Accton Technology ACC3501D68 Users Manual
Microsoft Wireless Home
Networking PC Card or USB
Adapter
User’s Guide
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2
2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Router 3
Warning
For use with UL Listed and GS approved personal
computers.
Residential Gateway: “Only use AC Adaptor provided with
the unit, Part number FA-4A030-1”
Not intended for use in machinery, medical or industrial
applications.
Do not use in airplane or in a hazardous locations such as
gas station.
For indoor use only
Do not touch or re-orient the antenna while the device is
transmitting
Residential Gateway: Device should be located at least 20
cm (8 inches) away from any human body in order to meet
FCC exposure limits.
Other adapter: Device should be located at least 5 cm (2
inches) away from any human body in order to meet FCC
exposure limits. Exposure time should be limited if the
distance is less.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 4
Table of Contents
<PLACEHOLDER>
Warning .............................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Chapter 1: Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Overview
............................................................................................7
System Requirements ....................................................................7
Check Box Contents .......................................................................8
Home Networking Components......................................................8
Broadband Modems................................................................8
Routers and Gateways ...........................................................9
The Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter .......9
The Microsoft Wireless Home Networking PC Card Adapter10
Network Connections....................................................................10
Wired Network Connections .................................................11
Wireless Networks ................................................................12
Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Adapter................................. 13
Recommended Connection Method.............................................13
Adding Computers to Your Network .............................................15
Adding Additional Wireless USB or PC Card Adapters to
Microsoft Wireless Home Networks ......................................16
Connecting Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Adapters
to Previously-Networked Computers ....................................16
Adding Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Adapters to
Non-Windows Computers or Non-Microsoft Wireless
Networks ...............................................................................16
Adding Wireless Adapters to Non-Computer Devices.......... 17
Alternate Connection Methods .....................................................17
Changing Adapter Settings During or After Setup................18
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 5
Working with Domains ..........................................................18
Configuring a Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Adapter
If You Connected the Hardware First ...................................18
Installing an Adapter through the Windows Plug and Play
Dialog ....................................................................................18
Connecting a Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Router
Wirelessly by Using a USB or PC Card Adapter ..................20
Setting Up a Wireless Network with Two or More Adapters
and No Router....................................................................... 20
Chapter 3: Using Your Microsoft Wireless Network ......... 23
Manage your Network...................................................................24
Diagnose Network Problems ................................................25
View Network Settings ..........................................................25
Create a Floppy Disk of Network Settings............................26
Perform Common Networking Tasks............................................26
Share Files and Folders........................................................27
Share Printers ....................................................................... 29
Share an Internet Connection...............................................33
Read E-mail Over the Network .............................................34
Send Instant Messages Over the Network ...........................34
Play Games over the Network and Internet..........................35
Connect to Other Wireless Networks.................................... 35
Use a CD Burner...................................................................36
Secure your Network ....................................................................37
Chapter 4: Troubleshooting..............................................38
Regulatory compliance ..................................................... 44
United States of America.................................................. 44
Radio and TV interference regulations............................. 44
Canada ............................................................................. 46
Specifications ...................................................................46
Note
Each of the required
operating systems provides
Internet Explorer 5.0 or later,
except for Windows 98. If
IE5.0 is not installed on your
computer, the Microsoft
Wireless Home Networking
Setup software will detect this
and will install it automatically
before starting Microsoft
Wireless Home Networking
Setup. You may be prompted
to restart your computer after
the automatic installation.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 7
Chapter 1: Microsoft Wireless Home
Networking Overview
Congratulations on the purchase of your Microsoft
Wireless Home Networking USB or PC Card Adapter! This
chapter provides basic information about your adapter and
on wired and wireless networking.
System Requirements
Please read the regulatory warnings and "About your rights
and obligations" at the beginning of this book.
Check the system requirements that follow to ensure that
your computer has the necessary features to install a
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking adapter.
