Belkin F5D6051 User Manual

Wireless USB Adapter F5D6050

User’s manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Knowing Your Wireless USB Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Placing the Wireless USB Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Connecting to Your Wireless Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Uninstalling the Software and Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Using the Belkin Wireless LAN Monitor Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Status Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Statistics Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Site Survey Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The Encryption Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Advanced Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Using Profile Manager Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Operating in Ad-Hoc Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Belkin Wireless USB Network Adapter (the Adapter). Now you can take advantage of this great new technology and gain the freedom you need around the home or office without using cables. The Wireless USB Network Adapter works like a conventional network adapter, but without the wires. The easy installation and setup will have you networking wirelessly in minutes. Please be sure to read through this manual completely to be sure that you are getting the most out of your Wireless USB Network Adapter.

Features:

The Adapter complies with the IEEE 802.11b standard in order to communicate with other 802.11b-compliant wireless devices.

• 2.4GHz ISM (Industrial, Science, and Medical) band operation

• Integrated, easy-to-use profile manager for storing multiple wireless

network settings for work, school, home, or any other setup

• Wireless interface compliance with the IEEE 802.11b standard

• USB interface, for Plug-and-Play installation and convenience

• 64- or 128-bit Wireless (WEP) Encryption

• Wireless access to networked resources

• Support for both infrastructure and ad-hoc (peer-to-peer) networking modes

• Data rate of up to 11Mbps

• Supports 11, 5.5, 2 or 1Mbps rates (auto-rollback)

• Easy installation and use

• External antennas

• LED link indicator

Applications and Advantages

• Wireless roaming with a laptop around the home or office Offers the freedom of networking—without cables.

• Difficult-to-wire environments

Enables networking in buildings with solid or finished walls, or open areas where wiring is difficult to install.

• Frequently changing environments

Adapts easily in offices or environments that frequently rearrange or change locations.

INTRODUCTION

• Temporary LANs for special projects or peak time

Sets up temporary networks such as at trade shows, exhibitions, and constructions sites, which need networks on a short-term basis; also companies who need additional workstations for a peak activity period.

• SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) networking needs

Provides the easy and quick small network installation SOHO users need.

Product Specifications

Host Interface: USB 1.1 Power Consumption: 300mA (max) Certification: FCC Class B, CE Mark, C-Tick Operating Temperature: 32–131° F (0–55° C) Storage Temperature: -13–158° F (-25–70° C) Typical Operating Range: Indoor: 160' (50m) @ 11Mbps, 260' (80m) @ 5.5Mbps or lower Outdoor: 490' (150m) @ 11Mbps, up to 1800'

(550m) @ 5.5Mbps or lower

System Requirements

• PC with one available USB port

• Windows® 98, 2000, Me, or XP

Package Contents

• Belkin Wireless USB Network Adapter

• Quick Installation Guide

• Installation Software CD

• User Manual

KNOWING YOUR WIRELESS USB NETWORK

ADAPTER

Status Light

Indicates network activity and power

Adjustable Antenna

PLACING THE WIRELESS USB NETWORK

ADAPTER

The best location for your adapter is on top of your computer’s monitor. Placing the Adapter on your desktop is acceptable, however, avoid placing the Adapter near metal objects such as a computer case or speakers. Any object that is metal has the ability to block the radio signals from the Adapter.

Installing and Setting Up the Adapter

Installing your Adapter is done in three easy steps:

1. Install the software FIRST. If you connect your Adapter to your PC before you install the software, it will not work until you install the software.

Connect the Adapter to your PC.

Let Windows finish installing the Adapter.

NOTE: INSTALL THE SOFTWARE FIRST BEFORE YOU CONNECT THE ADAPTER TO YOUR COMPUTER

Software and Driver Installation

1. Insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2. The Belkin Wireless USB Network Adapter Setup Utility screen will

automatically appear. If it does not appear within 15–20 seconds, then select your CD-ROM drive and double-click on the folder named “Files”. Next double-click on the icon named “USB_UTILITY.exe”.

In the menu window,

drag your mouse over the “Install” button then select “Click here” to start the software installation program.

PLACING THE WIRELESS USB NETWORK

ADAPTER

4. The installer will start. Click on or select “Easy” to continue to the next

step. If you are using Windows XP, it is recommended that you use the Belkin Wireless USB Network Adapter Utility to manage the Adapter’s wireless settings. If you want to use Windows XP to manage the Adapter, check “Use the Windows XP Wireless Network Connection Utility”. Instructions on how to use the Windows XP Connection Utility are available from Microsoft. Click “Next” to continue.

5. After the software installation is finished, the message “You can plug in your WLAN adapter now” will appear. Plug the Adapter to an available USB port on your PC or USB hub.

6. After connecting your Adapter, Windows will detect that new hardware has been installed.

Depending on your version of Windows, a window similar to the one pictured here will appear. Select the option “Install the software automatically (Recommended)”.

PLACING THE WIRELESS USB NETWORK

ADAPTER

7. If you are using Windows 2000 or

Windows XP, you may see a screen similar to this one. This does not mean there is a problem. Select “Continue Anyway”.

8. If you are using Windows 98 or Me, you will be asked to restart your computer. Select “Restart”. If you are using Windows 2000 or XP, you will see a window similar to this one. Click “Finish”.

PLACING THE WIRELESS USB NETWORK

ADAPTER

9. When the installation is complete, the Belkin WLAN Monitor icon will

be on your desktop. To open the Monitor Utility, double-click on this icon.

10. A small icon in your system tray (bottom right corner of most screens) will appear. This is your shortcut to the Belkin WLAN Monitor. It also indicates the status of your connection: Red: No connection to a wireless network Blue: Connected to a wireless network. If you already have a wireless router or an access point in your home or office, the Adapter will automatically attempt to connect to your wireless network. In most cases, the Adapter will be able to connect to your

network automatically. If you are using encryption, you will have to set the encryption settings on your wireless router or access point before the Adapter can successfully connect to your wireless network. For information about configuring your Adapter, see the next section in this manual.

CONNECTING TO YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK

If you already have a wireless router or an access point in your home or office, the Adapter will automatically attempt to connect to your wireless network. In most cases, the Adapter will be able to connect to your network automatically. If your wireless network is using encryption, you will need to set the encryption settings of your Adapter to match that of your wireless network. For information about configuring your Adapter, see the next section in this manual.

UNINSTALLING THE SOFTWARE AND DRIVERS

If you need to remove the software and drivers for any reason, you can easily accomplish this in one of two ways. You can insert the software CD and click on the “Uninstall” option in the menu, or you can go to the Windows Control Panel and select the “Add/Remove Programs” option. The Belkin wizard will walk you through the removal process. When you launch the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility (the Utility), you will be presented with the screen below. The following small icon will also be present in your system tray. The Utility can be set to always be on top of everything else on your desktop when it is open. This setting can be changed if you right-click on the icon in your system tray. Place a check mark next to “Always on top” to keep the

utility on top all of the time. Remove the check mark to set the window to move to the back when you select another window. You can close the Utility screen without shutting the Utility down by clicking Exit (l). Double-clicking on the icon in the system tray will open the window.

The Status Tab

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR

UTILITY

a b c d e f g h i

k l

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR

UTILITY

(a) Profile Name

The first thing you will notice is the “Profile Name”. Initially this will say “default” and be grayed out until you have set up a profile. Also, the Profile Manager Mode (k) will be “OFF”. Using Profiles allows you to save configurations for different wireless networks. For instance, if you use your Adapter at your place of work and also at your home, your wireless network settings may be different for each location. Profiles let you store settings for each location and name them for easy identification. The “default” profile will contain the

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