ASUSTeK Computer WL107G Users Manual

Wireless Local Area Network Card

®

WL-107g

(For 802.11g & 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
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NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES
OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT , SPECIAL, INCIDENT AL,
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 ONLY, AND
ARE SUBJECT TO 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 © 2004 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS WLAN Card (WL-107g)
Manual Revision: 1 E1523
Release Date: January 2004

2 ASUS WLAN Card

Copyright Information

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Address 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
Telephone [phone]
Web site www.asus.com.tw

Technical Support

Telephone (MB/Component) [phone] (English)

(Notebook) [phone] (English)
(Server/PC) [phone] (English)
(Networking) [phone] (English)

Support fax [phone]

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Address 44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Fax [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]
Web site usa.asus.com

Technical Support

Telephone (General) [phone]

(Notebook) [phone]
Support fax [phone]
Support e-mail [e-mail]

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria)

Address Harkort Str. 25, D-40880 Ratingen, Germany
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Online contact www.asuscom.de/sales

Technical Support

Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Online support www.asuscom.de/support
Web site www.asuscom.de/news

ASUS COMPUTER (Middle East and North Africa)

Address P.O. Box 64133, Dubai, U.A.E.
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Web site www.ASUSarabia.com

ASUS WLAN Card 3

Table of Contents

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

Overview .............................................................................................. 7

The ASUS Wireless LAN Family..................................................... 8

System Requirements ........................................................................ 10

The Product Package......................................................................... 10

ASUS WLAN Support Utilities ...................................................... 11

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities ............................................ 12

ASUS WLAN Utility Quick Start.......................................................... 14

Reading the ASUS WLAN Status Indicators................................. 16

3. Software Reference .............................................................. 17

Chapter Overview............................................................................... 17

Windows XP Wireless Options ..................................................... 18

ASUS WLAN Control Center.............................................................. 19

Site Monitor................................................................................... 22

Wireless Settings Utility...................................................................... 24

Status - Status Tab ....................................................................... 25

Status - Connection Tab ............................................................... 29

Status - IP Config Tab ................................................................... 30

Config - Basic Tab......................................................................... 31

Config - Encryption Tab ................................................................ 33

Survey - Site Survey Tab .............................................................. 36

About - Version Info Tab ............................................................... 37

Link State...................................................................................... 38

Exit Wireless Settings ................................................................... 38

Mobile Manager Utility........................................................................ 39

New Configuration Wizard ............................................................ 43

Edit Configuration ......................................................................... 44

Ad Hoc................................................................................................ 52

Troubleshooting Utility........................................................................ 54

Windows XP Wireless Properties ....................................................... 58

4 ASUS WLAN Card

Table of Contents

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

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

6. Safety Information................................................................. 71

Federal Communications Commission............................................... 71

FCC Radio Frequency Interference Requirements ...................... 72

FCC RF Exposure Guidelines (Access Points) ............................ 72

FCC RF Exposure Guidelines (Wireless Cards)........................... 73

Canadian Department of Communications ........................................ 73

Operation Channel for Different Domains .......................................... 73

France Restricted Frequency Band.................................................... 74

ASUS WLAN Card 5

6 ASUS WLAN Card

1. Introduction

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Overview

Thank you for purchasing the ASUS WLAN Card. The ASUS WLAN Card is a
PCMCIA compliant “wireless” network interface card (NIC) for any computer
equipped with a PC Card slot (available mainly in Notebook PCs).

The ASUS WLAN Card is designed to be fully compliant with both the IEEE

802.11g and IEE802.11b wireless local area network (Wireless LAN) standards.
As a result of the completion of the standard, the interoperability of W ireless LAN
products among multiple manufacturers will be guaranteed. The ASUS WLAN
Card product provides high-speed, standards-based W ireless LAN solutions.

The ASUS WLAN Card is designed to be fully compliant with IEEE 802.11g
wireless local area networks (WLAN). 802.11g is an extension to 802.1 1b, used in
majority of wireless LANs today . 802.1 1g will broaden 802.11b's data rates to 54
Mbps within the 2.4 GHz band using OFDM (orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing) technology. 802.11g allows backward compatibility with 802.11b
devices but only at 11 Mbps or lower depending on the range and presence of
obstructions.

