Belkin Router F5D8231-4 User Manual

							
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Changing LAN Settings 
All  settings  for  the  internal  LAN  setup  of  the  Router  can  be  viewed 
and  changed  here.
1.  IP Address 
The  “IP  address”  is  the  internal  IP  address  of  the  Router.  The 
default  IP  address  is  “192.168.2.1”.  To  access  the  advanced  setup 
interface,  type  this  IP  address  into  the  address  bar  of  your  browser. 
This  address  can  be  changed  if  needed.  To  change  the  IP  address, 
type  in  the  new  IP  address  and  click  “Apply  Changes”.  The  IP 
address  you  choose  should  be  a  non-routable  IP.  Examples  of  a 
non-routable  IP  are:
  192.168.x.x  (where  x  is  anything  between  0  and  255)
  10.x.x.x  (where  x  is  anything  between  0  and  255)
2.  Subnet Mask 
There  is  no  need  to  change  the  subnet  mask.  This  is  a  unique, 
advanced  feature  of  your  Belkin  Router.  It  is  possible  to  change 
the  subnet  mask  if  necessary;  however,  do  NOT  make  changes  to 
the  subnet  mask  unless  you  have  a  specific  reason  to  do  so.  The 
default  setting  is  “255.255.255.0”.
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3.   DHCP Server 
The  DHCP  server  function  makes  setting  up  a  network  very  easy 
by  assigning  IP  addresses  to  each  computer  on  the  network 
automatically.  The  default  setting  is  “On”.  The  DHCP  server 
can  be  turned  OFF  if  necessary;  however,  in  order  to  do  so  you 
must  manually  set  a  static  IP  address  for  each  computer  on  your 
network.  To  turn  off  the  DHCP  server,  select  “Off”  and  click  “Apply 
Changes”.
4.   IP Pool 
The  range  of  IP  addresses  set  aside  for  dynamic  assignment 
to  the  computers  on  your  network.  The  default  is  2–100  (99 
computers).  If  you  want  to  change  this  number,  you  can  do  so 
by  entering  a  new  starting  and  ending  IP  address  and  clicking  on 
“Apply  Changes”.  The  DHCP  server  can  assign  100  IP  addresses 
automatically.  This  means  that  you  cannot  specify  an  IP  address 
pool  larger  than  100  computers.  For  example,  starting  at  50 
means  you  have  to  end  at  150  or  lower  so  as  not  to  exceed  the 
100-client  limit.  The  starting  IP  address  must  be  lower  in  number 
than  the  ending  IP  address.
5.  Lease Time 
The  length  of  time  the  DHCP  server  will  reserve  the  IP  address 
for  each  computer.  We  recommend  that  you  leave  the  lease 
time  set  to  “Forever”.  The  default  setting  is  “Forever”,  meaning 
that  any  time  a  computer  is  assigned  an  IP  address  by  the 
DHCP  server,  the  IP  address  will  not  change  for  that  particular 
computer.  Setting  lease  times  for  shorter  intervals  such  as  one 
day  or  one  hour  frees  IP  addresses  after  the  specified  period  of 
time.  This  also  means  that  a  particular  computer’s  IP  address 
may  change  over  time.  If  you  have  set  any  of  the  other  advanced 
features  of  the  Router  such  as  DMZ  or  client  IP  filters,  these  are 
dependent  on  the  IP  address.  For  this  reason,  you  will  not  want 
the  IP  address  to  change.
6.  Local Domain Name 
The  default  setting  is  “Belkin”.  You  can  set  a  local  domain  name 
(network  name)  for  your  network.  There  is  no  need  to  change
 
this  setting  unless  you  have  a  specific  advanced  need  to  do  so. 
You  can  name  the  network  anything  you  want  such  as
 
“MY  NETWORK”. 
						

