Compex WLU108AG-MC User Manual

WLU108AG-MC

User manual

All Rights Reserved This document contains information, which is protected by copyright. Reproduction, adaptation or translation without prior permission is prohibited, except as allowed under the copyright laws.

Trademark Information

Compex® is a registered trademark of Compex, Inc. Microsoft Windows and the Windows logo are the trademarks of Microsoft Corp. NetWare is the registered trademark of Novell Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Notice: Copyrights © 2007 by Compex, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction, adaptation, or translation without prior permission of Compex, Inc. is prohibited, except as allowed under the copyright laws. Manual Revision by Daniel Manual Number: U-0550-V1.4C, Version 1.4, May 2007

Disclaimer

Compex, Inc. provides this manual without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particul ar purpose. Compex, Inc. may make improvements and/or changes to the product and/or specifications of the product described in this manual, without pri or notice. Compex, Inc will not be liable for any technical inaccuracies or typographical errors found in thi s guide. Changes are periodically made to the information contained herein and will be incorporated into later versions of the manual. The i nformation contained is subject to change without prior notice.

Your Feedback

We value your feedback. If you find any errors in this user’s manual, or if you have suggestions on improving, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us at:

Fax: (65) 62809947 Email: feedback@compex.com.sg

FCC NOTICE

This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This device generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this device does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Connect the computer into an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected.

• Increase the separation between the computer and receiver.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technici an for help.

Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the gran tee of this device could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

FCC Compliance Statement: This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditio ns:

1. This device may not cause harmful i nterference, and

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Caution: Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation. RF exposure warning: The equipment complies with FCC RF exposure limits set

forth for an uncontrolled environment. The equipment must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmi tter.

Max. SAR Measurement (1g)

802.11b: 0.542 W/kg

802.11g: 0.540 W/kg

802.11a (5.2GHz): 1.205 W/kg

802.11a (5.8GHz): 1.314 W/kg

Outdoor operations in the 5.15-5.25GHz band is prohibited. This device has no Ad-hoc capability or peer-to-peer operations for 5250~5350 and 5470~5725 MHz.

IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g operation of this product in the U.S.A. i s firmware-limi ted to channels 1 through 11.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that these conditions can not be met (for example certain laptop configurations or co-l ocation with another transmi tter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID can not be used on the final product. In these circumstances, th e OEM integrator will be responsible for re-evaluati ng the end product (including the tra nsmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization.

Note: This device has the same WLAN behavior with all other WLAN devices because we design this device to be compliant to 802.11 specifications.

The fundamental access method of the IEEE802.11 MAC is CSMA/CA, that means when one station desiring to transmit sense the medium, if the medium is busy(i.e. some other station is transmitting) then the station will defer its transmission to a later time. I f the medium is sensed free then the station is allowed to transmit. The receiving station will check the CRC of the received packet and send an acknowledgement packet(ACK). Receipt of the ACK will indicate that no collisi on occurred. If the sender does not receive the ACK then it will retransmit the fragment until it gets acknowledged or thrown away after a given number of retransmissions

When WLAN device is in idle status, it is listening (RX), and it won’t send any packets.

In fault condition, or WLAN device is out of control, WLAN device self can not generate any packets, even beacon frames , so that WLAN device won’t send out unexpected frames to air and break FCC rules.

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

Compex, Inc. declares that the product: Product Name: Compex Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter Model No.: WLU108 conforms to the following Product Standards:

This device complies with the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (89/336/EEC) issued by the Commission of the European Community.

iii

Compliance with this directive implies conformity to the following European Norms (in brackets are the equivalent international standards.) Electromagnetic Interference (Conduction and Radiation): EN 55022 (CISPR 22)

EMC Standards:

FCC Part 15: Subpart B, Subpart C, Subpart E;

Low Voltage Directive:

EN 60 950-1: 2001.

Therefore, this product is in conformity with the following regional standards:

FCC Class B - following the provisions of FCC Part 15 directive;

Technical Support Information

The warranty information and registration form are found in the Quick Install Guide.

For technical support, you may contact Compex or its subsidiaries. For your convenience, you may also seek technical assi stance from the local di stributor, or from the authorized dealer/reseller that you have purchased this product from. For technical support by email, write to support@compex.com.sg.

Refer to the table below for the nearest Technical Support Centers:

Technical Support Centers

Contact the technical support center that services your location.

U.S.A., Canada, Latin America and South America

 Write

 Call

Fax

 Write

 Call

Fax

Internet access/ Website:

Compex, Inc. 840 Columbia Street, Suite B, Brea, CA92821, USA Tel:

+1 (714) 482-0333 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time)

Tel:

+1 (800) 279-8891 (Ext.122 Technical Support)

Fax:

+1 (714) 482-0332

Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and the rest of the World

Compex Systems Pte Ltd

135, Joo Seng Road #08-01, PM Industrial Building Singapore 368363 Tel:

(65) 6286-1805 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. local time)

Tel:

(65) 6286-2086 (Ext.199 Technical Support)

Fax:

(65) 6283-8337 E-mail: FTPsite:

http://www.cpx.com or http://www.compex.com.sg

support@compex.com.sg ftp.compex.com.sg

Table of Contents

About This Document

The product described in this document, Compex Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter, Compex WLU108 is a licensed product of Compex Systems Pte Ltd. This document contains instructions for installing, configuring and using Compex WLU108. It also gives an overvi ew of the key applications and the networking concepts with respect to the product.

