802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN PCIe Card User Manual Version: 1.
COPYRIGHT Copyright ©2006/2007 by this company. All rights reserved.
CATALOG Chapter I: Product Information ........................................................................ 4 1-1 Introduction and safety information ................................................................4 1-2 Safety Information...........................................................................................5 1-3 System Requirements ......................................................................................6 1-4 Package Contents.............................................
-3 Glossary .........................................................................................................79 4-4 FCC and Other Compliance Statements ........................................................
Chapter I: Product Information 1-1 Introduction and safety information Thank you for purchasing this high-speed 802.11b/g/Draft-N wireless network card! Excepting common wireless standards 802.11b/g, this wireless network card is also 802.11 Draft-N compatible - data transfer rate is 300Mbps, and that’s six times faster than 802.11g wireless network! 802.11 Draft-N also provides wider wireless coverage, so you don’t have to worry if your computer is far from your wireless access point.
1-2 Safety Information In order to keep the safety of users and your properties, please follow the following safety instructions: 1. This wireless network card is designed for indoor use only. DO NOT expose this network card to direct sun light, rain, or snow. 2. DO NOT put this network card at or near hot or humid places, like kitchen or bathroom. Also, do not left this wireless network card in the car in summer. 3.
1-3 System Requirements An empty PCIe slot Windows 2000, 2003, XP, or Vista operating system CD-ROM drive At least 100MB of available disk space 6
1-4 Package Contents Before you starting to use this wireless network card, please check if there’s anything missing in the package, and contact your dealer of purchase to claim for missing items: 1 2 3 4 □ User manual / device driver CDROM (1 pcs) ………………….. □ Quick installation guide (1 pcs) ………………………………… □ Antennas (3 pcs) ……………….………………………………..
1-5 Familiar with your new wireless network card 2 1 3 4/5 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
CHAPTER II: DRIVER INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION 2-1 Network Card Installation Please follow the following instructions to install your new wireless network card: 1. SWITCH THE COMPUTER OFF, remove the cover and insert the wireless network card into an empty PCIe slot of your computer. Tip: It’s recommended to touch some metal material before installing the network card, or the static on your body may damage the components on network card and computer.
2. Fasten the antennas to the antenna connectors on the network card by clockwise direction. 3.
4. To improve radio reception, please adjust antennas to the position shown in the picture.
When view from side: 12
5. Switch the computer on, the following message will appear on your computer, please click ‘cancel’. 6. Insert device driver CDROM into the CD/DVD ROM drive of your computer, and execute ‘Setup.exe’ program in ‘Driver’ folder. Please read the end user license agreement and click ‘I accept the terms of the license agreement’ and ‘Next’ to accept license agreement.
7. You can choose the configuration tool used to configure the wireless network card here. It’s recommended to select ‘Ralink Configuration Tool’, which provides fully access to all function of this wireless network card. If you prefer to use the wireless configuration tool provided by Windows XP or Vista, please select ‘Microsoft Zero Configuration Tool’, then click ‘Next’. 8.
When you select one mode, please click ‘Next’ to continue. If you see ‘Found New Hardware’ message again, please ignore it and wait. 9. Please wait while the install procedure is running. When you see this message, please click ‘Finish’ to complete the driver installation process.
10. A new icon will appear at lower-right corner of your computer desktop, you can put the mouse cursor on the icon, and the status of wireless card will be displayed as a popup balloon. HERE! When you want to configure your wireless connection, please right click on this icon, and a popup menu will appear. You can click ‘Launch Config Utilities’ to start configuration program. If you want to close configuration utility, please click ‘Exit’.
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2-2 Connect to Wireless Access Point After the driver is correctly installed, it will try to connect to any unencrypted wireless access point automatically. If you want to connect to a specific wireless access point, or the access point you wish to connect uses encryption, you have to configure the wireless network card and input required parameters, to get connected to the wireless access point you wish to connect.
