Belkin F5U301HUB, F5U301DNGL Users Guide

Cable-Free
USB Hub

Belkin Tech Support

US: 310-898-1100, ext. 2263

800-223-5546, ext. 2263
Europe: 00 800 223 55 460
Australia: 1800 235 546
New Zealand: 0800 235 546
Singapore: 800 616 1790

Belkin Corporation

501 West Walnut Street
Los Angeles, CA 90220, USA
310-898-1100
310-898-1111 fax

Belkin Ltd.

Express Business Park, Shipton Way
Rushden, NN10 6GL, United Kingdom
[phone]
[phone] fax

© 2006 Belkin Corporation. All rights reserved. All trade names are
registered trademarks of respective manufacturers listed. Windows and
Microsoft are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. P75325

Belkin B.V.

Boeing Avenue 333
1119 PH Schiphol-Rijk, The Netherlands
[phone]
[phone] fax

Belkin Ltd.

4 Pioneer Avenue
Tuggerah Business Park
Tuggerah, NSW 2259, Australia
[phone]
[phone] fax

Cable-Free
USB Hub

User Manual

F5U301

Table of Contents

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

Features ........................................................................ 3

System Requirements ...................................................

Package Includes ..........................................................

Technical Specifications ................................................ 4

2. Installation ......................................................................6

3. Operation ......................................................................16

4. Troubleshooting ............................................................

5. Technical Specifications ................................................

6. Information ...................................................................32

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Introduction

Belkin unleashes USB.

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Belkin
Cable-Free USB Hub. This revolutionary product lets you
connect all your USB devices to your computer—wirelessly.
Now you can print, play music, scan, download photos, and
burn CDs from anywhere in the room, from up to 30 feet
away, without the hassle of connecting cables. The Hub is
easy to use and gives you the freedom to roam—and
stay connected.

Please review this User Manual carefully so that you are sure
to get the most from your Cable-Free USB Hub.

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Introduction

Figure 1: USB Dongle

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Figure 2: Wireless Hub

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Introduction

Features

• Wireless connectivity through USB for printers, cameras,
scanners, and other devices to your computer, from up to
30 ft. away

• Reduced cable clutter

• Data-transfer speeds of up to 480Mbps for
USB 2.0 devices

• Ports for linking up to 4 high- or low-speed devices with
your computer

• Belkin Lifetime Warranty

System Requirements
For PC Users

• Pentium® processor-based computer with Hi-Speed USB

2.0 port available

• Windows

®

XP with Service Pack 2

Package Includes

• Cable-Free USB Hub

• Cable-Free USB Dongle

• Power Adapter

• Installation CD

• User Manual

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Introduction

Technical Specifications

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Upstream Ports: 1

Downstream Ports: 4

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Per-Port Voltage: 5V

Per-Port Current: 500mA

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Power Mode: Self

Operating Temperature: 41° to 104° F (5° to 40° C)

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Storage Temperature: -4° to 140° F (-20° to 60° C)

Power Supply:

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Output: 5V, 2.6mA

Plug Size: 3.5mm

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Plug Polarity: Center-pin

Main-Power-LED Color

Definitions

Red: Constant on when 5V DC

Port-Status-LED Color

Definitions

Green: Blinks slowly when registering

is applied

wireless hub
Blinks rapidly to indicate Rx/Tx
traffic

positive

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Introduction

Certifications

FCC

Humidity

5% to 95% non-condensing

Chipset

Wisair

Ports

4 USB A

Indicator-Light Status

Individual-status LED for each downstream port

Power LED

Power Supply

5V

Operating Range

Up to 30 ft.

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Installation

The following diagram illustrates the basic steps in

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connecting and getting started with the dongle.

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Note: Do not attach the USB dongle before the host
drivers are installed.

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Step 1

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Install software and drivers from the
included CD-ROM.

Step 2

Connect the USB Dongle to the PC and
approve the multiple-driver installation.

Step 3

Connect the included power adapter to
the Cable-Free USB Hub.

Step 4

Open the Wireless Hub utility from the
system tray and register the product ID
number found on the bottom of the Hub.
Then, approve the final driver installation
on the PC.

Step 5

Connect USB peripherals to the
Cable-Free USB Hub.

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Installation

After you install the software and drivers, connect the dongle
to a free USB 2.0 port on your computer. This powers
the Hub, and the Windows Hardware Installation Wizard
automatically registers the corresponding driver.

Note: If a previous installation of USB drivers already exists

in your PC, uninstall the previous version using the uninstall
utility (select “Start > Programs > Belkin >”).

