WWLL1111000000 Wireless LAN PCMCIA Adapter USER MANUAL Version 0.9.2, February 16, 2000 Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
This device may not cause harmful interference. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy. If this equipment is not installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, it may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by during the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. Manufacturer's Disclaimer Statement The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the vendor. No warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, is made with respect to the quality, accuracy or fitness for any particular purpose of this document. The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the content of this document and/or the products associated with it at any time without obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes. In no event will the manufacturer be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use this product or documentation, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. This document contains materials protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means or for any purpose without expressed written consent of its authors. Product names appearing in this document are mentioned for identification purchases only. All trademarks, product names or brand names appearing in this document are registered property of their respective owners. 2 Contents Chapter 1 About the WL11000 PCMCIA Card........................................................... 4 1-1 Features ..............................................................................................................................................4 1-2 Applications .........................................................................................................................................4 1-3 Product Kit ...........................................................................................................................................5 Chapter 2 Network Configuration and Planning ...................................................... 6 2-1 Network Topology................................................................................................................................6 2-2 Roaming ..............................................................................................................................................8 Chapter 3 Adapter Installation and Configuration Windows 98 ......................... 9 3-1 System Requirements .........................................................................................................................9 3-2 Inserting the Adapter ...........................................................................................................................9 3-3 WL11000 Driver Installation -Windows 98 .......................................................................................10 3-4 Adapter Configuration Windows 98...............................................................................................13 3-5 Protocol Installation Windows 98 ..................................................................................................19 3-6 WL11000 Setup for Windows NT 4.0 ................................................................................................24 Chapter 4 Installing and Navigating the PRISM Configuration Utility .................. 28 4-1 PRISM Configuration Utility - Installation...........................................................................................28 4-2 PRISM Configuration Utility- Navigation............................................................................................31 Appendix A Troubleshooting................................................................................... 36 Appendix B Glossary................................................................................................ 38 3 Chapter 1 About the WL11000 PCMCIA Card The WL11000 IEEE 802.11 PCMCIA PC Card is compatible with any standard, notebook computer Type II or Type III PCMCIA slot. As a Plug-and-Play device, Windows 95/98 will automatically recognize the WL11000 PCMCIA card and initiate the installation process. Upon successful installation, the WL11000 PCMCIA card will communicate seamlessly with other WL11000 wireless home and office networking products. 1-1 FEATURES 1. Supports up to 11 Mbps data rate: T-1 line alternative/replacement that dramatically cuts costs. 2. Working range up to 800 ft. in an open environment enhances mobility. 3. Supports point-to-point and point-to-multipoint access provides increased flexibility. 4. Seamless connectivity to wired Ethernet and PC network LANs offers quick, trouble-free integration with existing networks. 5. Robust Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technology provides secure, interference-resistant wireless connection. 6. Wireless connections eliminate the hassle and cost of cabling. 7. Supports a wide range of LAN (Local Area Network) Network Operating Systems (NOS) including Windows 98 and Windows NT 8. Easy Plug and Play installation 9. Omni - directional antenna included 10. Greater flexibility to locate or move networked PCs 1-2 APPLICATIONS WL11000 products offer a fast, reliable, cost-effective solution for wireless client access to the network the following applications and environments:
Remote access to corporate network information
E-mail, file transfer and terminal emulation
Difficult-to-wire environments
Historic or older buildings
Buildings with asbestos insulation
Open areas where wiring is difficult to employ Frequently changing environments
Retailers, manufacturers or other organizations that frequently rearrange the workplace or relocate Temporary LANs for special projects or peak time usage
4
Trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites that employ temporary networks. Retailers, airline and shipping companies that need additional workstations for a peak period and Auditors that require workgroups at customer sites.
Access to database for mobile workers
Medical, Technical and Retail specialists that require roaming access to a database or other network resources.
SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) users
Perfect for users that need a small, easy-to-install network that deploys rapidly. Inter-building connection
Wireless building-to-building networks are quickly and easily installed, require no monthly lease fees, and provide the flexibility to reconfigure easily. 1-3 PRODUCT KIT The WL11000 product kit includes the following items. Ensure that the items in the following list have been included. If any of the listed items are missing, please contact your local dealer.
1 X WL11000 PCMCIA Type II Adapter 1 X Driver 1 X User Manual & Utility CD pack 5 Chapter 2 Network Configuration and Planning The WL11000 supports legacy Ethernet LAN network configuration options as defined by the IEEE 802 standards committee. The WL11000 can be configured as:
Ad-Hoc for departmental or SOHO LANs
Infrastructure for enterprise LANs LAN-Interconnection for point-to-point link as a campus backbone 2-1 NETWORK TOPOLOGY
Ad-Hoc Wireless LAN
Fig. 1 - Ad-Hoc Wireless LAN An Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers, each equipped with one WL11000 adapter, connected as an independent wireless LAN. Computers in a specific Ad-Hoc wireless LAN must be configured to share the same radio channel. Ad-Hoc wireless LAN configurations are appropriate for branch level departments or SOHO operations. 6
Fig. 2 - Infrastructure Wireless LAN Configuration The WL11000 provides access to a wired LAN for wireless workstations. An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration. A group of WL11000 PC users and an Access Point compose a Basic Service Set (BSS). Each WL11000 PC in a BSS can talk to any computer in the wired LAN infrastructure via the Access Point. An Infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of a WL11000 equipped PC to a wired LAN, and doubles the effective wireless transmission range for 2 WL11000 PCs. Since the Access Point is able to forward data within its BSS, the effective transmission range in an infrastructure LAN is doubled.
Fig. 3 - The effective Transmission Range 7 The use of a unique ID in a BSS is essential. All WL11000 equipped PCs configured without roaming options in an independent BSS must be configured with a BSS ID corresponding to the WL11000SA used in the BSS. Check your WL11000SA for its BSS ID or use the Access Point Browser Utility program to determine the BSS ID. The Infrastructure Wireless LAN configuration is appropriate for enterprise-scale wireless access to a central database, or as a wireless application for mobile users. A point-to-point LAN configuration is possible when two access points are linked with an optional directional antenna (the directional antenna is an optional accessory, please contact your dealer for information). The optional directional antenna makes LAN-Interconnection to a wireless backbone between buildings possible. 2-2 ROAMING Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users. More than one BSS can be configured as an Extended Service Set (ESS). The continuous network allows users to roam freely within an ESS. All WL11000 PCs and WL11000SAs within one ESS must be configured with the same ESS ID and use the same radio channel.
Fig. 4 - Roaming in an Extended Service Set (ESS) Before enabling an ESS with roaming capability, choosing a feasible radio channel and optimum Access Point position is recommended. Proper Access Point positioning combined with a clear radio signal will greatly enhance performance. 8 Chapter 3 Adapter Installation and Configuration Windows 98 3-1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS In order to install and use the WL11000 PCMCIA card your PC system must meet the following requirements:
A PCMCIA Type II or Type III slot
PCMCIA revision 2.10 compliant card and socket services
Windows 98 (with the Windows CD, for use during installation)
500 Kbytes free disk space for utility and driver installation 3-2 INSERTING THE ADAPTER To insert the WL11000 Network Adapter into a notebook computer, do the following:
