Atheros AR5BMB6 User Manual

Atheros Client

Utility Help

Model AR5BMB6 (802.11a/b/g radio)

PRELIMINARY

PRELIMINARY

Introduction

• System Requirements

Profile Management

• Create or Modify a Profile

• Remove a Profile

• Profile Auto Selection

• Switch Profiles

• Configure TCP/IP

• Configuring Win XP

Security

• EAP-TLS

• EAP-TTLS

• PEAP (EAP-GTC)

• PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2)

• LEAP

• WPA Passphrase

Check Status or Diagnostics

• Check Current Status

• Check Driver Information

• Check Statistics

Connect to Another Network

Settings

• Signal Strength Display

• Data Display

• Display Refresh Interval

Tools

• Tray Icon

• Troubleshooting Utility

• Enable/ Disable the Radio

Compliance

Introduction

The Atheros Client Utility (ACU) is a user-mode utility designed to edit and add configuration
profiles, as well as display diagnostics pertaining to a selected Atheros network interface card
(wireless adapter).

System Requirements

• Laptop/ PC containing:

• 32-bit CardBus slot (or Desktop PC with PC Card-PCI adapter)

• Mini PCI

• 32 MB memory or greater

• 300 MHz processor or higher

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PRELIMINARY

Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows
XP, or Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 6)

Profile Management

Configure the wireless network adapter (wireless card) from the Profile Management tab of the
Atheros Client Utility.

• Add a profile

• Edit a profile

• Import a Profile

• Export a Profile

The wireless network adapter works in either infrastructure mode (which uses an access point) or

ad hoc mode

(a group of stations participating in the wireless LAN).

• Order profiles

• Switch to a different profile

• Remove a profile

• Connect to a Different

Network

Create or Modify a Configuration Profile

To add a new configuration profile, click New on the Profile Management tab. To modify a
configuration profile, select the configuration from the Profile list and click the Modify button.

The Profile Management dialog box displays the General tab

Profile Management:

• Edit the General tab.

• Edit the Security tab.

• Edit the Advanced tab.

.

To configure a profile for ad hoc or access point (infrastructure) mode, edit the Network Type field
on the Advanced tab.

Remove a Configuration Profile

1. Go to the Profile Management tab.

Select the profile to remove from the list of configuration profiles.

2.

Click the Remove button.

3.

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PRELIMINARY

Auto Profile Selection Management

Including a profile in the auto selection feature allows the wireless adapter to automatically select
that profile from the list of profiles and use it to connect to the network.

Including a profile in auto profile selection:

1.

On the Profile Management tab, click the Order Profiles button.

The Auto Profile Selection Management window appears, with a list of all created profiles

2.

in the Available Profiles box.

Highlight the profiles to add to auto profile selection, then click Add. The profiles appear

3.

in the Auto Selected Profiles box.

Ordering the auto selected profiles:

1. Highlight a profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box.

Click Move Up or Move Down as appropriate.

2.

The first profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box has highest priority, and the last profile
has lowest priority.

3.

Click OK.

Check the Auto Select Profiles box.

4.

Save the modified configuration file.

5.

When auto profile selection is enabled by checking Auto Select Profiles on the Profile
Management tab, the client adapter scans for an available network. The profile with the
highest priority and the same SSID as one of the found networks is the one that is used
to connect to the network. If the connection fails, the client adapter tries the next highest
priority profile that matches the SSID, and so on.

With auto profile selection enabled, the wireless adapter scans for available networks. The
highest priority profile with the same SSID as a found network is used to connect to the network.
On a failed connection, the client adapter tries with the next highest priority profile.

Switching to a different configuration profile

1. To switch to a different profile, go to the Profile Management tab.

Click on the profile name in the Profile List.

2.

Click the Activate button.

3.

The Profile List provides icons that specify the operational state for that profile. The list also
provides icons that specify the signal strength

See also Scan Available Networks.

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for that profile.

PRELIMINARY

Import and Export Profiles

Importing a Profile

1. From the Profile Management tab, click the Import button. The Import Profile window

appears.

Browse to the directory where the profile is located.

2.

3. Highlight the profile name.

Click Open. The imported profile appears in the profiles list.

4.

Exporting a Profile

1. From the Profile Management tab, highlight the profile to export.

Click the Export button. The Export Profile window appears.

2.

Browse to the directory to export the profile to.

3.

Click Save. The profile is exported to the specified location.

4.

TCP/IP Configuration

Configuring the TCP/IP Address for the network device:

1.

After configuring the wireless network adapter properties, open the Control Panel and
open Network and Dial-up Connections.

Find the Local Area Connection associated with the wireless network adapter. Right-click

2.

that connection, and click Properties.

3.

Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.

Click the radio button Use the following IP address, then enter an IP address and Subnet

4.

mask. Assigning an IP address and Subnet mask allows stations to operate in access

point mode (infrastructure mode) or in ad hoc mode and to have Internet access. Default

gateway and DNS server information is also required.

IP configuration information (DHCP to assign the IP address, gateway and DNS server IP
addresses) is usually obtained from the corporate IT staff.

5. Click OK to finish.

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PRELIMINARY

General Tab

In the Atheros Client Utility, access the General tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile
Management tab.

Edit the fields in the General tab to configure the configuration profile. Make sure to also edit the

Security

and Advanced tabs.

Profile Name

Client Name

Network Names (SSIDs)

See also:

• Configure a Profile for Ad Hoc Mode

• Configure a Profile for Access Point (Infrastructure) Mode

Identifies the configuration profile. This name must be
unique. Profile names are not case sensitive.

Identifies the client machine.

The IEEE 802.11 wireless network name. This field
has a maximum limit of 32 characters.

Configure up to three SSIDs (SSID1, SSID2, and
SSID3).

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PRELIMINARY

Advanced Tab

In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Advanced tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile
Management tab, then clicking the Advanced tab in Profile Management.
of Profile Management to configure the profile.

Also edit the General and Security tabs.

Edit the Advanced tab

Transmit Power

Level

Power Save

Mode

Network Type

802.11b

Preamble

Wireless Mode

Wireless Mode

when Starting an

Ad Hoc

Network

Selects the transmit power level for 80211b/g or 802.11a in mW. Actual
transmit power may be limited by regulatory domain or hardware limitations.

Specify:

• Maximum mode causes the access point to buffer incoming

messages for the wireless adapter. The adapter up periodically
polls the access point to see if any messages are waiting.

• Normal uses maximum when retrieving a large number of packets,

then switches back to power save mode after retrieving the packets.

• Off turns power saving off, thus powering up the wireless adapter

continuously for a short message response time.

Specifies the network as either infrastructure (access point mode) or ad hoc.

Specifies the preamble setting in 802.11b. The default setting is Short &

Long (AP mode), which allows both short and long headers in the 802.11b

frames. The adapter can only use short radio headers if the access point
supports and uses them. Set to Long Only to override allowing short frames.

Specifies 5GHz 54 Mbps, 2.4 GHz 54 Mbps, 2.4 GHz 11 Mbps, or Super
A/G operation in an access point network.
the wireless mode of the access point it associates to.

Specifies 5GHz 54 Mbps, 5GHz 108 Mbps, or 2.4 GHz 54/11 Mbps to start
an ad hoc
available modes.

network if no matching network name is found after scanning all

The wireless adapter must match

This mode also allows selection of the channel the wireless adapter uses.
The channels available depend on the regulatory domain. If the adapter
finds no other ad hoc adapters, this selection specifies the which channel
with the adapter starts the ad hoc network with.

The wireless adapter must match the wireless mode and channel of the
clients it associates to.

802.11a

Authentication

Mode

For infrastructure (access point) networks, click the Preferred APs button to specify up to four
access points to which the client adapter should attempt to associate.

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Select the mode the wireless adapter uses to authenticate to an AP:

• Auto causes the adapter to attempt authentication using shared, but

switches it to open authentication if shared fails.

• Open enables an adapter to attempt authentication regardless of its

WEP settings. It will only associate with the access point if the WEP
keys on both the adapter and the access point match.

• Shared only allows the adapter to associate with access points that

have the same WEP key.

PRELIMINARY

Security Tab

In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile
Management tab. Click the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

Edit the fields in the Security tab of Profile Management to configure the profile. To define the
security mode, select the radio button of the desired security mode. Make sure to also edit the

General

and Advanced tabs.

Enables the use of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Choosing WPA

WPA

opens the WPA EAP drop-down menu. The options include:

Enables WPA Passphrase security. Click on the Configure button and

WPA

Passphrase

fill in the WPA Passphrase.

• EAP-TLS

• EAP-TTLS

• PEAP (EAP-GTC)

• PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2)

• LEAP

802.1x

Pre-Shared Key

(Static WEP)

Enables 802.1x security. This option requires IT administration.

Choosing 802.1x opens the 802.1x EAP type drop-down menu. The
options include:

• EAP-TLS

• EAP-TTLS

• PEAP (EAP-GTC)

• PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2)

• LEAP

If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP
set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that Allow

Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab

association.

Enables the use of pre-shared keys that are defined on both the access
point and the station.

To define pre-shared encryption keys, choose the Pre-Shared Key radio
button and click the Configure button to fill in the Define Pre-Shared

Keys window.

to allow

If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP
set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that Allow

Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab

association.

None

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No security (not recommended).

to allow

PRELIMINARY

Using EAP-TLS Security

To use EAP-TLS security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile
Management window.

1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button.

OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.

2. Choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu.

Enabling EAP-TLS security:

To use EAP-TLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TLS certificates downloaded
onto it. Check with the IT manager.

If EAP-TLS is supported, choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu on the right, then

1.

click the Configure button.

Select the appropriate certificate authority from the list. The server/domain name and the

2.

login name are filled in automatically from the certificate information. Click OK.

3. Click OK.

Activate the profile.

4.

Using EAP-TTLS Security

To use EAP security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile
Management window.

1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button.

OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.

Choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu.

2.

Enabling EAP-TTLS security:

To use EAP-TTLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TTLS certificates
downloaded onto it. Check with the IT manager.

1. If EAP-TTLS is supported, choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu on the right,

then click the Configure button.

Select the appropriate certificate from the drop-down list and click OK.

2.

Specify a user name for EAP authentication:

3.

o Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the

EAP user name.

o OR: Enter a EAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate

user name and password and start the EAP authentication process.

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