Cisco AIR-PCM342, Aironet 340 Series, Aironet 350 Series Hardware Installation Manual

Cisco Aironet Wireless L AN Adapters
Hardware Installation Guide

340 and 350 Series

Corporate Headquarters

Cisco Systems, Inc.
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134-1706
USA
http://www.cisco.com
Tel:

408 526-4000
800 553-NETS (6387)

Fax: [phone]

Customer Order Number:
Text Part Number: OL-0795-01

THE SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION REGARDING THE PRODUCTS IN THIS MANUAL ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT
NOTICE. ALL STATEMENTS, INFORMATION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS MANUAL ARE BELIEVED TO BE ACCURA TE BUT
ARE PRESENTED WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. USERS MUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THEIR APPLICATION OF ANY PRODUCTS.

THE SOFTWARE LICENSE AND LIMITED WARRANTY FOR THE ACCOMPANYING PRODUCT ARE SET FORTH IN THE
INFORMATION PACKET THAT SHIPPED WITH THE PRODUCT AND ARE INCORPORATED HEREIN BY THIS REFERENCE. IF YOU
ARE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOFTWARE LICENSE OR LIMITED WARRANTY, CONTACT YOUR CISCO REPRESENTATIVE FOR A
COPY.

The following information is for FCC compliance of Class A devices: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Clas s
A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance wi th the instruct ion manua l, m ay cause harmful inte rfe rence to radio co mmunica tion s. Ope ration of t his equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case users will be required to correct the interference at their own expense.

The following infor mation is f or FC C compli ance of Class B devices : The equi pme nt descr ibed i n this ma nual ge nerates a nd ma y radiate
radio-fre que ncy e nergy. If it is not inst all ed i n acco rda nc e wit h C isc o’s installa t ion inst ruc tions , it ma y cau se inte rference with radio and telev ision
reception. This equi pmen t has been tes ted a nd found to comply wit h th e limits for a Class B digital device i n accor dance with the specific ation s in
part 15 of the FCC rules. Thes e specifi cat ions are designed to provi de reason able pr otec tion agai nst su ch interf erenc e in a resid ential installation.
However, there is no guarantee that i nterfere nce wil l not occur in a par ticular i nstal lation.

Modifying the equipme nt witho ut Cisco’s written authori zation ma y resu lt in the equi pment no longer co mplyin g with FCC requirem ent s for C l ass
A or Class B digital devic es. In that ev ent, your r ight t o use the e quipme nt may be limit ed by FCC re gulat ions, and you may be required t o correct
any interference to radi o or televis ion co mmuni cat ions at your own exp ense .

You can determine whether your equipme nt is causi ng interfe rence by turni ng it off. If the in terfere nce s tops, it was proba bly caused by the Cisco
equipment or one of its peri pheral de vices. If the equipment causes interferenc e to radio or televi sion rec eption, try t o correct the interference by
using one or more of the fo llowing measure s:

• Turn the television or radio antenna until t he interf erenc e stops.

• Move the equipment to one si de or the other of the televis ion or ra dio.

• Move the equipment fa rther away fr om th e televisi on or radi o.

• Plug the equipment into an outlet th at is on a different circuit fro m the televi sion or radio. (That is, make cert ain the equipment and the television
or radio are on circuits cont rolled by di fferent c ircuit br eaker s or fuse s.)

Modifications to this product not authori zed by Ci sco Syst ems, Inc . could voi d the FC C app roval and ne gate you r author ity to ope r ate t he produc t .
The Cisco implementation of TCP header compression is an adaptation of a program developed by the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) as

part of UCB’s public domain version of the UNIX operating system. All rights reserved. Copyright © 1981, Regents of the University of California.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER WARRANTY HEREIN, ALL DOCUMENT FILES AND SOFTWARE OF THESE SUPPLIERS ARE

PROVIDED “A S I S” WITH AL L FAULTS. CISCO AND TH E A BOV E-N A MED S UPP LI ER S DISC L AIM AL L WARRANTIES , E XPR ESS ED
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
NONINFRING E M E N T OR A R I S IN G F R OM A COU R S E OF DEALIN G, USAGE, OR TRADE P R A C T IC E .

IN NO EVENT SHALL CISCO OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL
DAMAGES, INC LUDIN G , W I T H OU T L I M ITATION, LOS T PR O F I TS O R LOSS OR D AM AGE TO DATA ARISING O UT OF TH E U S E OR
INABILITY TO USE THIS MANUAL, EVEN IF CISCO OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.