1. Locate an available Type II or Type III PCMCIA slot. 2. With the PCMCIA adapters 68-pin connector facing the PCMCIA slot and the WL11000PCMCIA label facing up slide the PCMCIA adapter completely into the PCMCIA slot. Fig. 5 Insert the WL11000 into Notebook After properly inserting the Network Adapter into your notebook, continue with the WL11000 driver and PRISM Configuration Utility installation. NOTE: The PCMCIA slot allows hot swap of PCMCIA adapter. You may insert or remove the WL11000 / PCMCIA adapter from the slot anytime, even when the power of your computer is on. NOTE: Windows 98 requires that the Network card and socket services must be compliant with the PCMCIA revision 2.10 specification. Please check the documentation of the PCMCIA driver before installing the WL11000 PCMCIA adapter. 9 3-3 WL11000 DRIVER INSTALLATION -WINDOWS 98 Note: Before proceeding, have the Windows 98 CD ready, as it will be required during the software installation process. 1. Insert the WL11000 A adapter into a standard Type II or Type III PCMCIA card slot, as described in the preceding section. 2. Windows 98 will automatically detect the WL11000 and prompt you to install the necessary driver. Click Next to begin the installation. 3. Check Search for the best driver click Next. 10 4. Check Floppy-disk drives click Browse. Double-click the Setup folder icon from the list, double-click the setup.exe icon. Windows will automatically enter the path click Next. 5. Windows will then acknowledge that it has found the appropriate driver, click "Next"
Windows will now install the driver As the driver files are being copied to the appropriate location, you will be prompted to insert the Windows 98 CD. 11 6. Insert the Windows 98 CD. Select D:\win98 from the drop down list (where D represents the CD-ROM drive), click OK NOTE: You must insert the Windows 98CD as the driver installation requires special files that will not be available even if you have stored a copy of Windows 98 on your hard drive. 7. After Windows has finished installing the appropriate files click Finish 8. You will be prompted to restart your computer, click "YES" to complete the installation. 12 3-4 ADAPTER CONFIGURATION WINDOWS 98 After successful installation of the WL11000 and its driver, continue the installation process by configuring the WL11000 adapter properties. To configure the WL11000 Adapter complete the following steps :
1. From the Control Panel, double-click the Network icon 2. Select "PRISM2IEEE 802.11 PC Card Adapter" from the list and press the Properties button. 13 3. From the Properties menu select the Advanced tab. 4. Select Channel from the list, and choose a Value from the drop down list. FCC regulations require a Value between 1 and 11. 14 5. Select Network Type, and choose Infrastructure or Ad-Hoc as the Value. Note: Infrastructure mode allows a wireless adapter to communicate with a wired network, while Ad-Hoc mode allows wireless-to-wireless communication. Consult your System Administrator for information about your network communication type. For more information about Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc networks, see Chapter 2 of this manual 6. Select Power Save Mode and choose a Value. NOTE: To allow uninterrupted data communication, choose Disabled as the Value. Choosing Enabled allows your notebook to enter sleep mode, however, this will interrupt data communication. Consult your System Administrator to find out the best setting for your network type. For more information about Power Save Mode, see the chapter entitled PRISM Configuration Utility in this manual. 15 7. Select Power Save Mode and choose a Value. NOTE: To allow uninterrupted data communication, choose Disabled as the Value. Choosing Enabled allows your notebook to enter sleep mode, however, this will interrupt data communication. Consult your System Administrator to find out the best setting for your network type. For more information about Power Save Mode, see the chapter entitled PRISM Configuration Utility in this manual. 8. Select SSID; enter a Value of PRISM2. NOTE: The SSID can have any value, but should have the same value as the Access Point
(AP). In Ad-Hoc mode, all clients should share the same SSID. 16 9. Select Transmit Rate, and choose a Value. NOTE: Fixed 11 Mb/s is the preferred Value for environments where the client has line of sight access and is a short distance away from the AP. Fully Auto is the recommended setting for clients that are farther away from the AP and where there may be interference between the client and the AP. 10. Select Use Wep, and choose a Value. NOTE: Wired Equivalent Privacy (Wep) is an encryption scheme used to protect wireless data communication. Selecting Disabled will prevent you from sharing data with other computers if your network uses Wep. If your network is Wep enabled, you must choose Mandatory. Consult your System Administrator for more information about your network type. For more information about Wep, see the chapter entitled PRISM Configuration Utility in this manual. 17 11. After the configuring the Properties, click OK and continue with the Protocol Installation, described in the following section. 