If you still can not see the access point you wish to use after clicking ‘Rescan’ for more than five times, please move your computer closer to the location where the wireless access point is, or see instructions in chapter 4-2 ‘Troubleshooting’. Here are descriptions of every setup item: SSID: The Service Set IDentifier of wireless access point or other network device. You can think it as the name of access point of wireless device.
point or network device is unique, and will not be the same with others. So you can identify a single access point or wireless device from others by BSSID, if they all have the same SSID. Signal: Shows the signal strength of access point or wireless device. Larger number means better radio strength, which often means you’re not too far from that access point or wireless device. Channel: Shows the channel number that access point or wireless device uses.
3. Click the wireless access point or network device you wish to connect, it will be highlighted, then click ‘Connect’. If the access point you selected does not enable encryption (The content of ‘Encryption’ field of the access point you selected is ‘None’, you’ll be connected to this wireless access point within one minute. Please jump to step 6. If the access point you selected enables encryption, please proceed to next step. 4.
If the wireless access point you selected have SSID, please skip this step. 5. If the wireless access point uses encryption, you have to input WEP passphrase or WPA preshared key. Please ask the owner of the wireless access point you want to connect, and input the correct passphrase / preshared key here, then click ‘OK’. If the value you inputted here is wrong, you will not be able to connect to this wireless access point. Authentication type is selected automatically, please don’t change it.
6.
2-2-2 Using Windows Zero Configuration Windows XP and Vista has a built-in wireless network configuration utility, called as ‘Windows Zero Configuration’ (WZC). You can also use WZC to configure your wireless network parameter: 1. Right-click Ralink configuration utility icon and select ‘Use Zero Configuration as Configuration utility. 2.
3. Click ‘Connect to a network’ under ‘Network Connections’ 4. Right-click ‘Wireless Network Connection’ (it may have a number as suffix if you have more than one wireless network card, please make sure you right-click the ‘Ralink 802.11n Wireless LAN Card), then select ‘View Available Wireless Networks’. 5. All wireless access points in proximity will be displayed here.
network list’ to rescan access points. Click the access point you want to use if it’s shown, then click ‘Connect’. 6. If the access point is protected by encryption, you have to input its security key or passphrase here. It must match the encryption setting on the access point. If the access point you selected does not use encryption, you’ll not be prompted for security key or passphrase.
7. If you can see ‘Connected’ message, the connection between your computer and wireless access point is successfully established.
2-3 Connection Profile Management If you need to connect to different wireless access points at different time, like of access point of your home, office, cybercafe, or public wireless service, you can store the connection parameters (encryption, passphrase, security etc, etc.) as a profile for every access point, so you don’t have in input these parameters every time you want to connect to a specific wireless access point. 2-3-1 Make a profile for an access point or wireless device 1.
Or, you can add a connected wireless access point or wireless device to a profile by clicking ‘Site Survey’ tab, then click ‘Add to Profile’ button: 29
And you can set the parameter for this connection here: 30
Here are descriptions of every setup items: Profile Name Please give this profile a name, up to 32 alphanumerical characters and symbols are allowed, but space is not allowed. SSID The SSID of the wireless access point or wireless device you selected will be displayed here. But if the SSID of access point or wireless device is not available, you have to input it here manually.
authentication settings. Here are descriptions of every setup items: Authentication Select the authentication type of the wireless access Type point or wireless device you wish to connect. If you’re adding a profile from an existing access point or wireless device, the value will be selected automatically, and please do not modify it. If you select ‘LEAP’, the following message will be displayed. Please input LEAP identity, password, domain name, and select encryption type.
Encryption: Select the encryption type of the wireless access point or wireless device you wish to connect. If you’re adding a profile from an existing access point or wireless device, the value will be selected automatically, and please do not modify it. WPA Preshared Key Input WPA preshared key here. If encryption is not enabled, or you select ‘WEP’ as encryption type, this field will be disabled and grayed out. WEP Key You can select key type (Hex or ASCII) and input WEP key here.
