Proxim 7921 manual

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i Copyright © 1998 Proxim, Inc., Mountain View, CA. All rights reserved. This manual and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or translated into any language in any form by any means without the written permission[...]

ii Warranty Return Policy If you have a problem with your RangeLAN2 product, please call Proxim Technical Support at 650-526-3640. Proxim Technical Support will assist with resolving any technical difficulties you may have with your Proxim product. If your product is found to be defective, you may return the product to Proxim after obtaining an RMA[...]

iii Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................. 1 The RangeLAN2 Family ......................................................................... 2 System Requirements .............................................................................. 3 The Product Package ...................................[...]

iv 10. Performance Hints .................................................. 47 Microwave Ovens .................................................................................. 47 Range ...................................................................................................... 47 11. Troubleshooting .....................................[...]

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1 1. Intr oduction Congratulations on your purchase of the RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter, a member of the RangeLAN2 family. As with all members of the RangeLAN2 family, the Ethernet Adapter is a long range, high performance LAN product that allows Ethernet- ready devices to communicate wirelessly with networked com- puters. The RangeLAN2 792x Eth[...]

2 The RangeLAN2 Family RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter is part of a family of high- performance products that provides a complete wireless net- working solution. ❑ RangeLAN2 7100 is a wireless LAN adapter that fits into a standard PC/AT ISA bus slot. ❑ RangeLAN2 7400 is a wireless LAN adapter which fits into a PCMCIA Type II slot on a portable [...]

3 System Requirements To begin using your RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter, you need the following minimum system requirements: ❑ An Ethernet-ready device such as a computer or Ethernet hub. ❑ At least one other RangeLAN2 product installed on the network. The Product P ack age Each RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter comes with: ❑ One (1) RangeLAN[...]

4 Figure 1 RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter Components[...]

5 2. Quick Installation You may follow the quick installation and configuration steps, listed below, if all of the following conditions are true: ❑ You will use all of the software default values. ❑ You intend to use the Ethernet Adapter to connect an Ethernet-ready device to an existing RangeLAN2 network. ❑ The existing network uses a Domain[...]

6 Figure 2 Attachment of the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter Antenna 2. Each RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter is preconfigured to use Domain 0 . If the existing wireless network is not using Domain 0, use the Domain rotary switch on the underside of the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter to set the Domain number to a value between 0 and 9. If the existing networ[...]

7 3. Plug the power supply into the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter DC power jack, located on the rear panel, and plug the power supply into an AC outlet. Upon com- pleting this step, the LED indicator on the top panel of the unit will glow yellow and then turn green, indicating that the unit is ready for operation. 4. Connect one end of a standard 10BA[...]

8 Note: The RangeLAN2 Access Point is shipped with Filter Fixed Nodes set to “Filtering” by default. Unless you are using an Ethernet Access Point (model 7510, 7520, or 7521) with revision 1.4 or greater of the Access Point flash code image installed, this param- eter must be set to “Not Filtering” in order for the Ethernet-ready device att[...]

9 3. Wireless T opologies RangeLAN2 products look and operate similar to Ethernet products. The only difference is that a radio replaces the wire between various nodes. This means that all of your existing applications that operate over Ethernet will work with RangeLAN2 without any special wireless networking software. Wireless products are typical[...]

10 Infrastructure Many companies have an existing Ethernet or Token Ring LAN infrastructure and want to be able to extend that capability to wireless nodes. This is accomplished by attaching an Access Point to the wired LAN. This allows the wireless clients to access the network resources. Figure 4 Single Ethernet AP For larger environments, RangeL[...]

11 Figure 5 Roaming on Ethernet LAN - Light Overlap With RangeLAN2’s multi-channel architecture, Access Points can be placed within the same cell area to increase the aggregate throughput supported by the network. In addition, the overlap- ping cells offer redundancy of coverage required in networks where downtime is not tolerable.[...]

12 Figure 6 Roaming on Ethernet LAN- Heavy Overlap Each RangeLAN2 Access Point within a roaming network must be configured as a Master on a unique Channel/Subchannel pair, but all Access Points must have the same Domain number and Security ID. In addition, mobile clients, such as the Ethernet[...]

13 Adapters or laptops with 7400 PC cards, are set to the same Domain and Security ID as the Access Points. As the RangeLAN2 mobile clients seamlessly switch from cell to cell, the network connectivity is preserved. The user can move freely between the RangeLAN2 Access Points in the network. When the roaming unit leaves the trans- mission range of [...]

