3Com 3CRWE73796B User Manual

AirConnect

®

11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card
User Guide

Version 2.0

http://www.3com.com/
http://www.3com.com/productreg

Part No. 09-2046-000
Published December 2000

3Com Corporation
Bayfront Plaza
Clara, California
95052-8145

■

Santa

■

U.S.A.

■

■

5400

Copyright © 2000 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be
reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation,
transformation, or adaptation) without written permission from 3Com Corporation.

3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from
time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or
change.

3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty, term, or condition of any kind, either
implied or expressed, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties, terms or conditions of
merchantability, satisfactory quality, and fitness for a particular purpose. 3Com may make improvements or
changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this documentation at any time.

If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation, it is furnished under a license
agreement included with the product as a separate document, in the hard copy documentation, or on the
removable media in a directory file named LICENSE.TXT or !LICENSE.TXT. If you are unable to locate a copy,
please contact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND

If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation and the software described herein
are provided to you subject to the following:

All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense.
Software is delivered as “Commercial Computer Software” as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014 (June 1995)
or as a “commercial item” as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are
provided in 3Com’s standard commercial license for the Software. Technical data is provided with limited
rights only as provided in DFAR 252.227-7015 (Nov 1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is
applicable. You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program
or documentation contained in, or delivered to you in conjunction with, this User Guide.

Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may
not be registered in other countries.

3Com and AirConnect are registered trademarks and the 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation.

Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are
associated.

EXPORT RESTRICTIONS: This product or software contains encryption code which may not be exported or

transferred from the U.S. or Canada without an approved US Department of Commerce export license.

C

ONTENTS

1

2

EFORE

B

Introduction 1
Features 1
Installation Overview 2
Disk Factory 3

OFTWARE

S

Introduction 4
Installation Notes 4

Windows 98 4
Windows 95 4
Windows NT 4.0 4

Windows CE 4
Before Installing the Drivers 5
Installing the Drivers 5
Installing the Card Software 6
Installing the Documentation 6
Product Registration and Support 6
Uninstalling the Card 6

Removing Card Software 7

Removing the Card 7
Troubleshooting 7

OU

Y

B

NSTALLATION

I

EGIN

NSTALLING

3

I

Before Installing the Driver 8
Installing the Driver 8
Setup With Networking Installed 9
Setup with No Networking Installed 9
Configuring the Adapter 9
Troubleshooting 10

4

I

NSTALLATION

Introduction 11
Installation Procedure 11

Transferring AirConnect Files to Your Mobile Device 11

Configuring AirConnect on Your Mobile Device 12

INDOWS

W

FOR

W

INDOWS

NT D

RIVERS

CE

OFTWARE

5

S

Introduction 13
Easy Setup 13
Status 14

Settings 15
Connection 15

Adapter Information 16
Firmware Upgrade 17
Encryption 17

Encryption Configuration Requirements 17

Enabling Encryption on the Wireless Client 17

Encryption Upgrade Access Codes 18

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me 18
Windows 2000 18
Windows NT 4.0 18

Ad Hoc Operation 19

802.11 Ad Hoc 19

Proprietary Ad Hoc 19

Testing Ad Hoc Operation 19

6

I

NSTALLING

Installing the PC Card 20
Wireless PC Card LED 20
Removing the PC Card 21

ONFIGURATION

C

THE

PC C

ARD

, T

OOLS

AND

,

TILITIES

U

U

7

A

PGRADE

Introduction 22
Windows 95B (OSR 2) Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure 22
Windows Me, Windows 98, and Windows 98SE Wireless Client Upgrade

Procedure 23
Windows NT 4.0 Workstation/Server Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure 24
Windows 2000 Professional Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure 25

T

ECHNICAL

Online Technical Services 27

World Wide Web Site 27

3Com FTP Site 27
Support from Your Network Supplier 27
Support from 3Com 28
Returning Products for Repair 29

P

ROCEDURES

S

UPPORT

NDEX

I

ARRANTY

W

3Com Corporation Limited Warranty 32
Regulatory Compliance Information 33
3Com End User Software License Agreement 34

AND

EGULATORY

R

OMPLIANCE

C

1

Introduction

Features

B

EFORE

The AirConnect
networks, but without the restraints of network cables. The AirConnect product
family includes the 3CRWE73796B wireless PC Card described in this manual.

AirConnect adapters use IEEE 802.11 B direct-sequence-based technology to
extend the range and versatility of a network. They provide a high-capacity link
across multiple access points within large or small indoor environments.
AirConnect product-family features include:

■

A bridging architecture that allows communication between wired network
devices and mobile devices.

■

Compliance with IEEE 802.11 B specification, an open architecture that allows
AirConnect devices to communicate with wireless devices from other
manufacturers.

Y

®

wireless network offers performance comparable to Ethernet

OU

B

EGIN

■

Extended roaming to allow mobile devices to roam throughout large facilities
while remaining connected to the LAN.

■

Ad hoc mode that allows notebook PC users to create an instant network to
share data anywhere and anytime without the need for an access point.

AirConnect PC Card operating features include:

■

Support for standard NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification) and drivers.

Support for Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows 2000, Windows 98,

■

Windows 95B (OSR 2), Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 3.0 or greater), and
Windows CE 2.11 and 3.0.

Card and Socket Services support, including SystemSoft, CardSoft, and

■

CardWizard.

Plug and Play support.

■

Power management.

■

■

Low-power operation for battery-powered devices with PC Card slots.

Installation Overview 2

AirConnect Wireless LAN cards support a maximum data rate of 11 Mbps. (The
data rate drops back to 5.5, 2, or 1 Mbps when the adapter cannot establish or
maintain an 11 Mbps association.) Factors that can affect the data rate include:

■

A separation or change in signal strength between the Access Point and the
wireless client

■

The ratio of packets transmitted to transmissions attempted falling below a
preset threshold

■

The wireless client finding and switching to another Access Point with a higher
transmit rate

Roaming means the AirConnect PC Card will maintain your network connection
as you roam between Access Points in the same subnet. You can also roam across
routers, depending on how your extended roaming configuration is set. When
configured for extended roaming, the wireless client retains its network address as
it moves between subnets, between Ethernet segments, or from an Ethernet
segment to a wireless LAN. See “Easy Setup” on page 13 for details.

Installation Overview

The wireless LAN PC Card supports

Continuous Active and Power Save Polling

power-management modes.

■

In Continuous Active Mode , the radio that establishes and maintains the link to
the network remains on. Continuous Active mode is not recommended for
battery powered devices.

Power Save Polling conserves power by suspending the adapter’s

■

communication with an associated access point. The access point saves data
for transmission to the wireless client when it wakes at given intervals. When
the adapter wakes to check for data, it switches back into

Mode

until it is ready to suspend communications again.

Continuous Active

Installing the AirConnect wireless network PC Card involves these tasks:

Running the Setup program from the Installation CD . See “Installing the

■

Drivers” on page 5.

Installing the PC Card. Do not install the card until instructed to do so by the

■

setup software. The procedure for installing the PC Card is described in
“Installing the PC Card” on page 20.

Installing the software, including the drivers for the card and the AirConnect

■

software utilities. See “Installing the Card Software” on page 6.

If you are reading this manual from the CD and want to install it on your hard
disk for easier access, see “Installing the Documentation” on page 6.

The card installation procedure covers basic configuration. For advanced

■

configuration options, or to explore the utilities available for managing and
configuring the card, see “Software Configuration, Tools, and Utilities” on
page 13.

HAPTER

C

1: B

EFORE

Y

OU

3

1

EGIN

B

Disk Factory

If you are installing the software on a computer that does not have a CD-ROM
drive, or if you choose to install the drivers manually, you will have to make
diskettes from the

Installation CD . The setup application includes Disk Factory, a

utility for creating disks from CD. To use disk factory, you need access to a
computer with a CD-ROM drive and a floppy drive.

For a transfer of the driver software to a diskette, prepare a diskette labeled

Drivers.

For a transfer of the application software to diskette, prepare three disks labeled
as follows:

AirConnect Application Disk 1

AirConnect Application Disk 2

AirConnect Application Disk 3

2 Put the Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive. The SETUP program should start

automatically. If it does not start, you can run it manually by selecting Run from
the Start menu.

3 Select Create Diskettes.

4 In the Disk Factory window, click Next.

5 Select the software you want to transfer to diskette. If you select All, you will need

four floppy diskettes.

6 Select the action, for example, Create and Verify Disks, and click Next.

7 When you are ready to install the application software from diskette, put

AirConnect Application Disk 1 in the floppy drive and run SETUP.

If you are installing the drivers manually, use the Drivers diskette when the setup
wizard for your operating system prompts for drivers supplied by the
manufacturer.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

2

Introduction Use the procedures described in this chapter to install the AirConnect wireless PC

Card software and drivers under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, and
Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me).

Installation Notes The following paragraphs described special considerations for particular operating

systems.

Windows 98

Windows 95 Windows 95 users should note that the AirConnect wireless PC Card runs under

Windows NT 4.0 Windows NT 4.0 users should refer to the driver installation instructions described

■ Installation under Windows 98 may result in a fatal error caused by the

UHCD.SYS file in the Windows 98 operating system. To avoid this problem, you
should update the UHCD.SYS file from v4.10.1998 to v4.10.2000. This update
is available from the following web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/
WURecommended/systemupdata/Default.asp

■ Note that the final Windows 98 installation screen may take 30-60 seconds to

appear. Do not interrupt the installation if the PC appears to be taking too
much time to complete the installation.

Windows 95 version B (OSR 2) or higher. If you do not know which version of
Windows 95 is installed on your computer, follow these steps:

1 In the Control Panel, double-click System to display the System Properties dialog

box.

2 Click the General Tab to display the Windows 95 version information.

Version B (also known as OSR 2) is identified as 4.00.950b.

in “Installing Windows NT Drivers” on page 8.

Windows CE Windows CE users should refer to the “Installation for Windows CE” section.

Drivers for other operating systems are located at the 3Com Customer Support
Web site at:

http://support.3com.com

5 CHAPTER 2: SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

Before Installing the Drivers

Before installing the Windows 98 driver, you will need a copy of the Windows 98
installation media supplied with your computer or operating system. On many
Windows 98 systems, instead of a CD, the installation files are archived on the
hard disk in C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS. On Windows 2000 systems, you
may be prompted to load operating system files from the Windows 2000
installation disk.

You will also need the AirConnect Installation CD supplied with your AirConnect
wireless PC Card. Along with other utilities, the Installation CD installs the
AirConnect Network Configuration Properties Application in the Control Panel on
your system. Use this application to view and edit AirConnect WLAN adapter
settings.

If your site requires installation using diskettes, see “Disk Factory” on page 3.
Where the driver installation procedure mentions the Installation CD and CD-ROM
drive, use the diskettes and the floppy drive instead.

Installing the Drivers The following procedure is for installing drivers under Windows 95B (OSR 2),

Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows Me.

1 Turn on your computer.

2 Put the Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive.

The setup program should start automatically. If it does not start, you can run it
manually by selecting Run from the Start menu.

3 From the 3Com AirConnect WLAN Installer, select Install AirConnect WLAN

Adapter. Follow the instructions as they appear.

4 When prompted to insert the AirConnect PC Card, insert the card into the

notebook PC slot as described in “Installing the PC Card” on page 20.

The driver installation procedure will guide you through the steps standard for
your operating system. You will be asked to supply a CD or directory path
information for the Installation CD and your operating system software.

As part of the driver installation process, the setup program will install and open
the Network application in the Control Panel.

5 Enter the name of the Wireless LAN Service Area of the wireless network to which

your computer will connect. The name you enter here must match exactly the
name assigned to the access point. Characters, capitalization, and spacing must
be identical.

6 Save the configuration settings and exit by clicking OK.

7 Restart your computer.

Installing the Card Software

Installing the Card Software 6

1 When the system reboots, restart the setup program and install any other

components required.

3Com recommends that you install the wireless LAN applications so you can
access the WLAN utilities described in Chapter 5.

2 Restart your computer for changes to take effect.

Installing the Documentation

Product Registration and Support

If you are reading this manual from the CD, you may want to install it on your hard
disk using the following procedure:

1 Put the Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive. The Setup program will start

automatically.

If the Setup program does not start, use Start/Run to run the SETUP.EXE program
from CD-ROM drive.

2 Select Documentation.

You can view the manuals from the CD.

3 To install the manuals on your hard disk, select Install User Documentation. Follow

the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

4 Exit the setup program.

You can open the manuals from the AirConnect program group.

To register this product with 3Com, go to the following Web page:

http://www.3com.com/productreg/index.html

For support information and pointers to the latest drivers and utilities available for
the AirConnect wireless PC network interface card, go to the following Web page:

http://support.3com.com

Uninstalling the Card If the card installation is unsuccessful for any reason, your best course may be

to completely uninstall the AirConnect wireless PC Card and its software and
repeat the installation procedure.

Previous installations or interrupted installation attempts sometimes leave
problems that affect card operation. Possible problems include:

■ The card functions not working.

■ Windows 98 not detecting the card.

■ The system issuing a warning tone at startup.

You can remove the card and driver files using the procedures below.

7 CHAPTER 2: SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

Removing Card

Software

Removing the Card

Troubleshooting

Open Control Panel/System/Device Manager. Select the AirConnect WLAN NIC
card components and click Remove.

Using the Device Manager to remove the card will uninstall the driver files.

CAUTION: Exit any networking applications before removing the card.

When removing the PC Card, use the release lever or button on your card slot to
release the card. When pulling out the card, do not pull on the antenna. Refer to
“Removing the PC Card” on page 21.

Symptom Solution

Weak signal or intermittent
connection.

Windows does not recognize the
adapter when installed.

Driver fails to load. A resource conflict could exist. Use the Device Manager to

Workstation cannot attach to the
network.

Network drive mappings disappear
when the notebook suspends or
the adapter is removed then
reinserted.

Nonfunctioning PC adapter LED. Verify that the Wireless LAN Service Area ID matches the

Try reorienting the antenna. The PC Card antenna is
attached to the end of the card. For best use of the
antenna:

■ Keep the area around the antenna clear from

materials that could block radio transmission, such as
metal objects, electronic devices, and cordless
telephones.

■ If your signal is weak, change the direction of the

antenna slightly.

■ If necessary, move your computer a few inches to find

a better signal. Depending on your environment, a
difference of one or two inches can mean the
difference between a strong and a weak signal. See
“Status” on page 14 for details.

Use the Signal Strength display in the AirConnect Status
application to determine the best location and orientation
for a network connection. See “Connection” on page 15
for information on monitoring your AirConnect
connection.

Verify that PCMCIA support is installed.

Check whether the computer has a Plug and Play BIOS.

Check whether an AirConnect adapter is already in use.

resolve resource conflicts. Select System from the Control
Panel, then click on the Device Manager tab.

Verify that the adapter Wireless LAN Service Area ID
matches the access point ID. See “Easy Setup” on
page 13

Verify that the adapter Data Rate is configured properly
for the access point.

Windows 98 will not restore NetWare network drive
mappings under these conditions. Log out and log in
again, or restart the machine to restore the connections.

access point ID.

3

INSTALLING WINDOWS NT DRIVERS

Before Installing the Driver

Installing the Driver Point enabler installation is a basic, manual installation procedure that will work

Before installing the driver, you will need a copy of the Windows NT 4.0
installation media supplied with your computer or operating system.

You will also need the AirConnect Installation CD supplied with your AirConnect
wireless PC Card. Along with other utilities, the Installation CD installs the
AirConnect Network Configuration Properties Application in the Control Panel on
your system. Use this application to view and edit AirConnect WLAN adapter
settings.

If your site requires installation using diskettes, see “Disk Factory” on page 3.
Where the driver installation procedure mentions the Installation CD and CD-ROM
drive, use the diskettes and the floppy drive instead.

For Windows NT 4.0 installation, you must have Service Pack 4 or later installed
on your computer. After installation, you may need to reinstall the Service Pack
software to update NT network files and eliminate error messages in the Event
Viewer. Contact your Network Administrator or Microsoft if you do not have the
current Service Pack.

on nearly all configurations, including systems with third-party card and socket
services installed.

1 Install the card as described in “Installing the PC Card” on page 20.

2 Power up the system.

3 When the Windows NT Setup dialog box appears, click Select from list for

Network Adapters.

4 In the Select Network Adapters dialog box, click Have Disk.

5 Put the Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive. Make sure the path to the CD-ROM

drive is indicated and click OK.

6 When the Select OEM option dialog box appears, select AirConnect WLAN PC

Card and click OK.

7 At the Windows NT Setup dialog box, click Next to continue.

8 When the Windows NT Setup dialog box appears, select the appropriate Network

Protocols and Network Services. If you are unsure about what to select, ask your
MIS representative.

9 Click Next, and Next again to start the network installation.

10 Click Next to start the installed network configuration.

9 CHAPTER 3: INSTALLING WINDOWS NT DRIVERS

Setup With Networking Installed

Setup with No Networking Installed

If networking is already installed on your system:

1 Power up and log into the system.

2 Open the Control Panel.

3 Double-click Network and select the Adapters tab.

4 Select the AirConnect PC Card and click Update.

5 Put the Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive.

6 Click OK to select the default path to the driver files.

When prompted, remove the installation disk. Click OK to continue.

7 Click Close to exit the Network applet.

8 Remove the Installation CD and click Yes to restart the system.

Before beginning this procedure, note that you must have Administrator group
privileges to install network components.

1 Open the Control Panel and double-click the Network icon.

2 The Network Configuration dialog box prompts for Windows NT Networking

installation, click Yes.

3 Check Wired to the network when the Network Setup Wizard dialog box appears.

Click Next to continue.

Configuring the
Adapter

4 When the Network Setup Wizard dialog box prompts for a network installation,

click Select from list.

5 From the Adapter dialog box, click Have Disk.

6 Put the Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive, specify the path to the CD-ROM

drive, and click OK.

7 Select the AirConnect PC Card and click OK.

8 When the Network Setup Wizard reappears, click Next.

9 The Protocols display shows protocol choices. Select the protocols that apply and

click Next.

10 Click Next to scroll through the next two dialog boxes.

The Network Setup Wizard displays the Windows NT Setup dialog box requesting
Windows NT files.

11 Enter the path name of the Windows NT distribution files (E:\ for CD-based

installation), click Next.

Configure the adapter using the Easy Configuration dialog box. Before
configuring the adapter, you will need ask your MIS department for the Wireless
LAN Service Area ID for your access point network.

1 Open the Control Panel and double-click the Network application.

2 Select the 3Com WLAN Adapter and select Properties.

3 Set the Wireless LAN Service Area ID to the desired network access point.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting 10

4 Click Advanced.

5 Select the WLAN Adapter tab from the AirConnect WLAN Advanced Properties

dialog box.

6 Configure the hardware and radio link parameters for the AirConnect WLAN

adapter.

7 Save the configuration settings by clicking OK before you exit.

Symptom Solution

Weak signal or intermittent
connection.

A resource conflict (usually IRQ or
I/O base address) caused the driver
not to load.

No resource conflicts were
detected, but the system does not
attach to the network.

Try reorienting the antenna. The PC Card antenna is
attached to the end of the card. For best use of the
antenna:

■ Keep the area around the antenna clear from materials

that could block radio transmission, such as metal
objects, electronic devices, and cordless telephones.

■ If your signal is weak, change the direction of the

antenna slightly.

■ If necessary, move your computer a few inches to find

a better signal. Depending on your environment, a
difference of one or two inches can mean the difference
between a strong and a weak signal. See “Status” on
page 14 for details.

Use the Signal Strength display in the AirConnect Status
application to determine the best location and orientation
for a network connection. See “Connection” on page 15
for information on monitoring your AirConnect connection.

Check Service Monitor entries in the System Log to look for
the conflicts.

Use the Windows NT Diagnostics program to locate a
free resource.

Verify that the adapter’s Wireless LAN Service ID matches
that of the access point. Use the Network Configuration
Properties Application in the Control Panel to modify the
Wireless LAN Service ID.

Verify the Mandatory BSSID setting of the adapter is set to
0 or matches the BSSID of the Access Point. Use the Easy
Setup Advanced options to modify the ID. See “Easy
Setup” on page 13.

Verify the adapter data rate is configured properly for the
access point.

INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS CE

4

Introduction To install AirConnect on your mobile device (handheld PC), you will need the

AirConnect Installation CD supplied with your AirConnect PC Card. Along with
other utilities, the Installation CD installs the AirConnect Network Configuration
Properties Application in the Control Panel on your system. Use this application to
view and edit AirConnect WLAN adapter settings.

You will also need a desktop or notebook PC to transfer AirConnect files to your
mobile device.

If your site requires installation using diskettes, see “Disk Factory” on page 3.
Where the driver installation procedure mentions the Installation CD and
and CD-ROM drive, use the diskettes and the floppy drive instead.

For Windows CE installation, you must have ActiveSync installed on the desktop
or notebook PC from which you will transfer files.

Installation Procedure The AirConnect installation procedure consists of two major steps: transferring the

AirConnect files to your mobile device, and configuring the AirConnect settings.

Transferring AirConnect

Files to Your Mobile

Device

1 Connect the mobile device to the desktop or notebook PC from which you will

transfer files. Use the appropriate cable supplied with your mobile device. The
ActiveSync window opens when it detects the link.

2 Insert the Installation CD into the desktop or notebook PC.

3 From the Installation CD, run the file WinCE\AirConnectNormal.

4 Follow the instructions on the screen.

5 When prompted, select the default directory to continue the installation. The

installation process begins and may take a few minutes to load the application
files onto your mobile device.

6 When the file transfer finishes, a message box appears instructing you to check

your mobile device screen for additional steps to be taken to complete the
installation. Click OK to close the message box.

Installation Procedure 12

Configuring AirConnect

on Your Mobile Device

After the AirConnect files have finished transferring, the 3Com AirConnect WLAN
Easy Setup screen appears on the display of your mobile device.

1 Click OK when a message box appears on the screen.

2 Insert the PC Card into the PC Card slot on your handheld PC.

3 Enter the IP address when prompted.

4 Perform a soft reset of your mobile device according to the manufacturer’s

instructions.

SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION, TOOLS,

5

Introduction The AirConnect wireless PC Card software includes three groups of utilities. The

Easy Setup Easy Setup lets you set common configuration parameters for the AirConnect

AND UTILITIES

best way to familiarize yourself with the software, the information it provides, and
the options you can change, is to open and browse through the applications
themselves. If you hold the cursor over an icon or item, a popup window will
identify it for you. Help is available throughout the applications.

wireless PC card.

1 Open the Control Panel and double-click the Network application.

2 Select the 3Com WLAN Adapter and select Properties.

■ Wireless LAN Service Area lets you specify the ID for the Access Point you will

connect to.

■ Advanced Properties lets you set more advanced options in their WLAN adapter

configuration.

You can also access the Advanced Properties settings through the Network
application located in the control panel. Advanced Properties include:

■ Wireless Client lets you set the two most common settings for the WLAN

adapter, Wireless LAN Service Area, and Power Management settings.

Wireless LAN Service Area is equivalent to the 802.11 parameter ESSID. The
initial value was set when you ran the 3Com Wireless Easy Setup application.

■ Power Management is a slider that controls how you trade off performance

and power management for the adapter. The system polls the other wireless
devices on the network to determine if any traffic exists for this PC. To save
power, increase the interval between polls.

■ Mobile IP lets you enable and configure extended roaming between routers.

To enable extended roaming, check the Mobile IP check box. When this box
is checked, the Home Agent IP Address, Mobile Home MD5 Key, Registration
Timeout, and Delay Time fields are enabled.

For extended roaming to work, you must use a static IP address.

Home Agent IP Address lets you register your wireless client with your home

access point through a foreign subnet access point (commonly called a foreign
agent) and tell the Foreign Access Point where your home access point is
located.

Status 14

Mobile Home MD5 Key is a password that protects your registration packets

from being tampered with by others while they are being forwarded to your
home access point. It should match the MD5 key on the Access Point of your
home subnet.

Registration Timeout (5 to 3600 seconds) tells the wireless client how often it
needs to reregister with the Home Agent. When a wireless client registers with
the home agent through a foreign agent, the registration has an expiration
time associated with it - the Registration Timeout value. The default value is 60
seconds. If the wireless client does not reregister in the time allowed, the home
agent will remove the wireless client from its list of registered wireless clients
when the time expires.

Delay Time is the amount of time (1 to 10 seconds) that the wireless client will
wait for a response from a foreign subnet access point when trying to register
with that access point. The wireless client will try to register a maximum of
three times.

WLAN Adapter lets you set specific hardware parameters that effect the
operation of the WLAN adapter. This tab has different views depending on
the operating system. In Windows NT 4, the tab displays hardware resource
information and lets you change the settings. In Windows 95 and Windows
98, the tab does not display this information because it is set by Plug and Play.

Card Type lets you specify the card currently installed. For the selected card, you
can review or change:

Interrupt Number is displayed only in the Windows NT environment. This field
lets you select an Interrupt Request Number (IRQ) to use with this card.

I/O Port Address is displayed only in the Windows NT environment. This field
lets you select an I/O Port Address to use with this card.

Memory Base Address is displayed only in the Windows NT environment. This
field lets you select an Memory Base Address to use with this card.

Status The AirConnect Status application displays status information about the current

signal strength and provides access to 3Com WLAN application tools, including
Settings, Connection, and Adapter Information utilities.

Start the Status application by clicking the 3Com icon in the tool tray in the lower
right-hand corner of the Windows desktop.

■ Settings launches the 3Com AirConnect Settings application in another

window.

■ Connection launches the 3Com AirConnect Connection application in another

window. The signal status display is constantly updated to show the status
of the wireless signal. The signal is rated as follows: no adapter installed, no
connection, no signal, poor signal, fair signal, average signal, good signal, and
excellent signal.

■ Adapter Information launches the 3Com AirConnect Adapter Information

application in another window.

15 CHAPTER 5: SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION, TOOLS, AND UTILITIES

Settings The Settings application displays information about the current card settings. It

also lets you change the configuration of the card without rebooting your system.
The application lets you set parameters such as wireless LAN service area and
power mode settings.

■ Wireless LAN Service Area displays the name of the access point with which the

wireless PC Card is associated. You can enter a new name in this field or select

a name from the drop-down list.

■ Power Mode lets you select the power mode to use and specify when

power-save options are in effect.

Continuous access does not use power save polling and disables it.

Power save polling uses Power Save Polling at all times.

Switch based upon active power source causes the system to switch the power

mode based upon whether the system is using AC or battery power. In this

mode, the system use continuous polling mode with an AC power source and

power save polling with battery power.

The Power Save Polling slider lets you balance network performance against

power consumption. When the slider is set to lowest power, the adapter

checks network traffic less frequently, reducing power consumption used.

When the slider is set to highest performance, the adapter tries to maintain

constant contact with the network, increasing network performance but

consuming correspondingly more power. If you check Let the adapter manage

power usage, the card will use the best setting available at any given time. The

polling interval is based on whether the system has received data recently. If no

data is being received, the polling interval becomes less frequent over time,

gradually decreasing power consumption.

Connection The Connection application allows more detailed checks of card performance than

is possible with the AirConnect Status application. Signal strength is displayed over
time, which lets you check the performance of the wireless link.

■ Signal Strength tracks the signal strength in real time and displays a graph

showing the historical trend.

■ Link Performance lets you run a ping test between the wireless client and

another IP device on the network. When the ping test is run to another wireless

device, the round trip ping time can give an idea of what the upper limit is for

connection speed.

Start Test starts a ping test using the information provided in the Test Count

and Host Address fields.

Test Count lets you select the number of pings to perform in testing link

performance.

Host Address lets you enter the IP address or host name of the system to

perform the ping test.

Link Performance displays the results of the ping test specified on this tab. A

graph indicating the round trip ping time of each ping and timing statistics

are shown.

Status 16

Adapter Information The Adapter Information application lets you perform a wide range of adapter

configuration and monitoring tasks from a single user interface. The application
lets you configure the adapter, monitor performance, diagnose problems, and set
up system logging. Each screen has a category list that lets you select which
information is to be displayed in the window.

■ Adapter provides basic information about the adapter and the current

hardware settings

Signal Quality updates in real time to indicate the current signal strength.

Adapter Information displays basic adapter information.

Hardware Properties indicate the hardware resources being used by the PC,
and hardware characteristics of the WLAN adapter (hardware revision, MAC
address, and adapter type).

■ Known Access Points shows which access points your adapter can sense and

displays basic statistics for each. The display shows the access point addresses,
channel, a type/status indicator, noise, and signal. The access point is indicated
by a graphic of an access point transmitting on the left hand side of the list.

■ Association displays statistics on the performance of the adapter related to

adapter to access point associations and roaming.

Association Statistics include the current number of associations, access point
counts, number of fill scans, number of partial scans, and the current access
point that the adapter is associated with.

Roaming Reasons lists the reason that the adapter roamed from access point to
access point.

Miscellaneous Statistics lets you see if the adapter is experiencing transmission
problems.

Reset Statistics clears and restarts all statistics counters.

■ Transmit and Receive Statistics are concerned with the quality of the wireless

connection between the PC Card and the access point.

Transmit Statistics include the total host packets transmitted, information on
non-directed packets, information on directed packets, and the total number
of bytes transmitted.

Receive Statistics include the total host packets received, information on
non-directed packets, information on directed packets, and the total number
of bytes received.

The transmit and receive graph displays a histogram of the directed and
non-directed traffic at varying data rates.

■ Diagnostics panel lets you perform low level tests to determine if the WLAN

hardware is functioning.

Select Function lets you choose a self-test or reset the adapter.

Execute Function performs the selection.

Results shows the results of the diagnostics.

17 CHAPTER 5: SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION, TOOLS, AND UTILITIES

■ Options lets you save adapter performance information in a file.

Enable Logging starts or stops logging to a group of HTML files on the system.

Log File Path is the current path to store the log files. The field is disabled when

logging is not turned on. Use Browse to select a Log File Path.

View Log Files selects the log file to view in the default browser.

Firmware Upgrade The Adapter Firmware Upgrade tool lets you download and install firmware

updates that you have downloaded from the 3Com Customer Support Web site at

http://support.3com.com.

To run the card upgrade utility:

1 Open the Start menu.

2 Select Programs.

3 Select 3Com AirConnect.

4 Select AirConnect Upgrade Utility.

The upgrade utility lets you view information on the current firmware version of
the currently installed card and install firmware updates by selecting a firmware
file downloaded from the 3Com Web site.

■ Firmware loaded in adapter displays the version information for the current

firmware on the adapter.

■ The ellipsis (...) button opens a browser so you can select a firmware file. The

new selection updates the Firmware Filename field.

■ Update initiates the update of the firmware on the adapter based using the

firmware file specified.

Encryption The client and access point can be set for encryption to provide a level of security

to the data stream between the client and its associated AP.

Encryption

Configuration

Requirements

■ The encryption level (open, 40-bit, or 128-bit) must be the same on the

wireless client and the access point.

■ All shared keys on the wireless client must be the same as those on the access

point with which the client will associate. They must match exactly (key order

and hex-digit sequence).

■ The selected keys do not need to be the same among different clients and/or

access points.

Enabling Encryption on

the Wireless Client

This procedure describes how to enable encryption on the wireless client. Refer to
the Access Point User Guide for instructions on how to enable encryption on the
AP.

1 Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network.

2 Highlight the AirConnect PC Card, and click on the Properties tab.

3 Click on the AirConnect tab.

Encryption 18

4 Click on the Advanced button.

5 Select the Encryption tab.

6 Change the current Encryption setting from the default "No encryption" to 40-bit

or 128-bit or 40-bit.

7 Select Shared Keys.

8 Click OK in the Advanced Properties window to save changes.

9 Click OK to exit the 3Com AirConnect WLAN Easy Setup window.

10 Click OK to exit the Network window.

11 Reboot the system.

Encryption Upgrade

Access Codes

If you are upgrading your wireless client from 40-bit encryption to 128-bit
encryption, you must enter an access code to perform the upgrade. Until the
access code is entered, you can only enable or disable 40-bit encryption.

This procedure is not required for U.S. products.

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me

1 Click the Network Neighborhood icon and open the Properties screen.

2 Click the Configuration tab.

3 Select (highlight) the AirConnect PC Card entry.

4 Click the Properties button. The LAN Adapter Setup screen appears.

5 Click the Advanced button. The Advanced Properties screen appears.

6 Click the Encryption tab.

7 Select the 128-bit encryption algorithm.

8 A pop-up screen appears, prompting you to enter an access code.

9 Enter the access code, then click OK.

10 Reboot the system.

Windows 2000

The procedure to enter access codes under Windows 2000 is identical to the one
above, except that in step 1, the screen to be opened is the Adapters screen.

Windows NT 4.0

1 Click the My Network Places icon.

2 Click the Local Area Connections icon to open the Local Area Connections screen.

3 Click the Configuration tab, and then click the Settings tab.

4 Click the Advanced button.

5 Click the Encryption tab.

6 Select the 128-bit encryption algorithm.

19 CHAPTER 5: SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION, TOOLS, AND UTILITIES

7 A pop-up screen appears, prompting you to enter an access code.

8 Enter the access code, then click OK.

9 Reboot the system.

Ad Hoc Operation Two or more wireless clients can be configured for direct wireless communication

without using an access point. Two types of ad hoc operation can be configured:

802.11 ad hoc and proprietary ad hoc.

802.11 Ad Hoc To configure your wireless client for 802.11 ad hoc operation:

1 Start the 3Com Launcher.

2 Open the 3Com AirConnect Settings screen.

3 For Operating Mode, select IBSS (802.11 Ad Hoc).

4 Enter the Wireless LAN Service Area. Be sure that the Wireless LAN Service Area is

identical on all wireless clients that are to communicate with each other in ad hoc
mode.

5 Open the 3Com AirConnect Connector Monitor screen.

6 Click the Known Peers tab. A list appears showing all wireless clients that are in

range, in the same operating mode (802.11 ad hoc), and having the same
Wireless LAN Service Area.

Proprietary Ad Hoc To configure your wireless client for proprietary ad hoc operation:

1 Start the 3Com Launcher.

2 Open the 3Com AirConnect Settings screen.

3 For Operating Mode, select Pseudo IBSS (Proprietary Ad Hoc).

4 Enter the desired channel. All wireless clients that are to connect to each other

using proprietary ad hoc mode must be set to the same channel.

5 Open the 3Com AirConnect Connector Monitor screen.

6 Click the Known Peers tab. A list appears showing all wireless clients that are in

range, in the same operating mode (proprietary ad hoc), and set to the same
channel.

Testing Ad Hoc

To test your ad hoc connection:

Operation

1 Open the Link Performance screen from the 3Com launcher.

2 Enter the IP address of an associated client into the IP address field.

3 If desired, you can set a test count number, or set the test to be Once or

Continuous.

4 Click the Start Test button. The test screen displays the results of the ad hoc

connection test.

6

Installing the PC Card

INSTALLING THE PC CARD

1 Insert the PC Card into the PC slot as shown.

2 Slide in the PC Card until it seats snugly. Align the card properly before putting it in

the slot. Insert the card firmly without forcing until it seats snugly.

CAUTION: Forcing a misaligned card into the slot can damage the computer or
the card.

Wireless PC Card LED The PC Card LED (see the figure below) indicates the operational status of

the card.

Off Slow Blinking Fast Blinking

The PC Card is not
functioning, is disabled,
or is not installed
correctly.

The card is attempting
to associate with an
access point or ad hoc
wireless client.

The card is exchanging
data with an access
point or ad hoc wireless
client. The higher the
data rate, the faster the
blinking.

21 CHAPTER 6: INSTALLING THE PC CARD

Removing the PC Card Use the release lever or button on your card slot to release the card and pull the

card out by its sides. Do not pull on the antenna.

UPGRADE PROCEDURES

7

Introduction This section describes the procedures for upgrading the wireless client from the

AirConnect version 1.0 or 1.5 product to version 2.0.

Four upgrade procedures are given, one procedure for each of four categories of
operating system:

■ Windows 95B (OSR 2)

■ Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) and Windows 98/98SE

■ Windows NT 4.0 Workstation/Server

■ Windows 2000 Professional

Windows 95B (OSR 2) Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure

Remove the old driver.

1 Under Device Manager, select Network Adapters.

2 Under Network Adapters, select the AirConnect card.

3 Select Remove, then reboot the PC.

Install the new driver.

1 Insert the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette into the PC.

2 Follow the instructions displayed on the screen to load the new driver. If one or

more dialog boxes pop up indicating a version conflict, always answer "yes" to
keep your existing files.

3 When prompted, enter the WLAN Service Area ID.

4 Remove the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette, insert the Windows 95B or 95C

installation diskette into the floppy drive.

5 Click OK when prompted. The PC will search for required operating system files on

the installation diskette. If one or more dialog boxes pop up indicating a version
conflict, always answer "yes" to keep your existing files.

Upgrade the 3Com Launcher.

1 Remove the Windows 95B or 95C installation diskette, and reinsert the Installation

CD or 3.5" diskette.

2 Go to Start > Run, enter <drive>:\setup.exe, and click OK.

3 Select Installation for Windows.

23 CHAPTER 7: UPGRADE PROCEDURES

4 Select Install WLAN Applications.

5 Follow the instructions on the screen.

1 With the Installation CD or diskette still inserted into the PC, select Start >

2 Make sure that the AirConnect wireless PC Card is inserted in the PC.

3 Click the button to the right of the field labeled Firmware Filename, then go to the

4 In the Firmware\MU directory, select the upgrade file: 3compc.img

5 Click Update to begin the upgrade.

6 When prompted, reboot the system.

Windows Me, Windows 98, and Windows 98SE Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure

Upgrade the firmware.

Programs > 3Com AirConnect > AirConnect Firmware Upgrade Utility.

Firmware > MU directory on the Installation CD or diskette.

Remove the old driver.

1 Under Device Manager, select Network Adapters.

2 Under Network Adapters, select the AirConnect card.

3 Select Remove.

4 When prompted, select Yes to reboot the PC.

Install the new driver.

1 Insert the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette into the PC.

2 Follow the instructions displayed on the screen.

3 When prompted, enter the WLAN Service Area ID.

4 Remove the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette, insert the Windows 98 installation

diskette into the PC.

5 Click OK when prompted. The PC will search for required operating system files on

the installation diskette.

6 When prompted, reboot the PC.

Upgrade the 3Com Launcher.

1 Be sure that the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette is inserted in the PC.

2 Go to Start > Run.

3 Enter <drive>\setup.exe, then click OK.

4 Select Installation for Windows.

5 Select Install WLAN Applications.

6 Follow the instructions on the screen.

Windows NT 4.0 Workstation/Server Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure

Windows NT 4.0 Workstation/Server Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure 24

Upgrade the firmware.

1 With the Installation CD or diskette still inserted into the PC, select Start >

Programs > 3Com AirConnect > AirConnect Firmware Upgrade Utility.

2 Make sure that the AirConnect PC Card is inserted in the PC.

3 Click the button to the right of the field labeled Firmware Filename, then go to the

Firmware > MU directory on the Installation CD or diskette.

4 In the Firmware\MU directory, select the upgrade file: 3compc.img

5 Click Update to begin the upgrade.

6 When prompted, reboot the system.

Remove the old driver.

1 Log on as Administrator.

2 In the Control Panel, select Network.

3 In the Network window, select the Adapters tab.

4 Select the AirConnect card, then select Remove.

5 Close the Network window.

6 Reboot the system.

Install the new driver.

1 In the Control Panel, select Network.

2 In the Network window, click the Adapters tab.

3 In the Adapters window, select Add.

4 Click the Have Disk button.

5 Insert the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette into the PC.

6 Type the drive letter in the entry field, then click OK.

7 When prompted, select the AirConnect PC Card entry.

8 When prompted, enter the WLAN Service Area ID.

9 To leave the Network window, click Close.

10 If TCP/IP is installed, you may be prompted to enter additional information

appropriate to your network.

Upgrade the 3Com Launcher.

1 Insert the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette.

2 If the CD or diskette does not Autorun, go to Start > Run, enter

<drive>:\setup.exe, then click OK.

3 Select Installation for Windows.

4 Select Install WLAN Applications.

5 Follow the instructions on the screen.

25 CHAPTER 7: UPGRADE PROCEDURES

6 When prompted to restart the system select No.

7 Reboot the system using the Start > Shut Down sequence.

1 With the Installation CD or diskette still inserted into the PC, select Start >

2 Make sure that the AirConnect PC Card is inserted in the PC.

3 Click the button to the right of the field labeled Firmware Filename, then go to the

4 In the Firmware\MU directory, select the upgrade file: 3compc.img

5 Click Update to begin the upgrade.

6 When prompted, reboot the system.

Windows 2000 Professional Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure

Upgrade the firmware.

Programs > 3Com AirConnect > AirConnect Firmware Upgrade Utility.

Firmware > MU directory on the Installation CD or diskette.

Remove the old driver.

1 In the Control Panel, select System. The System Properties window opens.

2 In the Systems Properties window, click Hardware.

3 In the Hardware window, click the Device Manager button.

4 Expand the Network Adapters folder in the Device Manager window.

5 Select the 3Com AirConnect card listing and right-click it. A pop-up window

appears.

6 Select Uninstall in the pop-up window, then click OK when prompted.

7 Close the Device Manager window.

8 Reboot the system using the Start > Shut down > Restart sequence.

Install the new driver.

1 After reboot, the system should display a window indicating that it detects new

hardware (the PC Card).

2 A "Digital Signature Not Found" message window appears. Click Yes to continue

the installation procedure.

3 Insert the Installation CD or 3/5" diskette into the PC when prompted, the click

OK.

4 In the 3Com AirConnect WLAN Easy Setup window, enter the WLAN Service Area

ID.

5 Reboot the system using the Start > Shut down > Restart sequence.

Upgrade the 3Com Launcher.

1 Remove, and then reinsert the Installation CD or 3.5" diskette in the floppy drive.

2 If the diskette does not Autorun, go to Start > Run, enter <drive>:\setup.exe, then

click OK.

3 Select Installation for Windows.

Windows 2000 Professional Wireless Client Upgrade Procedure 26

4 Select Install WLAN Applications.

5 Follow the instructions on the screen.

6 After setup is finished, reboot the system when prompted.

Upgrade the firmware.

1 With the Installation CD or diskette still inserted into the PC, select Start >

Programs > 3Com AirConnect > AirConnect Firmware Upgrade Utility.

2 Make sure that the AirConnect PC Card is inserted in the PC.

3 Click the button to the right of the field labeled Firmware Filename, then go to the

Firmware > MU directory on the Installation CD or diskette.

4 In the Firmware\MU directory, select the upgrade file: 3compc.img

5 Click Update to begin the upgrade.

6 Reboot the system when prompted.

A

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Online Technical Services

World Wide Web Site Access the latest networking information on the 3Com Corporation World Wide

3Com FTP Site Download drivers, patches, software, and MIBs across the Internet from the

3Com offers worldwide product support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through
the following online systems:

■ World Wide Web site

■ 3Com FTP site

Web site by entering the URL into your Internet browser:

http://www.3com.com/

This service provides access to online support information such as technical
documentation and software library, as well as support options ranging from
technical education to maintenance and professional services.

3Com public FTP site. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To connect to the 3Com FTP site, enter the following information into your
FTP client:

■ Hostname: ftp.3com.com (or 192.156.136.12)

■ Username: anonymous

■ Password: <your Internet e-mail address>

Support from Your Network Supplier

A user name and password are not needed with Web browser software such as
Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer.

If additional assistance is required, contact your network supplier. Many suppliers
are authorized 3Com service partners who are qualified to provide a variety of
services, including network planning, installation, hardware maintenance,
application training, and support services.

When you contact your network supplier for assistance, have the following
information ready:

■ Product model name, part number, and serial number

■ A list of system hardware and software, including revision levels

■ Diagnostic error messages

■ Details about recent configuration changes, if applicable

Support from 3Com 28

If you are unable to contact your network supplier, see the following section on
how to contact 3Com.

Support from 3Com If you are unable to obtain assistance from the 3Com online technical resources or

from your network supplier, 3Com offers technical telephone support services. To
find out more about your support options, please call the 3Com technical
telephone support phone number at the location nearest you.

When you contact 3Com for assistance, have the following information ready:

■ Product model name, part number, and serial number

■ A list of system hardware and software, including revision levels

■ Diagnostic error messages

■ Details about recent configuration changes, if applicable

Below is a list of worldwide technical telephone support numbers:

Country Telephone Number Country Telephone Number

Asia Pacific Rim

Australia
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
New Zealand
Pakistan
Philippines

Europe

From anywhere in
Europe, call:

From the following European countries, you may use the toll-free numbers:

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Hungary
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Malaysia
Netherlands

Latin America

Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia

North America 1 800 527 8677

1 800 678 515
800 933 486
[phone]
001 800 61 009
03 5783 1270
1800 801 777
0800 446 398
[phone]
1235 61 266 2602

[phone] phone
[phone] fax

1800 678 515
0800 297468
0800 71429
800 17309
0800 113153
0800 917959
0800 1821502
800 933 486
06800 12813
001 80061 009
1 800 553117
1 800 9453794
800 879489
1800 801777
0800 0227788

AT&T [phone]
0800 13 3266
0800 13 3266
98012 2127

P.R. of China

Singapore
S. Korea
From anywhere
in S. Korea:
From Seoul:
Taiwan, R.O.C.
Thailand

New Zealand
Norway
P.R. of China
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan, R.O.C.
Thailand
U.K.

Mexico
Peru
Puerto Rico
Venezuela

10800 61 00137 or
021 6350 1590
800 6161 463

00798 611 2230
(0) 2 3455 6455
0080 611 261
001 800 611 2000

0800 446 398
800 11376
10 800 61 00137
1235 61 266 2602
0800 3111206
0800 831416
800 616 1463
0800 995014
00798 611 2230
900 983125
020 795482
0800 55 3072
0080 611 261
001 800 611 2000
0800 966197

AT&T [phone]
AT&T [phone]
800 666 5065
AT&T [phone]

29 APPENDIX A: TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Returning Products
for Repair

Before you send a product directly to 3Com for repair, you must first obtain a
Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number. Products sent to 3Com without
RMA numbers will be returned to the sender unopened, at the sender’s expense.

To obtain an RMA number, call or fax:

Country Telephone Number Fax Number

Asia, Pacific Rim 65 543 6500 65 543 6348

Europe, South Africa, and
Middle East

From the following European countries, you may call the toll-free numbers; select option
2 and then option 2:

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Hungary
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Malaysia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
P.R. of China
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan, R.O.C.
Thailand
U.K.

Latin America 1 408 326 2927 1 408 326 3355

U.S.A. and Canada 1 800 527 8677 1 408 326 7120

+ 44 1442 435860 + 44 1442 435718

1800 678 515
0800 297468
0800 71429
800 17309
0800 113153
0800 917959
0130 821502
800 933 486
06800 12813
001 80061 009
1 800 553117
1 800 9453794
800 879489
1800 801777
0800 0227788
0800 446 398
800 11376
10 800 61 00137
1235 61 266 2602
0800 3111206
0800 831416
0800 995014
00798 611 2230
900 983125
020 795482
0800 55 3072
0080 611 261
001 800 611 2000
0800 966197

INDEX

Numbers

3Com URL 27

A

access codes 18
ad hoc

proprietary 19
testing 19

ad hoc operation

802.11 19
adapter configuration 9
adapter information 16
advanced properties

dialog box 10

AirConnect

configuring on a mobile device 12

B

bridging 1

C

configuration

extended roaming 2
ISA WLAN adapter 9

configuring

adapter 9
encryption requirements 17
mobile device 12

connection

tools

connection 15

creating disks from CD 3

D

data rate 2
disk factory 3
documentation installation 6
drivers

installing 5
installing under Windows NT 4.0 8

E

encryption 17

configuration requirements 17
enabling on wireless client 17
upgrade access codes 18

extended roaming 1, 2, 13

F

features

operating 1

firmware upgrade 17

I

IEEE 802.11 HR specifications 1
installation

documentation 6
drivers 5
notes 4
overview 2
PC card 20
Windows 95 4
Windows 98 4
Windows CE 4, 11
Windows NT 4.0 4, 8

ISA WLAN adapter

configuration 9

L

LEDs 20

M

MIBs 27
mobile device

configuring 12
transferring AirConnect files to 11

N

network supplier support 27

O

online technical services 27
operating features 1
overview

installation 2

P

PC card

installing 20
LEDs 20
removing 7, 21
removing software 7
uninstalling 6

power-management modes

continous active 2
power save polling 2

R

removing the PC card 7, 21
returning products for repair 29
roaming

extended 1, 2, 13

S

settings 15
setup

with no network installed 9
setup program 3
software

PC card 7
specification

IEEE 802.11 HR 1
Spectrum24 Adapter Configuration for

Windows NT 9

status 14

T

technical support

3Com URL 27

network suppliers 27

product repair 29
testing

ad hoc operation 19
tools

adapter information 16

encryption 17

firmware upgrade 17

settings 15

status 14
transferring AirConnect files to mobile

device 11

troubleshooting

software installation 7

Windows NT 4.0 installation 10

U

uninstalling

PC card 6
upgrading the wireless client

Windows 2000 Professional 25

Windows 95B/95C 22

Windows 98/98SE 23

Windows Me 23

Windows NT 4.0 24
URL 27

31 INDEX

W

Windows CE

ActiveSync required 11
installation 11

wireless client

enabling encryption 17
upgrade 22

World Wide Web (WWW) 27

WARRANTY AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

3Com Corporation Limited Warranty

This warranty applies to customers located in the United States, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, U.K.,
and other English language countries, and countries for which a translation into the local language is not provided

3Com AirConnect 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card

HARDWARE 3Com warrants to the end user (“Customer”) that this hardware product will be free from defects in workmanship and

materials, under normal use and service, for the following length of time from the date of purchase from 3Com or its
authorized reseller:

Three (3) years

Spare Parts and Spares Kits are warranted for ninety (90) days

3Com’s sole obligation under this express warranty shall be, at 3Com’s option and expense, to repair the defective product or
part, deliver to Customer an equivalent product or part to replace the defective item, or if neither of the two foregoing options
is reasonably available, 3Com may, in its sole discretion, refund to Customer the purchase price paid for the defective product.
All products that are replaced will become the property of 3Com. Replacement products or parts may be new or reconditioned.
3Com warrants any replaced or repaired product or part for ninety (90) days from shipment, or the remainder of the initial
warranty period, whichever is longer.3Com’s sole obligation under this express warranty shall be, at 3Com’s option and
expense, to repair the defective product or part, deliver to Customer an equivalent product or part to replace the defective
item, or if neither of the two foregoing options is reasonably available, 3Com may, in its sole discretion, refund to Customer
the purchase price paid for the defective product. All products that are replaced will become the property of 3Com.
Replacement products may be new or reconditioned. 3Com warrants any replaced or repaired product or part for ninety (90)
days from shipment, or the remainder of the initial warranty period, whichever is longer.

SOFTWARE 3Com warrants to Customer that each software program licensed from it, except as noted below, will perform in substantial

conformance to its program specifications, for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase from 3Com or its
authorized reseller. 3Com warrants the media containing software against failure during the warranty period. No updates are
provided. 3Com's sole obligation under this express warranty shall be, at 3Com's option and expense, to refund the purchase
price paid by Customer for any defective software product, or to replace any defective media with software which substantially
conforms to applicable 3Com published specifications. Customer assumes responsibility for the selection of the appropriate
applications program and associated reference materials. 3Com makes no warranty or representation that its software
products will meet Customer’s requirements or work in combination with any hardware or applications software products
provided by third parties, that the operation of the software products will be uninterrupted or error free, or that all defects in
the software products will be corrected. For any third party products listed in the 3Com software product documentation or
specifications as being compatible, 3Com will make reasonable efforts to provide compatibility, except where the
non-compatibility is caused by a "bug" or defect in the third party's product or from use of the software product not in
accordance with 3Com’s published specifications or user manual.

The site survey software is licensed "AS IS".

THIS 3COM PRODUCT MAY INCLUDE OR BE BUNDLED WITH (1) THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE, OR (2) 3COM SOFTWARE WHICH
IS USED WITH THE LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM, THE USE OF WHICH IS GOVERNED BY A SEPARATE END USER LICENSE
AGREEMENT. THIS 3COM WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY TO SUCH THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE OR 3COM LINUX SOFTWARE.
FOR THE APPLICABLE WARRANTY, PLEASE REFER TO THE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT GOVERNING THE USE OF SUCH
SOFTWARE OR THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION RELATING TO SUCH SOFTWARE

YEAR 2000 WARRANTY In addition to the Hardware Warranty and Software Warranty stated above, 3Com warrants that each product sold or licensed

to Customer on and after January 1, 1998 that is date sensitive will continue performing properly with regard to such date data
on and after January 1, 2000, provided that all other products used by Customer in connection or combination with the 3Com
product, including hardware, software, and firmware, accurately exchange date data with the 3Com product, with the
exception of those products identified at 3Com’s Web site, http://www.3com.com/products/yr2000.html, as not meeting this
standard. If it appears that any product that is stated to meet this standard does not perform properly with regard to such date
data on and after January 1, 2000, and Customer notifies 3Com before the later of April 1, 2000, or ninety (90) days after
purchase of the product from 3Com or its authorized reseller, 3Com shall, at its option and expense, provide a software update
which would effect the proper performance of such product, repair such product, deliver to Customer an equivalent product to
replace such product, or if none of the foregoing is feasible, refund to Customer the purchase price paid for such product.

Any software update or replaced or repaired product will carry a Year 2000 Warranty for ninety (90) days after purchase or
until April 1, 2000, whichever is later.

OBTAINING WARRANTY
S

ERVICE

Customer must contact a 3Com Corporate Service Center or an Authorized 3Com Service Center within the applicable
warranty period to obtain warranty service authorization. Dated proof of purchase from 3Com or its authorized reseller may be
required. Products returned to 3Com's Corporate Service Center must be pre-authorized by 3Com with a User Service Order
(USO) number (or a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number or a Service Repair Order (SRO) number, whichever was
issued) marked on the outside of the package, and sent prepaid and packaged appropriately for safe shipment, and it is
recommended that they be insured or sent by a method that provides for tracking of the package. Responsibility for loss or
damage does not transfer to 3Com until the returned item is received by 3Com. The repaired or replaced item will be shipped
to Customer, at 3Com's expense, not later than thirty (30) days after 3Com receives the defective product, and 3Com will
retain risk of loss or damage until the item is delivered to Customer.

3Com shall not be responsible for any software, firmware, information, or memory data of Customer contained in, stored on,
or integrated with any products returned to 3Com for repair, whether under warranty or not.

Dead- or Defective-on-Arrival. In the event a product completely fails to function or exhibits a defect in materials or
workmanship within the first forty-eight (48) hours of installation but no later than thirty (30) days after the date of purchase,
and this is verified by 3Com, it will be considered dead- or defective-on-arrival (DOA) and a replacement shall be provided by
advance replacement, but only if Customer provides a purchase order number, credit card number, or other method of
payment acceptable to 3Com, to be used if 3Com needs to charge Customer for the replacement, as explained below. The
replacement product will normally be shipped not later than three (3) business days after 3Com’s verification of the DOA
product, but may be delayed due to export or import procedures. The shipment of advance replacement products is subject to
local legal requirements and may not be available in all locations. When an advance replacement is provided and Customer fails
to return the original product to 3Com within fifteen (15) days after shipment of the replacement, 3Com will charge Customer
for the replacement product, at list price.

INCLUDED SERVICES: Telephone Support, with coverage for basic troubleshooting only, will be provided for ninety (90) days
from the date of purchase, on a commercially reasonable efforts basis. Telephone support is available from 3Com only if
Customer purchased this product directly from 3Com, or if Customer’s reseller is unable to provide telephone support. Please
refer to the Technical Support appendix in the User Guide for telephone numbers.

WARRANTIES EXCLUSIVE IF A 3COM PRODUCT DOES NOT OPERATE AS WARRANTED ABOVE, CUSTOMER'S SOLE REMEDY FOR BREACH OF THAT

WARRANTY SHALL BE REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, OR REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID, AT 3COM'S OPTION. TO THE FULL
EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND ARE IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
WARRANTIES, TERMS, OR CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, EITHER IN FACT OR BY OPERATION OF LAW, STATUTORY OR
OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WARRANTIES, TERMS, OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, CORRESPONDENCE WITH DESCRIPTION, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, ALL OF WHICH ARE
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. 3COM NEITHER ASSUMES NOR AUTHORIZES ANY OTHER PERSON TO ASSUME FOR IT ANY OTHER
LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALE, INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE OR USE OF ITS PRODUCTS.

3COM SHALL NOT BE LIABLE UNDER THIS WARRANTY IF ITS TESTING AND EXAMINATION DISCLOSE THAT THE ALLEGED
DEFECT OR MALFUNCTION IN THE PRODUCT DOES NOT EXIST OR WAS CAUSED BY CUSTOMER'S OR ANY THIRD PERSON'S
MISUSE, NEGLECT, IMPROPER INSTALLATION OR TESTING, UNAUTHORIZED ATTEMPTS TO OPEN, REPAIR OR MODIFY THE
PRODUCT, OR ANY OTHER CAUSE BEYOND THE RANGE OF THE INTENDED USE, OR BY ACCIDENT, FIRE, LIGHTNING, POWER
CUTS OR OUTAGES, OTHER HAZARDS, OR ACTS OF GOD.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY TO THE FULL EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, 3COM ALSO EXCLUDES FOR ITSELF AND ITS SUPPLIERS ANY LIABILITY, WHETHER

BASED IN CONTRACT OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), FOR INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR
PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR FOR LOSS OF REVENUE OR PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF INFORMATION OR
DATA, OR OTHER FINANCIAL LOSS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALE, INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE,
USE, PERFORMANCE, FAILURE, OR INTERRUPTION OF ITS PRODUCTS, EVEN IF 3COM OR ITS AUTHORIZED RESELLER HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND LIMITS ITS LIABILITY TO REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, OR REFUND OF THE
PURCHASE PRICE PAID, AT 3COM'S OPTION. THIS DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES WILL NOT BE AFFECTED IF ANY
REMEDY PROVIDED HEREIN SHALL FAIL OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

DISCLAIMER Some countries, states, or provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or the limitation of incidental

or consequential damages for certain products supplied to consumers, or the limitation of liability for personal injury, so the
above limitations and exclusions may be limited in their application to you. When the implied warranties are not allowed to be
excluded in their entirety, they will be limited to the duration of the applicable written warranty. This warranty gives you
specific legal rights which may vary depending on local law.

GOVERNING LAW This Limited Warranty shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, U.S.A. excluding its conflicts of laws principles

and excluding the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.

3Com Corporation

5400 Bayfront Plaza
Santa Clara, CA 95054
[phone]
January 3, 2000

Regulatory Compliance Information

RADIO FREQUENCY
I

NTERFERENCE REQUIREMENTS

CANADA This Class A digital apparatus meets the requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commissions Rules and Regulation. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If the equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

■ Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.

■ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

■ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that which the receiver is connected.

■ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

CE MARKING AND EUROPEAN
U

NION COMPLIANCE

Products intended for sale within the European Union are marked with the CEMark which indicates compliance to applicable
Directives and European Normes (EN), as follows. Amendments to these Directives or ENs are included: Normes (EN), as follows.

Applicable Directives:

■ Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 89/336/EEC

■ Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC

Applicable Standards:

■ EN 55 022 - Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics of Information technology

Equipment

■ EN 50 082-1 - Electromagnetic Compatibility - Generic Immunity Standard, Part 1: Residential, commercial, Light Industry

■ IEC 801.2 - Electromagnetic Compatibility for Industrial Process Measurement and Control Equipment Part 2: Electrostatic

Discharge Requirements

■ IEC 801.3 - Electromagnetic Compatibility for Industrial Process Measurement and Control Equipment Part 3: Radiated

Electromagnetic Field Requirements

■ IEC 801.4 - Electromagnetic Compatibility for Industrial Process Measurement and Control Equipment Part 4: Electrical Fast

Transients Requirements

■ EN 60 950 + Amd 1 + Amd 2 - Safety of Information Technology Equipment Including Electrical Business Equipment

■ EN 60 825-1 (EN 60 825) - Safety of Devices Containing Lasers

3Com End User Software License Agreement

IMPORTANT: Read Before Using This Product

YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT. IT
CONTAINS SOFTWARE, THE USE OF WHICH IS LICENSED BY 3COM CORPORATION (“3COM”) TO ITS CUSTOMERS FOR
THEIR USE ONLY AS SET FORTH BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS
AGREEMENT, DO NOT USE THE SOFTWARE. USING ANY PART OF THE SOFTWARE INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT
THESE TERMS.

LICENSE: 3Com grants you a nonexclusive license to use the accompanying software program(s) (the “Software”) subject to

the terms and restrictions set forth in this License Agreement. You are not permitted to lease, rent, distribute or sublicense the
Software or to use the Software in a time-sharing arrangement or in any other unauthorized manner. Further, no license is
granted to you in the human readable code of the Software (source code). Except as provided below, this License Agreement
does not grant you any rights to patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, or any other rights in respect to the Software.

The Software is licensed to be used on any workstation or any network server owned by or leased to you, provided that the
Software is used only in connection with a 3Com adapter. You may reproduce and provide one (1) copy of the Software and
supporting documentation for each such workstation or network server on which the Software is used as permitted hereunder.
Otherwise, the Software and supporting documentation may be copied only as essential for backup or archive purposes in
support of your use of the Software as permitted hereunder. You must reproduce and include all copyright notices and any
other proprietary rights notices appearing on the Software and the supporting documentation on any copies that you make.

NO ASSIGNMENT; NO REVERSE ENGINEERING: You may not transfer or assign the Software and/or this License Agreement
to another party without the prior written consent of 3Com. If such consent is given and you transfer or assign the Software
and/or this License Agreement, then you must at the same time either transfer any copies of the Software as well as the
supporting documentation to the same party or destroy any such materials not transferred. Except as set forth above, you may
not transfer or assign the Software or your rights under this License Agreement.

Modification, reverse engineering, reverse compiling, or disassembly of the Software is expressly prohibited. However, if you
are a European Community (“EC”) resident, information necessary to achieve interoperability of the Software with other
programs within the meaning of the EC Directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs is available to you from 3Com
upon written request.

EXPORT RESTRICTIONS: You agree that you will not export or re-export the Software or accompanying documentation (or
any copies thereof) or any products utilizing the Software or such documentation in violation of any applicable laws or
regulations of the United States and the country in which you obtained them.

The 3Com product and/or software covered by this agreement may contain encryption code which is unlawful to export from
the US or Canada without an approved US Department of Commerce export license. You agree that you will not export,
reexport, either physically or electronically, any encrypted product without an approved export license.

TRADE SECRETS; TITLE: You acknowledge and agree that the structure, sequence and organization of the Software are the
valuable trade secrets of 3Com and its suppliers. You agree to hold such trade secrets in confidence. You further acknowledge
and agree that ownership of, and title to, the Software and all subsequent copies thereof regardless of the form or media are
held by 3Com and its suppliers.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND: All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed
solely at private expense. The Software is delivered as “Commercial Computer Software” as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014
(June 1995) or as a “commercial item” as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided
in this License Agreement, which is 3Com’s standard commercial license for the Software. Technical data is provided with
limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252.227-7015 (Nov. 1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is applicable. You
agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation delivered to you
under this License Agreement.

TERM AND TERMINATION: This license will expire fifty (50) years from the date that you first use the Software, if it is not
earlier terminated. You may terminate it at any time by destroying the Software and documentation together with all copies
and merged portions in any form. It will also terminate immediately if you fail to comply with any term or condition of this
License Agreement. Upon such termination you agree to destroy the Software and documentation, together with all copies
and merged portions in any form.

GOVERNING LAW: This License Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California as such laws are applied to
agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within California between California residents and by the laws of the
United States. You agree that the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980) is hereby
excluded in its entirety from application to this License Agreement.

LIMITED WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: All warranties and limitations of liability applicable to the Software are as
stated on the Limited Warranty Card or in the product manual, whether in paper or electronic form, accompanying the
Software. Such warranties and limitations of liability are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference.

SEVERABILITY: In the event any provision of this License Agreement is found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the
validity, legality and enforceability of any of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired and a valid,
legal and enforceable provision of similar intent and economic impact shall be substituted therefor.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This License Agreement sets forth the entire understanding and agreement between you and 3Com,
supersedes all prior agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the Software, and may be amended only in a writing
signed by both parties.

3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation.

3Com Corporation, 5400 Bayfront Plaza, P.O. Box 58145, Santa Clara, CA 95052-8145. [phone]