ELPRO 905U-E User Manual

DRAFT

User Manual

905U-E Wireless Ethernet

ELPRO Technologies Pty Ltd, 9/12 Billabong Street, Stafford Q 4053, Australia.

Tel: +61 7 33524533 Fax: +61 7 33524577 Email: [email protected]

Web: www.elprotech.com

905U -E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

Thank you for your selection of the 905U-E Wireless Ethernet Modem. We trust it will give you many years of valuable service.

ATTENTION!

Incorrect termination of supply wires may cause internal damage and will void warranty.

To ensure your 905U-E enjoys a long life,

double check ALL your connections with the user’s manual

before turning the power on.

Caution!

For continued protection against risk of fire, replace the internal module fuse only with the same type and rating.

CAUTION:

To comply with FCC RF Exposure requirements in section 1.1310 of the FCC Rules, antennas used with this device must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 20 cm from all persons to satisfy RF exposure compliance.

DO NOT: operate the transmitter when someone is within 20 cm of the antenna operate the transmitter unless all RF connectors are secure and any open connectors are properly terminated. operate the equipment near electrical blasting caps or in an explosive atmosphere

All equipment must be properly grounded for safe operations. All equipment should be serviced only by a qualified technician.

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 2

Important Notices

FCC Notice:

This user’s manual is for the ELPRO 905U-D radio telemetry module. This device complies with Part

15.247 of the FCC Rules.

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: q

This device may not cause harmful interference and q This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This device must be operated as supplied by ELPRO Technologies. Any changes or modifications made to the device without the written consent of ELPRO Technologies may void the user’s authority to operate the device.

End user products that have this device embedded must be supplied with non-standard antenna connectors, and antennas available from vendors specified by ELPRO Technologies. Please contact ELPRO

Technologies for end user antenna and connector recommendations.

Notices: Safety

Exposure to RF energy is an important safety consideration. The FCC has adopted a safety standard for human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic energy emitted by FCC regulated equipment as a result of its actions in Docket 93-62 and OET Bulletin 65 Edition 97-01.

Limited Warranty, Disclaimer and Limitation of Remedies

ELPRO products are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects for a period of 24 months from the effective date of purchase by the end user. The effective date of purchase is decided solely by ELPRO

Technologies.

This warranty does not extend to:

- failures caused by the operation of the equipment outside the particular product's specification, or

- use of the module not in accordance with this User Manual, or

- abuse, misuse, neglect or damage by external causes, or

- repairs, alterations, or modifications undertaken other than by an authorized Service Agent.

ELPRO’s liability under this warranty is limited to the replacement or repair of the product. This warranty is in lieu of and exclusive of all other warranties. This warranty does not indemnify the purchaser of products for any consequential claim for damages or loss of operations or profits and ELPRO is not liable for any consequential damages or loss of operations or profits resulting from the use of these products.

ELPRO is not liable for damages, losses, costs, injury or harm incurred as a consequence of any representations, warranties or conditions made by ELPRO or its representatives or by any other party, except as expressed solely in this document.

Page 3 © June 2005

905U -E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 4

Important Notices

Important Notice

ELPRO products are designed to be used in industrial environments, by experienced industrial engineering personnel with adequate knowledge of safety design considerations.

ELPRO radio products are used on unprotected license-free radio bands with radio noise and interference.

The products are designed to operate in the presence of noise and interference, however in an extreme case, radio noise and interference could cause product operation delays or operation failure. Like all industrial electronic products, ELPRO products can fail in a variety of modes due to misuse, age, or malfunction. We recommend that users and designers design systems using design techniques intended to prevent personal injury or damage during product operation, and provide failure tolerant systems to prevent personal injury or damage in the event of product failure. Designers must warn users of the equipment or systems if adequate protection against failure has not been included in the system design. Designers must include this Important

Notice in operating procedures and system manuals.

These products should not be used in non-industrial applications, or life-support systems, without consulting

ELPRO Technologies first.

1. A radio license is not required in some countries, provided the module is installed using the aerial and equipment configuration described in the 905U-E Installation Guide. Check with your local distributor for further information on regulations.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Operation is authorized by the radio frequency regulatory authority in your country on a nonprotection basis. Although all care is taken in the design of these units, there is no responsibility taken for sources of external interference. Systems should be designed to be tolerant of these operational delays.

To avoid the risk of electrocution, the aerial, aerial cable, serial cables and all terminals of the 905U-

D module should be electrically protected. To provide maximum surge and lightning protection, the module should be connected to a suitable earth and the aerial, aerial cable, serial cables and the module should be installed as recommended in the Installation Guide.

To avoid accidents during maintenance or adjustment of remotely controlled equipment, all equipment should be first disconnected from the 905U-E module during these adjustments.

Equipment should carry clear markings to indicate remote or automatic operation. E.g. "This equipment is remotely controlled and may start without warning. Isolate at the switchboard before attempting adjustments."

The 905U-E module is not suitable for use in explosive environments without additional protection.

Page 5 © June 2005

905U -E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................

87

1.1 N

ETWORK

T

OPOLOGY

....................................................................................................

87

1.2 G

ETTING

S

TARTED

Q

UICKLY

.......................................................................................

109

CHAPTER TWO INSTALLATION................................................................................

1110

2.1 G

ENERAL

...................................................................................................................

1110

2.2 A

NTENNA

I

NSTALLATION

..........................................................................................

1110

2.2.1 Dipole and Collinear antennas.............................................................................

1312

2.2.2 Yagi antennas.....................................................................................................

1413

2.3 P

OWER

S

UPPLY

..........................................................................................................

1514

2.4 S

ERIAL

C

ONNECTIONS

...............................................................................................

1514

2.4.1 RS232 Serial Port..............................................................................................

1514

2.4.2 RS485 Serial Port..............................................................................................

1615

CHAPTER THREE OPERATION..............................................................................

1817

3.1 S

TART

-

UP

.................................................................................................................

1817

3.2 D

EFAULT

C

ONFIGURATION

........................................................................................

1918

3.3 C

ONFIGURING THE

U

NIT FOR THE

F

IRST

T

IME

.............................................................

2019

3.4 C

ONFIGURING

A

DDRESSES

.........................................................................................

2524

3.5 E

THERNET

D

ATA

.......................................................................................................

2726

3.6 N

ORMAL

O

PERATION

................................................................................................

2726

3.7 S

PREAD

-S

PECTRUM

O

PERATION

...............................................................................

2827

3.8 R

ADIO

C

ONFIGURATION

M

ENU

..................................................................................

2827

3.9 S

PANNING

T

REE

A

LGORITHM

/ R

EDUNDANCY

............................................................

3029

3.10 W

IRELESS

M

ESSAGE

F

ILTERING

..................................................................................

3130

3.11 S

ERIAL

P

ORT

C

ONFIGURATION

..................................................................................

3331

3.12 M

ODULE

I

NFORMATION

C

ONFIGURATION

..................................................................

3332

3.13 R

EMOTE

C

ONFIGURATION

.........................................................................................

3332

3.14 C

ONFIGURATION

E

XAMPLES

......................................................................................

3433

CHAPTER FOUR DIAGNOSTICS .................................................................................

4038

4.1 D

IAGNOSTICS

C

HART

................................................................................................

4038

4.2 D

IAGNOSTIC

I

NFORMATION

A

VAILABLE

....................................................................

4038

4.2.1 Connectivity.......................................................................................................

4038

4.2.2 Monitor Communications ...................................................................................

4038

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 6

Contents

4.2.3 Statistics ............................................................................................................

4139

4.2.4 Network Traffic Analysis....................................................................................

4139

4.3 T

ESTING

R

ADIO

P

ATHS

..............................................................................................

4139

4.4 U

TILITIES

...................................................................................................................

4139

4.4.1 PING................................................................................................................

4139

4.4.2 IPCONFIG.......................................................................................................

4240

4.4.3 ARP ..................................................................................................................

4341

4.4.4 ROUTE.............................................................................................................

4341

CHAPTER FIVE SPECIFICATIONS..............................................................................

4643

APPENDIX A FIRMWARE UPGRADE.........................................................................

4744

APPENDIX B GLOSSARY...............................................................................................

4946

Page 7 © June 2005

905U -E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

Chapter One INTRODUCTION

The 905U-E Wireless Ethernet module provides wireless connections between Ethernet devices or Ethernet wired networks (LAN’s). It has an internal 900MHz spread spectrum frequency hopping wireless transceiver, which can be used without a radio license in many countries.

The 905U-E has a standard RJ45 Ethernet connection which will operate at up to 100Mbit/sec. The module will transmit the Ethernet messages on the wireless band at up to 200 Kbit/sec.

1.1 Network Topology

The 905U-E is an Ethernet device, and must be configured as part of an Ethernet network. Each 905U-E must be configured as: q an “Access Point” or a “Client”, and q a “Bridge” or a “Router”.

Access Point vs Client

The Access Point unit acts as the “wireless master” unit. The

Access Point sets up the wireless links to the Client units, and controls the wireless communications. The following diagram shows two Ethernet devices being linked. One

905U-E is configured as an Access Point and one as a Client

- in this example it doesn’t mater which unit is the Access

Point.

Ethernet

Device

Access

Point

Client

The next diagram shows an existing LAN being extended using 905U-E’s. In this example, the

Access Point should be configured at the LAN end

- although the wireless link will still work if the Client is at the LAN end.

LAN

Ethernet Device

Access

Point

Client

Client

An Access Point can connect to multiple Clients. In this case, the Access Point should be the “central” unit.

LAN

Ethernet Device

Access

Point

Client

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft

Client

Page 8

Chapter One Introduction

An Access Point could be used as a “Repeater” unit to connect two 905U-E Clients which do not have direct reliable radio paths.

LAN

Access

Point

Client

Client

Ethernet device

Bridge vs Router

Each 905U-E is configured with an IP address for the Ethernet side, and another for the wireless side.

A Bridge connects devices within the same Ethernet network - for example, extending an existing Ethernet

LAN. For a Bridge, the IP

192.168.0.34 192.168.0.72 address for the wireless side is the same as the Ethernet side.

Client

Bridge

192.168.0.34

LAN

192.168.0.72

Access Point

Bridge

A Router connects devices on different LAN’s. The

IP addresses for the

Ethernet and wireless sides are different.

LAN A

192.168.0.34

192.168.0.34

Access Point

Bridge

Client

Router

192.168.0.72

169.254.102.17

LAN B

In the above example, the wireless link is part of LAN A, with the Client unit acting as a Router between

LAN A and LAN B. Alternately, the Access Point could be configured as a Router - the wireless link is then part of LAN B.