14 W orkgr oup Concentrator In small networks, the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter may be used as a workgroup concentrator to connect up to 8 Ethernet devices to a RangeLAN2 wireless network. However, the Ethernet Adapter can NOT support more than 8 devices on its Ethernet port, as shown in Figure 7. The Ethernet Adapter filters at a rate less than full[...]

15 Since an Ethernet Adapter’s 10BaseT connector is wired to operate like a standard Ethernet cabling hub, you must use a 10BaseT cross-over cable to connect an Ethernet Adapter to a cabling hub. See Chapter 2 for information on the pinout speci- fication for a 10BaseT cross-over cable. Note that the Ethernet Adapter does NOT support roaming. A w[...]

16 Repeating You have the option to enable or disable repeating. When repeating is enabled, the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter, set as a Master, will repeat any signal coming from one Station and destined for another Station, when the two Stations are both within range of the Master, but not within range of one another. The advantage of repeating is th[...]

17 4. Understanding the Hard ware Rotar y Switches The RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter is designed for easy config- uration by setting two rotary switches located on the bottom of the unit. The rotary switches are shown in Figure 9 below. Use the switch setting tool, enclosed in the product package, to change the position of the rotary switches. ❑ The[...]

18 Figure 9 Rotary Switches LED Indicators There are three LEDs on the top panel of the RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter: ❑ The Status LED on the right side (with the unit orien- tated so that you can read the Proxim logo), changes colors from yellow (initializing) to green (operational). This LED will blink red in a repeating pattern if a problem[...]

19 ❑ The Radio LED in the center blinks yellow when the Ethernet Adapter is transmitting data packets over its radio. ❑ The Ethernet LED on the left side blinks green when the Ethernet Adapter is transmitting data over the 10BASE- T Ethernet port. Figure 10 Top Panel LEDs Status LED Radio LED Ethernet LED[...]

20 There are also four LEDs on the back panel of the RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter: ❑ The green “Master” LED, located between the DC power jack and the serial interface, is on steady when the unit is set as a Master. ❑ The yellow “Sync” LED, located between the DC power jack and the serial interface, is on steady when the unit is set [...]

21 Figure 11 Back Panel LEDs Link LED Override LED Master LED Sync LED[...]

22 10B ASE-T Connector Specification The 10BASE-T connector located on the back panel of the Ethernet Adapter (see Figure 11, above) is wired like a cabling hub and connects to any Ethernet Network Interface Card using a standard 10BaseT cable. Standard 10BASE-T specifications apply to the 10BASE-T interface of the Ethernet Adapter. No segment can [...]

23 Serial P or t Specification Figure 13 and the table below provide the specification of the nine (9) pin serial port located on the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter. The Ethernet Adapter is wired as a standard DCE (Data Commu- nication Equipment) device. r e b m u N n i Pn o i t c n u F n i P l a i r e S 1 n i p) t c e t e D r e i r r a C ( D C 2 n i p[...]

24 Figure 13 Serial Port Specification[...]

25 Antenna Options The Ethernet Adapter is shipped with a standard directly-con- nected antenna. To install the antenna, screw it clockwise onto the antenna connector. Proxim sells several antenna alternatives, including higher gain omnidirectional and directional antennas. Each of these antennas ship with installation and mounting instructions. Fo[...]

26 Figure 14 Mounting Holes 2.75” 2.10”[...]

27 5. Software Configuration You need to configure the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter using the software menus if any of the following conditions apply: ❑ You want to set Security IDs on your network or your existing network uses a Security ID. ❑ You want to set the Domain number to a value between 10 and 15. ❑ You want to assign the Ethernet Ada[...]

28 The Ethernet Adapter’s configuration menu should look like this: Type the number of the menu option and <ENTER> to view the submenus. Hit <ESC> at any time to back up one menu. To simplify the menu options, all of the configuration menus will appear in a tree diagram format. The tree diagram for the Main Menu, shown in the screen s[...]

29 D i spl a y Pa ra m et er Val ue s R e se t P ar am e te r s to F a c to r y D efa u lts Radi o C onf i gura t i on M e nu Adv anc e d C onf i gura t i on M e nu View St at ist i cs D o w n l o ad N ew S o ft w are V e rsio n R e se t th e E th e r n et A d a p te r Ex i t Et he rne t A dapt e r M a i n M e nu The following four chapters detail [...]

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31 6. Radio Configuration Menu This section discusses the RangeLAN2 radio parameters that can be configured by the user. The software tree below shows the options available in the Radio Configuration Menu: Dotted L i ne - Vi si ble w h en confi g u red as a Maste r Das h ed Li ne - V i si bl e w hen c on fi g u red as a Stat i on Displa y Pa ram e [...]