To run the setup software and the Wireless Network Utility,
computers must have:
υ Windows 98 Gold, Windows 98 SE, Windows
Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, or Windows XP
operating system
υ Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later browser
software
υ Pentium class 200 MHz with 32 MB RAM ????/TBD
υ Disk Space: ????/TBD
υ Video System: 640x480 16-bit color, Recommended
800x600 16-bit color
υ 4x CD-ROM drive
υ Microsoft point device recommended
υ 3.5” Floppy disk drive recommended
To connect the Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB
Adapter, you must have
υ An available 1.0 or higher full-speed USB compliant
high-power port
-or-
To connect the Microsoft Wireless Home Networking PC
Card Adapter, you must have
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 8
υ An available 16-bit PCMCIA (PC Card) Type II
Extended slot
Check Box Contents
The Microsoft® Wireless Home Networking Adapter
consists of the following components:
υ Start Here Guide and User’s Guide
υ CD-ROM disc (install this first!)
υ Wireless USB Network Adapter
-or-
Wireless PC Card Adapter
If any of these components are missing or damaged...
Home Networking Components
Broadband Modems
Broadband Internet access provides a high-speed digital
connection to the Internet, typically through a Digital
Subscriber Line (DSL), which runs over phone lines, or a
cable connection, which travels over the same lines as
cable TV. Both allow you to use your telephone while you
are online, and both offer a perpetual, always-on
connection to the Internet without requiring you to dial up
an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Broadband access relies on digital modems, which can
carry more frequencies and data types simultaneously than
dial-up modems. Because of the amount of data that can
be transmitted simultaneously, broadband modem
tranmission speed is very fast compared to dial-up modem
speed, typically greater than 128 Kbps.
Because broadband modems carry so much information
and are "always on," they present greater security
challenges than dial-up modems, especially if the Internet
connection is shared over a network. It is important to
implement security through a firewall such as that provided
by the Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Router. If
attackers access your Internet connection, they will see
only the router, which contains no files or data.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 9
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking works only with
broadband modems that have external, Ethernet
connections.
Routers and Gateways
You can use a router or gateway such as the Microsoft
Wireless Home Networking Router as the central point of
your wireless network. All your wireless and wired adapters
can access the Internet and other devices on the network
through the router, which also provides firewall security for
your Internet connection. For more information, see the
documentation for the Microsoft Wireless Home
Networking Router or other router or gateway.
You can set up a network by using only wireless adapters,
with no router or gateway, but your Internet connection will
not be as secure. See the Installation chapter for
instructions.
The Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter
The USB Adapter is about 3” x 3”x 1” in size. It has a USB
cable, an adjustable antenna, and two indicator lights on
the front.
[insert picture of USB Adapter]
After the USB network adapter is connected, its indicator
lights will be on, off, or blinking, indicating the following
states:
υ Power (on the left when you are looking at the front of
the adapter): on when device is receiving power from
the USB port; off when device is not receiving power
(not plugged into USB port, computer shut down or
suspended, or USB port not working).
υ Wireless status (on the right): on when connected to
the wireless network, off when not connected, blinking
when data is being transmitted or received on the
wireless link.
The USB adapter must be located near a USB connection
on your computer. The adapter has no internal power
source, so the USB port must be powered. In general, the
ports on your computer are powered, while many USB
ports on keyboards or monitors are not powered.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 10
You should also take wireless network range, coverage,
and interference into account when positioning your router
and antenna. See Wireless Networks for more information.
The Microsoft Wireless Home Networking PC Card
Adapter
The PC Card adapter is a credit-card shaped device that
fits into the PC Card slot on a laptop or other enabled
computer. An adjustable antenna protrudes from the end of
the PC Card when it is installed. The two indicator lights on
the end of the card will either be on, off, or blinking,
according to the following states:
υ Power (on the left when you are looking down on the
card from its end): on when the host computer is
providing power to the PC Card slot, off when no
power is applied.
υ Wireless status (on the right): on when connected to
the wireless network, off when not connected, blinking
when data is being transmitted or received.
Network Connections
You can connect computers to networks by using wired or
wireless connections. Some considerations in deciding on
the best type of network connection for your computers
are:
υ Speed. Although wireless transmission speed is faster
than broadband connection speed, it is slower than
Ethernet. If speed of connection between your
networked computers is important, you may want to
use Ethernet adapters.
υ Accessibility. You can set up wireless connections
without having to run wire or open up your computers.
