C54U Conceptronic Wireless 54Mbps USB Stick Adapter Manual Rev.
Contents PACKAGE CONTENTS ................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 4 PRODUCT FEATURES ................................................................... 5 LEDS................................................................................... 5 WIRELESS BASICS....................................................................... 6 GETTING STARTED ............................................
Package Contents Contents of Package: • C54U USB Wireless 54Mbps USB Stick Adapter • USB Extension Cable • Manual and Drivers on CD • Hardware Installation Guide (printed) If any of the above items is missing, please contact your reseller. System Requirements: • A computer with an available USB slot • Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, or Windows 98 SE • At least 32 MB of memory and a 300 MHz processor or higher • An 802.11g Access Point for Infrastructure Mode or another 802.
Introduction The C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter is an advanced IEEE 802.11g compatible, high-performance wireless adapter that supports data transfer speeds of up to 54 Mbps. Amazingly compact, the C54U is literally small enough to fit in your pocket. USB technology makes installation and configuration quick and easy. The C54U is an ideal way to connect your laptop computer to a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN.
Product Features • Adheres to 802.11g standard in providing high data wireless transfer rates of up to 54 Mbps. • Operation in the 2.4GHz Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) frequency band • Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) – a new technique for transmitting high speed data over a radio wave. Dynamic date rate scaling at 1, 2, 5.5, and 11Mbps for IEEE 802.11b • • Dynamic date rate scaling at 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps for IEEE 802.
Wireless Basics The C54U is based on industry standards to provide easy-to-use and compatible high-speed wireless connectivity within your home or business. Strictly adhering to IEEE 802.11g, the C54U will allow you to access the data you want, when and where you want it. No longer will you be limited to one location or forced to run new wiring through your home or office. You will be able to enjoy the freedom that wireless networking delivers.
Furthermore, IEEE standardization mandates interoperability of all WLAN devices that conform to the 802.11g set of standards. Installation Speed and Simplicity - Installing a wireless LAN system can be fast and easy and can eliminate the need to pull cable through walls and ceilings. Installation Flexibility - Wireless technology allows the network to go where wires cannot go.
Keep in mind, however, that the number and thickness of walls, ceilings or other objects that the wireless signals must pass through may limit range. Typical ranges vary depending on the types of materials and background RF (radio frequency) noise in your home or business. The key to maximizing range is to follow these basic principles: 1.
Getting Started To begin, select the type of wireless network you will be building. We will discuss the following types of networks in this section: 1. A Home Internet Network with A Residential Gateway/Router 2. A Home Internet Network with Multiple IP Addresses 3. An Ad Hoc Network 4. An Ad Hoc Network with Internet Sharing Please select, from the four types of networks described above, the type of network that is appropriate for your needs.
1. A Home Internet Network with A Residential Gateway/Router (Network administrators with Dynamic IPs can also follow these instructions.) If you have two or more computers (laptops or desktops) and want to share files, printers, and Internet access using a DHCP-capable Residential Gateway/Router – or - if you want to connect to an Ethernet network that uses Dynamic (DHCP) IP addresses, then follow the instructions on the next page. DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
This type of installation requires that you provide a dynamic IP address for each computer on your network. You will need a DHCP-capable Residential Gateway/Router for your network. To complete the installation, please follow these steps: 1. Connect the Router/Gateway to a Broadband connection (e.g., a Cable modem or a DSL modem.) 2. Connect the 802.11g Access Point to the router. 3. Install the C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter into a laptop or desktop computer on your wireless network 4.
2. A Home Internet Network with Multiple IP Addresses (Network administrators with Static IPs can also follow these instructions.) If you have two or more computers (laptops or desktops) and want to share files, printers, and Internet access using multiple IP addresses that you have purchased from your Internet Service Provider -or- you want to connect to an Ethernet network that uses Static IP Addresses, then follow the instructions on the next page.
1. Connect the Wireless Access Point to a Broadband connection (i.e., a Cable modem or a DSL modem.) 2. Install the C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter in the computer(s) on your wireless network 3. Check the Device Manager to confirm that the wireless adapter is installed correctly. Please refer to the Networking Basics section in this manual entitled: Checking the Installation of the Drivers for the Wireless Adapter. 4. Set the Static IP Address of the wireless adapters if Multiple Dynamic IP are not used.
3. An Ad Hoc Network If you have two or more computers (desktops or laptops) and want to share files and printers, but no Internet connection, please complete the following instructions. When your Ad Hoc network is complete it may look similar to this: (Requirements: Wireless network adapters for all computers in the ad-hoc network.) To complete this installation, please follow these steps: 1. Install the C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter into your computers. 2.
4. Check the Wireless Configuration for each wireless adapter. Please refer to the Networking Basics section in this manual entitled: Checking the Wireless Configuration. 5. Learn to share printers and files. Please refer to the Networking Basics section in this manual entitled: Adding and Sharing Printers in Windows XP. 4.
Sharing (ICS) utility provided with Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME or Windows 98SE. Please follow your software documentation to properly configure the Internet sharing software after you install your wireless networking adapters. To install your wireless network adapter follow the instructions on the next page. If the Internet Sharing Software will be installed on the same computer into which you are installing the C54U, then follow these steps: 1. Install the C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter. 2.
First Time Setup Insert the C54U CD-ROM into Your Computer 1. You will need a computer with an available USB port for connection to your C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter. 2. Your C54U supports the Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP). If the network you are going to connect to uses WEP, you will need the WEP keys that are in use for your network. 3. Turn on your computer, insert the C54U Driver CD in the CD-ROM drive. The install screen will appear.
4. Click Install driver & Utility item. This will initiate the C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter Utility Install Shield. 5. Click Next.
6. Next, the Wizard will ask you to choose a destination folder for Conceptronic 54Mbps Wireless Utility. Browse to select a folder, or accept the default destination and simply click Next. 7. You will then be asked to select a program folder so that the Wizard can add program icons. Again, you may choose another folder or accept the default folder(s) shown on the screen. Click Next.
8. Click Yes to install C54U Driver. 9. That’s it – you’ve finished installing the WLAN Monitor. Choose to restart your computer now or wait until later. Click Finish.
Installing the C54U Wireless USB Stick Adapter in Your Computer 1. Insert end of the USB extension cable into your C54U, and insert the other end into your computer 2. When you restart your computer this Found New Hardware Wizard (Windows2000) screen may appear: After you’ve continued in windows XP, 2000, ME, or 98, the configuration utility will automatically start and the utility icon will appear in the bottom right hand comer of your PC screen.
Uninstalling Uninstalling the software involves two steps. The first is to uninstall the Configuration Utility. The second is to uninstall the drivers. To uninstall the WLAN adapter utility simply click Uninstall under Programs/Conceptronic 54Mbps Wireless Utility/Uninstall. To uninstall the driver, right-click on My Computer.
Left-click on Properties to bring up the System Properties screen.
Click on the Hardware tab.
Click on Network adapters. Right click on the “Conceptronic Wireless 54Mbps Card Adapter” icon.
Click on Uninstall. You will then see a Confirm Device Removal screen. Click OK to complete uninstallation.
Connecting to a Network If you are using Windows 2000, 98, ME, or NT, the Configuration Utility program for the C54U is called Conceptronic 54Mbps Wireless Utility. Once you have installed WLAN Utility (the configuration utility), you can read this section of the manual to find out how to connect to a wireless network using WLAN Utility. Screenshots for this section have been taken in Windows 2000.
Configuration The Configuration tab is the most important and useful of the four; it allows you to choose, add, and delete networks. You may also modify properties of your C54U to allow connection to encryption-protected networks. On the left-hand side of the screen is a list of available WLANs. To connect to a WLAN, select it by clicking on it, then click Add. The Wireless Network Properties screen will appear.
In the Wireless Network Properties screen you may change the name of Wireless network name. There are four types of Authentication Modes, Open System, Shared, WPA and WPA-PSK. You may also enter wireless network encryption keys by checking Network Authentication (Shared mode) or Data encryption (WEP enabled). If WEB enabled, you may enter up to four keys of length 10 or 25 hexadecimal digits. You may also set one of the four keys as a default key.
Click on IP & Proxy Setting to set the IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway manually instead of obtaining the IP address automatically through the Dynamic Configuration Host Protocol (DCHP) server. You may also set the DNS server address settings and WINS address settings. If the network you are using is a computer-to-computer network or ad hoc network, no access points are used. You may check the box “This is a computer to computer (ad-hoc) network; no access points are used” to enable this option.
Status Click on the Status tab to check on the performance of the network you have selected to connect with. The Connection status (connected or disconnected), SSID, BSSID, Network type (infrastructure), Frequency, Data Encryption (enabled or disabled), Speed (of the wireless connection), Authentication State, and Signal Strength (a colored bar shows the intensity of the radio signals in the network) are the types of information given under the Connected State heading.
Under the Option Tab general settings and advanced settings are shown. Options Under General Setting, check “Auto launch when Windows starts up” so that WLAN automatically launches when Windows starts up. Check “Enable IP Setting in Profile” to enable the IP settings made under IP Config in the Wireless Network Properties screen of Configuration Tab. If checked, the current IP settings will be saved. If unchecked (and previously checked), previous IP settings will be restored.
The About Tab gives the utility version number of the WLAN utility. About Click the About tab to determine the Utility and Driver version for your C54U.
Using the Configuration Utility for Windows XP The WLAN Monitor Configuration Utility supports Windows XP; however, Windows XP has its own utility for wireless devices. In order to use the WLAN Monitor Configuration Utility as described in the last section you must disable the utility built into Windows XP. Right click on the wireless icon in the taskbar, select Wireless Network, then uncheck the indicated box.
The following demonstrates how to manage wireless network connections with the Windows XP built-in utility. Creating a connection Right click on “My Network Places” to obtain a drop-down menu with Properties listed. Left-click on Properties to obtain the Network Connections screen. Right-click on the “Wireless Network Connection” icon to produce another drop-down menu with item Properties.
Left-click on Properties to bring up the screen below.
Select the Wireless Networks tab. Under Available Networks, click on the Access Point with which you wish to establish a connection. In the example above, a network called TSD1. Click Configure to bring up the following screen.
Enter the appropriate settings and click OK to return to the Wireless Connection screen.
The access point “tsd1” has been added to the network under Preferred Networks. The Network Connections window now shows the wireless network connection as “Enabled”.
Troubleshooting This chapter provides solutions to problems that can occur during the installation and operation of C54U. Read the following descriptions if you are having problems. 1. Checking the Installation of the Drivers for the Wireless Adapter Go to Start. Right-click on My Computer. Click Properties.
Select the Hardware Tab. Click Device Manager.
Click on Network adapters. Right-click on Conceptronic Wireless 54Mbps USB Adapter. Select Properties to check that the drivers are installed properly.
Look under Device Status to check that the device is working properly. Click OK.
2. The computer does not recognize the C54U. • Make sure that C54U is properly seated in the computer’s PCI slot. • If Windows does not detect the hardware upon insertion of the Adapter make sure to completely remove drivers that were previously installed. To remove the drivers, do the following: A. Under Tools> select Folder Options…> select View > under Hidden files and folders > select Show hidden files and folders. B. Uncheck Hide extension for known file types > click on Apply. C.
4. The wireless client cannot access the Internet in the Infrastructure mode. • Make sure the wireless client is associated and joined with the correct Access Point. To check this connection: Right-click on the Networking Icon in the taskbar> select View Available Wireless Networks. The Connect to Wireless Network screen will appear. Please make sure you have selected the correct available network, as shown in the illustrations below.
example: if one computer has an IP Address of 10.0.0.2, the other computers should have IP Addresses that are sequential, like 10.0.0.3 and 10.0.0.4. The subnet mask must be the same for all the computers on the network.) To check the IP Address assigned to the wireless card, double-click on the Network Connection Icon in the taskbar > select the Support tab and the IP Address will be displayed. If you are entering a DNS Server Address, you must also enter the Default Gateway Address.
Technical Specifications Standards • • IEEE 802.11b (up to 11 Mbps) IEEE 802.11g (up to 54 Mbps) Supported OS • Windows XP • Windows 2000 • Windows ME • Windows 98SE Frequency Range • 2400-2483.5 MHz ISM band (IEEE 802.11b) • 2400-2472MHz Ism band (IEEE 802.11g) Data Rates • • 1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps (IEEE 802.11b) 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps (IEEE 802.11g) Modulation Techniques IEEE 802.11g • BPSK • QPSK • 16 QAM • 64 QAM • OFDM IEEE • • • • 802.
• 64, 128, 152-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) Encryption Media Access Control • CSMA/CA with ACK Current Consumption • Sleep mode - 40mW • Transmit mode - 2310mW • Receive mode – 1320mW Operating Voltage • 5V± -10% Network Architecture • Infrastructure Mode (Communications to wired networks via Access Points with Roaming) MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) • 30,000 hours Physical Dimensions • L ~ 8.2 cms • W ~2.8 cms • H ~ 1.
