User's Manual

This process is described in greater detail below.
1. Start up the Wireless Adapter Utility.
The utility’s
Information panel will appear. In most cases, the first time you run the
utility, this panel will show that you have not joined a WLAN.
If the WLAN you want to join allows automatic detection, the utility can create a profile
containing all or most of the settings required for joining. You will need little or no
information from the network operator.
If the WLAN does not allow automatic detection, you will have to obtain configuration
and security information from the operator. Then, to create a profile and join the WLAN,
go to the
Profiles panel, click New, input all the information, and click OK.
It is assumed here that the WLAN allows automatic detection. If it does, information
about it will appear on your screen in the next step.
2. Go to the
Site Survey panel. Note the information shown in the SSID and WEP
columns.
An SSID (Service Set Identifier) is a name assigned to a WLAN by the operator. If more
than one WLAN is listed, the SSIDs should help you identify the one you want to join.
(The SSID is sometimes called the network [or domain] name [or ID].)
WEP is Wired Equivalent Privacy, a means of encrypting digital radio transmissions to
prevent snooping. Look to see if WEP is disabled or enabled on the WLAN; this affects
what you must do in this step and the next.
• If WEP is disabled, the utility can create a profile containing all the settings required
for joining the WLAN. Go straight to step 3.
• If WEP is enabled, encryption is used for security on the WLAN, and you will need
to know (1) the encryption method (64-, 128-, or 256-bit WEP), (2) the format of
the “key” or keys (“hex” or “ASCII” — that is, numeric or textual), (3) the key or
keys, and in some cases, (4) the “authentication mode” (“open” or “shared”).
The encryption method is sometimes called the “key length,” and 64-bit WEP is
sometimes called “40-bit WEP.” If you have received a key or keys but are not sure
of the method and format, see the additional explanations in step 3.
3. Double-click the WLAN that you want to join.
A window titled
New Profile will appear. It will show a suggested name for the profile
and, in a panel titled
Configuration, adapter settings that the utility has determined are
suitable for joining the WLAN.
The name and most of the settings should be left unchanged. If you need to conserve
battery power on a laptop computer, you can set the
Power Saving Mode control to
Maximum Power Save. This will make the adapter turn its receiver off and on
periodically when you are connected to this WLAN. As a result, the connection might
sometimes seem slower than usual.
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