Motorola WA840G Firmware Release Notes

Brand: Motorola

Model: WA840G

Category: Routers

Type: Firmware Release Notes

This manual is also suitable for

WA840GP

Motorola WA840GP, a high-performance wireless access point, offers a secure and reliable connection for your home or small office. With its advanced features, you can easily share files, printers, and your Internet connection wirelessly. The WA840GP supports the latest Wi-Fi standards, including WPA2™ encryption, and provides robust parental controls to keep your family safe online. The user-friendly web-based interface makes it simple to set up and manage your network.

Compatibility

• The features in this release are compatible with both

the WA840G and WA840GP Wireless Access Points.

• Release 6.1.4 is compatible with all hardware

versions.

Changes in Release 6.1.4 (Relative to Releases 2.x, 3.x,

4.x, and 5.x):

• Router mode – when set in this mode, allows users

to share files, printers, and the Internet connection wire-

lessly

• HTML help – this is now a pop-up help tool

• STP (spanning tree protocol) – this is now user con-

figurable

• Default SSID (service set identifier) – supports 12-

digit MAC address instead of 3-digit address

• WMM™ (Wi-Fi® Multimedia) – supported

• AP isolation – supported

• Multicast Rate settings – supported

• Parental controls

• WPA2™ (Wi-Fi® Protected Access version 2) – sup-

ported

• Connection Logging via Syslog Service – this has

replaced URL (uniform resource locator) Log support

• LED functions – the Power LED does not blink when

a firmware upgrade is in progress. (See "How to

Upgrade” for details.) The WAN (wide area network) LED

no longer blinks red when it has lost its IP connection to

its default gateway, or when the WAN connection repair

procedure is still in progress. When the wireless LED is

off, the wireless interface is not enabled by the firmware

(no longer displays red). Also, when this LED is blinking,

the wireless interface is enabled and active wireless

traffic is present. The Wireless LED does not blink on

WA840G V1 hardware. Refer to the “WA840G/GP User’s

Guide” for a complete description of LED functions.

• User Interface (UI) – User Interface of web-based

configuration utility realigned to support direct access to

major functions (WAN interface, LAN interface, wireless

interface, and advanced routing features). Refer to

Tables 1 and 2 in this document to quickly locate

WA840G and WA840GP

Firmware Release Notes

Version 6.1.4

renamed and new features in the UI.

• Configuration file save and restore, Web Login

Timeout, and Wireless site monitor – not supported

• WEP key input – pass phrase and ASCII input not

supported

Known Limitations

When you upgrade to 6.x, the factory default configuration

settings are restored to your system. You will need to

customize your configuration settings using the Configuration

pages. Refer to “How to Configure the WA840” after the

upgrade procedure is completed.

Before You Upgrade

This is the work flow you should follow to prepare to upgrade

the WA840G/GP:

A. Print out the current configuration settings

Before you upgrade, it is highly recommended that you print

out the current configuration settings of your current firmware

version so that configuration is easier to follow. To access and

print the Web-based configuration pages of versions 2.x, 3.x,

4.x or 5.x, follow the steps in “To access the Web-based

configuration pages” then print out the pages and return to this

section.

B. Back up the old configuration file

Before you upgrade, back up your current version’s config.bin

file according to instructions supplied with that version.

C. Obtain the WA840G/GP User Guide for complete

information about version 6.x

You may want to have the user guide handy as you upgrade the

unit. It contains complete information regarding each

configuration parameter. You can download the user guide

from:

http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/support/default.asp

D. Download the Conversion Utility

A conversion utility is supplied to make it easy for you to map

the old configuration file parameters to the new parameter

locations in version 6.x configuration screens. You can

download the conversion utility from the same link shown in

step C. Be sure to save it to your hard drive.

E. Run the Conversion Utility

Run this utility to generate a text file that shows where the

current configuration parameters are to be entered in the

version 6.x configuration screens.

1 Navigate and click the Converter.exe file you

downloaded in step D. The HomeNet Backup File Format

Converter main window appears:

2 In the Input binary box, click Browse and

locate the config.bin file you saved in step B. Example: 5x

config.bin

3 In the Output file box, click Browse to locate

a folder to store this file, then type a name for this file to

be generated. Example: Version_6x.txt

4 In the Product ID box, type the product name.

Example: WA840G

5 Click Run. When “Done” appears in the lower left cor-

ner of the dialog box, click Exit.