This documentation is for both Network Administrators and the end user who possesses some basic knowledge in the networking structure and protocols.

It makes a few assumptions that the host compu ter has already been installed with TCP/IP and already up & running and accessing the Internet. Procedures for Windows 2000/XP operating systems are included in this document.

How to Use this Document

This document may become superseded, in which case you may fi nd its latest version at http://www.compex.com.sg

The document is written in such a way that you as a u ser will find it convenient to find specific information pertaini ng to the product. It comprises of chapters that explain in detail the installation and configuration of Compex WLU108.

Drivers & Utilities

This manual is written based on Drivers v ersion 1.5.0.102; Utility version 40.1.2.75

Table of Contents

Conventions

In this document, special conventions are used to help and present the information clearly. The Compex Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter is often referred to as Compex WLU108 in this document. Belo w is a list of conventions used throughout.

NOTE

This section will consist of important features or instructions

References on Menu Command, Push Button, Radio Button, LED and Label appear in Bold. For example, “Click on Ok.”

vii

Chapter 1 Product Overview

1.1 Introduction

The Wireless 108Mbps USB 2.0 Adapter delivers the performance and capabilities that every mobile user is looking for. Embedded with Atheros chipset, it boasts network robustness, stability and wider coverage for longrange connectivity. Despite its small size, the USB adapter is big on features; compatibility with wireless 802.11 networks ensures tha t you can be connected easily.

Bandwidth needs in the home are increasing rapidly with the introduction of new devices and services. As broadband infrastructure becomes common in homes, the demand for multimedia services such as video streaming or VoIP also increases.

Connecting to a wireless LAN without adequate security measures generally opens up your shared folders to any casual snoopers. To protect your pri vacy, the USB adapter is armed with many enhanced wireless security features such as WPA, IEEE 802.1x Authenticati on and 64/128/152-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) to ensure privacy for the heterogeneous mix of users withi n the same wireless LAN while maintaining full access to the establishment’s resources.

Chapter 1 Product Overview

1.2 Features and Benefits

• Compact and Mobile

The USB adapter is designed especially for the mobile generation. The casing is compact and sleek, and the antenna is built-in to further preserve the miniature footprint. Weighing just 20 gram s, the device is light enough to be carried around!

• Fast and Reliable Transmission

The USB adapter can deliver up to 108Mbps wireless throughput. At the same time, the USB adapter provides reliable wireless transmission to all wireless users with its auto rate fallback capability.

• USB powered and USB 2.0 fast transfer rate

Leveraging on the USB standard, the USB adapter is powered through its USB connection and requires no additional power adapter. USB 2.0 standard allows a significant improvement in transfer rate, of up to 40 times that of USB 1.1. You have access to the full 108Mbps transfer rate of Super-AG on USB 2.0. The small form factor of the USB adapter is conveni ently desi gned to fit exactl y into a USB port without blocking up neighboring USB ports.

Designed with a USB2.0 interface, the USB adapter can prov ide 40 times higher throughput when connected to the USB2.0 slot of your PC/notebook. It is also backwards compatible with USB1.1 though the throughput will then be limited to the 12Mbps of the USB1.1 standard.

• Easy Set up

Using your wireless USB adapter is quick and convenient with USB plug-and –play. The USB adapter is installed externall y so you do not have to open up your PC.

• Highly Secured Traffic

The USB adapter supports wireless security features such as 64/128/152-bit WEP and the stronger industry standard WPA and

802.1x authentication to ensure that your data r emains secure while in transit.

Chapter 2 Getting Started

This chapter outlines the basic requirement for any installation and configuration on the USB adapter.

2.1 Overall Setup Procedures

Here are some of the basic steps to guide you along:

1. Hardware Installation Please refer to Section 3.1 “Hardware Installation”.

2. Drivers and Utility Installation Please refer to Section 3.2 “Drivers and Utility Installation”.

3. Configure your USB adapter Please refer to Chapter 5 “The Atheros Utility Configuration”.

For Windows XP user, you can use the built-in utility – Wireless Zero Configuration to configure your USB adapter. Please refer to

Appendix III “Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration Utility”.

NOTE

It is advisable to activate EITHER one of the utilities: the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility OR the Atheros Utility.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

The USB adapter is a plug-and-play device. You can plug it into the USB slot of your PC/notebook for auto-detection.

3.1 Hardware Installation

1. Insert the USB adapter directly into the USB slot of your PC/notebook.

3.2 Drivers & Utility Installation

1. Insert the Product CD into your computer CD-ROM drive. Click on Utilities and the system will run the setup.exe automatically.

2. Click on Drivers & Utilities section and the system will run the

setup.exe automatically. Soon the Atheros Client Installation Program screen appears.

3. Next, the Atheros Client Installation Program screen appears. Click on the Next> button to proceed.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

4. When the Licens e Agreement screen appears, you are required to read and accept the agreement to continue. Click on the Next> button to proceed.

