ASUS WL-140 User Manual

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

WL-140

(For 802.11b Wireless Networks)

User’ s Manual

Copyright Information

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it,
may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system,
or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except docu­mentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express
written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS
OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR­POSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,
EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPE­CIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUD­ING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS
OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS
MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is re­paired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is
authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is
defaced or missing.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be
registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are
used only for identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without
intent to infringe.

SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS
MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONL Y, AND
ARE SUBJECT T O CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND
SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS
ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS
OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, IN­CLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Copyright © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS USB SpaceLink Client (WL-140)
Manual Revision: 1 E1219
Release Date: February 2003

2 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

Copyright Information

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
General Tel: [phone]
General Fax: [phone]
General Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

MB/Others (Tel):[phone] (English)
Notebook (Tel): [phone] (English)
Desktop/Server: [phone] (English)
Support Fax: [phone]
Support Email: [e-mail]
Web Site: www.asus.com.tw

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Address: 44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA
General Fax: [phone]
General Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

Support Fax: [phone]
General Support: [phone]
Web Site: www.asus.com
Support Email: [e-mail]

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany & Austria)

Address: Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
General Fax: [phone]
General Email: [e-mail] (for marketing requests only)

Technical Support

Support Hotline: MB/Others: [phone]
Notebook (Tel): [phone]
Support Fax: [phone]
Support (Email): www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)
Web Site: www.asuscom.de

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 3

Safety Statements

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the follow­ing two conditions:

• This device may not cause harmful interference, and

• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try
to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

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

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

WARNING! The use of a shielded-type power cord is required in
order to meet FCC emission limits and to prevent interference to
the nearby radio and television reception. It is essential that only
the supplied power cord be used. Use only shielded cables to con­nect I/O devices to this equipment. Y ou are cautioned that changes
or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible
for compliance could void your authority to operate the equipment.

Reprinted from the Code of Federal Regulations #47, part 15.193, 1993. Washing­ton DC: Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Adminis­tration, U.S. Government Printing Office.

Canadian Department of Communications

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Cana­dian Department of Communications.

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme
NMB-003 du Canada.

4 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................. 7

1.1 Overview ...................................................................................... 7

1.2 Package Contents........................................................................ 8

2. Installation ............................................................................... 8

2.1 Orientating the Antenna ............................................................... 8

2.2 Reading the SpaceLink LEDs ...................................................... 9

2.3 Installing the SpaceLink Driver .................................................. 10

2.4 Verifying the SpaceLink Driver................................................... 11

2.5 Verifying the TCP/IP Protocol .................................................... 13

2.5.1 Installing the TCP/IP Protocol......................................... 14

2.5.2 Configuring TCP/IP Properties ....................................... 15

2.5.3 Configuring Advanced TCP/IP Properties ...................... 16

2.5.4 Verifying TCP/IP Settings ............................................... 16

2.6 Installing ASUS USB SpaceLink Client Utilities ......................... 17

3. Software Reference .............................................................. 19

3.1 Overview .................................................................................... 19

3.2 Windows XP Wireless Options .................................................. 20

3.3 Control Center............................................................................ 21

3.4 Wireless Settings ....................................................................... 23

More than one ASUS SpaceLink Card...................................... 24

3.4.1 Status - Status Tab ......................................................... 24

3.4.2 Status - Connection Tab ................................................. 27

3.4.3 Status - IP Config Tab..................................................... 28

3.4.4 Config - Basic Tab .......................................................... 29

3.4.5 Config - Encryption Tab .................................................. 32

3.4.6 Config - Advanced Tab ................................................... 35

3.4.7 Survey - Site Survey Tab ................................................ 37

3.4.8 About - Version Info Tab ................................................. 38

3.4.9 Link Status ...................................................................... 39

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 5

Table of Contents

3.5 Mobile Manager ......................................................................... 40

3.5.1 Main Window .................................................................. 41

3.5.2 Using New Configuration Wizard.................................... 44

3.5.3 Using Edit Configuration ................................................. 45

3.6 Site Monitor................................................................................ 53

3.6.1 Starting Site Monitor ....................................................... 53

3.6.2 Main Screen ................................................................... 53

3.6.3 Monitor............................................................................ 54

3.7 Live Update................................................................................ 55

3.8 Windows XP Wireless Properties .............................................. 57

4. Troubleshooting.................................................................... 60

5. Glossary................................................................................. 62

6 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview

Chapter 1 - Introduction

The ASUS USB SpaceLink Client is designed to be fully compliant with the
IEEE 802.11b wireless local area network (Wireless LAN) standard. The
ASUS USB SpaceLink Client is equipped with a 6 dBi uni-directional an­tenna which provides a greater coverage area compared with wireless PC
cards. The ASUS USB SpaceLink Client comes with a mounting kit and a
detachable 1.8 meter USB cable which allows convenient placement on
your desk or office partition. A USB extension cable can be purchased
from third-parties for mounting the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client on the
wall or ceiling. The advantages of the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client is the
increased wireless coverage due to the ability to raise the ASUS USB
SpaceLink Client above obstructions.