6 Check that the file is located in the folder you speci-

fied in step 3, and then click the file to open it and print it.

How to Upgrade

Be sure to read “Before You Upgrade” prior to performing this

procedure. Never reset the unit while it’s upgrading.

To upgrade from version 2.x, 3.x, 4.x, or 5.x to version 6.x:

1 Download and save the Motorola_WA840_6.1.3.exe

file from the Motorola Web site at the following link:

http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/support/default.asp

2 Double-click the .exe file you just saved. Browse to

the default path C:\Motorola_HomeNet (unless you speci-

fied otherwise) and unzip the file.

3 Type http://192.168.40.1 in a Web browser.

4 When the Motorola Wireless Broadband Router logon

dialog box appears, type your user name in the User name

box (if you changed it from the factory default (admin) the

last time you upgraded).

5 Type your password in the Password box (if you

changed it from the factory default (motorola using all

lowercase) the last time you upgraded).

6 Click LOG IN.

7 Click the Control Panel tab then the Firmware

Update tab to access the firmware information.

8 To locate the Firmware Update .trx file you down-

loaded and unzipped in steps 1 and 2, type the path in

the Firmware Update File box, or click

Browse to navigate to it. The default path is

C:\Motorola_HomeNet.

9 When the .trx file appears in the Firmware

Update File box, click Update.

10 When the update is complete, click RESTART and

follow the prompts to restart the WA840.

Clearing the Web Browser Cache

After you upgrade, you may need to clear the cache to view

the upgraded Web page properly:

Open a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet

Explorer®.

2 Select Tools\Internet Options.

3 In the Temporary Internet files box, click Delete

Files.

4 In the Delete Files dialog box, select the Delete all

offline content check box and then click OK. Click OK

again.

Configuring the WA840G/GP

These release notes provide steps to reconfigure the basic

security and other settings so that you can get your system

running securely. These basic settings appear in white on the

configuration pages of the user interface. This document also

provides a comprehensive mapping table of parameters so

that you can find the newly named corresponding parameters

from previous versions. New parameters have also been

added for Version 6.x.

How to Configure the WA840

After you complete the upgrade procedure, you can custom

configure the WA840 and its associated devices. Procedures

are provided for the commonly used options only. Refer to

the “WA840 Wireless Broadband Routers (WA840GP and

WA840G) User Guide” for complete information.

Refer to Table 1 in this update to locate configuration

parameters in previous versions (2x through 5.x) that have

been renamed or moved to new configuration pages in

version 6.x. Refer to Table 2 in this update for new

parameters in version 6.x. Be sure to click Apply before you

exit the current page, or the changes you entered will be

lost.

To access the Web-based configuration pages:

1 Open a Web browser. In the URL field, type

http://192.168.40.1 (the router’s default IP address) and

press Enter.

2 At the Motorola Wireless Broadband Router login

window, type your user name in the User name box (if

you changed it from the factory default (admin) the last

time you upgraded).

3 Type your password in the Password box (if you

changed it from the factory default (motorola using all

lowercase) the last time you upgraded). Then click OK.

The Basic configuration page appears.

To configure basic access control features of your

router/access point:

1 Select the Basic tab on the configuration menu bar.

2 Type a new user name in the Configuration

the configuration pages. (If you forget a user name, you

can press the Reset button on the unit to reset the

default user name to admin.)

!!! If you use the Restore Factory Configuration button,

all of the configuration options will be reset to the original

factory default settings, not just the current page settings.

3 Type a new password in the Configuration

the configuration pages. (If you forget a password, you

can press the Reset button on the unit to reset the

default user name to motorola.)

Note: The RESET button on the back of the WA840 resets a

predetermined number of options to their defaults. Refer to

Section 1 in the “WA840 User Guide” for details.

4 In the Time Zone box, select a time zone from

the list. The default is Eastern Time.

5 When you finish making changes, click Apply. When

it is done, click Continue. Review the changes and then

go to another configuration page by selecting another

tab on the configuration menu bar.

Note: If you do not click Apply and you move to another

configuration page, the changes you just made will be lost.

To configure the router to support connections to

broadband services (wide area network):

Refer to the “WA840 Wireless Access Points User Guide” for

details.

