Setup & Administration
USR provides a web-based admin interface, Windows-based setup utility, and command-line Telnet capability through both the serial and Ethernet ports. I spent most of my time with the web interface, after a quick try at the Windows utility, which didn’t find the AP.
Although I applaud the inclusion of both Telnet and serial COM port for out-of-band management, I really think that Telnet should be disabled by default – at a minimum on the Ethernet interface. USR ships the 5450 with a blank default password and the Telnet interface doesn’t even require entering the default Username, leaving the 5450 wide open to anyone who anyone who Telnets in. The current firmware doesn’t allow Telnet to be disabled, either.
The interface is generally quick, with under 5 second saves for the changes you make on each page. Multiple admin logins are allowed with no indication when others log in. Once you’re logged in, there’s no idle timeout or logout button.
Although on-line Help buttons lurk at the bottom of most screens, documentation for the 5450 needs some work. Information is scattered among a printed Quick Installation guide, on-line Help, and an HTML-based “manual” that’s basically a copy of what’s available on USR’s website. I’d like to see a regular user manual in PDF form that has all the information in one place, and of course, updated to reflect the current feature set.
Some of the web admin interface’s features didn’t work in Mozilla 1.4, although IE 5.5 handled them fine. Examples include the Supported Rate selector on the Advanced page, the Disconnect feature on the Status page, and the pop-up warning issued when a MAC address filtered client attempts to associate with the AP.
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