ASUSTeK Computer WLHDD25 Users Manual

¨

WL-HDD2.5

(For 802.11g Wireless Clients)

User’s Manual

Preface

About this manual

This manual helps you install, set up and configure the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. Please preserve
this manual for ready reference and use it to familiarize yourself with the product.

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 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 WL-HDD2.5

Manual Revision: E1666

Release Date: May 2004

ii ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

Preface

Regulatory information

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
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. You 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.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 iii

Preface

CE conformity statement

The CE symbol indicates compliance of this equipment to the EMC Directive and the Low
Voltage Directive of the European Union. These markings indicate that this system meets the
following technical standards:

EN 55022 — “Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics of
Information Technology Equipment.”

EN 55024 — “Information technology equipment - Immunity characteristics - Limits and
methods of measurement.”

EN 61000-3-2 — “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 3: Limits - Section 2: Limits
for harmonic current emissions (Equipment input current up to and including 16 A per
phase).”

EN 61000-3-3 — “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) -Part 3: Limits - Section 3: Limita­tion of voltage fluctuations and flicker in low-voltage supply systems for equipment with
rated current up to and including 16 A.”

EN 60950 — “Safety of Information Technology Equipment.”

NOTE: EN 55022 emissions requirements provide for two classifications:

• Class A is for typical commercial areas.

• Class B is for typical domestic areas.

To determine which classification applies to your computer, examine the CE registration
label located on the back panel of the device. If the label indicates a Class A rating, the fol­lowing warning applies to your device:

RF INTERFERENCE WARNING: This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment
this product may cause radio frequency (RF) interference, in which case the user may be
required to take adequate measures. This device is classified for use in a typical Class A
domestic environment.

iv ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

Safety information

*to be provided by the client*

Customer service information

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
General Tel: [phone]
General Fax: [phone]
Web Site: www.asus.com.tw

Technical Support

MB/Others (Tel): [phone] (English)
Notebook (Tel): [phone] (English)
Desktop/Server (Tel): [phone] (English)
Support Fax: [phone]

Preface

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

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

Technical Support

Support Fax: [phone]
General Support: [phone]
Notebook Support: [phone] x5110
Support E-mail: [e-mail]

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria)

Address: Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
General E-mail: [e-mail] (for marketing requests only)
General Fax: [phone]
Web Site: www.asuscom.de

Technical Support

Components: [phone]
Notebook PC: [phone]
Support Fax: [phone]
Support E-mail: www.asuscom.de/support (for online support)

ASUSTeK COMPUTER (Middle East and North Africa)

Address: P.O. Box 64133, Dubai, U.A.E.
General Tel: [phone]
General Fax: [phone]

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 v

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Overview..................................................................................... 1

Features................................................................................ 2

System Requirements .......................................................... 3

Power Requirements............................................................ 3

Package List......................................................................... 3

Hardware Components ............................................................... 4

Ports and Buttons................................................................. 4

Status Indicators .................................................................. 5

Wireless Performance................................................................. 6

Site Topography .................................................................. 6

Range ................................................................................... 6

Site Surveys ......................................................................... 7

Roaming Between ASUS APs............................................. 7

Roaming Guidelines ............................................................ 8

Chapter 2 Getting Started 9

Setting up the ASUS WL-HDD2.5............................................. 9

Hardware Installation .......................................................... 9

Location Tips..................................................................... 12

Making Connections.......................................................... 13

AP Mode ....................................................................... 13

Network Storage Mode................................................. 14

Connecting Power......................................................... 15

Configuring the Wireless Client ............................................... 16

TCP/IP Settings ................................................................. 16

SSID Settings..................................................................... 19

Using the HDD ......................................................................... 20

Accessing the HDD ........................................................... 20

Searching for the Device............................................... 20

Locating the Device Manually...................................... 23

vi ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

Using Internet Explorer................................................. 25

Hard Drive Pre-scan Function ........................................... 28

Formatting the Hard Disk ............................................. 28

Setting up Permissions....................................................... 30

Editing the User List ..................................................... 31

Editing the Shared Nodes List ...................................... 32

Applying the permissions ............................................. 34

Sharing Files ............................................................................. 35

Transferring Data from External Flash Memory ...................... 41

Auto-copy Function........................................................... 41

Locating the Copied Files on the HDD ............................. 42

Shutting down the ASUS WL-HDD2.5.................................... 43

Chapter 3 Software Configuration 44

Connecting to the Web Interface .............................................. 44

Wired Ethernet Connection ............................................... 44

Wireless Connection.......................................................... 44

Configuring the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 ....................................... 45

Wireless ............................................................................. 45

Interface ........................................................................ 46

Bridge............................................................................ 50

Access Control.............................................................. 52

Advanced ...................................................................... 53

Client Mode .................................................................. 55

IP Config............................................................................ 58

LAN .............................................................................. 58

DHCP server ................................................................. 59

Storage Setting................................................................... 60

Shared Nodes ................................................................ 61

Disk Tool ...................................................................... 63

System Setting ................................................................... 64

Change Password.......................................................... 64

Firmware Upgrade ........................................................ 65

Factory Default ............................................................. 66

Status and Log ................................................................... 66

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 vii

Status............................................................................. 67

Wireless......................................................................... 68

DHCP Leases ................................................................ 68

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting 69

Chapter 5 Appendix 70

Specifications............................................................................ 70

viii ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

1. Introduction

Overview

Thank you for purchasing the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. This device is a
wireless local area network (WLAN) hard disk drive (HDD) with
additional Access Point (AP) functionality. It is designed to be fully
compliant with the IEEE 802.11g standard and provides data transfer
at 54 Mbps using the OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multi­plexing) technology. It is also backward compliant with 802.11b stan­dards and can be adapted for wired environments for data storage.

Wireless LANs are complementary extensions to existing wired
LANs, offering 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 LAN
cables. This is accomplished through the Access Point functionality
of the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. The device also has the additional advan­tage of providing network storage with its HDD. This allows you to
share information and storage capacity through the WLAN and use
the hard disk like a public wireless folder. The large storage capacity
of the hard disk and a high speed data transfer of 54 Mbps makes the
ASUS WL-HDD2.5 a very useful tool to share music and video files.
The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 also supports automatic copying of files
from a flash memory disk to the hard disk.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 1

Features

The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 has the following useful features:

• 54 Mbps high speed WLAN access
– Maximum available speed of 54 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz fre-

quency band
– Compatible with existing 802.11b WLAN environments
– Auto fallback algorithm to select transmission rate

• Secure wireless connectivity
– AP mode: 64/ 128 bit WEP, WPA

– Client mode: 64/ 128 bit WEP

• Standard IDE device support
– Uses Ultra DMA 100 IDE controller

– Adapted for 2.5-inch slim hard disk drives

• Real time clock support with battery backup to synchronize the

network time.

• Auto copy function to copy data from an external flash memory

disk through USB

• Hard disk pre-scan to scan hard disk functionality at startup

• Windows-based utility to set up WLAN and HDD data access

• Wireless profile enabling connectivity for home or office envi-

ronments

• HDD access using Network Neighborhood in Windows or Samba

in Linux

• UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) feature (upgradeable)

• Firmware upgrade function using Ethernet or WLAN

2 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

System Requirements

To begin using the ASUS WL-HDD2.5, your system must have the
following minimum requirements:

• An Ethernet (10BaseT or 10/100BaseT) adapter for wired client

• At least one 802.11g (54Mbps) or one 802.11b (11Mbps) wire-

less adapter for wireless mobile clients

• TCP/IP and an Internet browser installed

Power Requirements

The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 requires power from an external power sup­ply. Your package ships with a 5V, 3A power adapter. Use only the
power adapter provided for safe operation.

Package List

Your package contains the following items:

ASUS WL­HDD2.5

2.4 GHz dipole
antenna

Power adapter
(5 Volts DC, 3 Amp)

RJ-45 Ethernet cable
(straight-through)

Quick start guide

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 3

Support CD
(utilities and user’s
manual)

Hardware Components

This section gives you a tour of the different ports and status indica­tors of the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. Refer to this section when installing
and operating your device.

Ports and Buttons

Connect the power
adapter here.

Insert a USB flash
disk here.

Connect one end of
the RJ-45 Ethernet
cable here and the
other end to the RJ­45 port of a network
hub, switch, or router.

Press down this but­ton for 5 seconds to
reset the device.

4 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

Status Indicators

POWER LED
WLAN LED

HDD LED

USB LED

LED Status Indication

USB LED Off No USB device found

Blinking (fast) Copying from the USB device to

the HDD

Blinking (slow) Partition 1 of the HDD is full

On USB device found

HDD LED Off Normal state

Blinking HDD is being accessed

WLAN LED On Normal state

Blinking Wireless packets are being trans-

mitted or received

POWER LED On Power adapter is plugged in and

the device is powered on

Blinking (slow) File system on the HDD is incon-

sistent

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 5

Wireless Performance

This section provides a few ideas to help you improve the perfor­mance of your WLAN.

Site Topography

For optimal performance, locate wireless mobile clients and the
ASUS WL-HDD2.5 away from transformers, heavy-duty motors, flu­orescent lights, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and other industrial
equipment. Signal loss can occur when metal or concrete walls or
floors block transmission. Locate the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 in open
areas or add more devices (APs) as needed to improve coverage.

Microwave ovens operate in the same frequency band as the ASUS
WL-HDD2.5. Therefore, if you use a microwave oven within range of
your device, you may notice network performance degradation. How­ever, your microwave oven and ASUS WL-HDD2.5 will continue to
function.

Range

Every environment is unique with different obstacles, barriers, mate­rials, and so on. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the exact range
of your WLAN without testing in the specific environment. However,
you can follow some of the guidelines described in this section to esti­mate the range of your network.

Radio signals may be reflected by some obstacles or absorbed by oth­ers depending on their construction. For example, with two 802.11b
radios, you may achieve clear reception over a distance of up to 1000
feet in open spaces, with the two devices being in line of sight (mean­ing they have no obstacles in a straight line between them). However,
the same two units may only achieve up to 300 feet of range when
used indoors.

By default, the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 automatically adjusts the data
rate to maintain a usable signal connection. Therefore, a client that is
close to the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 may operate at higher speeds while a
client that is on the fringe of coverage may operate at lower speeds.

6 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

You can configure the data rates used by the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 to
improve the performance. However, if you limit the range of data
rates available to the ASUS WL-HDD2.5, you may reduce the effec­tive wireless range of the WLAN coverage.

Site Surveys

A site survey (utility provided with ASUS WLAN cards) analyzes the
installation environment and provides users with recommendations
for equipment and its placement. The optimum placement differs
depending on the ASUS AP design and specifications.

Roaming Between ASUS APs

If there are multiple ASUS APs on the network, then a wireless
mobile client may seamlessly roam from one ASUS AP to another.

Each ASUS AP creates its own wireless cell or coverage area. This is
also known as a Basic Service Set (BSS). Any wireless mobile client
can communicate with a particular ASUS AP if it is within the ASUS
AP’s coverage area.

If the cells of multiple ASUS APs overlap, then the wireless mobile
client may switch from one ASUS AP to another as it travels through­out the building. During the hand-off from one ASUS AP to another,
the wireless mobile client maintains an uninterrupted connection to
the network. This is known as “roaming.”

Multiple ASUS APs connected to a common Ethernet network form
an Extended Service Set (ESS). All members of an Extended Service
Set are configured with an ID, known as the SSID or ESSID. Wireless
mobile clients must be configured with the same SSID as the ASUS
APs on the network; a client can only roam between ASUS APs that
share the same SSID.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 7

Roaming Guidelines

• An ASUS WLAN card can only roam between APs of the same

type.

• All ASUS APs must have the same SSID.

• All ASUS WLAN cards must have the same SSID as the APs

that they will roam between.

• If WEP encryption is enabled, then all ASUS APs and client

adapters must use the same encryption level and WEP Key(s) to
communicate.

• ASUS APs’ cells must overlap to ensure that there are no gaps in

coverage and to ensure that the roaming client will always have a
connection available.

• ASUS APs that use the same Channel should be installed as far

away from each other as possible to reduce potential interference.

• It is strongly recommended that you perform a site survey using

the utility provided with the ASUS WLAN card to determine the
best location for each ASUS AP in the building.

8 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

2. Getting Started

This chapter provides important information about installing and con­necting your ASUS WL-HDD2.5. Read these instructions carefully to
set up your device correctly.

Setting up the ASUS WL-HDD2.5

Refer to this section to learn about installing and configuring the
ASUS WL-HDD2.5.

Hardware Installation

Follow these steps to insert the hard disk and assemble the device
before using it.

Warning: The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 is not hot-swappable. Make
sure that it is turned off and not connected to the power outlet
when performing the following assembly procedure.

1. Remove the screws from the bottom.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 9

2. Remove the front cover and slide out the internal circuit board.

3. Insert the hard drive into the slot. Make sure that the hard drive
connecting pins and the connector are properly aligned for a sta­ble connection.

4. Insert the circuit board back inside the outer shell and replace the
front cover.

10 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

5. Replace the screws.

6. Attach the external antenna for improved performance.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 11

Location Tips

Determine the best location for the device while keeping in mind the
following considerations:

• The length of the Ethernet cable that connects the device to the
network must not exceed 100 meters.

• For standard placement, try to place the device on a flat, sturdy
surface as far from the ground as possible, such as on top of a
desk or bookcase, keeping clear of metal obstructions and away
from direct sunlight.

• For external antenna mounting, install the external antennas so
that they are clear of obstructions; refer to the documentation that
came with the antennas for mounting and installation instruc­tions.

• Try to centrally locate the device and its antenna so that it will
provide coverage and access to its HDD to all of the wireless
mobile devices in the area.

• Use only the power supply that came with this unit. Other power
supplies may fit but the voltage and power may not be compati­ble.

Note: It is the responsibility of the installer and users of the
ASUS WL-HDD2.5 to guarantee that the antenna is operated at
least 20 centimeters from any person. This is necessary to
ensure that the product is operated in accordance with the RF
Guidelines for Human Exposure which have been adopted by
the Federal Communications Commission.

12 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

Making Connections

You can use your ASUS WL-HDD2.5 as an Access Point or as a
wireless network storage device in an existing WLAN. When the
ASUS WL-HDD2.5 is turned on, it searches for other existing Access
Points in its vicinity. If no other AP is found, it acts as an AP, while at
the same time allowing access to its HDD. If an existing WLAN and
AP is found in the vicinity, it acts as a wireless shared hard disk that
can be accessed by other wireless clients in the WLAN.

AP Mode

INTERNET

In order to use the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 as an AP, it has to be con­nected to a network hub for Internet access. Attach one end of the RJ­45 Ethernet cable to the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 and attach the other end
to the RJ-45 port of a network hub, switch, router, or patch panel (rep­resented by the INTERNET connection in the illustration).

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 13

Network Storage Mode

INTERNET

To use the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 as a WLAN storage device in an exist­ing network, no network cable connections to the device are required.
The wireless network consisting of an AP and one or more wireless
clients, uses the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 as a shared network hard drive.
The clients can read or write data from the device as required.

14 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5

Connecting Power

Attach one end of the AC power adapter, included in the product
package, to the power jack on the device and the other end to a power
outlet. The POWER LED lights up when the unit is powered ON.

Warnings:

• Use the product only with the power adapter supplied in the
product package. Using another power supply may damage
the device.

• To shut down the ASUS WL-HDD2.5, click the Shutdown but­ton on the web manager. This prevents damage to the hard
disk. Unplug the power cord only after shutting down the
device. See “Shutting down the ASUS WL-HDD2.5” on
page 43 for details.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 15

Configuring the Wireless Client

TCP/IP Settings

In order to access the shared HDD of the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 or to
use the device as an AP, you may need to configure the TCP/IP set­tings. The TCP/IP settings should be on the IP subnet of the ASUS
WL-HDD2.5.

Notes:

• Change the TCP/IP settings only if the wireless network does
not support automatic IP addresses or if there is a problem
operating the device. If you are not sure about the settings, use
the default settings where the client obtains the IP address
automatically.

• Changing TCP/IP settings may require rebooting your PC
(wireless client). When rebooting, the ASUS WL-HDD2.5
should be switched ON and in the ready state.

The following are the default IP settings of the ASUS WL-HDD2.5:

• IP address 192.168.1.1

• Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0.
If you set your computer’s (wireless client) IP manually, it needs to be
on the same segment as the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. To set the TCP/IP
settings, use the Network and Dialup Connections wizard to create
a new LAN connection and configure its TCP/IP settings as follows:

16 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5