169.254.102.54 169.254.102.53

LAN A

192.168.0.34 169.254.102.17

LAN B

Access Point

Router

Client

Bridge

Page 9 © June 2005

905U -E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

There is limit of two Routers within the same radio network. There is no limit to the number of Bridges in the same network - although there is a limit of 255 Client units linked to any one Access Point.

192.168.0.34

192.168.0.72

Client

Bridge

192.168.0.72

LAN A

192.168.0.34

Access Point

Bridge

192.168.0.74

192.168.0.73

169.254.102.17

LAN C

169.254.109.40

LAN B

Client

Router

Client

Router

1.2 Getting Started Quickly

Most applications for the 905U-E require little configuration. The 905U-E has many sophisticated features, however if you don’t require these features, this section will allow you to configure the units quickly.

First, read Section 2, “Installation”. The 905U-E requires an antenna and a power supply. q Power the 905U-E and make an Ethernet connection to your PC (for further information on how to do this, refer to section 3.3) q

Set the 905U-E address settings as per section 3.4 - also select Access Point / Client and Bridge /

Router q Save the configuration - the 905U-E is now ready to use.

Before installing the 905U-E, bench test the system. It is a lot easier to locate problems when the equipment is all together.

There are other configuration setting which may or may not improve the operation of the system. For detail on these settings, refer to section 3.

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 10

Chapter Two Installation

Chapter Two INSTALLATION

2.1 General

The 905U-E module is housed in an rugged aluminum case, suitable for DIN-rail mounting. Terminals will accept wires up to 12 gauge (2.5 sqmm) in size.

All connections to the module must be SELV. Normal 110-240V mains supply should not be connected to any terminal of the 905U-E module. Refer to Section 2.3 Power Supply .

Before installing a new system, it is preferable to bench test the complete system. Configuration problems are easier to recognize when the system units are adjacent. Following installation, the most common problem is poor communications caused by incorrectly installed antennas, or radio interference on the same channel, or the radio path being inadequate. If the radio path is a problem (ie path too long, or obstructions in the way), then higher performance antennas or a higher mounting point for the antenna may rectify the problem. Alternately, use an intermediate 905U-E Module as a repeater.

The foldout sheet 905U-E Installation Guide provides an installation drawing appropriate to most applications. Further information is detailed below.

Each 905U-E module should be effectively earthed via the "GND" terminal on the 905U-E module - this is to ensure that the surge protection circuits inside the 905U-E module are effective.

2.2 Antenna Installation

The 905U-E module will operate reliably over large distances. The distance which may be reliably achieved will vary with each application - depending on the transmit power (user configurable), type and location of antennas, the degree of radio interference, and obstructions (such as hills or trees) to the radio path. Typical reliable distances for 1W transmit power are :

USA/Canada 15 miles

Australia/NZ 12 km

6dB net gain antenna configuration permitted (4W ERP) unity gain antenna configuration (1W ERP)

Longer distances can be achieved if one antenna is mounted on top of a hill.

To achieve the maximum transmission distance, the antennas should be raised above intermediate obstructions so the radio path is true “line of sight”. Because of the curvature of the earth, the antennas will need to be elevated at least 15 feet (5 metres) above ground for paths greater than 3 miles (5 km).

The modules will operate reliably with some obstruction of the radio path, although the reliable distance will be reduced. Obstructions which are close to either antenna will have more of a blocking affect than obstructions in the middle of the radio path. For example, a group of trees around the antenna is a larger obstruction than a group of trees further away from the antenna. The 905U-E modules provide a diagnostic feature which displays the radio signal strength of transmissions.

Line-of-sight paths are only necessary to obtain the maximum range. Obstructions will reduce the range, however may not prevent a reliable path. A larger amount of obstruction can be tolerated for

Page 11 © June 2005

905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual shorter distances. For very short distances, it is possible to mount the antennas inside buildings. An obstructed path requires testing to determine if the path will be reliable - refer the section 6 of this manual.

In certain circumstances, much longer distances can be achieved by reducing the transmitter power and using higher gain antennas. Although the effective radiated power at the transmitter end is the same, the additional antenna gain at the receiver gives increased distance. This is only true for locations of low background noise as the antenna gain will also increase the noise level. For example, in America where

4W ERP power is permitted, a combination of 0.1W transmitter power and 16dB antenna gain (giving

4W ERP) can give distances of more than 60 miles (100km). However antennas will need to be elevated to give line-of-sight. This is a special installation and advice from ELPRO should be sought.

Where it is not possible to achieve reliable communications between two 905U modules, then a third

905U module may be used to receive the message and re-transmit it. This module is referred to as a repeater. This module may also have a host device connected to it.

An antenna should be connected to the module via 50 ohm coaxial cable (eg RG58, RG213 or Cellfoil) terminated with a male SMA coaxial connector. The higher the antenna is mounted, the greater the transmission range will be, however as the length of coaxial cable increases so do cable losses. For use on unlicensed frequency channels, there are several types of antennas suitable for use. It is important antenna are chosen carefully to avoid contravening the maximum power limit on the unlicensed channel

- if in doubt refer to an authorized service provider.

The net gain of an antenna/cable configuration is the gain of the antenna (in dBi) less the loss in the coaxial cable (in dB).

The maximum net gain of the antenna/cable configuration permitted is

Country

USA / Canada

Max. gain (dB)

6

Australia / New Zealand

The gains and losses of typical antennas are

0 for 1W transmit power

10 for 0.1W transmit power

Antenna Gain (dB)

Dipole with integral 15’ cable 0

5dBi Collinear (3dBd)

8dBi Collinear (6dBd)

5

8

Cable type

CC10/900

CC20/900

Length (m)

10

20

Antenna

Loss (dB)

3

6

Gain (dB)

6 element Yagi 10

9 element Yagi 12

16 element Yagi 15

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 12

Chapter Two Installation

The net gain of the antenna/cable configuration is determined by adding the antenna gain and the cable loss. For example, a 6 element Yagi with 70 feet (20 metres) of Cellfoil has a net gain of 4dB (10dB

– 6dB).

Connections between the antenna and coaxial cable should be carefully taped to prevent ingress of moisture. Moisture ingress in the coaxial cable is a common cause for problems with radio systems, as it greatly increases the radio losses. We recommend that the connection be taped, firstly with a layer of

PVC Tape, then with a vulcanizing tape such as “3M 23 tape”, and finally with another layer of PVC

UV Stabilized insulating tape. The first layer of tape allows the joint to be easily inspected when trouble shooting as the vulcanizing seal can be easily removed.

Where antennas are mounted on elevated masts, the masts should be effectively earthed to avoid lightning surges. For high lightning risk areas, surge suppression devices between the module and the antenna are recommended. If the antenna is not alr eady shielded from lightning strike by an adjacent earthed structure, a lightning rod may be installed above the antenna to provide shielding.

2.2.1 Dipole and Collinear antennas.

A collinear antenna transmits the same amount of radio power in all directions - as such that are easy to install and use. The dipole antenna with integral 15 ‘ cable does not require any additional coaxial cable, however a cable must be used with the collinear antennas.

Collinear and dipole antennas should be mounted vertically, preferably 3 feet (1 metre) away from a wall or mast to obtain maximum range.

COLINEAR

ANTENNA

1m minimum

SURGE

ARRESTOR

(OPTIONAL)

WEATHERPROOF

CONNECTORS WITH

“3M 23” TAPE

COAXIAL CABLE

STRESS RELIEF LOOP

ANT

905U

GND

PROVIDE GOOD

GROUND

CONNECTION TO

MAST, MODULE

AND SURGE

ARRESTOR

MAST

Page 13

INSTALL AERIAL ABOVE

LOCAL OBSTRUCTIONS

EARTH STAKE

IF GROUND CONDITIONS ARE

POOR, INSTALL MORE THAN

ONE STAKE

© June 2005

905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

2.2.2 Yagi antennas.

A Yagi antenna provides high gain in the forward direction, but lower gain in other directions. This may be used to compensate for coaxial cable loss for installations with marginal radio path.

The Yagi gain also acts on the receiver, so adding Yagi antennas at both ends of a link provides a double improvement.

Yagi antennas are directional. That is, they have positive gain to the front of the antenna, but negative gain in other directions. Hence Yagi antennas should be installed with the central beam horizontal and must be pointed exactly in the direction of transmission to benefit from the gain of the antenna. The Yagi antennas may be installed with the elements in a vertical plane (vertically polarized) or in a horizontal plane (horizontally polarized). For a two station installation, with both modules using Yagi antennas, horizontal polarization is recommended. If there are more than two stations transmitting to a common station, then the Yagi antennas should have vertical polarization, and the common (or “central” station should have a collinear (non-directional) antenna.

Also note that Yagi antennas normally have a drain hole on the folded element - the drain hole should be located on the bottom of the installed antenna.

90 o

Antenna installed with drain holes down

Coax feed looped at connection

905U

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 14

Chapter Two

2.3

Installation

Power Supply

The 905U -E module can be powered from a 10 - 30VDC power supply. The power supply should be rated at 1 Amp and be CSA Certified Class 2. The negative side of the supply should be connected to a good “ground” point for surge protection. The supply negative is connected to the unit case internally.

The positive side of the supply must not be connected to earth. The DC supply may be a floating supply or negatively grounded. The power requirements of the 905U -E unit is

280mA @ 12V or 150mA @ 24VDC.

This is inclusive of radio and Ethernet ports active, & serial port plugged in.

Transmission current (1W RF) is nominally 500mA at 12V, 250mA at 24VDC.

10-30

VDC

_

+

A

B

RS485

-

+

SUPPLY

COM

DIO

905U-E

2.4 Serial Connections

2.4.1 RS232 Serial Port

The serial port is a 9 pin DB9 female and provides for connection to a host device as well as a PC terminal for configuration, field testing and for factory testing. This port is internally shared with the

RS485 - ensure that the RS485 is disconnected before attempting to use the RS232 port.

Communication is via standard RS232 signals. The 905U-E is configured as DCE equipment with the pinouts detailed below.

905U-E

DB9

MALE

DTE HOST

DB9

FEMALE

905U-E

DB9

MALE

DCE HOST

DB9

MALE

Hardware handshaking using the CTS/RTS lines is provided. The CTS/RTS lines may be used to reflect the status of the local unit’s input buffer, or may be configured to reflect the status of CTS/RTS lines at the remote site. The 905U-E does not support XON/XOFF.