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CiscoLink, the Cisco NetWorks logo, Cisco Pow ered N etwork lo go, Cisc o Syste ms Net workin g Academy, Fast Ste p, Fire Runne r, Follow Me
Browsing, FormShare, GigaStack, IGX, Intelligence in the Optical Core, Internet Quotient, IP/VC, iQ Breakthrough, iQ Expertise, iQ FastTrack, iQ
Logo, iQ Readiness Scorecard, Kernel Proxy, MGX, Natural Network Viewer, Network Registrar, the Networkers logo, Packet, PIX, Point a nd Cl ick
Internetworking, Polic y Builde r, Rate MU X, ReyMa ster, R eyView , Script Share , Secur e Script, S hop w ith Me, Sli deCast , SMARTn et, SVX,
TrafficDirector, TransPath, VlanDirector, Voice LAN, Wavelength Router, WebViewer, Workgroup Director, and Workgroup Stack are trademarks
of Cisco Systems, Inc.; Changing t he Way We Work, Live, P lay, a nd Learn , Empower ing the Int ernet Gener ati on, are serv ice marks of Cisco
Systems, Inc.; and Aironet, ASIST, BPX, Catalyst, Cisco, the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Logo, Cisco IOS, the Cisco IOS logo, Cisco Press,
Cisco Systems, Cisco S ystems Cap ital, t he Cis co Systems l ogo, Col lisi on Fre e, Enterpri se/S olver, E therCha nne l, EtherS witch, F astH ub, Fast Link,
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SwitchProbe, TeleRouter, and VCO are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries.

All other brands, names, or trade marks mentione d in this document or Web site are the prope rty of t heir respecti ve owne rs. The use of the word
partner does not imply a par tnershi p relat ions hip betwe en Cisco and any ot her company. (001 0R )

Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Ad apters Hardware Installation Guide

Copyright © 2001, Cisco S ystems, Inc.
All rights reserved .

Preface xi

CONTENTS

Audience

xii

Purpose xii
Organization xii
Conventions xiii
Related Publications xvi
Obtaining Documentation xvi

World Wide Web xvi
Docume ntat ion CD- ROM xvi
Ordering Documentation xvii

Obtaining Technical Assistance xvii

Cisco Connection Online xvii
Technical Assistance Center xviii
Docume ntat ion Feedb ac k xix

CHAPTER

1 Product Overview 1-1

Introduction to the Client Adapters 1-2

Terminology 1-3

Parts of the Client A dapter 1-3

Radio 1-3
Radio Antenna 1-4
LEDs 1-5

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Security Features of the Client Adapter 1-5

WEP Keys 1-5
EAP and LEAP 1-6

Network Configurations Using the Client Adapter 1-7

Ad Hoc Wireless LAN 1-8
Wireless Infrastructure with Workstations Accessing

a Wired LAN

1-9

Positioning Your Wireless Products 1-10

Site Survey 1-10
Link Test 1-11

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

2 Preparing for Installation 2-1

Safety information 2-2

FCC Safety Compliance Statement 2-2
Safety Guidelines 2-2
Warnings 2-3

Unpacking the Client Adapter 2-4

Package Contents 2-4
System Requirements 2-5
Site Requirements 2-6

3 Installing the Client Adapter 3-1

Inserting the Client Adapter into a Computing Device 3-2

Inserting a PC Card 3-2

Inserting a PCI Client Adapter 3-4

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Installing the Correct Driver 3-6

Installing the Driver for Windows 95 3-7

Windows 95 Version A 3-7

Windows 95 Version B 3-9
Installing the Driver for Windows 98 3-11
Installing the Driver for Windows NT 3-13
Installing the Driver for Windows 2000 3-14
Installing the Driver for Windows Millennium Edition (Me) 3-16
Installing the Driver for Windows CE 3-18

Determining Windows CE Version and Processor Type 3-18

Window s CE 2.11 3-19

Contents

CHAPTER

Window s CE 3.00 3-21
Installing the Driver for Linux 3-24
Installing the Driver for MacOS 9.x 3-27

Installing the Client Utilities and Enabling LEAP or EAP 3-30
Verifying Installation 3-33

4 Troubleshooting and Routine Procedures 4-1

Accessing the Latest Troubleshooting Information 4-2
Using the Indica tor LEDs 4-2
Problems after Installing the Driver 4-3

Client Adapter Recognition Problems 4-3
Missing Files in Windows CE 4-4
Resolving Resource Conflicts 4-4

Resolving Resource Conflicts in Windows 95, 98, and Me 4-5

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Resolving Resource Conflicts in Windows 2000 4-6

Resolving Resource Conflicts in Windows NT 4-7

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Problems Obtaining an IP Address in Windows CE 4-7
Problems Associating to the Access Point 4-8
Problems Authenticating to the Access Point 4-8
Problems Connecting to the Network 4-8
Removing th e Driver 4-9

Removing the 6.10 Driver 4-10

Removing the 6.10 Driver for Windows 95 and 98 4-10

Removing the 6.10 Driver for Windows NT 4-11

Removing the 6.10 Driver for Windows 2000 4-12
Removing a Driver Other Than the 6.10 Driver 4-13

