background image

 

 

 

Step 2:

 The MAC address of the Partner Bridge is listed under Partner Bridge Identity.  If the desired connection 

partner is available, the two radios initiate the association process and establish a wireless link. After this link 
is established, the correct status will be reported on the status bar of the web interface, and any association 
requests by other stations will be blocked.  

 

                            

 

                     

 

 

Tip

  You will not be able to connect if certain Master and Partner Bridge settings are not identical.  By 

factory default, the Master and Partner Bridge are configured to match. If you have changed any of the 
following parameters: 

Transmit Mode

Data Rate

Channel

SSID

Encryption Mode

 and 

Active 

Encryption Key

, ensure that the configurations of both the Partner and Master Bridge are compatible. In 

cases where the settings match  
and 

Connect

 is still unsuccessful, ensure that: 

 

The Partner Bridge is not out of transmission range 

 

The antennas are in alignment  

If any of these issues have caused the 

Connection

 process to fail, skip the rest of section 4.3 and solve 

the issues by referring to the instructions corresponding to the issue.  When you have solved the problem, 
go back to step 2 and continue the steps in this section. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

RapidLink 54

 Wireless Bridge 

 

13 

Installation Guide

 

 

 

Summary of Contents for RL54-BR-22

Page 1: ...RapidLink 54 Wireless Point to Point Bridge Installation Guide Users Manual 1 ...

Page 2: ...ty to operate the equipment Copyright RapidWave Inc All Rights Reserved No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of RapidWave Inc RapidWave makes no warranties with respect to this documentation and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability quality or fitness for any particular purpose The information in this docum...

Page 3: ...RapidLink 54 Web Interface 11 4 2 Setting Basic Network Parameters 11 4 3 Establishing a Wireless Link 12 4 4 Aligning the Antennas 14 5 Advanced Configuration Options and Tools 16 5 1 Advanced Page 16 5 2 Security 21 5 3 Antenna Alignment 24 5 4 Firmware Upgrade 24 6 Notes 25 7 Warranty 26 __________________________________________________________________________ RapidLink 54 Wireless Bridge 3 In...

Page 4: ...tion against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the use...

Page 5: ...Weatherproof Wire Gland Indoor Power Over Ethernet Adapter Base Unit Indoor AC DC Power Adapter TWO SETS OF EACH SHOWN Section 3 Installation 3 1 Connecting the Outdoor Units NOTICE To meet regulatory restrictions RapidWaves external antenna bridge configuration and any external antenna must be professional installed Step 1 Select optimal locations for the two outdoor units Consider the following ...

Page 6: ...g bracket as depicted below If the extension bracket is required for appropriate installation than it will also be necessary to remount the antenna bracket on the back of the antenna to maintain an upright and vertical position Step 4 Install User Supplied CAT5 Weatherized Ethernet straight through cable Do not exceed 320 feet 100 Meters of cable per link Step 6 Determine the appropriate routing l...

Page 7: ... around the Ethernet Cable Step 5 Mount the outdoor units to the poles you set in step 2 Step 6 GROUND ALL ENCLOSURES Tip After mounting the outdoor unit loosen its pole mounting clamp just enough to maneuver the antenna vertically and horizontally Point the antenna toward the remote device If you are close enough to see the remote location visually align the antenna toward the Partner Bridge loca...

Page 8: ... Bridge first and then repeat these steps for the Partner Bridge Step 1 Place the indoor unit in an appropriate location that meets the following criteria The distance from the outdoor unit to the indoor Power Over Ethernet adapter must not exceed the length of your Ethernet cable after attached to the bottom of the outdoor unit The distance from the indoor unit to the Ethernet network backbone de...

Page 9: ...net cable connected to your backbone device Step 3 Connect one end of the brick style power adapter cable to the power jack Power In on the rear panel of the indoor unit and plug the other end of the power cable into the AC wall outlet Step 4 Check the front panel of the indoor unit to make certain that the power LED is on If the power LED is not on confirm that the power cable is securely connect...

Page 10: ...e make certain that you connect your backbone device to the Ethernet input port not the Ethernet Power output port Step 6 Check the link LED on your backbone device to confirm that it is on Congratulations At this point you have completed all the hardware related steps necessary to establish your point to point wireless link However your wireless link is not yet operational The next section will d...

Page 11: ...me and identify your bridges After performing steps 1 9 for the Master Bridge repeat these steps for the Partner Bridge Step 1 Load your web browser Step 2 Type the factory default IP address 192 168 1 54 into the address field of your browser and press Enter This will load the RapidLink 54 WLM NOTICE When Setting up the Partner Bridge type in IP address 192 168 1 55 Step 3 Enter the default Case ...

Page 12: ...hich you are connected Step 7 Enter the Name of your Master Bridge Step 8 Click Apply Step 9 To put the changes into effect click on Restart a dialog box will appear click OK The bridge will then restart 4 3 Establishing a Wireless Link The following steps will help you establish a wireless connection between the Master and Partner Bridge Step 1 Type the new IP address that you created in previous...

Page 13: ...ridge are configured to match If you have changed any of the following parameters Transmit Mode Data Rate Channel SSID Encryption Mode and Active Encryption Key ensure that the configurations of both the Partner and Master Bridge are compatible In cases where the settings match and Connect is still unsuccessful ensure that The Partner Bridge is not out of transmission range The antennas are in ali...

Page 14: ...may opt to use more sophisticated tools and methods of aiming such as telescopes or laser pointers The WLM provides a tool designed to help you optimize antenna alignment ensuring the highest signal quality and stability possible The longer the distance the greater the need for this tool As you make physical adjustments to the antenna the antenna alignment tool will show the resultant transmission...

Page 15: ...enna vertically if antennas are not on the same elevation When the signal quality reaches an acceptable level tighten the screws Should not exceed 55 to 60 ratio Ideal signal strength is 47 to 50 in the best case applications Step 4 Repeat step 3 for horizontal alignment Congratulations You have now completed all the steps to set up an operational wireless link The next section will describe the v...

Page 16: ...fect if you click Apply If you do not click Apply before moving to the next page your changes will be lost Also be advised that certain parameters in the Advanced and Security pages require you to restart the system in order to take effect In such cases go back to the setup page and click on Restart If you know that you will be making more changes you can complete all other changes and restart the...

Page 17: ...upports several possible data rates ranging from 6 to 108 Mbps The highest transmission rate is 108 Mbps with automatic fallback rates that allow the unit to operate in the most efficient manner By default the system automatically switches between these rates to maximize coverage However you may wish to select a fixed Data Rate based on your specific objectives or needs RapidLink 54 Wireless Bridg...

Page 18: ... the highest bit rate possible for communication with its Partner Bridge Fixed Bit Rate The Auto setting is disabled by selecting a specific bit rate to be used for the wireless link This would be appropriate when operating in a well understood environment and when full rate operation is not possible It is recommended that you start with the lowest bit rate Step 2 Click on Antenna Align to check s...

Page 19: ...If the Received Value is not high enough then scale down the Data Rate Enter SSID The SSID is a service set identifier that uniquely describes your bridge pair Always use the same SSID for both bridges RapidLink 54 Wireless Bridge 19 Installation Guide ...

Page 20: ...the drop down menu are based on local regulatory requirements To set the Channel Click the drop down menu in the Channel field and select the desired frequency Five channels are available in Transmit Mode Standard Two channels are available in Transmit Mode Turbo Tip If active interference is not an issue it is recommended that you choose the default Channel lowest frequency in order to maximize r...

Page 21: ...of security access control and privacy Access control is achieved by MAC address authentication which allows only known devices to associate with the Master Bridge and establish a wireless connection refer to section 4 3 step 2 Another component of access control is the password protected user interface which can be configured on the Security page Privacy is accomplished by enabling encryption tha...

Page 22: ...assword 16 characters maximum and enter it again to confirm RapidLink 54 Wireless Bridge 22 Installation Guide Tip Create passwords according to the following guidelines Do Not Share passwords with unauthorized users Use personal information easily obtained such as your actual first or last name system name etc Use words commonly used as passwords Use dictionary words or names Do Base passwords on...

Page 23: ...cribed below If you prefer you can select Automated and the system automatically generates four distinct keys based on a passphrase that you enter Step 3 Generate at least one valid encryption key The steps are as follows If the Key Generation field is set to Manual enter keys directly into the fields Each key must be composed of 32 hexadecimal characters in the range of A F and 0 9 If Key Generat...

Page 24: ...upgrade process To document your current settings access and print each of the following screens Setup Advanced and Security Make certain that you do this for both the Master and Partner Bridge The steps involved in performing a firmware upgrade are as follows Step 1 Obtain firmware image from RapidWave and save it to a directory on your computer or network drive Step 2 Start an FTP Server on your...

Page 25: ...____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________...

Page 26: ...XCLUDED EVEN IF ANY EXCLUSIVE REMEDY PROVIDED FOR FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE SOME STATES AND JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS UPON CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND RAPIDWAVE INC S ENTIRE LIABILITY FOR BREACH OF WARFRANTY WILL BE A THE REPAIR OR AT RAPIDWAVE INC S OPTION AND EXPENSE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE PRODUCT O...

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