Install the USB Drivers and GUI

Ensure that your PC system hardware and software are
both operational.

1. Ensure that the Hub is switched off and the dongle is

unplugged from the PC.

2. Run the “Setup_ver_07_10.exe” Belkin Setup Launcher

program; follow the on-screen instructions—proceed by
clicking “Next” to install the software to the
default location.

3. When the Device Driver Installation Wizard appears,

click “Next” to install the device drivers and click
“Continue Anyway” when prompted (four instances).
This will install the required Windows Driver Packages.

4. Click “Finish”.

5. Click “Finish” again to exit the Wizard.

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Installation

Connect the Hardware

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1. Place the Hub no more than three feet from the dongle.

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2. Power OFF the Hub and disconnect it from all USB

devices (e.g., cameras, hard drives, scanners).

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3. Connect the external antenna and the power supply to

the Hub.

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4. Ensure that the dongle and Hub are facing each other.

5. Connect the dongle to the PC’s high-speed USB

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port. The system will automatically detect and begin
installation of the drivers for the connected dongle
using the Found New Hardware Wizard.

Proceed as follows:

Figure 3: Found New Hardware Wizard

1. Select “No, not this time”, and click “Next”.

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Installation

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Figure 4: Insert Media Window

2. Select “Install the software automatically

(Recommended)” and click “Next” to install the driver.

3. The “Hardware Installation” screen is displayed.

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Installation

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4. This product has been thoroughly tested to work with

the operating systems indicated. Click “Continue
Anyway”. The “Completing the Found New Hardware
Wizard” screen is displayed.

Figure 5: Hardware Installation screen

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Installation

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Figure 6: Completing the Found New Hardware Wizard

5. Click “Finish” to complete the driver installation.

6. Windows will repeat this sequence two more times for

the following drivers:

• 531 Control

• UWB Software MAC
Note: Restart your computer.

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Installation

Connecting the Hub

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1. Ensure that the Hub is switched OFF.

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2. Place the Hub within three feet from the dongle. Ensure

that the two units are facing.

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3. Power ON the Hub. Check that the LEDs light.

4. The system will automatically detect and begin

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installation of the connected device using the “Found
New Hardware Wizard”.

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Figure 7: Found New Hardware Wizard

5. Select “No, not this time”, and click “Next”.

6. Follow the instructions in the Wizard using the same

procedure as in setting up the dongle.

7. The “Hardware Installation” window is displayed.

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Installation

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Figure 8: Hardware Installation Window

8. This product has been thoroughly tested to work with

the operating systems indicated. Click “Continue
Anyway”. The “Completing the Found New Hardware
Wizard” screen is displayed.

9. Click “Finish” to complete the installation.
Note: Restart your computer.

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Installation

10. To verify a successful installation, run the Windows

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Device Manager utility (“Start > Run > devmgmt.msc”)
and verify that it recognizes the new drivers that were
installed. You should see the following names: 531
Control, USB Composite Device, UWB over USB, and
Wireless Hub Device. See the following screen shot:

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Figure 9: Device Manager displaying installed USB drivers

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Installation

Uninstalling the Software

If you need to uninstall the software, you can do so by using
the automatic uninstaller or by using the “Windows Control
Panel > Add or Remove Programs” utility.

To uninstall the software:

1. Detach the dongle from the USB port of the PC.

1.1 Select “Uninstall Cable-Free USB Hub” from “Start >

Programs > Cable-Free USB Hub”.

OR

1.2 Use the “Windows Control Panel > Add or Remove

Programs” utility under “Cable-Free USB Hub”.

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Operation

Status Indication

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When the Belkin Connection Manager is up, the Belkin icon
displays in the Windows System Tray. The color of the icon

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indicates the current activity state, as follows:

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Icon Color Status

Enabled (yellow icon)

USB dongle is connected to the computer (dongle
is enabled, no wireless connection is detected)

Connected (green icon)

A wireless connection is established with the Hub

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Disabled (gray icon)

USB dongle is disabled (and no connection
available)

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Operation

Configuration Properties

The dongle “Hardware Properties” screen provides direct
access to the dongle hardware configuration.

To open the “Properties” screen, right-click on the Belkin
icon and select “Properties” from the context menu.