5. Select your preferred setup:

Install Client Utilities and Driver (Recommended) option

You are recommended to select this setup type. This option will install both the drivers and utility that support your USB adapter.

Install Driver Only option (For Windows XP user only)

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

Select this option if you are going to use the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility to configure your USB adapter. Note that only Windows XP comes with the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility.

Make Driver Installation Diskette(s)

Select this option if you wish to make a dupli cate copy of the dri vers and store in the diskette/s.

6. Click on the Next> butto n and follow the instructions stated on the screen.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

For Windows XP users

7. If you are using Windows XP as operating system, the following screen will appear. Read the notice carefully and click on the Next> button to proceed.

8. Select your choice of tool to assist you in configuring your USB adapter. Click on the Next> button to proceed.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

Atheros Client Utility (ACU) and Supplicant option

Select this option to install your USB adapter’s utility. (Recommended)

Third Party Supplicant option

Select this option if you decide to use Wireless Zero Configuration Utility to configure your wireless device. Installing this tool will only allow you to view the status of the connected wireless device/s through the USB adapter’s utility; configuration using the USB adapter’s utility will not be allowed.

Third Party Supplicant option (continued..)

If you have selected Third Party Supplicant configuration tool, a screen similar to that on the right will appear, prompting you to enable/disable the system tray icon.

9. Click on the checkbox besides Enable Atheros System Tray Utility and click on the Next> button to proceed.

10. The screen below appears to inform you that the driver will be automatically installed if you have already inserted your client adapter into the USB slot of your computer.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

Cancel the Found New Hardware Wizard if it appears and click on the OK button to begin the installation.

11. Click on the OK button to reboot your system and this will complete the installation.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

To confirm if the driver has been successful ly installed on your system,

1. Proceed to your desktop, right click on My Computer and select Properties.

2. Select the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

The folder name, Atheros USB 2.0 Wireless Network Adapter will appear in the Network Adapters section. This indicates that the driver for the USB adapter has been successfully installed on your system!

To activate the utility program, double click on the icon shown in the system tray.

If you have double-click on the utility option, the following screen will appear to give you a glimpse of your connection status . To exit i t, click on the OK button.

Chapter 3 Wireless Adapter Installation

To use the Atheros Client Utility, go to the Start Menu followed by Programs. Then select Atheros. From Atheros, s elect Atheros Client Utility.

You may now start to configure your USB adapter.

Chapter 4 Using the System Tray Utility

This chapter will elaborate on the Atheros system tray utility found at the right bottom corner of your screen. Right click on the utility icon and th e menu will appear.

The following explains the different opti ons available on the menu:

Help

Open the online help.

Exit

Exit the Atheros Client Utili ty application. Once you exit, the i con will disappear from the system tray.

Open Atheros Client Utility…

Launch the Client Utility.

Different signal strength indications

Chapter 4 Using the System Tray Utility

Preferences

This option allows you to set the startup and menu options for the utility. You can deci de whether the program should start automatically when Windows starts, and which menu items should appear on the pop up menu.

Disable/Enable Radio

If you are unable to detect the RF signal, disable and enable the radio again. Once the radio is enabled, the system will prompt you that the RF signals hav e been successfully enabled.

Click on the OK button to proceed.

Chapter 4 Using the System Tray Utility

(

Manual LEAP Login

If you select this option, you will have to m anually start the LEA P authentication process to login to the network instead of being prompted for your LEAP username and password during your windows logon.

Optional) Enter the

domain name that you wish to logon to.

Reauthenticate

Reauthenticate to a LEAP-configured access point each time you login to a LEAP network.

Select Profile

Click on a configuration profile name to switch to a particular wireless network. If no configuration profil e exists, you will need to add a profile first.

Chapter 4 Using the System Tray Utility

Connection Status

To view the connection status of your wireless USB adapter. Alternatively, you may also double click on the utility icon in the system tray.

Active Profile Displays the name of the active configurati on profile. Auto Profile Selection Shows whether auto profile selection is enabled. Connection Status Displays whether the adapter is connected to a

wireless network.

Link Quality States the quality of the link connection. SSID Displays the SSID of the network to which the wireless

adapter is associated.

Access Point Name Shows the name of the access point the wirel ess

adapter is connected to (if any).

Access Point IP Address Shows the IP address of the access point the wireless

adapter is connected to (if any).

Link Speed States the speed of the link connection. Client Adapter IP Address Displays the IP address of the wireless adapter.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

This chapter shows you how to make use of the util ity to view the status of your wireless connection; to change your settings and also to monitor your wireless performance via the statistics.

NOTE

It is advisable to activate only one of the utilities: Either the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility OR the Atheros Utility.

5.1 Current Status Tab

Displays the performance of the USB adapter in the wireless network.

