Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3 Package Contents ........................................................................................... Features ........................................................................................................... What is Wireless LAN? .................................................................................... Wireless LAN Modes ...................
Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the NetComm NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card. This PCI card provides you with an innovative wireless networking solution. The NP5420 is easy to set up and use, and with this wireless technology, you can share files and network resources on the network—without inconvenient wires! The Card is a network Adapter with 54Mbps data rate operating in the ISM band implementing the IEEE 802.11g standard. This Adapter provides Device Drivers for Windows Operating Systems.
Package Contents The following items should be contained in your NP5420: ❏ NetComm’s NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card and external antenna ❏ NetComm Driver / Utility CD-ROM (a copy of this user’s manual included) ❏ User Guide and Package Contents Note. If any of the above items are damaged or missing, please contact your dealer immediately. www.netcomm.com.au Page 4 Rev.
Features The NetComm NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card complies with the IEEE 802.11g specification, allowing it to communicate with other wireless devices that support the standard. Features of the NP5420 are: ■ 2.4GHz frequency band, which complies with the worldwide requirement ■ Wireless interface following the IEEE 802.
What is Wireless LAN? Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) systems offer a great number of advantages over traditional wired systems. WLAN is flexible and easy to setup and manage. Using radio frequency (RF) technology, a WLAN transmits and receives data through the air. A WLAN combines data connectivity with user mobility. For example, users can roam from a conference room to their office without being disconnected from the network.
Wireless LAN Modes Wireless LANs can be configured in one of two ways: Ad-hoc Networking Also known as a peer-to-peer network, an ad-hoc network is one that allows all workstations and computers in the network to act as servers to all other users on the network. Users on the network can share files, print to a shared printer, and access the Internet with a shared modem.
Infrastructure networking has the following advantages over ad-hoc networking: Extended range: Each wireless LAN computer within the range of the access point can communicate with other wireless LAN computers within range of the access point. Roaming: The access point enables a wireless LAN computer to move through a building and still be connected to the LAN. Wired to wireless LAN connectivity: The access point bridges the gap between wireless LANs and their wired counterparts.
Hardware Installation This section gives detailed instructions for connecting your NB5420 to a PCI slot of a desktop computer. System Requirements for the Card ■ Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP ■ Desktop computer with a CD-ROM drive ■ One free PCI slot ■ Pentium-Class 90MHz or higher Install the PCI Adapter NOTE: These instructions apply to most desktop computers. For detailed information on inserting a PCI Adapter into your desktop computer, consult the desktop computer User’s Manual.
Connecting the Adjustable Antenna to the Card After installing the Card on computer, connect external Antenna to the Card from the SMA connector. Hold the antenna in the desired orientation and then turn the lock nut clockwise until snug (do not over tighten the nut). To adjust the antenna direction, turn the nut counter clockwise one full turn, adjust the antenna and then tighten the nut.
LED Indicators The following table describes the meaning of LED indicators: LED MEANING POWER Indicates that the Card is powered on (solid green). LINK Indicates link status. The LED lights up (solid green) while the wireless connection is linked. The LED is blinking green while wireless data transmitting / receiving. Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.netcomm.com.
Driver Installation The following sections cover the installation of the NetComm NP5420 WLAN PCI Card driver in Windows Operating Systems. Note: You have to install your hardware first before you begin to install the drivers. Driver installation for Windows XP Follow the steps below to install the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card drivers for Windows XP. 1. Insert the NP5420 into a spare PCI slot in your desktop PC. (Refer to the section on Hardware installation for instructions.) 2.
4. The Windows has finished installing software for the device. Click Finish to complete the installation The system will start to install the Wireless LAN Utility. Proceed to the section on Installing and Using the Wireless Utility for information on installation and configuration. Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.netcomm.com.
Driver installation for Windows ME Follow the steps below to install the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card drivers for Windows ME. 1. Insert the NP5420 into a spare PCI slot in your desktop PC. (Refer to the section on Hardware installation for instructions.) 2. After Windows ME detects the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card, the Add New Hardware Wizard window appears. Select Automatic search for a better driver (Recommended) and insert the driver CD-ROM into CD-ROM drive and click Next to continue. 3.