The following table explains the properties that can be
configured or viewed:

Property Description

Connection Status

Operating State Disabled/Disconnected/

Signal Strength

Transmit Rate Select

Channel Select Auto-Detect /A/B/C/D/E (see Table

Current Channel A/B/C/D/E (see Table 1: Wireless

Cable-Free USB Hub Details

Product ID# Enables the registration of the

Register/Un-Register Registers (associates) or

Connected

0–100%

Auto/480/400/320/200/160/106.7/
80/53.3Mbps

1: Wireless channel selection)

channel selection

Cable-Free USB Hub product
ID number in order to allow
association/connection

un-registers (disassociates) the
Cable-Free USB Hub of the given
product ID number

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Operation

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Property Description

Dongle Status

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Reset Resets the connection/

Disable/Enable Turns off dongle to save

Packets Sent/Packets Received Packets sent (by dongle)

disassociates Cable-Free USB
Hub and restarts scanning

PHY power

Packets received (from Hub)

Dongle Details

Description Belkin Cable-Free USB dongle

Product ID Unique hardware identification

Firmware Version Host-firmware version

Driver Version Belkin PC-driver version

(HWA531)

number

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Operation

Table 1: Wireless channel selection

Belkin
Channel
Name

A TFC1 F1 F2 F3 F1 F2 F

B TFC2 F1 F3 F2 F1 F3 F

C TFC5 F1 F1 F1 F1 F1 F

D TFC6 F2 F2 F2 F2 F2 F

E TFC7 F3 F3 F3 F3 F3 F

Figure 10: Cable-Free USB Hub Connection Status screen

TFC
Channel

Band Search Pattern

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Operation

Pairing and Association/Connection

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Once the Hub is powered up and completes its initialization,
it is ready for association. First-time association occurs after

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manually registering the product ID number of the Hub with
the PC. This is also called “pairing” the two entities.

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After the first-time connection/association, future association
is handled automatically, so that no user intervention
is necessary.

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Registration (Pairing)

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To register the product ID number:

1. Open the “Cable-Free USB Hub Connection Status”

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screen (double-click the CM tray icon).

2. In the “Cable-Free USB Hub Details (Pairing)” section,

enter the product ID number. (There are six pairs of
character/digit combinations in the product ID.)

3. Press “Register” to finalize the registration/pairing. Once

the product ID number is accepted, the product ID
numbers are displayed as read-only, and the button is
labeled “Un-Register”.

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Operation

4. Following registration/pairing, association/connection is

established, and a tool tip is displayed in the System Tray
area showing the product ID number and a message that
the Hub is connected with the PC as shown in the
image below.

5. Check the “Operating State” field in the “Cable-Free

USB Hub Connection Status” screen to see if the status
changes from “Disconnected” to “Connected”.

Automatic Association

After the first manual association, the same Hub is
automatically associated to the same computer whenever
the Hub operates within range. To associate to another Hub,
you must manually un-register the previous Hub by pressing
“Un-Register”, which causes the Hub to disassociate from
the computer.

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Operation

Changing Association/Registration (Pairing)

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To change the association/registration from one Hub
to another:

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1. In the “Hub Connection Status” screen, click

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“Un-Register”.

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2. Enter the product ID number of the Hub to which you

want to associate and press “Register”.

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3. A tool tip is displayed in the System Tray area, containing

the product ID and a message that the Hub is now
connected with the PC.

4. Check the “Operating State” field to see if the status

changes from “Disconnected” to “Connected”.

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Operation

Closing the Connection Manager Application

To shut down the Connection Manager:

1. Right-click the tray icon and select “Exit”.

2. Click “Yes” to confirm that you want to shut down

the application.

Maintenance

The following sections provide maintenance information and
troubleshooting advice.

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Troubleshooting

Dongle LED Indicator

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Traffic

Figure 11: Dongle LED Indicator

Traffic: Flashes green when packets are received.

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Hub LED Indicators

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Association/Traffic Power

Figure 12: Cable-Free USB Hub LED Indicators

Power: Constant on when 5V DC is applied.
Association with Dongle/Traffic Indicator: Blinks

slowly when a user on the host side (PC) registers the Hub’s
product ID number; blinks rapidly to indicate Rx/Tx traffic.

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Troubleshooting

Channel Busy

If the user selects a specific channel (frequency range) and
the dongle (after scanning) finds it cannot be the master on
that channel, an information message window will display
automatically. This is the result of more than one dongle
present in the same range.

Figure 13: Channel-busy message

To resolve this conflict, select a different channel or “Auto
Detect” in the “Connection Manager Properties” screen of
one of the dongles.

Support for USB Classes

Audio devices (“USB Audio” class) and some webcams
(“USB Video” class), which have isochronous end points, are
not supported by the Hub.

Wireless Link Out of Range

If you are experiencing frequent wireless-link breaks, the Hub
may be out of range—the solution is to shorten the range
between the dongle and Hub.

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Troubleshooting

Extended or External Wired USB Hub Connections

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If you are connecting the dongle to a PC via an external
wired USB hub, we recommend that you:

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• Apply external power to the wired USB hub.

• Do not use the external hub during initial connect and

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driver installation.

Manual Software Installation

If automatic installation of the Belkin software does not
succeed on your PC, you can perform a manual installation.

Clean (first-time) installation:

1. Create a new directory on your PC (for example,

C:\Program Files\Belkin\Hub).

2. Copy the WA Windows drivers into the directory:

• FX2Control.sys

• SwMac.sys

• USBFX2.sys

• WirelessHub.sys

• FX2Control.inf

• SwMac.inf

• USBFX2.inf

• WirelessHub.inf

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Troubleshooting

3. Copy the software application (ConnectionManager.exe)

plus the “CM_API.DLL” file into the same directory. Create
a shortcut to the “ConnectionManager.exe” application
and place it in the “Start > Programs > Startup” menu
of the PC so that the application starts up automatically
when Windows starts.

4. Launch the Hub application (ConnectionManager.exe).

5. Connect the dongle to the USB port of the PC.

6. When prompted for the required driver, select the option

“Install from a list or a specific location (advanced)”, and
point to the new directory where you placed the drivers
(for example, C:\Program Files\Belkin\Cable-Free
USB Hub).

7. Follow the procedure outlined in the “Connecting the USB

Dongle” section.

8. Check the Windows Device Manager to ensure that all

three drivers are installed. If any of the drivers display a
yellow exclamation mark (!), right-click that driver name
and select “Uninstall”, and repeat the driver-installation
procedure.

9. When you complete driver installation, plug in the dongle

and power ON the Hub. Windows will prompt you for the
required driver. Browse and point to the new directory
containing the drivers (for example, C:\Program Files\
Belkin\Cable-Free USB Hub). Complete the procedure as
described in the “Connecting the Cable-Free USB
Hub” section.

10. Manual installation is now complete.

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Troubleshooting

Manual Software Uninstallation

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To uninstall the software manually:

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1. Ensure that the Connection Manager is stopped and the

dongle is disconnected.

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2. Go to “C:\windows\system32\drivers” and locate the four

driver files:

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• FX2Control.sys

• SwMac.sys

• USBFX2.sys

• WirelessHub.sys

3. Delete the four files.

4. If applicable, remove the shortcut for the

“ConnectionManager.exe” application from the “Start >
Programs > Startup” menu.

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Troubleshooting

Reading Software and Firmware Versions

In order to ensure that you are working with the latest
version of software and hardware, you can check the
versions of each component as follows:

Belkin application In “Control Panel > Add or

Remove Programs > Cable­Free USB Hub > Click here
for support information” for
the automatically installed
application.

PC host drivers version Right-click the tray icon, and

select “Properties”. Read
the “Driver Version” field in
the “Cable-Free USB Dongle
Details” section.

Cable-Free USB
dongle firmware version

Right-click the tray icon, and

select “Properties”. Read the
“Firmware version” field in
the “Cable-Free USB Dongle
Details” section.

Cable-Free USB Hub
firmware version

Use a serial connector to

connect via HyperTerminal
application and view the
firmware version in the
command prompt of the
Cable-Free USB Hub.

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Technical Specifications

Model Number HWA531 — Cable-Free

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DWA531 — 4-port Cable-Free

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UWB Chipset Belkin 531 MAC/BB chip,

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Operational Range Up to 30 to 60 ft. (10 to 20m)

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PHY Data Rate Up to 480Mbps (automatically

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Frequency Range 3.1GHz to 4.8GHz; supporting

RF Modulation Type Multiband OFDM

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Max. Output Power 80µW (-41.25 dBm/MHz max.)