After you finish all settings, click ‘OK’ to save settings and exit. The profile you just created will be displayed: Select the profile you wish to use, and click ‘Activate’ to use the profile you selected. You can only activate a profile a time, and the profile which is activated currently will have a green check ( ) before its name. If the wireless access point is not reachable, a red check ( ) will be displayed before its name.
2-3-2 Using 802.1x – Certification After you click ‘802.1x Setting’, a new window will appear: Here are descriptions of every setup items: Authentication Please select an 802.1x authentication type here. Type The type you select here must be identical to the type of the 802.1x authentication type you’re using. Session Resumption You can enable or disable session resumption here. If you don’t know if you should enable session resumption or not, please ask your 802.1x authentication administrator.
‘TTLS’, you can use the certificate stored on your computer. If the authentication type you use is ‘TLS/Smart Card’, this box is always checked. More.. After you clicked this button, you’ll be prompted to select a certificate on your computer. Allow unauthenticated provision mode This box is always checked and can not be modified. Use protected authentication credential If the authentication type you use is ‘EAP-FAST’ you can use protected authentication credential by check this box.
Password (of tunneled authentication) Please input the password of tunneled authentication here. Password Mode Please select the password mode of ‘EAP-FAST’ authentication mode. This setting is hidden when the authentication type is not ‘EAP-FAST’. After you finish all settings, click ‘OK’ to save settings and exit.
2-3-3 Using 802.1x - CA Server If you want to use CA server, please click ‘CA Server’ tab. And the following message will be displayed: Here are descriptions of every setup items: Use certificate Check this box to enable the use of certificate chain. chain Certificate Issuer Please select the issuer of certificate from this dropdown menu. Allow intermediate certificates Check this box if you wish to allow intermediate certificates. Server name Input the server name of CA server here.
2-4 View Network Statistics and Link Status The configuration utility provides information about network statistics and link status. If you want to know how your wireless network card works, you can use these functions to get detailed information about the wireless connection you’re using. 2-4-1 Network Statistics Please follow the following instructions to check network statistics: 1.
All connection-related statistics is displayed here. You can click ‘Reset Counter’ to reset the statistics of all items back to 0. Click ‘OK’ to close the window.
2-4-2 Link Status Please follow the following instructions to check network statistics: 1. Right-click the Ralink configuration utility icon located at lower-right corner of computer desktop, then click ‘Launch Config Utilities’. 2.
These information displayed here are updated every second, and here are descriptions of every item: Status Displays the SSID and BSSID of connected wireless access point or wireless device (displayed as SSID <-> BSSID as shown in above picture. If there’s no active connection currently, ‘Disconnected’ will be displayed here. Extra Info Displays the link status (‘Link is up’ or Link is down’, and the radio transmitting power of your network card. Channel Displays the radio channel being used now.
rate will drop. dBm Check this box and the value of signal strength and noise level will be displayed in dBm level instead of percentage. There are several wireless statuses available at the bottom of this window. For their explanations, please see chapter 4-3 ‘Glossary’.
2-5 Advanced Settings This wireless network card provides several advanced settings for experienced wireless users. You can change these settings to increase data transfer performance, or change operation mode. Please follow the following instructions to set advanced wireless settings: 1. Right-click the Ralink configuration utility icon located at lower-right corner of computer desktop, then click ‘Launch Config Utilities’. 2.
Here are descriptions of every setup items: Wireless mode Select wireless operation mode, available options are 802.11 B/G mix, 802.11 B only, and 802.11 B/G/N mix. You can select 802.11 B/G/N mix to maximize wireless compatibility with wireless access points and other wireless devices. Anyway, you can set this setting to ‘802.11 B only’ when you’re going to communicate with old 802.11b wireless devices and you got problem using other two modes.
when this wireless network card should switch to another wireless access point with better signal quality. Only adjust value when you understand what it means. Turn off RF Click this button to switch wireless radio off, click it again switch wireless radio on. Select Your Country Region Code Select the country / region code of the place you’re living.