Example cable drawings for connection to a DTE host (a PC) or another DCE hosts (or modem) are detailed above.

Page 15 © June 2005

905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

DB9 Connector Pinouts

5

8

9

6

7

3

4

Pin Name Direction Function

1 DCD Out

Data carrier detect –

- on when link is established in controlled mode

- on always in transparent mode

2 RD Out Transmit Data – Serial Data Output

TD

DTR

In

In

Receive Data – Serial Data Input

Data Terminal Ready - DTR can be configured to initiate low power mode, or to force a link disconnection (“hang up” in controlled mode.

SG

DSR

RTS

CTS

RI

Out

In

Out

Signal Ground

Data Set Ready - always high when unit is powered on.

Request to Send - hardware flow control configurable

Clear to send - hardware flow control configurable

Ring indicator - indicates another module is attempting to connect in controlled mode.

2.4.2 RS485 Serial Port

The RS485 port provides for communication between the 905U-E unit and its host device using a multidrop cable. Up to 32 devices may be connected in each multi-drop network. Note that the RS485 port is shared internally with the RS232 port - make sure that the RS232 port is disconnected before using the RS485 port.

As the RS485 communication medium is shared, only one of the units on the RS485 cable may send data at any one time. Thus communication protocols based on the RS-485 standard require some type of arbitration.

RS485 is a balanced, differential standard but it is recommended that shielded, twisted pair cable be used to interconnect modules to reduce potential RF I. It is important to maintain the polarity of the two

RS485 wires. An RS485 network should be wired as indicated in the diagram below and terminated at each end of the network with a 120 ohm resistor. On-board 120 ohm resistors are provided and may be engaged by operating the single DIP switch in the end plate next to the RS485 terminals. The DIP switch should be in the “1” or “on” position to connect the resistor. If the module is not at one end of the

RS485 cable, the switch should be off.

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 16

Chapter Two

905U-E

HOST

120

Ω

905U-E

RS485 CONNECTIONS

HOST

HOST

HOST

Installation

-

-

-

+ +

+

120

Ω

RS485 CONNECTION USING TERMINATING RESISTOR

Page 17 © June 2005

905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

Chapter Three OPERATION

3.1 Start-up

“Access Point” Start-up

An Access Point unit starts and immediately begins transmitting periodic messages called beacons.

These beacon messages are messages contain information for Clients on how to establish a link with the

Access Point.

Any Client that hears the messages, which are not already linked to another Access Point unit, will respond and links will be established between the new Access Point and these Clients.

“Client” Start-up

When a Client powers up, it immediately scans for messages from Access Point units. The Client will continue to scan for twice the configured beacon interval in the Client. During the scan, the RX led will flicker now and again indicating messages received, perhaps from an Access Point. If the Client finds suitable Access Points during the scan, it will then attempt to establish a link with the Access Point with the strongest radio signal.

Link Establishment

When the Client wishes to establish a link with an Access Point it follows a two step process. The first step is “authentication”. During this step the Client and Access Point check if they can establish a secure link, based upon the configured security encryption.

Once the Client has been authenticated, it will then request a link. This step is called “association”.

While no links have been established, the LINK led will be OFF. Once a single link has been established, the LINK led is ON.

After the link is established, data may be transferred in both directio ns. The Access Point will act as a master-unit and will control the flow of information to the Clients linked to it.

The maximum number of 255 Clients may be linked to an Access Point.

How a Link connection is lost

The 905U-E will reset the Link if:

• Excessive retries: When a 905u-E unit transmit a wireless message to another unit, the destination unit will transmit back an acknowledgment. If the source unit does not receive an acknowledgment, it will re-send the message - this is known as a “re-try”. Both Access Point and Client will drop the link if the number of retries for a single packet exceeds (7) times. Packets are retransmitted according to an increasing time delay between retries, with each attempt on a different frequency.

•

Inactivity: During periods of inactivity, Clients will periodically check that the link to the Access

Point remains intact. This process is called “reassociation”, and will occur approximately (6) beacon intervals after the last packet was sent to the Access Point. If a Client unit does not get a response

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 18

Chapter Three Operation from its Access Point, it will retry the reassociation request (7) times before resetting the link. If an Access Point does not receive any traffic from a Client, including reassociation requests, within

(12) beacon intervals, the Access Point will reset the link.

After a Client has reset it’s Link status, it will start scanning for an Access Point, as if it has just started up.

LED Indication

The following table details the status of the indicating LEDs on the front panel under normal operating conditions.

LED Indicator Condition Meaning

OK GREEN Normal Operation

OK RED Supply voltage too low.

Radio RX

Radio TX

Serial RX

Serial TX

GREEN flash

RED flash

Flash

GREEN flash

RED flash

GREEN flash

Radio receiving data

Weak radio signal

Radio Transmitting

Serial Port Receiving

CTS low

Serial Port Transmitting

LINK

LINK

DIO

On

Off

On

On when a radio communications link is established

Communications failure or radio link not established

Digital Output or Input is grounded.

DIO Off Digital Output or Input is open circuit.

Other conditions indicating a fault are described in Chapter Six Troubleshooting .

3.2 Default Configuration

The default factory configuration of the 905U-E is a Bridge, Client, IP address 192.168.123.123, netmask 255.255.255.0, gateway IP address 192.168.123.1.

The Username is always “ user ” and the default password is “ user ” for configuration.

When powered up with the Factory Default switch in SETUP position, the 905U-E will start with temporary settings of Ethernet IP address 192.168.123.123, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, gateway IP

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

192.168.123.1, username and password “user” and the radio disabled. The previous configuration remains unchanged. This allows easy access to read configuration when detail has been forgotten. The existing configuration is only modified if the user makes changes and saves them.

Do not forget to set the switch back to the RUN position and cycle power at the conclusion of configuration for resumption of normal operation.

3.3 Configuring the Unit for the First Time

The 905U-E has a built-in webserver, containing webpages for analysis and modification of configuration. The configuration must be accessed using Microsoft® Internet Explorer. This program is shipped with Microsoft Windows or may be obtained freely via the Microsoft® website.

Configuration of IP address, gateway address and subnet mask may also be accessed via the RS-232 serial port.

Accessing Configuration for the first time

There are two methods for accessing the configuration inside a 905U-E. The first method requires changing your computer settings so that the configuring PC is on the same network as the 905U-E with factory default settings. This is the preferred method and is much less complicated than the second method. You will need a “straight-through”

Ethernet cable between the PC Ethernet port and the 905U-E. The factory default

Ethernet address for the 905U-E is

192.168.123.123.

The second method requires setting an IP address in the 905U-E such that it is accessible on your network without having to change your network settings.

Option 1 – Set PC to same network as

905U-E

Connect the Ethernet cable between unit and the PC configuring the module.

•

Set the Factory Default Switch to the

SETUP position. This will always start the 905U-E with Ethernet IP address

192.168.123.123, subnet mask

255.255.255.0, gateway IP

192.168.123.1 and the radio disabled.

Do not forget to set the switch back to the RUN position and cycle power at the conclusion of configuration for resumption of normal operation.

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Chapter Three Operation

•

Power up the 905U-E module.

•

Open “Network Settings” on your PC under Control Panel. The following description is for

Windows XP - earlier Windows operating systems have similar settings.

•

Open “Properties” of Local Area Connection.

•

Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on Properties.

•

On the General tab enter IP address 192.168.123.1, Subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and default gateway 192.168.123.1.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

•

Open Internet Explorer and ensure that settings will allow you to connect to the IP address selected.

If the PC uses a proxy server, ensure that Internet Explorer will bypass the Proxy Server for local addresses. This option may be modified by opening Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections Tab

-> LAN Settings->Proxy Server -> bypass proxy for local addresses.

•

Enter the webpage http://192.168.123.123

•

A welcome webpage should be displayed as illustrated below.

•

Configuration and Diagnostics may be opened by clicking on any of the menu items, and entering the username “ user ” and default password “ user ”. Configure the unit to your requirements (refer later sections of this manual).

When Configuration is complete, switch Factory Default dip-switch on 905U-E to RUN position, and cycle power to resume normal configured operation.

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Chapter Three Operation

Option 2 – Set 905U-E to same network as PC

Consult your network administrator for an IP address on your network, the gateway IP address, and network mask. a) Switch Factory Default dip -switch on 905U-E to SETUP positio n. b) Connect the RS232 port on the 905U-E to the RS232 port on the PC using a “straight-through” serial cable. c) Open a terminal package (such as Hyperterminal) with 19200bps data rate, 8 data bit, 1 stop, no parity and no flow control. Make sure that no other programs have control of the serial port. d) Power up 905U-E. Basic network settings will be displayed on the terminal as illustrated below.

When prompted, hit enter key to stop automatic boot process. You have 5 seconds to abort the boot process.

My Right Boot 2.1

Copyright 1999-2004 Cybertec Pty Ltd, All rights reserved.

This software is provided by Cybertec ``as is'' and with NO WARRANTY.

http://www.cybertec.com.au/

ROM : 256KB @ 0xffe00000

RAM : 8192KB @ 0x00000000 (141KB / 0x0002360c)

ROM Configuration table ... PASSED.

RAM address pattern check . PASSED.

RAM address bus check ..... PASSED.

Product : E900P

Variant : E900P-8

Serial No. : 01052423

Release : epm_mrb_E900P_1.4

Released date : 25 May 2005

Released host : Anxosity

Build date : Wed May 25 11:30:58 2005

Build host : Anxosity

Boot Flags : no RAM test, no ROM test, bus timer on, wdog on

static IP, auto-boot, net-boot, reset on

local file, no binary load

Boot delay : 0

Boot Filename : /memory/0xffe40000,0x60000

Boot Address : 192.168.123.118

Boot Netmask : 255.255.255.0

Boot Gateway : 192.168.123.1

Boot Host : 192.168.0.151

Boot Mac 0 : 00:12:af:00:00:93

Boot Mac 1 : 00:12:af:00:00:93

RTE data store .... no error

Setting bus timer (on) and watchdog (on) ... PASSED

Recovery Configuration : ip address : 192.168.123.123 net mask : 255.255.255.0 gateway : 192.168.123.1 host : 192.168.123.1 eip: mount point /memory fec0: connected at 10M Half D uplex. fec0: local ip = 192.168.123.123, server ip = 192.168.123.1

Press ENTER to abort automatic booting ... 5

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual e) Check values for Boot Address, Boot Netmask, and Boot Gateway. These values should be set to reflect those of the PC you are using to configure the unit. If these are correct skip to step (h). You may check settings again with the rct command. For further help, type the help command. f) Set Boot Netmask to the same settings as the computer you have the Ethernet cable connected to.