After system reboot, the Wireless LAN Utility will be installed automatically. Proceed to the section on Installing and Using the Wireless Utility for information on installation and configuration. NOTE: In most cases, Windows will automatically copy all of the files needed for networking. If Windows asks you for the files and prompts you to input the path to the files. Follow the instructions on your screen, and then click OK to continue. Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.
Driver installation for Windows 2000 Follow the steps below to install the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card drivers for Windows 2000. 1. Insert the NP5420 into a spare PCI slot in your desktop PC. (Refer to the section on Hardware installation for instructions.) 2. After Windows 2000 detects the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card, the Found New Hardware Wizard window appears. Click Next to start the installation. 3. A screen appears prompting you to select an installation method.
4. Ensure that the CD-ROM driver is selected and insert the driver CD-ROM into your CDROM drive. Click Next to continue. 5. The following screen appears showing the driver search result. Click Next to continue the installation. Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.netcomm.com.
6. The following screen appears. Click Yes to continue 7. The Windows has finished installing software for the device. Click Finish to complete the installation. The system will start to install Wireless LAN Utility. Proceed to the section on Installing and Using the Wireless Utility for information on installation and configuration. www.netcomm.com.au Page 18 Rev.
Driver installation for Windows 98 Follow the steps below to install the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card drivers for Windows 98. 1. Insert the NP5420 into a spare PCI slot in your desktop PC. (Refer to the section on Hardware installation for instructions.) 2. After Windows 98 detects the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card, the Add New Hardware Wizard window appears. Clicks Next to continue the installation. 3. A screen appears prompting you to select an installation method.
4. Ensure that the CD-ROM drive is selected. Insert the driver CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive and click Next to continue. 5. The following screen appears showing the driver search result. Click Next to continue the installation. 6. Windows 98 copies files to your hard disk. The following screen will appear to inform you when the software installation has finished. Click Finish to complete the installation. www.netcomm.com.au Page 20 Rev.
7. The following screen will ask you to restart your computer to finish the installation. Click Yes to reboot the system. After system reboot, the Wireless LAN Utility will be installed automatically. Proceed to the section on Installing and Using the Wireless Utility for information on installation and configuration. NOTE: In most cases, Windows will automatically copy all of the files needed for networking. If Windows asks you for the files and prompts you to input the path to the files.
Installing and Using the WLAN Utility The following sections cover the NetComm NP5420 WLAN Utility installation and configuration. Installation in Windows After you have installed the driver, the system will start to install the NetComm NP5420 WLAN Utility. Please follow the steps below to install the utility. 1. Once you see the following screen, click Next to continue. 2. The screen will show you the default destination chosen by the utility.
3. The following screen allows you to review and change the settings before completing the installation. Click Next to continue or click Back to review or change any settings. 5. Windows has finished installing Wireless LAN Utility. Click Finish to finish the installation. Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.netcomm.com.
Using Wireless Utility In Windows XP Wireless LAN Utility There are two ways to configure the NetComm NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card. One is using the NetComm NP5420 WLAN Utility; the other one is using Windows XP’s Wireless Network Configuration. Once your NP5420 card is installed and your operating system has drivers loaded you must configure a WLAN Utility to specify the correct settings to join your Wireless LAN.
4. Make sure “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” has been selected, and then click OK button. 5. Click the Windows Wireless Network Configuration icon again to open the Connect to Wireless Network window. 6. Select an available network and click Connect button. 7. The Windows Wireless Network Configuration has been enabled. Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.netcomm.com.
8. Click Properties to start Windows Wireless Network Configuration. Using the NetComm NP5420 WLAN Utility (for Windows XP only) 1. Exit NetComm’s Wireless LAN Utility. 2. Double click Windows Wireless Network Configuration icon. 3. Click Advanced button. www.netcomm.com.au Page 26 Rev.