Upon clicking on the Advanced button, you will be able to view all information on the respective profile, e.g. the types of encryption and authentication, the signal strength, the MAC address of the conn ected AP (if you are in Infrastructure mode), etc.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

5.2 Profile Management Tab

This option allows you to manage your profile, set your security options, and scan for other wireless networks.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

Click on New button to create a new profile. Enter the profi le name (a unique name to identify thi s profile), a client name and the SSID of the wireless network to connect to . Note that the Client name refers to the name that is registered to your PC/notebook. You can enter up to 3 different SSIDs in order of preference, per profi l e. We are using ABC as the profile name and APP as the SSID1.

For details on ho to set the different authentication and encryption types available unde the Security Tab, kindly refer to

Chapter 7 “Types of Authentication and Encryption mode”

Click on the OK button to update the changes. Notice that ABC has been added

to the profile list.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

To modify an existing profile, select the profile that you wish to modify and click on this button. We are using profile: Any as an example.

To delete an existing profile, select the particular profile that you wish to delete and click on this button. We are using profile: default as an example.

Note that the active profile (the profile that you are currently using) cannot be deleted!

Active profile

indicated by this

icon cannot be

deleted!

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

To activate a profile, select the profi le and click on this button. We are using profile: wireless-AP as an example.

Once a profile is activated, this icon will appear next to the profile name: wireless-AP.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

This function allows you to save the settings of your profile onto disk. Select the profile that you wish to sav e and click on this button. We are using profile: ESSID as an example.

Choose the folder to save to, enter the name under which to save the profile and click on the Save button.

Now, your profile is saved to your selected folder.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

This function allows you to retrieve a saved profile from disk. We are using profile: ESSID as an example.

Go to the folder where you have saved your profile, select ESSID.prf and click on the Open button.

Notice that the profile: ESSID has been imported to the list of profiles.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

This function allows you to scan for wireless networks detected by the adapter.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

The icons shown beside the Network Name (SSID) indicate the type of WLAN detected.

Connected to Infrastructure (AP)

Encryption Active

Notice that if there is a icon appearing in the Super column, this shows that the wireless network supports Super-AG technology (108Mbps ).

Click on the Refresh button to renew the list of wireless networks detected. Click on the OK button to exit the window.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

If you have created several profil es, this function allows you to establish the priority order in which the USB adapter should try to connect to a WLAN. If the USB adapter is unable to connec t to the 1 try to connect to the 2nd profile and so on.

When auto profile selection is enabled, the USB adapter scans for available wireless networks and will connect to the highest priority profile that matches the networks detected.

To do so, simply click on the Add button from the Available Profiles list. Refer to the screen shown below.

Please note that you need AT LEAST TWO profiles to activate the Auto Select Profiles function; and that each of your profile must connect to at least one Network Name (SSID).

Notice that if this functi on is disabled, this means that you have not added any profile in the Auto Selected Profiles list.

profile, it will then

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

Notice that when a selected profile has been added, i t will be transferre d to the Auto Selected Profiles list.

Select and click on the Add button to transfer another profile.

You need to transfer at least two profiles to the Auto Selected Profiles list to activate the Auto Select Profile function.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

5.2.1 Security Tab

Please refer to Chapter 7 “Types of Authentication and Encryption mode”

5.2.2 Advanced Tab

This option allows you to configure the more advanced connection settings of your wireless client.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

Only applicable to Infrastructure mode. You may key in the MAC address of at most fou access points to which you would prefer to connect.

Transmit Power Level

Specifies the wireless transmit power to be used. Reducing the power level lowers the risk of interference with other nearby wireless devices and conserves battery power but decreases radio range.

Power Save Mode (Only applicable to Infrastructure mode)

This feature reduces power consumption by the USB adapter to extend the battery life of your notebook. There are 3 options for this mode:

• Off

The power management is disabled and the card consumes full power from the computer.

• Normal

The driver turns off the power to the adapter for brief periods over briefly spaced time intervals.

• Maximum

The driver turns off power to the adapter for longer periods over more widely spaced time intervals.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

The guideline for choosing between the Normal and Maximum options: The USB adapter wakes up more often and responds sooner to network requests in Normal mode than in Maximum mode; and the

Maximum mode consumes less power than Normal mode.

Network Type

Select either Infrastructure if you are connecti ng to the WLAN using an access point or Ad-hoc if you are connecting directly to another computer equipped with a wireless adapter.

802.11b Preamble

The preamble is part of the IEEE 802.11 b physical layer specification. It is mandatory for all 802.11b devices to support the long preamble format, but they may optionally support the short preamble. This USB adapter supports both the short and long preambles.

• Short & Long

This option allows communication with other 802.11b devices that support short preamble to boost the throughput.

• Long

If your device is having trouble to communicate with other 802 .11b devices, you may try to select the Long Only option.

Wireless Mode

Specifies 5GHz 54 Mbps, 2.4 GHz 54 Mbps, 2.4 GHz 11 Mbps, or Super A/G operation in a wireless network where there is an access point.

The wireless adapter must match the wireless mode of the access point i t associates to.

802.11 Authentication Mode (Only applicable to Infrastructure mode,

after you have enabled the encryption mode)

Select which mode the wireless adapter uses to authenticate to an access point:

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

• Auto

Causes the adapter to attempt authentication using shared authentication. It then switches to open authentication if shared authentication fails.

