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D-Link 

Air

 

DWL-900AP

 

Wireless Access Point 

Manual

 

 

Please see the 

Quick Install Guide

, included separately, for installation instructions. 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Building Networks for People 

 
 
 

Summary of Contents for AirPlus DWL-900AP

Page 1: ...D Link Air DWL 900AP Wireless Access Point Manual Please see the Quick Install Guide included separately for installation instructions Building Networks for People ...

Page 2: ...Wireless Basics 7 Network Topology 12 Operation Modes with the DWL 900AP 14 Network Functions of the Access Point 16 USB Configuration Utility 19 SNMP Management Utility 27 Networking Basics 40 Technical Specifications 54 D Link locations 57 Limited Warranty 58 Registration 61 ...

Page 3: ...ss Point Installation CD Quick Install Guide AC Adapter USB cable Power Supply Cord User s Manual If any of the above items are missing please contact your reseller System requirements Computer with USB port Microsoft Windows XP 2000 ME 98 98SE ...

Page 4: ...tion can provide a communication path for WLAN components that otherwise might be prevented from seeing other WLAN members Wireless LAN Security The Wireless Access Point can be configured to use encryption for improved security on a WLAN After completing the steps outlined in the Quick Install Guide included separately you will have the ability to share information and resources such as files and...

Page 5: ...ing self diagnostic test Unit is not plugged in and it is off LAN Ethernet cable is plugged in and there is a valid network connection The Ethernet port is active Ethernet cable not plugged in or the connection is not valid WLAN N A Detecting Wireless LAN network activities No Wireless LAN network available in the vicinity ...

Page 6: ...omputer with the USB cable for first time configuration and configuration using the Wireless AP USB Utility Ethernet The Ethernet port is used to connect the Wireless Access Point to the Ethernet LAN or a single computer using an Ethernet cable RJ 45 Note To use the USB port on the Wireless Access Point the computer that performs the configuration must have a USB interface with Windows XP 2000 98 ...

Page 7: ...echnology are helping people to work and communicate more efficiently Increased mobility and the absence of cabling and other fixed infrastructure has proven to be beneficial for many users WLAN users can use the same network applications they use on an Ethernet LAN WLAN adapter cards used on laptop and desktop systems support the same protocols as Ethernet adapter cards For most users there is no...

Page 8: ...nstalling a wireless LAN system can be fast and easy and can eliminate the need to pull cable through walls and ceilings Installation Flexibility Wireless technology allows the network to go where wires cannot go Reduced Cost of Ownership While the initial investment required for wireless LAN hardware might be higher than the cost of wired LAN hardware overall installation expenses and life cycle ...

Page 9: ... 4GHz range utilizing Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum DSSS technology D Link Air products will automatically sense the best possible connection speed to ensure the greatest speed and range possible with the technology Features and Standards Wireless LAN technology is based on the internationally recognized IEEE 802 11 set of standards for wireless LANs The Wireless Access Point is fully compliant ...

Page 10: ...upport DHCP support client Optional Short RF preamble USB Configuration Installation Considerations Designed to go up to 300 feet 100 meters indoors and up to 900 feet 300 meters outdoors D Link Air DWL 900AP lets you access your network from virtually anywhere you want Keep in mind however that the number and thickness of walls ceilings or other objects that the wireless signals must pass thru ma...

Page 11: ...e signal passes through drywall or open doorways and not other materials 4 Make sure that the antenna is positioned for best reception 5 Keep your product away at least 3 6 feet from electrical devices that generate RF noise like microwaves Monitors electric motors etc For the average residence range should not be a problem If you experience low or no signal strength in areas of your home that you...

Page 12: ... with only a single Ethernet port available Each participant has a wireless laptop computer and requires simultaneous access to a data server on the Ethernet LAN A wireless access point provides the connection to the Ethernet and acts as the network control station for the BSS members In a BSS the wireless access point performs functions similar to an Ethernet switch The access point controls netw...

Page 13: ...Each BSS is identified by a unique number the BSS ID the MAC address of the Wireless Access Point Wireless stations on an ESS automatically select the access point or BSS that can best serve them If no access point can be found the device will scan for a usable access point An ESS can be set up so that wireless stations can roam anywhere within the range of any available access point that is to an...

Page 14: ...es access for wireless stations to wired LANs and from wired LANs to wireless stations Wireless stations within the range of the access point may communicate with each other via the access point This is the default operation mode of the device Simple Wireless Access Point Wireless Bridging Wireless Bridge mode allows two types of connections 1 WB Point to Point The wireless bridge is configured to...

