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Page 16 / 31 Scroll up to view Page 11 - 15
MN-700 Base Station Configuration Guide
16
Wireless Settings
Wireless settings enable the devices on your network to connect to and communicate with the base station
wirelessly. You can establish or change the following wireless settings from the
Wireless
page of the Base Station
Management Tool, shown in the following illustration:
O
Wireless network name (SSID)
O
Wireless mode
O
Wireless channel number
For more information about each of these settings, see the following sections.
Wireless Network Name (SSID)
The wireless network name, also known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID), identifies your wireless network. For
security purposes, it is recommended that you establish a unique SSID for your base station. Do not use the
default name.
The purpose of the SSID is to help wireless clients locate and join a wireless network. A base station broadcasts its
SSID, so that any wireless client within range of the device can detect its presence. If the client sends a response
back to the base station containing the same SSID and the necessary wireless security settings, it can join
the network.
All the devices on your network must use the same network name as your base station. Therefore, if you change
the network name set on the base station, you must also change the name on all the devices that connect
wirelessly to your network. You can change the network name for devices that use a Microsoft wireless adapter
from the Broadband Network Utility. For more information, see Broadband Network Utility Help.
Because the wireless network name is broadcast by your base station or adapter, any user of a wireless device that
supports the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b or 802.11g standard can attempt to
join your wireless network when that user’s wireless device is within range of it. To help prevent users of
unauthorized wireless clients from joining your wireless network, it is recommended that you enable wireless
security. For more information, see “Wireless Security.”
Broadcast of Wireless Network Name
The base station is set to broadcast the wireless network name (Service Set Identifier, or SSID) by default, so that
wireless clients can detect and join your network. If you do not want wireless devices to detect your wireless
network, you can disable the base station broadcast of the SSID.
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MN-700 Base Station Configuration Guide
17
Disabling the broadcast of the wireless network name is not recommended, however, because it is more difficult to
join a network with the broadcast disabled. If, for example, you use a laptop running Microsoft Windows
®
XP
operating system, Windows XP automatically detects and connects to your wireless network when you are within
range of it. When the broadcast is disabled, you might have to manually reconnect to your wireless network after
joining a different network.
If you are concerned about security and want to take measures to prevent unauthorized users from joining your
network, you should enable wireless security. For more information, see “Wireless Security.”
Wireless Mode
The wireless mode determines whether devices on your network can connect to the base station wirelessly and, if
so, the rate at which wireless data can be transmitted between the base station and the network devices.
The data rate varies depending on a number of factors, including the IEEE 802.11 standard to which the devices on
your network conform. Data can be transmitted at speeds up to 54 megabytes per second (Mbps) if all the devices
on your network conform to the 802.11g standard.
There are three wireless mode options available:
O
g performance (fastest)
. Choose this option only if all the devices on your network use network adapters
that conform to the 802.11g standard. Your base station will transmit data at the highest rate possible, up to
54 Mbps.
O
mixed b compatible (fast)
. Choose this option if your network includes devices that use network adapters that
conform to the 802.11b standard. Your base station will use the fastest connection speed available, so when it
connects to an 802.11b-compatible device, it will transmit data at up to 11 Mbps. When it connects to an
802.11g compatible device, it will transmit data at up to 54 Mbps.
O
Disabled
. Choose this option when you do not want any devices to connect to your base station wirelessly. This
disables the wireless radio on your base station. You may want to disable the radio as a security measure when
you cannot monitor network activity for a period of time, for example, when you are away on vacation.
Wireless Channel
The wireless channel is a path through which signals flow to and from your network. The wireless channel for all
Microsoft wireless network products is set to channel 6 by default.
When you experience difficulty sending or receiving information from a wireless device, you may want to change the
wireless channel your network uses. Generally, the best wireless reception is available on channels 1, 6, and 11.
All the devices on your network must use the same wireless channel to communicate. The one exception to that
rule occurs when you want to set the base station to access point mode. In this case, the base station set to access
point mode should be set to a channel at least five channel numbers away from the base station, router, or
gateway that you are using on your network.
If you are having difficulty sending or receiving information on a wireless client, try changing the wireless channel.
Channels 1, 6, and 11 are recommended for best reception.
To establish wireless settings
1.
Open the Base Station Management Tool, and then click
Wireless
.
2.
Type a network name in the
Wireless network name (SSID)
box. The network name is case sensitive and cannot
exceed 32 characters.
3.
In the
Wireless mode
drop-down list, click the wireless mode you want. Select
Disabled
if you do not want
devices to connect to your base station wirelessly.
4.
To change the wireless channel, click a number in the
Wireless channel number
drop-down list box.
5.
If you do not want the base station to broadcast the wireless network name (SSID), clear the
Broadcast wireless
network name (SSID)
check box. This option is not recommended.
6.
To save these settings, click
Apply
.
Security Settings
The Broadband Networking Wireless Base Station is configured to protect your network from the most common
hacker attacks and other security risks. If necessary, you can change the default base station security settings or
establish special services from the
Security
section of the Base Station Management Tool.
Page 18 / 31
MN-700 Base Station Configuration Guide
18
The following sections describe the base station security features and how to customize them.
Be aware that changing security settings might affect whether the computers on your network are able to connect
to the base station and the Internet. You should not change the default security settings unless you are absolutely
clear about your objective in doing so.
