ZyXEL Communications ZYAIR G-1000 User manual

ZyAIR G-1000
Wireless LAN 54 Mbps Access Point
Quick Installation Guide
Version 3.50
July 2003

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Table of Contents
1 Introducing the ZyAIR..............................................................................................................................2
2 Hardware....................................................................................................................................................2
2.1 Top Panel and Connections ..................................................................................................................2
2.2 The LED Display................................................................................................................................... 3
3 Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address.................................................................................................5
3.1 Windows 2000/NT/XP ...........................................................................................................................5
3.2 Testing the Connection to the ZyAIR.....................................................................................................6
4 Configuring the ZyAIR .............................................................................................................................7
4.1 Accessing the ZyAIR via the Web Configurator....................................................................................7
4.2 Configuring the ZyAIR Using the Wizard .............................................................................................9
5 Advanced Configuration .........................................................................................................................11
5.1 Wireless LAN Overview ......................................................................................................................11
5.2 Configuring Wireless LAN ..................................................................................................................11
5.3 Configuring Roaming..........................................................................................................................13
5.4 Configuring IEEE 802.1x Authentication ...........................................................................................15
5.5 Local User Database and RADIUS Overview ....................................................................................17
6 Hardware Installation..............................................................................................................................19
6.1 Attaching Antennas .............................................................................................................................19
6.2 Hardware Mounting Installation ........................................................................................................19
6.3 Free-standing......................................................................................................................................19
6.4 Wall-mounted......................................................................................................................................20
7 Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................23

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1 Introducing the ZyAIR
The ZyAIR G-1000 is an IEEE802.11g-compliant, 54 Mbps wireless LAN access point. It is suited for a
wireless connection to the wired network in a home and small office environment. The key features of the
ZyAIR G-1000 are IEEE 802.1x, WEP data encryption and MAC address filtering. See your User’s Guide
for more details on all ZyAIR features.
2 Hardware
This section provides details on hardware specifications.
2.1 Top Panel and Connections
LABEL DESCRIPTION
ETHERNET Use an Ethernet cable to connect to a computer (with an Ethernet card) for initial
configuration to this port. The port is auto-negotiating (can connect at 10 or 100 Mbps)
and auto-crossover (automatically adjusts to the type of Ethernet cable you use (straight-
through or crossover)).
RESET You only need to use this button if you’ve forgotten the ZyAIR’s password or the IP
address is not known. It returns the ZyAIR to the factory defaults (password is 1234 and
LAN IP address 192.168.1.2). Refer to the User’s Guide.
POWER
12VDC
Connect the end of the included power adaptor to this power socket.
Use only the included power adaptor.

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2.2 The LED Display
The PWR LED turns on when the power is connected. The Link LED blinks and turns off. The ZyAIR
LED turns on after the system test. The ETHN LED turns on, if the ETHERNET port is properly
connected.
Figure 1 Front Panel LEDs
LINK LED
ZyAIR LED
ETHN LED
PWR LED

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Table 1 Front Panel LED Description
LED COLOR STATUS DESCRIPTION
Blinking The ZyAIR is not ready or rebooting.Link Red
Off The ZyAIR is working properly.
Breathing The ZyAIR is sending/receiving data.ZyAIR
(WLAN
ACK)
Blue
On The ZyAIR is ready, but is not sending/receiving data.
On The ZyAIR has a successful 10Mb Ethernet connection.
Blinking The ZyAIR is sending/receiving data.
Green
Off The ZyAIR does not have 10Mb Ethernet connection.
On The ZyAIR has a successful 100Mb Ethernet connection.
Blinking The ZyAIR is sending/receiving data.
ETHN
Orange
Off The ZyAIR does not have 100Mb Ethernet connection.
On The ZyAIR is receiving power.PWR Green
Off The ZyAIR is not receiving power.

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3 Setting Up Your Computer’s IP Address
Skip this section if your computer’s IP address is already in the range of
192.168.1.3 ~ 192.168.1.254 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0.
Your computer must have a network card and TCP/IP installed. TCP/IP should already be installed on
computers using Windows NT/2000/XP, Macintosh OS 7 and later operating systems.
3.1 Windows 2000/NT/XP
1. In Windows XP, click start, Control Panel. In Windows 2000/NT, click Start, Settings,
Control Panel.
2. In Windows XP, click Network Connections.
In Windows 2000/NT, click Network and Dial-up Connections.
3. Right-click Local Area Connection and then click Properties.
4. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) (under the General tab in Win XP) and click Properties.
5. The Internet Protocol TCP/IP Properties
screen opens (the General tab in
Windows XP).
Configure your computer to use a static IP
address, select Use the following IP
Address and fill in the IP address
(192.168.1.3 to 192.168.1.254) and
Subnet mask (255.255.255.0) fields.
6. Leave the Preferred DNS sever and Alternate DNS server fields blank if you do not know the
IP address(es) of the DNS server.
7. Click OK to close the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window.
8. Click OK to close the Local Area Connection Properties window.