Page 15: ...less LAN When configured as a client the access point functions in the capacity of a wireless end station only Communication through the wireless interface of the device can only be accomplished using another Access Point functioning in AP mode When configured as a client the access point connects to a single computer or an Ethernet LAN via the Ethernet interface An access point configured to be a...

Page 16: ... and stores ARP information in its database as well ARP information is likewise aged out of the database Filtering and Access Control The wireless access point can limit the wireless devices that associate with it and the data packets that are forwarded through it Filters can provide a degree of security and improve network performance by eliminating broadcast multicast packets from the radio netw...

Page 17: ...E 802 3 specifications and operates in full duplex The radio interface conforms to IEEE 802 11b specifications for wireless LAN The WLAN interface operates at speeds of up to 11 Mbps using direct sequence radio technology The wireless access point supports multiple cell operations with fast roaming between cells With the direct sequence system each cell operates independently Adding cells to the n...

Page 18: ...he signal strength determines the type of modulation technique used to encode data which effects the volume of data i e the number of bits that can be encoded in a given space of the carrier signal The IEEE 802 11b standard specifies that WLAN devices adapt the rate of transmission to use the best rate achievable Each wireless device first determines if conditions diminish signal strength and then...

Page 19: ...To launch the USB Configuration Utility go to your Start menu open Programs find the Wireless AP folder and open it You will see two new icons have been placed in this folder Scroll to the Wireless AP USB Utility and click on it to launch the program 2 The Admin Password screen will ask you for a password The default password is public all lower case type this in the space and click OK 3 The USB C...

Page 20: ...DWL 900AP to a computer on your network using the USB cable each time you have a management session on your network 5 Change the IP settings of the access point You may elect to use a DHCP server to determine the IP settings or set them according to the requirements of your IP addressing scheme To configure the device as a DHCP client select Enable from the DHCP Client pull down menu To manually a...

Page 21: ...server Change the Primary Port setting to Ethernet set by default or Wireless according to how the device will receive DHCP information Note Now that you have obtained an IP Address for your DWL 900AP we recommend that you skip ahead to the SNMP Management Utility Chapter in this manual to learn how to manage your network without using the USB cable ...

Page 22: ...o learn about USB cable free management of your network Wireless Setting Use the Wireless Operation menu to set parameters that enable the Access Point to communicate with other stations on the wireless LAN Define these Wireless parameters Access Point Name The Access Point can be assigned a name for easy reference here Wireless ESSID The ESSID is used by all wireless devices within the ESS or ext...

Page 23: ...rated examples of the four available operation modes Click Apply to put the changes into effect Choose one of the following from the Operation Mode pull down menu Access Point This mode provides access for wireless stations to a wired Ethernet LAN and from the wired LAN to the wireless stations Furthermore wireless stations within the range of the Access Point will communicate with each other thro...

Page 24: ... A new window will appear Define the following parameters Fragment Threshold Fragment Threshold defines a threshold above which the wireless packetwill be split up or fragmented For a fragmented packet if transmission of part of it were to be interfered with only the portion that was successfully transmitted would need to be re sent Throughput will generally be lower for fragmented packets since t...

Page 25: ...eriod specifies the duration between beacon packets in milliseconds The range for the beacon period is between the ranges of 20 to 1000 with a typical value of 100 Encryption If an additional measure of security is desired on the wireless network WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy encryption can be enabled WEP encrypts each frame transmitted from the wireless adapter using one of the keys entered in the...

Page 26: ...y ID 1 to 4 These values can only be edited if a WEP type is selected to 64 bits 128 bit Active Key ID 1 to 4 These values can only be edited if a WEP type is selected to 128 bits These four fields can be used to manually enter the encryption keys This may be necessary if you wish this node to match keys in a different vendor s product These fields also display the keys when they are generated usi...

Page 27: ... 900AP via USB cable each time you manage your network with the USB Configuration Utility Using the SNMP Management Utility you can configure your network on any networked computer without using the USB connection The settings menus are described in this section Accessing the SNMP Manager Follow these steps to access the Wireless Access Point manager from the manager PC From the Start menu Start P...

Page 28: ...prompted for a password in a new screen the Admin Authorization Password window Type in the default password public and click OK The Wireless Access Point Configuration Utility menu will appear displaying the System tab You may now use any of the management functions available in the SNMP Configuration Utility ...

Page 29: ...irst accessed or you can click on the System tab at any time to view the menu The System menu lists the following System Reset Clicking the System Reset button will reset the device and initiate any changes that have been made to the device configuration settings Configuration settings are saved to Non volatile RAM NV RAM This should be the last thing you do when you are ready to exit the Configur...

Page 30: ...e version currently being used the MAC address and the regulation domain in which it resides Trap Enable Use this to Enable or Disable SNMP traps User Authorized Setting Use this to create user accounts identified by unique user names and passwords that allow read only access to the SNMP Utility Admin Authorized Setting Use this to create administrator accounts for administrator access to the SNMP...

Page 31: ...ddress A unique 48 bit hard coded Media Access Control address used to identify devices on the WLAN and Ethernet LAN IP Settings You may change any of the IP settings by simply typing in the desired address or net mask Click Apply to put the changes into effect Remember that if you change the IP address of the device to an address that is outside the subnet of the computer you are using you will l...

Page 32: ...d as a DHCP client by choosing Enabled in the DHCP enable pull down menu By default DHCP support is Disabled If the Access Point is configured as a DHCP client it will be necessary to decide what media will be used to transport DHCP information to the device By default the Access Point is configured to receive IP settings through the Ethernet port If your network is set up so that DHCP services ar...

Page 33: ... Various statistics concerning both Ethernet and wireless operation of the Access Point can be viewed in the Statistics window This window can be useful for monitoring performance and diagnosing problems associated with the device or its BSS ...

Page 34: ...ble with the Access Point All devices that communicate must use the same channel There may be restrictions on which channel can be used in some countries In Canada and the U S channels 1 11 are authorized for use by the IC and the FCC ESSID The ESSID is used by all wireless devices within the ESS or extended wireless LAN This can be any alpha numeric value of up to 32 units long Use this to preven...

Page 35: ...ch other through the device This is the default operation mode of the Access Point Access Point Client This mode can be used to connect a remote Ethernet LAN or a single station with a central LAN to create an extended single virtual LAN In this way any station of the Remote LAN can successfully communicate with any station of the central LAN as if they were members of the same physical LAN Wirele...

Page 36: ...packet is used for the purpose of avoiding data collisions on the wireless LAN There are several trade offs to consider when setting this parameter Setting this parameter to a small value causes RTS packets to be sent more often consuming more of the available bandwidth therefore reducing the apparent throughput of other network packets However the more often RTS packets are sent the quicker the s...

Page 37: ...ions The Authorized MAC Address lets you select which stations are allowed throughput on the wireless interface First you must enable the MAC address authorization table by placing a checkmark in the Enable Auth Table box When you want to leave this menu click OK to use the table The table is maintained manually and can be updated and edited by downloading MAC addresses to the data table This is d...

Page 38: ... can decrypt correctly Decrypting can take place only if the receiver has the correct key used by the transmitter Active Key Active Key ID determines which Key Key 1 to Key 4 encrypts and decrypts the transmissions received by the Access Point WEP Type The 64 or 128 bit Wired Equivalent Privacy Algorithm Use this to enable 64 bit or 128 bit encryption WEP is disabled by default Authentication Type...

Page 39: ...h keys in a different vendor s product These fields also display the keys when they are generated using a Pass phrase NOTE 64 bit WEP is the same as 40 bit WEP The lower level of WEP encryption uses a 40 bit 10 character secret key set by the user and a 24 bit Initialization Vector not under user control The panel allows the entry of four keys for 64 bit encryption and one set for 128 bit key encr...

Page 40: ...n is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to networking it is just an outline of a few networking basics If you are interested in learning more about networking please visit our website D Link Systems Inc http www dlink com D Link is one of the largest manufacturers of Ethernet products in the world D Link s technological expertise and dedication to providing quality products at a low price ma...

Page 41: ...omputers names or if you are using Windows 98 you may need to verify that each computer has a unique name and common workgroup name A On your Desktop right click the icon Network Places and select Properties from the context menu B Click the Identification tab on the top of the dialog box ...

Page 42: ...n will result The computer s name should be 15 or fewer characters with no spaces D Type the workgroup name this computer will be a part of in the Workgroup field All of the computers on your network should have an identical Workgroup name E The Computer Description field is optional You may enter a description that will help you identify this computer on your network Then click Close F Repeat thi...

Page 43: ...word protect them The steps below will enable you to share specific files and folders with other computers on your network A On your Desktop right click the icon Network Places and select Properties from the context menu B This dialog box is where you will come to configure most of your computer network settings It is also available through the Network icon in the Control Panel C Click the File an...

Page 44: ...s to the proper location of the installation files Reboot if prompted H You will now be able to identify a particular folder or disk drive to share You may want to share a folder that both you and a colleague family member need to access occasionally Or maybe you want to share a CD ROM drive so your other computer that does not have one can read CD s Both processes are the same Only the disk drive...

Page 45: ...g Basics Sharing Files continued I Find the disk drive or folder you want to share using Windows Explorer or the My Computer icon on your desktop J Right click on the disk drive or folder icon and select Sharing ...