On the other hand, if your computers already have
Ethernet connections, it may be more convenient to
leave the Ethernet network in place.
υ Range and Coverage. Either Ethernet or wireless
networks can cover most home and small business
areas. Depending on the physical characteristics and
interference factors in your environment, one or the
other types of networks may be more effective.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 11
υ Mobility. Wirelessly connected computers have the
potential for mobility. This may be relatively
unimportant for a desktop computer, but a much larger
consideration for a laptop or notebook computer.
υ Security. Because of the unrestricted nature of their
transmission, wireless networks have inherent security
issues. However, you can implement security
measures such as Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP)
encryption to improve your wireless security.
Wired Network Connections
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking provides wired as
well as 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless connectivity. In most cases,
you will use a wired Ethernet connection to connect your
modem and at least one computer to a router or gateway.
Ethernet is the most common and fastest wired network
protocol, with connection speeds of 10 to 100 megabits per
second (Mbps). Each computer on an Ethernet network
has an internal Ethernet network interface card, which
provides an Ethernet port on the back of the computer,
which resembles a phone connection. Other devices, such
as broadband modems, also have Ethernet ports. Ethernet
ports may be designated by the following symbol: [icon]
For more information about Ethernet connections and
networks, see the documentation for the Microsoft
Wireless Home Networking Router.
Wireless USB adapters attach to computers through wired
USB connections. If all your computers have USB
connections, they can all be attached to USB adapters,
and can then connect to the router and the Internet
wirelessly.
Microsoft Wireless Home Network USB adapters are
connected to computers through Universal Serial Bus
(USB) connections. A USB port looks like a small (about
1/2” wide), rectangular connection on the front or back of
your computer. The USB ports on the back of the computer
are usually located below your mouse and keyboard
connections, although this may vary. USB connections
may be indicated by the following symbol: [icon]
The Wireless Home Networking USB adapter has no
internal power source, so it must be connected to a
powered USB port. The ports on your computer are
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 12
powered, but many USB ports on keyboards or monitors
are not powered.
Wireless Networks
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking employs a wireless
transmission protocol called 802.11b, or Wi-Fi (for Wireless
Fidelity). It works by radio transmission, so does not
require cables to connect the computers as wired networks
do.
The range of Wi-Fi wireless networks is up to 4000 square
feet, and transmission occurs at speeds of up to 11 Mbps.
Wireless networks can transmit through walls and floors,
but the presence of many physical barriers may affect
signal strength and transmission speed. The following
table shows the interaction between wireless coverage
area and transmission speed for Microsoft Wireless Home
Networking components under various installation
circumstances.
Condition
Distance(m) Rate(Mbps)
25 11
Closed :
(Typical Home
Construction)
35 5.5
40 2
50 1
50 11
Semi-Open:
(Office
Cubicles)
70 5.5
90 2
115 1
160 11
Open:
(Outdoor or
Line of sight)
270 5.5
400 2
550 1
Wireless signals may be vulnerable to interference from
some cordless phone frequencies, microwave ovens, other
wireless devices, and neighboring wireless networks. The
wireless adapters have external antennas, which can be
positioned for best reception.
Tip
If you are not sure what types
of connections you have or of
the best way to connect your
network, refer to the Network
Connections section, page X,
in Chapter 1: Overview.
Important
It is important to follow the
installation instructions in the
order given.
υ Install the software before
connecting the adapter. If
you connected the
adapter before running
Setup, see If You
Connected Your
Hardware First on page
X.
υ If you have a Wireless
Home Networking Router,
install and configure it on
the computer that is
connected to your
modem before you install
the Wireless Home
Networking USB or PC
Card Adapter on a
different computer.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 13
Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Adapter
This chapter will guide you through the installation of the
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB or PC Card
Adapter. This adapter will allow a computer to connect to a
802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless network.
Recommended Connection Method
The recommended connection method for the Microsoft
Wireless Home Networking USB or PC Card Adapter is to
1. Install the software on the computer that will be
connected to the adapter
2. Connect the adapter to the computer
3. Configure the adapter by using the software
4. Connect to the network wirelessly
insert diagram of scenario 1 - PC wireless w/1
USB, 1 PC Card or either? to router/network
You can install the Microsoft Wireless Home Networking
Adapter this way if your computer meets the system
requirements, is not currently networked, and has an
available USB or PC Card connection.