Measurement access point, check this box to enable radio measurement function to improve wireless connectivity. Non-Serving Channel Measurements When you’re connecting to CCX-compatible access point, check this box to enable measurement on unused radio channels to improve wireless connectivity. Limit --milliseconds Limit the time used for said measurement to a certain time. Default value is 250.
2-6 QoS Setting This wireless network card provides QoS (Quality of Service) function, which can improve the performance of certain network applications, like audio / video streaming, network telephony (VoIP), and others. When you enable WMM (Wi-Fi MultiMedia) function of this network card, you can define the priority of different kinds of data, to give higher priority to applications which require instant responding. Therefore you can improve the performance of such network applications.
Here are descriptions of every setup items: WMM Enable Check this box to enable WMM function. Please click ‘Apply’ button on the right of this check box after you check or uncheck this box, so corresponding settings in this window will be activated or deactivated respectively. WMM - Power Save Enable Enable WMM power saving mode to save energy and lets your battery live longer. Setting... Click this button to select the WMM data type which will suppress the function of power saving.
First). Direct Link Setup Enable Enable or disable direct link setup (DLS) function. This function will greatly improve the data transfer rate between WMM-enabled wireless devices. Please click ‘Apply’ button on the right of this check box after you check or uncheck this box, so corresponding settings in this window will be activated or deactivated respectively.
2-7 WPS Configuration Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is the latest wireless network technology which makes wireless network setup become very simple. If you have WPS-enabled wireless access point, and you want to establish a secure connection to it, you don’t have to configure the wireless access point and setup data encryption.
2-7-1 WPS Setup - PBC (Push-Button Configuration) 1. Right-click the Ralink configuration utility icon located at lower-right corner of computer desktop, then click ‘Launch Config Utilities’. 2.
3. Set ‘Config Mode’ to ‘Enrollee’, and then push the ‘WPS’ button on your wireless access point (the button used to activate WPS standby mode may have another name), or use other way to start WPS standby mode as the instruction given by your wireless access point’s user manual. 4. Before you start to establish the wireless connection by using WPS, you can click ‘Rescan’ button to search for WPS-enabled access points near you, to make sure the WPS function of your access point is activated.
button in wireless configuration utility to start to establish wireless connection by WPS. Please be patient (This may require several seconds to one minute to complete). When you see ‘WPS status is connected successfully’ message, means the connection between your wireless network card and access point is successfully connected by WPS, and the information about access point you connected to will be displayed. Sometime WPS may fail, and you can click ‘PBC’ button few more times to try again.
If you want to delete a found access point from the list, select it and click ‘Delete’ button.
2-7-2 WPS Setup - PIN If the wireless access point you wish to connect supports PIN, please follow the following instructions to establish connection to it: 1. Right-click the Ralink configuration utility icon located at lower-right corner of computer desktop, then click ‘Launch Config Utilities’. 2.
located at the upper-right position of configuration utility. Remember it, and input the number to your wireless access point as the WPS PIN code (Please refer to the user manual of your wireless access point for instructions about how to do this). NOTE: The PIN code of every wireless network card is DIFFERENT. Please don’t use the sample code shown here. 3. Click ‘PIN’ button now, and wait for few seconds to one minute.
2-8 About The ‘About’ tab provides you the information about version numbers of configuration utility, firmware, and other important information about your wireless network card. Please follow the following instructions to see these information: 1. Right-click the Ralink configuration utility icon located at lower-right corner of computer desktop, then click ‘Launch Config Utilities’. 2.
If you need assistance about network problem, you’ll need these values. You can also click ‘WWW.RALINKTECH.COM’ button to go to the web site of network card driver manufacturer and get more information about your wireless network card. Please click ‘OK’ to close configuration utility.
