Dynabook PA3171WL User Manual

About Toshiba Wireless Solution 1

Wireless LAN Network Scenarios

The Wireless LAN Card Kit enables you to:

n Connect your computer to a Peer-to-Peer workgroup of wireless computing devices.
n Connect your computer to a Local Area Network (LAN) Infrastructure that includes

Wireless LAN Access Points, or other IEEE802.11 compliant LAN systems.

n Expand the capabilities of your Wireless LAN Access Points, to support wireless

devices that have been equipped with Wireless LAN Card.

NOTE:
The internal Wireless LAN Card can’t be used with the Toshiba Wireless LAN PC Card.

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Peer-to-Peer Workgroup

The Peer-to-Peer workgroup configuration enables you to quickly set up a small wireless
workgroup, where the workgroup participants can exchange files using features like “Files
and Printer Sharing” as supported by Microsoft Networking.

Figure 1-1 Peer-to-Peer Wireless Workgroup

You can use this option to setup a temporary or ad -hoc network in environments where no
access points are available (for example in Small Office/Home Office (SOHO)
environments).
As long as the stations are within range of one another, this is the easiest and least
expensive way to set up a wireless network.

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Enterprise Networking

Figure 1-2 Stand Alone Wireless LAN

With the Wireless LAN Access Points you can connect to a corporate Local Area Network
(LAN) infrastructure to have wireless access to all network facilities. LAN Infrastructures
may either be.

n Stand-alone wireless LANs as pictures in Figure 1-2
n Wireless network infrastructures connected to an existing Ethernet network as pictured

in Figure 1-3.

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Figure 1-3 LAN Infrastructure

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It’s Easy

The Wireless LAN Card functions like any standard wired Ethernet card, but Wireless LAN
does not need any wires!
Where an Ethernet card requires a cable connection to a hub and/or patch panel, the cable
physically ties you down to the location of the wired connection.

Wireless LAN allows you connect your computer to a Local Area Network (LAN) system
from anywhere wi thin the wireless coverage area. Expanding or re-designing your network
is easy: Add or relocate Wireless LAN Access Points, power-up your (new) Wireless LAN
computers, and you’re done!

Unlike Ethernet, Wireless LAN will enable you to roam throughout the network while
remaining connected to the LAN.

NOTE:

The Wireless LAN Card is a radio product. Refer to the flyer “Information to the User” for
regulatory information that may apply in your country.

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Wireless LAN Card Features

Toshiba Wireless LAN mini-PCI Card is a wireless network card that fits into Mini PCI
TypeIIIA.

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Wireless LAN Card Types

The Wireless LAN Card is a wireless network card that complies with the IEEE 802.11
standard on wireless LANs (Revision B). The Wireless LAN Card supports data rates up to
11 Mbit/s.

n Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) certified by the Wireless Ethernet

Compatibility Alliance (WECA). This means that your Wireless
hardware will communicate with other vendors’ IEEE 802.11
compliant wireless LAN product.

n Fully compatible with any other wireless LAN system based on Direct Sequence

Spread Spectrum (DSSS) radio technology that complies with the “IEEE 802.11
standard on wireless LANs (Revision B).

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Wireless LAN Cards

The Wireless LAN Card supports the following wireless LAN features:
n Automatic Transmit Rate Select mechanism in the transmit range of 11, 5.5, 2 and 1

Mbit/s.

n Frequency Channel Selection (2.4GHz).
n Roaming over multiple channels.
n Card Power Management.
n Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption, based on the 128 bit RC4 encryption

algorithm.

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Finding Information

This document was designed to give you a brief introduction about the Wireless LAN Card.

In this document you will find the most important information to get your Wireless LAN
network up and running, with a minimum set of parameters.

Alternatively you can consult the on-line help documentation for the Wireless LAN drivers
and/or tools by:

n Clicking the [Help] button on your screen, or
n Pressing the [F1] function key on your keyboard.

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Basic Settings for Enterprise Networks

If you wish to connect to an Enterprise Network, use the Add/Edit Configuration Profile
window to:

n Click the start button from the Windows task bar.
n Click on Settings, and then on Control Panel.
n In the Control Panel window, double-click the Wireless Network icon.
n Select to connect to an Access Point.
n Set the correct Network Name.

Figure 1-4 Edit Configuration window

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