• Open

Enables an adapter to attempt authentication regardless of its WEP settings. It will only associate with the access poi nt if the WEP key of the adapter matches that of the access point.

• Shared only

Allows the adapter to authenticate and associate only with access points that have the same WEP key.

Note:

The USB adapter’s authenticati on mode setting s must match those of the AP it is trying to connect to for successful com munication.

5.3 Diagnostics Tab

The Diagnostics tab lists the following receive and transmit di agnostics for packets received by or transmitted to the USB adapter.

• Multicast packets transmitted and received

• Broadcast packets transmitted and received

• Unicast packets transmitted and received

• Total bytes transmitted and received

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

This button contains general information about the network interface card (the wireless USB adapter) and the network driver interface specification (NDIS).

Card Name The name of the USB adapter MAC Address The MAC address of the USB adapter Driver The driver name and path of the USB adapter’s driver Driver version The version of the USB adapter’s driver Driver date The creation date of the USB adapter’s driver Client Name The name of the client computer

This button shows more detailed statis tical informati on on frames that are either received by or transmi tted to the USB adapter.

Chapter 5 Wireless Adapter Utility Features

Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration

This chapter will elaborate on the Client Manager configuration of the USB adapter using some simple examples.

6.1 Infrastructure Mode In infrastructure architecture, the wireless clients communicate through

access points that are devices that act as base station for all wireless communication. Data packets from the wireless clients are transferr ed to the access points before being tran smitted to other hosts on the network. The number of wireless clients supported depends on the access points.

Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration

6.1.1 Configuration on Infrastructure Mode

In this example, two notebooks and PC2 act as wireless clients to communicate with the wireless AP. Once all configuration has been done, wireless clients with the same SSID as the A P will be able to access wirelessly to PC1 via the wireless AP.

For AP

Ensure that you have enabled the DHC P server in your access point and that your wireless clients are set to receive their IP address dynamical ly so that the wireless AP can assign an IP address to its wireless clients. Note the wireless configuration settings of your access point as shown in the figure above.

Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration

For PC 2

1. Activate your USB adapter’ s utility.

2. Go to the Profile Management tab, click on the Scan button to look

for the wireless AP.

3. Click on the Refresh button if your system is unable to detect your

wireless AP. Once found, select the Network Name (SSID) used by the AP: Wireless-AP and click on the Activate button to add it to your profile list.

Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration

Notice that the SSID has already been pre-config ured in this profile. The SSID of both the wireless AP and the wireless client must be the same

for them to communicate with one another.

4. Enter the Profile Name, e.g. Workstation 2 for easy identification.

5. Next, proceed to the Security tab. The wireless client must use the

same security mode as the AP. In our example, select WPA Passphrase and click on the Configure… button.

Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration

6. Enter the encryption key in the field provided. Please note that thi s

key must be the same as the one that you had configured for your access point.

7. Click on the OK button to update the changes.

Proceed to your Current Status tab to monitor the connecti on between the access point and the wireless client (PC2).

Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration

Alternatively, you can also check the connection from the MS-DOS Prompt. From PC2, simply proceed to the Start Menu, Run… and type in cmd. Click on the OK button.

In the MS-DOS Prompt window, type ping 192.168.168.1 –t , whereby this IP address belongs to your access point.

When the screen appears: Pinging 192.168.168.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128 Pinging 192.168.168.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128 Pinging 192.168.168.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128 …….

This indicates that the connection between the access point and the wireless client has been established successfully! You can no w access to one another wirelessly!

Chapter 6 Wireless Adapter Utility Configuration

For the rest of the workstations

Refer to the steps for configuring PC2. If your other wireless clients are not using the USB adapter , you may refer

to the manual of these other adapters for details on Ad-hoc configuration.

For details on other authenti cation and encryption types, kindly refer to Chapter 7 “Types of Authentication and Encryption mode”

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

This chapter illustrates the di fferent types of authenti cation and encryption tha t can be used in the wireless LAN.

7.1 Infrastructure Network Security

Extensible Authentication Protoc ol (EAP) is used to authenticate network clients before letting them access the enterprise network. It allows the network administrator to create an arbitrary authentication scheme (such as EAP-TLS, etc) to validate network access.

7.1.1 EAP-TLS

Extensible Authentication Protoc ol-Transport Layer Security (EAPTLS) makes use of client-side and server-side certificates for mutual authentication.

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

1. You can select WPA radio button

802.1x radio button (802.1x enables 802.1x security.

If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to Optional while the wireless adapter has WEP enabled, ensure that Allow Association to Mixed Cells is checked to allow association.

Note that this opti on i s av ai labl e onl y i n 802.1 and Pre-Shared Key (Static WEP).

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

2. Choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure… button.

NOTE

To enable this security, you must ensure that your PC/notebook has already downloaded its EAP-TLS certificates. Check with your system administrator for details.

3. If your system does not support EAP-TLS, the following message will pop up:

7.1.2 EAP-TTLS

If EAP-TLS is supported, select the appropriate certificate authority from the list. The server/domain name and the login name are filled in automatically from the certificate information.

