FCC ID: TK4-WLU108AG-MC Wireless-AG (108MBPS) Network USB Adaptor

WLU108AG-MC User manual information, which Copyright 2007 Compex Systems Pte Ltd All Rights Reserved This document contains is protected by copyright. Reproduction, adaptation or translation without prior permission is prohibited, except as allowed under the copyright laws. Trademark Information Compex is a registered trademark of Compex, Inc. Microsoft Windows and the Windows logo are the trademarks of Microsoft Corp. NetWare is the registered trademark of Novell Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Notice: Copyrights 2007 by Compex, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction, adaptation, or translation without prior permission of Compex, Inc. is prohibited, except as allowed under the copyright laws. Manual Revision by Daniel Manual Number: U-0550-V1.4C, Version 1.4, May 2007 Disclaimer Compex, Inc. provides this manual without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Compex, Inc. may make improvements and/or changes to the product and/or specifications of the product described in this manual, without prior notice. Compex, Inc will not be liable for any technical inaccuracies or typographical errors found in this guide. Changes are periodically made to the information contained herein and will be incorporated into later versions of the manual. The information contained is subject to change without prior notice. Your Feedback We value your feedback. If you find any errors in this users manual, or if you have suggestions on improving, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us at:

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(65) 62809947 feedback@compex.com.sg i FCC NOTICE This device 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 device generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this device does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Connect the computer into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Increase the separation between the computer and receiver. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the grantee of this device could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. FCC Compliance Statement: This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Caution: Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation. RF exposure warning: The equipment complies with FCC RF exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. The equipment must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. Max. SAR Measurement (1g) 802.11b: 0.542 W/kg 802.11g: 0.540 W/kg 802.11a (5.2GHz): 1.205 W/kg 802.11a (5.8GHz): 1.314 W/kg ii Outdoor operations in the 5.15-5.25GHz band is prohibited. This device has no Ad-hoc capability or peer-to-peer operations for 5250~5350 and 5470~5725 MHz. IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g operation of this product in the U.S.A. is firmware-limited to channels 1 through 11. IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that these conditions can not be met (for example certain laptop configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID can not be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for re-evaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization. Note: This device has the same WLAN behavior with all other WLAN devices because we design this device to be compliant to 802.11 specifications. The fundamental access method of the IEEE802.11 MAC is CSMA/CA, that means when one station desiring to transmit sense the medium, if the medium is busy(i.e. some other station is transmitting) then the station will defer its transmission to a later time. If the medium is sensed free then the station is allowed to transmit. The receiving station will check the CRC of the received packet and send an acknowledgement packet(ACK). Receipt of the ACK will indicate that no collision occurred. If the sender does not receive the ACK then it will retransmit the fragment until it gets acknowledged or thrown away after a given number of retransmissions When WLAN device is in idle status, it is listening (RX), and it wont send any packets. In fault condition, or WLAN device is out of control, WLAN device self can not generate any packets, even beacon frames, so that WLAN device wont send out unexpected frames to air and break FCC rules. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Compex, Inc. declares that the product:

Product Name: Compex Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter Model No.: WLU108 conforms to the following Product Standards:

This device complies with

(89/336/EEC) the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive the European Community. the Commission of issued by iii Compliance with this directive implies conformity to the following European Norms (in brackets are the equivalent international standards.) Electromagnetic Interference (Conduction and Radiation):

EN 55022 (CISPR 22) EMC Standards:

FCC Part 15: Subpart B, Subpart C, Subpart E;

Low Voltage Directive:

EN 60 950-1: 2001. Therefore, this product is in conformity with the following regional standards:

FCC Class B - following the provisions of FCC Part 15 directive;

iv Technical Support Information The warranty information and registration form are found in the Quick Install Guide. For technical support, you may contact Compex or its subsidiaries. For your convenience, you may also seek technical assistance from the local distributor, or from the authorized dealer/reseller that you have purchased this product from. For technical support by email, write to support@compex.com.sg. Refer to the table below for the nearest Technical Support Centers:

Technical Support Centers Contact the technical support center that services your location.

Write

Call Fax U.S.A., Canada, Latin America and South America Compex, Inc. 840 Columbia Street, Suite B, Brea, CA92821, USA Tel:

Tel:

Fax:

+1 (714) 482-0333 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time)

+1 (800) 279-8891 (Ext.122 Technical Support)

+1 (714) 482-0332 Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and the rest of the World

Call

Write Compex Systems Pte Ltd 135, Joo Seng Road #08-01, PM Industrial Building Singapore 368363 Tel:

Tel:

Fax:

E-mail:

FTPsite:

(65) 6286-1805 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. local time)

(65) 6286-2086 (Ext.199 Technical Support)