To configure the Wireless network:

When you upgrade, any configuration settings for wireless

connected devices are lost. Refer to the User Guide for more

information about each configuration parameter on the

Wireless page, and Table 1 to map previous versions of

wireless configuration parameters to the wireless

parameters in revision 6.x. Refer to Table 2 for new wireless

parameters.

Note: Refer to the text file you generated using the

conversion utility in step E to make changes on this page.

1 Select the Wireless tab on the configuration menu

bar.

2 In the Network Name (SSID) box, type the

service set identifier using up to 32 alphanumeric char-

acters, as indicated in the converted configuration text

file.

When a client looks to connect wirelessly to the

WA840, this SSID will be the identifier by which it

recognizes the network.

The default is motorola plus the Wireless MAC

Address, which can be found on the product label.

3 In the Channel box, select the channel to use (in

the U.S., available channels are 1 through 11). You can

switch the channel if you experience poor wireless per-

formance due to interference.

4 Be sure all other parameters listed in the .txt file you

generated match the parameter fields on this screen.

5 Click Apply. When it is done, click Continue. Review

the changes and then go to another configuration page

by selecting another tab on the configuration menu bar.

If you are done configuring, see “Restarting the WA840.”

To configure the security options which protect

information sharing over wireless connections:

When you upgrade, all security configuration settings are

replaced with version 6.x defaults. Refer to Table 1 for more

information about each configuration parameter on the

Security page.

Note: Refer to the text file you generated using the

conversion utility to make changes on this page.

1 Select the tab on the configuration menu bar.

2 In the WPA-PSK box, select Enabled or Disabled

are ready to restart the unit:

1 Print out each configuration page to retain a hard

copy of the new settings.

2 When you are finished printing, select the Basic tab

and click Restart.

3 After the WA840 reboots, click Continue. The Basic

page reappears.

Configuration Mapping

The following table provides a way for users to find

configuration parameters renamed from earlier versions of

the WA840 and locate them in version 6.x.

from the list. This engages or disengages Wi-Fi

Protected Access (WPA®) authentication using the

Pre-Shared Key (PSK) method.

3 In the WPA2-PSK box, select Enabled or Disabled

from the list. This engages or disengages Wi-Fi

Protected Access (WPA) version 2 authentication using

the Pre-Shared Key (PSK) method.

Notes: 1) The next option (step 4) is dimmed unless WPA,

WPA2, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK is Enabled. 2) For optimum

security, the same authentication and encryption methods

(step 4) should be used for the WA840 and all devices with

which it will communicate. However, multiple methods can

be used. For example, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK can be

enabled concurrently to support devices with mixed

capabilities. Refer to “Authentication Methods” in Section 3

in the User Guide for details.

4 In the WPA Encryption box, select an encryp-

tion method:

TKIP – engages the Temporal key

Integrity Protocol

AES – engages the Advanced Encryption

Standard

TKIP + AES – supports a mix of devices

using these two encryption methods

Notes: 1)The next option (step 5) is dimmed unless WPA,

WPA2, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK is Enabled. 2) Using at least

20 characters is strongly recommended for the pass phrase.

3) As you enter the pass phrase, it does not appear. After

you apply the changes, you can select the Show button to

display the pass phrase in a small dialog box.

5 In the WPA Pass Phrase box, type a phrase

between 8 and 63 alphanumeric characters or exactly 64

hexadecimal digits (0-9, A-F).

6 Click Apply. When it is done, click Continue. Review

the changes and then go to another configuration page

by selecting another tab on the configuration menu bar.

If you are done configuring, see “Restarting the WA840.”

How to Set Parental Controls

Setting parental controls is only applicable once you change

the Operation Mode on the Basic page to Router. See “Filters

Page Examples – Establishing Parental Controls on Internet

Use” in Section 3 of the updated “WA840 Wireless Access

Points User Guide” for configuring parental controls with the

6.x WA840 firmware.

