TP-Link TL-WA501G manual

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Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    User Guide TL-W A501G 54Mbps Wireless Access Point TM 2x to 3x eXtended Range 2.4GHz 802.1 1g/b Rev:2.0[...]

  • Page 2

    COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS S pecifications are subject to change without notice. is a registered trademark of TP-LINK T echnologies Co., Lt d. Other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. No part of the specificatio ns may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative[...]

  • Page 3

    FCC STATEMENT This equipment has been tested and found to comp ly with the limits for a class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rule s. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful inte rference in a residential installation. This equipme nt generates, uses and ca n radiate radio frequen c y energy and, [...]

  • Page 4

    ¾ EN 60950-1: 2001 ¾ EN 55022: 1998 + A1: 2000 + A2: 2003 ¾ EN61000-3-2:2001 ¾ EN61000-3-3:2001 ¾ EN 55024: 1998 +A1: 2001 + A2: 2003 European standards dictate maximum radiated transmit power of 100mW EIRP and frequency range 2.400-2. 4835GHz; In France, the equipment must be restricted to the 2.4465-2.4835GHz frequency range a nd must be res[...]

  • Page 5

    Package contents .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1: About this Guide .............................................................................................. 2 1.1 Purposes ..................................................................................[...]

  • Page 6

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Package content s The following contents should be found in your box: ¾ One TL-W A501G 54Mbp s Wireless Access Point ¾ One AC power Adapter for TL-WA501G 54Mbp s Wireless Access Point ¾ One Resource CD for TL-W A501G 54Mb ps Wireless Access Point, including: • This Guide • Other Helpful Informa[...]

  • Page 7

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Chapter 1: About this Guide Thank you for choosing the TL-W A501G 54Mbps Wireless Access Point. This AP provides connectivity between Ether net wired networks and radio-equipped wirel ess devices. It adopts 2x to 3x eXtended Range TM WLAN transmission technology so that transmission distance is 2-3 ti[...]

  • Page 8

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Chapter 2: Introduction 2.1 Overview of the AP The TL-WA501G 54Mbps Wireless Access Point is the basic bu ilding block of a wireless LAN infrastructure. It provides connectivity between Ethernet wired networks and radio-equipped wireless notebook sy stems, desktop system s, pr int servers, and other d[...]

  • Page 9

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide 2.3 Panel Layout 2.3.1 The Front Panel Viewed from left to right, as shown in fi gure 2-1, the front panel of the TL-W A501G consists of four LEDs, whic h is designed to indicate connec tions. T able 2-1 de scribes the LEDs on the front panel of the AP . Figure 2-1: Front Panel sketch Name Action Desc[...]

  • Page 10

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 2-2: Rear Panel sketch - 5 -[...]

  • Page 11

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Chapter 3: Connecting the AP 3.1 System Requirement s ¾ Broadband Internet Access Service (DSL/Cable/Et hernet) ¾ One DSL/Cable Modem t hat has an RJ45 connector ¾ A Ethernet broadband ro uter ¾ TCP/IP protocol must be inst alled on each PC ¾ Web browser , such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 [...]

  • Page 12

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 3-1 The Example of Infrastructure Network Incorporating the TL-W A501G - 7 -[...]

  • Page 13

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Chapter 4: TCP/IP Configuration After connecting the TL-W A501G AP into your network, you should configure it. The default IP address of th e TL-WA501G 54Mbp s Wireless Access Point is 192.168.1.1, and the default Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0. These values can be seen from the LAN. They can be changed[...]

  • Page 14

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 4-2: Failed result of Ping command If the result displayed is similar to that shown in figure 4-2, it means that your PC has not connected to the AP . Please c heck it following these steps: 1. Is the connection between y our PC and the AP correct? Note : The LED of LAN port on the AP and LE D [...]

  • Page 15

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Chapter 5: Configuring the AP This chapter describes eac h web page's key functions. 5.1 login With a Web-based (Internet Explorer or Netscape ® Navigator) utility , the TL-W A501G 54Mbps Wireless Access Point is easy to configure and manage. The W eb-based utility can be used on any Windows, Ma[...]

  • Page 16

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide read-only . 1. Network This field displays the current settings or information for the Network, including the MAC address, IP address and Subnet Mask. 2. Wireless This field displays basic information or status for wireless function, including Operating Mode, SSID, Channel, Mode, MAC Address and IP Ad[...]

