How To | Configure a Wireless LAN for SME
Introduction
This How to Note explains how to configure a cluster of access points to setup
easily your Wireless Local Area Network for Small/Medium Enterprise.
This document provides an example, which describes the configuration for SME.
This example could be extended to cover a wider installation case.
For a complete description of the commands used in this document, please refer
to the following guides:
AT-TQ2403 Quick Installation Guide
AT-TQ2403 Management Software User’s Guide
PN - Rev. A
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Trademarks
The following trademarks appear in this document:
Ethernet™ is a trademark of Xerox Corporation.
Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access® (WPA), the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo,
the Wi-Fi logo, the Wi-Fi ZONE logo and the Wi-Fi Protected Setup logo are registered
trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, Wi-Fi Direct™, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™,
Wi-Fi Multimedia™, WPA2™, Passpoint™, and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are trademarks of the
Wi-Fi Alliance
UPnP™ is a certification mark of the UPnP™ Implementers Corporation.
Microsoft®, MS-DOS®, Windows®, Windows NT® and Windows Vista® are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Other brands and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective holders. All other logos, trademarks and service marks are the property of their
respective owners, where marked or not.
Which products and software version does this
document apply to?
This document applies to the following Allied Telesis products:
Table 1 – Allied Telesis network products
Product
Software
Description and Notes
Version
AT-TQ2403
1
3.4.2 onward
IEEE 802.11a/b/g dual radio Access Point
AT-GS900/8PS
-
Un-managed GigaBit Ethernet PoE+ Switch
AT-6101G
-
IEEE 802.3af Gigabit Ethernet PoE Injector
1
Use the PoE injector, if more than 4 access points are required.
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Table of contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1
Trademarks ............................................................................................................................. 2
Which products and software version does this document apply to? ...................... 2
Table of contents ................................................................................................................... 3
Overview ................................................................................................................................. 4
What is a cluster of access points? ................................................................ 4
What settings are shared? ............................................................................. 4
What are the requirement creating a cluster? ................................................. 4
What kind of security for SME? ...................................................................... 4
Network layout ...................................................................................................................... 5
Configuration example ......................................................................................................... 6
Configure the WLAN settings on the first AP .................................................. 7
Deploy additional APs .................................................................................. 25
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Overview
What is a cluster of access points?
The AT-TQ2403 is able to establish a dynamic configuration-aware group
(aka, cluster) within the same subnet. The access points belonging the same
group, share the configuration simplifying the deployment, and administration of
your WLAN.
The plug and play facility detects and configures automatically new members
setting up the radio parameters and security policy specified for the network
access. Each member may be used as the single point of management for the
whole group.
What settings are shared?
The cluster shares the following settings:

Administrator’s password

Wireless interface parameters

Network Name (SSID)