Restarting the WA840

If you are done configuring and applying the changes, you

Table 1. Configuration mapping from versions 2.x, 3.x, 4.x, and 5.x to version 6.x

Previous parameter

name (2.x, 3.x, 4,x,

and 5.x)

Screen/Page location

in Previous Versions

Version 6.x parameter

name

Screen/Page

location in Version

6.x and default

1 Network Name

(SSID)

Wireless > Basic Network Name (SSID) Wireless (top) –

motorola plus the

Wireless MAC

Address

2 Channel Number Wireless > Basic Channel Wireless (top) – 11

3 Operation Mode Wireless > Basic Wireless Mode Wireless (top) –

Compatibility

4 Performance

Enhancement

(WA840GP only)

Wireless > Basic Performance

Enhancement (GP

models only)

Wireless (top) On =

WA840GP; Off =

WA840G

5 Wireless MAC

Address

Wireless > Basic Wireless Interface Wireless (top) –

Wireless MAC

address on product

label

6 SSID Broadcast

(Enabled)

Wireless > Security Network Type Wireless (top) –

Open

7 ESS

Authentication

Wireless > Security 802.11 Authentication

through WPA2-PSK (6

items)

Security – Open

8 Encryption Status Wireless > Security WPA Encryption or

WEP Encryption

Security – TKIP or

Disabled)

9 Field 802.1X Mode Wireless > Security 802.1X Authentication Security – Disabled

10 Key Input Method Wireless > Security NA

11 Pass Phrase Wireless > Security WPA Pass Phrase Security – blank

12 Key Length Wireless > Security NA

13 Key Index Wireless > Security Current WEP Network

Key Index

Security – 1

14 Key Content (Keys

1 through 4)

Wireless > Security WEP Network Key 1,

Key 2, Key 3, Key 4

Security – blank

15 Group Key

Renewal Interval

Wireless > Security Network Key Rotation

Interval

Security – 0

16 RADIUS Server IP Wireless > Security RADIUS Server Security – blank

17 RADIUS Server

Port Number

Wireless > Security RADIUS Port Security – 1812

18 RADIUS Shared

Secret

Wireless > Security RADIUS Shared Secret Security – blank

19 RADIUS Shared

Secret

Confirmation

Wireless > Security Same as RADIUS

Shared Secret

Security

20 Wireless MAC Wireless > Security Restricted Wireless Wireless (bottom)

Previous parameter

name (2.x, 3.x, 4,x,

and 5.x)

Screen/Page location

in Previous Versions

Version 6.x parameter

name

Screen/Page

location in Version

6.x and default

Access Control List MAC Addresses

21 Learned MAC

Addresses

Wireless > Security Authenticated Clients Wireless (bottom) –

blank

22 MAC Address Wireless > Site

Monitor

23 Host Name Wireless > Site Mon. NA

24 Refresh Wireless > Site Mon NA

25 Scan Wireless > Site Mon NA

26 SSID Wireless > Site Mon NA

27 MAC Address Wireless > Site Mon NA

28 Channel Wireless > Site Mon NA

29 Signal Strength Wireless > Site Mon NA

30 Wireless Mode Wireless > Site Mon NA

31 Security Wireless > Site Mon NA

32 Radio Interface Wireless > Advanced Wireless Enabled Wireless (bottom) –

Yes

33 Short Preamble Wireless > Advanced Preamble Type Wireless (top) –

Long

34 Frame Bursting Wireless > Advanced Frame Bursting Wireless (top), Off

= WA840G; On =

WA840GP

35 RTS Threshold Wireless > Advanced RTS Threshold Wireless (top) –

2347

36 Fragmentation

Threshold

Wireless > Advanced Fragmentation

Threshold

Wireless (top) –

2346

37 Beacon Period Wireless > Advanced Beacon Interval Wireless (top) –100

38 DTIM Period Wireless > Advanced DTIM Interval Wireless (top) – 3

39 Basic Rate Set Wireless > Advanced Basic Rate Set Wireless (top) –

Default

40 11g Protection

Mode

Wireless > Advanced 802.11g Protection Mode Wireless (top) –

Auto

41 WDS Mode

(Enable)

Wireless > Advanced NA

42 WDS Restrict

Mode (Enable)

Wireless > Advanced Wireless Bridge

Restriction Mode

Wireless (bottom) –

Enabled

43 WDS Restrict

MAC Addresses

Wireless > Advanced Restricted Wireless

MAC Addresses

Wireless (bottom)

44 LAN MAC Address Networking > DHCP

Server

MAC Address LAN– MAC ID of

LAN port

Previous parameter

name (2.x, 3.x, 4,x,

and 5.x)