Removing the Driver for Windows 95, 98, and Me 4-13

Removing the Driver for Windows NT 4-14

Removing the Driver for Windows 2000 4-15

Removing the Driver for Windows CE 2.11 4-16

Removing the Driver for Windows CE 3.00 4-16

Rem o v in g the Dri ver for Li nux 4-17

Removing the Driver for MacOS 9.x 4-17

Updating the Driver 4-18

Upgrading the Driver for Windows 95 and 98 4-19
Upgrading the Driver for Windows NT 4-19
Upgrading the Driver for Windows 2000 4-20
Upgrading the Driver for Windows Me 4-21
Upgrading the Driver for Windows CE 4-22

*.dll Files 4-22

*.cab Files 4-22
Upgrading the Driver for Linux 4-23
Upgrading the Driver for MacOS 9.x 4-23

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Removing the Client Adapter 4-24

Removing a PC Card 4-24
Removing a PCI Client Adapter 4-24

Uninstalling the Client Utilities and the Aironet Client Utility Setup Program 4-25

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

A Technical Specifications A-1

B Translated Safety Warnings B-1

Explosive Device Proximity Warning B-2
Warning for Laptop Users B-3

C Declarations of Conformity and Regulatory Information C-1

Manufacturers Federal Communication Commission Declaration of Conformity
Statement C-2

Department of Communications – Canada C-3

Canadian Compliance Statement C-3

European Community, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein C-4

Declaration of Conformity with Regard to the R&TTE Directive
1999/5/EC C-4

Declaration of Conformity for RF Exposure C-6
Guidelines for Operating Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters in Japan C-7

GLOSSARY

INDEX

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Japanese Translation C-7

English Translation C-8

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Preface

The preface provides an overview of the Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters
Hardware I nstallati on Guid e, refe re nc es rel ate d pub lic ati ons, and ex pl ain s how

to obtain other documentation and technical assistance, if necessary.
The following topics are covered in this section:

• Audience, page xii

• Purpose, page xii

• Organizatio n, pag e xii

• Conventions, page xiii

• Related Publications, page xvi

• Obtaining Documentation, page xvi

• Obtaini ng Technical A s si s tance, page xv ii

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Audience

Audience

Purpo s e

Preface

This p ublic ation is f or the pe r s on r e sponsi bl e f o r installing a n d m aintai ni ng a
Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapter, also referred to as a client adapter. The
installer should be familiar with computing devices and with network terms and
concep ts.

This pu bl ica tion de scr ib es the cli e nt ad ap ters, e xpla i ns ho w to i ns tal l th e a dapt ers
and th e client u tilities (w h ic h en ab le you to co n fi g ur e and vie w th e status of the
adapter), and offers troubleshooting information.

Organizatio n

This publication is organized into the following chapters:

• Chapte r 1, “Product Overview,” provides an introduction to the client

• Chapte r 2, “Preparing fo r Insta llation, ” provid es info rmation t hat yo u need to

• Chapte r 3, “Installing the Client Adapter,” provides ins truct i ons f or ins ert in g

• Chapte r 4, “Troubleshooting and Routine Procedures ,” pr ovides information

• Appendix A, “Technical Specifications,” lis ts t he phy sic al, ra dio, pow er , and

• Appendix B, “Translated S a fe ty Warnings,” provides translations of the

adapters, describes network configurations, and offers guidelines for
positioning equipment in a wireless network.

know befo re ins talli ng a client adapte r, suc h as safet y infor matio n and syst em
requ ireme nts.

a client ad ap ter as well as i nst all in g th e driver and the cli en t u t ilities.

for diagnosing and correcting common problems as well as procedures for
updating or removing the driver and uninstalling the client utilities.

regul ato r y s pe cif ications f o r th e client ad ap t er s .

client adap ters’ safety wa r ni ngs in nine la ng uages.

• Appendix C, “Declarations of Conformity and Regulatory Information,”

provid es co n fo r mit y an d re gu la to ry i nf o rm ati o n f o r th e client ad ap t er s.

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Preface

Conventions

This publication uses the following conventions to convey instructions and
information:

Note Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or

references to materials not contained in this manual.

Caution Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something

that could result in equipment damage or loss of data.

Conventions

• Commands and keywords are in boldface.

• Variables are in italics.

• Notes , cauti ons, and wa rn in g s u s e t he following c o nv e n tions a nd symbols:

Warnin g

Waarschuwing

This warning symbol means danger. You are in a situation that
could cause bodily injury. Bef ore you work on any equipment, be
aware of the hazards involved with electrical circuitry and be
familiar with standard practices for preventing accidents. T o see
translations of the warnings that appear in this publication, refer
to Appendix B, “Translated Safety Warnings.”

Dit waarschuwingssymbool betekent gevaar. U verkeert in een
situatie die lichamelijk letsel kan veroorzaken. Voordat u aan
enige apparatuur gaat werken, dient u zich bewust te zijn van de
bij elektrische schakelingen betrokken risico's en dient u op de
hoogte te zijn van standaard maatregelen om ongelukken te
voorkomen. Voor vertalingen van de waarschuwingen die in deze
publicatie verschijnen, kunt u het document Regulatory
Compliance and Safety Information (Informatie over naleving van
veiligheids- en andere voorschriften) raadplegen dat bij dit
toestel is ingesloten.