4. Click on the OK button twice to activate the profile.

EAP-TTLS (Tunnel Transport Layer Security) authentication is an extension to EAP-TLS. It uses certificates and EAP-TLS to authenticate the server only and establish an encrypted tunnel . Then within that tunnel, the client authenticates to the server using either a username and password or a token card.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

To use EAP-TTLS security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. You can select WPA radio button

802.1x radio button

2. Choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure… button.

3. Select the appropriate certification authority (CA) from which the server certificate will be downloaded from the Trusted Root Certification Authorities drop-down list.

4. The EAP username is pre-defined in the User Name field. IF not, specify your username (which is registered with the

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

server) for EAP authentication. Enter your password in both the Password and Confirm Password fields.

5. Click on the Advanced… button.

6. Leave the specification server/domain field blank to allow the client to accept a certificate from any server that supplies a certificate signed by the CA listed previ ously. The login name is pre-defined in the Login name field.

7. Click the OK button.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

7.1.3 PEAP (EAP-GTC)

The PEAP (EAP-Generic Token Card) method is intended for use with Token Cards supporting challenge /response authentication and MUST NOT be used to provide support for clear text passwords in the absence of a protected tunnel with server authentication.

To use PEAP-GTC security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. You can select WPA radio button

802.1x radio button

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

2. Choose PEAP-GTC from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure… button.

NOTE

To enable this security, you must ensure that your PC/notebook has already downloaded WPA-PEAP certificates; and the server properties must already be set. Check with your system administrator for details.

3. Select the appropriate certi ficate authority (CA) from which the server certificate is downloaded from the drop-down list.

4. Enter your PEAP username (which is register ed with the serv er) in the User Name field.

5. Specify whether yo u are using a Token or a Static Password. Click on the Advanced button.

Note that the Token can take the form of hardware token device or the Secure Computing SofToken Program (version

1.3 or later) to obtain and enter a one-time password for authentication.

6. Leave the specification server/domain field blank to allow the client to accept a certificate from any server that supplies a certificate signed by the CA listed previousl y.

7. The l ogin name will be pre-defined in the field provided . This login name is used for PEAP tunnel authentication. It will be filled in automatically as PEAP-xxxxxxxxxxxx, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is the computer’s MAC address. You may

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

change the login name if needed. Cli ck on the OK button to save your settings.

7.1.4 PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2)

Microsoft-Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol V2 (MSCHAP V2) is a mutual authentication protocol that requires both the client and server’s identiti es to be proven. If your connec tion is configured to use MS-CHAP V2 as its only authentication method, and the server that you are connecting to does not provide proof of its identity, your connection disconnects.

To use PEAP-MSCHAP V2 security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. You can select WPA radio button

802.1x radio button

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

2. Choose PEAP (MS-CHAPV2) from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure… button.

NOTE

3. Enter your PEAP username and password (which are registered with the server) in the User Name and Password field respectively. Re-type the password in the Confirm Password field.

4. Click on the Advanced button.

5. Leave the specification server/domain field blank to allow the client to accept a certificate from any server that supplies a certificate signed by the CA listed previousl y.

6. Click the OK button to enable the profile.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

7.1.5 LEAP

Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol (LEAP) security

requires all infrastructure devices (e.g. access poi nts and servers) to be configured for LEAP authentication.

To use LEAP security, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. You can select WPA radio button

802.1x radio button

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

2. Choose LEAP from the drop-down menu and click on the Configure… button.

3. You may set your username and password to:

- Use Temporary User Name and Password

Each time your PC reboots, you will be require to enter your LEAP username and password in order to be authenticated and obtain access to the network.

- Use Saved User Name and Password.

Authentication is obtained using a saved username and password (registered with the server) so you will not be require to enter your LEAP username and password each time your PC reboots.

Temporary User Name and Password

1. The login page will pop up as shown below. Fill up the respective fields and cli c k on the OK button twic e.

Next, the system will start the LEAP authentication.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

Saved User Name and Password

1. Enter the username, password and re-enter password in Confirm Password field. (Optional) You may enter a specific domain name, which will be passed to the server.

2. Enter the LEA P authentication timeout (between 30 and 500 seconds) to specify how long LEAP should wait before considering an authentication as failed, and sending an error message. The default is 90 seconds.

3. Click on the OK button.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

Check the Include Windows Lo with User Name option

to automatically send your Windows lo domain to your user name to the RADIUS server. (Default)

Check the No Networ

Connection Unless Use Is Logged In option to

force the wireless adapter to disassociate after you log off.

on Domain

ether with

7.1.6 WPA Passphrase

WPA Passphrase is also known as WPA-PSK (Pre-shared Key). It provides strong encryption protection for home/SOHO users who do not use an enterprise authentication server.

1. Click on the WPA Passphrase radio button and click on the Configure… button.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

2. Enter the password and click on the OK button.

Note:

The WPA Passphrase must match that used by the AP/other wireless clients in the network.

7.1.7 Pre-shared Key (Static WEP)

Wired Equivalent Privacy is a security protocol that allows the

wireless client adapter to comm unicate ONLY with ac cess points or other wireless clients that have the same WEP key.

