PreLaunch Checklist: Default Settings and Supported Administrator/Client Platforms
Before you plug in and boot a new Access Point, review the following sections for a quick check of required hardware components, software, client configurations, and compatibility issues. Make sure you have everything you need ready to go for a successful launch and test of your new (or extended) wireless network.
Devicescape Reference AP
The Devicescape Reference AP is a wireless communications hub for devices on your network. It provides continuous, high-speed access between your wireless and Ethernet devices in IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a Turbo modes.
The Devicescape Reference AP offers an out-of-the-box Guest Interface feature that allows you to configure access points for controlled guest access of the wireless network. This can be accomplished either by using Virtual LANs or by creating physically separate network connections on the same access point. To support physically separate network connections, the Devicescape Reference AP ships with an extra network port to be used for a dedicated guest network. (For more information on the Guest interface, see Setting up Guest Access and A Note About Setting Up Connections for a Guest Network.)
Default Settings for the Devicescape Reference AP
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Option
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Default Settings
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Related Information
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System Name
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User Name
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admin
The user name is read-only. It cannot be modified.
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Password
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admin
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Network Name (SSID)
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"Internal Devicescape Network" for the Internal interface
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Network Time Protocol (NTP)
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None
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IP Address
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192.168.1.10
The default IP address is used if you do not use a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol ( DHCP) server. You can assign a new static IP address through the Administration Web pages.
If you have a DHCP server on the network, then an IP address will be dynamically assigned by the server at AP startup.
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Connection Type
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Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol ( DHCP)
If you do not have a DHCP server on the Internal network and do not plan to use one, the first thing you must do after bringing up the access point is to change the Connection Type from "DHCP" to "Static IP".
The Guest network must have a DHCP server.
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For information on how to re-configure the Connection Type, see Configuring LAN or Internal Interface Ethernet Settings.
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Subnet Mask
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None
This is determined by your network setup and DHCP server configuration.
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Radio
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On
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IEEE 802.11 Mode
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802.11g or 802.11a+g
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802.11g Channel
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Auto
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Beacon Interval
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100
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DTIM Period
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2
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Fragmentation Threshold
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2346
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RTS Threshold
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2347
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MAX Stations
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2007
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Transmit Power
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100 percent
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Rate Sets Supported (Mbps)
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- IEEE 802.1a: 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6
- IEEE 802.1g: 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 11, 9, 6, 5.5, 2, 1
- IEEE 802.1b: 11, 5.5, 2, 1
- Atheros Turbo 5 GHz: 108, 96, 72, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12
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Rate Sets (Mbps)
(Basic/Advertised)
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- IEEE 802.1a: 24, 12, 6
- IEEE 802.1g: 11, 5.5, 2, 1
- IEEE 802.1b: 2, 1
- Atheros Turbo 5 GHz: 48, 24, 12
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Broadcast SSID
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Allow
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Security Mode
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None (plain-text)
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Authentication Type
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None
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MAC Filtering
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Allow any station unless in list
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Guest Login and
Management
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Disabled
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Load Balancing
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Disabled
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WDS Settings
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None
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What the Access Point Does Not Provide
The Devicescape Reference AP is not designed to function as a Gateway to the Internet. To connect your Wireless LAN (WLAN) to other LANs or the Internet, you need a gateway device.
Administrator's Computer
Configuration and administration of the Devicescape Reference AP is accomplished through a Web-based user interface (UI). The following table describes the minimum requirements for the administrator's computer.
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Required Software or Component
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Description
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Ethernet Connection to the First Access Point
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The computer used to configure the first access point must be connected to that access point (either directly or through a hub) by an Ethernet cable.
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Wireless Connection to the Network
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After initial configuration and launch of the first access points on your new wireless network, you can make subsequent configuration changes through the Administration Web pages using a wireless connection to the "Internal" network. For wireless connection to the access point, your administration device will need Wi-Fi capability similar to that of any wireless client:
- Portable or built-in Wi-Fi client adapter that supports one or more of the IEEE 802.11 modes in which you plan to run the access point. (IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a Turbo modes are supported.)
- Wireless client software such as Microsoft Windows XP or Funk Odyssey wireless client configured to associate with the Devicescape Reference AP.
For more details on Wi-Fi client setup, see Wireless Client Computers.
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Web Browser / Operating System
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Configuration and administration of the Devicescape Reference AP is provided through a Web-based user interface hosted on the access point. We recommend using one of the following supported Web browsers to access the access point Administration Web pages:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or 6.x (with up-to-date patch level for either major version) on Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows 2000
- Netscape Mozilla 1.7.x on Redhat Linux version 2.4
The administration Web browser must have JavaScript enabled to support the interactive features of the administration interface. It must also support HTTP uploads to use the firmware upgrade feature.
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Security Settings
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Ensure that security is disabled on the wireless client used to initially configure the access point.
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Wireless Client Computers
The Devicescape Reference AP provides wireless access to any client with a properly configured Wi-Fi client adapter for the 802.11 mode in which the access point is running.
Multiple client operating systems are supported. Clients can be laptops or desktops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or any other hand-held, portable or stationary device equipped with a Wi-Fi adapter and supporting drivers.
In order to connect to the access point, wireless clients need the following software and hardware.
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Required Component
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Description
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Wi-Fi Client Adapter
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Portable or built-in Wi-Fi client adapter that supports one or more of the IEEE 802.11 modes in which you plan to run the access point. (IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a Turbo modes are supported.)
Wi-Fi client adapters vary considerably. The adapter can be a PC card built in to the client device, a portable PCMCIA or PCI card (types of NICs), or an external device such as a USB or Ethernet adapter that you connect to the client by means of a cable.
The access point supports 802.11a/b/g modes, but you will probably make a decision during network design phase as to which mode to use. The fundamental requirement for clients is that they all have configured adapters that match the 802.11 mode for which your access point(s) is configured.
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Wireless Client Software
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Client software such as Microsoft Windows Supplicant or Funk Odyssey wireless client configured to associate with the Devicescape Reference AP.
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Client Security Settings
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Security should be disabled on the client used to do initial configuration of the access point.
If the Security mode on the access point is set to anything other than plain-text, wireless clients will need to set a profile to the authentication mode used by the access point and provide a valid username and password, certificate, or similar user identity proof. Security modes are Static WEP, IEEE 802.1x, WPA with RADIUS server, and WPA- PSK.
For information on configuring security on the access point, see Configuring Security.
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Understanding Dynamic and Static IP Addressing on the Devicescape Reference AP
Devicescape Reference APs are designed to auto-configure, with very little setup required for the first access point and no configuration required for additional access points subsequently joining a pre-configured cluster.
How Does the Access Point Obtain an IP Address at Startup?
When you deploy the access point, it looks for a network DHCP server and, if it finds one, obtains an IP Address from the DHCP server. If no DHCP server is found on the network, the AP will continue to use its default Static IP Address (192.168.1.10) until you re-assign it a new static IP address (and specify a static IP addressing policy) or until a DHCP server is brought online.
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Note
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- If you configure both an Internal and Guest network and plan to use a dynamic addressing policy for both, separate DHCP servers must be running on each network.
- A DHCP server is a requirement for the Guest network.
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Dynamic IP Addressing
The Devicescape Reference AP generally expects that a DHCP server is running on the network where the AP is deployed. Most home and small business networks already have DHCP service provided either via a gateway device or a centralized server. However, if no DHCP server is present on the Internal network, the AP will use the default Static IP Address for first time startup.
Similarly, wireless clients and other network devices (such as printers) will receive their IP addresses from the DHCP server, if there is one. If no DHCP server exists on the network, you must manually assign static IP addresses to your wireless clients and other network devices.
The Guest network must have a DHCP server.
Static IP Addressing
The Devicescape Reference AP ships with a default Static IP Address of 192.168.1.10. (See Default Settings for the Devicescape Reference AP.) If no DHCP server is found on the network, the AP retains this static IP address at first-time startup.
After AP startup, you have the option of specifying a static IP addressing policy on Devicescape Reference APs and assigning static IP addresses to APs on the Internal network via the access point Administration Web pages. (See information about the Connection Type field and related fields in Configuring LAN or Internal Interface Ethernet Settings.)
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Caution
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If you do not have a DHCP server on the Internal network and do not plan to use one, the first thing you must do after bringing up the access point is change the Connection Type from DHCP to Static IP. You can either assign a new Static IP address to the AP or continue using the default address. We recommend assigning a new Static IP address so that if later you bring up another Devicescape Reference AP on the same network, the IP address for each AP will be unique.
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Recovering an IP Address
If you experience trouble communicating with the access point, you can recover a Static IP Address by resetting the AP configuration to the factory defaults (see Resetting Factory Default Configuration), or you can get a dynamically assigned address by connecting the AP to a network that has DHCP.