(65) 6283-8337 Fax Internet access/

Website: http://www.cpx.com or http://www.compex.com.sg support@compex.com.sg ftp.compex.com.sg v Table of Contents About This Document The product described in this document, Compex Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter, Compex WLU108 is a licensed product of Compex Systems Pte Ltd. This document contains instructions for installing, configuring and using Compex WLU108. It also gives an overview of the key applications and the networking concepts with respect to the product. This documentation is for both Network Administrators and the end user who possesses some basic knowledge in the networking structure and protocols. It makes a few assumptions that the host computer has already been installed with TCP/IP and already up & running and accessing the Internet. Procedures for Windows 2000/XP operating systems are included in this document. How to Use this Document This document may become superseded, in which case you may find its latest version at http://www.compex.com.sg The document is written in such a way that you as a user will find it convenient to find specific information pertaining to the product. It comprises of chapters that explain in detail the installation and configuration of Compex WLU108. Drivers & Utilities This manual is written based on Drivers version 1.5.0.102; Utility version 40.1.2.75 vi Table of Contents Conventions In this document, special conventions are used to help and present the information clearly. The Compex Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter is often referred to as Compex WLU108 in this document. Below is a list of conventions used throughout. NOTE This section will consist of important features or instructions References on Menu Command, Push Button, Radio Button, LED and Label appear in Bold. For example, Click on Ok. vii Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Product Overview Product Overview Introduction 1.1 The Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter delivers the performance and capabilities that every mobile user is looking for. Embedded with Atheros chipset, it boasts network robustness, stability and wider coverage for long-

range connectivity. Despite its small size, the USB adapter is big on features;

compatibility with wireless 802.11 networks ensures that you can be connected easily. Bandwidth needs in the home are increasing rapidly with the introduction of new devices and services. As broadband infrastructure becomes common in homes, the demand for multimedia services such as video streaming or VoIP also increases. Connecting to a wireless LAN without adequate security measures generally opens up your shared folders to any casual snoopers. To protect your privacy, the USB adapter is armed with many enhanced wireless security features such as WPA, IEEE 802.1x Authentication and 64/128/152-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) to ensure privacy for the heterogeneous mix of users within the same wireless LAN while maintaining full access to the establishments resources. 1 Chapter 1 Product Overview Features and Benefits 1.2 time, Compact and Mobile The USB adapter is designed especially for the mobile generation. The casing is compact and sleek, and the antenna is built-in to further preserve the miniature footprint. Weighing just 20 grams, the device is light enough to be carried around!

Fast and Reliable Transmission The USB adapter can deliver up to 108Mbps wireless throughput. At the same reliable wireless transmission to all wireless users with its auto rate fallback capability. USB powered and USB 2.0 fast transfer rate Leveraging on the USB standard, the USB adapter is powered through its USB connection and requires no additional power adapter. USB 2.0 standard allows a significant improvement in transfer rate, of up to 40 times that of USB 1.1. You have access to the full 108Mbps transfer rate of Super-AG on USB 2.0. The small form factor of the USB adapter is conveniently designed to fit exactly into a USB port without blocking up neighboring USB ports. the USB adapter provides Designed with a USB2.0 interface, the USB adapter can provide 40 times higher throughput when connected to the USB2.0 slot of your PC/notebook. It is also backwards compatible with USB1.1 though the throughput will then be limited to the 12Mbps of the USB1.1 standard. Easy Set up Using your wireless USB adapter is quick and convenient with USB plug-and play. The USB adapter is installed externally so you do not have to open up your PC. Highly Secured Traffic The USB adapter supports wireless security features such as 64/128/152-bit WEP and the stronger industry standard WPA and 802.1x authentication to ensure that your data remains secure while in transit. 2 Chapter 2 Getting Started Chapter 2 Getting Started This chapter outlines configuration on the USB adapter. the basic requirement for any installation and 2.1 Overall Setup Procedures Here are some of the basic steps to guide you along:

1. Hardware Installation Please refer to Section 3.1 Hardware Installation. 2. Drivers and Utility Installation 3. Configure your USB adapter Please refer to Section 3.2 Drivers and Utility Installation. Please refer to Chapter 5 The Atheros Utility Configuration. For Windows XP user, you can use the built-in utility Wireless Zero Configuration to configure your USB adapter. Please refer to Appendix III Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration Utility. NOTE It is advisable to activate EITHER one of the utilities: the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility OR the Atheros Utility. 3 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation Chapter 3 The USB adapter is a plug-and-play device. You can plug it into the USB slot of your PC/notebook for auto-detection. Wireless Adapter Installation 3.1 Hardware Installation 1. Insert the USB adapter directly into the USB slot of your PC/notebook. 3.2 Drivers & Utility Installation 1. Insert the Product CD into your computer CD-ROM drive. Click on Utilities and the system will run the setup.exe automatically. 2. Click on Drivers & Utilities section and the system will run the Installation the Atheros Client setup.exe automatically. Soon Program screen appears. 3. Next, the Atheros Client Installation Program screen appears. Click on the Next> button to proceed. 4 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation 4. When the License Agreement screen appears, you are required to read and accept the agreement to continue. Click on the Next>

button to proceed. 5. Select your preferred setup:

