ZyXEL Communications NWA5121-N, User Manual

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Chapter 1 Introduction
NWA5000 / WAC6500 Series User’s Guide
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When the NWA/WAC is in managed AP mode, it acts as a DHCP client and obtains an IP address
from the AP controller. It can be configured ONLY by the AP controller. To change the NWA/WAC
back to standalone AP mode, use the
Reset button to restore the default configuration.
Alternatively, you need to check the AP controller for the NWA/WAC’s IP address and use FTP to
upload the default configuration file at conf/system-default.conf to the NWA/WAC and reboot the
device.
1.1.2 MBSSID
A Basic Service Set (BSS) is the set of devices forming a single wireless network (usually an access
point and one or more wireless clients). The Service Set IDentifier (SSID) is the name of a BSS. In
Multiple BSS (MBSSID) mode, the NWA/WAC provides multiple virtual APs, each forming its own
BSS and using its own individual SSID profile.
You can configure multiple SSID profiles, and have all of them active at any one time.
You can assign different wireless and security settings to each SSID profile. This allows you to
compartmentalize groups of users, set varying access privileges, and prioritize network traffic to
and from certain BSSs.
To the wireless clients in the network, each SSID appears to be a different access point. As in any
wireless network, clients can associate only with the SSIDs for which they have the correct security
settings.
For example, you might want to set up a wireless network in your office where Internet telephony
(VoIP) users have priority. You also want a regular wireless network for standard users, as well as a
‘guest’ wireless network for visitors. In the following figure,
VoIP_SSID users have QoS priority,
SSID01 is the wireless network for standard users, and Guest_SSID is the wireless network for
guest users. In this example, the guest user is forbidden access to the wired Land Area Network
(LAN) behind the AP and can access only the Internet.