32 Radio P arameters Menu The table below shows the range and default values for each of the radio software parameters: e m a N r e t e m a r a Pe g n a Rt l u a f e D n i a m o D e s U r o f " U " d n a , 5 1 - 0 h c t i w S h c t i w S e s U * l e n n a h C r o f 0 d n a , 5 1 - 1 n o i t c e l e s c i t a m o t u a 0 * l e n n a h c b [...]

33 Please note that changes to these parameters will not take affect until either the radio or the Ethernet Adapter is reset. A RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter may be set as either a Master or a Station using the Station Type parameter within the configura- tion menu. You may also choose “U” for Use Switch to use the value specified by the Station/M[...]

34 In order to establish communication, all Stations and the Master must be configured with the same Domain number. Radios on different Domains cannot communicate with each other. The Domain is a software filter which does not affect the actual radio frequency or the frequency hopping sequence. You may want to set everyone on your network to the sa[...]

35 There are 15 independent Channels designated 1 through 15. This means that there are 15 different sequences of frequency hops. Each Channel is at a different frequency at a different time. To minimize interference, set each Ethernet Adapter acting as a Master within the same area to a different Domain and Channel. In networks with multiple Acces[...]

36 The optional Master Name parameter of up to 11 characters specifies an alphanumeric name to simplify the identification of each Master in your network. You may not have spaces in the name. This parameter is visible only when the Ethernet Adapter is set as a Master. To further improve the security of a wireless subnetwork, each unit requires the [...]

37 However, be aware that by enabling the repeating feature, the network throughput will drop by as much as one-half when repeating occurs. This parameter is only visible when the Ethernet Adapter is configured as a Master. By default, Repeating is disabled. See Chapter 3 for more information on Repeating. The MAC Optimize parameter can help improv[...]

38 The Roam Config parameter allows you to determine how quickly an Ethernet Adapter, set as a Station, will roam from one Master Access Point to another. In areas with many RangeLAN2 Access Points that provide heavy overlapping coverage, set this parameter to Fast to maintain high throughput for each of the wireless nodes. In most networks, set th[...]

39 7. Adv anced Configuration Menu Use these parameters to configure the advanced features of the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter. D i sp lay Param eter Value s R e se t P ar a m e te rs to F a c to r y D e fa u lts Radi o Conf i gur at ion Menu S et IP A d d r es s For w ar di ng D a t aba s e Ta bl e Ti m e out CPU Pow e r Sa ve M ode Ec ho M o de Tec[...]

40 Adv anced Parameter s e m a N r e t e m a r a Pe g n a Rt l u a f e D s s e r d d A P I t e S- 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 e s a b a t a D g n i d r a w r o F t u o e m i T e l b a T s d n o c e s 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 , 1 o t 0 10 0 3 e d o M e v a S r e w o P U P CN / Yo N e d o M o h c E d n a , e l p m i S , e n o N l a n i m r e T l a n i m r e T t r o p p u S l[...]

41 The CPU Power Save Mode parameter will reduce the amount of power drawn by the Ethernet Adapter during operation. This is a useful feature for customer who are powering the Ethernet Adapter with a battery. Note: Enabling the CPU Power Save Mode will reduce the Ethernet Adapter’s rate of data transfer. The Ethernet Adapter’s serial port suppo[...]

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43 8. Display P arameter V alues The Ethernet Adapter displays all of the relevant parameters in one centralized location. By choosing “Display Parameter Values,” you can view the current and configured values for the Radio and Advanced parameters. Current values are already in use by the Ethernet Adapter. If the configured value is different f[...]

44 Dotte d Li n e - Vi si bl e when con fi g ured as a M ast er Das h ed Line - Vi s ibl e w hen confi g u red as a Stat i on Dom a i n Chan nel Su bchan nel S t at ion Type Ma s t e r N a me Repe at ing Enabled MA C O p t i mi z e In a c t ivi ty T im e o u t (se c .) Roam Conf i g. Roam ing E nabl ed Radio Param eters IP A dd re ss Fi l ter T abl[...]

45 9. View Statistics You can obtain operating statistics for the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter from the View Statistics menu. The following diagram illustrates the software tree: D i sp l ay Param et er Values R ese t Parameter s to F act ory Default s Radi o C onf i g ur at i on Menu Advan ced C on f i g ura t i on M enu Sy nchroni zed To Packet s S[...]