18 3-5 PROTOCOL INSTALLATION WINDOWS 98 Before continuing with the Protocol installation consult your System Administrator for details about your specific network. To install network protocols complete the following steps. 1. From the Control Panel double-click the Network icon. 2. Select PRISM2 IEEE 902.11 PC Card Adapter and click Add. 3. Highlight Protocol and click Add 19 4. Select Microsoft from the list of Manufacturers and TCP-IP from the list of Network Protocols, click OK 5. Select TCP/IP and click Properties. Repeat step 2 5 to install other protocols such as NetBeui or IPX/SPX. NOTE: The following steps apply to DHCP servers. Consult your system administrator for specific information regarding your server type, and for help in specifying an IP address if you do not use a DHCP server and must manually enter the IP address and DNS number. 20 6. Check Obtain an IP address and click OK. If you are using a DHCP server the IP address will be entered automatically. 7. From the Network menu highlight Client from Microsoft Networks, and click" File and Print Sharing. 21 8. Check both boxes and click OK. 9. Enter a Computer name, Workgroup and Computer Description, click OK 22 10. Enter a Computer name, Workgroup and Computer Description, click OK 11. You will be prompted to restart your computer, click Yes to complete the installation. Note: Please see the trouble shooting if you encounter some problem while installing the PC-
Card card or your PC-Card is non-functional. 23 3-6 WL11000 SETUP FOR WINDOWS NT 4.0 Login as Administrator 1. From the desktop, select Control Panel, double-click Network, click Adapters, click Add 2. Click Have Disk 3. Insert the WL11000 disk; Windows NT will manually enter the path to the driver click OK. 24 4. Select your adapter from the list click OK. 5. Click Close from the Network dialog, Windows NT will auto-bind the new adapter with any network protocols already installed on the system. 25 6. After the auto-binding procedure is complete, select Properties from the Network dialog. At this point you may choose to manually specify an IP address, or automatically obtain an IP address if you are using a DHCP server. Consult your Systems Administrator for information about your server type, IP address settings and DNS number. 7. After the settings configuration is complete, confirm that the Computer Name and Workgroup designations are correct, and click OK. 26 8. You will be prompted to restart your computer, click yes to complete the installation 9. Upon restart, open the Devices menu from the Control Panel, to confirm that the driver installation was successful. Your adapters driver should now be listed in the Devices menu. 27 Chapter 4 Installing & Navigating the PRISM Configuration Utility 4-1 PRISM CONFIGURATION UTILITY - INSTALLATION 1. Insert the PRISM Network Configuration Utility disk into an available floppy disk drive. From the "Run" window type "A:\WL1100\WLU\setup.exe" (where "A" represents a floppy disk drive). 2. Click Yes to accept the License Agreement and continue with the installation. 3. Click Next. 28 4. Enter the System ID click Next. 5. Choose the Network Mode, click Next 6. Browse to install the utility in another folder, or confirm the installation and click Next. 29 7. You will be prompted to insert Disk 2. Insert the disk and click Browse. Double-click the Setup folder; double-click again on the setup icon. When the path has been automatically entered in the Setup Needs The Next Disk dialog, click OK. 8. After installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer. Check Yes and click Finish to complete the installation and begin navigating the PRISM Configuration Utility. 30 4-2 PRISM CONFIGURATION UTILITY- NAVIGATION The following section describes and defines the various functions of the PRISM Network Configuration Utility. This utility provides quick access to all adapter settings. PRISM Quick-Launch Icon: After installation is complete, a PRISM utility icon will appear in the Quick-Launch menu in the lower right hand corner of the screen, near the clock. The PRISM Configuration Utility: Double clicking the PRISM icon in the Quick Launch bar will open the PRISM Configuration Utility main menu, providing quick access to all adapter settings. The following image shows the PRISM Configuration Utility with the About tab selected, here you will find Version, Copyright and Manufacturer information. 31 Link Info: The Link Info menu provides information about the current link between the adapter and the base station. Configuration: Selecting this tab opens the Configuration menu. Here you will find options for configuring your adapter. Description of Settings Following is an explanation of each adapter setting presented by the Configuration menu. Mode: The Mode setting determines the architecture of your wireless LAN. Choose Ad-Hoc or Infrastructure Mode depending on your network type. A brief explanation of each mode follows:
Ad-Hoc: This mode is used for a simple peer-to-peer network. This type of network allows the sharing of local resources only between wireless clients without a wireless Access Point (AP). 32
Infrastructure: This mode allows a wireless LAN to be integrated into an existing wired network through an AP. Infrastructure type networks also permit roaming between Access Points while maintaining connection to all network resources. Infrastructure mode provides additional features, such as WEP security, power saving and extended range. SSID: An acronym for Service Set Identifier, SSID is the unique name shared among all clients and Access Points in a wireless network. The SSID must be identical for all clients or Access Points participating in the same network. The SSID is case sensitive and must not exceed 30 characters. Ethernet Conversion: The RFC1042 mode is the 802.11 standard conversion method and is selected by default. If compatibility with older wireless LAN systems is necessary select another conversion implementation from the Ethernet Conversion drop down list. Tx Rate: The transmit rate or Tx Rate selects the allowable transfer rates of the wireless client. To optimize performance and range, the Tx Rate should be set to Fully Automatic, which will automatically adjust the transfer speed for best performance and longest range. Note: The Tx rate setting must be supported by the AP. If the AP does not support the Tx rate, undesired results may occur. WEP: An acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy, WEP is an encryption scheme used to protect your wireless data communications. WEP uses a combination of 40-bit keys to provide access control to your network and encryption security for every data transmission. To decode a data transmission, each wireless client on the network must use an identical 40-bit key. NOTE: This feature is only available in Infrastructure Mode and must also be enabled on the Access Point. Select the WEP tab to enable or disable this feature. PS Mode: Power Saving Mode enables or disables the power saving features of your wireless adapter. When enabled on a laptop, the power saving mode can reduce power consumption by the wireless card and extend the battery life of your laptop. This setting is only implemented in a network operating in Infrastructure mode.
Changing the PS mode: The PS Mode on your adapter is set to Disabled by default. To change the setting, select Enabled from the drop-down list, click OK and wait a few seconds. The screen will then is updated and show the current Connection Status, Link Quality and Signal Strength. Channel: This setting specifies the default 802.11 channel used by the Wireless LAN communication. In an Infrastructure type network without an Access Point active on the default channel, clients will scan through all available channels searching for a network with matching SSID.
Changing the Channel: Changing the channel is only effective in Ad-Hoc networks. Networks operating in Infrastructure mode automatically scan for a channel. The following table presents contains the operational channel frequency for several countries. 33 Regulatory Channel Frequency Channel Frequency FCC Canada ETSI France Spain Japan
(MHZ) 2412 2417 2422 2427 2432 2437 2442 2447 2452 2457 2462 2467 2472 2484 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Encryption: Selecting the Encryption tab allows you to create new WEP keys. The 40-bit WEP keys can be generated from a user-defined passphrase (any text string with a maximum of 32 characters). To generate encryption keys for each client communicating in the wireless network, complete the following steps:
34 1. Type the exact same case sensitive text in the Passphrase entry field for each client. 2. Click, Generate to create the encryption keys. The Passphrase generates four (4) unique keys. 3. Select the same Default Key in the drop-down box for each client. This is the key the clients will use to encrypt data. 4. You must click Write to store the information in the registry. 5. Select the Configuration tab and enable WEP by choosing Mandatory. 6. Click Apply Changes. 7. Click OK to close the dialog. 35 Appendix A Troubleshooting Problem Solving My computer does not recognize the WL11000. Probable Solution:
The WL11000 is not properly inserted into the PCMCIA slot.