Chapter 1

Introduction

The ASUS WLAN Card supports data rates up to 11 Mbps, with automatic fallback
to 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps in 802.11b networks. 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 WLAN Card configuration utility is a user-friendly application that
helps you quickly setup multiple roaming nodes using the ASUS WLAN Card.
You can even export the configuration settings to a file and import them to other
computers for fast multiple installations using ASUS Mobile Manager. 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 wires. This is accomplished through the use of ASUS WLAN Access Points
or ASUS WLAN Home Gateways. ASUS WLAN Home Gateways with built-in
Internet gateway capability , allows your family to share a broadband Modem and
one ISP account simultaneously from dif ferent rooms without wires! ASUS WLAN
products can keep you connected anywhere, any time.

ASUS WLAN Card 7

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Introduction

Chapter 1

The ASUS Wireless LAN Family

The ASUS Wireless LAN family contains a complete solution for wireless
local area networks in the office or at home.

For 802.11b Wireless Networks

network using the IEEE 802.11b wireless
standard and allows sharing a single
Internet connection.

The ASUS

WLAN 802.1 1b
Gateway (WL-

500) creates a

wireless

The ASUS WLAN

802.11b CF Card (WL-

110) is a IEEE 802.11b

wireless LAN adapter that
fits into a Compact Flash
Type II slot in a Portable
Digital Assistant (PDA).

The ASUS WLAN

802.11b Access Point
(WL-300) creates a

wireless network using the
IEEE 802.11b wireless
standard.

The ASUS WLAN

802.1 1b USB Client
(WL-140) is an IEEE

802.11b wireless
USB LAN adapter
that connects to any
computer’s USB port
with the benefit of
being able to place
the antenna anywhere
in order to maximize
signal strength.

The ASUS WLAN

802.11b PC Card (WL­103b) is a IEEE 802.11b

wireless LAN adapter that
fits into a PCMCIA Type
II slot in a Notebook PC.
This new version presents
a better looking design to
replace the WL-100.

The above illustrations are not to scale.

8 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 1 - Introduction

For 802.11b & 802.11a Wireless Networks

The ASUS WLAN

802.11b/a Cardbus
Card (WL-200) is a

dual band (IEEE

802.11a/b) wireless
LAN adapter that fits
into a Notebook PC’s
PCMCIA Type II slot
with Cardbus support.

The ASUS WLAN 802.11b/a Router
(WL-600) creates a wireless network using
the IEEE 802.11b and 802.11a wireless
standards and allows sharing a single
Internet connection.

The ASUS WLAN

802.11b/a PCI Card
(WL-230) is a dual

band (IEEE 802.11a/b)
wireless PCI card that
also supports Bluetooth
connections.

Chapter 1

Introduction

For 802.11g & 802.11b Wireless Networks

The ASUS WLAN

802.11g Access Point
(WL-300g) creates a

wireless network using
the IEEE 802.11g and

802.11b wireless
standards.

The above illustrations are not to scale.

The ASUS WLAN

802.11g PC Card
(WL-103g/WL-107g)

is a IEEE 802.11g and

802.11b wireless LAN
adapter that fits into a
PCMCIA Type II slot
in a Notebook PC.
This new version
presents a better
looking design to
replace the WL-100g.

ASUS WLAN Card 9

Introduction

Chapter 1

System Requirements

To begin using the ASUS WLAN Card, you must have the following
minimum requirements:

• Windows XP/2000/ME/98SE

• Standard PCMCIA Slot Type II

• 32MB system memory or larger

• 300MHz processor or higher

The Product Package

When you receive the ASUS WLAN Card package, it should contain the
following items:

Chapter 1 - Introduction

• ASUS WLAN Card (PCMCIA Type II)

• ASUS WLAN Card Quick Start Guide

• CD-ROM Disc (Utilities (with drivers) and Documentation)

Note: If any of the above items are not included or damaged, con­tact your local dealer for instructions.

