeds of up to 300Mbps.
40MHz (channel bonding or dual channel) bonds two adjacent radio channels to
increase throughput. The wireless clients must also support 40MHz. It is often better to
use the 20MHz setting in a location where the environment hinders the WiFi signal.
Select 20MHz if you want to lessen radio interference with other WiFi devices in your
neighborhood or the wireless clients do not support channel bonding.
Hide SSID Select this to hide the NR2101’s 2.4GSSID in the outgoing beacon frame so a station
cannot obtain the SSID through scanning using a site survey tool.
WiFi PMF Select this to enable WiFi Protected Management Frame and enhance the security
level on the LAN.