4-657-719-11(1) Operating Instructions 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 © 2002 Sony Corporation
WARNING To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. Owner’s Record The model and serial numbers are located on the back of the unit. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. PCWA-C500 Serial No.______________ – Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. This device compiles with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
About the supplied software THE SUPPLIED SOFTWARE IS SUPPLIED PURSUANT TO THE APPLICABLE ENDUSER LICENSE AGREEMENT. • Copyright laws prohibit reproducing the software or the software manual in whole or in part, or renting the software without the permission of the copyright holder. • In no event will SONY be liable for any financial damage or loss of profits, including claims made by third parties, arising out of the use of the software supplied with this product.
Table of contents Overview ............................................... 5 What you can do with your Wireless LAN PC Card ............. 5 System requirements ..................... 9 About manuals and Help files ............. 10 Accessing Online Help ................ 10 Getting started Unpacking ............................................ 11 Supplied software and Wireless LAN PC Card driver ................ 11 Indicators ............................................. 12 Inserting the Wireless LAN PC Card .
Overview What you can do with your Wireless LAN PC Card The 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 is a wireless network card in a PC card format. You can use the Wireless LAN PC Card to construct a wireless LAN environment for connecting multiple computers.
With Windows XP: Available networks 6
Accessing the Internet from various places in the house (with Access Point Network connection mode) Access Point Network connection mode allows you to construct a wireless network based on an Access Point (optional). By using a computer with a Wireless LAN PC Card, you can communicate with the Access Point, and share files with other computers via the Access Point.
High bit rate movie streaming playback* (with Peer to Peer Nework connection mode) Peer to Peer Network connection mode allows computers equipped with Wireless LAN PC Cards to communicate directly, without using a Wireless LAN Access Point. With this connection mode, users can share files directly from one computer to another.
System requirements To use the software provided, the following hardware and software is required.
About manuals and Help files The following manuals and Help file are provided with this product.
Unpacking Getting started Your Wireless LAN PC Card comes with the following items: • Wireless LAN PC Card • PC card case • CD-ROM (Setup disc) • Operating Instructions • Quick Start Guide for Windows Me and Windows 2000 Users • Quick Start Guide for Windows XP Users • Warranty Card • Other printed matter Supplied software and Wireless LAN PC Card driver The CD-ROM supplied with this product contains the driver software for your Wireless LAN PC Card and the Wireless Panel utility software.
Indicators 1 2 1 POWER indicator 2 NETWORK indicator Indicator modes POWER 12 NETWORK Description Blinking rapidly Communication in progress (The rate of flashing changes with the amount of data flow.) Blinking slowly in unison Standby (Data transfer is possible, however no data is being sent or received.) Alternating slow blinking Connection not established (There is no problem with the Wireless LAN PC Card, but connection has not been established.
Inserting the Wireless LAN PC Card This section explains how to insert and remove the Wireless LAN PC Card from your computer. You do not need to turn off your computer when inserting the Wireless LAN PC Card. To insert the Wireless LAN PC Card: 1 If your computer has a PC card slot protector, remove it from the computer. Some computers offer a PC card slot protector to prevent damage to the PC card slot while it is not in use. 2 Insert the Wireless LAN PC Card in the PC card slot.
If your computer is already turned on when you insert the Wireless LAN PC card, the driver installation wizard starts automatically. Refer to the Quick Start Guide for details on driver installation. To remove the Wireless LAN PC Card: 1 Close any software that is using the Wireless LAN. 2 Stop PC Card Services on the taskbar or in Control Panel. 3 Remove the Wireless LAN PC Card, following the instructions in your computer’s manual for removing PC cards.
About the software provided The CD-ROM provided contains the following software: ❑ 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card driver ❑ Wireless Panel Wireless Panel is a utility software that displays the status of wireless communications. Normally, it displays the status in the status area on the taskbar. When using an operating system other than Windows XP, Wireless Panel is also used to set up computers or switch between connection settings.
2 Double-click System. The System Properties dialog box appears. z Hint If System is not displayed, click “view all Control Panel options.” 3 Click the Device Manager tab. 4 From the View menu, select Devices by type. 5 Double-click Network adapters. 6 Double-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter Properties dialog box appears. Note The Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs: • The Sony 802.
• Double-clicking Network adapters does not display the Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. c Remove the Wireless LAN PC Card from the computer, and reinsert it. Then, reinstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. • Double-clicking Other devices displays the Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. c Click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter, and click Remove to uninstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. Then, reinstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.
3 Click the Device Manager tab, then double-click Network adapters. 4 Double-click the network card you want to disable. 5 Click the General tab, then select the Disable in this hardware profile check box. Windows 2000: 1 From the Start menu, point to Settings, then select Control Panel. The Control Panel appears. 2 Double-click System. The System Properties dialog box appears. 3 Click the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager. The Device Manager window appears.
