Introduction

Your NWA/WAC is a wireless AP (Access Point). It extends the range of your existing wired network without additional wiring, providing easy network access to mobile users.

You can set the NWA/WAC to operate in either standalone AP or managed AP mode. When the NWA/WAC is in standalone AP mode, it can serve as a normal AP, as an RF monitor to search for rouge APs to help eliminate network threats (if it supports monitor mode and rogue APs detection), or even as a root AP or a wireless repeater to establish wireless links with other APs in a WDS (Wireless Distribution System). A WDS is a wireless connection between two or more APs.

Your NWA/WAC’s business-class reliability, SMB features, and centralized wireless management make it ideally suited for advanced service delivery in mission-critical networks. It uses Multiple BSSID and VLAN to provide simultaneous independent virtual APs. Additionally, innovations in roaming technology and QoS features eliminate voice call disruptions.

The NWA/WAC controls network access with Media Access Control (MAC) address filtering, and rogue Access Point (AP) detection. It also provides a high level of network traffic security, supporting IEEE 802.1x Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption.

Your NWA/WAC is easy to install, configure and use. The embedded Web-based configurator enables simple, straightforward management and maintenance. See the Quick Start Guide for how to make hardware connections.

Management Mode 

The NWA/WAC is a unified AP and can work either in standalone AP mode or in managed AP mode. If the NWA/WAC and a ZyXEL AP controller, such as the NXC2500 or NXC5500, are in the same subnet, it will be managed by the controller automatically.

An AP controller uses Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP, see RFC 5415) to discover and configure multiple managed APs.

To set the NWA/WACto be managed by an AP controller in a different subnet or change between management modes, use the AC (AP Controller) Discovery screen (see AC (AP Controller) Discovery).

When the NWA/WAC is in standalone AP mode and connects to a DHCP server, it uses the IP address assigned by the DHCP server. Otherwise, the NWA/WAC uses the default static management IP address (192.168.1.2). You can use the AC Discovery screen to have the NWA/WAC work as a managed AP.

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.

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.

Dual-Radio

Some of the NWA/WAC models are equipped with dual wireless radios. This means you can configure two different wireless networks to operate simultaneously.

Note: A different channel should be configured for each WLAN interface to reduce the effects of radio interference.

You could use the 2.4 GHz band for regular Internet surfing and downloading while using the 5 GHz band for time sensitive traffic like high-definition video, music, and gaming.

Root AP

On the NWA/WAC in Root AP mode, you can have multiple SSIDs active for regular wireless connections and one SSID for the connection with a repeater (repeater SSID). Wireless clients can use either SSID to associate with the NWA/WAC in Root AP mode. A repeater must use the repeater SSID to connect to the NWA/WAC in Root AP mode.

When the NWA/WAC is in Root AP mode, repeater security between the NWA/WAC and other repeater is independent of the security between the wireless clients and the AP or repeater. When repeater security is enabled, both APs and repeaters must use the same pre-shared key. See AP Management and WDS Profile for more details.

Unless specified, the term “security settings” refers to the traffic between the wireless clients and the AP. At the time of writing, repeater security is compatible with the NWA/WAC only.

Repeater

The NWA/WAC can act as a wireless network repeater to extend a root AP’s wireless network range, and also establish wireless connections with wireless clients.

When the NWA/WAC is in Repeater mode, repeater security between the NWA/WAC and other repeater is independent of the security between the wireless clients and the AP or repeater. When repeater security is enabled, both APs and repeaters must use the same pre-shared key. See AP Management and WDS Profile  for more details.

Once the security settings of peer sides match one another, the connection between devices is made.

At the time of writing, repeater security is compatible with the NWA/WAC only.

Ways to Manage the NWA/WAC

You can use the following ways to manage the NWA/WAC.

Web Configurator

The Web Configurator allows easy NWA/WAC setup and management using an Internet browser. This User’s Guide provides information about the Web Configurator.

Command-Line Interface (CLI)

The CLI allows you to use text-based commands to configure the NWA/WAC. You can access it using remote management (for example, SSH or Telnet). See the Command Reference Guide for more information.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

This protocol can be used for firmware upgrades and configuration backup and restore.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

The NWA/WAC can be monitored by an SNMP manager. See the SNMP chapter in this User’s Guide.

NWA5301-NJ Hardware

110 Punch-Down Block

This section shows you how to use a punch-down tool to seat an 8-wire Ethernet cable to the 110 punch-down block. You can connect a PoE switch to the 110 punch-down block to provide power and Internet access to the NWA through this connection. An 8-pin Ethernet cable has four pairs of color coded wires.

1       Cut out one and a half inches of the jacket from the Ethernet cable to expose the wires.

2       Untwist the wire pairs no more than one inch.

3       Match each wire to the correct slot according to the color codes for wiring shown below.

4       Use a punch-down tool to seat the wires down properly into the slot.

5       Trim any excess wires. Place the dust caps over the terminated wires.

Phone Port

Connect a digital telephone to the RJ-45 PHONE port at the bottom of the NWA to forward voice traffic to/from the telephone switchboard that is connected to the RJ-45 PHONE port on the back of the NWA. The NWA does not support VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and the PHONE port is NOT for making calls over the regular networking network (PSTN), either.

Console Port

To use the CLI commands to configure the NWA, connect an RJ-45-to-DB-9 cable to the PHONE port at the bottom of the NWA.

For local management, you can use a computer with terminal emulation software configured to the following parameters:

•   VT100 terminal emulation   

•   115200 bps

•   No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit

•   No flow control

The following table shows you the wire color codes and pin assignment for the console cable.

LEDs

The LEDs of your WAC6500 and NWA5301 can be controlled by using the Suppression feature such that the LEDs stay lit (ON) or OFF after the device is ready.

The WAC6500 also features Locator LED which allows you to see the actual location of the WAC6500 between several devices in the network.

Following are LED descriptions for the NWA/WAC series models.

WAC6502D-E, WAC6502D-S, WAC6503D-S and WAC6553D-E

The LEDs will stay ON when the WAC6500 Series is ready. You can change this setting in the Maintenance > LEDs > Suppression screen.

WAC6103D-I

The LEDs will stay ON when the WAC6103D-I is ready. You can change this setting in the Maintenance > LEDs > Suppression screen.

NWA5301-NJ

The LEDs automatically turn off when the NWA5301-NJ is ready. You can press the LED ON button for one second to turn on the LEDs again. The LEDs will blink and turn off after two minutes.

NWA5121-N, NWA5121-NI, NWA5123-AC and NWA5123-NI

The following are the LED descriptions for your NWA5120 series.

Starting and Stopping the NWA/WAC

Here are some of the ways to start and stop the NWA/WAC.

Always use Maintenance > Shutdown or the shutdown command before you turn off the NWA/WAC or remove the power. Not doing so can cause the firmware to become corrupt.

The NWA/WAC does not stop or start the system processes when you apply configuration files or run shell scripts although you may temporarily lose access to network resources.