CHAPTER III: Soft-AP Function Excepting become a wireless client of other wireless access points, this wireless card can act as a wireless service provider also! You can switch this wireless card’s operating mode to ‘AP’ mode to simulate the function of a real wireless access point by software, and all other computers and wireless devices can connect to your computer wirelessly, even share the internet connection you have! Please follow the instructions in following chapters to use the AP function of your w
A configuration window will appear after you switch the operation mode to ‘AP’ or click ‘Launch Config Utilities’ after you right-click the Ralink configuration utility, which asks you to assign an existing network card with internet connection: If your computer has another network card which is connected to Internet, please select it from ‘Name’ dropdown menu, and click ‘Enable ICS’; if your computer does not have another network card with Internet connection, please click ‘Not enable ICS’.
Here are descriptions of every setup items: SSID Please input the SSID (the name used to identify this wireless access point) here. Up to 32 numerical characters can be accepted here, excepting space. TX Rate Please select the data transfer rate here. The maximum TX rate you can select here depends on the wireless mode you’re using. It’s safe to select ‘Auto’ to let wireless card select a proper TX rate according to the strength and quality of radio signal. When the wireless mode is set to ‘802.
depends on the setting of ‘Country Region Code’. Wireless Mode Please select the wireless operating mode. You can limit the type of wireless client to 802.11b or 802.11g only, or allow 802.11b/g, and 802.11b/g/n clients. It’s safe to select ‘802.11 B/G/N mix’ to allow all kinds of wireless client to connect to your computer, unless you want to limit the type of wireless client allowed to connect to your computer. Use Mac Address Click this button to use the MAC address of the wireless card as SSID.
use wireless protection or not. You can also select ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’ to force the use of wireless protection or not. Beacon(ms) You can define the time interval that a beacon signal should be send. Default value is 100. Do not modify this value unless you know what will be affected. Idle Time Select the idle time of your wireless network card. Default value is 300. Do not modify this value unless you know what will be affected.
3-2 Security Settings This wireless card supports wireless encryption in AP mode, which will encrypt the data being transferred over the air to enhance data security level. It’s recommended to enable data encryption unless you wish to open your computer (and its internet connection) to the public.
some networking knowledge will be able to read the data you transfer with proper tool. NOTE: WPA encryption is safer than WEP, however, some older wireless clients don’t support WPA encryption. WPA Pre-shared Key Please input the WPA pre-shared key here. Only clients with the same pre-shared key you inputted here will be able to connect to your computer. This setting is only available when you select one of WPA encryptions.
key you inputted will be shown, but not replaced by asterisk (*). OK Click this button to save changes you made in this page. Cancel Click this button to discard all changes you made in this window.
3-3 Access Control If you’re not going to open your computer and wireless resources to the public, you can use MAC address filtering function to enforce your access control policy, so only wireless clients with MAC address you defined by this function can be connected to your software access point. Please follow the following instructions to set access control based on MAC address: 1. Right-Click Ralink configuration utility icon, and select ‘Launch Config Utilities’ 2.
Here are descriptions of every setup items: Access Policy Select the policy type of your access rule: Disable: Allow any wireless client with proper authentication settings to connect to this access point. Allow All: Only allow wireless clients with MAC address listed here to connect to this access point. Reject All: Reject wireless clients with MAC address listed here to be connected to this access point. MAC address Input the MAC address of the wireless client you you wish to allow or reject here.
Add Add the MAC address you inputted in ‘MAC address’ field to the list. Delete Please select a MAC address from the list, then click ‘Delete’ button to remove it. Remove All Delete all MAC addresses in the list. Apply Save and apply changes you made.
3-4 Connection table If you want to see the list of all wireless clients connected to this access point, please follow the following instructions: 1. Right-Click Ralink configuration utility icon, and select ‘Launch Config Utilities’ 2.
