WLAN 802.11g Cardbus User Manual Model: RB8 Version: 1.0 Jun.
Copyright Statement No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior writing of the publisher. Windows™ 98SE/2000/ME/XP are trademarks of Microsoft ® Corp. Pentium is trademark of Intel. All copyright reserved.
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 the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 4 1.1 THE WLAN 802.11 G CARDBUS ..............................................................................4 1.2 FEATURES ................................................................................................................4 1.3 KIT CONTENTS ........................................................................................................5 1.4 THE CARDBUS LEDS .............................................................................................
1. Introduction 1.1 The WLAN 802.11g Cardbus 802.11g is the 54Mbps wireless networking standard that's almost five times faster than the widely deployed 802.11b products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country — but since they share the same 2.4GHz radio band, 802.11g devices can also work with existing 11Mbps 802.11b equipment. The new 802.11g Cardbus has both standards built in, so you can connect your notebook to existing 802.
1.3 Kit Contents l WLAN 802.11g Cardbus l Installation Software CD with User’s Manual l Quick Start Guide 1.4 The Cardbus LEDs Link LED Power LED Power Link Green. The Power LED lights up when the Cardbus is powered on. Green. The Link LED lights up and stays solid when the Cardbus is inserted correctly and a link is established with the Notebook. The LED flashes when data is transmitted or received..
2. Planning Your Wireless Network 2.1 Network Topology A wireless local area network (WLAN) is exactly like a regular local area network (LAN), except that each computer in the WLAN uses a wireless device to connect to the network. Computers in a WLAN share the same frequency channel and SSID, which is an identification name for wireless devices. 2.2 Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which they may be set up: infrastructure and ad-hoc.
If the wireless network is relatively small and needs to share resources only with the other computers on the wireless network, then the ad-hoc mode can be used. (See Figure 2-2.) Ad-hoc mode allows computers equipped with wireless transmitters and receivers to communicate directly with each other, eliminating the need for an access point. The drawback of this mode is that, in Ad- Hoc mode, wireless-equipped computers are not able to communicate with computers on a wired network.
3. Software Installation and Uninstallation Note! The Installation Section in this User Manual describes the first-time installation for Windows. To re-install the driver, please first uninstall the previously installed driver. See Chapter 3.2 “Uninstallation” section in this User Manual. Note! Do Not insert the Cardbus into the Cardbus slot before the driver installation.
3. Read the License Agreement and click “Yes”. 4. Click “Next” to continue or click “Browse” to choose a destination folder. 5. Click “Next”.
6. Click “Finish”. 7. Insert the Cardbus with the Cardbus’s label facing up into the Cardbus slot 8. The Windows Operating System will find the new hardware and automatically install it. (For Windows 98SE or Windows Me, please restart your computer before inserting the Adatper). 9. You may now see the WLAN 802.11g Cardbus shortcut tray.
3.2 Additional Setup Processes During software installation procedure, each operating system may prompt different specific options. Mostly, you will be asked to add some necessary protocols and to edit some networking settings. 1. Windows 98SE: The system may request the original Windows CD during the installation process. Please check with the network administrator for the values of the settings. When the installation is finished, you’ll have to restart your computer. 2.
3.3 Disable Windows XP Zero-Configuration In Windows XP, it is recommended that you use the WLAN 802.11g Cardbus Utility. Right after the installation, before opening the Utility, please follow the steps below to disable the Windows XP Zero Configuration: 1 Go to “Control Panel” and double click “Network Connections”. 2 Right-click “Wireless Network Connection” of WLAN 802.11g Cardbus, and select “Properties”.
3.4 Uninstallation Note! Before uninstallation, please close all running programs. 1. Click Start>Programs>WLAN 802.11g Cardbus>Uninstall WLAN 802.11g Cardbus. 2. Choose “Remove”. Click “Next”. 3. Click “OK” to start Uninstall.
4. Click “Finish”. Uninstall is now completed.
4. Using the Configuration Utility 4.1 Overview Use the Configuration Utility to search for available wireless networks, connect to wireless network, or check the link status. 4.2 Accessing the Configuration Utility 1. After installing the Cardbus, the WLAN 802.11g Cardbus Configuration Utility icon will appear in your system tray. In Windows XP, please first close the XP Zero Configuration function. (Please refer to chapter 3.3) Doubleclick the icon . 2.
3. Select “Advanced” in previous page, and you will enter this window. In Wireless Networks Tab: -Enable Radio: Choose “Enable Radio” to enable radio. You usually are requested to uncheck Enable Radio while in the airplane or in the hospital. User can also find this function on system tray menu. -Available networks: List all the available networks, and you can choose the appropriated network and click “Configure”. The selected network will be listed in Preferred networks.
Fig. 4-3 6. Click “Properties” in Fig. 4-2. 7. If the selected Network is WEP enabled, you need to enter Network Key in Fig. 4-4. Contact with the Network Administrator for Network Key. Fig.
8. Select the chosen item in Fig. 4-5 to switch the network to ad hoc mode. Fig. 4-5 Note: To take the WLAN 802.11g Cardbus from your notebook, please click in windows systray.
4.3 Link Status The Link Status tab shows information of Linked Network Name, Current Channel, Current Transmission Rate, Own MAC Address, Current Connection State, Wireless Network Adapter IP Address, Network Connection Type and Signal Strength.
4.4 Site Monitor This tab gives you the information of all the available Access Points in the network, such as their signal strength and WEP status, so that you can select the Access Point with the strongest signal for better performance. You may select the appropriated “Network Name ” and click”Advanced” to see the detailed information.
4.5 Statistics This tab describes the Current Activity of the connection, such as Packet Sent and Received.
4.6 Diagnostics Click “Run” button to check errors in hardware, firmware, and software of your WLAN 802.11g Cardbus. In case of any errors occur, please print it out to present to your dealer or distributor.
4.7 Information This tab provides you the version information of Firmware, Driver and Utility.
Appendix A: Troubleshooting Common Problems and Solutions This chapter provides solutions to problems that may occur during the installation and operation of the WLAN 802.11g Cardbus. Read the descriptions below to solve your problems. 1. My computer does not recognize the Cardbus. • Make sure the Cardbus is properly inserted into the CardBus slot.
3. I cannot communicate with a wired computer linked via an access point in the infrastructure configuration. • Make sure that the notebook PC is powered on. • Make sure that the Cardbus is configured with the same SSID and security options as the other computers in the infrastructure configuration. Co Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can I run an application from a remote computer over the wireless network? This will depend on whether or not the application is designed to be used over a network.
the radio can recover the original data without the need for retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSS appears as low power wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most narrowband receivers. 5. Would the information be intercepted while transmitting on air? WLAN features two-fold protection in security. On the hardware side, as with Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum technology, it has the inherent security feature of scrambling.
original access point, it undertakes a new search. Upon finding a new access point, it then re-registers, and the communication process continues. 9. What is ISM band? The FCC and their counterparts outside of the U.S. have set aside bandwidth for unlicensed use in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band. Spectrum in the vicinity of 2.4 GHz, in particular, is being made available worldwide.
Appendix B: Glossary 802.11b – One of the IEEE standards of wireless networking hardware. Products that adhere to a specific IEEE standard will work with each other, even if they are manufactured by different companies. The 802.11b standard specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and WEP encryption for security. 802.11b networks are also referred to as Wi-Fi networks. 802.11g – Refers to the proposed extension of the IEEE 802.
DHCP uses the concept of a “lease” or amount of time that a given IP address will be valid for a computer. The lease time can vary depending on how long a user is likely to require the Internet connection at a particular location. It’s especially useful in education and other environments where users change frequently. Using very short lease, DHCP can dynamically reconfigure networks in which there are more computers than there are available IP address.
international standards. The organization publishes a number of journals, has many local chapters, and several large societies in special areas, such as the IEEE Computer Society. Infrastructure Network – An Infrastructure network is a group of computers or other devices, each with a wireless adapter, connected as an 802.11 wireless LAN. In infrastructure mode, the wireless devices communicate with each other and to a wired network by first going through an access point.
unique hardware number. mIRC – mIRC runs under Windows and provides a graphical interface for logging onto IRC servers and listing, joining and leaving channels. Network Mask – also known as the “Subnet Mask”. OFDM – Developed for wireless applications, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology offers superior performance-increased data rates and more reliable transmissions- than previous technologies, such as DSSS.
or subnets. The mask is a binary pattern that is matched up with the IP address to turn part of the host ID address field into a field for subnets. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) - A method (protocol) used along with the IP (Internet Protocol) to send data in the form of message units (datagram) between network devices over a LAN or WAN.
Appendix C: Specification Item Key specifications Main Chipset Ø Broadcom BCM4306, BCM2050 Frequency range Ø ISM band 2.4~2.497GHZ ® (Subject to local Regulations) Modulation technique Ø 802.11b: DSSS (CCK, BPSK, QPSK) Ø 802.11g: OFDM Host interface Ø Channels support Ø US/Canada/Taiwan: 11 (1 ~ 11) Ø Major European country: 13 (1 ~ 13) Ø France: 4 (10 ~ 13) Ø Japan: 13 (1~13 ) 32-bit cardbus Operation voltage Ø 3.3V +/- 5% Current consumption Ø Transmission mode <550mA @ 3.
Transfer data rate Ø Ø 802.11g: 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6Mbps, auto-fallback 802.11b: 11, 5.