46 Synchr oniz ed T o Statistic This statistic displays the Master Name of the RangeLAN2 product, acting as a Master, to which the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter is synchronized. If the Ethernet Adapter is set as a Master, it will be synchronized to itself and display its own Master Name. Ethernet Statistics This category displays information about the[...]

47 10. P erformance Hints This section provides ideas for how to increase performance with Proxim wireless products. Microwave Ovens Microwave ovens operate in the same frequency band as RangeLAN2. Therefore, if you use a microwave within range of RangeLAN2 products, you may notice network performance degradation. However, both your microwave and y[...]

48 If you are interested in antenna options, contact your Proxim Sales Representative about antenna kits. Proper antenna placement can help improve range. Here are some guidelines: ❑ The antenna should be placed in a vertical position. ❑ Do not place a sheet of metal (like a filing cabinet) between two antennas. ❑ Two antennas that are commun[...]

49 11. T roubleshooting The RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter is designed to be very easy to install and operate. If you do experience difficulties, however, use the information in this chapter to help diagnose and solve problems. If you cannot resolve a problem, contact Proxim, as described in Appendix E, “How to Reach Technical Support.” How to[...]

50 prefix. Therefore, an Access Point will filter out packets destined for these devices, and these devices will not be able to communi- cate through the Access Points with the wired network. This is not an issue for Ethernet Access Points with revision 1.4 or greater of the flash code image installed. Proxim has modified the flash code for these A[...]

51 Below is a summary for changing this parameter on each model: Model 7500: Uncheck the NON-RangeLAN2 Address Filter on the Filter Configuration page of the 7500's Configuration Tool. Model 7510/752x: No action is needed if the Access Point has revision 1.4 or greater of the flash code image installed. If the Access Point is using an earlier [...]

52 LED Error Codes The main power LED located on the top of the Ethernet Adapter will flash red in repeating patterns to indicate the following errors: 1 blink: Could not initialize Ethernet interface 2 blinks: Memory check failed 3 blinks: Software error 4 blinks: Failed to initialize the radio 5 blinks: Memory full 6 blinks: Ethernet interface er[...]

53 Commonly Asked T echnical Support Questions n o i t s e u Q m o t p m y S / m e l b o r Pr e w s n A / n o i t u l o S e l b i s s o Ps ' r e s U n i r e t p a h C e d i u G e h t f i w o n k I o d w o H e h t g n i s u s i r e t p a d A t e n r e h t E r o h c t i w s e h t n o s g n i t t e s e h t e h t y b t e s s g n i t t e s e h t ? [...]

54 n o i t s e u Q m o t p m y S / m e l b o r Pr e w s n A / n o i t u l o S e l b i s s o Ps ' r e s U n i r e t p a h C e d i u G s s e l e r i w a h s i l b a t s e t ' n a c I t e n r e h t E e h t h t i w n o i t c e n n o c . r e t p a d A t e s s i r e t p a d A t e n r e h t E e h t t a h t y f i r e V D I y t i r u c e S d n a n[...]

55 A. Menu Structure Dot te d Li n e - Vi si bl e w he n con fi gur ed as a M ast er Dashed Li ne - Vi sibl e w hen co n figu r ed as a Stati o n Dom ai n Cha nnel Subcha nnel St at i on T y pe Ma s t e r N a me Repeat i n g Ena bl ed MA C O p t i mi z e In a c tivit y T i m eout ( sec.) Roam Conf i g . Roam i n g Enabl ed Radio P a r am e t ers I [...]

56 Do tted Li ne - Vi si bl e w h en c onfi gur ed as a M aster Da sh ed Li ne - Vis i bl e w hen con fi gured as a Stati o n D isp la y P a ram e te r V a lu es R e s e t P a r a m e te r s to F a c to r y D e fa u lts Dom ai n Channe l Subc hannel S t a t ion Ty pe Ma s t e r N a me Secu r i t y I D Enabl e R epeat i ng M ac Opti m i ze In a c ti[...]

57 D isplay P aram eter Value s R e s e t P a ra m e te r s to F a c to r y D e fa u lts Radi o Confi gura t i on M enu Se t I P Addr e ss For w a rdi ng D a t aba se Tabl e Ti m e out CPU Power Sav e M ode Ec ho M ode Te chni ca l Support Ac c es s Adv anc ed Conf igur at i on Menu View St at is ti cs D o wn l oa d N e w S of t wa r e V e r s i on[...]

58 D i sp l ay Para m e t er Val u es R e se t P ar am ete rs to F a cto r y D e fau lts Radio Co nf igura t i on Menu A dv a nc ed Conf i gur a t i on M e nu Sy nc hr oni zed To Pack et s Sent Pa cket s R eceived C o llis io n s Fr ame Al i gn Er ror s C R C Erro rs M i ssed P ack et s R ecei ve Overf low Pa cket s F i lt e red Et h e rnet Sta t i[...]

59 B. Parameter s Radio P arameters e m a N r e t e m a r a Pe g n a Rt l u a f e D n i a m o D e s U r o f " U " d n a , 5 1 - 0 h c t i w S h c t i w S e s U * l e n n a h C r o f 0 d n a , 5 1 - 1 n o i t c e l e s c i t a m o t u a 0 * l e n n a h c b u S5 1 - 11 e p y T n o i t a t S , n o i t a t S , r e t s a M h c t i w S e s U r [...]

60 Adv anced Configuration P arameters e m a N r e t e m a r a Pe g n a Rt l u a f e D s s e r d d A P I t e S- 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 e s a b a t a D g n i d r a w r o F t u o e m i T e l b a T s d n o c e s 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 , 1 o t 0 10 0 3 e d o M e v a S r e w o P U P CN / Yo N e d o M o h c E d n a , e l p m i S , e n o N l a n i m r e T l a n i m r e T t[...]

61 C. Procedure for Downloading New Software At some point in the future, you may need to upgrade the RangeLAN2 Ethernet Adapter software. To do this, choose the Download New Software Version option from the Main Menu. You need to use the XMODEM protocol to complete the download. Commonly used serial communication programs, such as Hyperterminal an[...]

62 Note: Do not choose the "Download New Software Version" menu item unless you are prepared to perform a software download to the device. Once you proceed past the warning messages, there is no way to exit the download process. The unit will not become opera- tional again until after a download of software to the Ethernet Adapter has bee[...]

63 D . Glossar y 10BASE-T Cross-over Cable — A standard 10BASE-T Ethernet cable with pins 1 & 3 and 2 & 6 crossed to allow two Ethernet devices with the same pin specification to communicate directly with one another . Access Point — An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless networks together. Bandwidth — T[...]

64 Filtering — An action performed by an Ethernet device, such as a bridge, switch, or router, which excludes an Ethernet packet from being passed from one subnetwork to another based upon the packet's destination, source, or packet type. Frequency Hopping — A spread spectrum technique by which the band is divided into a number of channels[...]

65 E. How to Reach T echnical Suppor t If you’re having a problem using the RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter and can’t resolve it with the information in Chapter 11, gather the following information and contact Proxim Technical Support: ❑ What are the configuration settings? ❑ What were you doing when the error occurred? ❑ What error messa[...]

66 F . U.S. Specifications The following technical specification is for reference purposes only. Actual product's performance and compliance with local telecommunica- tions regulations may vary from country to country. Proxim, Inc. will only ship products that are type approved in the destination country. Network Interface Ethernet 10BaseT (Tw[...]

67 Index 10BASE-T 7, 15, 22, 66 Cross-over Cable 15, 22 A Access Point. See RangeLAN2: Access Point Ad Hoc 9, 33 Antenna 3, 5, 25 , 47, 66 C Channel 12, 32, 34–35 Collisions 46 Configuration Menu 28, 29 Advanced Configuration Menu. See Advanced Configuration Menu Displaying Menu 27 Parameter T ables 59–60 Radio Configuration Menu. See Radio Con[...]

68 F FCC ii, 66 Filter Fixed Nodes. See Fixed Node Filtering Filtering 64 Fixed Node Filtering 49–51 Forwarding Database Table Timeout 40 Frame Align Errors 46 Frequency Hopping. See Spread Spectrum: Frequency Hopping I Inactivity Timeout 32, 37 Installation How to Obtain Help 49 IP Address 27, 40, 64 L LED Error Codes 52 LEDs 18 Link LED 7, 20. [...]

69 R Radio Configuration Menu 31–38. See also Configuration Menu Radio LED 19. See also LEDs Radio Statistics 46 Range 47 RangeLAN2 1, 3, 9, 10, 11, 14, 66 Access Point 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 33, 38, 49–51 Extension Point 2, 38 Family 1, 2 RangeLAN2 Access Point 12, 13, 14 Receive Overflow 46 Repeating 16, 32, 36 Reset Radio 32 RMA i Roam Confi[...]

70 Temperature Operating 66 Terminal 27, 61 Token Ring 2, 10, 51 U U.S. Specifications 66–67 UNIX 9 V View Statistics 45 W Workgroup Concentrator 14, 33 X XMODEM 61[...]