This may be performed with the command: bnm <Type the netmask> g) Set Boot Gateway to the same settings as the computer you have the Ethernet cable connected to.

This may be performed with the command: bgw <Type the gateway IP address> h) Choose an IP address for the 905U-E being upgraded. This IP address must be on the same network as the computer you have connected the Ethernet cable to. This may be performed with the command: bip <Type the IP address> i) Switch dip-switch on 905U-E to RUN position. j) Type the command reset , or cycle power to the unit. The 905UE will reset and start with the network settings you have entered. k) Open Internet Explorer and ensure that settings will allow you to connect to the IP address selected. If the PC uses a proxy server, ensure that Internet Explorer will bypass the Proxy Server for local addresses. This option may be modified by opening Tools -> Internet Options ->

Connections Tab -> LAN Settings->Proxy Server -> bypass proxy for local addresses. l) Enter the webpage http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/ where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

is the IP address selected for the module. A welcome webpage should be displayed as illustrated. m) Clicking on any of the menu items, and entering the username “user” and password “user” may open Configuration and Diagnostics. If the password has previously been configured other than the default password, then enter this instead.

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Chapter Three

3.4

Operation

Configuring Addresses

Open Internet Explorer to the IP address set for the 905U-E module. (ie http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/), and select the “Network” menu. When prompted for username and password, enter “user” as the username, and the previously configured password in the password field.

If IP address or password has been forgotten, the Factory Default switch may be used to access the existing configuration. Refer to section 3.3 above.

If your system is connecting individual devices which are not connected to an existing Ethernet LAN, then you can use the factory default IP values. If you are connecting to an existing LAN, then you need to change the IP addresses to match your LAN addresses.

After the addresses are configured, it is important to save the configuration by selecting “Save and

Reboot”.

Network Settings Webpage Fields

Device Mode

Operating Mode

Bridge Priority

Used to select Bridge or Router mode.

By default this is set to Bridge.

Used to select Access Point or Client mode.

By default this is set to Client.

The priority of the 905U-E, if configured as a bridge, in the Bridge

Spanning Tree algorithm. By default this is set to the lowest priority at

255.

This setting will have no effect and should not be used unless the redundant wireless links are being used. This is explained in Section 3.9

MAC Address

Gateway IP Address

Ethernet IP Address

This is the unique hardware address of the 905U-E, assigned in the

Factory. For the majority of systems, this item should not be changed.

If the device is to be connected to equipment that will only communicate with a set MAC Address, the 905U-E may clone that MAC address.

The MAC Address may be modified by following the procedure outlined in Section ??.

This is only required if the wired LAN has a Gateway unit which connects to devices beyond the LAN - for example, Internet access. If there is no Gateway on the LAN, set to the same address as the Access Point - that is, the “Ethernet IP Address” below.

The IP address of the 905U-E on its Ethernet port. This should be set to the IP address you require.

Ethernet IP Subnet Mask The IP network mask of the 905U-E on its Ethernet port. This should be

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual set to the IP address you require.

Wireless IP Address The IP address of the 905U-E on the wireless port. If the unit is configured as a bridge this address must be the same as the Ethernet IP address. If configured as a router, the IP address must be different from the Ethernet IP Address - it must be consistent with the LAN it is connecting to on the wired side.

Wireless IP Subnet Mask The network mask of the 905U-E on the radio port. If configured as a

Bridge, this must be the same as the Ethernet IP Subnet Mask.

System Address A 905U-E network comprises modules with the same "system address”.

Only modules with the same system address will communicate with each other. If you are adding another module to an existing system, use the same “address” as the existing modules. If you are starting a new system, select an “address” and use the same value for each module.

The system address is a text string 1 to 31 characters in length. For security reasons, a random string should be used - for example

“3blindmice47”

Radio Encryption

Encryption Keys 1 to 4

Save and Reboot.

The Factory default System Address is “905U-E”. Do not use this system address - change it to another value .

Select “None”, “64-bit” or “128 AES” security encryption of the wireless data. For more information, refer to Section ??

The default setting is “None”.

These are the keys used to encrypt radio data to protect data from unwanted eavesdroppers. These keys must be set the same for all 905U-

E units in the same system. If encryption is not selected, the Key values can be ignored.

Each of the fields are 5 bytes in length for 64-bit encryption and 4 bytes for 128-bit AES encryption. These keys must be entered as hexidecimal numbers separated by colons.

For example, 12:AB:EF:00:56. for 64bit encryption, and 12:AB:EF:00 for 128bit AES encryption

Encryption keys must not be all zeros, ie 00:00:00:00:00

64bit encryption uses each keys alternatively for each radio packet.

128bit AES encryption combines these keys to form a single 128bit key, used on all radio packets.

Save settings to non-volatile memory, and reboot 905U-E.

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Chapter Three

3.5

Operation

Ethernet Data

All Ethernet devices are uniquely identified by a MAC Address that identifies the hardware device.

These addresses are factory-set and are six bytes in size and are expressed in hexadecimal in the form xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx

Ethernet messages can be addressed to a single device (a point-to-point message) or can be directed towards multiple destinations by using Multicast addresses and Broadcast addresses. The broadcast address is used to send data to all devices. The broadcast address is FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF.

Multicast addresses are used to direct data at a set of devices. Multicast addresses may be recognized as they are always have the least significant bit of the first byte of the MAC Address set. For example,

0 1 :00:5E:00:00:00 is a multicast address, 0 1 :80:C2:00:00:00 is also a multicast address.

3.6 Normal

Operation

After addresses are configured, the units are ready for operation.

Refer to section 1 for an explanation on the operation of a Bridge and Router.

Transparent Bridge Operation

Bridges are typically used to connect sections of the same IP network together.

By default, the 905U-E is configured as a transparent bridge. When a transparent bridge is started, it learns the location of other devices by monitoring the source address of all incoming traffic. Initially it forwards all traffic between the wired Ethernet port and the wireless port, however by keeping a list of devices heard on each port, the transparent bridge can decide which traffic must be forwarded between ports - it will only transfer a message from the wired port to the wireless port if it is required.

A bridge will forward all Broadcast traffic between the wired and wireless ports. If the wired network is busy with broadcast traffic, the radio network on the 905U-E can be unnecessarily overburdened.

Filtering may be used to reduce broadcast traffic sent over the radio. Refer Section 3.10 for how to configure a filter.

A transparent bridge does not handle loops within the network. There must be a single path to each device on the network. Loops in the network will cause the same data to be continually passed around that loop. Redundant wireless links may be set up by using the Spanning Tree Algorithm function - refer to section 3.9.

Router Operation

A router joins separate Ethernet networks together. The router has different IP addresses on its wired and wireless ports, reflecting the different IP addresses of the separate Ethernet networks.

All the devices in the separate networks identify the router by IP address as their gateway to the other network. When devices on one network wish to communicate with devices on the other network, they direct their packets at the router for forwarding.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

As the router has an IP address on each of the networks it joins, it inherently knows the packet identity.

If the traffic directed at the router can not be identified for any of the networks to which it is connected, the router must consult its routing rules as to where to direct the traffic to.

The 905U-E has one routing rule which may be configured. This routing rule is the gateway address.

The 905U-E will direct all unknown IP network traffic to this gateway IP address.

3.7 Spread-Spectrum Operation

The 905U-E operates on the 902-928MHz license-free radio band using a frequency-hopping spreadspectrum technique. Devices on this radio band must use a spread spectrum technique to allow multiple users to share the band with minimal interference. The Access Point changes frequency (hops) in a specific sequence, and the Clients linked to it hop with it.

In some countries, the radio band is limited to a sub-set of the 902-928 MHz band to suit local regulations.

In countries which allow the full 902-928MHz band (such as USA and Canada), there are eight hopping sequences (numbered 0 to 7, user-configurable). Each sequence uses only half of the frequencies available in the band. Sequences 0-3 use the same frequencies, but in a different sequence.

Sequences 4-7 use the other frequencies.

For example, consider two systems close together. If the systems have hopping sequences in the same group (0-3 or 4-7), then there is some degree of isolation because of the different hopping sequence, however they will occasionally hop onto the same frequency and cause momentary interference.

However if one system uses a sequence in the first group (0-3) and the second system uses the second group(4-7), each system is isolated from each other. Note that this is only true if the antennas are at least 30 metres (100 feet) apart to prevent “blocking” - that is, saturation of the other receiver when one unit transmits.

Client units must be configured to the same group (0-3 or 4-7) as the Access Point.

In countries which only allow a sub-set of the 902-928 MHz band, it is not possible to separate systems in this way because the band is smaller and all hopping sequences use all frequencies available.

3.8 Radio Configuration

Menu

The 905U-E can be configured to different radio transmission rates. A reduction in rate increases the reliable range (transmission distance). An “automatic rate” function is provided which automatically selects the highest data rate for reliable operation. This feature starts at the highest rate and reduces rate if the received radio signal strength is below a user-configurable limit.

With the exception of the frequency hopset , the factory-default settings for the radio port will be correct for the majority of applications. Only make changes if you experience operating problems.

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Chapter Three Operation

Select the “Radio” Menu to change the following configuration parameters. If a change is made, you need to select “Apply Changes and Save” to retain the changes.

Power Level

Data Rate

The transmitter power level desired in mW.

By default this is set to maximum power of 1 Watt (1000mW). The lowest setting is 100mW.

The radio baud rate in bits per second (bps). Available rates are 19200,

38400, 100000, 200000bps and Auto.

The default value is Auto. In Auto mode, the 905U-E will automatically adjust the data rate to the fastest rate for reliable operation in each radio path.

When automatic rate is selected, the 905U-E chooses a rate based on the received signal strength of transmissions. The Fade Margin value is used by the 905U-E to determine when to change data rates. A larger Fade

Margin means that the 905U-E will reduce rates at higher signal levels.

The default value is 10 dB.

Fade Margin

This is the difference (in dB) between the received radio signal and the receiver sensitivity

(minimum radio signal).

Dwell Time

The amount of time, in milliseconds, the 905U-E remains on a particular frequency whilst frequency hopping

Beacon Period

This interval is the period between beacon transmissions sent by an

Access Point.