Important: Install the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities before inserting
the ASUS WLAN Card into your computer.

10 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 1 - Introduction

ASUS WLAN Support Utilities

Mobile Manager

The Mobile Manager is a convenient tool to
setup and manage network location settings.
This utility allows users to configure multiple
alternative configurations for different
locations.

Site Monitor

The Site Monitor utility measures the signal­to-noise (SNR) values of all available
wireless networks.

Control Center

The Control Center runs in the background
and provides configuration and setting
options for the ASUS WLAN card.

TroubleShooter

Chapter 1

Introduction

The TroubleShooter utility provides a
flowchart on how to connect the ASUS
WLAN card to a wireless network.

ASUS WLAN Card 11

Chapter 2 - Installation

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities will also include the device driver.

Important: Install the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities before inserting
the ASUS WLAN Card into your computer.

Quick Start

Chapter 2

1. Insert the ASUS WLAN Card support CD

2. From the autorun menu, select your

and an autorun menu will appear. If your
autorun is disabled, double click
SETUP.EXE in the root directory of the
support CD.

language and click Install ASUS WLAN
Card Utilities.

3. Click Next on the Welcome screen.

5. Click Next to use the default Destination
Folder or click Browse to select another
folder.

4. Click Next after reading the Information.

6. Click Next to place icons in the default
program folder or type another folder
name.

12 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 2 - Installation

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities (Cont.)

Chapter 2

Quick Start

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

8. When the program is launched for the first
time, you will be asked which function to
use. Select to use ASUS utilities for more
functions.

By default, the “ASUS WLAN Control
Center” is set to launch with Windows. If
necessary, you can launch it manually
from the Windows Start Menu.

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

ASUS WLAN Card 13

ASUS WLAN Utility Quick Start

After installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities, you may need to make some
settings before being able to use your wireless connection.

Quick Start

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Installation

1. Right-click the ASUS WLAN icon and
select “Wireless Settings”

3. Use “Site Survey” if you don’t know the
name of your access point(s).

2. Set the Network Name (SSID) to the
same name as the SSID set in your
wireless access point.

4. Encryption settings must also match
those set in the access point. Ask your
network administrator about settings if
necessary. Click Apply to save your
settings

14 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 2 - Installation

ASUS WLAN Utility Quick Start (Cont.)

Chapter 2

Quick Start

5. Check the “Status” page to see the
“Association State”. It should show
“Connected - xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx”.

6. You can also see the connection quality
on the “Connection” page. Click OK to
exit the utility.

ASUS WLAN Card 15

Reading the ASUS WLAN Status Indicators

The part of the ASUS WLAN Card that protrudes out of the PCMCIA socket
consists of two LEDs that indicate the status of the ASUS WLAN Card .

Quick Start

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Installation

LNK
ACT

LNK (Link) LED

OFF: No power, error, or not connected to a wireless AP or Router.
ON: Lights when connected to a wireless Access Point or Router.

ACT (Activity) LED

OFF: No wireless activity.
Blink: Transmitting or receiving wireless data.

16 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 3 - Reference

3. Software Reference

Chapter Overview

The ASUS WLAN Card software includes five groups of utilities

Windows Start Menu - Programs

• ASUS WLAN Control Center – Makes it easy to launch applications

and activate network location settings.

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

location settings.

• Site Monitor – Measures the received signal strength indicator (RSSI)

values of all wireless networks. This tool is used for determining the
best placement of Access Points to provide the most ef ficient coverage
in a wireless network.

• T r oubleshooting - T roubleshooting will test your settings and connec-

tion to try to pinpoint your problem and give you a solution.

• Wireless Settings – Allows users to control the ASUS WLAN Card.

Chapter 3

Software Reference

Additional Reference

• Windows XP Wireless Properties - Brief overview of the wireless

settings provided in Windows XP.

ASUS WLAN Card 17

Chapter 3 - Reference

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 which interface to use with your
ASUS WLAN Card.

