ASUSTeK Computer WL138GV2, WL138GV2A Users Manual

®

Wireless Local Area Network Card

WL-138GV2

(For 802.11g and 802.11b Wireless Networks)

User’s Manual

Copyright Information

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LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
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INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS
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FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired,
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Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be
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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 © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS WLAN Card (WL-138GV2)
Manual Revision: 1 E1498
Release Date: December 2003

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

The ASUS WLAN™ Family .................................................................. 8

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

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

2. Installation ............................................................................. 11

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Driver.............................................. 11

Verifying Drivers............................................................................ 12

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities............................................ 13

ASUS WLAN Utility Quick Start.......................................................... 15

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

Orientating the Antenna ................................................................ 16

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

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

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

Control Center Utility .......................................................................... 19

Site Monitor Utility......................................................................... 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

Troubleshooting Utility........................................................................ 52

Windows XP Wireless Properties ....................................................... 56

4. Troubleshooting.................................................................... 58

4 ASUS WLAN Card

Table of Contents

5. Glossary................................................................................. 60

IEEE 802.11b (11Mbits/sec) ............................................................... 65

Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum (for 802.11b) .............................. 66

IEEE 802.11a (54Mbits/sec) ............................................................... 67

COFDM (for 802.11a/g) ...................................................................... 68

6. Safety Information................................................................. 69

Federal Communications Commission............................................... 69

FCC Radio Frequency Interference Requirements ...................... 70

FCC RF Exposure Guidelines (Access Points) ............................ 70

FCC RF Exposure Guidelines (Wireless Cards)........................... 70

Canadian Department of Communications ........................................ 71

France Restricted Frequency Band.................................................... 72

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 PCI compliant “wireless” network interface card (NIC) for any computer
equipped with a PCI slot.

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

802.11g and IEE802.1 1b wireless local area network (Wireless LAN) standards.
As a result of the completion of the standard, the interoperability of Wireless
LAN products among multiple manufacturers will be guaranteed. The ASUS
WLAN Card product provides high-speed, standards-based Wireless 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 802.11b,
used in majority of wireless LANs today . 802.1 1g will broaden 802.1 1b'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.

Overview

Chapter 1

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, of fering
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

WLAN Family

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

(WL-500) creates a wireless network
using the IEEE 802.11b wireless
standard and allows sharing a single
Internet connection.

The ASUS

WLAN

802.11b
Gateway

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

802.11b 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
(WL-103b) is a IEEE

802.11b wireless LAN
adapter that fits into a
PCMCIA T ype 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

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

802.1 1b/a PCI Card
(WL-230) is a dual

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

PC’ s PCMCIA T ype
II slot with Cardbus
support.

Chapter 1

WLAN Family

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.

ASUS WLAN Card 9

The ASUS WLAN

802.11g PC Card
(WL-103g) is a IEEE

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

Requirements

Chapter 1

System Requirements

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

• Windows XP/2000/ME/98SE

• Standard 32-bit PCI Slot

• 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:

• ASUS WLAN PCI Card

Chapter 1 - Introduction

• ASUS WLAN Card Quick Start Guide

• ASUS WLAN Card User’s Manual

• CD-ROM Disc (Drivers, Utilities, Documentation)

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

10 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 2 - Installation

2. Installation

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Driver

1. Have an experienced person install the ASUS WLAN Card into a free PCI slot. Replace your
chassis door, panels, screws, and cables when completed.

2. Turn ON your computer and enter Windows.

Chapter 2

Installing Driver

3. Windows will automatically detect the ASUS
WLAN Card once it is inserted into the PCI
slot, then the “Add New Hardware Wizard”
dialog will appear. Click Next.

6. Wait while Windows XP creates a restore
point for you system files in case you
need to restore your current system.

4. Insert the support CD that came with your
ASUS WLAN Card.

5. Select “Search for the best driver in”... and
“Search removable media...”, then click
Next.

7. Click Finish when installation has
complete. Restart your computer if
prompted.

ASUS WLAN Card 11

Chapter 2 - Installation

Verifying Drivers

You can verify the ASUS WLAN Card driver in Device Manager. (Access
Device Manager from Start | Control Panel | System | Hardware). A question
mark
card
product and driver CD. Try repeating the installation and contact customer

Installing Driver

Chapter 2

support if necessary .

means that no driver has been installed. An exclamation mark over a

means that the driver is incorrect. Verify that you are using the correct

12 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 2 - Installation

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities

After you have installed the ASUS WLAN Card driver, you can install the
WLAN Adapter utilities as shown below.

1. Insert the ASUS WLAN Card 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, select your
language and click Install ASUS WLAN
Card Utilities.

3. Click Next on the Welcome screen.

Chapter 2

Installing Utilities

4. Click Next after reading the Information.

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

ASUS WLAN Card 13

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

Chapter 2 - Installation

Installing the ASUS WLAN Card Utilities
(Cont.)

Installing Utilities

Chapter 2

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 Start.
(“Classic Start menu” is shown here.)

14 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 2 - Installation

ASUS WLAN Utility Quick Start

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

Chapter 2

Quick Start

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).

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

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

4. Encryption settings must also match those
set in the access point. Talk with your net­work administrator if necessary.

6. Click Apply to save your settings and check
the “Status” page to see the “Association
State”. It should show “Connected ­xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx”.

ASUS WLAN Card 15

Reading the ASUS WLAN Status Indicators

The ASUS WLAN card consists of one LED that indicates the status of the
ASUS WLAN Card.

Quick Start

Chapter 2

Orientating the Antenna

The ASUS WLAN Card has one external antenna. It is recommended that you
adjust the external antenna straight up for maximum range and higher link
quality .

Chapter 2 - Installation

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

16 ASUS WLAN Card

Chapter 3 - Reference

3. Software Reference

Chapter Overview

The ASUS WLAN Card software includes six groups of utilities

Windows Start Menu - Programs

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

network location settings.

• Live Update – Makes it easy to update your ASUS WLAN drivers or

utilities automatically through the Internet.

• 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

Control Center Utility

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

Mobile 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.

• Exit – Closes the Control Center

program.

Chapter 3 - Reference

Right-Click Menu

Chapter 3

Control Center

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 (Windows XP only) – Sets your Windows XP wire-

less networking environment.

Taskbar Left-Click Menu

Taskbar Icon - Launch Wireless Settings

Double-clicking the taskbar icon:

• Launches the Wireless Settings application.

ASUS WLAN Card 21

Site Monitor Utility

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