Install Client Utilities and Driver (Recommended) option You are recommended to select this setup type. This option will install both the drivers and utility that support your USB adapter. Install Driver Only option (For Windows XP user only) 5 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation Select this option if you are going to use the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility to configure your USB adapter. Note that only Windows XP comes with the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility. Make Driver Installation Diskette(s) Select this option if you wish to make a duplicate copy of the drivers and store in the diskette/s. 6. Click on the Next> button and follow the instructions stated on the screen. 6 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation For Windows XP users 7. If you are using Windows XP as operating system, the following screen will appear. Read the notice carefully and click on the Next>

button to proceed. 8. Select your choice of tool to assist you in configuring your USB adapter. Click on the Next> button to proceed. 7 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation to this option install your USB adapters utility. Atheros Client Utility (ACU) and Supplicant option Select

(Recommended) Third Party Supplicant option Select this option if you decide to use Wireless Zero Configuration Utility to configure your wireless device. Installing this tool will only allow you to view the status of the connected wireless device/s through the USB adapters utility; configuration using the USB adapters utility will not be allowed. Third Party Supplicant option (continued..) If you have selected Third Party Supplicant configuration tool, a screen similar to that on the right will appear, prompting you to enable/disable the system tray icon. 9. Click on the checkbox besides Enable Atheros System Tray Utility and click on the Next> button to proceed. 10. The screen below appears to inform you that the driver will be automatically installed if you have already inserted your client adapter into the USB slot of your computer. 8 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation Cancel the Found New Hardware Wizard if it appears and click on the OK button to begin the installation. 11. Click on the OK button to reboot your system and this will complete the installation. 9 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation To confirm if the driver has been successfully installed on your system, 1. Proceed to your desktop, right click on My Computer and select Properties. 2. Select the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager. 10 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation The folder name, Atheros USB 2.0 Wireless Network Adapter will appear in the Network Adapters section. This indicates that the driver for the USB adapter has been successfully installed on your system!

To activate the utility program, double click on the icon shown in the system tray. If you have double-click on the utility option, the following screen will appear to give you a glimpse of your connection status. To exit it, click on the OK button. 11 Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation To use the Atheros Client Utility, go to the Start Menu followed by Programs. Then select Atheros. From Atheros, select Atheros Client Utility. You may now start to configure your USB adapter. 12 Using the System Tray Utility Using the System Tray Utility Chapter 4 Chapter 4 This chapter will elaborate on the Atheros system tray utility found at the right bottom corner of your screen. Right click on the utility icon and the menu will appear. The following explains the different options available on the menu:

Help Open the online help. Exit Exit the Atheros Client Utility application. Once you exit, the icon will disappear from the system tray. Open Atheros Client Utility Launch the Client Utility. Different signal strength indications 13 the should program Using the System Tray Utility Chapter 4 Preferences This option allows you to set the startup and menu options for the utility. You can decide whether start automatically when Windows starts, and which menu items should appear on the pop up menu. Disable/Enable Radio If you are unable to detect the RF signal, disable and enable the radio again. Once the radio is enabled, the system will prompt you that the RF signals have been successfully enabled. Click on the OK button to proceed. 14 Using the System Tray Utility Chapter 4 Manual LEAP Login If you select this option, you will have to manually start the LEAP authentication process to login to the network instead of being prompted for your LEAP username and password during your windows logon.

(Optional) Enter the domain name that you wish to logon to. Reauthenticate Reauthenticate to a LEAP-configured access point each time you login to a LEAP network. Select Profile Click on a configuration profile name to switch to a particular wireless network. If no configuration profile exists, you will need to add a profile first. 15 Using the System Tray Utility Chapter 4 Connection Status To view the connection status of your wireless USB adapter. Alternatively, you may also double click on the utility icon in the system tray. Active Profile Auto Profile Selection Connection Status Link Quality SSID Access Point Name Access Point IP Address Displays the name of the active configuration profile. Shows whether auto profile selection is enabled. Displays whether the adapter is connected to a wireless network. States the quality of the link connection. Displays the SSID of the network to which the wireless adapter is associated. Shows the name of the access point the wireless adapter is connected to (if any). Shows the IP address of the access point the wireless adapter is connected to (if any). Link Speed Client Adapter IP Address Displays the IP address of the wireless adapter. States the speed of the link connection. 16 Wireless Adapter Utility Features Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features Chapter 5 This chapter shows you how to make use of the utility to view the status of your wireless connection; to change your settings and also to monitor your wireless performance via the statistics. NOTE It is advisable to activate only one of the utilities: Either the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility OR the Atheros Utility. 5.1 Current Status Tab Displays the performance of the USB adapter in the wireless network. Upon clicking on the Advanced button, you will be able to view all information on the respective profile, e.g. the types of encryption and authentication, the signal strength, the MAC address of the connected AP (if you are in Infrastructure mode), etc. 17 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features 5.2 Profile Management Tab This option allows you to manage your profile, set your security options, and scan for other wireless networks. 18 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features Click on New button to create a new profile. Enter the profile name (a unique name to identify this profile), a client name and the SSID of the wireless network to connect to. Note that the Client name refers to the name that is registered to your PC/notebook. You can enter up to 3 different SSIDs in order of preference, per profile. We are using ABC as the profile name and APP as the SSID1. For details on how to set the different authentication and types encryption under available the Security Tab, kindly to Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode refer Click on the OK button to update the changes. Notice that ABC has been added to the profile list. 19 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features To modify an existing profile, select the profile that you wish to modify and click on this button. We are using profile: Any as an example. To delete an existing profile, select the particular profile that you wish to delete and click on this button. We are using profile: default as an example. Note that the active profile (the profile that you are currently using) cannot be deleted!