4. Disable “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” and click OK button. 5. Select Start -> All Programs -> 54Mbps WLAN WLAN PCI Card then click NetComm NP5420 WLAN Utility to start the Wireless LAN Utility. 6. The Wireless LAN Utility will be enabled. 7. Click Re-Scan button to start Wireless LAN Utility. (Refer to Configuring the CardBus Wireless LAN Card.) Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.netcomm.com.
Using the NetComm NP5420 WLAN Utility In Windows 98/2000/ME Wireless LAN Utility icon Icon Meaning Green indicates a connection is linked to a wireless network. Red indicates that the wireless LAN card is looking for an available access point. Double-click the icon to open the Wireless LAN Utility. Configuring the NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card Link Info This screen shows you the status of your current connection.
Configuration The profile setting allows you to save configurations in different profiles for different working environments. The default profile will contain the initial configuration setting when you install the Card. Under the Operating Mode drop-box, you may choose either Infrastructure or Ad-Hoc. The Infrastructure mode allows a wireless adapter to communicate with a wired network employing an Access Point, while the Ad-Hoc mode allows wireless-to-wireless, peer-to-peer communication.
Site Survey The list on the adjacent screen shows you available Access Points and their features. Click on the desired Access Point, then click Connect to connect or Search to search for more Access Points. Click OK when you are finished. www.netcomm.com.au Page 30 Rev.
Encryption Under the drop-box, you can choose to have WEP encryption Disabled, 64-Bit, or 128-Bit. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is an encryption scheme used to protect wireless data communication. The Disabled setting prevents the sharing of data with other computers on the WEP network. For data sharing to be enabled, select the level of encryption desired, either 64 or 128-bit. Rev. 1 - YML678 NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide www.netcomm.com.
About The “About” tab shows you copyright and version information about the driver, the configuration utility, and the firmware. www.netcomm.com.au Page 32 Rev.
Appendix A: FAQ 1. What is IEEE 802.11 standard? The IEEE 802.11 is a wireless LAN industry standard, and the objective of IEEE 802.11 is to make sure that different manufactures’ wireless LAN devices can communicate to each other. 2. What is WEP? As described in the IEEE 802.11 standard, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is a data privacy mechanism based on a 40 bit shared key algorithm. 3. My desktop PC cannot recognize the Wireless Network PCI Adapter.
Appendix B: Troubleshooting Installing Network Protocols Protocols are necessary for computers to be recognized on your network. Windows 2000 users need to check their Windows User Guides for protocol installation. Installing the Network Protocols for Windows 98 and Millennium 1. From the Start Menu, select Settings and bring up the Control Panel. From the Control Panel, double-click on the Network icon. Note: Before adding any network protocols, verify that the protocol is not already installed.
3. Once the Services window has loaded, scroll down until you see the “Wireless Zero Configuration” entry. Double click on Wireless Zero Configuration to bring up the following properties page. 4. Set the Startup Type to “Disable” and then click the button. The service will be stopped by Windows. Once this is complete, click on the OK button at the bottom of the window. 5. Now, click the is done, click the in the top right hand corner of the Services window to close it.
Appendix C: Specifications Standards: IEEE 802.11g PCI Local Bus 2.1 Compliance Channels: 11 Channels (US, Canada) 13 Channels (Europe) 14 Channels (Japan) Antenna: Dipole antenna with reversed SMA Connector Frequency: 2.4 to 2.
Cut along the line Warranty Registration Form Date of Purchase ….......…………...........………................................. Name ….......…………...........………................................. Company ….......…………...........………................................. Address ….......…………...........………................................. …………………….........……........... Tel No ( ) ..............……….…. E-mail Post Code Fax No ( ) .....………....………. ....………...………. ….......…………...........………........................
Product Warranty The warranty is granted on the following conditions: 1. This warranty extends to the original purchaser (you) and is not transferable; 2. This warranty shall not apply to software programs, batteries, power supplies, cables or other accessories supplied in or with the product; 3. The customer complies with all of the terms of any relevant agreement with NetComm and any other reasonable requirements of NetComm including producing such evidence of purchase as NetComm may require; 4.
