Alpha Networks WMP-G02V User Manual

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WMP-G02V

High-Speed 2.4GHz WLAN Mini PCI Card

User’s Manual

First Edition (November, 2003)

Contents

List of Figures .......................................................... v

List of Tables .......................................................... vii

Preface ..................................................................... ix

About this Document ..................................................................................... ix

Audience......................................................................................................... x

Additional Resources...................................................................................... x

1 Introduction ........................................................... 1-1

Package Contents .......................................................................................1-1

System Requirements .................................................................................1-2

Hardware Installation.............................................................................................1-2

2 Windows 2000 ....................................................... 2-1

Driver Installation (First-time Install) ............................................................2-1

Driver Installation (Previous Driver Installed)...............................................2-5

Driver Uninstallation ..................................................................................2-14

Device Configuration .................................................................................2-17

Infrastructure Mode .............................................................................2-22

Ad Hoc Mode.......................................................................................2-23

TCP/IP Setup ......................................................................................2-24

3 Windows Millennium Edition ................................3-1

Driver Installation......................................................................................... 3-1

Driver Uninstallation ....................................................................................3-5

Device Configuration ...................................................................................3-7

Infrastructure Mode ...............................................................................3-9

Ad Hoc Mode.......................................................................................3-10

TCP/IP Configuration ..........................................................................3-12

4 Windows 98 Second Edition.................................4-1

Driver Installation......................................................................................... 4-1

Driver Uninstallation ....................................................................................4-5

Device Configuration ...................................................................................4-8

Infrastructure Mode ...............................................................................4-9

Ad Hoc Mode.......................................................................................4-11

TCP/IP Setup ......................................................................................4-13

5 Windows XP ...........................................................5-1

Driver Installation (First-time Install) ............................................................5-1

Driver Uninstallation ....................................................................................5-6

Device Configuration .................................................................................5-10

Infrastructure Mode .............................................................................5-12

Ad Hoc Mode.......................................................................................5-13

TCP/IP Setup ......................................................................................5-15

Windows XP Wireless Network Configuration ...........................................5-20

Infrastructure Mode ............................................................................. 5-22

Ad hoc mode .......................................................................................5-24

Connect to an Available Wireless Network.......................................... 5-26

6 Windows NT 4.0 .....................................................6-1

Driver Installation and TCP/IP Setup........................................................... 6-1

Device Configuration ................................................................................... 6-7

Infrastructure Mode ...............................................................................6-8

Ad Hoc Mode.......................................................................................6-11

Verify Connection ................................................................................6-13

Driver Uninstallation ..................................................................................6-15

7 LinkMon ................................................................. 7-1

Installation ...................................................................................................7-1

Features ......................................................................................................7-5

8 RFSilent.................................................................. 8-1

System Requirements .................................................................................8-1

Windows 98SE Environment .................................................................8-1

RFSilent Setup ............................................................................................8-2

Operation..................................................................................................... 8-2

9 Troubleshooting.................................................... 9-1

List of Figures

Figure 2-1. Infrastructure Mode.............................................................. 2-17

Figure 2-2. Ad Hoc Mode ....................................................................... 2-18

Figure 8-1. RFSilent Icon ......................................................................... 8-2

Figure 8-2. RFSilent Menu Selections...................................................... 8-2

List of Tables

Table 8-1. RFSilent Menu Descriptions .................................................. 8-3

Preface

This user’s guide provides the necessary information for first-time users to successfully install the Alphanetworks Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) driver, for the purpose of evaluating and/or operating the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Station Reference Design in a Microsoft Windows environment. This guide also provides information for users who wish to upgrade the AlphanetworksNDIS driver from previous releases.

This guide describes the steps required to install NDIS drivers for the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card in Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows XP, and Windows NT 4.0. This guide also includes detailed instructions for configuring the PC Card device, or IEEE 802.11b/g station (STA), to interact with an access point (AP) in infrastructure mode and with other STAs in ad hoc mode. Instructions for installing or upgrading the diagnostic utility LinkMon are also included. You should also read this before proceeding to install the AlphanetworksWMP-G02VV Wireless Network mini PCI Card and NDIS driver in the targeted operating system (OS) environment.

About this Document

The document consists of the following chapters and appendixes:

Chapter 1 Introduction—Hardware, Software, and System

Requirements needed to setup AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Station Reference Design.

Chapter 2 Windows 2000—Installation/Uninstallation Procedures and

Device/Network Configurations for Windows 2000.

Chapter 3

Chapter 4 Windows 98 Second Edition—Installation/Uninstallation

Chapter 5 Windows XP—Installation/Uninstallation Procedures and

Windows Millennium Edition—Installation/Uninstallation Procedures and Device/Network Configurations for Windows Millennium Edition.

Procedures and Device/Network Configurations for Windows 98 Second Edition.

Device/Network Configurations for Windows XP.

Chapter 6 Windows NT 4.0—Installation/Uninstallation Procedures

and Device/Network Configurations for Windows NT 4.0.

Chapter 7 LinkMon—Graphical User Interface for Operational Status

and Statistics of AlphanetworksWMP-G02VStation Reference Design.

Chapter 8 RFSilent—RFSilent application that allows you to enable or

disable the RF Signal (radio) on all AlphanetworksSTA Reference Designs.