Max. Power Consumption HWA531 — 1.75W (350mA

DWA531 — 3W (600mA @

USB End-Point Types Bulk in/out, Interrupt, Control

Number of End Points 32 end points

USB Power Drive Powers up to 4 USB external

USB Association Type Host GUI-based association

LED Indicators Power, Association, Traffic

PCB Size HWA531 — 25 by 69mm

USB dongle

USB Hub

Belkin 502 RF chip

or manually selected)

3 sub-bands, 528MHz each

max. @ 5VDC from USB port)

5VDC from external power
supply)

devices (500mA @ 5VDC each)

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Technical Specifications

DWA531 — 38 by 92mm

Antenna HWA531 — UWB on-board

DWA531 — UWB 2 internal

Operating
Temperature Range 5° C to 50° C

Operational Humidity 10–95%

PHY Compliance Complies with WiMedia

FCC Compliance Complies with FCC CFR

USB Hub Compliance Complies with USB 2.0/1.1

OS Compliance Microsoft

Coexistence Coexists with standard

Coexistence with co-located

omnidirectional antenna

omnidirectional antennas

®

spec. rev. 1.0

47 Part 15 subpart F; UWB
intentional radiation

®

Windows Plug-and-Play­compliant

WiMedia devices

additional dongles or UWB
systems (FFI, TFI schemes)

Windows XP SP2;

PHY

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Information

FCC Statement

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DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY WITH FCC RULES FOR

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We, Belkin Corporation, of 501 West Walnut Street, Compton, CA 90220,
declare under our sole responsibility that the product:

to which this declaration relates:
Complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation. This
equipment may only be operated indoors. Operation outdoors is in
violation of 47 U.S.C. 301 and could subject the operator to serious
legal penalties.

CE Declaration of Conformity

We, Belkin Corporation, declare under our sole responsibility that the F5U301, to
which this declaration relates, is in conformity with Generic Emissions Standard
EN55022:1998 Class B, EN50081-1, and with Generic Immunity Standard
EN50082-1:1992.

Belkin Corporation Limited Lifetime
Product Warranty

What this warranty covers.

Belkin Corporation warrants to the original purchaser of this Belkin product that
the product shall be free of defects in design, assembly, material,
or workmanship.

What the period of coverage is.

Belkin Corporation warrants the Belkin product for the lifetime of the product.

What will we do to correct problems?

Product Warranty.

Belkin will repair or replace, at its option, any defective product free of charge
(except for shipping charges for the product).

ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY

F5U301

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Information

What is not covered by this warranty?

All above warranties are null and void if the Belkin product is not provided to
Belkin Corporation for inspection upon Belkin’s request at the sole expense
of the purchaser, or if Belkin Corporation determines that the Belkin product
has been improperly installed, altered in any way, or tampered with. The
Belkin Product Warranty does not protect against acts of God (other than
lightning) such as flood, earthquake, war, vandalism, theft, normal-use wear
and tear, erosion, depletion, obsolescence, abuse, damage due to low voltage
disturbances (i.e. brownouts or sags), non-authorized program, or system
equipment modification or alteration.

How to get service.

To get service for your Belkin product you must take the following steps:

1. Contact Belkin Corporation at 501 W. Walnut St., Compton CA 90220, Attn:
Customer Service, or call (800)-223-5546, within 15 days of the Occurrence.
Be prepared to provide the following information:

a. The part number of the Belkin product.
b. Where you purchased the product.
c. When you purchased the product.
d. Copy of original receipt.

2. Your Belkin Customer Service Representative will then instruct you on how to
forward your receipt and Belkin product and how to proceed with your claim.

Belkin Corporation reserves the right to review the damaged Belkin product. All
costs of shipping the Belkin product to Belkin Corporation for inspection shall
be borne solely by the purchaser. If Belkin determines, in its sole discretion, that
it is impractical to ship the damaged equipment to Belkin Corporation, Belkin
may designate, in its sole discretion, an equipment repair facility to inspect
and estimate the cost to repair such equipment. The cost, if any, of shipping
the equipment to and from such repair facility and of such estimate shall be
borne solely by the purchaser. Damaged equipment must remain available
for inspection until the claim is finalized. Whenever claims are settled, Belkin
Corporation reserves the right to be subrogated under any existing insurance
policies the purchaser may have.

How state law relates to the warranty.

THIS WARRANTY CONTAINS THE SOLE WARRANTY OF BELKIN
CORPORATION, THERE ARE NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED
OR, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW, IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED
WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND SUCH IMPLIED WARRANTIES, IF ANY,
ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE TERM OF THIS WARRANTY.

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Information

Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so

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the above limitations may not apply to you.

IN NO EVENT SHALL BELKIN CORPORATION BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR MULTIPLE DAMAGES

2

SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST BUSINESS OR PROFITS ARISING OUT
OF THE SALE OR USE OF ANY BELKIN PRODUCT, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

3

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights,
which may vary from state to state. Some states do not allow the exclusion or
limitation of incidental, consequential, or other damages, so the above limitations
may not apply to you.

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