The ASUS USB SpaceLink Client product provides high-speed, standards­based Wireless LAN solutions. Supporting data rates up to 11 Mbps, with
automatic fallback to 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps. It operates in the unlicensed 2.4
GHz frequencies called the Instrumentation, Science, and Medical (ISM)
band. Unlicensed means free of charge to users. The ASUS USB SpaceLink
Client configuration utility is a user-friendly application that helps you
quickly setup multiple roaming nodes using the ASUS USB SpaceLink
Client. You can even export the configuration settings to a file and import
them to other computers for fast multiple installations.

Chapter 1

Wireless LANs are complementary extensions to existing wired LANs,
offering complete mobility while maintaining continuous network connec­tivity to both corporate and home Intranets. They add a new level of conve­nience for LAN users. PC users stay connected to the network anywhere
throughout a building without being bound by a LAN wire. This is accom­plished through the use of a device known as the Access Point (AP). By
making use of AP in the office, you can easily establish mobile network
connections to the enterprise Intranet or Internet. Moreover, you can bring
your ASUS USB SpaceLink Client home to make your home-networking
dream come true! A home-dedicated AP, with built-in Internet gateway
capability, allows your family to share a broadband Modem and one ISP
account simultaneously with no excessive, tedious ties! Connected any­where, at any time, your family will feel closer by the invisible magic of
the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client!

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 7

1.2 Package Contents

Chapter 1

When you receive the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client package, it should
contain the following items:

• ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

• User’s Manual

• CD-ROM Disc (Windows drivers, utilities, manual)

This product does not use an AC power adapter . If any of the above
items are not included or damaged, contact your local dealer for
instructions.

2. Installation

Chapter 1 - Introduction

This chapter explains how to install the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client hard­ware, drivers, and utilities. The ASUS USB SpaceLink Client is designed
for both desktop PCs and Notebook PCs with an available USB port. The
product is designed to operate in Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, and XP.

Complete the following steps to install the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client.

1. Connect the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

2. Install the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client Driver

3. Install the TCP/IP protocol (if necessary)

4. Install the ASUS SpaceLink Utilities

2.1 Orientating the Antenna

The ASUS USB SpaceLink Client has an uni-directional antenna that can
be tilted forwards or backwards. It is recommended that you adjust the
antenna’s front face towards the nearest access point for maximum range
and higher link quality. Lower the antenna when transporting the ASUS
USB SpaceLink Client .

8 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

Chapter 1 - Introduction

(Folded Position)

Chapter 1

(Upright Position)

2.2 Reading the SpaceLink LEDs

The front of the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client consists of two LEDs that
indicate the status of the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client.

Link LED

Solid Light: The ASUS USB SpaceLink
Client is linked to a wireless network.

Blinking: The ASUS USB SpaceLink Cli­ent is searching for a wireless network to
connect to.

Power LED

Solid Light: The ASUS USB SpaceLink
Client is receiving power from a
computer’s USB port.

No Light: The ASUS USB SpaceLink Cli­ent is not receiving power. The cable may
not be connected or the computer is turned
OFF.

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 9

Link LED

Power LED

Chapter 2 - Installation

2.3 Installing the SpaceLink Driver

1. Turn ON your computer and enter Windows.

2. Connect the smaller end of the USB cable into the back of the ASUS
USB SpaceLink Client.

Chapter 2

3. Insert the larger end of the USB cable into your computer’s USB port.

4. Windows will automatically detect the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

(Rear View)

Smaller End

(Side View)

Smaller End

Larger End

once it is inserted. When the “Add New Hardware Wizard” dialog ap­pears, click Next to begin driver installation.

5. Select “Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended)”.
Click Next to continue.

6. Specify the location with “[CD]\Card\Driver\USB” and click Next.
Where [CD] represents the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive.

7. Wait while Windows searches for the device driver for the ASUS USB
SpaceLink Client. Windows will display the search result: “ASUS
SpaceLink WL-140 WLAN USB Adapter”. Click Next.

8. During the installation, Windows may prompt you to insert the “Win­dows Operating System CD” which contains some driver files. Insert
your Windows setup disc and type the path if necessary and click Yes.
Windows will start copying the necessary files.

9. When the installation procedure is completed, click Finish.

10.Restart your Windows to make the driver take effect.

10 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

Chapter 2 - Installation

2.4 Verifying the SpaceLink Driver

Windows 98/Me

Right-click My Computer on the desktop and select Properties. Click
Device Manager and look under Network adapters. If you find the “ASUS

SpaceLink WL-140 WLAN USB Adapter” string, it means the driver is
installed correctly.

Chapter 2

1. Right-click “My Computer” on the desktop
and select Properties.

2. Click Device Manager and look under
“Network adapters” for “Wireless LAN
PC Card”.

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 11

2.4 Verifying the SpaceLink Driver (Cont.)

Windows 2K/XP

Open the Control Panel through the Start menu. Double-click System
icon. Click Device Manager on the “Hardware” page. Click Network
adapters. If you find the “ASUS SpaceLink WL-140 WLAN USB Adapter”
string, it means the driver is installed correctly.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Installation

1. Open the Control Panel through the Start
menu.

2. Double-click System icon.

3. Click Device Manager on the “Hardware”
page.

12 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

4. Click Network adapters.

Chapter 2 - Installation

2.5 Verifying the TCP/IP Protocol

Windows 98/Me

For the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client to work, you must have the TCP/IP
protocol installed. Follow the procedure here to verify the protocol.