Only use XP wireless function – Only use “Windows XP” wireless network
settings to configure the ASUS WLAN Card.

Only use ASUS utilities and disable XP wireless function – Only use
“ASUS WLAN Card utilities” to configure the ASUS WLAN Card.
(recommended)

Software Reference

Chapter 3

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

Taskbar Left-Click Menu

18 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 3 - Reference

ASUS WLAN Control Center

Control Center is an application that makes it easy to launch applications
and activate network location settings. Control Center starts automatically
when the system boots. Whenever Control Center is running, you will see
a Control Center icon displayed on the Windows taskbar.

Starting the Control Center manually

• Select ASUS WLAN Control Center in Windows Start menu.
or

• Double click the ASUS WLAN Control Center icon on the desktop.

Windows Start Menu

Using the Control Center Taskbar

The Control Center Taskbar menu display the following information:

• The link quality of the ASUS WLAN Card (Excellent, Good, Fair,
Poor, Not Linked)

• Whether the ASUS WLAN Card is connected to the Internet (Blue:
Connected, Gray: Not Connected)

Chapter 3

Control Center

Taskbar Icon and Status

ASUS WLAN Card 19

Chapter 3 - Reference

Wireless Status Icons (on the taskbar)

Excellent link quality and connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Good link quality and connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Fair link quality and connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Poor link quality and connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Not linked but connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Excellent link quality but not connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Control Center

Chapter 3

Good link quality but not connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Fair link quality but not connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Poor link quality but not connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

Not linked and not connected to Internet (Infrastructure)

20 ASUS WLAN Card

Taskbar Icon - Right Menu

Right-clicking the taskbar icon shows the
following menu items:

• Wireless Settings – Launches
Wireless Settings application.

• Activate Configuration – Allows
you to set which profile to use.

• Mobile Manager – Launches Mo-
bile Manager application.

• Preferences – Customizes the
way the Control Center program
behaves. You can create a Control
Center shortcut on the desktop.
You can also set whether Control
Center starts up with Windows.

Chapter 3 - Reference

Right-Click Menu

• Exit – Closes the Control Center
program.

Taskbar Icon - Left Menu

Left-clicking the taskbar icon shows the
following menu:

• Wireless Radio On – Turns the
wireless radio ON.

• Wireless Radio Off – Turns the
wireless radio OFF.

• Search & Connect – View the
properties of available Access Points within range.

• Wireless Option (W indows XP only) – Sets your Windows XP wire-
less networking environment.

Taskbar Left-Click Menu

Taskbar Icon - Launch Wireless Settings

Chapter 3

Control Center

Double-clicking the taskbar icon:

• Launches the Wireless Settings application.

ASUS WLAN Card 21

Site Monitor

Site Monitor measures the received
signal strength indicator (RSSI)
values of all available wireless
networks. This tool is used for
determining the best placement of
Access Points to provide the best
coverage for a wireless network.

Starting Site Monitor

• Click the Windows Start button, select Programs | ASUS Utility |

or

Site Monitor

Chapter 3

• Right-click the Control Center icon on the Windows taskbar and then

Chapter 3 - Reference

Windows Start Menu

WLAN Card | Site Monitor.

click Site Monitor.

Your wireless LAN perfor­mance may be affected when
running the site monitor.

Main Screen

Measures the signal values of all available wireless networks.

Some Access Points can disable broadcasting SSID to hide them­selves from “Site Survey” or “Site Monitor” for added security
but still allow you to join if you know their SSID.

22 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 3 - Reference

Monitor

Directed link state test with one particular wireless network, including:
RSSI: This indicates the value of received signal strength of the last received

frame. In principle, the higher the RSSI, the better your communications
quality.

Throughput: This sends a specified number of data packets to the remote
host and calculates the average megabytes per second.

During the test, the Start button toggles to Stop. You can click Start button
to begin the link test and click Stop button at any time to terminate the test.

Chapter 3

Site Monitor

ASUS WLAN Card 23