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Release Notes for Avaya AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 Access Point
Release 2.3.2 October 2003
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Welcome to Release 2.3.1 of the Avaya Wireless AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 Access
Point system. These release notes describe new features, known issues,
and known problems for the Avaya Wireless AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 Access Point.
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. New Features
3. Software Description
4. Installation Notes
5. Fixes In This Release
6. Bootloader Upgrade Instructions - Required for 802.11g
Support
7. Known Issues
8. Addendum to the User's Guide
9. Obtaining Technical Assistance
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1. Introduction
The Avaya Wireless AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 provides wireless access to network
infrastructures. The access point automatically allows clients
to roam from one coverage cell to another within the same subnet.
The AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 system provides:
- Easy installation and operation
- Seamless roaming
- WEP encryption
- High-speed links to the Internet
Access Point management is provided through a standard Web-based
interface, a CLI (Command Line Interface), and SNMP (Simple Network
Management Protocol). You can use any of these management interfaces
to view and adjust the Access Point's configuration.
When you upgrade an AP-4 with the 802.11g upgrade kit, your AP-4
is functionally identical to an AP-6.
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2. New Features
2. New Feature(s)
2.1 Dynamic Domain Name Service (DDNS)
DDNS is a distributed database that maps the user readable names and
IP addresses of every registered system on the Internet. The Dynamic
DNS is a mechanism which allows for modification of the DNS data
of host systems whose IP addresses change dynamically.
Dynamic DNS is used in conjunction with DHCP for assigning
meaningful names to host systems whose IP addresses change
dynamically.
The AP-3 provides DDNS support by adding the host name in DHCP
Client messages, which in turn, is used by the DHCP server to
dynamically update the DNS server.
2.1.1 Access Point System Naming Convention
The AP-4/5/6's system name is used as its host name. In order to prevent
the AP-3 with default configurations from registering similar host
names in DNS, the default AP-3 system name is uniquely generated.
The AP-4/5/6 generates unique system names by appending the last 3 bytes
of the AP-4/5/6's MAC address to its default system. These unique names
are generated automatically with the following types of installations:
- new Access Point installations that use Release 2.3.2
- upgrades of an Access Point to Release 2.3.2 which is followed
by a reset to factory defaults for the Access Point
The system name now has to be compliant with the encoding rules for
host name as per DNS RFC 1123.The DNS host name encoding rules are:
- Characters have to alphanumeric or hyphen.
- Cannot start or end with hyphen.
- Cannot start with digit.
- Number of characters has to be 63 or less. (Currently the
system name length is limited to 32 bytes)
NOTE: Software image upgrades could cause the system to come up with
an older system name format which is not DNS compliant. To
prevent problems with dynamic DNS after a software image upgrade,
it is recommended that you change the system name to a unique
name using the DNS host name encoding rules above.
If any older system name does not meet the DNS host name encoding
rules described above, the system name will automatically be
converted to a DNS compliant system name. The non-compliant
system names will be converted as follows:
- All invalid characters at the beginning or end of the string
are replaced with the character 'X' (including spaces).
- All other invalid characters are replaced with hyphens.
2.2 WiFi Protected Access (WPA)
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a security standard designed by the
Wi-Fi Alliance in conjunction with the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE). WPA is a sub-set of the forthcoming
IEEE 802.11i security standard, currently in draft form.
- TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) - Provides improved data privacy
with per frame keying and a larger IV than WEP. Also provides Message
Integrity Checking (MIC) using Michael MIC algorithm to prevent re-play
attacks.
- Standard 802.1X server based authentication
- Dynamic key management through 802.1X
- Option for server-less authentication via pre-shared keys
- AP and station negotiation of WPA authentication mode and cipher suite
capabilities
2.3 VLAN-16 and Multiple SSIDs
This feature extends support for compatibility with VLAN-enabled wired
networks by providing the user with the capability to configure up to
16 Network Names or SSIDs (Service Set Identifiers) and 16 corresponding
VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) Identifiers per radio card.
VLAN assignment is made by providing the wireless end user with the
SSID corresponding to the VLAN ID configured on the AP. The end user
associates with the AP and their traffic is tagged with the proper VLAN
ID and transmitted on the wired LAN.
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3. Software Description
3.1 Software
The software files are:
- start.exe - A program executable that starts the CD wizard.
Also, there is now an autorun.inf that initiates the start.exe
at CD insertion time.
- AV23_AP456.bin - The AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 software image
- Scantool.exe –The Scan & Change utility that can be used
to discover and initialize AP-4/AP-5 Access Points (see
Installation Notes).