Chapter 9 Troubleshooting—Hints on fixing common

Installation/Uninstallation and Device/Network Configurations issues.

Appendix 錯誤!

找不到參照來源。

錯誤! 找不到參照來源。—Describes how to select Fixed

Data Rate and/or Channel Frequency for specific testing.

Audience

This document is intended for Alphanetworkscustomers who wish to install and evaluate the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Station Reference Design in the supported Microsoft Windows environments.

Additional Resources

AlphanetworksSTA Reference Design hardware, software, and documentation contain proprietary information of AlphanetworksCommunications, Inc., and are provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure, and are also protected by copyright law. Reverse engineering of this hardware, software, or documentation is prohibited.

The following resources should be referenced regarding topics that are not addressed in this document:

AR2112 Radio-on-a-Chip for 5-GHz Wireless LANs data sheet



AR5212 MAC/Baseband Processor for IEEE 802.11b/g 5-GHz Wireless



LAN data sheet

AP User’s Guide



STA Reference Design Functional Specification



Package Contents

Make sure the following materials are available before you begin:

One 802.11b/g PCI Card



One Installation CD-ROM containing software and utilities and this user’s



guide

One 802.11b/g PCI Card Quick Start Guide



Introduction

One warranty registration card



1-1

System Requirements

A computer that meets the following specifications:



-Windows 2000,Windows ME, or Windows 98SE

PCI expansion slot



At least 64 MB of memory



A 300 MHz processor or higher



At least one other IEEE 802.11b/g-compliant device



Hardware Installation

Follow these steps to install the 802.11b/g PCI Card in a computer’s PCI slot:

1. Turn off your computer and unplug its power cord from the wall outlet for safety purposes.

2. Remove the computer cover.

3. Locate an unused PCI slot and refer to your PC ’s manual for instructions on how to remove the plate that covers the slot (if applicable).

4. Align the Harmony 802.11b/g PCI Card over the empty slot.

5. Firmly insert the card into the slot, as illustrated below.

6. Secure the card’s metal bracket to the computer following the directions provided in your PC’s manual.

7. Replace the computer cover.

8. Plug the computer’s power cord back into the wall outlet.

9. Place the antenna with the longer cable on top of your desk, computer, or monitor.

1-2

PRELIMINARY Chapter錯

誤! 尚未定義樣式。

10. Turn on the computer.

Atheros Communications, Inc. Introduction •1-3 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL 錯誤! 找不到參照來源。

Windows 2000

Driver Installation (First-time Install)

Insert the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card into a 32-bit CardBus slot and follow these steps to install the NDIS driver:

1. Wait for the following dialog box to display, and click Next to continue.

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2. Choose “Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended),” and

click Next.

3. Insert the installation CD in your CD-ROM drive. Choose “Specify a

location” under “Optional search locations,” and click Next to continue.

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4. Browse to the location where the NDIS driver is located (assuming D is the CD-ROM drive), the default folder is D:\ndis\bin\production\ndis5. Click OK to continue.

5. When you find the Alphanetworksdriver installation file (net5210b.inf), click Next to continue.

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6. The AlphanetworksNDIS evaluation driver currently does not have a digital signature from Microsoft. Therefore, Windows 2000 shows a warning message. Click Yes to proceed with driver installation.

7. Click Finish to complete the driver installation. See Section “Device Configuration” for the device configuration.

2-4

Driver Installation (Previous Driver Installed)

If the system already has a previous release of the AlphanetworksNDIS installed, Windows does not prompt for the device driver when the WLAN Card is inserted. Follow the steps below to update the NDIS driver:

1. Start System Properties from Control Panel. Under Hardware tab, click

Device Manager.

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2. Within Device Manager, right-click “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card” under “Network adapters” device node, and click Properties.

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3. Click “Update Driver…” from the Driver tab. Note the Driver Version that

you are updating from. You may need to verify this field again after driver update completes to make sure Release 1.3 driver has been updated correctly.

4. Click Next to continue.

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5. Choose “Display a list of the known drivers for this device so that I can choose a specific driver,” and click Next to continue.

6. Insert the Release 1.3 CD into your CD-ROM drive. Click “Have Disk…” to continue.

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7. Browse to the location where the NDIS driver is located (assuming D is

the CD-ROM drive), the default folder is “D:\ndis\bin\production\ndis5”. Click OK to continue.

8. Select “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card” from

the list and click Next to continue.

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9. Click Yes to continue when Windows displays the warning message.

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10. Click Next to proceed with installation.

11. The AlphanetworksNDIS evaluation driver currently does not have a

digital signature from Microsoft. Therefore, Windows 2000 shows a warning message. Click Yes to proceed with driver installation.

2-11

12. Click Finish.

13. Note that Driver Version should display 1.3 as the major revision number. Click OK to continue.

2-12

14. Click Yes to restart system.

15. After system restarts, the “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network

mini PCI Card” now displays under “Network adapters” in the Device Manager. Proceed to Section “Device Configuration” for device configuration information.

2-13

Driver Uninstallation

This section provides information about uninstallation procedures required for upgrading the NDIS driver from previous Alphanetworkssoftware releases. If the system does not have previously installed versions of the NDIS driver and you wish to remove the newly installed driver from the system, proceed to Step 4.

