9
Each field on this “Access Point” sub-tab is explained below.
Device Name:
Allows the user to enter a user- defined name for the radio. Up to
32 bytes can be used.
MAC:
Displays the MAC address of the radio when it is configured as an AP.
This filed cannot be modified.
SSID:
Service Set Identity is used by a station radio when issuing
Association/Re-association Requests to the Access Point. The
Access Point uses the match of the SSID as one of the optional conditions for
granting or refuting association. (See more on this topic in “
Enhanced Sec
.”
below.) A Manager/operator of the network chooses this SSID. When a SSID is
first introduced, it needs to be manually typed in. After a SSID is used once, the
Utility program remembers the SSID and allows it to be selected out of the pull-
down list for re-use. The special SSID name “
any
”, once selected, allows an
AirEZY 2411 BT to wander across Service Sets with different SSID’s without the
need to manually obtain and reset the SSID every time. Whether the Station
radio’s association request is accepted or rejected by an AP, however, is entirely
determined by the local network management, not guaranteed by the use of
“
any
” as the SSID. When “
any
” is chosen, the SSID field display turns blank. The
special role of “any” works only in the Infrastructure mode.
Enhanced Sec.:
There are two aspects to the security of a WiFi radio network:
access control and data encryption.
More details on data encryption are
given in the section discussing
Encryption
. Independent of whether
data encryption is used or not, the
access of a Station to the network can
be restricted. The AirEZY-2411-BT
Access Point can be set up to offer
four different levels of access control
for the wireless network associated
with it. Refer to screen-shot #6, a pull-
down menu is used to select the level
of network security.
Level 0,
[Disabled]
, basically leaves the access
to the network entirely open. Stations
with “
any
” (see the section
“Configuration the AirEZY-2411-BT as
a Station” for more explanations) as
the SSID, for example, is allowed to
join without any restriction. Selecting
Level 1, [Hide SSID in Beacon]
, causes the
AP radio to send beacons without the SSID. This minimizes the chance for an
eavesdropping radio to capture and utilize the SSID for more damaging intrusion
to the network. At
Level 2, [Hide SSID, Match exact SSID]
, this AP grants a
Station association only when the Station submits in its association request
Screen-Shot #6