  • Page 17

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide ¾ MAC Address - the physical address of the AP , as seen from the LAN. The value can't be changed. ¾ IP Address - Enter the IP address of your AP in dotted-decimal notation (factory default: 192.168.1.1). ¾ Subnet Mask - An address code that determines t he size of the network. Normally use 25[...]

  • Page 18

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 5-6a: Wireless Settings ¾ Channel - This field determines which operati ng frequency will be used. It is not necessary to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems with another nearby access point. ¾ Mode - Select the desired wireless mode. The options are: • 54Mbp[...]

  • Page 19

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide ¾ Region - Select your region from the pull-down list. This field specifies the region where the wireless function of the AP can be used. If your country or region is not listed, please contact your local government agency for assistance. The default region is United States. When you select your loca[...]

  • Page 20

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide ¾ Disable Wireless - The wireless of this AP can be enabled or disabled to allow wireless stations access. If disabled, wire less stations will not be able to acce ss the AP. AP provides five operational modes: Access Point, Client, Repeater, Bridge (point to point), Bridge (point to Multi-point). ¾[...]

  • Page 21

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 5-8: wireless repeating 2. Verify the wireless security parameters for all access points, if any. 3. Verify connectivity acro ss the LANs. A computer on any LAN seg ment should be able to connect to the Internet or share files and printers with any other PCs or servers connected to any of the t[...]

  • Page 22

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide • Both use the same Channel, and security settings if security is in use. • Verify connectivity across the LAN 1 and LAN 2. A computer on either LAN segment should be able to connec t to the Internet or share files and printers of any other PCs or servers connected to LAN Segment 1 or LAN Segment [...]

  • Page 23

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide share files and printers with any other PCs or servers connected to any of the three LAN segments. • Wireless stations will not be able to connec t to the TL-WA501G Access Points in the illustration above. If you require wire less stations to a ccess any lan segment, you can add TL-WA501G Access Poi[...]

  • Page 24

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 5-12: Wireless Securities ¾ Disable Security - The wireless security function can be enabled or disabled. If disabled, the wireless stations will be able to connect the AP wit hout encryption. It is recommended strongly that y ou choose one of following opt ions to enable security. ¾ WEP - Se[...]

  • Page 25

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide 2) For 128-bit encr yption - You can enter 26 hexadec imal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, A-F, zero key is not permitted) or 13 ASCII characters. 3) For 152-bit encr yption - You can enter 32 hexad ecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, A-F, zero key is not permitted) or 16 ASCII characters[...]

  • Page 26

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 5-13: Wireless MAC address Filtering The Wireless MAC Address Filtering feature al lows you to control wireless stations accessing the AP, which depend on the station's MAC addresses. ¾ MAC Address - The wireless st ation's MAC address that you want to access. ¾ Description - A simp[...]

  • Page 27

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide 2. Enter a simple description of the wireless station in the Description field. For example: Wireless station A. 3. Privilege - Selects the privileges for this entry, one of Allo w / Deny / 64-bit / 128-bit / 152-bit . 4. WEP Key - If you select 64-bit , 128 -bit or 152-bit in the Privilege field, ent[...]

  • Page 28

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Key field and select Enabled in the Status pull-down list. Click the Save and the Return button. The filtering rules that configured s hould be similar to the following list: Figure 5-15: The filtering list Note : a) If you select the radio button Allow the stations not specified by an y enabled entri[...]

  • Page 29

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide 5.5 DHCP Figure 5-17: the DHCP menu There are three submenus under the DH CP menu (shown in figure 5-17): DHCP Settings , DHCP Clients List and Address Reservation. Click any of them, and you will be able to configure the corresponding functi on. The detailed explanations for each submenu are provided[...]

  • Page 30

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide ¾ Primary DNS - (Optional.) Input the DNS IP addre ss provided by your ISP. Or consult your ISP. ¾ Secondary DNS - (Optional.) Input the IP address of another DNS server if your ISP provides two DNS servers. Note: To use the DHCP server function of the AP, you must configure all computers on the LAN[...]

  • Page 31

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 5-20: Address Reservation ¾ MAC Address - The MAC address of the PC of which you want to reserve IP address. ¾ Assigned IP Address - The IP address of the AP reserved. To Reserve IP addresses: 1. Enter the MAC address (The format fo r the MAC Address is XX- XX-XX-XX-XX-XX.) and IP address in [...]