The NDIS driver since Release 1.0 no longer leverages the Transport Driver Interface (TDI) protocol to provide the LinkMon programming interface. The TDI protocol should be uninstalled. Follow these steps to uninstall the TDI protocol:

1. To remove the NDIS driver from the OS, go to Device Manager, rightclick “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card,” and choose Uninstall.

2-14

2. Click OK to uninstall the device.

3. When the device is uninstalled from Device Manager, search for and

delete the driver files that reside in the system. To do so, go to the Start menu and choose Search For Files or Folders…, enter “oem*.inf” in the “Search for files or folders named:” field, and enter “Alpha” in the “Containing text:” field. Click Search Now. A few files matching these criteria are possible, if previous drivers have not been removed properly. Choose the files that have been found and delete them from the system.

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4. To complete the uninstallation, “AR5212b.sys” should also be removed from the “\WINNT\system32\drivers” folder.

2-16

Device Configuration

Configuration of the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card can be done through the Network Control Panel (NCP) in adapter properties. You can set the Wireless Network mini PCI Card to work in one of two modes, either infrastructure mode (which leverages an AP) or ad hoc mode (which consists of a group of stations participating in the WLAN).

In infrastructure mode, the Wireless Network mini PCI Card participates in a basic service set (BSS) as a station, and communicates with the other stations through an AP, as illustrated in Figure 2-1.

STA1

Figure 2-1. Infrastructure Mode

STA2

Ethernet

2-17

In ad hoc mode, a Wireless Network mini PCI Card works within an independent basic service set (IBSS), as illustrated in Figure 2-2. All stations communicate directly with other stations without an AP.

STA1

STA3

STA5

STA2

STA4

Figure 2-2. Ad Hoc Mode

To configure the WMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card:

1. In the Device Manager, right-click “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card,” and click Properties to access the properties of the adapter.

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2. Configuration additions, modifications, and deletions are made under the

“Settings” tab of the “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card” properties.

3. Select one of the configurations under the configuration list, and click

Modify to show the “Network Configuration Settings” screen. This property sheet has two pages: General and Security. The General page has the following fields:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive.

− Network Name (SSID): This is the name of the IEEE 802.11b/g wireless network, for example, “Alphanetworks802.11b/g Wireless Network.” This field has a maximum limit of 32 characters.

− Network Connection: This field defines whether the STA is configured for an ad hoc or infrastructure network.

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− Power Saving: This field allows the configuration of power management options. The options are Off, Normal, and Maximum. Power management is disabled when ad hoc mode is selected in the Network Connection field. When the Power Saving setting is Off, the adapter receives full power from the PC. When the Power Saving setting is Normal, the driver turns off power to the adapter for brief periods over briefly-spaced time intervals. When the Power Saving setting is Maximum, the driver turns off power to the adapter for longer periods over more widely-spaced time intervals.

− Turbo Mode: This field enables or disables Alphanetworksturbo mode.

− Locally Administered Address: This field defines the locally

administered MAC address (LAA). To enter a value in the address field, the check box needs to be selected. Typically, an LAA is not required, because the driver automatically loads a unique, globally administered address from the EEPROM.

4. The next tab on this property sheet allows for the selection of security features. The fields on this page are as follows:

− Enable Security: This field completely enables or disables the IEEE

802.11 wired equivalent privacy (WEP) security feature.

− Default Encryption Key: This field defines the type of encryption key

to use (either Unique Key or Shared Keys). This field allows you to select only a key (Unique, First, Second, Third, or Fourth) whose corresponding field has been completed.

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− Unique Key: This field defines the unique encryption key for security for the current network configuration. In ad hoc mode, this encryption key type is not used. To enable security using a Unique Key, this field must be populated.

− Shared Keys: These fields define a set of shared encryption keys. To enable security using Shared Keys, at least one Shared Key field must be populated.

− Key Length: This field defines the length for each encryption key. As the Key Length is changed, the number of available characters in the field is changed automatically. If after a key is entered the length is adjusted to a smaller number, the key is automatically truncated to fit. If the length is increased again, the field is not automatically updated to its previous value.

All encryption key fields are displayed only when initially entered. On subsequent entry into the security property page, the fields are masked. The keys must be entered as hexadecimal digits.

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Infrastructure Mode

To configure an AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card in infrastructure mode:

1. Ensure that the “Locally Administered Address” checkbox is unchecked.

2. Choose the following settings:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive.

− Network Name (SSID): This is the name of the IEEE 802.11b/g wireless network, for example, “Alphanetworks802.11b/g Wireless Network.” This field has a maximum limit of 32 characters. If this field is left blank, the STA connects to the AP with the best signal strength.

− Network Connection: AP (infrastructure).

− Power Saving: This field allows the configuration of power

management options. The options are Off, Normal, and Maximum.

− Turbo Mode: This field enables or disables Alphanetworksturbo mode.

− Locally Administered Address: This field defines the locally

administered MAC address (LAA). To enter a value in the address field, the check box needs to be selected.

2-22

Ad Hoc Mode

Usually infrastructure mode is used in an enterprise environment where APs are installed and maintained by corporate IT staff. Much of the data in the enterprise network is confidential. It is important to configure security to make sure only stations with appropriate keys can receive sensitive data. The AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card and NDIS driver support key lengths of 40 bits, 104 bits, and 128 bits. Typically, the appropriate encryption and decryption keys are supplied by the corporate IT staff.