Frequency Hopset

There are eight hopsets available (0-7)

Reducing this value will improve performance if there is a high level of radio interference This also has an impact on the maximum size of packet that may be transmitted. Refer to “Fragmentation Threshold” for more information.

The default value is 400 milliseconds.

The Beacon Interval is also related to the scan period on a Client.

Reassociation interval is (6) times the Beacon Interval when the link has been inactive.

Access Points will timeout after 12 times the Beacon Interval if no response is heard.

Refer to Section 3.1 for more information.

The default value is 10 seconds. This should be adjusted to larger values as the system is increased in size. This will reduce the overhead of checking each link, at the expense of response time when a link is dropped.

Clients must be configured with a value that is in the same group as the

Access Point. In USA/Canada, there are two groups, hopsets (0 to 3) and hopsets (4 to 7). Clients will automatically adjust their hopset to synchronize with any Access Point in the same band.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

Fragmentation Threshold

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) of data over the radio.

The default value is 0.

This selects the maximum number of bytes that will be transmitted in one message. If more than this number of bytes is input into the 905U-E, the module will transmit more than one message.

The default value is 500 bytes.

If fixed radio rates are configured, this value can be increased and will reduce radio transmission overhead. For 200Kbps and 100Kbps, the fragmentation threshold can be increased to 2000, and at 38.4Kbps, to

1000. However if the radio path is poor, or there is high radio interference, increasing this value will decrease system performance as the number of re-try messages will increase.

RSSI Threshold

The received signal strength level at which beacons from

Access Points are to be ignored.

This should be used to prevent Clients and Access Points establishing links beyond a sustainable range.

The default value is set below the noise floor at -150 dBm. This allows all messages received to be processed.

If a value of –90 is entered, any beacons weaker than –90dBm will be ignored, resulting in the link eventually resetting if the radio path continues at less than –90.

Apply Changes Update settings.

Apply Changes and Save Update settings and save to non-volatile memory.

3.9 Spanning Tree Algorithm /

Redundancy

The “Spanning Tree Algorithm” function was introduced to handle network loops and provide redundant paths in networks. The Spanning Tree Algorithm can be configured, however the factory default setting is “disabled”.

For example, consider the following network with a redundant wireless link:

Access Point

Bridge

Client

Bridge

Access Point

Bridge

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft

Client

Bridge

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Chapter Three Operation

If the Spanning Tree Algorithm function is enabled, one of the two wireless links will be disabled - that is, all wireless data will be transferred by one link only. If the active link fails, the other link will automatically start transferring the wireless data.

The Spanning Tree Algorithm implemented is IEEE802.1d compatible. The algorithm forms a loop-free network by blocking traffic between redundant links in the network. These blocked links are placed in a standby condition, and may be automatically enabled to repair the network if another link is lost. The

Spanning Tree Algorithm maintains a single path between all nodes in a network, by forming a tree-like structure. The Bridge Priority determines where the node sits in the tree. A Bridge with the lowest priority configured (0) will become the root node in the network, and will direct traffic between each of its branches. The root node is typically the unit that handles the majority of traffic in the network. As a low bandwidth radio device, the 905U-E is configured with a Bridge Priority of (255) by default. The intention is reduce traffic that the 905U-E must handle, by placing it at the branch level in the network tree. As a branch, the 905U-E needs only pass traffic to devices that are its “leaves”.

There is some overhead in maintaining a network utilizing the Spanning Tree Algorithm. Users wishing to increase their throughput, at the expense of redundancy should disable Spanning Tree.

3.10 Wireless Message

Filtering

When configured as a Bridge, the 905U-E will transmit all broadcast messages appearing at its wired

Ethernet port. When the 905U-E is configured as a Router, this does not occur.

In many cases, the intended recipient of the broadcast traffic does not lie at the opposite end of a proposed radio link. Reducing unnecessary broadcast traffic sent over the radio link, will increase available bandwidth for data. The 905U-E has a filtering feature to help reduce unnecessary wireless transmissions and enhance security.

To make an effective filter in a 905U-E it is necessary to have detail of MAC Addresses of devices intended to communicate across the wireless link. Design of the filter may be simplified by monitoring network traffic and forming a profile of traffic on the wired network. Network Analysis software, such as the freely available Ethereal program, will list broadcast traffic sent on the network.

The 905U-E may be configured to reject or accept messages to and from certain MAC Addresses. To accept wireless messages from particular devices a “Whitelist” of MAC Addresses must be made.

Alternatively to reject messages from particular devices, a “Blacklist” of MAC Addresses must be made. The filtering applies only to messages appearing at the wired Ethernet port of the configured

905U-E.

You can configure either a Whitelist or a Blacklist, not both. If you configure a Whitelist, the 905U-E will only accept messages from the Whitelist, and messages from all other devices will be rejected. If

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual you configure a Blacklist, the 905U-E will accept messages from all devices except for the Blacklist devices.

When configuring a Whitelist, additional care must be taken, as it is more difficult to configure than a

Blacklist. When configuring a Whitelist it is important to add the MAC Addresses of all devices that communicate over the wireless link. It is particularly important that the MAC Address of the configuration PC, and the broadcast address FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF are added to the Whitelist, if changes are made while the unit is in operation. Failure to add these addresses will prevent the configuration PC from making any further changes to configuration, and block all broadcast traffic.

It is also important to add the addresses of any multicast traffic. All bridges with Spanning Tree enabled, must allow the spanning tree bridge multicast MAC Address 01:80:C2:00:00:00 .

It is advisable to use the Apply Changes button to test the configuration entered. Once the configuration is determined to be correct, the Apply Changes and Save button should be used. In the event that the configuration is incorrect, a power reset will revert the unit to previously saved configuration.

If an erroneous configuration has prevented all access to the module, SETUP mode may be used analyze what is wrong with the configuration.

Simply switch the dipswitch to SETUP and cycle power. The 905U-E will retain its configuration, however will load up at IP address

192.168.123.123, netmask 255.255.255.0 with the radio and filter disabled. Configuration webpages will still show the original configuration. No changes are made to configuration until the user saves changes. To resume normal operation, set the dipswitch to RUN and cycle power.

When configuring a Blacklist, identify the MAC addresses of sources of unwanted broadcast traffic.

Multicast traffic from these source may also be filtered.

To configure Filtering, select the Filter menu.

Add Entries

Delete Entries

Whitelist or Blacklist

Enter the MAC addresses of devices to be added to the list. Multiple entries must be separated by a semi-colon (;).

Check the box alongside entries selected for removal from the list.

Uncheck the box to make the list a blacklist. This will ban all devices with a MAC address in the list from communicating with the 905U-E or utilizing the radio link.

Check the box to make the list a whitelist. This will only allow devices with the MAC addresses listed to communicate with 905U-E and utilize the radio link.

Apply Changes Update settings.

Apply Changes and Save Update settings and save to non-volatile memory.

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Chapter Three

3.11

Operation

Serial Port Configuration

No serial port functionality is enabled in the initial release of firmware. Future firmware releases will additional features here. Firmware may be upgraded to take advantage of these new features, refer

Section ?? for details of how to upgrade firmware.

3.12 Module Information Configuration

Module Information Webpage Fields

This configuration page is primarily for information purposes. With the exception of the password, the information entered here is displayed on the root webpage of the 905U-E.

Password

Configuration password.

Device Name

Owner

Contact

Description

Location

When changing the password on this screen, it will be sent unencrypted over any wired network. If encryption is enabled on the 905U-E, any radio communications are encrypted, and therefore hidden from radio eavesdroppers. Caution must only be taken if there are potential eavesdroppers on the wired network.

A text field if you wish to label the particular 905U-E.

A text field for owner name.

A text field for owner phone number, email address etc.

A text field used for a description of the purpose of the unit.

A text field used to describe the location of the 905U-E.

3.13 Remote Configuration

Because a module configuration is viewed and changed in a web format (which is an Ethernet application), you can view or change the configuration of a remote module via the wireless link, provided the remote module is already “linked” to the local 905U-E.

To perform remote configuration, connect a PC to the local module, run Internet Explorer and enter the

IP address of the remote unit - the configuration page of the remote module will be shown and changes can be made. If the remote module is configured as a Router, enter the wireless IP address of the router, not the Ethernet address.

Care must be taken if modifying the configuration of a module remotely . If the Radio

Configuration is changed, some changes made may cause loss of the radio link, and therefore the network connection.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

It is advisable to determine path of the links to the modules you wish to modify, and draw a tree diagram if necessary. Modify the modules at the “leaves” of your tree diagram. These will be the furthest away from your connection point in terms of the number of radio or Ethernet links.

In a simple system, this usually means modifying the Client modules first and the Access Point last.

3.14 Configuration Examples

Setting a 905U-E to Factory Default Settings

Access configuration webpages of 905U-E.

Refer section Accessing Configuration inside a module for the first time , or Modifying an existing configuration .

1. Click on System Tools Menu Item

LAN HUB

192.168.0.0

255.255.255.0

2. Enter username “user” and password “user”, when prompted for password.

Click on Factory Default Configuration Reset, Ethernet Device and wait for unit to reset. When reset, the LINK LED will flash.

Access Point

Bridge

Client 1

Bridge

Client 2

Bridge

Extending a wired network

Access Point Configuration

Connect straight through Ethernet cable between PC and 905U-E.

•

Ensure configuration PC and 905U-E are setup to communicate on the same network

•

Set 905U-E to start with factory default settings. Refer to section Setting a 905U-E to Factory

Default Settings .

•

Power up unit, and wait for LINK led to cease flashing.

Option A – Adjust PC network settings a) Set Configuration PC network card with network setting of IP address 192.168.123.1, netmask

255.255.255.0 b) Open configuration webpage with Internet Explorer at address http://192.168.123.123/

Option B – Adjust 905U-E network settings (assuming configuration PC is on existing network) a) Open terminal program with settings with data rate 19200bps, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. b) Connect straight through serial cable to 905U-E and power up unit. c) When prompted, strike the Enter key to abort automatic boot

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 34

Chapter Three Operation d) Set IP address of 905U-E to 192.168.0.200 with command bip 192.168.0.200 e) Set netmask of 905U-E to 192.168.0.200 with command bnm 255.255.255.0 f) Set gateway address of 905U-E to 192.168.0.1 with command bgw 192.168.0.1 g) Reset 905U-E with reset command. h) Open configuration webpage with Internet Explorer at address http://192.168.0.200/ i) Click on Network settings menu option. j) When prompted for password, enter default username “user” and password “user” k) Set the Operating Mode to Access Point l) Device Mode should be set to Bridge. m)Set the Gateway IP address to 192.168.0.1 n) Set the Ethernet IP address to 192.168.0.200, network mask 255.255.255.0 o) Set the Wireless IP address to 192.168.0.200, network mask 255.255.255.0 p) Set the system address to “ExampleSystem1” q) Enable Radio Encryption and enter key 1 as 01:02:03:04:05, key 2 as 06:07:08:09:0A, key 3 as

0B:0C:0D:0E:0F, key 4 as 10:11:12:13:14. r) Click on button Save to Flash and Reset. Webpage will display that message indicating details are being written to flash. Wait for 905U-E to reboot before removing power.

