Black Box 802.11G manual Technically Speaking, Access Point with Switch, Wireless Router

Access Point with Switch

Want to connect a wireless LAN to a wired LAN? Choose the Access Point with Switch (LW6004A). It lets any 802.11g or 802.11b compliant PC join the wireless network. This integral switch with five LAN connections enables wired devices, segments, or entire networks to communi- cate with your wireless WAN.

The access point supports Web-based configuration. It has a built-in DHCP server to allow multiple wireless and wired users to get their IP address automatically.

With the access point’s ESSID authentication, 64-, 128-, and

152-bit WEP encryption and MAC address filtering, you can prevent unauthorised wireless stations from accessing your wireless network.

The AP also includes a 2.2-dBm dipole antenna.

Wireless Router

The Pure Networking 802.11g Wireless Router (LW6005A) allows you to share the Internet among one WAN connection and up to four LAN connections via one ADSL or cable modem.

The router gives you high Internet access throughput (up to 50 Mbps) and supports up to 253 users. It includes four

10-/100-Mbps LAN ports and one

10-/100-Mbps WAN port. Special applications, DMZ,

virtual servers, access control, firewall, and bridge mode are also supported. You can monitor the router’s status via DHCP client log, security log, and device/ connection status. Or configure it remotely via its Web-based Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Client users are required to get authorisation before connecting to access points (APs) or AP routers, and the data transmitted in the network is encrypted/decrypted by a dynamically changed secret key. Automatic fallback also increases data security and reliability.

8-dBi Omnidirectional Antenna and

14-dBi Directional Panel Antenna

If you need to increase the transmitting and receiving power of your wireless access point or router, order one of our 2.4-GHz Antennas. There’s an 8-dBi Omnidirectional model (LW6200A) and a 14-dBi Directional Panel model (LW6201A).

Choose the omnidirectional model when you have several access points that you want to connect together with a clear line-of-sight in multiple directions from the main access point.

Select the directional panel model when you need to connect just two access points or routers together with a clear line-of-sight. You can also use the directional panel at a remote site where the access point is configured as a bridge connecting a remote LAN via wireless to the main office. This not only increases the distance from the remote site to the main office, but also cuts down on interference.

Technically Speaking

Choose the operating mode

When you’re using the Pure Networking 802.11g Wireless Adapters, access points, or routers, two operating modes are possible.

Ad-hoc mode allows you to connect to another wireless station in the wireless LAN network without an access point or router. Typically, you’d have a group of PCs with wireless links to each other in a small office or home environment (SOHO). Each PC would contain a wireless adapter (PCMCIA, PCI, or USB).

More complicated applica- tions require an access point or router. Suppose, for example, that you want to link a wireless network to a wired network. When you connect a wireless LAN and a combination (wireless and wired) LAN together, it’s called an infrastructure configuration. Infrastructure mode requires an 802.11 access point. This mode is used on an enterprise scale for wireless

access to a central database, or for a wireless application for mobile workers.

Keep your network safe and secure

When you have a wireless network, security is a big concern. You don’t want the wireless signals to be intercepted and sent to someone else’s wireless device. Our wireless adapters, switches, and routers encrypt data for superior security using WEP, TKIP, and AES. (Windows 98 SE, Me, and Windows NT use these three types of security.)

WEP is Wired Equivalent Privacy, a data privacy mechanism based on a 40-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

TKIP is a quick-fix method to quickly overcome the inherent weaknesses in WEP security, especially the reuse of encryption keys. TKIP is involved in the IEEE 802.11i WLAN security standard.

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), a chip-based security, has been developed to ensure the highest degree of security and authenticity for digital information that‘s in transit across the network or stored. This standard makes more efficient use of hardware and/or software than previous encryption standards. AES is also included in the IEEE 802.11i standard.

Compared with AES, TKIP is a temporary protocol for replacing WEP security until manufacturers implement AES at the hardware level.

Another way to protect your network from intruders is authentication. Three authentication modes are possible: None, Shared, or WPA- PSK.

Windows XP and Windows 2000 use two types of authentication for the wireless device (adapter, switch, or router) in a home (WPA-PSK, no server) or enterprise (WPA, with server).

WPA-PSK is a special mode designed for home and small- business users who do not have access to network authentication servers. In this mode, known as Pre-Shared Key, you manually enter the starting password in the access point or gateway, as well as in each wireless station in the network. WPA takes over automatically from that point, keeping unauthorised users that don’t have a matching password from joining the network while encrypting the data traveling between authorised devices. The encryption methods include TKIP and AES.

Configuration is easy

All of the wireless devices include a configuration utility. This powerful application helps you configure the adapter, switch, or router, and monitor the link status and statistics during the communication process.

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