An ad hoc network usually is a short-lived network with a small number of stations. The network is usually created for a special purpose such as exchanging data between friends, or between customer and client. Because the duration of the ad hoc network tends to be limited, Power Saving and Security features are not typically a requirement. For ad hoc network activity, the Power Saving and Security features can be disabled. Currently, shared key security is supported in ad hoc mode. Future Alphanetworkssoftware implementations will provide unique key support.

In ad hoc mode, a station scans the air for an existing BSS. If no BSS is found, the station establishes a BSS for other stations to join. When other stations scan the air and find an established BSS in place, they join that BSS to form an ad hoc network. If a specific set of stations requires ad hoc network connectivity, it is recommended to have one station establish a BSS first before configuring the remaining stations. This prevents the scenario of several stations trying to form a BSS at the same time, which can result in multiple singular BSSs being established, rather than a single BSS with multiple stations.

Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name



must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive.

Network Name (SSID): A Network Name is mandatory for ad hoc mode.



The SSID for all stations in a single ad hoc network must be the same.

Network Connection: Ad Hoc.



Power Saving: Power saving mode is not currently supported in an ad



hoc network.

Turbo Mode: All stations participating in the ad hoc network must have



the same rate setting.

Locally Administered Address: This field defines the locally administered



MAC address (LAA). To enter a value in the address field, the check box needs to be selected.

2-23

TCP/IP Setup

After configuring the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card through the Network Control Panel, the TCP/IP address for the network device must be configured.

1. Open the “Control Panel” and click “Network and Dial-up Connections.”

2. Find the “Local Area Connection” that is associated with the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card. Right-click that connection, and click Properties.

2-24

3. Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” and click Properties.

4. Click “Use the following IP address” and input an IP address and Subnet

mask. Assigning an IP address and Subnet mask allows stations to operate in infrastructure mode and to have Internet access. “Default gateway” and “DNS server” information is also required. IP configuration information (DHCP or assigned IP address, Gateway and DNS server IP addresses) is usually obtained from the corporate IT staff.

5. After obtaining IP configuration information from the appropriate IT staff,

click OK in both “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties” and “Local Area Connection Properties” to complete the IP configuration.

2-25

6. Choose Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to open the DOS command prompt window. Type “ipconfig” at the C:\> prompt to determine if the TCP/IP configuration has taken effect. To test IP connectivity in ad hoc or infrastructure mode, use the “ping <ipaddress>” command. When a TCP/IP connection is established, the LinkMon utility (See Chapter 7) can be used to monitor the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card operating status.

2-26

7. To map the drive on another machine to your computer, right-click “My

Computer” and click “Map Network Drive….”

8. After mapping the drive, you can perform file transfers, use video

streaming applications, and all other network data transfers that are normally performed with wired 10/100 Ethernet connections.

2-27

Windows Millennium

Driver Installation

Alphanetworksrecommends that you remove any existing AlphanetworksNDIS driver on the PC system before installing Version release of the NDIS driver. See Section “Driver Uninstallation” on page 3-5 for the instructions on how to remove previous driver releases. When the system no longer has the AlphanetworksNDIS driver installed, insert the WMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card into a 32-bit CardBus slot, and follow these steps to install the NDIS driver:

Edition

1. Wait for the following dialog box to appear. Choose “Specify the location

of the driver (Advanced),” and click Next to continue.

3-1

3-2

2. Choose “Search for the best driver for your device. (Recommended)” and

select “Specify a location.” Click Browse to locate the NDIS driver. The default folder is “E:\ndis\bin\production\ndis5” (assuming E: is the CDROM drive). Click Next to continue.

3. When the Alphanetworksdriver installation file (NET5210B.INF) has been

found, click Next to continue.

3-3

4. Click Finish to continue, and restart the system to complete driver installation. Refer to Section “Device Configuration” on page 3-7 for device configuration.

3-4

Driver Uninstallation

This section provides uninstallation procedures for removing the AlphanetworksNDIS driver from the system. Uninstallation is recommended for upgrading the NDIS driver from previous Alphanetworksdriver releases.

1. To remove the NDIS driver from the OS, go to Start > Search > For Files

or Folders…, and search for the INF file containing the “Alpha” text string under the \WINDOWS\INF folder. Be sure to include subfolders in the search criteria. When “Alphanet5210b.inf” has been found, delete it by right-clicking the file and choose Delete.

3-5

2. From Control Panel, launch the System Properties window. Select “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card” from Device Manager, and click Remove to uninstall the device.

3. Click OK to confirm the removal of the device. Restart the system to complete un-installation.

3-6

Device Configuration

Configuration of the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card can be done through the AlphanetworksNIC Configuration utility found in the Windows Control Panel. Similar to Windows 2000, the device can be set to work in one of two modes: infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode. Please refer to Section “Device Configuration” beginning on page 2-17 for more details on these network connection types.

To launch the configuration utility, go to Control Panel and double-click on the AlphanetworksNIC Configuration icon.

3-7

The configuration utility allows addition, modification, and deletion of the configuration profiles. Select one of the existing configuration profiles under the configuration list to modify, or click New to add a new configuration profile. Follow Section “Infrastructure Mode” on page 3-9 and Section “Ad Hoc Mode” on page 3-10 to set up the station to work in infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode.