Active profile indicated by this icon cannot be deleted!

20 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features To activate a profile, select the profile and click on this button. We are using profile: wireless-AP as an example. Once a profile is activated, this icon will appear next to the profile name: wireless-AP. 21 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features This function allows you to save the settings of your profile onto disk. Select the profile that you wish to save and click on this button. We are using profile: ESSID as an example. Choose the folder to save to, enter the name under which to save the profile and click on the Save button. Now, your profile is saved to your selected folder. 22 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features This function allows you to retrieve a saved profile from disk. We are using profile: ESSID as an example. Go to the folder where you have saved your profile, select ESSID.prf and click on the Open button. Notice that the profile: ESSID has been imported to the list of profiles. 23 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features This function allows you to scan for wireless networks detected by the adapter. 24 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features The icons shown beside the Network Name (SSID) indicate the type of WLAN detected. Connected to Infrastructure (AP) Encryption Active Notice that if there is a icon appearing in the Super column, this shows that the wireless network supports Super-AG technology (108Mbps). Click on the Refresh button to renew the list of wireless networks detected. Click on the OK button to exit the window. 25 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features If you have created several profiles, this function allows you to establish the priority order in which the USB adapter should try to connect to a WLAN. If the USB adapter is unable to connect to the 1st profile, it will then try to connect to the 2nd profile and so on. Notice that if this function is disabled, this means that you have not added any profile in the Auto Selected Profiles list. When auto profile selection is enabled, the USB adapter scans for available wireless networks and will connect to the highest priority profile that matches the networks detected. To do so, simply click on the Add button from the Available Profiles list. Refer to the screen shown below. Please note that you need AT LEAST TWO profiles to activate the Auto Select Profiles function; and that each of your profile must connect to at least one Network Name (SSID). 26 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features Notice that when a selected profile has been added, it will be transferred to the Auto Selected Profiles list. Select and click on the Add button to transfer another profile. You need to transfer at least two profiles to the Auto Selected Profiles list to activate the Auto Select Profile function. 27 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features 5.2.1 Security Tab Please Encryption mode refer to Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and 5.2.2 Advanced Tab This option allows you to configure the more advanced connection settings of your wireless client. 28 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features to Only applicable Infrastructure mode. You may key in the MAC four address of at most access points to which you would prefer to connect. Transmit Power Level Specifies the wireless transmit power to be used. Reducing the power level lowers the risk of interference with other nearby wireless devices and conserves battery power but decreases radio range. Power Save Mode (Only applicable to Infrastructure mode) This feature reduces power consumption by the USB adapter to extend the battery life of your notebook. There are 3 options for this mode:

Off The power management is disabled and the card consumes full power from the computer. Normal The driver turns off the power to the adapter for brief periods over briefly spaced time intervals. Maximum The driver turns off power to the adapter for longer periods over more widely spaced time intervals. 29 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features The guideline for choosing between the Normal and Maximum options:

The USB adapter wakes up more often and responds sooner to network requests in Normal mode than in Maximum mode; and the Maximum mode consumes less power than Normal mode. Network Type Select either Infrastructure if you are connecting to the WLAN using an access point or Ad-hoc if you are connecting directly to another computer equipped with a wireless adapter. 802.11b Preamble The preamble is part of the IEEE 802.11b physical layer specification. It is mandatory for all 802.11b devices to support the long preamble format, but they may optionally support the short preamble. This USB adapter supports both the short and long preambles. Short & Long This option allows communication with other 802.11b devices that support short preamble to boost the throughput. Long If your device is having trouble to communicate with other 802.11b devices, you may try to select the Long Only option. Wireless Mode Specifies 5GHz 54 Mbps, 2.4 GHz 54 Mbps, 2.4 GHz 11 Mbps, or Super A/G operation in a wireless network where there is an access point. The wireless adapter must match the wireless mode of the access point it associates to. 802.11 Authentication Mode (Only applicable to Infrastructure mode, after you have enabled the encryption mode) Select which mode the wireless adapter uses to authenticate to an access point:

30 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features Open Auto Causes the adapter to attempt authentication using shared authentication. It then switches to open authentication if shared authentication fails. Enables an adapter to attempt authentication regardless of its WEP settings. It will only associate with the access point if the WEP key of the adapter matches that of the access point. Shared only Allows the adapter to authenticate and associate only with access points that have the same WEP key. Note:

The USB adapters authentication mode settings must match those of the AP it is trying to connect to for successful communication. 5.3 Diagnostics Tab The Diagnostics tab lists the following receive and transmit diagnostics for packets received by or transmitted to the USB adapter. Multicast packets transmitted and received Broadcast packets transmitted and received Unicast packets transmitted and received Total bytes transmitted and received 31 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features This button contains general information about the network interface card (the wireless USB adapter) and the network driver interface specification (NDIS). The driver name and path of the USB adapters driver The name of the USB adapter Card Name MAC Address The MAC address of the USB adapter Driver Driver version The version of the USB adapters driver Driver date Client Name The name of the client computer The creation date of the USB adapters driver This button shows more detailed statistical information on frames that are either received by or transmitted to the USB adapter. 32 Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features 33 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration Chapter 6 This chapter will elaborate on the Client Manager configuration of the USB adapter using some simple examples. 6.1 Infrastructure Mode In infrastructure architecture, the wireless clients communicate through access points that are devices that act as base station for all wireless communication. Data packets from the wireless clients are transferred to the access points before being transmitted to other hosts on the network. The number of wireless clients supported depends on the access points. 34 Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration Configuration on Infrastructure Mode 6.1.1 In this example, two notebooks and PC2 act as wireless clients to communicate with the wireless AP. Once all configuration has been done, wireless clients with the same SSID as the AP will be able to access wirelessly to PC1 via the wireless AP. For AP Ensure that you have enabled the DHCP server in your access point and that your wireless clients are set to receive their IP address dynamically so that the wireless AP can assign an IP address to its wireless clients. Note the wireless configuration settings of your access point as shown in the figure above. 35 Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration For PC 2 1. Activate your USB adapters utility. 2. Go to the Profile Management tab, click on the Scan button to look for the wireless AP. 3. Click on the Refresh button if your system is unable to detect your wireless AP. Once found, select the Network Name (SSID) used by the AP: Wireless-AP and click on the Activate button to add it to your profile list. 36 Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration Notice that the SSID has already been pre-configured in this profile. The SSID of both the wireless AP and the wireless client must be the same for them to communicate with one another. 4. Enter the Profile Name, e.g. Workstation 2 for easy identification. 5. Next, proceed to the Security tab. The wireless client must use the same security mode as the AP. In our example, select WPA Passphrase and click on the Configure button. 37 Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration 6. Enter the encryption key in the field provided. Please note that this key must be the same as the one that you had configured for your access point. 7. Click on the OK button to update the changes. Proceed to your Current Status tab to monitor the connection between the access point and the wireless client (PC2). 38 Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration Alternatively, you can also check the connection from the MS-DOS Prompt. From PC2, simply proceed to the Start Menu, Run and type in cmd. Click on the OK button. In the MS-DOS Prompt window, type ping 192.168.168.1 t, whereby this IP address belongs to your access point. When the screen appears:

Pinging 192.168.168.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128 Pinging 192.168.168.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128 Pinging 192.168.168.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128

. This indicates that the connection between the access point and the wireless client has been established successfully! You can now access to one another wirelessly!

39 Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration For the rest of the workstations Refer to the steps for configuring PC2. If your other wireless clients are not using the USB adapter, you may refer to the manual of these other adapters for details on Ad-hoc configuration. For details on other authentication and encryption types, kindly refer to Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 40 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode Chapter 7 Chapter 7 This chapter illustrates the different types of authentication and encryption that can be used in the wireless LAN. Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 7.1 Infrastructure Network Security Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is used to authenticate network clients before letting them access the enterprise network. It allows the network administrator to create an arbitrary authentication scheme

(such as EAP-TLS, etc) to validate network access. 7.1.1 EAP-TLS Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Layer Security (EAP-

TLS) makes use of client-side and server-side certificates for mutual authentication. To use EAP-TLS security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. You can select WPA radio button Or 802.1x radio button

(802.1x enables 802.1x security. If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to Optional while the wireless adapter has WEP enabled, ensure that Allow Association is checked to allow association. Note that this option is available only in 802.1x and Pre-Shared Key (Static WEP). to Mixed Cells 41 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 2. Choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure button. NOTE To enable this security, you must ensure that your PC/notebook has already downloaded its EAP-TLS certificates. Check with your system administrator for details. 3. If your system does not support EAP-TLS, the following message will pop up:

If EAP-TLS is supported, select the appropriate certificate authority from the list. The server/domain name and the login name are from the certificate information. in automatically filled 4. Click on the OK button twice to activate the profile. 7.1.2 EAP-TTLS EAP-TTLS (Tunnel Transport Layer Security) authentication is an extension to EAP-TLS. It uses certificates and EAP-TLS to authenticate the server only and establish an encrypted tunnel. Then within that tunnel, the client authenticates to the server using either a username and password or a token card. 42 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode To use EAP-TTLS security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. You can select WPA radio button Or 802.1x radio button 2. Choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure button. 3. Select the appropriate certification authority (CA) from which the server certificate will be downloaded from the Trusted Root Certification Authorities drop-down list. 4. The EAP username is pre-defined in the User Name field. IF not, specify your username (which is registered with the 43 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode server) for EAP authentication. Enter your password in both the Password and Confirm Password fields. 5. Click on the Advanced button. 6. Leave the specification server/domain field blank to allow the client to accept a certificate from any server that supplies a certificate signed by the CA listed previously. The login name is pre-defined in the Login name field. 7. Click the OK button. 44 Chapter 7 7.1.3 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode PEAP (EAP-GTC) The PEAP (EAP-Generic Token Card) method is intended for use with Token Cards supporting challenge/response authentication and MUST NOT be used to provide support for clear text passwords in the absence of a protected tunnel with server authentication. To use PEAP-GTC security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. You can select WPA radio button Or 802.1x radio button 45 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 2. Choose PEAP-GTC from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure button. NOTE To enable this security, you must ensure that your PC/notebook has already downloaded WPA-PEAP certificates; and the server properties must already be set. Check with your system administrator for details. 3. Select the appropriate certificate authority (CA) from which the server certificate is downloaded from the drop-down list. 4. Enter your PEAP username (which is registered with the server) in the User Name field. 5. Specify whether you are using a Token or a Static Password. Click on the Advanced button. Note that the Token can take the form of hardware token device or the Secure Computing SofToken Program (version 1.3 or later) to obtain and enter a one-time password for authentication. 6. Leave the specification server/domain field blank to allow the client to accept a certificate from any server that supplies a certificate signed by the CA listed previously. 7. The login name will be pre-defined in the field provided. This login name is used for PEAP tunnel authentication. It will be filled in automatically as PEAP-xxxxxxxxxxxx, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is the computers MAC address. You may 46 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode change the login name if needed. Click on the OK button to save your settings. 7.1.4 PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) Microsoft-Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol V2 (MS-

CHAP V2) is a mutual authentication protocol that requires both the client and servers identities to be proven. If your connection is configured to use MS-CHAP V2 as its only authentication method, and the server that you are connecting to does not provide proof of its identity, your connection disconnects. To use PEAP-MSCHAP V2 security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. You can select WPA radio button Or 802.1x radio button 47 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 2. Choose PEAP (MS-CHAPV2) from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure button. NOTE To enable this security, you must ensure that your PC/notebook has already downloaded WPA-PEAP certificates; and the server properties must already be set. Check with your system administrator for details. 3. Enter your PEAP username and password (which are registered with the server) in the User Name and Password field respectively. Re-type the password in the Confirm Password field. 4. Click on the Advanced button. 5. Leave the specification server/domain field blank to allow the client to accept a certificate from any server that supplies a certificate signed by the CA listed previously. 6. Click the OK button to enable the profile. 48 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 7.1.5 LEAP Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol (LEAP) security requires all infrastructure devices (e.g. access points and servers) to be configured for LEAP authentication. To use LEAP security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. You can select WPA radio button Or 802.1x radio button 49 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 2. Choose LEAP from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure button. 3. You may set your username and password to:

- Use Temporary User Name and Password Each time your PC reboots, you will be require to enter your LEAP username and password in order to be authenticated and obtain access to the network.

- Use Saved User Name and Password. Authentication is obtained using a saved username and password (registered with the server) so you will not be require to enter your LEAP username and password each time your PC reboots. Temporary User Name and Password 1. The login page will pop up as shown below. Fill up the respective fields and click on the OK button twice. Next, the system will start the LEAP authentication. 50 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode Saved User Name and Password 1. Enter the username, password and re-enter password in Confirm Password field.

(Optional) You may enter a specific domain name, which will be passed to the server. 2. Enter the LEAP authentication timeout (between 30 and 500 seconds) to specify how long LEAP should wait before considering an authentication as failed, and sending an error message. The default is 90 seconds. 3. Click on the OK button. 51 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode the Include Check Windows Logon Domain with User Name option to automatically send login your Windows together with domain your user name to the RADIUS server. (Default) the Check the No Network Connection Unless User Is Logged In option to wireless force adapter to disassociate after you log off. 7.1.6 WPA Passphrase WPA Passphrase is also known as WPA-PSK (Pre-shared Key). It provides strong encryption protection for home/SOHO users who do not use an enterprise authentication server. 1. Click on the WPA Passphrase radio button and click on the Configure button. 52 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode 2. Enter the password and click on the OK button. Note:

The WPA Passphrase must match that used by the AP/other wireless clients in the network. 7.1.7 Pre-shared Key (Static WEP) Wired Equivalent Privacy is a security protocol that allows the wireless client adapter to communicate ONLY with access points or other wireless clients that have the same WEP key. WEP Key is categorized into two types: Hexadecimal and ASCII. Hexadecimal values consist a to f and numbers 0 to 9 whereas ASCII values consist of alphanumeric characters a to z; 0 to 9. 53 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode To define pre-shared encryption keys, 1. Choose the Pre-shared Key (Static WEP) radio button and click the Configure button to fill in the encryption key. If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to Optional while the wireless adapter has WEP enabled, ensure that Allow Association is checked to allow association. Note that this option is available only in 802.1x and Pre-Shared Key (Static WEP). to Mixed Cells 2. Enter your WEP key and click on the OK button. 54 Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode WEP Key size

- 64-bit WEP: 10 hexadecimal or 5 ASCII Text

- 128-bit WEP: 26 hexadecimal or 13 ASCII Text

- 152-bit WEP: 13 hexadecimal or 16 ASCII Text 55 Appendix I Remove USB Adapter from the System Appendix I Remove USB Adapter from the System To safely remove your USB adapter from your system, 1. From the system tray, go to Safely Remove Hardware icon and click Safely Remove Hardware. 2. Select Atheros USB 2.0 Wireless Network Adapter and click on the Stop button to terminate all activities. 56 Appendix I Remove USB Adapter from the System 3. Next, select Atheros USB 2.0 Wireless Network Adapter to confirm you will be removing it from the USB port and click on the OK button. 4. The system will then inform you that the device can now be safely removed from the system. 5. Click on the Close button to exit this window. 57 Appendix II Un-install Wireless Adapter Appendix II Un-install Wireless Adapter Please note that in case there is a software upgrade for the wireless adapter, you will need to un-install the current software version before installing the new software. When you un-install the USB adapters software, any existing profiles will be removed. If you want to re-use your profiles, please refer to Section 5.2 Profile Management Tab for further details on how to export a profile to disk. You are advised to close all programs and to leave the USB adapter in the USB slot of your PC/notebook before un-installing your USB adapter. 1. From your Start menu, go to Settings, Control Panel and then click on the Add or Remove Programs icon. 2. Highlight the Atheros Client Change/Remove button. Installation Program and click on the 58 Appendix II Un-install Wireless Adapter 3. Wait until you see the Atheros Client Installation Program screen. Select Uninstall the previous installation. Then click on the Next> button to proceed. 4. 5. The prompt screen appears to notify you that the uninstall option requires the system to be rebooted at the end of the uninstall process. Click on the Yes button to proceed. Your system will prompt you to confirm whether you want to remove the application completely. Click OK to proceed. 59 Appendix II Un-install Wireless Adapter 6. You will be asked to decide whether to remove the device driver or not. Click on the Yes button to accept. 7. The uninstall process will then begin. Soon the prompt screen will appear informing you that the uninstall process is successful, and that your system needs to be rebooted. 8. Click OK to reboot the system. 60 is a specification of Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode The USB adapter supports WPA and WPA-PSK mode in Windows 2000/XP. security WPA enhancement that strongly increases the level of data protection (encryption) and access control (authentication) in your wireless network. The technical components of WPA include Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) for dynamic key exchange, and 802.1x for authentication. WPA requires a RADIUS Server to complete the authentication among wireless stations and Access Points. Typically, this mode is used in an enterprise environment. WPA-PSK does not require a RADIUS Server and is very convenient for home/SOHO users. In this chapter, we will explain how to apply for a certificate in order to access to a wireless network using WPA mode. standards-based, interoperable NOTE For Windows XP users with Service Pack 1 (SP1), you need to upgrade to SP2, available from the Microsoft website or to install the two patch files provided in the Product CD. Install Windows XP Service Pack 2 Overall procedures to apply certificate for WPA mode Apply certification via Internet Browser Become domain member 61 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode AIII.I Installing Window XP Service Pack Patch File (For Windows XP users) To check whether you have already installed Windows XP SP2, go to My Computer, select Properties. right click and If you are using the Windows XP SP1 and do not intend to upgrade to SP2, you will need to install the two patch files provided in the Product CD. 1. After ensuring that you have installed Windows XP SP1, insert your Product CD into your CD-ROM drive, go to Drivers & Utilities section, select install WindowsXP- Q815485_WXP_SP2_x86_ENU.exe followed by WindowsXP-KB826942-x86-ENU.exe. to You may need to restart your PC to complete the installation. 62 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode AIII.2 Installing certificate on your server If you are using Microsoft Certificates services, installation. 1. Click on the Install this certificate link in the window to start the Chapter 8 Click on the Yes button on the pop up window to continue with the installation. To add the certificate to the Root Store, click on the Yes button. Chapter 9 63 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode Chapter 10 The following window will appear showing that the certificate has been successfully installed into your PC. AIII.3 Applying for Client Certifications If you have installed Microsoft SP2 or Microsoft XP SP1 with the 2 patch files provided on the Product CD, you are now ready to apply for a certificate for your wireless client. At this stage, ensure that your wireless client has connectivity to the CA server. You should disable your key encryption. 1. Open your Internet browser; enter e.g. http://192.168.88.26/certsrv where 192.168.88.26 is the servers IP address. 64 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode Chapter 11 Next, you need to connect to your server in order to get a certification. Enter the username and password that are provided by your system administrator. Chapter 12 Once you get connected to your server, the following screen shot will appear. Select the Request a certificate radio button and click on the Next> button. Follow the instructions shown on the screen. The screen below will appear to indicate that a certificate has been successfully issued to your PC. 65 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode Chapter 13 To confirm whether you have received your certificate, go to your web browser and select Internet Options from your Tools pull down menu. Chapter 14 Go to the Content tab and click on the Certificates button. Notice that your username is in the listing. This shows that the certificate has been issued to you. 66 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode AIII.4 Becoming a domain member Next, you need to add your username in the domain so that you can communicate with the access point connected to your server. 1. icon on your From the My Computer desktop, right click and go to Properties. Chapter 15 Go to the Computer Name tab and select Change button as shown in the screen on the right. Chapter 16 From the Member of section, select the Domain:

radio button and enter the name of your domain. In 67 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode this example, we are using test as the domain name. Chapter 17 Next, you need to enter your username and password again for verification. Please note that your system administrator provides this information. Chapter 18 Click on the OK button to proceed. 68 Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode Chapter 19 When done, a message will appear as shown below. You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. 69 Appendix IV Wireless Zero Configuration Utility Appendix IV Wireless Zero Configuration Utility If your computer is running under the Windows XP operating system, you can opt to configure the Wireless Network Connection from your Windows XP operating system, instead of the Atheros Utility. You need to exit from the Atheros Utility before accessing to Windows XPs Wireless Zero Configuration Utility. AIV.1 Enable Wireless Zero Configuration Utility To set Wireless Zero Configuration on Windows XP, take the following steps:

1. From the system tray, right click on the Wireless Network icon and select View Available Wireless Networks option. 2. Click on the Change advanced settings option on the left-hand column. 70 Appendix IV Wireless Zero Configuration Utility Chapter 20 Select the check box Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings to activate Wireless Zero Configuration Utility. When this check box is selected, Windows XP takes control of these settings for all configuration profiles:

- SSID

- Security Keys

- Ad-hoc settings 71 Appendix IV Wireless Zero Configuration Utility When the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility is in use, a pop-up message is displayed on the Utility when you attempt to create or edit a configuration profile from the Profile Management tab of the utility. CAUTION If you activate BOTH (not recommended) the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility and the Atheros Utility simultaneously, the Profile setting configured by the Atheros Utility will be overridden by those of the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility. AIV.2 Disable Wireless Zero Configuration Utility To turn Wireless Zero Configuration Utility off on Windows XP, 1. Open the Wireless Zero Configuration Properties dialog box. Chapter 21 Clear the check box Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings. Chapter 22 When this check box is cleared, all profile settings will be controlled by the USB adapters utility. 72 Appendix V Panel Views and Descriptions Appendix V Panel Views and Descriptions 1 Components Power Green 2 USB Connector 3 MC Connector

(Version MC) Hook 4 Indications & Descriptions Indicates that power is being supplied to the USB adapter. this end the USB port of your to Connect PC/notebook. Connect the testing line to the MC connector. As a strap holder to prevent the USB adapter form being lost or carelessly dropped. 73 Appendix VI Technical Specifications Appendix VI Technical Specifications Network Protocol, Standards and Electrical Emissions Industry Standards Frequency Band IEEE 802.11g:

IEEE 802.11b:

IEEE 802.11a (Version AG):

Data Rates

(with automatic fallback) Modulation Radio Technology Drivers/Operating system Supported Media Access Protocol RF Output Power IEEE 802.11b/g IEEE 802.11b/g/A (Version AG) USB 2.0 Performance 2.400 ~ 2.4835GHz (US, Canada) 5.15-5.35GHz;5.725-5.85GHz 108Mbps, 54Mbps, 48Mbps, 36Mbps, 24Mbps, 18Mbps, 12Mbps, 11Mbps, 9Mbps, 6Mbps, 5.5Mbps, 2Mbps, 1Mbps BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) CCK (Complementary Code Keying) 16 QAM, 64 QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) OFDM(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) Windows XP/2000 Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) 15 dBm (typical) 74 Appendix VI Technical Specifications Receiver Sensitivity Host Interface Security

-95 dBm at 1Mbps (typical)

-92 dBm at 6Mbps (typical)

-90 dBm at 11Mbps (typical)

-73 dBm at 54Mbps (typical) USB 2.0 64/128/152-bit WEP encryption IEEE 802.1x supports EAP-TLS,EAP- TTLS, PEAP-GTC, PEAP_MSCHAP V2, LEAP WPA, WPA-PSK Physical and Environment Environmental Requirements Operating temperature:

Storage temperature:

Operating humidity:

Non-operating humidity:

Power Consumption Physical Dimensions 0C to 55C

-20C to 70C 10% to 70% RH 5% to 90% RH 5V DC, 500mA max 87mm x 26.6mm x 7.7mm 75