Client 1 Configuration

Perform the same configuration steps as the Access Point configuration with the follo wing differences:

•

At step d) in Option B, set IP address of 905U-E to 192.168.0.201 with command bip

192.168.0.201

•

At step h) in Option B, open configuration webpage with Internet Explorer at address http://192.168.0.201/

•

At step k), set the Operating Mode to Client.

•

At step n), set the Ethernet IP address to 192.168.0.201, network mask 255.255.255.0

•

At step o), set the Wireless IP address to 192.168.0.201, network mask 255.255.255.0

Client 2 Configuration

Perform the same configuration steps as the Access Point configuration with the following differences:

•

At step d) in Option B, set IP address of 905U-E to 192.168.0.202 with command bip

192.168.0.202

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

•

At step h) in Option B, open configuration webpage with Internet Explorer at address http://192.168.0.202/

•

At step k), set the Operating Mode to Client.

•

At step n), set the Ethernet IP address to 192.168.0.202, network mask 255.255.255.0

•

At step o), set the Wireless IP address to 192.168.0.202, network mask 255.255.255.0

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 36

Chapter Three

Connecting tw o separate networks together

169.254.102.54 169.254.102.53

Operation

192.168.0.0

LAN A

255.255.255.0

192.168.50.0

255.255.255.0

LAN B

Access Point

Router

Client

Bridge

Internet

Network A Configuration

In this example, network A is connected to the internet via a router at IP address 192.168.0.1.

Devices on Network A that only require access to devices on Networks A and B, should have their gateway IP address set to the 905U-E Access Point as 192.168.0.200.

Devices on Network A, that must interact with devices on Networks A and B and the internet must have routing rules established. On PCs, this may be achieved with the MS-DOS command ROUTE.

For this example use: ROUTE ADD 192.168.0.50.0 MASK 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.200

Network B Configuration

All devices on Network B should be configured so their gateway IP address is that of the 905U-E

Access Point as 192,168.50.200.

Access Point Configuration

•

Connect straight through Ethernet cable between PC and 905U-E.

•

Ensure configuration PC and 905U-E are setup to communicate on the same network

•

Set 905U-E to start with factory default settings. Refer to Setting a 905U-E to Factory Default

Settings.

•

Power up unit, and wait for LINK led to cease flashing.

Option A – Adjust PC network settings a) Set Configuration PC network card with network setting of IP address 192.168.123.1, netmask 255.255.255.0 b) Open configuration webpage with Internet Explorer at address http://192.168.123.123/

Option B – Adjust 905U-E network settings (assuming configuration PC is on network A) a) Open terminal program with settings with data rate 19200bps, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. b) Connect straight through serial cable to 905U-E and power up unit. c) When prompted, strike the Enter key to abort automatic boot

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual d) Set IP address of 905U-E to 192.168.0.200 with command bip 192.168.0.200 e) Set netmask of 905U-E to 192.168.0.200 with command bnm 255.255.255.0 f) Set gateway address of 905U-E to 192.168.0.1 with command bgw 192.168.0.1 g) Reset 905U-E with reset command. h) Open configuration webpage with Internet Explorer at address http://192.168.0.200/ i) Click on Network settings menu option. j) When prompted for password, enter default username “user” and password “user” k) Set the Operating Mode to Access Point l) Device Mode should be set to Router. m)Set the Gateway IP address to 192.168.0.1 n) Set the Ethernet IP address to 192.168.0.200, network mask 255.255.255.0 o) Set the Wireless IP address to 192.168.50.200, network mask 255.255.255.0 p) Set the system address to “ExampleSystem1” q) Enable Radio Encryption and enter key 1 as 01:02:03:04:05, key 2 as 06:07:08:09:0A, key 3 as

0B:0C:0D:0E:0F, key 4 as 10:11:12:13:14. r) Click on button Save to Flash and Reset. Webpage will display that message indicating details are being written to flash. Wait for 905U-E to reboot before removing power.

Client Configuration

Perform the same configuration steps as the Access Point configuration with the following differences:

•

At step d) in Option B, set IP address of 905U-E to 192.168.0.201 with command bip

192.168.0.201

•

At step h) in Option B, open configuration webpage with Internet Explorer at address http://192.168.0.201/

•

At step k), set the Operating Mode to Client.

•

At step l), set Device Mode to Bridge.

•

At step m), set the Gateway IP address to 192.168.50.200

•

At step n), set the Ethernet IP address to 192.168.50.201, network mask 255.255.255.0

•

At step o), set the Wireless IP address to 192.168.50.201, network mask 255.255.255.0

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 38

Chapter Three

Extending range of a network with a Repeater hop

Operation

192.168.0.0

255.255.255.0

Access

Point

LAN

Client 2

Client 1

Configure units as described in Section Extending a wired network . Place the Access Point at the remote intermediate repeater location.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

Chapter Four

4.1

DIAGNOSTICS

Diagnostics Chart

INDICATOR

OK LED OFF

OK LED ON

Radio TX LED ON

Radio RX LED ON

CONDITION

Continuously

Continuously

Flashes briefly

GREEN flash

RED flash

MEANING

•

Power supply failure

•

CPU failure

•

Normal Operation

•

Radio transmitting

•

Radio receiving data

•

Weak radio signal (< -95dBm)

Serial RX LED ON

Serial TX LED ON

LINK LED ON

GREEN flash

RED flash

Flashes briefly

Continuously

•

Serial Port Receiving

• Input buffer almost full

•

Serial port transmitting

•

A radio link has been established.

The green OK LED on the front panel indicates correct operation of the unit. This LED extinguishes on failure as described above. When the OK LED extinguishes shutdown state is indicated.

On processor failure, or on failure during startup diagnostics, the unit shuts down, and remains in shutdown until the fault is rectified.

4.2 Diagnostic Information Available

4.2.1 Connectivity

The Connectivity webpage at an Access Point lists all units for which a transmission was received.

The received signal strength, and radio data rate is listed for each Client or Access Point by their MAC

Address. The unit listed at an Access Point may not even be in the same system. This can provide an idea of how busy the radio band is.

4.2.2 Monitor Communications

The “Monitor Communications” function buffers the last 30 transmissions since the last enquiry was made. If there have not been 30 transmissions since the last enquiry, the 905U-E will wait 5 seconds for further transmissions to occur before completing the webpage. Use of this feature together with the

Connectivity webpage will reveal the variability of communications over a link.

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 40

Chapter Four Diagnostics

4.2.3 Statistics

The Statistics webpage is used for advanced debugging of 905U-E. This webpage details the state of the 905U-E and its performance in the system.

4.2.4 Network Traffic Analysis

There are many devices and PC programs that will analyze performance of a Ethernet network. Freely available programs such as Ethereal provide a simple cost effective means for more advanced analysis.

By monitoring traffic on the wired Ethernet, a better idea of regular traffic can be discovered.

Network Analysis programs make configuration of a filter for the 905U-E a simple task.

4.3 Testing Radio Paths

The general procedure for radio range testing a link is fairly simple. Configure two units to form a link using automatic radio rates. Install the Access Point at a fixed location. Take a laptop computer and the Client to each of the remote locations, and analyze the link using the Connectivity webpage. If a beacon is heard from the Access Point, the Client will update its Connectivity webpage with the received signal strength of beacon messages from the Access Point.

The RX led on the Client should also be observed. If the RX led flickers red, then the signal strength is weak. If the RX led is always green when a message is received, then the signal is strong.

If the signal is strong enough, a link may be established, and the Connectivity webpage of the Access

Point may be opened. If the link is weak, the LINK led will go out, and the remote Connectivity webpage of the Access Point will fail to load. Using this procedure, the signal strengths of units at both locations may be analyzed, and traffic is sent between the units whilst remote webpages are opened.

4.4 Utilities

4.4.1 PING

The Ping utility is essentially a system administrator's tool that is used to see if a computer is operating and also to see if network connections are intact.

Usage: ping [-t] [-a] [-n count] [-l size] [-f] [-i TTL] [-v TOS]

[-r count] [-s count] [[-j host-list] | [-k host-list]]

[-w timeout] destination-list

Options:

-t Ping the specified host until stopped.

To see statistics and continue - type Control-Break;

To stop - type Control-C.

-a Resolve addresses to hostnames.

-n count Number of echo requests to send.

-l size Send buffer size.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft

User Manual

-f Set Don't Fragment flag in packet.

-i TTL Time To Live.

-v TOS Type Of Service.

-r count Record route for count hops.

-s count Timestamp for count hops.

-j host-list Loose source route along host-list.

-k host-list Strict source route along host-list.

-w timeout Timeout in milliseconds to wait for each reply.

4.4.2 IPCONFIG

IPCONFIG can be used to show your current TCP/IP information, including your address, DNS server addresses, adapter type and so on.

Usage: ipconfig [/? | /all | /release [adapter] | /renew [adapter]

| /flushdns | /registerdns

| /showclassid adapter

| /setclassid adapter [classidtoset] ]

adapter Full name or pattern with '*' and '?' to 'match',

* matches any character, ? matches one character.

Options

/? Display this help message.

/all Display full configuration information.

/release Release the IP address for the specified adapter.

/renew Renew the IP address for the specified adapter.

/flushdns Purges the DNS Resolver cache.

/registerdns Refreshes all DHCP leases and re-registers DNS names

/displaydns Display the contents of the DNS Resolver Cache.

/showclassid Displays all the dhcp class IDs allowed for adapter.

/setclassid Modifies the dhcp class id.

The default is to display only the IP address, subnet mask and default gateway for each adapter bound to TCP/IP.

For Release and Renew, if no adapter name is specified, then the IP address leases for all adapters bound to TCP/IP will be released or renewed.

For SetClassID, if no class id is specified, then the classid is removed.

Examples:

> ipconfig ... Show information.

> ipconfig /all ... Show detailed information

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Chapter Four

> ipconfig /renew ... renew all adapters

> ipconfig /renew EL* ... renew adapters named EL....

> ipconfig /release *ELINK?21* ... release all matching adapters,

eg. ELINK-21, myELELINKi21adapter.

4.4.3 ARP

Displays and modifies the IP-to-Physical address translation tables used by address resolution protocol (ARP).

ARP -s inet_addr eth_addr [if_addr]

ARP -d inet_addr [if_addr]

ARP -a [inet_addr] [-N if_addr]

-a Displays current ARP entries by interrogating the current

protocol data. If inet_addr is specified, the IP and Physical

addresses for only the specified computer are displayed. If

more than one network interface uses ARP, entries for each ARP

table are displayed.

-g Same as -a.

inet_addr Specifies an internet address.

-N if_addr Displays the ARP entries for the network interface specified

by if_addr.

-d Deletes the host specified by inet_addr. inet_addr may be

wildcarded with * to delete all hosts.

-s Adds the host and associates the Internet address inet_addr

with the Physical address eth_addr. The Physical address is

given as 6 hexadecimal bytes separated by hyphens. The entry

is permanent.

eth_addr Specifies a physical address.

if_addr If present, this specifies the Internet address of the

interface whose address translation table should be modified.

If not present, the first applicable interface will be used.

Example:

> arp -s 157.55.85.212 00-aa-00-62-c6-09 .... Adds a static entry.

> arp -a .... Displays the arp table.

4.4.4 ROUTE

Manipulates network routing tables.

ROUTE [-f] [-p] [command [destination]

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Diagnostics

© June 2005

905U-E Wireless Ethernet

[MASK netmask] [gateway] [METRIC metric] [IF interface]

-f Clears the routing tables of all gateway entries. If this is

used in conjunction with one of the commands, the tables are

cleared prior to running the command.

-p When used with the ADD command, makes a route persistent across

boots of the system. By default, routes are not preserved

when the system is restarted. Ignored for all other commands,

which always affect the appropriate persistent routes. This

option is not supported in Windows 95.

command One of these:

PRINT Prints a route

ADD Adds a route

DELETE Deletes a route

CHANGE Modifies an existing route

destination Specifies the host.

MASK Specifies that the next parameter is the 'netmask' value.

netmask Specifies a subnet mask value for this route entry.

If not specified, it defaults to 255.255.255.255.

gateway Specifies gateway.

interface the interface number for the specified route.

METRIC specifies the metric, ie. cost for the destination.

All symbolic names used for destination are looked up in the network database file NETWORKS. The symbolic names for gateway are looked up in the host name database file HOSTS.

If the command is PRINT or DELETE. Destination or gateway can be a wildcard,

(wildcard is specified as a star '*'), or the gateway argument may be omitted.

If Dest contains a * or ?, it is treated as a shell pattern, and only matching destination routes are printed. The '*' matches any string, and '?' matches any one char. Examples: 157.*.1, 157.*, 127.*, *224*.

Diagnostic Notes:

Invalid MASK generates an error, that is when (DEST & MASK) != DEST.

Example> route ADD 157.0.0.0 MASK 155.0.0.0 157.55.80.1 IF 1

The route addition failed: The specified mask parameter is invalid.

(Destination & Mask) != Destination.

Examples:

> route PRINT

> route ADD 157.0.0.0 MASK 255.0.0.0 157.55.80.1 METRIC 3 IF 2

User Manual

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 44

Chapter Four

destination^ ^mask ^gateway metric^ ^

Interface^

If IF is not given, it tries to find the best interface for a given

gateway.

> route PRINT

> route PRINT 157* .... Only prints those matching 157*

> route DELETE 157.0.0.0

> route PRINT

Diagnostics

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet

Chapter Five

User Manual

SPECIFICATIONS

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 46

Appendix A Firmware Upgrade

Appendix A FIRMWARE UPGRADE

1. Install TFTP32 program, and start the program.

2. Copy binary files epm_E900P_ x.x

.bin.gz and epm_905UE_ x.x

.bin.gz to the Base Directory specified by the TFTP32 program. A different Base Directory may be selected by clicking the

Settings button on the TFTP32 program.

3. Connect to 905U-E RS-232 serial port with “straight-though” serial cable.

4. Connect to 905U-E Ethernet port with “straight-through” Ethernet cable. This will usually be a blue colour.

5. Switch dip-switch on 905U-E to ON position.

6. Open a terminal package with 19200bps data rate, 8 data bit, 1 stop and no parity.

7. Power up 905U-E. When prompted, hit enter key to stop automatic boot process.

8. Check values for Boot Address, Boot Netmask, Boot Gateway and Boot Host. These values should be set to reflect those of the PC you are using to upgrade the unit. If these are correct skip to step 13. The command rct will display these settings again. Steps 9 to 12 perform temporary changes to network settings, and are not displayed with the rct command. For further help, type the help command.

9. Note address set for Boot Host. Set Boot Host to the ip address of the computer you have connected the Ethernet cable to. This should be the same IP address shown by the TFTPD32 program in the Server Interface field. This may be performed with command: shost <Type the IP address>

10. Note address set for Netmask. Set Boot Netmask to the same settings as the computer you have the Ethernet cable connected to. This may be performed with the command: snm <Type the netmask>

11. Note address set for Boot Gateway. Set Boot Gateway to the same settings as the computer you have the Ethernet cable connected to. This may be performed with the command: sgw <Type the gateway IP address>

12. Note address set for Boot IP address. Choose an IP address for the 905U-E being upgraded. This

IP address must be on the same network as the computer you have connected the Ethernet cable to. This may be performed with the command: sip <Type the IP address>

13. Ensure other settings are correct with the following commands: bdelay 0 bflags +a bflags +r bflags –t bfile /memory/0xffe40000,0x60000

14. Program the new Application firmware to the module with the command: flash -b 0xffe40000 /tftp/epm_905UE_x.x.bin.gz

where epm_905UE_ x.x

.bin.gz is the filename of the new firmware.

15. Set the dipswitch to the OFF position.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet User Manual

16. Program the new Bootloader firmware to the module with the command: flash /tftp/epm_E900P_x.x.bin.gz

where epm_E900P_ x.x

.bin.gz is the filename of the new firmware.

17. After programming the new Bootloader the unit will reset. The 905U-E now has new firmware programmed.

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 48

Appendix B Glossary

Appendix B

ACK Acknowledgment.

GLOSSARY

Access point An access point is the connection that ties wireless communication devices into a network. Also known as a base station, the access point is usually connected to a wired network.

Antenna Gain Antennae don't increase the transmission power, but focus the signal more. So instead of transmitting in every direction (including the sky and ground) antenna focus the signal usually either more horizontally or in one particular direction. This gain is measured in decibels

Bandwidth

Bridge

The amount of "transportation" space an Internet user has at any given time.

Collision avoidance

A network node characteristic for proactively detecting that it can transmit a signal without risking a collision.

Crossover cable A special cable used for networking two computers without the use of a hub.

Crossover cables may also be required for connecting a cable or DSL modem to a wireless gateway or access point. Instead of the signals transferring in parallel paths from one set of plugs to another, the signals "crossover." If an eight-wire cable was being used, for instance, the signal would start on pin one at one end of the cable and end up on pin eight at the other end. They "cross-over" from one side to the other.

CSMA/CA is a "listen before talk" method of minimizing (but not eliminating) collisions caused by simultaneous transmission by multiple radios. IEEE 802.11 states collision avoidance method rather than collision detection must be used, because the standard employs half duplex radios—radios capable of transmission or reception—but not both simultaneously. Unlike conventional wired Ethernet nodes, a

WLAN station cannot detect a collision while transmitting. If a collision occurs, the transmitting station will not receive an ACKnowledge packet from the intended receive station. For this reason, ACK packets have a higher priority than all other network traffic. After completion of a data transmission, the receive station will begin transmission of the ACK packet before any other node can begin transmitting a new data packet. All other stations must wait a longer pseudo randomized period of time before transmitting. If an ACK packet is not received, the transmitting station will wait for a subsequent opportunity to retry transmission.

CSMA/CD A method of managing traffic and reducing noise on an Ethernet network. A network device transmits data after detecting that a channel is available. However, if two devices transmit data simultaneously, the sending devices detect a collision and

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DHCP

Dial-up

DNS retransmit after a random time delay.

A utility that enables a server to dynamically assign IP addresses from a predefined list and limit their time of use so that they can be reassigned. Without DHCP, an IT

Manager would have to manually enter in all the IP addresses of all the computers on the network. When DHCP is used, whenever a computer logs onto the network, it automatically gets an IP address assigned to it.

A communication connection via the standard telephone network, or Plain Old

Telephone Service (POTS).

A program that translates URLs to IP addresses by accessing a database maintained on a collection of Internet servers. The program works behind the scenes to facilitate surfing the Web with alpha versus numeric addresses. A DNS server converts a name like mywebsite.com to a series of numbers like 107.22.55.26. Every website has its own specific IP address on the Internet.

DSL

Encryption key An alphanumeric (letters and/or numbers) series that enables data to be encrypted and then decrypted so it can be safely shared among members of a network. WEP uses an encryption key that automatically encrypts outgoing wireless data. On the receiving side, the same encryption key enables the computer to automatically decrypt the information so it can be read.

Firewall

Various technology protocols for high-speed data, voice and video transmission over ordinary twisted-pair copper POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) telephone wires.

Hub

Keeps unauthorized users out of a private network. Everything entering or leaving a system's internal network passes through the firewall and must meet the system's security standards in order to be transmitted. Often used to keep unauthorized people from using systems connected to the Internet.

A multiport device used to connect PCs to a network via Ethernet cabling or via

WiFi. Wired hubs can have numerous ports and can transmit data at speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to multigigabyte speeds per second. A hub transmits packets it receives to all the connected ports. A small wired hub may only connect 4 computers; a large hub can connect 48 or more.

HZ The international unit for measuring frequency, equivalent to the older unit of cycles per second. One megahertz (MHz) is one million hertz. One gigahertz (GHz) is one billion hertz. The standard US electrical power frequency is 60 Hz, the AM broadcast radio frequency band is 535—1605 kHz, the FM broadcast radio frequency band is 88—108 MHz, and wireless 802.11b LANs operate at 2.4 GHz.

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 50

Appendix B Glossary

IEEE

Infrastructure mode

I/O

Internet appliance

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, www.ieee.org. A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. It has more than 300,000 members and is involved with setting standards for computers and communications.

A client setting providing connectivity to an AP. As compared to Ad-Hoc mode, whereby PCs communicate directly with each other, clients set in Infrastructure

Mode all pass data through a central AP. The AP not only mediates wireless network traffic in the immediate neighborhood, but also provides communication with the wired network. See Ad-Hoc and AP.

The term used to describe any operation, program or device that transfers data to or from a computer.

A computer that is intended primarily for Internet access, is simple to set up and usually does not support installation of third-party software. These computers generally offer customized web browsing, touch-screen navigation, e-mail services, entertainment and personal information management applications.

IP

IP (Internet

Protocol) telephony

A set of rules used to send and receive messages at the Internet address level.

Technology that supports voice, data and video transmission via IP-based LANs,

WANs, and the Internet. This includes VoIP (Voice over IP).

IP address A 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent across the Internet. An IP address has two parts: an identifier of a particular network on the Internet and an identifier of the particular device (which can be a server or a workstation) within that network.

IPX-SPX

ISA

IPX, short for Internetwork Packet Exchange, a networking protocol used by the

Novell NetWare operating systems. Like UDP/IP, IPX is a datagram protocol used for connectionless communications. Higher-level protocols, such as SPX and NCP, are used for additional error recovery services. Sequenced Packet Exchange, SPX, a transport layer protocol (layer 4 of the OSI Model) used in Novell Netware networks. The SPX layer sits on top of the IPX layer (layer 3) and provides connection-oriented services between two nodes on the network. SPX is used primarily by client/server applications. Whereas the IPX protocol is similar to IP,

SPX is similar to TCP. Together, therefore, IPX-SPX provides connection services similar to TCP/IP.

A type of internal computer bus that allows the addition of card-based components like modems and network adapters. ISA has been replaced by PCI and is not very

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ISDN

ISO Network

Model

LAN

Receive

Sensitivity

Router common anymore.

A type of broadband Internet connection that provides digital service from the customer's premises to the dial-up telephone network. ISDN uses standard POTS copper wiring to deliver voice, data or video.

A network model developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO) that consists of seven different levels, or layers. By standardizing these layers, and the interfaces in between, different portions of a given protocol can be modified or changed as technologies advance or systems requirements are altered. The seven layers are: Physical , Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation,

Application.

A system of connecting PCs and other devices within the same physical proximity for sharing resources such as an Internet connections, printers, files and drives.

The minimum signal strength required to pick up a signal. Higher bandwidth connections have less receive sensitivity than lower bandwidth connections.

A device that forwards data from one WLAN or wired local area network to another.

SNR Signal to Noise Ratio. The number of decibels difference between the signal strength and background noise.

Transmit Power The power usually expressed in mW or db that the wireless device transmits at.

MAC Address A MAC address, short for Media Access Control address, is a unique code assigned to most forms of networking hardware. The address is permanently assigned to the hardware, so limiting a wireless network's access to hardware -- such as wireless cards -- is a security feature employed by closed wireless networks.

But an experienced hacker -- armed with the proper tools -- can still figure out an authorized MAC address, masquerade as a legitimate address and access a closed network.

Every wireless 802.11 device has its own specific MAC address hard-coded into it.

This unique identifier can be used to provide security for wireless networks. When a network uses a MAC table, only the 802.11 radios that have had their MAC addresses added to that network's MAC table will be able to get onto the network.

NAT

NIC

Network Address Translation: A network capability that enables a houseful of computers to dynamically share a single incoming IP address from a dial-up, cable or xDSL connection. NAT takes the single incoming IP address and creates new IP address for each client computer on the network.

A type of PC adapter card that either works without wires (Wi-Fi) or attaches to a

Man_905U-E Rev 1.0 Draft Page 52

Appendix B Glossary network cable to provide two-way communication between the computer and network devices such as a hub or switch. Most office wired NICs operate at 10

Mbps (Ethernet), 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) or 10/100 Mbps dual speed. Highspeed Gigabit and 10 Gigabit NIC cards are also available. See PC Card.

Proxy server Used in larger companies and organizations to improve network operations and security, a proxy server is able to prevent direct communication between two or more networks. The proxy server forwards allowable data requests to remote servers and/or responds to data requests directly from stored remote server data.

RJ-45 Standard connectors used in Ethernet networks. Even though they look very similar to standard RJ-11 telephone connectors, RJ-45 connectors can have up to eight wires, whereas telephone connectors have only four.

Server A computer that provides its resources to other computers and devices on a network. These includ e print servers, Internet servers and data servers. A server can also be combined with a hub or router.

Site survey The process whereby a wireless network installer inspects a location prior to putting in a wireless network. Site surveys are used to id entify the radio- and client-use properties of a facility so that access points can be optimally placed.

SSL Commonly used encryption scheme used by many online retail and banking sites to protect the financial integrity of transactions. When an SSL session begins, the server sends its public key to the browser. The browser then sends a randomly generated secret key back to the server in order to have a secret key exchange for that session

Subnetwork or

Subnet

Found in larger networks, these smaller networks are used to simplify addressing between numerous computers. Subnets connect to the central network through a router, hub or gateway. Each individual wireless LAN will probably use the same subnet for all the local computers it talks to.

Switch

TCP

A type of hub that efficiently controls the way multiple devices use the same network so that each can operate at optimal performance. A switch acts as a networks traffic cop: rather than transmitting all the packets it receives to all ports as a hub does, a switch transmits packets to only the receiving port.

A protocol used along with the Internet Protocol (IP) to send data in the form of individual units (called packets) between computers over the Internet. While IP takes care of handling the actual delivery of the data, TCP takes care of keeping track of the packets that a message is divided into for efficient routing through the Internet.

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905U-E Wireless Ethernet

TCP/IP

VoIP

VPN

WAN

WEP

Wi-Fi

User Manual

For example, when a web page is downloaded from a web server, the TCP program layer in that server divides the file into packets, numbers the packets, and then forwards them individually to the IP program layer. Although each packet has the same destination IP address, it may get routed differently through the network.

At the other end, TCP reassembles the individual packets and waits until they have all arrived to forward them as a single file.

The underlying technology behind the Internet and communications between computers in a network. The first part, TCP, is the transport part, which matches the size of the messages on either end and guarantees that the correct message has been received. The IP part is the user's computer address on a network. Every computer in a TCP/IP network has its own IP address that is either dynamically assigned at startup or permanently assigned. All TCP/IP messages contain the address of the destination network as well as the address of the destination station. This enables

TCP/IP messages to be transmitted to multiple networks (subnets) within an organization or worldwide.

Voice transmission using Internet Protocol to create digital packets distributed over the Internet. VoIP can be less expensive than voice transmission using standard analog packets over POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).

A type of technology designed to increase the security of information transferred over the Internet. VPN can work with either wired or wireless networks, as well as with dial-up connections over POTS. VPN creates a private encrypted tunnel from the end user's computer, through the local wireless network, through the Internet, all the way to the corporate servers and database.

A communication system of connecting PCs and other computing devices across a large local, regional, national or international geographic area. Also used to distinguish between phone-based data networks and Wi-Fi. Phone networks are considered WANs and Wi-Fi networks are considered Wireless Local Area

Networks (WLANs).

Basic wireless security provided by Wi-Fi. In some instances, WEP may be all a home or small-business user needs to protect wireless data. WEP is available in 40bit (also called 64-bit), or in 108-bit (also called 128-bit) encryption modes. As

108-bit encryption provides a longer algorithm that takes longer to decode, it can provide better security than basic 40-bit (64-bit) encryption.

Wireless Fidelity: An interoperability certification for wireless local area network

(LAN) products based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

(IEEE) 802.11 standard.

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Appendix B Glossary

Ad-Hoc Mode A client setting that provides independent peer-to-peer connectivity in a wireless LAN.

Also see Infrastructure Mode.

AH Authentication Header. A field that follows the IP header in an IP datagram and provides authentication and integrity checking for the datagram.

ARP Address Resolution Protocol.

BER Bit Error Rate.

BPS Bits Per Second.

CCP Compression Control Protocol. Used to negotiate compression methods over PPP links.

CSMA/CA Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance. CSMA/CA is the medium access method used by IEEE 802.11 WLANs.

DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

DES Data Encryption Standard. A cryptographic algorithm for protecting data.

DSSS Direct-Sequencing Spread-Spectrum.

ECP Encryption Control Protocol. Used to negotia te data encryption over PPP links.

ESA Encapsulating Security Payload. A mechanism which provides confidentiality and integrity protection to IP datagrams.

FHSS Frequency-Hopping Spread-Spectrum

Fresnel Zone The area around the visual line-of-sight that radio waves spread out into after they leave the antenna. This area must be clear or else signal strength will weaken.

Infrastructure Mode A client setting providing connectivity to an Access Point (AP). As compared to

Ad-Hoc Mode where PCs communicate directly with each other, clients set in Infrastructure Mode all pass data through a central AP.

IP Address An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent across the Internet.

IP Spoofing An attack whereby a system attempts to impersonate another system by using its IP network address.

LCP Link Control Protocol.

MAC Medium Access Control. In a WLAN network card, the MAC is radio controller protocol.

MAC Spoofing An attack whereby a system attempts to impersonate another system by using its MAC address.

NAT Network Address Translation. The translation of an IP address used within one network to a different IP address known within another network.

OSI Open Systems Interconnection. A set of international standards for networking.

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PPP Point-to-Point Protocol. PPP Provides a standard method for transporting multi-protocol datagrams over point-to-point links.

Sniffer A program to capture data from a computer network.

SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol (also see TCP/IP).

SSID Service Set Identifier - wireless network name.

SSL Secure Sockets Layer. A session layer protocol that provides authentication and confidentiality to applications.

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol.

Topology Describes how a network is structured.

VPN Virtual Private Network.

WPA Wi-Fi Protected Access. The Wi-Fi Alliance put together WPA as a data encryption method for

802.11 wireless LANs. WPA is an industry-supported, pre-standard version of 802.11i utilizing the

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), which fixes the problems of WEP, including using dynamic keys. WPA will serve until the 802.11i standard is ratified in the third quarter of 2003.

WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy. Encryption-based security using a pre-shared key.

WiFi (Wi-Fi) Wireless Fidelity. Wireless Local Area Networking standard.

WLAN, W-LAN Wireless Local Area Network (LAN).

WLL Wireless Local Loop.

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