3COM Wireless 11n USB Adapter User Manual

1

High Performance and Wide Coverage

For simple, reliable, high-speed 802.11g
wireless connections choose a winning trio:
the 3Com

®

OfficeConnect®Wireless 11g
Access Point, 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless
11g PC Card, and 3Com OfficeConnect
Wireless 11g USB Adapter. With these
products, users can roam about the office—
accessing network resources and the
Internet at speeds up to 54 Mbps—ideal
for high-bandwidth applications.
Performance-boosting features such as
packet bursting, compression, and concate­nation increase the effective transmission
speed with no user intervention.

Compatible

Your existing wireless network investment
is preserved because the 3Com
OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Access Point
supports 802.11b as well as 802.11g wire­less devices. Wi-Fi certification helps
ensure interoperability with certified prod­ucts from other vendors.

Economical

Wireless networks can be a viable alterna­tive to wired network expansions and an
attractive solution for home and branch
offices, remote sites, and classrooms. Since
there’s no need to drill holes or run
Ethernet cabling, it’s also cost-effective for
temporary networks. The access point
supports up to 128 simultaneous users,
which gives your organization plenty of
room to grow.

Simple Installation and Use

Setup and operation are extraordinarily
easy, making these OfficeConnect products
an intelligent choice for first-time wireless
users and small offices; typically no manual
configuration is required. To speed setup
for specific configurations, a single access
point configuration can be copied to other
access points on the network. The PC Card
and USB adapter Wireless Card Manager
lets an administrator create profiles for
mobile users that reflect specific wireless
LAN settings for each place they travel:
users just select the proper profile for
instant connection.

Convenient

For added flexibility, PRISM Nitro
Directlink enables wireless users to estab­lish direct, secure high-speed links while
still maintaining communications with an
access point.

Secure

To protect wireless connections, these
products support up to 256-bit WPA
encryption for high-level security, and
40/64- and 128-bit WEP shared-key
encryption for legacy clients.

Reliable Connections

Dynamic rate shifting automatically
matches the best connection speed in
response to physical and traffic conditions
so wireless connections stay reliable. Clear
Channel Select enables the access point to
scan the spectrum and select the least busy
channel.

Key Benefits

3Com®OfficeConnect®Wireless 11g
Access Point, PC Card, and USB Adapter

• 802.11g standard supports
speeds up to 54 Mbps at
distances up to 100 coverage
meters (328 feet)*.

• 11g access point supports up to
128 simultaneous users,
allowing plenty of room for
growth.

•Wi-Fi certifiication ensures
interoperability with Wi-Fi
certified products from other
vendors.

DATA SHEET

*Range depends on physical conditions, building construction, electrical devices in the area, and otherenvi-

ronmental factors.

3COM®WIRELESS 11G ACCESS POINT, PC CARD, AND USB ADAPTER DATA SHEET

2

Features

Description

POWERFUL

High-speed access and wide 802.11g standard supports speeds up to 54 Mbps at distances up to 100 coverage meters (328 feet)*.

Packet bursting Increases throughput by sending more frames per given time period;benefits 11g and 11b wireless clients.

Real-time hardware compression (PC Card Reduces data frame size for faster throughput with no impact to the host processor.
and USB Adapter)

Concatenation & piggyback Combines multiple small data packets into a "jumbo" 802.11 packet and eliminates redundant messages to
acknowledge (PC Card and USB Adapter) improve network efficiency.

User growth support The 11g access point supports up to 128 simultaneous users, allowing plenty of room for growth.

COMPATIBLE

Backward–compatible to 802.11b The 11g access point supports both 802.11g and 802.11b users, preserving existing wireless investments.

Wi-Fi certified Helps ensure interoperability with Wi-Fi certified products from other vendors.

EASY TO USE

Simple installation No need to drill holes or run Ethernet cabling to set up your network.

Wireless Card Manager (PC Card and USB Adapter) Lets administrators create profiles for each place mobile users travel. Also displays connection status and

features simple-to-use diagnostic tools.

USB adapter with hinged antenna and swiveling Delivers the flexibility and convenience of USB connections without sacrificing performance. Hinged antenna
USB connector works with a variety of desktop or notebook designs.

Access Point Discovery program Automatically identifies network access points for easy setup and configuration.

Save and restore feature (Access Point) Copies settings to additional devices on the network, simplifying and speeding setup of additional access

points.

Web-based administration (Access Point) Familiar browser interface lets administrators configure and manage access points from anywhere on the

network.

CONVENIENT

PRISM Nitro Directlink (PC Card and USB Adapter) For added flexibility, enables wireless users to automatically establish a secure, two-way high-speed

connection while maintaining communications with an AP.

RELIABLE

Dynamic rate shifting Automatically matches the best connection speed in response to changing traffic and environmental conditions.

Clear Channel Select (Access Point) Selects the channel with the least traffic for clear, quick connections.

SECURE

WPA and WEP encryption Help keep wireless transmissions private using up to 256-bit encryption.

*Range depends on physical conditions, building construction, electrical devices in the area, and other environmental factors.

Specifications

3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Access Point
Specifications

Minimum System Requirements

Computer with an Ethernet 10BASE-T, 10/100, or
10/100/1000 interface configured for Internet commu­nication. Operating system that supports an Ethernet
connection with an IP stack. Installation CD requires
Windows 98SE/ME/XP/2000. For wireless access, PCs
and laptops require 802.11g, 802.11b, or 802.11a/b/g
PC, PCI, or USB cards and adapters.

Users Supported

128 simultaneous users

Physical Ports

LAN: 1 10/100 Port

Receive Sensitivity

802.11g

54 Mbps: -66 dBm

48 Mbps: -69 dBm

36 Mbps: -72 dBm

24 Mbps: -75 dBm

18 Mbps: -79 dBm

12 Mbps: -82 dBm

9 Mbps: -82 dBm

6 Mbps: -85 dBm

802.11b

11 Mbps: -82 dBm

5.5 Mbps: -85 dBm

2 Mbps: -87 dBm

1 Mbps: -90 dBm

Performance Features

Clear Channel Select, packet bursting