Chapter 2

1. Right-click “My Network Places” on the
desktop and select Properties.

Windows 2K/XP

1. Double-click System icon in the Control Panel.

2. Scroll down and look for “TCP/IP”. Make
sure that the TCP/IP protocol parameters
(IP address, gateway, and subnet mask)
are set correctly.

2. Right click Wireless Network Connec-

tion and select Properties.

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 13

3. Look for Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Make
sure that the TCP/IP protocol parameters
(IP address, gateway, and subnet mask)
are set correctly.

Chapter 2 - Installation

2.5.1 Installing the TCP/IP Protocol

Windows 98/Me

If your operating system does not have the TCP/IP protocol installed, you
must do so to use the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client.

1. From the screen above, click the Add button.

2. Select Protocol and click Add.

Chapter 2

3. Select Microsoft | TCP/IP and click OK

Windows 2K/XP

Windows XP operating system will install TCP/IP by default and will not
show in the protocols to add.

14 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

Chapter 2 - Installation

2.5.2 Configuring TCP/IP Properties

Windows ME

1. Select “TCP/IP -> ASUS USB SpaceLink Client”.

2. Click Properties button and IP Address tab.

• If your Access Point is connected to a network with a DHCP server ,
the default setting “Obtain an IP address automatically” should work.

• If your network does not automatically assign IP addresses, select
“Specify an IP address” and type in the IP address and Subnet Mask
as provided by your network administrator. If you want to route
traffic through an IP sharing device, you have to setup the ASUS
USB SpaceLink Client in the same Subnet as that of Access Point.

Chapter 2

1. This works for DHCP enabled networks.

Windows XP

1. This works for DHCP enabled networks.

2. The numbers here are for example only.

2. If IP information is required, you can enter
it in the “Alternate Configuration” in XP.

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 15

2.5.3 Configuring Advanced TCP/IP Properties

Windows ME

If you want to route traffic through an IP sharing device for your Access
Point, you have to set the default gateway address.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Installation

1. On the Gateway page, enter the address
and click Add.

2. On the DNS Configuration page, enter the
required information, click Add, and OK.

3. If Windows asks to restart your computer
now, press Yes.

2.5.4 Verifying TCP/IP Settings

Windows ME: Run “winipcfg” from the Start

menu to verify TCP/IP settings.

16 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

Windows XP: Use “ipconfig” from the

command prompt to verify settings.

Chapter 3 - Reference

2.6 Installing ASUS USB SpaceLink Client Utilities

1. Insert the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client support CD and an autorun

menu will appear . If your autorun is disabled. Double click SETUP.EXE
in the root directory of the support CD.

2. From the autorun menu, choose an installation language if necessary

and click Install ASUS WLAN Card Utilities.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Note: The first link, “ASUS WLAN Card Installation Instructions” is
only an information page on installing the driver which is already ex­plained in detail in the previous section of this manual.

Chapter 3

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 17

Installing ASUS USB SpaceLink Client Utilities (Cont.)

Windows ME

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Installation

1. Click Next on the Welcome screen.

3. Browse to another Destination Directory
or click Next to use the default.

2. Click Y es after reading the License

Agreement.

4. Enter another Program Folder name or

click Next to use the default.

6. When Setup is complete, click Finish to
exit the installation wizard.

Several shortcuts will be created which can
be accessed through Start.

18 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client

Chapter 3 - Reference

3. Software Reference

3.1 Overview

The ASUS USB SpaceLink Client software includes five groups of utili­ties.

• Control Center – Makes it easy to launch applications and activate

network location settings.

• Wir eless Settings – Allows users to control the ASUS USB SpaceLink

Client.

• Mobile Manager – A convenient tool to setup and manage network

location settings.

• Site Monitor – Measures the signal-to-noise (SNR) values of all wire-

less networks. This tool is used for determining the best placement of
Access Points to provide the most efficient coverage in a wireless net­work.

• Live Update – Provides automatic driver and firmware update through

the Internet.

Chapter 3

ASUS USB SpaceLink Client 19

3.2 Windows XP Wireless Options

The wireless options shown below is only available for Windows XP. The
first time you run the Control Center utility, it will automatically show.
Select one of the radio buttons to decide your Windows XP wireless net­working environment.

Only use XP wireless function – Only use W indows XP wireless network
settings to configure the ASUS USB SpaceLink Client.

Only use ASUS utilities and disable XP wir eless function – Only use ASUS
USB SpaceLink Client utilities to configure the ASUS USB SpaceLink Cli­ent.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Reference

You can return to the Wireless Option setting at any time by left clicking
the control center icon and choosing “Wireless Option”.

20 ASUS USB SpaceLink Client