							
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Viewing the DHCP Client List Page 
You  can  view  a  list  of  the  computers  (known  as  clients),  which  are 
connected  to  your  network.  You  are  able  to  view  the  IP  address 
(1)  of 
the  computer,  the  host  name 
(2)  (if  the  computer  has  been  assigned 
one),  and  the  MAC  address 
(3)  of  the  computer’s  network  interface 
card  (NIC).  Pressing  the  “Refresh” 
(4)  button  will  update  the  list.  If 
there  have  been  any  changes,  the  list  will  be  updated.
Configuring the Wireless Network Settings 
The  “Wireless”  tab  lets  you  make  changes  to  the  wireless  network 
settings.  From  this  tab  you  can  make  changes  to  the  wireless  network 
name  or  Service  Set  Identifier  (SSID),  operating  channel,  encryption 
security  settings,  and  configure  the  Router  to  be  used  as  an
 
access  point.
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Changing the Wireless Network Name (SSID) 
To  identify  your  wireless  network,  a  name  called  the  SSID    is  used. 
The  SSID  is  your  network  name.  The  default  network  name  of  the 
Router  is  “Belkin  N1  Wireless”  followed  by  six  digits  that  are  unique 
to  your  Router.  Your  network  name  will  look  something  like
 
“Belkin_N1_Wireless_123456”.  You  can  change  this  to  anything  you 
choose,  or  you  can  leave  it  unchanged.  Keep  in  mind,  if  you  decide 
to  change  your  wireless  network  name,  and  there  are  other  wireless 
networks  operating  in  your  area,  your  network  name  needs  to  be 
different  from  other  wireless  networks  that  may  be  operating  in  your 
area.  To  change  the  SSID,  type  in  the  SSID  that  you  want  to  use 
in  the  SSID  field 
(1)  and  click  “Apply  Changes” (2).  The  change  is 
immediate.  If  you  make  a  change  to  the  SSID,  your  wireless-equipped 
computers  may  also  need  to  be  reconfigured  to  connect  to  your  new 
network  name.  Refer  to  the  documentation  of  your  wireless  network 
adapter  for  information  on  making  this  change.
Note:   Please  periodically  check  for  new  Router  firmware  updates 
from  the  “Utilities  >  Firmware  update”  page.  Newer  firmware  can  fix 
problems,  add  wireless  features,  and/or  improve  wireless  performance 
(see  page  66).
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Changing  the  Wireless  Channel 
There  are  a  number  of  operating  channels  from  which  you  can 
choose—in  the  United  States,  there  are  11  and  in  the  United  Kingdom 
(and  most  of  Europe),  there  are  13.  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  in  which  you  reside.  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.
Using  the  Wireless  Mode  Switch 
This  switch  allows  you  to  set  the  Router’s  wireless  modes.  There  are 
several  modes.
Note:  Some  modes  may  require  firmware  updates  to  be  enabled.
1)    802.11g  only 
Setting  the  Router  to  this  mode  will  allow  only  802.11g-compliant 
devices  to  join  the  network,  keeping  out  any  slower  802.11b  devices.
2 )    802.11g  &  802.11b 
Setting  the  Router  to  this  mode  will  let  802.11g-  and 
802.11b-compliant  devices  to  join  the  network.
3 )    802.11n  &  802.11g 
Setting  the  Router  to  this  mode  will  allow  N1/draft  802.11n-  and 
802.11g-compliant  devices  to  join  the  network,  keeping  out  any 
slower  802.11b  devices.
4 )    802.11n  only 
Setting  the  Router  to  this  mode  will  allow  only  N1/draft 
802.11n-compliant  devices  to  join  the  network,  keeping  out 
802.11g  and  802.11b  devices.
5 )    Off 
This  mode  will  turn  OFF  the  Router’s  access  point,  so  no  wireless 
devices  can  join  the  network.  Turning  off  the  wireless  function  of 
your  Router  is  a  great  way  to  secure  your  network  when  you  are 
away  from  home  for  a  long  period  of  time,  or  don’t  want  to  use  the 
wireless  feature  of  the  Router  at  a  certain  time. 
						

							
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Using  the  Bandwidth  Switch 
This  switch  allows  you  to  set  the  Router’s  wireless  bandwidth  modes. 
There  are  several  modes  available:
1)    20MHz  only 
Setting  the  Router  to  this  mode  allows  only  20MHz  operation.  This 
mode  is  compatible  with  N1,  draft  802.11n-,  802.11g-,  and
 
802.11b-compliant  devices,  but  will  limit  N1,  draft  802.11n-compliant 
devices’  bandwidth  by  half.  Reducing  bandwidth  to  20MHz-only 
operation  might  solve  some  wireless  problems.
2 )    40MHz  only 
Setting  the  Router  to  this  mode  allows  only  40MHz  operation.  This 
mode  is  compatible  only  with  N1,  draft  802.11n-compliant  devices. 
It  may  affect  legacy  802.11b/g  devices.  Use  only  when  you  have  a 
pure  N1,  draft  802.11n  wireless  network.
3 )    20MHz/40MHz  Auto 
Setting  the  Router  to  this  mode  allows  it  to  switch  automatically 
between  20MHz  and  40MHz  operation.  This  mode  enables  40MHz 
operation,  to  maximize  speed  for  N1,  draft  802.11n-compliant 
devices  when  conditions  permit.  When  a  legacy  802.11g  access 
point  is  presented  and  occupies  an  adjacent  secondary  channel, 
the  Router  automatically  reverts  to  20MHz  operation  to  maximize 
compatibility.  We  recommend  using  this  as  the  default  mode. 
						

							
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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 
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
Protected  mode  ensures  proper  operation  of  N1,  draft  802.11n-compliant 
devices  on  your  wireless  network  when  802.11g  or  802.11b  devices 
are  present  or  when  there  is  heavy  802.11g  or  802.11b  traffic  in  the 
operating  environment.  Use  protected  mode  if  your  network  consists  of 
a  mix  of  Belkin  N1  Wireless  Cards  and  802.11g  or  802.11b  cards  on  your 
network.  If  you  are  in  an  environment  that  includes  little  to  no  802.11g 
or  802.11b  wireless  network  traffic,  you  will  achieve  the  best  N1  wireless 
performance  with  protected  mode  OFF.  Conversely,  in  an  environment 
with  HEAVY  802.11g  or  802.11b  traffic  or  interference,  you  will  achieve 
the  best  N1  wireless  performance  with  protected  mode  ON.  This  will 
ensure  N1  wireless  performance  is  not  affected.
Changing the Wireless Security Settings 
Your  Router  is  equipped  with  the  latest  security  standard  called 
Wi-Fi  Protected  Access  2  (WPA2).  It  also  supports  the  legacy  security 
standard  called  Wired  Equivalent  Privacy  (WEP).  By  default,  wireless 
security  is  disabled.  To  enable  security,  you  will  need  to  determine 
which  standard  you  want  to  use.  To  access  the  security  settings,  click 
“Security”  on  the  “Wireless”  tab.
The  Router  features  WPA2,  which  is  the  second  generation  of  the 
WPA-based  802.11i  standard.  It  offers  a  higher  level  of  wireless 
security  by  combining  advanced  network  authentication  and  stronger 
Advanced  Encryption  Standard  (AES)  encryption  methods. 
						