Screen/Page location

in Previous Versions

Version 6.x parameter

name

Screen/Page

location in Version

6.x and default

45 LAN Private IP …DHCP Server IP Address 192.168.10.1

46 LAN Subnet Mask …DHCP Server Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0

47 LAN Private Host

Name

Networking >DNS

Proxy

48 Login Idle Time Control Panel >

Device Security

49 WAN Ping

Response

Control Panel >

Device Security

50 Trace Route Internet > Network

Diagnostic

51 DNS Lookup Internet > Network

Diagnostic

52 Firmware Revision Control Panel >

Firmware Update

Firmware Version Firmware – read-

only

Table 2. New configuration parameters in version 6.1.4

Screen/Page

Location in Version

6.x

New parameter name in Version 6.x Default

Remote Login Port Blank

Local Time Local time displayed

Time Zone Eastern Time

Auto Adjust for Daylight Saving Time Enabled

Internet Time Server Addresses blank

Basic

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Disabled

DHCP Server Enabled

DHCP Starting IP Address 192.168.10.2

DHCP Ending IP Address 192.168.10.50

DHCP Lease Time 86400

Active DHCP Leases Table shows client MAC

IDs

Default Gateway 192.168.10.1

LAN

Spanning Tree Protocol Enabled

WAN Connection Mode DHCP

Release and Renew buttons

Connection Status read-only

IP Address 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway 0.0.0.0

DNS Servers (1st) blank

DNS Servers (2

field) blank

DNS Servers (3

field) blank

Host Name blank

Domain Name blank

PPPoE Username blank

PPPoE Password blank

Same as PPoE Password blank

PPPoE Service Name blank

PPPoE Max Idle Time 60

PPPoE Keep Alive Disabled

PPPoE MTU 1492

MAC Address blank

Same as MAC Address

DDNS Server Disabled

DDNS User Name Blank

DDNS User Password blank

Same as DDNS User Password

Description Default connection

WINS Servers

PPPoE Access Concentrator

PPPoE MRU

WAN IP Address Expires In:

Static Routes

System Up Time read-only Status

Connection Log read-only

LAN Usage Filters table 12:00AM to 12:00AM

LAN MAC Filter Mode Deny

Filters page (in grid): blank

Protocol blank

Filters

Destination Port Range blank

DMZ IP Address blank

Same as DMZ IP Address

Routing

Outbound Protocol (Port Trigger table) blank

Outbound Port (Start/ End) (Port

Trigger table)

blank

Inbound Protocol (Port Trigger table) blank

Inbound Port (Start/ End) (Port Trigger

table)

blank

Enabled blank

Protocol (Port Forwards table) blank

WAN Port (Start/End) (Port Forwards

table)

blank

LAN IP Address (Port Forwards table) blank

LAN Port (Start/End) (Port Forwards

table)

blank

Enabled (Port Forwards table) blank

To Port Start /To Port End (Port

Triggers table)

blank

Wireless interface Wireless MAC Address as

printed on product

AP Isolation Off

Rate Auto

Wireless (top)

Maximum Associations 128

WMM Support Off

No Acknowledgement Off

EDCA AP Parameters: Off

Background AC

Best Effort AC

Video AC

Voice AC

EDCA Client Parameters: Off

Background AC

Best Effort AC

Video AC

Wireless (middle)

Voice AC

Wireless (bottom) Bridge Link Detection Interval 0

WPA2 Disabled

WPA2 Pre-Authentication Enabled when WPA2 is

Enabled

Security

WPA2-PSK Disabled

If You Need Help

If you need assistance while working with the WA840G/GP, contact the Motorola Technical Response Center

(TRC):

 Inside the U.S: 1-877-466-8646

 Motorola Online: www.motorola.com/homenetworking

(click “Support and Downloads”)

The TRC is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, Motorola Online offers a searchable solutions

database, technical documentation, and low-priority issue creation and tracking.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office..

Inc. 2005

No part of the contents of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by

any means without the written permission of the publisher.

520948-001 08/05 MGBI

Motorola WA840G Firmware Release Notes

Brand: Motorola

Model: WA840G

Category: Routers

Type: Firmware Release Notes

This manual is also suitable for

WA840GP

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report

Motorola WA840G Firmware Release Notes

This manual is also suitable for

Motorola WA840G Firmware Release Notes

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