  • Page 32

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure5-21: AP Wireless Advanced Settings ¾ Disable short preamble - Disable short preamble and use long preamble only. 802.11b mode supports only long preamble and this parameter will be ignored. ¾ RTS threshold - RTS/CTS Threshold, the packet size that is used to determine if RTS/CTS should be sen[...]

  • Page 33

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Note: When you upgrade the AP's firmware, you may lose it s configuration settings, so make sure you write down the AP settings before you upgrade it s firmware. To upgrade the AP's firmware, follow these instructions: 1. Download a more recent firmware upgrade file from the TP-LINK website [...]

  • Page 34

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 5-25: Reboot the AP Click the Reboot button to reboot the AP. Some settings of the AP will take effe ct only after rebooting, which include: • Change LAN IP Address. (Sys tem will reboot automatically) • MAC Clone (system will reboot automatically) • DHCP service function. • Static addr[...]

  • Page 35

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure 5-27: System Log The AP can keep logs of all traffic. You can query the logs to find what happened to the AP. Click the Refresh button to refresh the logs. Click the Clear Log button to clear all the logs. - 30 -[...]

  • Page 36

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Appendix A: F AQ 1. No lights are lit on the access point. It takes a few seconds for the power indicato r to light up. Wait a minute and check the power light status on the access point. If the access point has no power. 1) Make sure the power cord is connected to the access point. 2) Make sure the p[...]

  • Page 37

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Appendix B: Configuring the PCs In this section, we’ll introduce how to inst all and configure the TCP/IP correctly in Windows 95/98. First make sure your Ethernet Adapter is working, refer to the adapter ’s manual if needed. 1. Inst all TCP/IP component 1) On the Wind ows taskbar , click the Star[...]

  • Page 38

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure B-3: Configuration tab 3) Click on Properties . The following TCP/IP Properties window will display and the IP Address tab is open on this window by default. 4) Now you have two ways to configure the TCP/IP protocol below: • Assigned by DHCP Sever a. Select Obt ain an IP address automatically[...]

  • Page 39

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure B-5: Gateway tab c. Choose Disable DNS on the DNS c onfiguration tab, as shown in the following figure: Figure B-6: DNS Configuration tab • Setting IP address manually a. Select S pecify an IP address on IP Ad dress tab, as shown in the followin g figure. If the AP's LAN IP address is 19[...]

  • Page 40

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Figure B-7: IP Address tab b. T ype the AP’s LAN IP address (the default IP is 192.168.1.1) into the Ne w gateway fiel d on the Gateway tab, and click on the Add button, as shown in the figure: Figure B-8: Gateway tab c. On the DNS Configuration tab, click Enable DNS radio, and type your computer na[...]

  • Page 41

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide click Add button . Shown below: Figure B-9: DNS Configuration tab Now , all the configurations are finished , it will take effect af ter reboot. - 36 -[...]

  • Page 42

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Appendix C: Specifications General S tandards IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.1 1b and 802.1 1g Protocols TCP/IP , DHCP Ports One 10/100M Auto-Negotiati on LAN RJ45 port supporting Auto MDI/MDIX Cabling T ype 10BASE-T : UTP categor y 3, 4, 5 cable (maximum 100m) EIA/TIA-568 100 Ω STP (maximum 100m) 100BASE-[...]

  • Page 43

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Appendix D: Glossary ¾ 2x to 3x eXtended Range TM WLAN Transmission Technology - The WLAN device with 2x to 3x eXtended Range TM WLAN transmission technol ogy make its sensitivity up to 105 dBm, which gives users the ability to ha ve robust, longer-range wireless connections. With this range-enhancin[...]

  • Page 44

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide ¾ WEP ( W ired E quivalent P rivacy) - A data privacy mechanism based on a 64-bit or 128-bit or 152-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard. ¾ Wi-Fi - A trade name for the 802.11b wirele ss networking standar d, given by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA, [...]

  • Page 45

    TL-W A501G 54M Wireless Access Point User Guide Appendix E: Cont act Information For help with the installation or operation of the TP-LINK TL-W A501G 54 Mbps Wireless Access Point, please contact us. E-mail: support@tp-link.com Website: http://www.tp-link.com Add: 3/F., Building R1-B, Hi-tech Industrial Park, Shennan Rd., Shenzhen, P. R. China - 4[...]