Belkin Router F5D7231-4 User Manual

							
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g and b Mode 
In  this  mode,  the  Router  is  compatible  with  802.11b  and  802.11g 
wireless  clients  simultaneously.  This  is  the  factory  default  mode  and 
ensures  successful  operation  with  all  Wi-Fi-compatible  devices.  If 
you  have  a  mix  of  802.11b  and  802.11g  clients  in  your  network,  we 
recommend  setting  the  Router  to  g  and  b  mode.  This  setting  should 
only  be  changed  if  you  have  a  specific  reason  to  do  so.
g only Mode 
g  only  mode  works  with  802.11g  clients  only.  This  mode  is 
recommended  only  if  you  want  to  prevent  802.11b  clients  from 
accessing  your  network.  To  switch  modes,  select  the  desired 
 
mode  from  the  “Wireless  Mode”  drop-down  box.  Then,  click 
“Apply  Changes”.
b only Mode 
We  recommend  you  DO  NOT  use  this  mode  unless  you  have  a  very 
specific  reason  to  do  so.  This  mode  exists  only  to  solve  unique 
problems  that  may  occur  with  some  802.11b  client  adapters  and  is 
NOT  necessary  for  interoperability  of  802.11g  and  802.11b  standards.
When to use b only Mode 
In  some  cases,  older  802.11b  clients  may  not  be  compatible  with 
802.11g  wireless.  These  adapters  tend  to  be  of  inferior  design  and 
may  use  older  drivers  or  technology.  Switching  to  this  mode  can  solve 
problems  that  sometimes  occur  with  these  clients.  If  you  suspect  that 
you  are  using  a  client  adapter  that  falls  into  this  category  of  adapters, 
first  check  with  the  adapter  vendor  to  see  if  there  is  a  driver  update.  If 
there  is  no  driver  update  available,  switching  to  b  only  mode  may  fix 
your  problem. 
Please note that switching to b only mode will decrease 
802.11g performance. 
						

							
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G Plus Mode* 
The  Router  supports  two  high-speed  modes,  125  G  Plus  mode  and 
Frame-Bursting  mode.
Selecting  “125  G  Plus  mode”  will  result  in  all  devices  running  in
 
125  G  Plus  mode  if  all  devices  are  capable  of  125Mbps  speeds.  If 
any  non-125  G  Plus  devices  connect  or  associates  with  the  network, 
the  Router  will  automatically  shift  the  entire  network  back  to
 
Frame-Bursting  mode.
Selecting  “Frame  Bursting”  will  result  in  all  devices  capable  of
 
Frame-Bursting  to  function  in  Frame-Bursting  mode,  and  all  clients 
not  capable,  to  operate  in  normal  802.11g  modes.  Frame-Bursting 
mode  supports  both  Frame-Bursting-enabled  devices  and 
non-Frame-Bursting-enabled  devices  simultaneously.  Frame-Bursting 
mode  is  based  on  the  unreleased  802.11e  specification.
Selecting  “Off”  will  disable  Turbo  mode.
*When  operating  in  125  G  Plus  Mode,  this  Wi-Fi  device  achieves 
an  actual  throughput  of  up  to  34.1Mbps,  which  is  the  equivalent 
throughput  of  a  system  following  802.11g  protocol  and  operating  at  a 
signaling  rate  of  125Mbps.  Actual  throughput  will  vary  depending  on 
environmental,  operational,  and  other  factors. 
						

							
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Changing the Wireless Channel 
There  are  a  number  of  operating  channels  you  can  choose  from.  In 
the  United  States  and  Australia,  there  are  11  channels.  In  the  United 
Kingdom  and  most  of  Europe,  there  are  13  channels.  In  a  small 
number  of  other  countries,  there  are  other  channel  requirements. 
Your  Router  is  configured  to  operate  on  the  proper  channels  for 
the  country  you  reside  in.  The  default  channel  is  11  (unless  you  are 
in  a  country  that  does  not  allow  channel  11).  The  channel  can  be 
changed  if  needed.  If  there  are  other  wireless  networks  operating  in 
your  area,  your  network  should  be  set  to  operate  on  a  channel  that  is 
different  than  the  other  wireless  networks.  For  best  performance,  use 
a  channel  that  is  at  least  five  channels  away  from  the  other  wireless 
network.  For  instance,  if  another  network  is  operating  on  channel  11, 
then  set  your  network  to  channel  6  or  below.  To  change  the  channel, 
select  the  channel  from  the  drop-down  list.  Click  “Apply  Changes”. 
The  change  is  immediate.
Using the Broadcast SSID Feature 
Note:  This  advanced  feature  should  be  employed  by  advanced 
users  only.
 
For  security,  you  can  choose  not  to  broadcast  your  network’s  SSID. 
Doing  so  will  keep  your  network  name  hidden  from  computers  that 
are  scanning  for  the  presence  of  wireless  networks.  To  turn  off  the 
broadcast  of  the  SSID,  remove  the  check  mark  from  the  box  next  to 
“Broadcast  SSID”,  and  then  click  “Apply  Changes”.  The  change  is 
immediate.  Each  computer  now  needs  to  be  set  to  connect  to  your  
						

							
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specific  SSID;  an  SSID  of  “ANY”  will  no  longer  be  accepted.  Refer  to 
the  documentation  of  your  wireless  network  adapter  for  information 
on  making  this  change.
Protected Mode Switch 
As  part  of  the  802.11g  specification,  Protected  mode  ensures  proper 
operation  of  802.11g  clients  and  access  points  when  there  is  heavy 
802.11b  traffic  in  the  operating  environment.  When  Protected  mode 
is  ON,  802.11g  scans  for  other  wireless  network  traffic  before  it 
transmits  data.  Therefore,  using  this  mode  in  environments  with 
HEAVY  802.11b  traffic  or  interference  achieves  best  performance 
results.  If  you  are  in  an  environment  with  very  little—or  no—other 
wireless  network  traffic,  your  best  performance  will  be  achieved  with 
Protected  mode  OFF.
Securing your Wi-Fi® Network 
Here  are  a  few  different  ways  you  can  maximize  the  security  of  your 
wireless  network  and  protect  your  data  from  prying  eyes  and  ears. 
This  section  is  intended  for  the  home,  home  office,  and  small  office 
user.  At  the  time  of  this  User  Manual’s  publication,  there  are  four 
encryption  methods  available.
Name 64-Bit Wired 
Equivalent 
Privacy 128-Bit Wired 
Equivalent 
Privacy Wi-Fi Protected 
Access-TKIP
Wi-Fi Protected 
Access 2
Acronym 64-bit  WEP 128-bit  WEP WPA-TKIP/AES 
(or  just  WPA)WPA2-AES
 
(or  just  WPA2)
Security Good Better BestBest
Features Static  keys  Static  keys  Dynamic  key 
encryption 
and  mutual 
authenticationDynamic  key 
encryption 
and  mutual 
authentication
Encryption 
keys  based 
on  RC4 
algorithm 
(typically
 
40-bit  keys) More  secure 
than  64-bit 
WEP  using  a 
key  length  of 
104  bits  plus 
24  additional 
bits  of  system-
generated  data TKIP  (Temporal 
Key  Integrity 
Protocol) 
added  so 
that  keys  are 
rotated  and 
encryption  is 
strengthenedAES  (Advanced 
Encryption 
Standard)  does 
not  cause  any 
throughput 
loss 
						

							
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WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) 
WEP  is  a  common  protocol  that  adds  security  to  all  Wi-Fi-compliant 
wireless  products.  WEP  was  designed  to  give  wireless  networks  the 
equivalent  level  of  privacy  protection  as  a  comparable  wired  network.
64-Bit WEP 
64-bit  WEP  was  first  introduced  with  64-bit  encryption,  which  includes 
a  key  length  of  40  bits  plus  24  additional  bits  of  system-generated 
data  (64  bits  total).  Some  hardware  manufacturers  refer  to  64-bit 
as  40-bit  encryption.  Shortly  after  the  technology  was  introduced, 
researchers  found  that  64-bit  encryption  was  too  easy  to  decode.
128-Bit WEP  
As  a  result  of  64-bit  WEP’s  potential  security  weaknesses,  a  more 
secure  method  of  128-bit  encryption  was  developed.  128-bit 
encryption  includes  a  key  length  of  104  bits  plus  24  additional  bits  of 
system-generated  data  (128  bits  total).  Some  hardware  manufacturers 
refer  to  128-bit  as  104-bit  encryption.
Most  of  the  new  wireless  equipment  in  the  market  today  supports 
both  64-bit  and  128-bit  WEP  encryption,  but  you  might  have  older 
equipment  that  only  supports  64-bit  WEP.  All  Belkin  wireless  products 
will  support  both  64-bit  and  128-bit  WEP.
Encryption Keys 
After  selecting  either  the  64-bit  or  128-bit  WEP  encryption  mode,  it  is 
critical  that  you  generate  an  encryption  key.  If  the  encryption  key  is 
not  consistent  throughout  the  entire  wireless  network,  your  wireless 
networking  devices  will  be  unable  to  communicate  with  one  another 
on  your  network  and  you  will  not  be  able  to  successfully  communicate 
within  your  network.
You  can  enter  your  key  by  typing  in  the  hex  key  manually,  or  you  can 
type  in  a  passphrase  in  the  “Passphrase”  field  and  click  “Generate” 
to  create  a  key.  A  hex  (hexadecimal)  key  is  a  combination  of  numbers 
and  letters  from  A–F  and  0–9.  For  64-bit  WEP,  you  need  to  enter  10 
hex  keys.  For  128-bit  WEP,  you  need  to  enter  26  hex  keys.
For  instance:
AF 0F 4B C3 D4 = 64-bit WEP key
C3 03 0F AF 0F 4B B2 C3 D4 4B C3 D4 E7 = 128-bit WEP key 
						

							
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The  WEP  passphrase  is  NOT  the  same  as  a  WEP  key.  Your  Router 
uses  this  passphrase  to  generate  your  WEP  keys,  but  different 
hardware  manufacturers  might  have  different  methods  on  generating 
the  keys.  If  you  have  multiple  vendors’  equipment  in  your  network, 
the  easiest  thing  to  do  is  to  use  the  hex  WEP  key  from  your  Router  or 
access  point  and  enter  it  manually  into  the  hex  WEP  key  table  in  your 
Router’s  configuration  screen.
WPA™ (Wi-Fi Protected Access™) 
WPA  is  a  new  Wi-Fi  standard  that  was  designed  to  improve  upon 
the  security  features  of  WEP.  To  use  WPA  security,  the  drivers  and 
software  of  your  wireless  equipment  must  be  upgraded  to  support 
WPA.  These  updates  will  be  found  on  the  wireless  vendor’s  website. 
There  are  two  types  of  WPA  security:  WPA-PSK  (no  server)  and  WPA2.
WPA-PSK (no server)  uses  what  is  known  as  a  pre-shared  key 
as  the  network  key.  A  network  key  is  basically  a  password  that  is 
between  eight  and  63  characters  long.  It  can  be  a  combination  of 
letters,  numbers,  or  characters.  Each  client  uses  the  same  network 
key  to  access  the  network.  Typically,  this  is  the  mode  that  will  be 
used  in  a  home  environment.
WPA2™  requires  Advanced  Encryption  Standard  (AES)  for  encryption 
of  data,  which  offers  much  greater  security  than  WPA.  WPA  uses  both 
Temporal  Key  Integrity  Protocol  (TKIP)  and  AES  for  encryption.
For  a  list  of  Belkin  wireless  products  that  support  WPA,  please  visit 
our  website  at  www.belkin.com/networking. 
						

							
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Sharing the Same Network Keys
Most  Wi-Fi  products  ship  with  security  turned  off.  So  once  you
have  your  network  working,  you  need  to  activate  WEP  or  WPA  and 
make  sure  your  wireless  networking  devices  are  sharing  the  same 
network  key.
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�������������
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������������
����������
������������
Network key=
WRONG Password Network key=
MyPassword
Network key=
MyPassword
Network key=
MyPassword
The  Wireless  G  Plus  Desktop  Card  cannot  access  the  network 
because  it  is  using  a  different  network  key  than  the  network  key  that 
is  configured  on  the  Wireless  G  Plus  Router. 
						

							
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Using a Hexadecimal Key 
A  hexadecimal  key  is  a  combination  of  numbers  and  letters  from  A–F 
and  0–9.  64-bit  keys  are  five  two-digit  numbers.  128-bit  keys  are  13 
 
two-digit  numbers.
For  instance:
AF 0F 4B C3 D4 = 64-bit key
C3 03 0F AF 0F 4B B2 C3 D4 4B C3 D4 E7 = 128-bit key
In  the  boxes  below,  make  up  your  key  by  writing  in  two  characters 
between  A–F  and  0–9  in  each  box.  You  will  use  this  key  to  program 
the  encryption  settings  on  your  Router  and  your  wireless  computers.
 
Note to Mac users:  Original  Apple®  AirPort®  products  support  
64-bit  encryption  only.  Apple  AirPort  2  products  can  support  64-bit  or 
128-bit  encryption.  Please  check  your  product  to  see  which  version 
you  are  using.  If  you  cannot  configure  your  network  with  128-bit 
encryption,  try  64-bit  encryption. 
						

							
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WEP Setup
64-Bit WEP Encryption
1.
  Select  “64-bit  WEP”  from  the  drop-down  menu.
2.  After  selecting  your  WEP  encryption  mode,  you  can  enter  your  key  by  typing  in  the  hex  key  manually,  or  you  can  type  in  a 
passphrase  in  the  “Passphrase”  field  and  click  “Generate”  to 
create  a  key. 
  A  hex  (hexadecimal)  key  is  a  combination  of  numbers  and  letters 
from  A–F  and  0–9.  For  64-bit  WEP,  you  need  to  enter  10  hex  keys.
 For instance:  AF 0F 4B C3 D4 = 64-bit WEP key
3.  Click  “Apply  Changes”  to  finish.  Encryption  in  the  Router  is  now 
set.  Each  of  your  computers  on  your  wireless  network  will  now 
need  to  be  configured  with  the  same  security  settings.
WARNING:  If  you  are  configuring  the  Wireless  G  Plus  Router  from  a 
computer  with  a  wireless  client,  you  will  need  to  ensure  that  security 
is  turned  ON  for  this  wireless  client.  If  this  is  not  done,  your  client  will 
lose  its  wireless  connection. 
						

							
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128-Bit WEP Encryption
Note to Mac users:
  The  Passphrase  option  will  not  operate  with  Apple 
AirPort .  To  configure  encryption  for  your  Mac  computer, 
set  the  encryption  using  the  manual  method  described  in  the 
next  section.
1.    Select  “128-bit  WEP”  from  the  drop-down  menu.
2.    After  selecting  your  WEP  encryption  mode,  you  can  enter  your  key  manually  by  typing  in  the  hex  key,  or  you  can  type  in  a 
passphrase  in  the  “Passphrase”  field  and  click  “Generate”  to 
create  a  key.
  A  hex  (hexadecimal)  key  is  a  combination  of  numbers  and
 
letters  from  A–F  and  0–9.  For  128-bit  WEP,  you  need  to  enter 
26  hex  keys.
  For instance:  C3 03 0F AF 0F 4B B2 C3 D4 4B C3 D4 E7 = 128-bit WEP key
 
3. Click  “Apply  Changes”  to  finish.  Encryption  in  the  Router  is  now 
set.  Each  of  your  computers  on  your  wireless  network  will  now 
need  to  be  configured  with  the  same  security  settings.
 
WARNING:  If  you  are  configuring  the  Wireless  G  Plus  Router  from  a 
computer  with  a  wireless  client,  you  will  need  to  ensure  that  security 
is  turned  ON  for  this  wireless  client.  If  this  is  not  done,  your  client  will 
lose  its  wireless  connection.