Here are descriptions of every fields: MAC Address Displays the MAC address of this wireless client. AID The serial number of this wireless connection. Power Saving Mode Displays the capability of power-saving function of this wireless client. Status Displays additional information of this wireless Connection, like current wireless operating mode and data transfer rate.
3-5 Event Log This software access point will log all wireless-related activities as a log. You can follow the following instructions to view the content of the event log: 1. Right-Click Ralink configuration utility icon, and select ‘Launch Config Utilities’ 2. Click ‘Event Log’ tab, and the event log will be displayed: You can click ‘Clear’ to remove all entries in the log.
3-6 Statistics If you want to know detailed information about how your software access point works, you can follow the following instructions to view the statistics of the access point: 1. Right-Click Ralink configuration utility icon, and select ‘Launch Config Utilities’ 2. Click ‘Statistics’ tab, and the event log will be displayed: You can click ‘RESET COUNTERS’ button to reset all counters to zero.
CHAPTER VI: APPENDIX 4-1 Hardware Specification Standards: IEEE 802.11b/g/Draft-N Interface: PCI Express Frequency Band: 2.4000 ~ 2.4835GHz (Industrial Scientific Medical Band) Data Rate: 11b: 1/2/5.
4-2 Troubleshooting If you encounter any problem when you’re using this wireless network card, don’t panic! Before you call your dealer of purchase for help, please check this troubleshooting table, the solution of your problem could be very simple, and you can solve the problem by yourself! Scenario I can’t find any wireless access point / wireless device in ‘Site Survey’ function. Nothing happens when I click ‘Launch config utilities’ Solution 1.
I can not establish connection with a certain wireless access point The network is slow / having problem when transferring large files 1. Click ‘Connect’ for few more times. 2. If the SSID of access point you wish to connect is hidden (nothing displayed in ‘SSID’ field in ‘Site Survey’ function), you have to input correct SSID of the access point you wish to connect. Please contact the owner of access point to ask for correct SSID. 3.
above.
4-3 Glossary 1. What is the IEEE 802.11g standard? 802.11g is the new IEEE standard for high-speed wireless LAN communications that provides for up to 54 Mbps data rate in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11g is quickly becoming the next mainstream wireless LAN technology for the home, office and public networks. 802.11g defines the use of the same OFDM modulation technique specified in IEEE 802.11a for the 5 GHz frequency band and applies it in the same 2.4 GHz frequency band as IEEE 802.11b. The 802.
5. What is Infrastructure? An integrated wireless and wireless and wired LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration. Infrastructure is applicable to enterprise scale for wireless access to central database, or wireless application for mobile workers. 6. What is BSS ID? A specific Ad hoc LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Computers in a BSS must be configured with the same BSS ID. 7.
12. What is DSSS? What is FHSS? And what are their differences? Frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) uses a narrowband carrier that changes frequency in a pattern that is known to both transmitter and receiver. Properly synchronized, the net effect is to maintain a single logical channel. To an unintended receiver, FHSS appears to be short-duration impulse noise. Direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) generates a redundant bit pattern for each bit to be transmitted.
15. What is WMM Power Save? WMM Power Save is a set of features for Wi-Fi networks that increase the efficiency and flexibility of data transmission in order to conserve power. WMM Power Save has been optimized for mobile devices running latency-sensitive applications such as voice, audio, or video, but can benefit any Wi-Fi device. WMM Power Save uses mechanisms included in the IEEE 802.11e standard and is an enhancement of IEEE 802.11 legacy power save.
4-4 FCC and Other Compliance Statements 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 FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
Federal Communication Statement Commission (FCC) Radiation Exposure This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure set forth for an uncontrolled environment. In order to avoid the possibility of exceeding the FCC radio frequency exposure limits, human proximity to the antenna shall not be less than 20cm (8 inches) during normal operation. The antenna(s) used for this transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
EU Countries Not intended for use None.