3-8

Infrastructure Mode

This section defines the process of configuring an AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card in infrastructure mode. See Section “Device Configuration” beginning on page 2-17 for detailed descriptions of each option in the Network Configuration Settings.

1. Under the “General” tab, make sure the “Locally Administered Address”

checkbox is unchecked. Use the following information as a guideline to choose the values of each field in the configuration window:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name

− Network Name (SSID): This is the name of the IEEE 802.11b/g

− Network Connection: AP (Infrastructure)

− Power Saving: This field allows the configuration of power

must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive.

wireless network. This field has a maximum limit of 32 characters. If this field is left blank, the STA connects to the AP with the best signal strength.

management options. The options are Off, Normal, and Maximum.

− Turbo Mode: This field enables or disables Alphanetworksturbo mode.

3-9

2. Usually, infrastructure mode is used in an enterprise environment where APs are installed and maintained by corporate IT staff. Much of the data in the enterprise network is confidential. It is important to configure security to make sure only stations with appropriate keys can receive sensitive data. The AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card and NDIS driver support key lengths of 40 bits, 104 bits and 128 bits. Typically, the appropriate encryption and decryption keys are supplied by the corporate IT staff.

Ad Hoc Mode

This section defines the process of configuring an AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card in ad hoc or IBSS mode. See Section “Ad Hoc Mode” on page 2-23 for descriptions of ad hoc operation.

1. Similar to the set-up of AP Infrastructure mode described in the previous section, ad hoc mode is also configured by changing the options in the Network Configuration Settings of the AlphanetworksNIC Configuration utility. Use the following information as a guideline to choose the values of each field in the configuration window:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name

must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive.

− Network Name (SSID): A Network Name is mandatory for ad hoc

mode. The SSID for all stations in a single ad hoc network must be the same.

− Network Connection: Ad Hoc.

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− Power Saving: Power saving mode is not currently supported in an ad hoc network.

− Turbo Mode: All stations participating in the ad hoc network must have the same rate setting.

− Locally Administered Address: This field defines the locally administered MAC address (LAA). To enter a value in the address field, the check box needs to be selected.

2. You can optionally set up other properties, but because the duration of the ad hoc network tends to be limited, Power Saving and Security features are not typically a requirement. For ad hoc network activity, the Power Saving and Security features can be disabled. Currently, shared key security is supported in ad hoc mode. Future Alphanetworkssoftware implementations will provide unique key support.

3. Click OK when the properties are set correctly. The system needs to reboot in order for the changes to take effect.

Note that in ad hoc mode, a station scans the air for an existing BSS. If no BSS is found, the station establishes a BSS for other stations to join. When other stations scan the air and find an established BSS in place, they join that BSS to form an ad hoc network. If a specific set of stations requires ad hoc network connectivity, it is recommended to have one station establish a BSS first before configuring the remaining stations. This prevents the scenario of several stations trying to form a BSS at the same time, which can result in multiple singular BSSs being established, rather than a single BSS with multiple stations.

3-11

TCP/IP Configuration

After configuring the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card network adapter properties, the TCP/IP address for the network device needs to be configured.

1. From Control Panel, launch the Network properties window. Select “TCP/IP → AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card” and click Properties. Depending on the type of network the station connects to, Gateway and DNS Configuration information can also be required. IP configuration information (DHCP or assigned IP address, Gateway and DNS server IP addresses) is usually obtained from the corporate IT staff. For a simple demonstration, the station is assigned a static IP address. From “TCP/IP Properties,” choose “IP Address” and select “Specify an IP address.” Input an IP address and subnet mask. Assigning an IP address and subnet mask allows the station to interact with the AP or other stations in the same IP subnet. Click OK to complete the TCP/IP configuration, and restart the system for the changes to take effect.

3-12

2. Choose Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to open the

DOS command prompt window. Type “ipconfig” to determine if the TCP/IP configuration has taken effect. To test IP connectivity in ad hoc or infrastructure mode, use the “ping <ipaddress>” command. When a TCP/IP connection is established, the LinkMon utility (see Chapter 7) can be used to monitor the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card operating status.

3-13

3. To map the drive on another machine to your computer, right-click “My Computer” and click “Map Network Drive….” Specify the path of a network-shared folder.

4. After mapping the drive, you can perform file transfers, video streaming, and all other network data transfers that are normally performed with wired 10/100 Ethernet connections.

3-14

Windows 98 Second

Driver Installation

Alphanetworksrecommends that you remove any existing AlphanetworksNDIS driver on the PC system before installing Version 1.3 release of the NDIS driver. See Section “Driver Uninstallation” on page 4-5 for the instructions on how to remove previous driver releases. When the system no longer has the AlphanetworksNDIS driver installed, insert the WMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card into a 32-bit CardBus slot, and follow these steps to install the NDIS driver:

Edition

1. Wait for the following dialog box to appear, and click Next to continue.

4-1

4-2

2. Choose “Search for the best driver for your device. (Recommended),”

and click Next.

3. Insert the AlphanetworksSoftware Release CD in your CD-ROM drive.

Choose “Specify a location” and browse to the location where the NDIS driver is located. The default folder is D:\ndis\bin\production\ndis5 (assuming D: is the CD-ROM drive). Click Next to continue.