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3.2 Testing the Connection to the ZyAIR
1. Click Start, (All) Programs, Accessories and then Command Prompt.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type "ping 192.168.1.2” followed by a space and the IP address of
the ZyAIR (192.168.1.2 is the default).
3. Press ENTER. The following screen displays.
Your computer can now communicate with the ZyAIR.
C:\>ping 192.168.1.2
Pinging 192.168.1.2 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=254
Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=254
Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=254
Reply from 192.168.1.2: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=254
Ping statistics for 192.168.1.2:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 10ms, Average = 2ms
C:\>

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4 Configuring the ZyAIR
The Quick Installation Guide shows you how to use the web configurator only.
See your User’s Guide for background information on all ZyAIR features and SMT
(System Management Terminal) configuration.
4.1 Accessing the ZyAIR via the Web Configurator
1. Launch your web browser. Enter “192.168.1.2” as the web site address.
2. The default password (“1234”) is already in the password field (in non-readable format). Click Login to
proceed to a screen asking you to change your password. Click Reset to revert to the default password in
the password field.
Default password.
Web site address.

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3. It is highly recommended you change the default password. Enter a new password, retype it to confirm
and click Apply; alternatively click Ignore to proceed to the MAIN MENU screen if you do not want to
change the password now.
Change default
password.

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4. You should now see the web configurator MAIN MENU screen.
The ZyAIR automatically times out after five minutes (default) of inactivity.
Simply log back into the ZyAIR if this happens.
4.2 Configuring the ZyAIR Using the Wizard
The wizard consists of a series of screens to help you configure your ZyAIR for wireless stations to access
your wired LAN. Refer to your User’s Guide for more background information.
Click WIZARD SETUP to help
you configure your ZyAIR to
set up a wireless network.

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5. Click WIZARD SETUP in the main menu to display the first wizard screen shown next.
System Name is a unique name
to identify the ZyAIR in the
Ethernet network. Enter a
descriptive name.
Leave the Domain Name entry
blank and click Next to continue.
6. Use the second wizard screen to set up the wireless LAN.
ESSID is a unique name to identify
the ZyAIR in the wireless LAN.
Enter a descriptive name.
A channel is the range of radio
frequencies used by IEEE 802.11g
wireless devices.
Choose a radio channel to use in
the Choose Channel ID field.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encrypts data frames before transmitting them over the wireless network. Select either
64-bit or 128-bit from the WEP Encryption drop-down list box to activate WEP encryption. Select Disable to turn off
WEP data encryption.
Select ASCII or HEX WEP key input method and then follow the on-screen instructions to set up the WEP keys.
Click Next to continue.
The wireless stations and ZyAIR must use the same ESSID, channel ID and WEP
encryption key (if WEP is enabled) for wireless communication.

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7. Fill in the fields in the last wizard configuration screen.
Select Get automatically to have the
ZyAIR obtain an IP address from a
DHCP server.
You must know the IP address
assigned to the ZyAIR (by the DHCP
server) to access the ZyAIR again.
Select Use fixed IP address to give
the ZyAIR a fixed, unique IP address.
Enter a subnet mask appropriate to
your network and the gateway IP
address if applicable.
Click Finish.
If you change the ZyAIR’s IP address, you must use the new IP address if you want
to access the web configurator again.
8. Change the wireless parameter settings in the wireless stations to match those of the ZyAIR. Refer to the
user’s guide for your wireless adapter.
5 Advanced Configuration
5.1 Wireless LAN Overview
This section introduces the wireless LAN and some basic configurations. Wireless LANs can be as simple
as two computers with wireless adapters communicating in a peer-to-peer network or as complex as a
number of computers with wireless adapters communicating through access points (APs) which bridge
network traffic to the wired LAN.
5.2 Configuring Wireless LAN
Click ADVANCED and WIRELESS to open the screen as shown next.

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Figure 2 Wireless LAN
The following table describes the fields in this screen.
Table 2 Wireless LAN
LABEL DESCRIPTION
ESSID (Extended Service Set ID) The ESSID identifies the service set the wireless station is to connect
to. Wireless stations associating to the access point must have the same ESSID. Enter a
descriptive name (up to 32 characters) for the wireless LAN.
Hide ESSID Select this box to hide the ESSID in the outgoing beacon frame so a station cannot obtain the
ESSID through passive scanning.
Choose
Channel ID
Adjacent access points (APs) should use a channel different from what you selected to reduce
interference. The wireless stations connected to the ZyAIR must use the same channel you
selected.

