Wireless USB Adapter WN3501C Quick Installation Guide
Quick Installation Guide Wireless USB Adapter 11 Mbps Wireless Network Adapter
Copyright © 2002 by Accton Technology Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of Accton Technology Corporation. Accton makes no warranties with respect to this documentation and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability, quality, or fitness for any particular purpose. The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Compliances FCC - Class B 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 and, if not installed and used in accordance with instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
COMPLIANCES EC Conformance Declaration - Class B SMC contact for these products in Europe is: SMC Networks Europe, Edificio Conata II, Calle Fructuós Gelabert 6-8, 2o, 4a, 08970 - Sant Joan Despí, Barcelona, Spain.
Contents WN3501C Wireless USB Adapter Introduction System Requirements Package Checklist Applications 1 1 1 1 2 Hardware Description LED Indicator Multi-choice Mounting Clip 3 3 3 Hardware Installation Attaching the Clip (Optional) Attaching the Magnets (Optional) Attaching the Velcro (Optional) Attaching the USB Cable 4 4 4 4 4 Driver Installation Windows 98/Me Driver Installation Setting Wireless Properties Windows 2000 Driver Installation Windows XP Driver Installation 5 5 7 16 19 Configuration a
Contents Network Connection Problems WN3501C Wireless USB Adapter Maximum Distance Table 33 35 Specifications 36 Terminology 38 Warranty 40 viii
Quick Installation Guide WN3501C Wireless USB Adapter Introduction Accton’s WN3501C Wireless USB Adapter is an 11 Mbps wireless network adapter that seamlessly integrates with existing Ethernet networks to support applications such as mobile users or temporary conferences. This solution offers fast, reliable wireless connectivity with considerable cost savings over wired LANs (which include long-term maintenance overhead for cabling.) Just plug wireless adapters into your desktop PCs and start networking.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Inform your dealer if there are any incorrect, missing, or damaged parts. If possible, retain the carton, including the original packing materials. Use them again to repack the product in case there is a need to return it for repair.
Quick Installation Guide Hardware Description Accton’s Wireless USB Adapter supports an 11 Mbps half-duplex connection to Ethernet networks. The adapter is fully compliant with 2.4 GHz DSSS CSMA/CA wireless networking as defined in IEEE 802.11b. It can be installed in any notebook or desktop with a USB port. Support is provided for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP. LED Indicator The Wireless USB adapter includes an LED indicator, as described in the following table.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Hardware Installation Attaching the Clip (Optional) 1. Slide the open end of the clip under the two lips (at the USB port end) in the square slot at the rear of the WN3501C. 2. Press the two lugs into the slots until they click into place. 3. To remove the clip, push in one of the lugs and pull the clip away from the WN3501C body. The other lug should slip free. Attaching the Magnets (Optional) 1.
Quick Installation Guide Driver Installation The diskette labeled “Driver Diskette,” that comes with the package contains the software drivers for the Wireless USB adapter. Backup your driver diskette and use the copy as the working diskette to protect the original from accidental damage. New or updated drivers can be downloaded from Accton’s web site at: http://www.acctontech.com For installation in Windows 98/Me see the following page.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter 2. Click Next. 3. Check “Floppy disk drives”. Insert the floppy disk labeled “Driver” into the floppy disk drive and click Next. 4. Click Next to copy files from the floppy disk. Windows 98 may ask you for the Windows 98 CD-ROM. If so, insert the disk and click OK. 5. Click Finish to complete the driver installation. You may be asked to restart the computer. Click Yes.
Quick Installation Guide Setting Wireless Properties 1. Click Start/Settings/Control Panel. Double-click the Network icon. 2. On the Configuration tab, double-click the WN3501C adapter.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter 3. On the Advanced tab you will find a list of properties. 4. To communicate with Accton 11 Mbps Wireless devices, set the “Authentication Type” to “Shared Key.” Products from some other vendors may use the setting “Open System.” Use the same setting as the other devices in your network. 5. Set the “Channel” to the same radio channel as that used by the other wireless clients in your group.
Quick Installation Guide point, the adapter will automatically set the channel to the same as that used by the access point.. 6. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is implemented in the adapter to prevent unauthorized access. For more secure data transmissions, set encryption to “128-bit” or “64-bit”. The 128-bit setting gives a higher level of security.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Disabled). To completely configure WEP, you must use the Configuration Utility. (see “Encryption” on page 25). 7. Set the “ESSID” identifier to the same as that used by the ad hoc workgroup or access point to which you want to connect (the WN3501C Access Point default is WLAN). If you will be roaming among multiple access points with different BSS IDs, a value of “ANY” will allow connection to any SSID. 8.
Quick Installation Guide 9. Set the “Operating Mode” to “802.11 Ad Hoc” or “Infrastructure” depending on the type of network to which you want to connect (see “Terminology” on page 38.) 10. “Preamble Type” offers a dropdown list with three options: Auto, Long, or Short (see “Terminology” on page 38 for an explanation of “Preamble Type.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter If you aren't sure whether all the Clients and Access point radios in your wireless network support the Short RF preamble, then leave this setting on “Auto” (Default). 11. “Rate (Mbps)” is the data transmission/reception rate setting. It can be set to Auto, 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 5.5 Mbps, 11 Mbps. Usually this should be set to Auto. In a radio frequency hostile environment, a lower rate can provide more stable transmission quality.
Quick Installation Guide 12. Set the “RTS Threshold” to the same as that used by other devices in your network (the default 2,347 means “Disabled,” see “Terminology” on page 38 for a description of “RTS Threshold.)” The WEP encryption implemented in Accton’s Wireless USB adapter is based on the RC4 encryption algorithm.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter setting, and one 26-digit key for the 128-bit WEP setting. WEP must be set in the configuration utility and all changes can be made there (see “Using the Wireless LAN Utility in Windows 98, Me, and 2000” on page 22, or see “Using the Windows XP Configuration Tool” on page 27 for details). 13. Shows the key that will be used (1~4) for encryption.
Quick Installation Guide 14. WEP Mode allows you to permit only connections to other devices that use WEP encryption. Choose Optional if you will connect to computers not using WEP. 15. Click OK to return to the Network box 16. Insert the Windows 98/Me CD-ROM and click OK. Windows will begin copying required files to your system. Click Finish and restart your computer. 17. If you want to add more protocols after installation, go to the control panel and double-click Network. 18.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter 19. Click File and Print Sharing to share files or printers. 20. Click on the Identification tab in the Network dialog box, and specify your computer name and network workgroup. Click OK in the Network dialog box and the system will restart your computer. Windows 2000 Driver Installation 1.
Quick Installation Guide install the driver. Click Next to find the driver. 2. Insert the floppy disk labeled “Driver” diskette, check “Floppy disk drives,” and click Next.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter 3. Click Next to copy files from the floppy disk. 4. The Digital Signature Not Found screen will open. Though our software is compatible with Windows 2000, it has not been tested by Microsoft. Click Yes to continue with the installation. 5. Click Finish to complete the driver installation. If you are asked to restart the computer, click Yes.
Quick Installation Guide Windows XP Driver Installation 1. Windows 2000 will automatically detect the new hardware and prompt you to install the driver. Check “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)” and click Next. 2. Check “Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install”. The “Select Network Adapter” screen will open. Click Have Disk and the “Install From Disk” screen will open.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter 3. Type A:\xp and click OK 4. Windows XP will find the WN3501C Wireless USB Adapter. Click Next.
Quick Installation Guide 5. Though the software is fully compatible with Windows XP, it has not yet been Logo tested by Microsoft. On the Hardware Installation screen click Continue Anyway. 6. After the software has been installed, click Finish to complete the driver installation.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Configuration and Diagnostics For Windows 98, Me, and 2000, Accton’s Wireless USB Adapter provides optional management software for quick network configuration and easy diagnostics. For Windows XP, use the built-in wirelesss configuration tool (Go to see “Using the Windows XP Configuration Tool” on page 27.) Installing the Utility in Windows 98, Me, and 2000 To install the utility software: 1. Insert the “Utility” diskette in your PC’s floppy drive (A:). 2. Click Start/Run.
Quick Installation Guide access to the adapter settings The configuration utility includes the following tools: Monitor – Allows you to monitor network status and configure wireless adapter parameters. Statistics – Shows wireless adapter statistics. Site Survey – Scans/Shows all the access points in range. Encryption – Provides WEP security control. Advanced – Allows you to configure the advanced settings. Version – Shows the version information.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter the channel is automatically set to the channel of the access point to which the adapter connects. Note: The “Channel” can only be set when the “Operating Mode” is “802.11 Ad Hoc.” SSID – Input an SSID string for the wireless network to which you want to connect (“ANY” is the default setting). If you will be roaming among multiple access points with different BSSIDs, a value of “ANY” will allow connection to any SSID.
Quick Installation Guide Site Survey The Site Survey screen displays all access points in the wireless LAN. You can choose one of them to connect to by double-clicking on an entry. AcctonAP AcctonAP AcctonAP AcctonAP Encryption Encryption – Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is implemented in the adapter to prevent unauthorized access. For more secure data transmissions, set encryption to “128-bit” or “64-bit”. The 128-bit setting gives a higher level of security.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter setting, and one 26-digit key for the 128-bit WEP setting. Create with Passphrase – Security keys for WEP encryption are generated from a passphrase string, so you must use the same passphrase on all the other stations in your network. Manual Entry – Manual Entry allows you to manually enter key elements. Default Key ID – Choose the Key ID that has the encryption string you prefer.
Quick Installation Guide Advanced Use this screen to set values for the “Fragmentation Threshold” (Default: 2346 means Disabled), and “RTS/CTS Threshold” (Default: 2347 means Disabled). see “Terminology” on page 38 for a description of these terms. Version This screen displays the driver, firmware, and utility version numbers. Using the Windows XP Configuration Tool Basic Settings 1. Right-click the network connection icon on the toolbar.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter 2. Click Status. The Wireless Network Connection Status box will open. 3. Click Properties. The Wireless Network Connection Properties box will open. Click the Wireless Networks tab. 4. In the lower section of the screen, click Learn about setting up wireless network configuration and complete the wireless configuration according to the Help and Support Center instructions.
Quick Installation Guide Advanced Settings Click the “General” tab (see the screen above). In the “Connect using” field, make sure that the adapter shown is the WN3501C Wireless USB Adapter. 1. Click Configure. Click the “Advanced” tab. 2. Set the “Fragmentation Threshold” (the default 2,346 means “Disabled”). see “Terminology” on page 38 for a description of “Fragmentation Threshold.” 3. “Preamble Type” offers a dropdown list with three options: Auto, Long, or Short.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Network Configuration and Planning Accton’s Wireless Solution supports a stand-alone wireless network configuration, as well as an integrated configuration with 10 Mbps Ethernet LANs. For a list of the maximum distances between the AP/Bridge and wireless clients, refer to page 35.
Quick Installation Guide Infrastructure Wireless LAN The WN3501C can also provide access to a wired LAN for wireless workstations. An integrated wired and wireless LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration. A Basic Service Set (BSS) consists of a group of wireless PC users, and an access point that is directly connected to the wired LAN.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter and EZ Connect Wireless Access Points within a specific ESS must be configured with the same SSID.
Quick Installation Guide Troubleshooting USB Adapter Installation Problems If your computer cannot find the Wireless USB Adapter or the network driver does not install correctly, check the following items: • Make sure the adapter is connected to the USB port. Check for any hardware problems, such as physical damage to the adapter’s connector. • Try the adapter in another USB port. If this also fails, try using another WN3501C wireless adapter that is known to operate correctly.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter • Make sure the access point that the station is associated with is powered on. • Check that the wireless settings (i.e., WEP, SSID, Channel) match the access point or other stations to which you are attempting to connect. • If you still cannot connect, change the access point and all the stations within the BSS to another radio channel.
Quick Installation Guide WN3501C Wireless USB Adapter Maximum Distance Table Important Notice – Maximum distances posted below are actual tested distance thresholds. However, there are many variables such as barrier composition and construction, as well as local environmental interference that may impact your actual distances and cause you to experience distance thresholds far lower than those posted below.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Specifications Functional Criteria Data Rate: 1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps, Auto Transmission Mode: Half duplex Network Connection: IEEE 802.11b wireless Operating Range: Max distance at 11 Mbps: 130 m (427 ft) Max distance at 5.
Quick Installation Guide USB specification revision 1.1 Compliances FCC Class B ETSI 300.328, 300.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Terminology The following is a list of terminology used in this document. Access Point – An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless networks. Ad Hoc – An ad hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers each with LAN adapters, connected as an independent wireless LAN. BSS – BSS stands for “Basic Service Set.” It is an access point and all the LAN PCs that are associated with it. CSMA/CA – Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance.
Quick Installation Guide other. RTS/CTS mechanism can solve this “Hidden Node Problem.” If the packet size is smaller than the preset RTS Threshold size, the RTS/CTS mechanism will NOT be enabled. USB – The Universal Serial Bus allows complete Plug and Play connection of peripheral devices to a computer. WEP – “Wired Equivalent Privacy” is based on the use of keys and the popular RC4 encryption algorithm. Wireless devices without a valid WEP key are excluded from network traffic.
11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter Warranty Accton warrants to the original owner that the product delivered in this package will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of three (3) years from the date of purchase from Accton or its Authorized reseller. For the warranty to apply, you must register your purchase by returning the registration card indicating the date of purchase and including proof of purchase.
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement 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 and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
WN3501C E032001-R01 150417-102