							
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WPA2 Requirements
IMPORTANT:  In  order  to  use  WPA2  security,  all  your  computers  and 
wireless  client  adapters  must  be  upgraded  with  patches,  driver, 
and  client  utility  software  that  supported  WPA2.  At  the  time  of  this 
User  Manual’s  publication,  a  couple  security  patches  are  available, 
for  free  download,  from  Microsoft
®.  These  patches  work  only  with 
the  Windows  XP  operating  system.  Other  operating  systems  are  not 
supported  at  this  time.
For  Windows  XP  computers  that  do  not  have  Service  Pack  2 
(SP2),  a  file  from  Microsoft  called  “Windows  XP  Support  Patch 
for  Wireless  Protected  Access  (KB  826942)”  is  available  for  free 
download  at  http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=826942
For  Windows  XP  with  Service  Pack  2,  Microsoft  has  released 
a  free  download  to  update  the  wireless  client  components  to 
support  WPA2  (KB893357).  The  update  is  available  from:  http://
support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;893357
IMPORTANT:  You  also  need  to  ensure  that  all  your  wireless  client 
cards/adapters  support  WPA2,  and  that  you  have  downloaded  and 
installed  the  latest  driver.  Most  of  the  Belkin  wireless  cards  have 
driver  updates  available  for  download  from  the  Belkin  support  site: 
www.belkin.com/networking. 
						

							
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Setting WPA/WPA2-Personal (PSK)
Like  WPA  security,  WPA2  is  available  in  both  WPA2-Personal  (PSK) 
mode  and  WPA2-Enterprise  (RADIUS)  mode.  Typically,  WPA2-
Personal  (PSK)  is  the  mode  that  will  be  used  in  a  home  environment, 
while  WPA2-Enterprise  (RADIUS)  is  implemented  in  a  business 
environment  where  an  external  radius  server  distributes  the  network 
key  to  the  clients  automatically.  This  guide  will  focus  on  WPA2-
Personal  (PSK)  usage.  Please  refer  to  the  User  Manual  for  more 
information  about  wireless  security  and  different  types  of  wireless 
security.
1. After  you’ve  set  up  your  Router,  go  to  the  “Security”  page  under 
“Wireless”  and  select  “WPA/WPA2-Personal  (PSK)”  from  the 
“Security  Mode”  drop-down  menu.
2.  For  “Authentication”,  select  “WPA-PSK”,  “WPA2-PSK”,  or 
“WPA-PSK  +  WPA2-PSK”.  This  setting  will  have  to  be  identical 
on  the  wireless  clients  that  you  set  up.  “WPA-PSK  +  WPA2-PSK” 
mode  will  allow  the  Router  to  support  clients  running  either  WPA 
or  WPA2  security.
3.   “Encryption  Technique”,  select  “TKIP”,    “AES”,  or  “TKIP+AES”.  This  setting  will  have  to  be  identical  on  the  wireless  clients  that 
you  set  up.
4.  Enter  your  pre-shared  key  (PSK).  This  can  be  from  eight  to  63  characters  and  can  be  letters,  numbers,  or  symbols.  This  same 
key  must  be  used  on  all  of  the  wireless  clients  that  you  set  up. 
For  example,  your  PSK  might  be  something  like:  “Smith  family 
network  key”.  Click  “Apply  Changes”  to  finish.  You  must  now  set 
all  wireless  clients  to  match  these  settings. 
						

							
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IMPORTANT:  Make  sure  your  wireless  computers  are  updated  to  work 
with  WPA2  and  have  the  correct  settings  to  get  proper  connection  to 
the  Router.
Setting WPA Security
Note:  To  use  WPA  security,  your  wireless  network  cards  must  be 
equipped  with  software  that  supports  WPA.  At  the  time  this  User  Manual 
was  published,  a  security  patch  from  Microsoft  is  available  for  free 
download.  This  patch  works  only  with  Windows  XP.
Your  Router  supports  WPA-PSK  (no  server).  WPA-PSK  uses  what  is 
known  as  a  pre-shared  key  as  the  security  key.  A  pre-shared  key  is 
basically  a  password  that  is  between  eight  and  39  characters  long.  It 
can  be  a  combination  of  letters,  numbers,  or  characters.  Each  client 
uses  the  same  key  to  access  the  network.  Typically  this  is  the  mode 
that  will  be  used  in  a  home  environment.