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Conventions

Preface

Varoitus

Attention

Warnung

Tämä varoitusmerkki merkitsee vaaraa. Olet tilanteessa, joka voi
johtaa ruumiinvammaan. Ennen kuin työskentelet minkään
laitteiston parissa, ota selvää sähkökytkentöihin liittyvistä
vaaroista ja tavanomaisista onnettomuuksien ehkäisykeinoista.
Tässä julkaisussa esiintyvien varoitusten käännökset löydät
laitteen mukana olevasta Regulatory Compliance and Safety
Information -kirjasesta (määräysten noudattaminen ja tietoa
turvallisuudesta).

Ce symbole d'avertissement indique un danger. Vous vous trouvez
dans une situation pouvant causer des blessures ou des
dommages corporels. Avant de travailler sur un équipement,
soyez conscient des dangers posés par les circuits électriques et
familiarisez-vous avec les procédures couramment utilisées pour
éviter les accidents. Pour prendre connais sance des traduct ions
d’avertissements figurant dans cette publication, consultez le
document Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information
(Conformité aux règlements et consignes de sécurit é) qui
accompagne cet appareil.

Dieses Warnsymbol bedeutet Gefahr. Sie bef inden s ich in einer
Situation, die zu einer Körperverletzung führen könnte. Bevor Sie
mit der Arbeit an irgendeinem Gerät beginnen, seien Sie sich der
mit elektrischen Stromkreisen verbundenen Gefahren und der
Standardpraktiken zur Vermeidung von Unfällen bewußt.
Übersetzungen der in dieser Veröffentlichung enthaltenen
Warnhinweise finden Sie im Dokument Regulatory Compliance
and Safety Information (Informationen zu behör dlichen
Vorschriften und Sicherheit), das zusammen mit diesem Gerät
geliefert wurde.

Avvertenza

Questo simbolo di avvertenza indica un pericolo. La s ituazione
potrebbe causare infortuni alle persone. Prima di lavorare su
qualsiasi apparecchiatura, occorre conoscere i pericoli relativi
ai circuiti elettrici ed essere al corrente del le pratiche st andard
per la prevenzione di incidenti. La traduzione delle avvertenze
riportate in questa pubblicazione si trova nel documento
Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information (Conformità alle
norme e informazioni sulla sicurezza) che accompagna questo
dispositivo.

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Preface

Conventions

Advarsel

Aviso

¡Advertencia!

Dette varselsymbolet betyr fare. Du befinner deg i en situasjon
som kan føre til personskade. Før du utfører arbeid på utstyr, må
du vare oppmerksom på de faremomentene som ele ktriske kretser
innebærer, samt gjøre deg kjent med vanlig praksis når det
gjelder å unngå ul ykker. Hvis du vil se oversettelser av de
advarslene som finnes i denne publikasjonen, kan du se i
dokumentet Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information
(Overholdelse av forskrifter og sikkerhetsinformasjon) som ble
levert med denne enheten.

Este símbolo de aviso indica perigo. Encontra-se numa situação
que lhe poderá causar danos físicos. Antes de começar a
trabalhar com qualquer equipamento, familiarize-se com os
perigos relacionados com circuitos eléctricos, e com quaisquer
práticas comuns que possam prevenir possíveis acidentes. Para
ver as traduções dos avisos que constam desta publicação,
consulte o documento Regulatory Compliance and Safety
Information (Informação de Segurança e Disposições
Reguladoras) que acompanha este dispositivo.

Este símbolo de aviso significa peligro. Existe ries go para su
integridad física. Antes de manipular cualquier equipo,
considerar los riesgos que entraña la corriente eléctrica y
familiarizarse con los procedimientos estándar de prevención de
accidentes. Para ver una traducción de las advertencias que
aparecen en esta publicación, consultar el documento titulado
Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information (Información sobre
seguridad y conformidad con las disposiciones reglamentarias)
que se acompaña con este dispositivo.

Varning!

Denna varningssymbol signalerar fara. Du befinner dig i en
situation som kan leda till personskada. Innan du ut för arbete på
någon utrustning måste du vara medveten om farorna med
elkretsar och känna till vanligt förfarande för att förebygga
skador. Se förklaringar av de varningar som förkommer i denna
publikation i dokumentet Regulatory Compliance and Safety
Information (Efterrätt else av f öreskrifter och
säkerhetsinformation), vilket medföljer denna anordning.

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Related Publications

Related Publ icati ons

For m or e in fo r m at io n ab out Cis co A ir on et Wir ele s s LA N A d ap ters and related
products, refer to the following publications:

• Quick Start Guide: Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters

• Cisco Aironet Wireless L AN A d ap ters So ft wa re C on fig ur at ion Gui de

• Release Notes for C isco A ironet Wireless LAN Adapters

• Quick St a r t G u id e: C is co Aironet Acce s s Points

• Cisco Ai rone t Access Point Ha rdware Ins t a lla tion Gu id e

• Cisco Aironet Access Point Software Configuration Guide

Preface

Obtaining Documentation

World Wide Web

You can access the most current Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at
http://www.cisco.com, http://www-china.cisco.com, or
http://www-europe.cisco.com.