WEP Key is categorized into two types: Hexadecimal and ASCII. Hexadecimal values consist a to f and numbers 0 to 9 whereas ASCII valu es consist of alphanumeric characters a to z; 0 to 9.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

To define pre-shared encryption keys,

1. Choose the Pre-shared Key (Static WEP) radio button and click the Configure… button to fill i n the encryption key.

Note that this opti on i s av ai labl e onl y i n 802.1 and Pre-Shared Key (Static WEP).

2. Enter your WEP key and click on the OK button.

Chapter 7 Types of Authentication and Encryption mode

WEP Key size

- 64-bit WEP: 10 hexadecimal or 5 ASCII Text

- 128-bit WEP: 26 hexadecimal or 13 ASCII Text

- 152-bit WEP: 13 hexadecimal or 16 ASCII Text

Appendix I Remove USB Adapter from the System

To safely remove your USB adapter from your system,

1. From the system tray, go to Safely Remove Hardware icon and click Safely Remove Hardware.

2. Select Atheros USB 2.0 Wireless Network Adapter and click on the Stop button to terminate all activities.

Appendix I Remove USB Adapter from the System

3. Next, select Atheros USB 2.0 Wireless Network Adapter to confirm you will be removing it from the USB port and click on the OK button.

4. The system will then inform you that the device can now be safely removed from the system.

5. Click on the Close button to exit this window.

Appendix II Un-install Wireless Adapter

Please note that in case there is a software upgrade for the wireless adapter, you will need to un-install the current softwar e version before installing the ne w software.

When you un-install the USB adapter’s software, any existing profiles will be removed. If you want to re-use your profiles, please refer to Section 5.2 Profile Management Tab for further details on how to export a profile to disk. You are advised to close all programs and to leave the USB adapter in the USB slot of your PC/notebook before un-installing your USB adapter.

1. From your Start menu, go to Settings, Control Panel and then cli ck on the Add or Remove Programs icon.

2. Highlight the Atheros Client Installation Program and click on the Change/Remove button.

Appendix II Un-install Wireless Adapter

3. Wait until you see the Atheros Client Installation Program screen. Select Uninstall the previous installation. Then click on the Next> button to

proceed.

4. The prompt scree n appears to notify you that the uninstall option requi res the system to be rebooted at the end of the uninstall process. Click on the Yes button to proceed.

5. Your system will prompt you to confirm whether you want to remove th e application completely. Click OK to proceed.

Appendix II Un-install Wireless Adapter

6. You will be asked to decide whether to remove the device driver or not. Click on the Yes button to accept.

7. The uninstall process will then begin. Soon the pro mpt screen will appear informing you that the uninstal l process is successful, and that your system needs to be rebooted.

8. Click OK to reboot the system.

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

The USB adapter supports WPA and WPA-PSK mode in Windows 2000/XP. WPA is a specification of standards-based, interoperable security

enhancement that strongly increases the l evel of data protection (encryption) and access control (authentication) in your wireless network. The technical components of WPA include Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) for dynamic key exchange, and 802.1x for authentication.

WPA requires a RADIUS Server to complete the au thentication among wireless stations and Access Points. Typically, this mode is used in an enterprise environment. WPA-PSK does not require a RADI US Server and is very conv enient for home/SOHO users. In this chapter, we will explain how to apply for a certificate in order to access to a wireless network usi ng WPA mode.

NOTE

For Windows XP users with Service Pack 1 (SP1), you need to upgrade to SP2, available from the Microsoft website or to install the two patch files provided in the Product CD.

Overall procedures to apply certificate for WPA mode

• Install Windows XP Service Pack 2

• Apply certification via Internet Browser

• Become domain member

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

AIII.I Installing Window XP Service Pack Patch File (For Windows XP

users)

To check whether you have already installed Windows XP SP2, go to My

Computer, right click and select Properties.

If you are using the Windows XP SP1 and do not intend to upgrade to SP2, you will need to install the two patch files provided in the Product CD.

1. After ensuring that you have installed Windows XP SP1, insert your Product CD into your CD-ROM drive, go to Drivers & Utilities section, select to install WindowsXP- Q815485_WXP_SP2_x86_ENU.exe followed by WindowsXP-KB826942-x86-ENU.exe.

You may need to restart your PC to complete the installation.

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

AIII.2 Installing certificate on your server

If you are using Microsoft Certificates services,

1. Click on the Install this certificate link in the window to start the installation.

Chapter 8 Click on the Yes button on the pop up window to

continue with the installation.

Chapter 9 To add the certificate to the Root Store, click on the

Yes button.

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

Chapter 10 The following window will appear showing that the

certificate has been successfully installed into your PC.

AIII.3 Applying for Client Certifications

If you have installed Microsoft SP2 or Microsoft XP SP1 with the 2 patch files provided on the Product CD, you are now ready to apply for a certificate for your wireless client.

At this stage, ensure that your wireless client has conn ectivity to the CA server. You should disable your key encryption.

1. Open your Internet browser; enter e.g. http://192.168.88.26/certsrv where 192.168.88.26 is the server’s IP address.

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

Chapter 11 Next, you need to

connect to your server in order to get a certification. Enter the username and password that are provided by your system administrator.