If your computer has a different configuration, is on an
existing network, or needs additional or alternative
connection options, refer to Adding to Your Network, page
X; or Alternate Connection Options, page X, for
customized instructions.
If you have a Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Router,
it is important to install the router first, and then the USB or
PC Card Adapter. When installing the adapter, it is
important to install the software first, and then connect the
hardware. This takes full advantage of the software's ability
to automatically configure your network settings.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 14
Important
Install the Microsoft Home
Networking software to
enable the computer to
recognize the adapter before
you connect the adapter.
Please do not connect your
adapter until you are
instructed to do so. If you
connected your adapter
before installing the software,
see If You Connected the
Hardware First, page X.
Note
If you have a Windows 98
computer, you may be
prompted to restart your
computer at several points
during the setup process.
Note
On Windows 2000 and XP
Pro computers, network setup
can be performed only by an
Administrator. If you are not
logged in as an Administrator,
a dialog box will inform you
that setup cannot proceed. To
log in as an Administrator,
choose Log Off from the Start
menu, then press
CTRL+ALT+DEL, and then
log in with the name
Administrator and your
administrative password.
To install the software
1. Take the following items to the computer to be
networked:
υ The floppy disk, printout, or written record of
network settings that you created during the setup
of the first computer
υ The Microsoft Wireless Home Networking Setup
CD
υ The Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB or
PC Card Adapter
υ The printed Start Here! guide or these installation
instructions.
2. Insert the Microsoft Wireless Home Network Setup CD
into the CD-ROM drive. The Setup program should
start automatically after a few seconds. If it does not,
click My Computer on the Microsoft Windows Desktop
(or the Windows Start menu, depending on your
operating system), double-click the drive that contains
your Setup CD, and then double-click Setup.exe.
3. Follow the setup software instructions.
a. When you are asked which device you are setting
up, if you will be connecting a USB adapter,
choose USB Adapter. If you are inserting a PC
Card adapter, choose PC Card Adapter.
b. If you have a floppy disk of network settings that
you saved from the setup of another computer,
insert the diskette when prompted. Otherwise,
select your wireless Network Name (SSID), and
type in your network's WEP encryption key and
workgroup name, if used, when you are prompted
to do so.
4. When you are instructed to connect your USB or PC
Card adapter, follow the instructions below.
Note:
Typically, the USB ports on
your computer are powered,
while many USB ports on
keyboards or monitors are not
powered.
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 15
To connect the adapter
υ Plug in the USB cable that is attached to your adapter
to an available, powered USB port on your computer.
Insert diagram of USB Adapter plugged into PC
Card slot, & to router wirelessly
-or-
υ Insert the PC Card adapter into the PC Card slot on
your computer.
Insert diagram of PC Card Adapter plugged into PC
Card slot, & to router wirelessly
Note
For more information about
network name, WEP Security,
computer and workgroup
names, file and printer
sharing, and other setup
options, click the Help button
on each setup screen, or refer
to the appropriate chapter in
this User's Guide.
To configure the adapter
1. After you have connected the adapter, return to the
Home Networking Setup software and click Next.
Follow the software instructions.
c. When you are asked whether you want to set up
file and printer sharing, choose Yes or No.
d. If you choose Yes to set up file and printer sharing,
enter names for your computer, printers, and
workgroup on the appropriate screens. If you want
to share printers and files with other computers on
the network, you should set the same workgroup
name. The computer and printer names should be
unique.[T8]
2. After you click Finish to exit Setup, view the status of
your network in the Wireless Network Utility and test
your Internet connection by accessing a Web site
through your browser.
3. Remove the setup CD-ROM from the CD-ROM drive
and the floppy diskette (if used) from the floppy disk
drive. Keep the CD and the diskette to use for setting
up additional computers.
Adding Computers to Your Network
Now that you have installed a Microsoft Wireless Home
Networking USB or PC Card Adapter and connected to
your wireless network and Internet, you can add more
devices to your home or small office network. Refer to the
sections below for instructions on
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