4-3

4. When the Alphanetworksdriver installation file (NET5210B.INF) has been found, click Next to continue.

5. Click Finish to continue.

4-4

6. Click Yes to restart the system and complete driver installation.

See Section “Device Configuration” on page 4-8 for device configuration.

Driver Uninstallation

1. To remove the NDIS driver from the OS, go to Start > Search > For Files

or Folders…, and search for the INF file containing the “Alpha” text string under the \WINDOWS\INF folder. Be sure to include subfolders in the search criteria.

4-5

2. When “Alphanet5210b.inf” has been found, delete it by right-clicking the file and choose “Delete.”

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3. From Control Panel, launch the Network properties window. Select

“AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card” from the list, and click Remove to uninstall the device.

4. Click OK to confirm the removal of the device. Restart the system to

complete uninstallation.

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Device Configuration

Configuration of the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card can be done through the AlphanetworksNIC Configuration utility found in the Windows Control Panel. Similar to Windows 2000 the device can be set to work in one of two modes: infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode. Please refer to Section “Device Configuration” beginning on page 2-17 for more details on these network connection types.

To launch the configuration utility, go to Control Panel and double-click on the AlphanetworksNIC Configuration icon.

The configuration utility allows addition, modification, and deletion of the configuration profiles. Select one of the existing configuration profiles under the configuration list to modify, or click New to add a new configuration profile. Follow Section “Infrastructure Mode” on page 4-9 and Section “Ad Hoc Mode” on page 4-11 to set up the station to work in infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode.

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Infrastructure Mode

1. Under the “General” tab, make sure the “Locally Administered Address”

checkbox is unchecked. Use the following information as a guideline to choose the values of each field in the configuration window:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name

− Network Name (SSID): This is the name of the IEEE 802.11b/g

− Network Connection: AP (Infrastructure)

− Power Saving: This field allows the configuration of power

must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive.

wireless network. This field has a maximum limit of 32 characters. If this field is left blank, the STA connects to the AP with the best signal strength.

management options. The options are Off, Normal, and Maximum.

− Turbo Mode: This field enables or disables Alphanetworksturbo mode.

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2. Usually, infrastructure mode is used in an enterprise environment where APs are installed and maintained by corporate IT staff. Much of the data in the enterprise network is confidential. It is important to configure security to make sure only stations with appropriate keys can receive sensitive data. The AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card and NDIS driver support key lengths of 40 bits, 104 bits, and 128 bits. Typically, the appropriate encryption and decryption keys are supplied by the corporate IT staff.

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Ad Hoc Mode

1. Similar to the setup of the AP infrastructure mode described in the

previous section, ad hoc mode is also configured by changing the Network Configuration Settings of the AlphanetworksNIC Configuration utility. Use the following information as a guideline to choose the values of each field in the configuration window:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive.

− Network Name (SSID): A Network Name is mandatory for ad hoc mode. The SSID for all stations in a single ad hoc network must be the same.

− Network Connection: Ad Hoc.

− Power Saving: Power saving mode is not currently supported in an ad

hoc network.

− Turbo Mode: All stations participating in the ad hoc network must have the same rate setting.

− Locally Administered Address: This field defines the locally administered MAC address (LAA). To enter a value in the address field, the check box needs to be selected.

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3. Click OK when the properties are set correctly. The system needs to reboot in order for the changes to take effect.

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TCP/IP Setup

After configuring the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card network adapter properties, the TCP/IP address for the network device needs to be configured.

1. From Control Panel, launch the Network properties window. Select

“TCP/IP → AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card” and click Properties. Depending on the type of network the station connects to, Gateway and DNS Configuration information can also be required. IP configuration information (DHCP or assigned IP address, Gateway and DNS server IP addresses) is usually obtained from the corporate IT staff. For a simple demonstration, the station is assigned a static IP address. From “TCP/IP Properties,” choose “IP Address” and select “Specify an IP address.” Input an IP address and subnet mask. Assigning an IP address and subnet mask allows the station to interact with the AP or other stations in the same IP subnet. Click OK to complete the TCP/IP configuration, and restart the system for the changes to take effect.

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2. Choose Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to open the DOS command prompt window. Type “ipconfig” to determine if the TCP/IP configuration has taken effect. To test IP connectivity in ad hoc or infrastructure mode, use the “ping <ipaddress>” command. When a TCP/IP connection is established, the LinkMon utility (see Chapter 7) can be used to monitor the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card operating status.

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3. To map the drive on another machine to your computer, right-click “My

Computer” and click “Map Network Drive….” Specify the path of a network-shared folder.

4. After mapping the drive, you can perform file transfers, video streaming,

and all other network data transfers that are normally performed with wired 10/100 Ethernet connections.

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Windows XP

Driver Installation (First-time Install)

Alphanetworksrecommends that you remove any existing Alphanetworksdrivers on the PC system before installing Version release of the NDIS driver. See Section “Driver Uninstallation” on page 5-6 for the instructions on how to remove previous driver releases. With no existing AlphanetworksNDIS driver installed, insert the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card into a 32-bit CardBus slot, and follow these steps to install the NDIS driver:

1. Wait for the following dialog box to appear. Choose “Install from a list or

specific location (Advanced),” and click Next to continue.