6 Double-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter Properties dialog box appears. Software setup Note The Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs: • The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter is represented in the Device Manager list by a yellow question mark or exclamation point. c Right-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter, and click Remove to uninstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. Then, reinstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.
7 Confirm that the message “This device is working properly” is displayed under Device status. Note If the message “This device is working properly” is not displayed, the Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly. In this case, repeat steps 1 to 5, and right-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. Then click Remove to delete the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. Next, restart the computer, and reinstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. 8 Click OK. You are returned to the Device Manager window.
Windows XP: 1 From the start menu, select Control Panel. The Control Panel appears. 2 Double-click System. The System Properties dialog box appears. Software setup z Hint If the System icon is not displayed, click “Switch to Classic View”. 3 Click the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager. The Device Manager window appears. 4 From the View menu, select Devices by type. 5 Double-click Network adapters. 6 Double-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. The Sony 802.
Note The Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs: • The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter is represented in the Device Manager list by a yellow question mark or exclamation point. c Right-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter, and click Uninstall to delete the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. Then, reinstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. • Double-clicking Network adapters does not display the Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter.
When using a computer that has an Ethernet interface other than a Wireless LAN PC Card, it is recommended that you disable the Ethernet interface to avoid any unexpected difficulties. After completing all of the above steps, perform the following steps. 1 From the start menu, point to Connect To, then select Show all connections. 2 From LAN or High-Speed Internet, click to select the network card you want to disable. 3 From the File menu, select Disable.
4 From the View menu, select Devices by type. 5 Double-click Network adapters, then click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter, and click Remove. The Confirm Device Removal dialog box appears. 6 Click OK. The message “To finish removing your hardware, you must restart your computer. Do you want to restart your computer now?” appears. 7 Remove the Wireless LAN PC Card from its slot, and click Yes. The system restarts. This completes removal of the driver.
6 Click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall. The Confirm Device Removal dialog box appears. 7 Click OK. You are returned to the Device Manager window. Click Software setup 8 to close the Device Manager window. You are returned to the System Properties dialog box. 9 Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box. You are returned to the Control Panel. 10 Click to close the Control Panel. The Control Panel closes.
5 Double-click Network adapters, then double-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter Properties dialog box appears. 6 Click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall. The Confirm Device Removal dialog box appears. 7 Click OK. You are returned to the Device Manager window. 8 Click to close the Device Manager window. You are returned to the System Properties dialog box. 9 Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box. You are returned to the Control Panel.
3 Click 5GHz Wireless LAN, then click Add/Remove. The Confirm File Deletion dialog box appears. 4 Click OK. The program is removed, and the Maintenance Complete dialog box appears. Software setup Note If the ReadOnly File Detected dialog box appears, click Yes to delete the file. 5 Click Finish. Note If the Shared File Detected dialog box appears, it is recommended that you click No and keep shared files. Windows 2000: Notes • Log on to Windows 2000 as one of the Administrators.
5 Click Finish. Note If the Shared File Detected dialog box appears, it is recommended that you click No and keep shared files. Windows XP: Notes • Log on to Windows XP using an account with computer administrator privileges. • Close all programs before removing the Wireless Panel. 1 From the start menu, select Control Panel. The Control Panel appears. 2 Click Add or Remove Programs. (If the Control Panel is set to Classic View, double-click Add or Remove Programs.) Add or Remove Programs appears.
Initial settings for constructing a wireless LAN Windows Me or Windows 2000 When you install the Wireless Panel onto your computer for the first time, the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard starts automatically after you have installed the Wireless Panel. This wizard makes it easy to set up an initial wireless LAN configuration. Wireless LAN connection z Hints • To close the wizard, click Cancel.
1 Select the Use Easy Setup Wizard check box, and click Next. The Connection mode panel appears. 2 Select Access Point Network, and click Next. The Network Setup panel appears. 3 Configure Nickname, Network, and WEP. Items to be configured: • Nickname This is the nickname for the network. You can enter up to 20 ASCII characters (alphanumeric characters, and may include symbols) for the Nickname.
• Network Name The Network Name is an ID used to identify wireless networks, and is also referred to as the “SSID”. When connecting to a 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500 that is set to the factory default settings, enter the factory default Network Name for Access Point that is printed on the ID label at the rear of the device. When connecting to a Peer to Peer network, enter the same name for all computers connected to that network.
[ASCII/Hex] This is the format for entering the password (WEP key) required when connecting to networks where WEP is enabled. You can select ASCII (alphanumeric characters, and may include symbols) or Hex (hexadecimal notation). [Length] This is the length (bit length) for the WEP key (password) required when connecting to networks where WEP is enabled. You can select from 40 bits or 104 bits. Generally, the longer the bit length, the better the security.
5 Confirm your settings, then click Next. The Connected with access point panel appears when communication with the Access Point is established. (It may take some time before a connection is established.) Wireless LAN connection Note If an error message is displayed, the settings are not correct. Read the error message carefully, and click Back to correct the settings. 6 When the Access Point settings are complete: 1 Uncheck the Change access point settings check box, and click Next.
Notes • If your web browser is configured to use a web proxy server, set the web browser proxy setting so that the browser does not use a proxy server for the Access Point IP address. (The factory default Access Point IP address is 192.168.11.1.) • Depending on the firmware version of the Access Point, the Access Point setup page may differ from the following screen. 7 Set up the Access Point following the onscreen instructions.
9 Change the computer settings to match those you set for the Access Point. 10 Click Next. The settings that you selected are displayed. 11 Confirm your settings, then click Next. Communication with the Access Point is established. z Hint 12 Wireless LAN connection Refer to the Windows Help or your Windows documentation for information on sharing files and printers over networks. Click Next. The Completing the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard panel appears. 13 Click Finish.
3 When all of the items are set, click Next. The settings that you have made are displayed. 4 Confirm your settings, then click Next. Your settings are saved. This may take several minutes. 5 When the Completing the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard panel appears, click Finish. 6 Configure each computer to be included on this peer to peer wireless network with the settings you entered above. This completes all of the necessary settings.
Windows XP Note Before configuring the Wireless LAN PC Card Perform the following steps to confirm that the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is selected. This option is selected as the default setting. 1 From the Start menu, select Control Panel, then double-click Network Connections. 2 Right-click Wireless Network Connection, and click Properties. 3 Click the Wireless Network tab.
Note Refer to the Wireless Panel Online Help on how to register additional networks. 4 From Available Networks list in Connect to Wireless Network, click the network that you want to connect to. z Hint Network Names of Access Points within communication range are listed in Available Networks. The factory default Network Name of the Access Point is printed on the ID label at the rear of the Access Point, but the Access Point can be configured to use a different Network Name.
6 Click Connect. Communication with the Access Point is established. If you are not going to change the Access Point settings, this completes all the necessary settings. If you want to change the Access Point settings, follow the instructions below. Note To use Access Point to connect to the Internet, you must change the Access Point factory default settings. 7 Click AP Setting on the Wireless Panel. Your web browser starts and displays the Access Point setup page.
8 Set up the Access Point following the onscreen instructions. z Hint To use the online help, click the question mark icon on the page. WARNING If you change the Network Name (SSID) or WEP settings for the Access Point, communication between the Access Point and the computer will be lost because the Access Point and computer settings do not match. If this occurs, change the computer settings to match those you set for the Access Point.
3 When the computer is connected to a wireless network: Double-click the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar to display the Wireless Panel and click Network List to display the Network Connections window. Then, right-click “Wireless Connection * ” (where the asterisk represents a number. This number varies according to conditions) and select Available Networks from the shortcut menu.
5 42 Click the Wireless Networks tab.
6 Click Add. The Wireless Network Properties dialog box appears. Wireless LAN connection 7 Enter a Network name (SSID) for this network (up to 32 characters, and may include symbols). The Network name is an ID used to identify wireless networks, and is also referred to as the “SSID”. When connecting to a Peer to Peer network, enter the same name for all computers connected to that network. You can enter up to 32 ASCII characters (alphanumeric characters, and may include symbols) for the Network name.
8 Select the Data Encryption (WEP enabled( check box, and clear the The key is provided for me automatically check box. Note WEP is a function designed to prevent unauthorized access to your network data. When the Data Encryption (WEP enabled) check box is not selected, data is not encrypted. While you can set up a wireless network without encryption, selecting this checkbox makes your network more secure. 9 Enter the password (WEP key) in the Network key field.
Viewing communication status Viewing the signal reception level You can check the level of the signal you are receiving using the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar. Wireless LAN connection Received Signal Level indicator Communication status indicator icons for the Access Point: Excellent Good Intermediate Acceptable Poor Out of range No card (The wireless LAN PC card is not installed, was not properly recognized, or has been disabled.
Viewing detailed network information You can use the Wireless Panel utility to view detailed information about the network your computer is connected to. Double-click the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar. The Wireless Panel main screen appears, indicating the status of the network that your computer is connected to. For details on each item on the main screen, see page 48.
Using Wireless Panel Wireless Panel is software for displaying the status of wireless communications. Normally, it runs in the background, displaying the status of your wireless connection as an icon on the taskbar. You can get more detailed connection information by displaying its main screen. When using an operating system other than Windows XP, Wireless Panel is also used to set up computers or switch between connection settings.
Displaying the main screen of the Wireless Panel To display the main screen of the Wireless Panel, double-click the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar. The main screen of the Wireless Panel appears, displaying the status of the network that your computer is connected to. z Hints • For details on the Received Signal Level indicator, see “Viewing communication status” on page 45. • Move the mouse pointer over each item of the Wireless Panel to display a short description of that item.
Status tab 1 Wireless LAN connection 2 3 1 4 5 Wireless Status This area displays the communication status of the Wireless Panel. Nickname The Nickname of the network that computer is currently connected to. (Created by the user.) If the Nickname is longer than 13 characters, the first 12 characters are displayed and remaining characters are denoted by an ellipsis (...). Note Nickname is not displayed when the Wireless Panel is running on Windows XP. Network Name Unique ID for Wireless Network.
Rate Indicates the data transfer rate. Frequency Indicates the communication channel and frequency currently being used. Connection mode Indicates the connection mode for the connected network. “AP Network” is displayed if the network uses Access Point, and “Peer to Peer” is displayed if the network consists only of computers connecting directly without an Access Point. Signal Level Indicates the signal level as a bar graph. Frames Sent Indicates the number of network data frames that have been sent.
AP Scan tab 1 1 3 Wireless LAN connection 2 4 Wireless Status Displays all networks operating within the communication range of your computer. Selected In this column, “>>>” indicates the currently selected Access Point. Nickname Nicknames for networks registered in the Wireless Panel. For networks not registered in Wireless Panel, this column is blank. Note Nickname is not displayed when you are using Windows XP. Network Name Unique ID for each Wireless Network.
WEP Indicates whether the data is encrypted or not. Ch Displays the network channel that is currently being used by the network. 2 Network List button / Network Registration button Windows Me/2000: Network List When none of the networks on the list is selected, this button appears as Network List. Clicking the Network List button opens the Network List box, allowing you to add or remove networks from the list.
3 Scan button Clicking the Scan button updates the Network List by searching for all wireless networks that are currently in range. Note This button is not displayed when you are using Windows Me. 4 AP Setup button View the status or change the setting of the Access Point by accessing the Access Point’s internal configuration web server. When using the Peer to Peer Network connection mode, which does not use an Access Point, this button cannot be used.
Signal Log tab 1 2 1 Signal Log Displays the signal status and signal rate for signals as a graph. The red line indicates the data reception rate, the green line the transmission rate, and the blue line the signal level (strength). 2 Wide Plot button / Narrow Plot button This button toggles between the Wide Plot and the Narrow Plot display modes. When in Narrow Plot mode, click the Wide Plot button to increase the width of the window.
Precautions Safety Do not drop or cause a mechanical shock to the 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500, as this may damage the unit. Cleaning Clean the casing with a soft cloth, lightly moistened with water or a mild detergent solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder, or solvent such as alcohol or benzene as it may damage the finish of the casing.
Specifications Getting help Protocol support This section describes how to get help and support from Sony, as well as troubleshooting tips for your Wireless LAN PC Card. TCP/IP compliant Standard IEEE802.11a/IEEE802.11 Radio frequency About Sony’s Support Options 5.15 to 5.35 GHz Modulation method OFDM (IEEE802.11a compliant) General Power requirements 3.
❒ The Sony fax-back service provides you with answers to commonly asked questions. You can use this automated service to request a list of available topics then select the topics you want to receive. To contact the Sony fax-back service, call 1-877-760-7669. ❒ The Sony Customer Information Services Center offers information about your 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500, Wireless LAN PC Card, and other Sony products that work with your computer.
LAN (Local Area Network) WAN (Wide Area Network) A network which is accessible only to its members, unlike the Internet which is open to an unlimited number of people. A LAN may be built for different purposes. For example, you can build an office LAN that is accessible only to members of the same department or a home LAN that is accessible only to family members. A network that interconnects remote LANs through the Internet or telephone lines.
Troubleshooting Read the Troubleshooting section of this guide before calling Sony Customer Information Services. If you still cannot resolve your issue after reading this section, call Sony Customer Information Services. Symptom Cause/Remedy My computer does not detect the Wireless LAN PC Card. c The Wireless LAN PC Card may not be properly inserted into the PC card slot of your computer. Check that the Wireless LAN PC Card is inserted in the proper direction, then push it in as far as it will go.
Symptom I cannot remember the WEP Key. Cause/Remedy c When using an Access Point, reset the Access Point to its defaults. For further information about how to reset the Access Point, see the Access Point Operating Instructions. c When using a Wireless LAN PC Card in Peer to Peer Connection Mode, delete the network settings registered on each computer connected to the network, then reconfigure the computer’s wireless network settings.
❒ The Sony e-mail support service answers your questions by electronic mail. Just send your question in an e-mail message and a customer service representative will reply. To send a question to Sony e-mail support, fill out the e-mail form at http://www.sony.com/wirelesslansupport/ ❒ The Sony fax-back service provides you with answers to commonly asked questions. You can use this automated service to request a list of available topics and then select the topics you want to receive.