WLAN security:
o
user’s credentials, and authentication
o
user’s data encryption

Guest Welcome screen

QoS

Network Time Protocol
What are the requirement creating a cluster?
A cluster requires that any AT-TQ2403 device has the same firmware release,
regulatory domain, and shares the IP subnet.
What kind of security for SME?
The WPA2-Personal or pre-shared keys (PSK) mode provides adequate security
for SME solutions. Security is processed between the access point and client
device, which share a manually configured passphrase; encryption keys for the
session are defined during a four-way handshake (Pairwise Transient Key - PTK).
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Network layout
AT-GS900/8PS
AT-TQ2403
AT-6101G
Note:
AT-GS900/8PS switch feeds PoE for four access points only.
If your network requires more access points, you can supply them by means of the
AC/DC adapter, or connecting the PoE injector AT-6101G.
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Configuration example
This configuration example starts restoring the factory default configuration on
any devices.
Turn-on the device connecting the AC/DC power adapter, or just connecting the
LAN port to the PoE source switch, and wait for booting completion.
When the Test LED on the front panel is switched off, then the booting stage has
been performed:
Press for 5 seconds the Reset Button located on the rear panel:
:
Releasing the Reset Button, the device restarts applying the default
configuration.
You can connect the management interface by means of a Web browser, at the
URL: http://192.168.1.230
The default account is manager.
The default password is friend.
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Configure the WLAN settings on the first AP
Configure the WLAN setting on the first access point, and enabling the cluster
facility, you create the configuration profile for any member you will add next.
The following steps arrange the configuration of the first member of the AP
cluster.
Figure 1 – “Basic Setting” page
Check the firmware release is up to date
On the Basic Setting page, verify the firmware version is 3.4.2 or onward.
Set the Network Name
On the Basic Setting page, set the same Network Name (SSID)2 for both the
radio interfaces.
Press the Update button to apply the setup.
2
In example: WLAN-soho
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Set the Regulatory Domain
Press the Manage→Wireless Settings tabs to select the Wireless Settings
page:
Figure 2 - moving to "Wireless Settings" page
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Set the Country Domain as required by your regulatory domain3:
Figure 3 - "Wireless Settings" page
Press the Update button to apply the setup:
Figure 4 - "Wireless Settings" page, configuration update
3
In example: Italy
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Set the Cluster facility
Press the Cluster→Access Points tabs to enter clustering setup page:
Figure 5 - moving to "Manage access points in the cluster" page
Press the Start Clustering button to enable the cluster operating mode:
Figure 6 - "Manage access points in the cluster" page, start clustering
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Specify the Location4 and the Cluster name5, then press the Update button to
apply the setup:
Figure 7 - "Manage access points in the cluster" page, clustering options
4
In example: room-A; the location must be unique with the deployment
5
In example: office-A; the cluster name specifies the group membership of AP
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Set the IP address via DHCP server
If your LAN is supported by a DHCP server, the network will configure dynamically
the IP address.
In this case, follow the configuration steps as described by this section, and skip
the next chapter “Set a static IP address”.
Press the Manage→Ethernet Settings tabs to enter clustering setup page:
Figure 8 - moving to "Modify Ethernet settings" page
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Select the DHCP on Connection Type list:
Figure 9 - "Modify Ethernet settings" page, enabling the DHCP support
Press the Update button to apply the setup:
Figure 10 - "Modify Ethernet settings" page, configuration update
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Confirm the change:
Note:
You could need to change the IP address of your laptop, if DHCP run on different
subnet than 192.168.1.0 .
Note:
Use the KickStart utility to retrieve the dynamicaly assigned IP addresses.
Figure 11 - KickStart utility, AP discovering
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Set a static IP address
Press the Manage→Ethernet Settings tabs to enter clustering setup page:
Figure 12 - moving to "Modify Ethernet settings" page
Select the Static IP on Connection Type list:
Figure 13 - "Modify Ethernet settings" page, enabling the Static IP addressing
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Specify the IP addressing, and press the Update button to apply the setup:
Figure 14 - "Modify Ethernet settings" page, configuration update
Confirm the change:
Note:
You could need to change the IP address of your laptop, if the assigned IP address
belongs to a different subnet than 192.168.1.0 .
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Enable the radio
Press the Manage→Radio tabs to enter radio setup page:
Figure 15 - moving to "Modify radio setting" page
Switch on the Status of radio 1 enabling the IEEE 802.11a coverage:
Figure 16 - "Modify radio setting" page, switch-on the radio 1
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Press the Update button to apply the setup:
Figure 17 - "Modify radio setting" page, radio 1 configuration update
Select the radio 2:
Figure 18 - "Modify radio setting" page, select the radio 2
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Switch on the Status of radio 2 enabling the IEEE 802.11b/g coverage:
Figure 19 - "Modify radio setting" page, switch-on the radio 2
Press the Update button to apply the setup:
Figure 20 - "Modify radio setting" page, radio 2 configuration update
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Enable the auto channel assignment
Press the Cluster→Channel Management tabs to enter channel assignment
setup page:
Figure 21 - moving to the "Automatically manage channel assignment" page
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Press the Start button to enable the channel re-assignment facility:
Figure 22 – “Automatically manage channel assignment", start the facility
Note:
by default, the access points performs monitoring every hour, and could remap
used channel to reduce the interference.
Figure 23 – “Automatically manage channel assignment", default setup
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Set the security policy
Press the Security tab to enter the related setup page:
Figure 24 - moving to "Security" page
Enable the Broadcast SSID facility to announce the network name:
Figure 25 - "Modify network security" page, enable the SSID broadcasting
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Select the WPA-Personal security mode (pre-shared key based):
Figure 26 - "Modify network security" page, WPA-Personal setting up
Just enable the WPA2 version and CCMP cipher for advanced security policy.
Specify the pre-shared Key6, then press the Update button to apply the setup:
Figure 27 - "Modify network security" page, WPA2-Personal setting up
6
In example: my-secret-key
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Check the WLAN access is working
Check the availability of the wireless network, using your laptop; see here how to
“View and connect to available wireless network” using Windows 7.
The list has to include the WLAN-SME:
Note:
the visibility of both IEEE 802.11 bands, depends by the capability of the installed
wireless network adapter.
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Deploy additional APs
To deploy additional access points, you just need to perform the steps as
described by the previous chapters:
1. “Check the firmware release is up to date”
2. “Set the Regulatory Domain”
3. “Set the Cluster facility”7
4. “Set the IP address via DHCP server” or “Set a static IP address”
Access points may be easily added to the WLAN network, just setting up the
group membership and specific IP addressing.
7
Assign the Cluster Name to join the access point to the group.
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Check the AP joins the cluster
Press the Cluster→Access Points tabs to enter clustering setup page, and
check the access point joined to the group:
Note:
The access point could take 60 s to join the group.
© 2013 Allied Telesis, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Allied Telesis is a trademark or registered trademark of Allied Telesis, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
All company names, logos, and product designs that are trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
617-000500 – Rev.A