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5-2

2. Under “Search for the best driver in these locations,” choose “Include this

location in the search” and click Browse to find the location of the NDIS driver. When the driver location has been identified, click Next to continue.

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3. The AlphanetworksNDIS evaluation driver currently does not have a digital signature from Microsoft. Therefore, Windows XP shows a warning message. Click Continue Anyway to proceed with driver installation.

4. Click Finish to complete driver installation, and refer to Section “Device Configuration” on page 5-10 for device configuration.

5-4

5-5

Driver Uninstallation

1. To remove the NDIS driver from the OS, go to Device Manager, right click “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card,” and choose Uninstall.

2. Click OK to uninstall the device.

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5-7

3. When the device is uninstalled from Device Manager, search for and delete the driver installation file that resides in the system. To do so, go to Start and choose Search > All files and folder, enter “oem*.inf” in the “All or part of the file name” field, and enter “Alpha” in the “A word or phrase in the file” field. Enter “C:\WINNT\INF” in the “Look in” field, where C: is the drive letter of where Windows XP is installed. Click Search to find the driver installation file.

4. A file matching the search criteria is displayed. Choose this file and delete it from the system.

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5-9

Device Configuration

Windows XP zero-configuration functionality allows the user to select and join a wireless network without having to configure the device separately. You can decide to choose the default parameters and directly proceed to zeroconfiguration in Section “Windows XP Wireless Network Configuration” on page 5-20.

Similar to Windows 2000, configuration of the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card can be done through the Network Control Panel (NCP) in adapter properties. You can set the Wireless Network mini PCI Card to work in one of two modes: infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode. See Section “Device Configuration” beginning on page 2-17 for more details on these network connection types.

To launch NCP go to Device Manager, right-click “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card,” and select Properties to access to the properties of the adapter.

5-10

Configuration additions, modifications, and deletions are made under the “Settings” tab of “AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card Properties.” Select one of the configurations under the configuration, click Modify or New and complete the steps in Section “Infrastructure Mode” on page 5-12 or Section “Ad Hoc Mode” on page 5-13 to set up the station to work in infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode, respectively.

5-11

Infrastructure Mode

1. Under the “General” tab, make sure the “Locally Administered Address” checkbox is unchecked. Use the following information as a guideline to choose the values of each field in the configuration window:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name

− Network Name (SSID): This is the name of the IEEE 802.11b/g

− Network Connection: AP (Infrastructure).

− Power Saving: This field allows the configuration of power

must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive, for example, “Infrastructure.”

wireless network, for example, “AP_Network.” This field has a maximum limit of 32 characters. If this field is left blank, the STA connects to the AP with the best signal strength.

management options. The options are Off, Normal, and Maximum.

− Turbo Mode: This field enables or disables Alphanetworksturbo mode.

5-12

2. Usually, infrastructure mode is used in an enterprise environment where

APs are installed and maintained by corporate IT staff. Much of the data in the enterprise network is confidential. It is important to configure security to make sure only stations with appropriate keys can receive sensitive data. The AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card and NDIS driver support key lengths of 40 bits, 104 bits and 128 bits. Typically, the appropriate encryption and decryption keys are supplied by the corporate IT staff.

Ad Hoc Mode

1. Similar to the setup of AP Infrastructure mode described in the previous

section, ad hoc mode is also configured by changing the options in the “Network Configuration Settings” window. Use the following information as a guideline to choose the values of each field in the configuration window:

− Configuration Name: This field identifies the configuration. This name must be unique. Configuration names are case insensitive, for example, “Ad Hoc.”

5-13

− Network Name (SSID): A Network Name is mandatory for ad hoc mode. The SSID for all stations in a single ad hoc network must be the same.

− Network Connection: Ad Hoc.

− Power Saving: Power saving mode is not currently supported in an ad

hoc network.

− Turbo Mode: All stations participating in the ad hoc network must have the same rate setting.

− Locally Administered Address: This field defines the locally administered MAC address (LAA). To enter a value in the address field, the check box needs to be selected.

2. You can optionally set up security features, but it is not typically a requirement because the duration of the ad hoc network tends to be limited. Currently, shared key security is supported in ad hoc mode. Future Alphanetworkssoftware implementations will provide unique key support.

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TCP/IP Setup

3. In ad hoc mode, a station scans the air for an existing BSS. If no BSS is

found, the station establishes a BSS for other stations to join. When other stations scan the air and find an established BSS in place, they join that BSS to form an ad hoc network. If a specific set of stations requires ad hoc network connectivity, it is recommended to have one station establish a BSS first before configuring the remaining stations. This prevents the scenario of several stations trying to form a BSS at the same time, which can result in multiple singular BSSs being established, rather than a single BSS with multiple stations.

After configuring the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card through the Network Control Panel, the TCP/IP address for the network device needs to be configured.

1. From the Start menu, choose Programs > Accessories >

Communications > Network Connections. Find the “Local Area Connection” that is associated with the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card. Right-click that connection and click Properties.

5-15

2. Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” and click Properties. Click “Use the following IP address” and input an IP address and Subnet mask. Depending on the type of network the station connects to, Gateway and DNS Configuration information can also be required. IP configuration information (DHCP or assigned IP address, Gateway and DNS server IP addresses) is usually obtained from the corporate IT staff. For a simple demonstration, the station is assigned a static IP address. Click OK in both “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties” and “Local Area Connection Properties” to complete the IP configuration.

