User Manual

Troubleshooting 64
Range
Every environment is unique with different obstacles, barriers, materials, etc., and,
therefore, it is difficult to determine the exact range that will be achieved without
testing. Radio signals may reflect off of some obstacles or be absorbed by others
depending on their construction.
The IEEE 802.11a specification supports eight data rates: 54 Mbps, 48 Mbps,
36 Mbps, 24 Mbps, 18 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 9 Mbps, and 6 Mbps. Harmony’s 2X mode
supports eight data rates: 108 Mbps, 96 Mbps, 72 Mbps, 48 Mbps, 36 Mbps,
24 Mbps, 18 Mbps, and 12 Mbps. Operation at 6 Mbps or 12 Mbps provides greater
range than operation at 54 Mbps or 108 Mbps.
Note: Products sold in Europe, Japan, and Singapore do not support 2X mode.
By default, a Harmony 802.11a network adapter will automatically adjust the data rate
to maintain a usable radio connection. Therefore, in 802.11a mode a client that is
close to an Access Point may operate at 54 Mbps while a client that is on the fringe of
coverage may operate at 6 Mbps.
Proper antenna placement can help improve range. Try to keep the adapter’s
antennas free of obstructions (particularly metal objects) and do not place a sheet of
metal (like a filing cabinet) between two antennas. Also, Proxim recommends that
you use the Harmony Utility to evaluate the signal strength and link quality between
802.11a devices.
CardBus Card LED Indicators
The Harmony 802.11a CardBus Card includes two green LED indicators on the top of
the card near the antenna.
These LEDs display the following behavior:
• Both LEDs are off when the adapter is not receiving power or when the Harmony
driver is not installed.
• The LEDs blink in an alternating pattern when the adapter is searching for an
Access Point (in Infrastructure mode) or Ad Hoc network (in Ad Hoc mode).
• The LEDs blink in unison every second when the adapter has associated with an
Access Point or joined an Ad Hoc network.
• When there is network activity, the LEDs blink at a faster rate; the LEDs will blink
in unison more often as the adapter’s Send or Receive Rate increases.