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Table 2 Wireless LAN
LABEL DESCRIPTION
RTS /CTS
Threshold
(Request To Send) The threshold (number of bytes) for enabling RTS/CTS handshake. Data with
its frame size larger than this value will perform the RTS/CTS handshake. Setting this attribute to
be larger than the maximum MSDU (MAC service data unit) size turns off the RTS/CTS
handshake. Setting this attribute to zero turns on the RTS/CTS handshake. Enter a value between
0and 2432.
Fragmentation
Threshold
The threshold (number of bytes) for the fragmentation boundary for directed messages. It is the
maximum data fragment size that can be sent. Enter a value between 256 and 2432.
WEP
Encryption WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encrypts data frames before transmitting them over the wireless network.
Select Disable to allow wireless stations to communicate with the access points without any data
encryption.
Select 64-bit WEP or 128-bit WEP to enable data encryption.
Authentication
Method
Select Auto, Open System or Shared Key from the drop-down list box.
Key 1 to Key 4 If you chose 64-bit WEP in the WEP Encryption field, then enter any 5 characters (ASCII string)
or 10 hexadecimal characters ("0-9", "A-F") preceded by 0x for each key.
If you chose 128-bit WEP in the WEP Encryption field, then enter 13 characters (ASCII string) or
26 hexadecimal characters ("0-9", "A-F") preceded by 0x for each key.
There are four data encryption keys to secure your data from eavesdropping by unauthorized
wireless users. The values for the keys must be set up exactly the same on the access points as
they are on the wireless stations.
Enable
Breathing LED
Select this check box to enable the Breathing LED, also known as the ZyAIR LED.
The blue ZyAIR LED is on (dimmed) when the ZyAIR is on and blinks brightly (or breaths) when
data is being transmitted to/from its wireless stations. Clear the check box to turn this LED off even
when the ZyAIR is on and data is being transmitted/received.
Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the ZyAIR.
Reset Click Reset to begin configuring this screen afresh.
5.3 Configuring Roaming
A wireless station is a computer with an IEEE 802.11g-compliant wireless adapter. An Access Point (AP)
acts as a bridge between the wireless and wired networks. An AP creates its own wireless coverage area. A
wireless station can associate with a particular access point only if it is within the access point’s coverage
area.
In a network environment with multiple access points, wireless stations are able to switch from one access
point to another as they move between the coverage areas. This is roaming. As the wireless station moves
from place to place, it is responsible for choosing the most appropriate access point depending on the signal
strength, network utilization or other factors.

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The roaming feature on the access points allows the access points to relay information about the wireless
stations to each other. When a wireless station moves from a coverage area to another, it scans and uses the
channel of a new access point, which then informs the access points on the LAN about the change. The new
information is then propagated to the other access points on the LAN. An example is shown in Figure 3.
If the roaming feature is not enabled on the access points, information is not communicated between the
access points when a wireless station moves between coverage areas. The wireless station may not be able
to communicate with other wireless stations on the network and vice versa.
Figure 3 Roaming Example
To enable roaming on your ZyAIR, click WIRELESS, then the Roaming tab. The screen appears as
shown.

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Figure 4 Roaming
The following table describes the fields in this screen.
Table 3 Roaming
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Active Select Yes from the drop-down list box to enable roaming on the ZyAIR if you have two or more
ZyAIRs on the same subnet.
All APs on the same subnet and the wireless stations must have
the same ESSID to allow roaming.
Port Enter the port number to communicate roaming information between APs. The port number must be
the same on all APs. The default is 16290. Make sure this port is not used by other services.
Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the ZyAIR.
Reset Click Reset to begin configuring this screen afresh.
5.4 Configuring IEEE 802.1x Authentication
You can set the ZyAIR and your network to authenticate a wireless station before the wireless station can
communicate with the ZyAIR and the wired network to which the ZyAIR is connected. Your ZyAIR
supports the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1x standard that works with IEEE
802.11 to enhance user authentication.
To change your ZyAIR’s authentication settings, click WIRELESS, then the 802.1x tab. The screen
appears as shown.

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Figure 5 Wireless 802.1x Authentication
The following table describes the fields in this screen.
Table 4 Wireless 802.1x Authentication
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Wireless Port
Control
To control wireless stations access to the wired network, select a control method from the
drop-down list box. Choose from No Authentication Required, Authentication Required
and No Access Allowed.
No Authentication Required allows all wireless stations access to the wired network without
entering usernames and passwords. This is the default setting.
Authentication Required means that all wireless stations have to enter usernames and
passwords before access to the wired network is allowed.
No Access Allowed blocks all wireless stations access to the wired network.
ReAuthentication
Timer
Specify how often wireless stations have to reenter usernames and passwords in order to stay
connected. This field is activated only when you select Authentication Required in the
Wireless Port Control field.
Enter a time interval between 10 and 9999 seconds. The default time interval is 1800 seconds
(30 minutes).
If wireless authentication is done using a RADIUS server, the
reauthentication timer on the RADIUS server has priority.

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Table 4 Wireless 802.1x Authentication
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Idle Timeout The ZyAIR automatically disconnects a wireless station from the wired network after a period
of inactivity. The wireless station needs to enter the username and password again before
access to the wired network is allowed.
This field is activated only when you select Authentication Required in the Wireless Port
Control field. The default time interval is 3600 seconds (or 1 hour).
Authentication
Databases
This field is activated only when you select Authentication Required in the Wireless Port
Control field.
The authentication database contains wireless station login information. The local user
database is the built-in database on the ZyAIR. The RADIUS is an external server. Use this
drop-down list box to select which database the ZyAIR should use (first) to authenticate a
wireless station.
Before you specify the priority, make sure you have set up the corresponding database
correctly first.
Select Local User Database Only to have the ZyAIR just check the built-in user database on
the ZyAIR for a wireless station's username and password.
Select RADIUS Only to have the ZyAIR just check the user database on the specified
RADIUS server for a wireless station's username and password.
Select Local first, then RADIUS to have the ZyAIR first check the user database on the
ZyAIR for a wireless station's username and password. If no match is found, the user
database on the specified RADIUS server is then checked.
Select RADIUS first, then Local to have the ZyAIR first check the user database on the
specified RADIUS server for a wireless station's username and password. If no match is
found, the user database on the ZyAIR is then checked.
Dynamic WEP Key
Exchange
This field is activated only when you select Authentication Required in the Wireless Port
Control field. Also set the Authentication Databases field to RADIUS Only. Local user
database may not be used.
Select Disable to allow wireless stations to communicate with the access points without using
dynamic WEP key exchange.
Select 64-bit WEP or 128-bit WEP to enable data encryption.
Up to 32 stations can access the ZyAIR when you configure dynamic WEP key exchange.
Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the ZyAIR.
Reset Click Reset to begin configuring this screen afresh.
5.5 Local User Database and RADIUS Overview
EAP is an authentication protocol designed originally to run over PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) frame in
order to support multiple types of user authentication. RADIUS is based on a client-sever model that

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supports authentication, authorization and accounting. The access point (ZyAIR) is the client and the server
is the RADIUS server. RADIUS is a simple package exchange in which your ZyAIR acts as a message
relay between the wireless station and the network RADIUS server. In order to ensure network security, the
access point and the RADIUS server use a shared secret key, which is a password, they both know. The key
is not sent over the network. In addition to the shared key, password information exchanged is also
encrypted to protect the network from unauthorized access. By using EAP to interact with an EAP-
compatible RADIUS server, the access point helps a wireless station and a RADIUS server to perform
mutual authentication.
To authenticate wireless users without interacting with a network RADIUS server, you can store user
profiles locally. The ZyAIR first checks the local user database, then use the user database on the RADIUS
server to authenticate wireless stations. To change your ZyAIR’s local user list, click WIRELESS, then the
Local User Database tab.
If you do enable the EAP authentication, you need to specify the local user database or the external sever
for remote user authentication. To set up your ZyAIR’s local user database, click WIRELESS, then the
Local User Database tab. To set up your ZyAIR’s RADIUS server settings, click WIRELESS, then the
RADIUS tab.

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6 Hardware Installation
This section provides step-by-step instructions on attaching the antennas and mounting your ZyAIR.
6.1 Attaching Antennas
Follow the steps below to connect the supplied antennas.
1. Locate the antenna connectors on the sides of your ZyAIR.
2. Screw the antennas clockwise onto the antenna connectors. The antennas should be perpendicular to the
ground and parallel to each other.
Make sure the antennas are securely screwed onto the antenna connectors.
Figure 6 Attaching Antennas
6.2 Hardware Mounting Installation
In general, the best location for the access point is at the center of your intended wireless coverage area. For
better performance, mount the ZyAIR high up free of obstructions.
6.3 Free-standing
Place your ZyAIR on a flat, level surface (on a desk or shelf) that is strong enough to support the weight of
the ZyAIR with the connection cables.