- Drivers for the following client cards (See Section 4.4 -
Install the Client Card Drivers for installation instructions):
- Atheros_driver_2.3.zip for the Avaya 802.11a/b Platinum
Card
- RQ1010_WPA_DRIVER_RC2.zip for the Avaya 802.11b Gold
Card and the Orinoco 802.11b Gold Card
- ORINOCO_ag_ComboCard_R30_30613.zip for the Orinoco
802.11a/b/g Card
- Setup.exe – A self extracting zip file that installs the
files mentioned above and the additional files below in
the Avaya_Wireless folder on the user's PC:
DOCS folder Docs
HELP folder Help
MIB folder MIB
3.2 XTRAs Folder
In the XTRAs\Solarwinds folder we include a TFTP server
(OEM-TFTP-Server.EXE) and Adobe Acrobat that may be installed on
the user's PC for downloading and uploading files to and from the AP-4/
AP-5/AP-6.
It comes with help documentation included in the application when it is
executed.
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4. Installation Notes
The release of the AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 software comes packaged with a CD wizard.
The CD wizard was created to provide a graphical user interface for
easy software installation, cd browsing, and documentation/help viewing, etc.
This release includes a Scantool.exe application that may be
used from your PC to scan the local subnet to discover, scan,
and change the IP address of an AP-4/AP-5/AP-6. See the
User's Guide for instructions on using the tool.
Also, a TFTP server is included in the Xtras\Solarwinds
folder for use in downloading and uploading files to and
from the AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 from a TFTP server. Double-click on
"OEM-TFTP-Server.exe" to install the software.
4.1 If you are using the installation CD:
Insert the Avaya Installation CD in your CD-ROM drive and
the autorun facility will start the CD wizard which will guide
you through the installation process.
4.2 System Requirements
- You must have an AP-4, AP-5, or AP-6 Access Point.
- Windows 98, NT, 2000, or XP
- At least 5 Mb of free disk space
- A web browser, preferably MS IE 6 with Service Pack 1 or
Netscape 6.1
4.3 Bootloader
You need to have Bootloader version 3.0.4 for Release 2.2.2
and 802.11g support.
See Section 6 below for instructions on how to upgrade to
the required Bootloader version.
4.4 Install Client Card Drivers
These drivers are necessary if you are going to test WiFi Protected
Access (WPA) for this release.
4.4.1 Avaya 802.11a/b Platinum Card Driver Installation
1. Go to the Avaya ftp site.
2. Go to the AP3 or AP4-5-6 folder and then to the WPA_Driver
folder.
3. Download the Atheros_driver_2.3.zip file.
4. Unzip the file once you have completed the download.
5. Extract the files to a location on your computer.
6. Go to the Install directory of the folder where you
unzipped the files.
7. Click on SETUP.EXE to start the installation.
8. Read the Introduction dialog and press NEXT.
9. When the License Agreement dialog appears, click to ACCEPT
the license agreement and then click NEXT.
10. Select 'Install Driver and Application (Recommended)' from
the dialog and click NEXT.
11. Select the default destination folder (or enter your own)
and click NEXT. The driver installation begins. Once the
driver installation is completed, click FINISH.
12. From Windows, go to the Control Panel and select 'Network
and Dial-up Connections'.
13. Select the Avaya 802.11a/b Platinum Card from the list and
then select PROPERTIES.
14. Click CONFIGURE and select the DRIVER tab.
15. Click UPDATE DRIVER and the 'Update Device Driver Wizard'
begins.
16. Click NEXT on the Welcome dialog, select 'Search
for a suitable driver for my device (Recommended)' on the
'Install Hardware Device Drivers' dialog and then click
NEXT.
17. Select 'Specify a location' on the Select Device Driver
dialog and click NEXT.
18. Browse your computer to locate the driver you just installed
in steps 1 through 11. Once the device driver is found, click
on the filename and then click OPEN.
19. The driver is updated for the client card.
4.4.2 Avaya 802.11b Gold and Orinoco 802.11b Gold Cards for Windows XP
IMPORTANT: After you complete this installation, you must use
the Windows XP wireless Manager to manage the client card. There
is no other management software available for any other Windows
operating system.
1. Go to the Avaya ftp site.
2. Go to the AP3 or AP4-5-6 folder and then to the WPA_Driver
folder.
3. Download the RQ1010_WPA_DRIVER_RC2.zip file.
4. Unzip the file once you have completed the download.
5. Extract the files to a location on your computer.
6. From Windows, go to the Control Panel and select 'Network
and Dial-up Connections'.
7. Select the Avaya 802.11a/b Platinum Card from the list and
then select PROPERTIES.