Page 46: ...s on your network are shared M The Comment field is optional You can use this to further describe the disk drive or folder for others on the network N Access Type allows you to designate how much access others on the network can have with this disk drive or folder Read Only allows others only to look at or open the files on the disk drive or in the folder Full allows others to read write open save...

Page 47: ... network Do so by double clicking the My Network Places icon on your desktop or inside Windows Explorer R Navigate to the computer with the shared disk drive or folder recognized by the Computer Name you provided double click You should now see the disk drive or folder double click If you specified a password when sharing this disk drive or folder you will be prompted for the password S You can ac...

Page 48: ...h other computers on your network can be very convenient allowing you to print from any computer on the network The steps below will enable you to print with other computers on your network A On your Desktop right click the icon Network Places and select Properties from the context menu ...

Page 49: ...Click to place a check mark next to I want to be able to allow others to print to my printer s D Click OK on the File and Print Sharing dialog box E Click OK on the Network dialog box F You may now share any installed printers connected to this computer with other computers on your network ...

Page 50: ... OK For a computer to access a Network Printer the device driver or software for that printer must be installed and pointed to the proper location of the printer This is done much the same way you installed the printer on the computer it is connected to H Go to a computer that does not have the printer connected to it From the Start button on the Task Bar select Settings and then Printers I Double...

Page 51: ...ck OK when you have selected the desired printer Finish the installation by continuing the Add Printer Wizard normally M You may now use the Network Printer as if it was connected directly Note the computer that the printer is connected to must be on to use the printer If you find this inconvenient devices known as Network Print Servers are available from D Link including the DP 301 and DP 101P A ...

Page 52: ...52 Networking Basics Checking the Connection by Pinging Go to START RUN Type command in the Open field Click OK to get to a DOS prompt ...

Page 53: ...mple you can type ping 192 168 0 10 if that is the IP address of the DWL 900AP in this case and hit the Enter key A successful ping will show four replies The IP Address shown is only an example your IP Address may be different Type Exit at the prompt to close the screen ...

Page 54: ...1 Type B Network Protocols TCP IP IPX SPX NetBEUI ARP SNMP DHCP NDIS3 NDIS4 Data Security 64 bit 128 bit WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy Encryption Data Rate and Modulation 11Mbps CCK 5 5Mbps CCK 2Mbps DQPSK 1Mbps DBSK Power Input DC 5V 1A Use External Power Supply Antenna One External 2 5dB gain antenna w reverse SMA connector ...

Page 55: ...Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum DSSS Operating Modes Access Point Wireless Bridge Point to Point Point to Multipoint Client AP Roaming Among Access Points on the same subnet Management SNMP Manager to manage wireless LAN network connection and client access control USB Configuration TFTP Client for firmware upgrade Set IP Session ARP ping DCHP client Diagnostic LEDs Power Green Power Indicator Lin...

Page 56: ...56 Temperature Operating Temperature 32 F to 131 F Storing Temperature 4 F to 140 F Humidity Max 95 non condensing Emissions FCC CE Safety UL TUV Warranty One Year Limited Warranty ...

Page 57: ...lot No 5 Kurla Bandra Complex Rd Off Cst Rd Santacruz E Bombay 400 098 India TEL 91 22 652 6696 FAX 91 22 652 8914 URL www dlink india com D Link Italia via Nino Bonnet n 6 b 20154 V Milano Italy TEL 39 02 2900 0676 FAX 39 02 2900 1723 URL www dlink it D Link Japan 10F 8 8 15 Nishi Gotanda Shinagawa ku Tokyo 141 Japan TEL 81 3 5434 9678 FAX 81 3 5434 9868 URL www d link co jp D Link Norway Waldema...

Page 58: ...e The replacement Hardware need not be new or of an identical make model or part D Link may in its discretion replace the defective Hardware or any part thereof with any reconditioned product that D Link reasonably determines is substantially equivalent or superior in all material respects to the defective Hardware The Warranty Period shall extend for an additional ninety 90 days after any repaire...

Page 59: ...ation RMA number from the Authorized D Link Service Office and if requested provide written proof of purchase of the product such as a copy of the dated purchase invoice for the product before the warranty service is provided After an RMA number is issued the defective product must be packaged securely in the original or other suitable shipping package to ensure that it will not be damaged in tran...

Page 60: ...NY PRODUCT RETURNED TO D LINK FOR WARRANTY SERVICE RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT RELATING TO WARRANTY SERVICE OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY EVEN IF D LINK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES THE SOLE REMEDY FOR A BREACH OF THE FOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY IS REPAIR REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF THE DEFECTIVE OR NON CONFORMING PRODUCT GOVERNING LAW This Limi...

Page 61: ...Registration Register your D Link Air DWL 900AP online at http www dlink com sales reg ...

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