5-16

3. Choose Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to open a

command prompt window. Type “ipconfig” to determine if the TCP/IP configuration has taken effect. To test IP connectivity in ad hoc or infrastructure mode, use the “ping <IP address>” command. When a TCP/IP connection is established, the LinkMon utility (see Chapter 7) can be used to monitor the operating status of AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card.

5-17

4. To map the drive on another machine to your computer, from the Start menu, choose My Computer and right-click to select “Map Network Drive….”

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5. Assign the drive letter that maps to the network-shared folder and specify

the shared folder information. Click Finish to map the drive.

6. After mapping the drive, you can perform file transfers, video streaming,

and all other network data transfers that are normally performed with wired 10/100 Ethernet connections.

5-19

Windows XP Wireless Network Configuration

Aside from using the Network Control Panel (NCP) to configure the AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card, Windows XP provides zero-configuration functionality that automatically tries to connect the STA to available wireless networks in the following order:

a. Infrastructure mode with valid WEP keys

b. Infrastructure mode with unauthenticated access for stations without

WEP keys

c. Ad hoc mode

To configure wireless network settings through the Windows XP user interface, open Network Connections from Control Panel. Right-click the Local Area Network Connection icon (pertinent to AlphanetworksWMP-G02V Wireless Network mini PCI Card), click Enable to enable the device first, and then click Properties. On the Wireless Networks tab, select the “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” check box to enable automatic wireless network configuration. Follow Section “Infrastructure Mode” on page 5-12 or Section “Ad Hoc Mode” on page 5-13 to set up the station to connect to an infrastructure or ad hoc network.

If you want to use non-default settings for power saving and turbo mode, you should set those parameters through the NCP method described in Section “Device Configuration” on page 5-10. Then use Wireless Networks tabs to select network name, network type, and encryption keys.

5-20

Note that you can disable automatic wireless network configuration, and revert back to using AlphanetworksNCP configuration settings, by clearing the “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” check box.

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Infrastructure Mode

To set up automatic wireless network configuration to connect to an existing Access Point (infrastructure network):

1. Click the network name under “Available networks” in the Wireless Networks tab, and click Configure. You can update the list of available networks that are within range of your computer by clicking Refresh under Available Networks.

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2. If the network requires WEP, then the “Data encryption (WEP enabled)”

check box is selected by default in Wireless Network Properties. Select the “The key is provided for me automatically” check box if the WEP key is automatically provided for you. The driver will then use the Default Encryption key from the current AlphanetworksNCP configuration profile irrespective of the network name. You may choose to enter the WEP key by clearing this check box and manually entering the network key and key length. Note that the key format must be hexadecimal digits and the key length is limited to 104-bit in Windows XP, as opposed to 128-bit key supported by AlphanetworksNDIS driver in the NCP configuration interface. If the network that you are connecting to requires 128-bit WEP key, then it is recommended that you disable Windows XP automatic wireless network configuration and use AlphanetworksNCP configuration instead.

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Ad hoc mode

To connect to an existing computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network:

1. Click the ad hoc network name under “Available networks” in the Wireless Networks tab, and click Configure.

5-24

2. In Wireless Network Properties, the “This is a computer-to-computer (ad

hoc) network; wireless access points are not used” check box is selected by default. You may choose to enable WEP by selecting the “Data encryption (WEP enabled)” check box and the “Network Authentication (Shared mode)” check box. Select the “The key is provided for me automatically” check box if the shared key is automatically provided for you. The driver will then use the Default Encryption key from the current AlphanetworksNCP configuration profile irrespective of the network name. You may choose to enter the shared key by clearing this check box and enter the key and key length manually. Note that the key format must be hexadecimal digits and the key length is limited to 104-bit in Windows XP as opposed to 128-bit key supported by AlphanetworksNDIS driver in the NCP configuration interface. If the network that you are connecting to requires 128-bit WEP key then it is recommended that you disable Windows XP automatic wireless network configuration and use AlphanetworksNCP configuration instead.

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3. If you want to connect to an ad hoc network, but both ad hoc and infrastructure networks are within range of your computer, then click Advanced in the Wireless Networks tab and then select “Computer-tocomputer (ad hoc) networks only”. Note that if you want the station to start its own ad hoc network, the “Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only” option should be selected. There should be no network active from the preferred list and the “Automatically connect to nonpreferred networks” check box should be cleared.

Connect to an Available Wireless Network

When there is more than one available network detected by Windows XP, the OS will prompt the user to select and connect to a preferred network.

To connect to an available wireless network, right-click the network connection icon in the notification area, and then click “View Available Wireless Networks”.

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In Connect to Wireless Network, under “Available networks”, select the wireless network that you want to connect to. If a network key is required and is automatically provided for you, then leave “Network key” blank. If the network key is not automatically provided for you, then type the key in “Network key”. Click Connect to establish the network connection.

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If you are either unable to make a connection to the wireless network that you selected or need to configure additional wireless network connection settings, click Advanced in Connect to Wireless Network, and the Wireless Networks tab will appear.

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Alpha Networks WMP-G02V User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual