Askey Computer WLC3070 Users manual

Contents

Safety precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Notes on secure operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Gigaset PC Card 108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Wireless LAN Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Local Area Network (LAN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Ad-hoc network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Infrastructure network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Security in wireless networksEncryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

WEP encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

WPA encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Range of wireless communication via a WLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Notes on location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Status displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Installation procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Running installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Connecting the Gigaset PC Card 108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Installing driver software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Checking installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Reading the connection quality from the icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Configuring Gigaset PC Card 108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Opening the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Deactivating Autostart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Operating the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Closing the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Configuration – General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Configuration – Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Configuration – Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

IP settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Site Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Contents

Uninstalling Gigaset PC Card 108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Uninstalling the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Completing Uninstall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Trouble shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Service (Customer Care) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Guarantee Certificate United Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Guarantee Certificate Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Safety precautions

u The tic can affect medical equipment. Therefore, you should pay attention to the

technical conditions of the corresponding environment.

u Make sure you include the operating instructions and the CD-ROM, when you pass

on your Gigaset PC Card 108 to somebody else.

u Under no circumstances try to use a damaged device. If in doubt, please contact our

service department, see Chapter "Service (Customer Care)" on page 49.

Notes on secure operation

When you have installed and configured the Gigaset PC Card 108 on your PC, you should perform security settings on the wireless network:

u Change the SSID for all of the wireless devices within your network (see "SSID (Serv-

ice Set Identifier)" on page 19).

u Encrypt the communication over your wireless network (see "Configuration – Secu-

rity" on page 22).

Trademarks

Microsoft, Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Internet Explorer are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.

Super G is a registered trademark of Atheros Communications, Inc.

Please remember:

Trademarks and trade names used in these instructions are meant only to describe the operating steps and this use does not imply that they are freely available. Trademarks and trade names are the property of the corresponding holder of the rights.

The Gigaset PC Card 108

The Gigaset PC Card 108 is a WLAN network adapter that is connected to your PC or Notebook via a PCMCIA slot. You can use Gigaset data products to set up a wireless local network (WLAN = Wireless Local Area Network) without having to lay cables.

Your Gigaset PC Card 108 can be used to connect your PC to other PCs equipped with wireless network adapters (ad-hoc mode).

You can also connect your PC to a wireless router, e. g. to the Gigaset SE551 WLAN dsl/ cable, for Internet access (infrastructure mode).

Since the PCs communicate with each other via radio, it does not matter where they are located, as long as they are within range of the wireless network. Mobile PCs, such as Notebooks, can connect to the WLAN even after changing location. This enables you to use all the files and printers on the network. The Gigaset PC Card 108 works according to the IEEE 802.11g transmission standard and is backwards compatible with the older standard IEEE 802.11b. The Gigaset PC Card 108 also supports Super G technology. By using channel bundling, this can increase the transmission rate to up to 108 Mbps on the network. For network security, wireless transmission can be encrypted using the WPA standard or 64-/128-bit WEP.

These operating instructions contain important information on how to set up a WLAN and to configure your Gigaset PC Card 108.

Wireless LAN Basics

This section provides basic information on wireless LANs to show the role of the Gigaset PC Card 108 in setting up a wireless network

Local Area Network (LAN)

A LAN is a network that exists in a limited area. A network is two or more computers which are connected together in order to share files as well as peripheral devices, e. g. a printer.

Using the Gigaset PC Card 108 you can communicate with other PCs without having to route network cable. Thus you can take your computer to another place and still remain connected to the network.

You can use the Gigaset PC Card 108 in two different ways. On the one hand, you can establish a connection to one or more PCs equipped with wireless network adapters. This is an ad-hoc network. On the other hand, you can establish a connection to an Access Point, which is used to obtain access to an already existing wired LAN (infrastructure network).

The Gigaset PC Card 108

Ad-hoc network

In an ad-hoc network, PCs communicate with each other via wireless peer-to-peer connections. An ad-hoc network is set up by participants as and when required. All the PCs must have a wireless network adapter installed, e. g. a Gigaset PC Card 108, a Gigaset USB Adapter or USB Stick. Ad-hoc networks are used wherever communication networks have to be set up quickly without any existing network infrastructure and the participants are mobile.

Infrastructure network

In an infrastructure network, connections between network participants are set up via an Access Point (or several Access Points). The Access Point provides the basis for the wireless network. It controls the connections between the participants and can also establish the connection from the mobile stations of a wireless network to a wired LAN (Ethernet) or the Internet.

Roaming

Several Access Points can be installed to extend the range of a wireless network. Participants in the wireless network can move freely between the various Access Points without losing contact to the network. As soon as there is a risk of losing contact, the PC automatically looks for another Access Point with a stronger signal. All Access Points and wireless network adapters must have the same SSID. All Access Points must be connected to the same Ethernet network.

The Gigaset PC Card 108

Security in wireless networksEncryption

Any network, be it wired or wireless, is exposed to the risk of eavesdropping.

Connecting your local network to the public network exposes your data and applications to not inconsiderable risks. As with an individual connection, you should always protect your network PCs against external attacks, e. g. via emails, with a virus scanner.

These virus scanners however do not provide any protection against unauthorised access from outside (hackers). To counter this risk, Gigaset data products offer various encryption procedures that largely rule out unauthorised access (hacking) to your wireless network.

WEP encryption

WEP encryption (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encodes data for sending using a key that you have defined. Once they reach the recipient, who uses the same key, the data are restored to the state before you sent them. Recipients who do not know this key cannot read the content of this data stream or only after a great deal of effort.

There are two security levels for calculating the encryption key:

u 64-bit mode u 128-bit mode

WPA encryption

WPA is a new standard-compliant solution for greater security in wireless networks. WPA is meant to replace the existing WEP standard (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and offers more reliable encryption and authentication methods.

With your Gigaset PC Card 108 you can use WPA encryption regardless of the operating system used. WPA encryption is particularly recommended where the highest security is required.

Range of wireless communication via a WLAN

The range is up to 300 m in the open. In buildings, the maximum range is up to 30 m. The operating environment, the nature of the rooms and building may reduce the range considerably. You can boost the range of your wireless network by placing a repeater, e. g. a Gigaset WLAN Repeater, at the limit of its range. The device also supports the XRfunctionality (eXtended Range). This can increase the range as well.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

System requirements

For operation, you will require:

u a PC with at least 466 MHz and one of the following operating systems:

Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000 or Windows XP

u 64 MB RAM, more working memory is recommended u at least 30 MB free hard disk space u a free PC card slot (Cardbus) u a CD-ROM drive or a DVD drive

Contents

The package contains the following components:

u a Gigaset PC Card 108 u a CD-ROM containing installation and configuration software, detailed operating

instructions, Adobe Reader to read the operating instructions and the document

"Gigaset WLAN. Practical tips"

u a Quick Installation Guide

Notes on location

Choose the location of the PC where the Gigaset PC Card 108 will be connected with the fewest obstacles to radio waves. Protect the Gigaset PC Card 108 from dampness.

The PC with the Gigaset PC Card 108 should not be placed in the immediate vicinity of other electronic equipment. Electrical equipment can mutually affect each other, and radio waves may impair the functioning of other devices.

If your PC with the Gigaset PC Card 108 should be under a desk or in a housing, the range of the wireless network can be affected. For the best possible range, we recommend placing the WLAN components in a central and an open location.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

Status displays

There are two status displays (LEDs) on the Gigaset PC Card 108 . They are used to display the:

u Operating status (PWR), red u Transmission status (ACT), green

LED State Meaning

PWR

ACT

Continuously lit

Off The device is not ready for use. Flashing Data is being transmitted. Off There is currently no data traffic.

The Gigaset PC Card 108 was installed successfully on your PC and is ready for operation.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

Installation procedure

Please remember:

Do not insert the Gigaset PC Card 108 into a PCMCIA slot on your PC until the installation software prompts you to do so.

First, the software included in the scope of delivery must be installed. This software not only includes the driver software for the device, it can also be used as a configuration and monitoring tool, the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor

Only this software has been written especially for the Gigaset PC Card 108. There are similar drivers available in the Windows driver database. But, as a rule, such drivers do not fully cover all the features or function in a different manner.

Do not connect the Gigaset PC Card 108 to your PC until prompted by the installation program. If you connect the Gigaset PC Card 108 to your PC before installing the software, Windows will automatically recognise the device and show the dialog box prompting for the appropriate driver. Click on Cancel to close the dialogue. Remove the Gigaset PC Card 108 from the PC and install the software.

Please remember:

You may require administrator rights for the installation process on your PC.

Information for users with Windows 98SE/ME:

If you are prompted to restart your computer during installation, click on Restart. After this, installation continues automatically.You should now follow the instructions and steps shown below.

Have your Windows Installation CD on hand. You may be prompted to insert it.

Running installation

ì Close all running programs. ì Insert the CD-ROM supplied into the CD-ROM drive of your PC and wait until the wel-

come screen appears. If this screen does not appear automatically, start installation

manually:

– Open Windows Explorer.

– Select the CD-ROM drive.

– Double-click start.exe. The language selection screen appears

ì Select the language.

You will now see a screen showing the contents of the CD-ROM.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

Installation Install the software for your Gigaset PC Card 108.

User guide This opens the detailed operating instructions on

the CD-ROM. If you cannot open the detailed operating instructions on the CD-ROM, you will have to install the free Adobe Reader.

Practical Tips and Configuration Examples

Install Adobe Reader Install Adobe Reader, Version 6.

Browse CD If you are looking for a particular file on the

Back The program returns to the language selection

Exit This closes the program.

Here you will find solutions to various problems.

CD-ROM, you can display the CD-ROM contents in an Explorer window.

screen.

ì Click on Installation.

Note:

The screens for the various operating systems differ only marginally. Installation is largely automatic, apart from a few mouse clicks and restarts.

The InstallShield Wizard appears.

ì Click on Next to continue installation.

The licence agreement screen now appears.

ì If you accept the licence agreement, click on Yes.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

In the next screen, choose the directory for the installation.

ì Click on Browse, if you want to select another directory. Click on Next to continue

installation.

During installation, the InstallShield Wizard uses the screen Setup progress to show which action is being carried out, and the progress is also displayed.

After this stage of installation is completed, a message appears prompting you to connect the Gigaset PC Card 108 to your PC.

Connecting the Gigaset PC Card 108

ì Insert the Gigaset PC Card 108 in the PCMCIA slot on your PC.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

Installing driver software

Once the Gigaset PC Card 108 has been plugged in, installation continues automatically. The operating system's automatic hardware recognition opens to install the drivers for the Gigaset PC Card 108.

ì Depending on the other settings for your PC, an additional dialog box may appear.

Select the Install software automatically option, and click on Next.

If the window does not appear, the installation step described here is automatically carried out by the system.

Please remember:

u Under Windows 98SE / ME:You may be prompted to insert your Windows Installa-

tion CD to continue driver installation. Therefore you should have this CD handy or enter the path name where the Windows installation files are stored on your PC.

u Restart your PC if you are prompted to do so. u If your PC already contains more recent files, answer the question whether you

want to keep them with YES.

After installation, a message will appear prompting you to complete installation.

ì Click on Finish.

This closes the installation program. Depending on the Windows operating system version you are using, you may also be requested to restart your PC.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

Checking installation

If installation was successful, you can now use the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor. With the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor you can configure your Gigaset PC Card 108 and create a connection to other network adapters or an Access Point.

The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor is represented by an icon in the status area of the taskbar, this icon shows you if there is a connection to a connection partner and the quality of the connection. In a wireless network using only Siemens Gigaset products and where the standard settings were used (e. g. no encryption), the connection to an Access Point is set up automatically during installation.

The following may be displayed in the status area of the taskbar:

The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon is not displayed.

ì First try to open the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor

manually, see Chapter "Opening the monitor" on page 15.

If this fails, then something went wrong during installation.

ì Deinstall the software, see Chapter "Uninstalling the

software" on page 35.

ì Then install the software again, see Chapter "Running

installation" on page 9.

The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon is displayed in the taskbar, with a red ball above the icon: The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor is installed; the Gigaset PC Card 108 has not been inserted or inserted incorrectly.

ì Check that the card is correctly positioned.

The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon is displayed in the taskbar, with a red cross above the icon: The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor is installed and active; there is no connection to the local network.

ì Turn to Chapter "Configuring Gigaset PC Card 108" on

page 15.

The icon is displayed in the taskbar, with a green ball above the icon: The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor is installed and active; there is no connection to the local network. The number of bars displayed in the icon shows the connection quality.

You are advised to read Chapter "Notes on secure operation" on page 3.

Installing the Gigaset PC Card 108

Displaying QuickInfo for the connection

If you point the mouse over the icon in the taskbar, you will see a small window that displays the connection properties.

The following properties are shown:

u SSID (Service Set Identifier) in the Connection line u the transmission rate (in Mbps) in the Speed line u the transmission quality (in %) in the Link quality line

If there is no connection, you will see a red cross over the icon and in QuickInfo, Disconnected is displayed.

Reading the connection quality from the icon

The icon changes gradually depending on the current connection quality. The better the connection quality, the higher the transmission speed

With reasonable to poor connection:

ì If possible, move your PC closer to the connection partner for greater field strength.

No WLAN available (red cross over bar)

There is no WLAN within range of your Gigaset PC Card 108 that you could connect to.

ì Check the configuration of the Access Point and adjust the Gigaset PC

Card 108 settings accordingly.

ì Change your location to reduce the distance to a connection partner.

Configuring Gigaset PC Card 108

The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor

You can use the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor to configure and monitor your Gigaset PC Card 108.

Opening the monitor

In the standard setting, the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor is opened automatically in the background when you launch your PC. The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon is displayed in the status area of the task bar.

ì Double-click on Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon in the status area of the taskbar

to open the monitor user interface.

ì Right-click on the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon in the status area of the task-

bar.

In the pop-up menu, you will see the available tabs and the option Exit.

ì In the pop-up menu, click on the appropriate tab to open the monitor user interface

and display this tab directly.

Use the option Exit to close the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor.

If you do not see the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon in the status area of the taskbar, you will have to run the program first:

ì In the start menu, click on Start – Programs – Gigaset PC Card 108 – Gigaset

WLAN Adapter Monitor.

This launches the program. The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor icon is displayed in

the status area of the task bar.

Configuring Gigaset PC Card 108

Deactivating Autostart

The Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor is opened automatically every time you power up or reboot your PC. If you do not need the monitor all the time, you can deactivate Autostart.

ì Select Start – Programs – Autostart. ì Right-click the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor entry. ì Choose Delete to remove the link to Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor from Autostart.

Now that the monitor is no longer opened automatically when you launch your PC, you will have to open it manually when you need it.

Operating the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor

In the Gigaset WLAN Adapter Monitor user interface you will find various settings and status displays for your network adapter in various tabs which will be described in detail in the following.

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