Chapter 12 Once you get connected to your server, the

following screen shot will appear. Select the

Request a certificate radio button and click on the Next> button. Follow the instructions shown on the

screen.

The screen below will appear to indicate that a certificate has been successfully issued to your PC.

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

Chapter 13 To confirm whether you have

received your certificate, go to your web browser and select Internet Options… from your Tools pull down menu.

Chapter 14 Go to the Content tab and click on the

Certificates… button. Notice that your username is in the listing. This shows that the certificate has been issued to you.

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

AIII.4 Becoming a domain member

Next, you need to add your username in the domain so that you can communicate with the access point connected to your server.

1. From the My Computer icon on your desktop, right click and go to Properties.

Chapter 15 Go to the Computer Name tab

and select Change… button as shown in the screen on the right.

Chapter 16 From the Member of section, select the Domain:

radio button and enter the name of your domain. In

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

this example, we are using test as the domain name.

Chapter 17 Next, you need to enter your username and

password again for verification. Please note that your system administrator provides this information.

Chapter 18 Click on the OK button to proceed.

Appendix III Certificate Application for WPA mode

Chapter 19 When done, a message will appear as shown below.

You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Appendix IV Wireless Zero Configuration Utility

If your computer is running under the Windows XP operati ng system, you can opt to configure the Wireless Network Connection from your Windows XP operating system, instead of the Atheros Utility. You need to exit from the Atheros Utility before accessing to Windows XP’s Wireless Zero Configuration Utility.

AIV.1 Enable Wireless Zero Configuration Utility

To set Wireless Zero Configuration on Windows XP, take the following steps:

1. From the system tray, right cli ck on the Wireless Network icon and select View Available Wireless Networks option.

2. Click on the Change advanced settings option on the left-hand column.

Appendix IV Wireless Zero Configuration Utility

Chapter 20 Select the check box Use Windows to configure my

wireless network settings to activate Wireless Zero Configuration Utility.

When this check box is selected, Windows XP takes control of these settings for all configuration profiles:

- SSID

- Security Keys

- Ad-hoc settings

Appendix IV Wireless Zero Configuration Utility

When the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility is in use, a pop-up message is displayed on the Utility when you attempt to create or edit a configuration profile from the Profile Management tab of the utility.

CAUTION

If you activate BOTH (not recommended) the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility and the Atheros Utility simultaneously, the Profile setting configured by the Atheros Uti lity will be overridden by those of the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility.

AIV.2 Disable Wireless Zero Configuration Utility

To turn Wireless Zero Configuration Utility off on Windows XP,

1. Open the Wireless Zero Configuration Properties dialog box.

Chapter 21 Clear the check box Use Windows to configure my

wireless network settings.

Chapter 22 When this check box is cleared, all profile settings

will be controlled by the USB adapter’s utility.

Appendix V Panel Views and Descriptions

Components Indications & Descriptions

1 Power Green Indicates that power is being supplied

to the USB adapter.

2 USB Connector Connect this end to the USB port of your

PC/notebook.

3 MC Connector

(Version MC)

4 Hook As a strap holder to prevent the USB adapter form

Connect the testing line to the MC connector.

being lost or carelessly dropped.

Appendix VI Technical Specifications

Network Protocol, Standards and Electrical Emissions

Industry Standards • IEEE 802.11b/g

• IEEE 802.11b/g/A (Version AG)

• USB 2.0

Performance

Frequency Band

IEEE 802.11g: IEEE 802.11b:

IEEE 802.11a (Version AG):

Data Rates (with automatic fallback)

Modulation • BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying)

Radio Technology • DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum)

Drivers/Operating system Supported

Media Access Protocol Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision

RF Output Power

2.400 ~ 2.4835GHz (US, Canada)

5.15-5.35GHz;5.725-5.85GHz

108Mbps, 54Mbps, 48Mbps, 36Mbps, 24Mbps, 18Mbps, 12Mbps, 11Mbps, 9Mbps, 6Mbps,

5.5Mbps, 2Mbps, 1Mbps

• QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying)

• CCK (Complementary Code Keying)

• 16 QAM, 64 QAM (Quadrature Amplitude

Modulation)

• OFDM(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing)

Windows XP/2000

Avoidance (CSMA/CA)

15 dBm (typical)

Appendix VI Technical Specifications

Receiver Sensitivity -95 dBm at 1Mbps (typical)

-92 dBm at 6Mbps (typical)

-90 dBm at 11Mbps (typical)

-73 dBm at 54Mbps (typical)

Host Interface USB 2.0

Security • 64/128/152-bit WEP encryption

• IEEE 802.1x supports – EAP-TLS,EAP- TTLS, PEAP-GTC, PEAP_MSCHAP V2, LEAP

• WPA, WPA-PSK

Physical and Environment

Environmental Requirements

Operating temperature:

Storage temperature:

Operating humidity:

Non-operating humidity:

Power Consumption 5V DC, 500mA max

Physical Dimensions 87mm x 26.6mm x 7.7mm

0°C to 55°C

-20°C to 70°C

10% to 70% RH 5% to 90% RH

Compex WLU108AG-MC User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual