AT&T Turbo 802.11b User Manual

Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 802.11b
6500B4X
User Manual
Copyright © 2003 Advanced American Telephones. All Rights Reserved. AT&T and the Globe Design are trademarks of AT&T Corp., licensed to Advanced American Telephones. All marks are trademarks of their respective corporations.
Table of Contents
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 2
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................3
Overview ........................................................................3
Package contents............................................................3
System requirements ......................................................3
DRIVER & ADAPTER INSTALLATION ......................................4
Step 1: Install driver & configuration utility......................4
Step 2: Install wireless adapter ......................................4
Step 3: Recognize the hardware ....................................4
CONFIGURE ADAPTER FOR YOUR NETWORK ....................5
Installation Wizard ..........................................................5
Test Internet access........................................................6
Link Info screen ..............................................................7
Configuration screen ......................................................8
Security screen ..............................................................9
Site Survey screen........................................................10
ENABLE FILE AND PRINTER SHARING ................................10
File & print sharing for Windows
®
XP ............................11
File & print sharing for Windows®2000 ........................18
File & print sharing for Windows®Me and 98 SE ........24
TROUBLESHOOTING ..............................................................30
GLOSSARY ..............................................................................32
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ..............................................37
AT&T offers a full line of data networking
and broadband accessories.
Please visit us at
www.plugandshare.att.com
1-877-800-5400
Introduction
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 3
Overview
The AT&T Plug&Share™Wireless PCI Adapter allows you to connect any desktop computer with an avail­able PCI slot to a compatible wireless network.
Package Contents
Please check to make sure your package contains the following items:
Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22Mbps Turbo 802.11b
CD-ROM
Contains installation software and printable versions of this User Manual, Quick Start Guide and Safety & Warranty Information.
Quick Start Guide
Safety & Warranty Information
System Requirements:
You must have a desktop computer with the following applications & hardware:
• Windows®98 SE, Me, 2000 or XP
• Available PCI slot
• Intel
®
Pentium II (or higher)
• 64 MB of RAM
• CD-ROM drive
• 5 MB of available hard-disk space (60 MB to load Adobe
®
Acrobat®Reader®)
• AT&T Plug&Share™Wireless Router (or other 802.11b or g compliant router or access point)
STEP 1: Install the Driver and Configuration Utility
1 Do NOT install adapter first. Insert the enclosed CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
2 Your CD auto-run function may start automatically. If it does not, click on the Start button. Click Run
and enter D:\autorun. (If your CD-ROM drive is not your D drive, use the appropriate drive letter.)
3 When the adapter menu screen appears, click on Install Software from the menu on the left side of
the screen.
4 The InstallShield Wizard will appear.
5 Different versions of Windows
®
will present different screens. Press Next at each screen until the
Wizard driver installation has completed.
6 Some versions will present a screen that asks about restarting your computer. Choose Yes, I will
restart my computer now.
7 Click Finish, if necessary.
Proceed to Step 2 only after the software has been correctly installed (see next page).
Installation
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 4
1 Turn off and unplug your com-
puter. Following the instructions in your computer user manual, open the computer cover.
2 Locate an empty PCI slot.
3 Remove the slot cover. You’ll
have to remove the screw or clip that holds the slot cover in place.
4 Carefully insert the wireless
PCI adapter into the PCI slot. You may have to use firm pres­sure, but do not force the adapter in. If you experience problems installing the PCI adapter, try another slot.
5 Replace and tighten screws,
then replace the computer cover.
6 Plug your computer back into
the AC outlet, then restart your computer.
Install software BEFORE installing the adapter (see Step 1 on previous page).
CAUTION: Turn OFF and UNPLUG your computer before opening it.
STEP 3: Recognize the Hardware
Depending on the Windows®operating system version running on your computer, one of several screens may appear to inform you that the computer recognizes new hardware. Choose to install the software automatically and click Next.
Depending on your Windows
®
version, you may see a Hardware Alert message or a Digital Signature
Not Found message. Click Continue Anyway or Ye s to complete the installation.
Depending on your Windows
®
version, you may have to restart your computer to complete the
installation. If a Windows®message prompts you to restart your computer, do so.
Finally, some versions may display the message Systems Settings Change. Click Yes .
Check the indicator light to verify that the adapter is working: The light will remain on when receiving power and connected to the network. It will blink during data transfer.
STEP 2: Install the Wireless PCI Adapter
Wireless PCI adapter
PCI slots
Adapter indicator light
Adapter Configuration
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 5
STEP 4: Configure the PCI adapter for your wireless network
To configure the PCI adapter for communication with your wireless network, use the Configuration Wizard. To start the Configuration Wizard, double-click on the Utility icon (four vertical bars) next to your computer’s time display.
Wizard screen 1
SSID
Enter the SSID (Service Set Identifier) used by your wireless router or access point. The default SSID is at&t. You should change this name to any alphanumeric (numbers and/or letters) identifier up to 32 characters long. The SSID is case sensitive (i.e., “cat” and “Cat” are not the same). All wireless adapters on your network must use the same SSID as your wireless router and/or access point.
WEP Encryption
WEP is a form of encryption. If you click On to enable encryption in your wireless adapter, you must turn on WEP in your router, and make sure all devices use the same settings.
Click Apply to save your settings and display Wizard screen 2 (see next page).
Double-click here to display Wizard screen 1 (see below)
Wizard • Link Info. • Configuration • Security • Site Survey • About
CAUTION: SSID and all WEP settings must be identical in all wireless network devices. WEP
Ascii/Hex Key
must match the WEP settings used in your router (may be called Security Phrase,
Hex Key or other term).
Adapter Configuration
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 6
Test Internet Access
To test Internet access, launch your web browser and enter:
www.plugandshare.att.com
When you press Enter, the AT&T Plug&Share
screen should appear. If it does not, see the Troubleshooting section on page 30.
Wizard screen 2
This screen shows the status of your network connection.
Your adapter should have found the network associated with the SSID you entered, and automatically set the channel to agree with your wire­less router and/or access point. If you see Pass
in the top two fields on this screen, you are ready to close this window and begin using your wire­less network. Test this by visiting the Internet (see below).
You can view or change the adapter setting from the other screens. Just click on the tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of this screen.
Wizard • Link Info. • Configuration • Security • Site Survey • About
Problems?
If this screen does not appear when you test Internet access, or if you see the word Fail
in either of the top two fields of the Wizard screen shown above, please turn to the Troubleshooting section on page 30.
Adapter Configuration
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 7
Link Info
This screen displays current settings. (To change any of these settings, click
Configuration at the top of the screen.)
Status: The MAC address of the
router, or access point, associated with the wireless adapter.
SSID: The Service Set Identifier of the network. This is the setting given to the access point, or router.
TX Rate: The current transmission speed setting.
Channel: The current channel setting of the wireless network.
Rescan: Refresh the text fields.
Radio Off: This option turns off
communication between your wire­less adapter and your wireless router
or access point. You will not be able to carry out network operations (such as file sharing or printing), but you will still be able to make changes to your adapter settings.
Link Quality/Signal Strength/Data Rate: The lower part of the screen displays the current quality of the network link, strength of the signal, and the current transmit and receive rates.
Wizard Link Info. • Configuration • Security • Site Survey • About
Adapter Configuration
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 8
Configuration
The Configuration screen displays the current settings of the wireless adapter.
SSID: Enter the SSID used by your wireless router or access point. All wireless adapters on your network must use the same SSID as your wireless router and/or access point. The SSID is case sensitive (i.e., “cat” and “Cat” are not the same).
BSS Type: The BSS type may be set to Infrastructure (connected to the WLAN using an Access Point) or Ad-Hoc (connected in a peer-to-peer environment).
Channel: The router uses radio signals to communicate with other devices on the network. You can
change the frequency by selecting a different channel. Remember that all computers on your network must use the same channel. Devices using AT&T Plug&Share™ wireless adapters will automatically detect the channel used by the router and change to it.
You may have to change the channel if you are experiencing problems such as intermittent connection and disconnection. You can perform a site survey on your wireless adapter to find out which channels are being used by other wireless networks nearby. If other networks use the same channel (or an adja­cent one), change yours to one as far away as possible from the others in use. (For example, if other networks use channels 6, 9 and 11, try changing yours to channel 1.)
TX Rate: If you use an AT&T Plug&Share
router, set the TX (transmission) rate to Auto.
If you are not
using an AT&T Plug&Share
router, set the TX rate to the fastest speed your router or access point can support. The default setting (Auto) will continually test to find and use the highest transmission speed possible, but this setting may cause data errors. If you experience this problem, try a lower rate.
Preamble: The length of the CRC block (Cyclic Redundancy Check) for detecting errors in the communication between the router/access point and the wireless adapters. Use the default setting (Long Preamble) unless you have a specific need for a faster, but less accurate, data transmission rate.
Power Mode: Select Continuous
Access Mode (default) for fewer communication errors, although this setting consumes more power than the others. Maximum Power Save consumes the least power, and Power Save
consumes a diminished amount of power.
Auto Searching: This option allows your wireless adapter to automatically search for available wireless routers or access points nearby. When enabled, your computer will connect to whichever router or access point that has the strongest signal.
If you change any setting above, click the Apply button.
Wizard • Link Info. • Configuration • Security • Site Survey • About
Adapter Configuration
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 9
Security
The Security screen allows you to set the privacy settings of your wireless PCI adapter. These must match the settings of your wireless router or access point.
WEP Encryption: For a higher level of privacy you can choose to scramble the data being transferred over your network by setting Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) Encryption to On. Click on the box to enable WEP Encryption. You must use exactly the same WEP phrase or key used by your wireless router or access point.
Authentication Mode: Default is Auto
, which adjusts automatically to the authentication presented (Open or Shared,) by another wireless device. Choose Open
Authentication
to pass the key across the whole network, (any PC whose SSID matches your router's SSID can join it), or Shared
Authentication to limit communication to devices with identical WEP settings.
Phrase/Key: Enter a security phrase. If you choose the Hex Key Format (see below), you must use hexadecimal digits (0-9, a-f). If you choose the ASCII Key Format you can use letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks. For the ASCII Key Format you must enter five characters for 64-bit, 13 characters for 128-bit or 29 characters for-256 bit encryption. Whichever format you use, the security phrase you enter must match the one set for your wireless router or access point. You can create up to four different security phrases, for different wireless networks. Remember that security phrases are case sensitive (i.e., “cat” and “Cat” are not the same).
Key Format: Choose ASCII or hexadecimal format. If you choose ASCII, you can use names that you know and can easily remember for your key.
Length: Use the drop-down menu to choose a key length. The higher the number, the slower and more secure your system is.
If you change any setting above, click the Apply button.
Wizard • Link Info. • Configuration • Security • Site Survey • About
Adapter Configuration
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 10
Site Survey
The Site Survey screen shows a list of wireless networks nearby that are available for connection. Select a network and click Connect to estab­lish a connection. Click Refresh to update the list and show additional networks that may have become available since you last checked.
The Profile section shows a list of profiles you may have set up for various wireless networks; for example, at home, at work, or in public places such as an airport or internet café. Click Add to create a new profile,
Remove to delete a profile, or Properties to configure a profile to
connect with an available network.
To change network settings
Change the wireless PCI adapter settings at any time by double-clicking the Utility icon, (4 vertical bars next to your computer’s time display). Use the tabs in the blue bar at the top of the screen to display the Wizard, Link Info, Configuration, Security, or Site Survey screens.
Configuring Windows®for File and Printer Sharing
Some configuration of Windows®is necessary to make full use of your wireless network. This will take a few minutes, but it is a one-time process that you will not need to repeat.
Please turn to the pages listed for instructions on how to configure your operating system.
Windows
®
XP ............................Pages 11-17
Windows®2000 ........................Pages 18-23
Windows®Me/98 SE ................Pages 24-29
Wizard • Link Info. • Configuration • Security • Site Survey • About
Caution
Before making any changes to your networking settings, please review this section carefully.
Failure to follow these instructions precisely may result in the inability to log into your network or computer.
If your computer is part of a work environment please contact your IT professional before proceeding.
Configuring the Wireless Network — Windows®XP
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 11
Configure Windows®XP for Network Sharing
Step 1
Click Start > Control Panel.
Step 2
Click Network and Internet Connections.
Step 3
Click Network Connections.
Windows®XP • Windows®2000 • Windows®Me/98 SE
Caution
Before making any changes to your networking settings, please review this section carefully. Failure to follow these instructions precisely may result in the inability to log into your network or computer. If your computer is part of a work environment, please contact your IT professional before proceeding.
Configuring the Wireless Network — Windows®XP
AT&T Plug&Share
Wireless PCI Adapter 22 Mbps Turbo 6500B4X 12
Step 6
Make sure File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks appears in this list, and
check it if it is unchecked.
If you do not see it in the list, click the Install button and follow directions to install File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.
Click OK when File and Printer Sharing is installed and checked.
Step 4
Click Wireless Network Connection.
Step 5
Click the Properties button.
Windows®XP • Windows®2000 • Windows®Me/98 SE
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