Documen t ation CD- ROM

Other Ci s co d ocu mentatio n a nd ad d iti onal literat ure are avai lab le in a CD-ROM
package shipped separately from the Cisco Aironet Series Wireless LAN
Adapters CD that shipped with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM, a
member of the Cisco Connection Family, is updated monthly. To order copies of
the Documentation CD -RO M, conta ct your lo cal sales r ep r esen tative or c all
customer service. The CD-ROM package is available as a single package or as an
annual s u bsc ri p tio n .

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Preface

Order i ng D ocum entation

Registered users of Cisco’s web site, Cisco Connection Online (CCO), can order
Cisco product documentation through our online Subscription Services at
http:/ /w w w.cisco.com/cg i- b in/subcat/kaoju m p .cg i.

Nonregistered CCO users can order documentation through a local account
represent at iv e b y cal ling Cisc o’s corporate headquarters (California, USA) at
408 526-4000 or 800 553-NETS (6387) in North America.

Obtaining Technical Assistance

Cisco provides CCO as a starting point for all technical assistance. Warranty or
mainten an ce co nt ra ct cu s tom er s c an u s e t he Technical As sistance Cen te r. All
custom ers can subm it technical fee dback on Cisco documentation us ing the web,
e-mail, or a self-addressed stamped response card included in many printed docs
or by sending mail to Cisco.

Obtaining Technical Assistance

Cisco C onnection On l i ne

Cisco continues to revolutionize how business is done on the Internet. Cisco
Connection Online (CCO) is the foundation of a suite of interactive, networked
servic es th at pr ovi des i mmedi ate , ope n acc ess t o Cis co in for mat io n and re sour ces
at anyt ime , f r om anywher e in the wo r ld. This hig hl y in teg r at ed In t er ne t
application is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for doing business with Cisco.

CCO’s broad range of features and services helps customers and partners to
streamline business processes and improve productivity. Through CCO, you will
find infor m a t io n abou t C i sco an d our ne tw o rk ing so lu tions, servi c es , and
programs. In addition, you can resolve technical issues with online support
services, download and test software packages, and order Cisco learning materials
and merchandise. Valuable online skill assessment, training, and certification
program s ar e also availabl e.

Custome rs and pa rtne rs can self -regist er on CC O to obtai n additi onal
personalized information and services. Registered users may order products,
check o n th e status of an orde r, and v iew benefits sp ec if ic to their rela tionships
with C is c o.

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Obtaining Technical Assistance

You can acc es s C CO in the fo ll owing ways :

• WWW: www.cisco.com

• Telnet: cco.cisco.com

• Modem using standard connection rates and the following terminal settings:

VT100 emulation; 8 data bits; no parity; and 1 stop bit

–

From North America, call 408 526-8070

–

From Europe, call 33164464082

You can e-mail questions about using CCO to [e-mail].

Techni cal A ssi stance Cent er

The Cisco Technical As sistance Center (TAC) is available to warranty or
mainten an ce co nt ra ct cu sto m ers w h o ne ed te ch ni cal ass i sta nc e w it h a C isco
product that is under warranty or covered by a maintenance contract.

Preface

To dis p lay t he TAC w e b s i te th at includ es l in k s to te ch nical su pp o rt in f orm a tion
and software upgrades and for requesting TAC support, use
www.cisco.com/techsupport.

To contact by e-mail, use one of the following:

Language E-mail Addres s

English [e-mail]
Hanzi (Chinese) [e-mail]
Kanji ( Jap an ese) japan-t [e-mail]
Hangul (Korea n) korea-tac @ c isco.c o m
Spanish tac@ c isco .com
Thai thai-tac @ci sco .co m

In North America, TAC can be reached at 800 553-2447 or 408 526-7209. For
other telephone numbers and TAC e-mail addresses worldwide, consult the
follo w in g w e b site: h tt p://ww w.cisco.co m / w ar p/ public/6 87/Dir ect or y /
DirTAC.shtml.

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Preface

Document at i on Feedback

If you are readi ng Cisco pr odu ct docum ent atio n on t he World Wi de Web, you can
submit technic al commen ts electro ni cal ly. Click Feedba ck in the toolbar and
select Documentation. After you complete the form, click Submit to send it to
Cisco .

You can e-mail your comments to [e-mail].
T o sub mit you r comments by mai l, for you r conven ience many docum ents co ntain

a response card behind the front cover. Otherwise, you can mail your comments
to the fo ll o wi n g address :

Cisco Systems, Inc.
Docum en t R eso ur ce Connectio n
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134-9883

Obtaining Technical Assistance

We app re ci ate and va lu e y o ur c omments.

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Obtaining Technical Assistance

Preface

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CHAPTER

1

Product Overview

This chapter describes the Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters, also referred to
as client adapters, an d illustrates thei r ro le in a wirel e ss n et w or k .

The following topics are covered in this section:

• Introduction to the Client Adapters, page 1-2

• Parts of the Clien t A dapter, pa ge 1- 3

• Securit y Fe at ur es o f t he Cl ien t A da pt er, pa ge 1-5

• Network Configurations Using the Client Adapter, page 1-7

• Positioning Your Wireless Products, page 1-10

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Introduction to th e Client Adapter s

Introdu ction to the Clien t Adapter s

The Cisc o Ai ron et Wireless LAN Ada pter s, also re ferr ed t o as cl ient ada pter s, are
radio modules that provide transparent wireless data communications between
fixed, portable, or mobile devices and other wireless devices or a wired network
infras tructure. T he cl ien t adapters a re f ul ly co mp ati b le when us ed i n de vi ces
supporting Plug-and-Play (PnP) technology.

The pr im a ry f u nc tio n of th e cl ie nt adapte rs is to tran sfe r data pa ck ets
transp ar en tly t hr o ugh the wi r ele s s in f ra str u c tu re . T he ad ap ters oper at e s i mil a rly
to a standard network product except that the cable is replaced with a radio
connec ti on. N o s p eci al w ire l ess n et w ork in g fu n cti ons a re r eq ui re d, an d all
existin g ap pl ica tio n s th at o pe ra te ov er a n etw o r k w i ll op er at e u sing the ad ap ters .

This do cu men t covers t h re e t yp es o f cl ient adapters:

• PC card client adapter (also referred to as a PC card) –

A PCM CI A ca r d rad io modu le th at can b e i nserted i nto
any dev ice equippe d with an external Type II or Type III
PC card slot . Host de vice s can in cl ude l ap tops , note bo ok
computers, personal digital assistants, and hand-held or
portable devices.

Chapter1 Product Overview

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• LM card client adapter (also re ferr ed to as an LM car d )

– A PCMCIA card radio module that can be inserted into

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any device equipped with an inter na l Type II or Type III
PC card slot. Host devices usually include hand-held or

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portable devices.

• PCI client adap ter – A clie nt ad ap te r ca rd rad io mod ul e

that can be inserted into any device equipped with
an empty PCI expansion slot, such as a desktop
compu ter.

Refer to the “Radio Antenna” section on page 1-4 for antenna differences between
these ad ap ter s .

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Chapter 1 Product Overview

Terminology

Throughout this document, the following terms are used:

• client a d apt er – Re fe rs to all thre e t yp es of ad ap t e rs

• PC card, LM card, or PCI client ada pter – Refers to only a specific adapter

• workstation (or station) – Refers to a computing device with an installed

client adap ter

Parts of the Client Adapter

The client adapter is composed of three major parts: a radio, a radio antenna, and
two L E Ds .

Parts of the Client Adapter

Radio

The client adapter contains a direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) radio that
operates i n th e 2 .4 - G Hz li cen se -f r ee I n du st ri al S cientific M ed ica l ( I S M ) ba nd .
The radio transmits data over a half-duplex radio channel operating at up to 11
Mbps.

DSSS technology causes radio signals to be transmitted over a wide frequency
range, using multiple frequencies simul taneously. The benefi t of this technol ogy
is its a bi lit y to pro tec t the data transm iss i on f ro m interf er en ce. F or ex ample, if a
parti cular fre quency encounters noise or in terferenc e or both , enough redund anc y
is built into the signal on other frequencies that the client adapter usually will still
be successful in its transmission.

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Parts of the Client Adapte r

Radio Ant enna

Chapter1 Product Overview

The type of antenna used depends on your client adapter:

• PC cards have an integrated, permanently attached diversity antenna. The

benefit of the diversity antenna system is improved coverage. The system
works by allowing the card to switch and sample between its two antenna
ports i n orde r to s elect t he opt im u m port f or re ce i ving da t a p ackets . A s a
result, the card has a better chance of maintaining the radio frequency (RF)
connection in areas of interference. The antenna is housed within the section
of the card that hangs out of the PC card slot when the card is installed.

• LM cards are shipped without an antenna; however, an antenna can be

conne cted thr ough the card ’s external connector. If a snap-on antenna is used,
it should be operated in diversity mode. Otherwise, the antenna mode used
should correspond to the antenna port to which the antenna is connected.

• PCI client adap te rs ar e s h ip p ed w it h a 2 - dB i d i pole antenn a t ha t attaches t o

the adapter’s antenna connector. However, other types of antennas may be
used. PCI client adapters can be operated through the right antenna port on ly.

Note Refe r to the Ci sco Aironet Wireless LAN Ad apte rs So ftwa re

Configuration Guide for inf or mation o n settin g th e client ad ap ter’s

antenna mode.

Note External an ten n as u sed i n co m bin ati on w i th a p o w er set ti ng

resulting in a radiated power level above 100 mW equivalent
isotro pic r ad iated po wer ( EIR P ) are not all ow e d fo r us e w it hi n th e
Euro p ea n comm un it y and ot her co un tr ies tha t h a v e adop ted the
European R&TTE directive or the CEPT recommendation Rec 70.03
or both. For more details on legal com binatio ns of power levels and
antenna s i n th ose count ries , co nt act C is co C o rpo ra te Co m p li an ce.
See also the “Declaration of Con for mity wit h Rega rd to t he R& TTE
Directiv e 1 9 99/ 5/ EC” section on page C-4.

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Chapter 1 Product Overview

Security Features of the Client Adapter

LEDs

The client adap ter has tw o LEDs th at g lo w or b li n k to indi cate the s t atu s o f th e
adapter or to convey error messages. Refer to Chapter 4 for an interpretation of
the LED co d e s.

Securit y Features of the Clien t Adapter

The client adapter supports two principal security fe atures to protect y our data as
it is t ra nsmit t ed th rou gh y our wirel es s ne twor k: Wired Equivale nt Pri vacy (WEP )
keys and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) or LEAP (also referred to as
EAP - Cisco Wireless).

WEP Keys

Note Refe r to the Ci sco Aironet Wireless LAN Ad apte rs So ftwa re

WEP is an optional IEEE 802.11 feature that provides your client adapter and
other devices on yo ur wirel ess ne twork wi th dat a confi dentia lity e quiv alent to that
of a wired LAN. It in vol ves packe t-by -pa c ket da ta en cr yptio n by th e t rans mit ting
devi ce and de c r yp tion by the rec e i ving de v ice.

Each device within your wireless network is assigned up t o four enc r yption ke ys,
called W EP keys, th at encrypt data befo re it is tr an s mi tt ed . I f a de vi ce r eceives a
packet th at is n o t e nc ry p ted with the ap pr o priate key (a s th e WEP k ey s o f all
devices m u st match), t h e d ev ice disca rds t he p ack et an d n eve r de livers it to th e
intend ed r ece iv er.

For the cl ient adap ter , W E P i s impleme nt ed through the client utilit ies . I n
Windows and Linux operating systems, the Client Encryption Manager (CEM)
utility allows you to set WEP keys, and the Aironet Client Utility (ACU) is used
to enab le W EP. In the Ma cO S 9 .x opera tin g sy s tem , W EP keys ar e set and
enabled in one ut ility.

Configuration Guide for instructions on setting WEP keys and
enabli ng W EP for y our sp ecific oper ati n g sy s t em.

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Security Features of the Client Adapter

EAP and LEAP

EAP is an optional IEEE 802.1x security feature that is ideal for organizations
with a large user base and access to an EAP-enabled Remote Authentication
Dial-In U ser S e rv ic e ( R A DIU S) ser v er, suc h a s C is co Se cu re A CS 2.6. Th e
RADIU S ser v er u ses E AP to prov id e s e rv er-b ased au thentica tio n f or clients.

Server-based authe nt ic ati on c a n be en ab led f o r yo ur cl ie nt ad ap ter i n on e o f tw o
ways:

• Through a host device and code built into its operating system (referred to as

• Through your client adapter’s firmware and Cisco software (referred to as

Chapter1 Product Overview

EAP)

LEAP)

This m ethod pr o vi de s au th en ti cat ion servi ce to client adap ters who s e h o s t
devices are not running an operating system with built-in EAP support. The
term LEAP is used to distinguish authentication provided by the client
firmwar e f r om authen ti cat io n pr o vi de d by a ho st an d its operat in g s ys tem.

For Wi ndows 95, 98, NT, 2000, or Me or future Windows operating systems, the
Aironet Client U tility set up pr og r am , wh ich in s tal ls the client ut ilities, is used to
enable LEA P o r EA P. After LEAP o r EA P is en ab led a nd t he co mp ut er is
rebooted , th e client ad ap ter auth en ti cat es to the R A D IUS server us in g th e
username and password entered by the user at the network logon. See the
“Installing the Client Utilities and Enabling LEAP or EAP” section on page 3-30
for ins truc t io ns on usi ng the Air one t Cl ie nt Ut il it y s etup pro gram to ena ble L EAP
or E A P.

For Windows CE, Linux, and MacOS 9.x, LEAP is enabled through a particular
scree n in the cli ent util ities. The userna me and pas sword ent ered in t his scre en are
used by the client adapter to authenticate to the RADIUS server. In Windows CE,
you do not need to re-enter your username and password after your device is
reboot ed or your cl ient ad apte r is e jec ted. In Linu x an d MacOS 9. x, the use rna me
and password need to be re-entered at the start of each new session. See the Cisco
Aironet Wirel ess LAN Adapters Softwa re Configuration Guide for instructions on
enabli ng LEAP th r ou g h t he client utilit ies .

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Chapter 1 Product Overview

When you enable EAP on your Access Points and LEAP or EAP on your client
adapter , au th en tication to the n et w or k o ccu r s in t he f ol lo w in g seque nc e:

1. The client adapter uses the username and password to start the authentication

2. The Access Point communicates with the EAP-compliant RADIUS server to

3. If the userna m e an d p ass w o rd ar e v al id , t he RA D I U S s er v er an d th e client

4. The client and A cce s s P o in t u s e th e WEP k ey f or a ll data transmissi on s

Network Configurations Using the Client Adapter

process .

authenticate the u ser na m e a nd p ass w o rd.

adapter negotiate a dynamic, session-based WEP key. The key, which is
unique for the authenticated client, provides the client with secure network
access.

during the session.

Note Refer to t he IEEE 802. 1 1 Standard f or more info rmation on EAP and

to the fo ll o wi n g U RL for ad ditional inform ation o n RA D I U S
servers: http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/
software/ios120/12cgcr/secur_c/scprt2/scrad.htm.

Network Configurations U s ing the Client Adapter

The client adapter can be used in a variety of network configurations. In some
configurations, Access Points provide connections to your network or act as
repeater s to i nc re ase w i re less commu n ica tio n r an ge . Th e maxim um
communication range is based on how you configure your wireless network.

This section describes and illustrates the following common network
configu r ati ons :

• Ad ho c w i re less local area n et wo r k (LAN)

• Wireless inf ras truc ture with wor kstat ions access ing a wired LAN

Note For examples of more complex network configurations involving

client adapters and Access Points , refer to th e Cisco Aironet Access
Point Hardware Ins ta lla ti on Guid e .

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Network Configurati ons Using the Client Adapter

Note Refe r to the Ci sco Aironet Wireless LAN Ad apte rs So ftwa re

Configuration Guide for inf or mation o n settin g th e client ad ap ter’s
network mode.

Ad Hoc Wirel ess LAN

An ad hoc (o r peer -to-pee r) wireless LAN (see Fig ure 1-1) is the simp lest wirel ess
LAN config ura t ion. In a wi re les s LAN us ing an ad hoc net work confi gu rati on , al l
devices eq ui pp ed w i th a cli en t a dapter ca n be linked to g et her and com m un ic at e
directly w it h each o th er.

Figure 1-1 Ad Hoc Wireless LAN

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Chapter 1 Product Overview

Network Configurations Using the Client Adapter

Wireless Infrastructure with Workstations Accessing
a Wired LAN

A microcellular network can be create d by placing two or more Access Points on
a LAN. Fig u re 1-2 sh ows a mi cr oc ell u lar ne tw o rk wit h w o rks ta ti ons acc es si ng a
wired LAN through several Access Points.

This configuration is useful with portable or mobile stations because it allows
them to be directly connected to the wired network even while moving from one
microcell domain to another. This process is transparent, and the connection to the
file server or host is maintained without disruption. The mobile station stays
connected to an Access Point as long as it can. However, once the transfer of data
packets needs to b e retried o r b eacons are m issed, the station au to matically
searches for and associates to another Access Point. This process is referred to as
seamless roaming.

Figur e 1-2 Wireless Infrastructur e w ith Workstations Acces sing a Wired LAN

Access Point

(Root Unit)

Wired LAN

Access Point
(Root Unit)

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Positioning Your Wi reless Produ cts

Position ing Your Wir eless Produ cts

Deter mi ning the network location o f your wireless products can be infl uenced by
a number of factors. This section discusses those factor s and provides guideli nes
and tools for achieving optimum placement.

The site survey and link test tools provided with the client utilities can help you
to dete rmine the best pl ace m en t fo r A cce s s P o in ts a nd w o r kstations w ithin y ou r
wireless network. Refer to the Cisco A i rone t Wireless L AN Adap te rs Softwa re

Conf ig ur at ion Gu id e for informati on on using these to ols and to the Cisco Air one t
Acces s Poin t Hardwa re Instal latio n Gu ide f o r a dd itional infor mation on the

placemen t of A c ces s P o i nts .

Note The si te s urv ey and link t es t to ols are no t suppor te d in the L in u x

operatin g system.

Chapter1 Product Overview

Site Survey

Because of differen ce s in co mp o ne nt co n fi gur ati o n, pl ace m en t, an d ph y sica l
enviro nme nt, e very ne two rk appl i cat io n is a uniq ue inst all ati on. Befo re ins tall i ng
the sy ste m, you sh oul d pe rfo rm a si te s urve y to d et erm ine th e opt i mum util i zati on
of networking components and to maximize range, coverage, and network
performance.

Conside r t he fo ll owing ope rat ing and e nv ironm ent al c ond itio ns when perfo rm ing
a site survey:

• Data rates – Sensit ivity an d range ar e inverse ly prop ortiona l to data bit rate s.

The maximum radio range is achieved at the lowest workable data rate. A
decrease in r eceiver t hr esh o ld s en si tiv ity occu rs as t he r ad io d ata increa ses .

• Antenna type and placement – Prop er antenn a config ura tion is a critical

factor in maximizing radio range. As a general rule, range increases in
proportion to antenna height.

• Physical envir onment – Clear or open areas provide better radio range than

closed o r f il led areas. Al s o, th e l es s clu tt er ed th e work en vi r on men t, the
greate r th e r an ge.

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