8. Click CONFIGURE and select the DRIVER tab.
9. Click UPDATE DRIVER and the 'Update Device Driver Wizard'
begins.
10. Click NEXT on the Welcome dialog, select 'Search
for a suitable driver for my device (Recommended)' on the
'Install Hardware Device Drivers' dialog and then click
NEXT.
11. Select 'Specify a location' on the Select Device Driver
dialog and click NEXT.
12. Browse your computer to locate the driver you just installed
in steps 1 through 11. Once the device driver is found, click
on the filename and then click OPEN.
13. The driver is updated for the client card.
4.4.3 Orinoco 802.11a/b/g Card
1. Go to the Avaya ftp site.
2. Go to the AP3 or AP4-5-6 folder and then to the WPA_Driver
folder.
3. Download the ORINOCO_ag_ComboCard_R30_30613.zip file.
4. Unzip the file once you have completed the download.
5. Extract the files to a location on your computer.
6. From Windows, go to the Control Panel and select 'Network
and Dial-up Connections'.
7. Select the Avaya 802.11a/b Platinum Card from the list and
then select PROPERTIES.
8. Click CONFIGURE and select the DRIVER tab.
9. Click UPDATE DRIVER and the 'Update Device Driver Wizard'
begins.
10. Click NEXT on the Welcome dialog, select 'Search
for a suitable driver for my device (Recommended)' on the
'Install Hardware Device Drivers' dialog and then click
NEXT.
11. Select 'Specify a location' on the Select Device Driver
dialog and click NEXT.
12. Browse your computer to locate the driver you just installed
in steps 1 through 11. Once the device driver is found, click
on the filename and then click OPEN.
13. The driver is updated for the client card.
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5. Fixes In This Release
5.1 Web Interface Help File
The Web interface Help link now works when using Netscape
6.2.
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6. Bootloader Upgrade Instructions
6.1 Components
Component Version Executable Size Date
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BSP/BL UPG 3.0.4 bsp_upg_3.0.4.sgn 297KB(304,128 bytes) 3/19/03
The .SGN file is used to upgrade an existing version 3.0.3 or older
bootloader.
6.2 Compatibility With Other Released AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 System Components
The AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 BSP/Bootloader Version 3.0.4 is compatible with
the following AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 System Components:
AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 Software Image: Version 2.2.0 (Build 425 or higher)
6.3 Upgrade Instructions
You can upgrade any earlier version of software and firmware with the
AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 software image version 2.2.0 and BSP Bootloader version
3.0.4 using the following procedure:
1. Setup your TFTP Server
A Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server allows you to transfer
files across a network. You can upload the config file from the AP for
backup or copying, and you can download the files for configuration
and AP Image upgrades. The Solarwinds TFTP server software is included
with the Beta software provided to you.
If a TFTP server is not configured and running, you will not be able
to download and upload images and configuration files to/from the AP.
Remember that the TFTP server does not have to be local as long as you
have a valid TFTP IP address. Also, a TFTP server does not have to be
running for the AP to perform tasks that do not involve file transfers.
2. After the TFTP server is installed:
- Check to see that TFTP is configured to point to the directory
containing the AP Image.
- Make sure you have the proper TFTP server IP address, the proper AP
Image file name, and that the TFTP server is operational.
- Make sure the TFTP server is configured to both Transmit and Receive
files, with no automatic shutdown or time-out.
How To Upgrade the Bootloader Using the Web Interface
a. Click Commands > Download.
b. Enter the IP address of your TFTP server in "Server IP Address" field.
c. Enter the File Name (including the file extension) of the bootloader.
Specify the full directory path and file name. If the file is located in
the default TFTP directory, you only need to enter the file name.
d. Select the File Type from the drop-down menu (use BspBl for bootloader
updates).
e. Select "Download & Reboot" from the File Operation drop-down menu.
f. Click OK. The Access Point will reboot automatically when the download
is complete.
How To Upgrade the Bootloader Using CLI Commands
a. Open the CLI interface via Telnet or a serial connection.
b. Enter the CLI password when prompted.
c. Type "set tftpfilename <file name>" (include the file extension) and press
Enter.
d. Type "set tftpfiletype bootloader" and press Enter.
e. Type "set tftpipaddr <IP address of your TFTP server>" and press Enter.
f. Type "show tftp" and confirm that the IP address, file name, file type, and
tftp operation are correct.
g. Type "download *" and press Enter.
Result: The download will begin. Be patient while the image is downloaded
to the Access Point.
h. When the download is complete, the following messages will appear on the
telnet window:
Message 1: File <file name> is being downloaded from <tftp ipaddr>
Message 2: File <filename> has been downloaded successfully
type "reboot 0" and press Enter at the prompt
6.4 What's New In This Bootloader
This BSP/BL is required for AP units that contain an 802.11g radio for
optimized performance.
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7. Known Issues
7.1 If you have an Avaya 802.11b Gold Client Card, Per User Per Session
is not supported by the client card. This is a limitation of the
client card hardware.
7.2 The Web interface tabs may not appear in the application
immediately after you upgrade to Release 2.2.2. The tabs that
do not appear are the high-level tabs. The tabs do not appear
because your Internet browser cache must be cleared.
Workaround: Because some of the Web interface tabs changed in
the upgrade to Release 2.2.2, the earlier version of the Web
interface is cached by the Internet browser. The tabs will appear
correctly when one of the following occurs.
1. Refresh the browser until the tabs appear OR
2. Manually clear out the Internet browser's cache, then open
the Web interface. The tabs will now appear correctly.
7.3 The following traps are not functional:
- oriRADIUS Server Not Responding
7.4 MIB issues
- 'oriWirelessIfChannel' value cannot be set.
- Some of the read/write variables in the 802.11 MIB
cannot be set. Additionally, some variables are not
supported.
7.5 Roaming with 802.11a clients in some circumstances may cause your
session to drop. This problem is caused by some vendors not
completely implementing the 802.11 Standard. If you experience any
problems, please contact your card provider for the latest driver(s).
7.6 Internet Browser issue:
- Access point web-based management interface is not compatible
with Microsoft Internet Explorer, Version 5.0.
The following version has compatibility problems:
Problem Operating Systems: MS Windows-2000
Service packs : SP-2
IE version : 5.00.3315.1000
The user has the option of uninstalling service pack 2 or
upgrading Internet Explorer to the latest version. It is
recommended that you upgrade Internet Explorer
since service pack 2 has security updates.
7.7 When the AP is requesting an IP address through DHCP, the LEDs do
not indicate that a request is in progress. The LEDs display green,
indicating a ready state.
Three workarounds to confirm the AP is ready to operate are:
- Use the ScanTool to check the status.
- Monitor the serial port.
- Ping the AP directly for a response.
7.8 When using 802.11b with an Avaya 3606 or SpectraLink compatible
wireless telephone, in order to administer authentication on the phones,
choose "Open System" whether you are using WEP encryption or not. For
the Avaya 3606, this setting is made under Encryption on the Admin
Menu. Failure to make this selection will result in the phone not
being able to register with the access point.
7.9 When Spanning Tree is enabled, the AP-3 may not send power-on
traps to the trap host.
This is caused by the Spanning Tree keeping the interfaces in
a blocked state during self configuration. When the Spanning
Tree is disabled, the traps will be sent.
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8. Addendum to the User's Guide
Configuring an Avaya 36xx or SpectraLink-compatible phones for 802.11g
Hardware
Avaya 36xx or SpectraLink-compatible phones will not connect to an
AP-4 that is upgraded to an 802.11g radio or an AP-6 (802.11g radio)
if both of the following conditions are true:
1. The Access Point and phone are configured to use WEP encryption
AND
2. The Avaya 36xx or SpectraLink-compatible phone is configured to
use "Shared Key" authentication.
"Shared Key" authentication is not supported in the new 802.11g
Access Point hardware. You need to configure your Avaya 36xx or
Spectralink-compatible phones to use "Open System" authentication.
It is recommended that you also use WEP Encryption with "Open
System" authentication. Alternatively, you can disable WEP
Encryption.
**Note: "Shared Key" authentication is supported in the AP-4
(802.11b radio only).
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9. Obtaining Technical Assistance
If you encounter problems when installing or using this
product, or would like information about our other Avaya
Wireless products, please contact your local authorized
Avaya Wireless reseller or sales office. For Customer
Technical Support, call +1 877-874-4916.
9.1 Troubleshooting
For the most up-to-date, detailed troubleshooting information,
refer to the Avaya AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 User's Guide.
9.2 Obtaining Documentation
You can access the most recent software and user documentation
on the World Wide Web at the following site:
http://www.avaya.com
Documentation CD-ROM
Avaya documentation and additional literature are available
on a CD-ROM that is included with your product. You
can find the documentation in the docs\English\ folder on
the included CD-ROM. The User Guide and the Command Line (CLI)
Reference manuals may be viewed using the EZ-Install browser.
The documentation for the AP-4/AP-5/AP-6 is updated periodically.
Updated documents may be available on our WEB site.
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END OF FILE
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.