Wireless Security
Wireless security helps to protect your network from unauthorized access. Because wireless networks use radio
signals, it is possible for wireless network devices outside your immediate area to pick up the signals broadcast by
your base station and either connect to your network and access your network resources or capture data as it is
being transmitted wirelessly. The Microsoft Broadband Networking Wireless Base Station uses Wired Equivalent
Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) to help prevent unauthorized users from joining your network or
accessing data that is being transmitted wirelessly.
Both WEP and WPA use data encryption to help protect your network data. When data is encrypted, it is rendered
unreadable by a network key before being transmitted between wireless nodes. The data is readable only by
computers that have the key to decrypt the data. This prevents eavesdroppers from capturing your network data as
it is being transmitted.
In addition, WEP and WPA enforce one type of authentication for devices on your network. Before a device can join
your network, it must provide the WEP network key or WPA passphrase you establish. This prevents unauthorized
users from using your Internet connection or accessing shared network resources.
You can establish the wireless security settings for your base station from the Wireless Security page of the Base
Station Management Tool, shown in the following illustration. The following sections describe WEP and WPA in
more detail.
Note
You cannot enable both WEP and WPA on your network. You must select either WEP or WPA. If you want to
enable WPA, make sure that all the computers on your network meet the system requirements necessary to use WPA.
Page 19 / 31
MN-700 Base Station Configuration Guide
19
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
When you enable WEP, you must choose between 64-bit or 128-bit WEP encryption. The number defines the
strength of the data encryption. The higher the number, the more difficult the data is to decrypt.
After you select the wireless encryption strength, you must enter a WEP key. For 64-bit encryption, your WEP key
must consist of ten hexadecimal digits. For 128-bit encryption, your WEP key must consist of 26 hexadecimal digits.
A hexadecimal digit is a number or letter in the range 0–9 or A–F.
You must store the WEP key that you establish on the base station on each of your networked computers. This key
enables each computer to communicate with the base station. If you are enabling WEP for the first time or
changing your network key, be sure to update the wireless security settings for each of your wireless network
devices.
You can update the WEP settings for a Microsoft wireless adapter from the Broadband Network Utility. If you are
using a non-Microsoft adapter, use the software installed with that adapter to update these settings.
To enable WEP wireless security
1.
Open the Base Station Management Tool, and then click
Security
.
2.
On the
Security
menu, click
Wireless Security
.
3.
Under
Wireless encryption
, select
128-bit WEP (strong)
, or leave the default setting of
64-bit WEP (standard)
.
4.
Type a WEP key in the
WEP Key
box. For 64-bit encryption, the WEP key must be 10 characters in length. For
128-bit encryption, the WEP key must be 26 characters in length. WEP keys can contain numbers and the letters
A through F.
5.
To save the wireless security (WEP) settings, click
Apply
.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
WPA provides 256-bit data encryption to help protect your network data. This is the strongest data encryption
available.
Although WPA is a stronger form of wireless security than WEP, you can enable it only on computers running
Windows XP operating system with Service Pack 1 and the WPA Support Patch installed. You can download
the Windows XP Support Patch for WPA at www.support.microsoft.com.
Warning
Do not enable WPA on the base station unless all the devices on your network meet the specified system
requirements.
When you enable WPA, you establish a passphrase. This passphrase generates a network key dynamically.
You must store the WPA passphrase that you establish on the base station on each of your networked computers.
This passphrase enables each computer to communicate with the base station. If you are enabling WPA for the first
time or changing your passphrase, be sure to update the passphrase on each of your wireless network devices.
To enable wireless security (WPA)
1.
Open the Base Station Management Tool, and then click
Security
.
2.
On the
Security
menu, click
Wireless Security
.
3.
On the
Wireless Security
page of the Base Station Management Tool, under
Wireless Encryption
, select
256-bit
WPA-PSK (strongest)
.
4.
In the
Passphrase
box, type a WPA passphrase. Your passphrase can be between 8 and 63 characters.
5.
To save your wireless security settings, click
Apply
.
Page 20 / 31
MN-700 Base Station Configuration Guide
20
Base Station Mode
The Microsoft base station is a router with an integrated access point.
As a router, the base station provides a network address translation (NAT) service, which enables you to use the
single IP address supplied by your ISP to connect multiple computers to the Internet. The NAT also manages
network traffic by directing data to the appropriate destination and by restricting access to your network.
You have the option to turn off the routing capabilities of your base station by setting it to access point mode. This
option is not recommended unless you have another base station, gateway, or router connected to your network,
and you want to use the MN-700 only to extend the range of a wireless network or to add wireless connectivity to a
wired network. In these situations, you can use the base station as an access point to move data only within your
local network.
The following illustration shows the Base Station Mode page of the Base Station Management Tool.
Access point mode does limit the functionality of the base station. It disables the base station NAT and DHCP server
and many base station security features, including the firewall, client filtering, port forwarding, the virtual DMZ
(demilitarized zone), and the base station log.
Important
If you want to set your base station to access point mode, be sure to assign a name to the base station.
When you set the base station to access point mode, it becomes a client on your network and obtains its IP address
automatically by DHCP. You must, therefore, type the base station name in the address field of your Web browser to
open the Base Station Management Tool.

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