Ensure that the WL11000 has been inserted into an available PCMCIA slot. The WL11000 does not work properly. Probable Solution:
Insert the PCMCIA adapter into Notebooks slot again. A beep should be heard if the adapter is properly inserted.
Check the I/O cable that connects the RF module and the PCMCIA adapter. The power LED indicator will be active if the cable is properly connected. For non-Windows 95/98 environments, ensure that a PCMCIA card service driver is installed in your computer. 1) Click on the Control Panel and then on PC-Card. Check whether it has PCMCIA card in one of the sockets or not. If you find PRISM2 IEEE 802.11 PC-Card Adapter in one of the sockets, it means the card is detected properly. If you see the yellow sign of question-mark(?), the resources are conflicting.
2)Right click on My Computer and the select Properties. Select the device Manager and click on the Network Adapter. You will find PRISM2 IEEE 802.11 PC-Card Adapter if it is installed successfully. If you see the Yellow sign the resources are conflicting. Click on 36 PCMCIA card and then on PCMCIA Card service, you can see the status of PCMCIA card. If there are yellow sign either on adapter or PCMCIA card, please check followings.
2-1) Check if your Notebook supports 3.3V card. 2-2)Check if your Notebook has a free IRQ 2-3) Check that you have inserted the right card and have installed the proper driver. If the WL11000 does not function after attempting the above steps, remove the PCMCIA adapter, and do the following:
From the run window enter, c:\windows\system, locate and delete the cw10.sys file
Open the Control Panel double-click System and delete PRISM2 IEEE 802.11 PC-
card Adapter.
Restart the PC and repeat the hardware and software installation steps outlined in Chapters 3 and 4. The WL11000 station cannot communicate with other computers linked via Ethernet in the Infrastructure configuration. Probable Solution:
Ensure that the WL11000 with which the station is associated is powered on.
Confirm the station is configured with the same operating radio channel as the WL11000. If the IDs are different, change the WL11000 and all the stations within the BSS to another radio channel.
Ensure that the station is configured with the same security options as the WL11000, and can be turned off and on with the same security key.
Confirm that the BSS ID is the same as the WL11000 for a roaming disabled station. Alternately confirm that the ESS ID is the same as the WL11000 for a roaming enabled station. 37 Appendix B Glossary Access Point - An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless networks together. Ad-Hoc - An Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers each with wireless adapters, connected as an independent wireless LAN. Backbone - The core infrastructure of a network, the portion of the network that transports information from one central location to another central location. The information is then off-loaded onto a local system. Base Station - In mobile telecommunication, a base station is the central radio transmitter/ receiver that maintains communication with the mobile radio telephone sets within range. In cellular and personal communications applications, each cell or microcell has its own base station; each base station in turn is interconnected with other cells base. BSS - Stands for Basic Service Set. An Access Point associated with several wireless stations. ESS - Stands for Extended Service Set. More than one BSS can be configured as an Extended Service Set. An ESS is basically a roaming domain. Ethernet - A popular local area data communications network, originally developed by Xerox Corp., which accepts transmission from computers and terminals. Ethernet operates on 10 Mbps baseband transmission over shielded coaxial cable or over shielded twisted pair telephone wire. Infrastructure - An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration. PCMCIA - Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, which develops standards for PC cards, formerly known as PCMCIA cards, are available in three types which are about the same length and width as credit cards, but range in thickness from 3.3 mm (Type I) to 5.0 mm (Type II) to 10.5 mm (Type III). These cards can be used for many functions, including memory storage, as landline modems and as wireless LAN. Roaming - A function that allows one to travel with a mobile end system (wireless LAN mobile station, for example) through the territory of a domain (an ESS, for example) while continuously connecting to the infrastructure. RTS Threshold Transmitters contending for the medium may not hear each other. RTS/CTS mechanism can solve this Hidden Node Problem. 38