Linksys HP200 User Manual
Model No.
HP200
User Guide
WIRELESS
GHz
802.11g
2,4
PC Card
Home Wireless-G
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Copyright and Trademarks
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Linksys is a registered trademark or trademark of Cisco
Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. Copyright © 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc . All
rights reserved. Other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
holders.
How to Use this User Guide
This user guide has been designed to make understanding networking with the Home Wireless-G PC Card easier
than ever. Look for the following items when reading this User Guide:
In addition to these symbols, there are definitions for technical terms that are presented like this:
Also, each figure (diagram, screenshot, or other image) is provided with a figure number and description, like
this:
Figure numbers and descriptions can also be found in the “List of Figures” section.
This exclamation point means there is a caution or warning and is
something that could damage your property or the PC Card.
word: definition.
This checkmark means there is a note of interest and is something you
should pay special attention to while using the PC Card.
This question mark provides you with a reminder about something
you might need to do while using the PC Card.
Figure 0-1: Sample Figure Description
HP200-UG-50322A JL
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Welcome 1
What’s in this User Guide? 1
Chapter 2: Planning your Wireless Network 3
Network Topology 3
Roaming 3
Network Layout 4
Chapter 3: Getting to Know the Home Wireless-G PC Card 5
The LED Indicators 5
Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card 6
Using the Setup Wizard 6
Chapter 5: Inserting the Home Wireless-G PC Card 11
Connecting the PC Card 11
Chapter 6: Using the Wireless Network Monitor 12
Using the Wireless Network Monitor Icon 12
Link Information 12
Site Survey 15
Profiles 16
Creating a New Profile 17
Appendix A: Troubleshooting 28
Common Problems and Solutions 28
Frequently Asked Questions 29
Appendix B: Wireless Security 32
Security Precautions 32
Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks 32
Appendix C: Windows Help 35
Appendix D: Glossary 36
Appendix E: Specifications 40
Appendix F: Warranty Information 41
Appendix G: Regulatory Information 42
Appendix H: Contact Information 48
Home Wireless-G PC Card
List of Figures
Figure 3-1: Front Panel 5
Figure 4-1: Setup Wizard’s Welcome Screen 6
Figure 4-2: Setup Wizard’s License Agreement 6
Figure 4-3: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Mode Screen 7
Figure 4-4: Setup Wizard’s Ad-Hoc Mode Settings Screen 7
Figure 4-5: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Security Screen 8
Figure 4-6: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Security - WEP Screen 8
Figure 4-7: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Security - WPA Personal Using TKIP Screen 9
Figure 4-8: Setup Wizard’s Check Settings Screen 9
Figure 4-9: Setup Wizard’s Congratulations Screen 10
Figure 5-1: Inserting the PC Card 11
Figure 6-1: Wireless Network Monitor Icon 12
Figure 6-2: Link Information 12
Figure 6-3: More Information - Wireless Network Status 13
Figure 6-4: More Information-Network Statistics 14
Figure 6-5: Site Survey 15
Figure 6-6: WEP Key Needed for Connection 15
Figure 6-7: PSK (Pre-Shared Key) Needed for Connection 15
Figure 6-8: Profiles 16
Figure 6-9: Import a Profile 16
Figure 6-10: Export a Profile 16
Figure 6-11: Create a New Profile 17
Figure 6-12: Enter Profile Name 17
Figure 6-13: Wireless Mode for New Profile 17
Figure 6-14: Ad-Hoc Mode Settings for New Profile 18
Figure 6-15: Network Settings for New Profile 18
Figure 6-16: Wireless Security for New Profile 19
Figure 6-17: Wireless Security - WEP for New Profile 19
Figure 6-18: Wireless Security - WPA Personal for New Profile 20
Figure 6-19: Wireless Security - WPA Personal Settings 20
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Figure 6-20: Wireless Security - WPA Enterprise for New Profile 21
Figure 6-21: Wireless Security - WPA Enterprise (Encryption) 21
Figure 6-22: Wireless Security - WPA Enterprise Using EAP-TLS Settings 22
Figure 6-23: Wireless Security - WPA Enterprise Using EAP-TTLS Settings 22
Figure 6-24: Wireless Security - WPA Enterprise Using EAP-PEAP Settings 23
Figure 6-25: Wireless Security - WPA Enterprise Using LEAP Settings 23
Figure 6-26: Wireless Security - RADIUS for New Profile 24
Figure 6-27: Wireless Security - RADIUS Using EAP-TLS Settings 24
Figure 6-28: Wireless Security - RADIUS Using EAP-TTLS Settings 25
Figure 6-29: Wireless Security - RADIUS Using EAP-PEAP Settings 25
Figure 6-30: Wireless Security - RADIUS Using LEAP Settings 26
Figure 6-31: Confirm New Settings for New Profile 26
Figure 6-32: Congratulations for New Profile 27
1
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
Thank you for choosing the Home Wireless-G PC Card. With this PC Card, your wireless networking experience
will be faster and easier than ever.
How does the PC Card do this? Like all wireless products, the PC Card allows for greater range and mobility
within your wireless network, whether it’s using the Wireless-G (802.11g) or Wireless-B (802.11b) standard.
But what does all of this mean?
Networks are useful tools for sharing computer resources. You can access one printer from different computers
and access data located on another computer's hard drive. Networks are even used for playing multiplayer video
games. So, networks are not only useful in homes and offices, they can also be fun.
PCs equipped with wireless cards and adapters can communicate without cumbersome cables. By sharing the
same wireless settings, within their transmission radius, they form a wireless network.
The included Setup Wizard walks you through configuring the PC Card to your wireless network settings, step by
step. Use the instructions in this Guide to help you set up and connect the PC Card using the Setup Wizard. These
instructions should be all you need to get the most out of the PC Card.
What’s in this User Guide?
This user guide covers the steps for setting up and using the Home Wireless-G PC Card.
• Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter describes the PC Card’s applications and this User Guide.
• Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network
This chapter discusses a few of the basics about wireless networking.
• Chapter 3: Getting to Know the Home Wireless-G PC Card
This chapter describes the physical features of the PC Card.
• Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card
This chapter instructs you on how to install the PC Card’s Setup Wizard and configure the PC Card.
802.11b: a wireless networking standard that
specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps
and an operating frequency of 2.4GHz.
adapter: a device that adds network functionality
to your PC.
network: a series of computers or devices
connected for the purpose of data sharing,
storage, and/or transmission between users.
802.11g: a wireless networking standard that
specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps
and an operating frequency of 2.4GHz.
2
Chapter 1: Introduction
What’s in this User Guide?
Home Wireless-G PC Card
• Chapter 5: Inserting the Home Wireless-G PC Card
This chapter shows you how to insert the PC Card into your PC.
• Chapter 6: Using the Wireless Network Monitor
This chapter show you how to use the PC Card’s Wireless Network Monitor.
• Appendix A: Troubleshooting
This appendix describes some potential problems and solutions, as well as frequently asked questions,
regarding installation and use of the PC Card.
• Appendix B: Wireless Security
This appendix discusses security issues regarding wireless networking and measures you can take to help
protect your wireless network.
• Appendix C: Windows Help
This appendix describes how you can use Windows Help for instructions about networking, such as installing
the TCP/IP protocol.
• Appendix D: Glossary
This appendix gives a brief glossary of terms frequently used in networking.
• Appendix E: Specifications
This appendix provides the PC Card’s technical specifications.
• Appendix F: Warranty Information
This appendix supplies the PC Card’s warranty information.
• Appendix G: Regulatory Information
This appendix supplies the PC Card’s regulatory information.
• Appendix H: Contact Information
This appendix provides contact information for a variety of Linksys resources, including Technical Support.
3
Chapter 2: Planning your Wireless Network
Network Topology
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Chapter 2: Planning your Wireless Network
Network Topology
A wireless network is a group of computers, each equipped with one wireless adapter. Computers in a wireless
network must be configured to share the same radio channel. Several PCs equipped with wireless cards or
adapters can communicate with one another to form an ad-hoc network.
Linksys wireless adapters also provide users access to a wired network when using an access point or wireless
router. An integrated wireless and wired network is called an infrastructure network. Each wireless PC in an
infrastructure network can talk to any computer in a wired network infrastructure via the access point or wireless
router.
An infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of a wireless PC to a wired network, and can double the
effective wireless transmission range for two wireless adapter PCs. Since an access point is able to forward data
within a network, the effective transmission range in an infrastructure network can be doubled.
Roaming
Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users. Roaming means that you can move your
wireless PC within your network and the access points will pick up the wireless PC's signal, provided that they
both share the same channel and SSID.
Choose a feasible radio channel and optimum access point position. Proper access point positioning combined
with a clear radio signal will greatly enhance performance.
infrastructure: a wireless network that is
bridged to a wired network via an access point.
ad-hoc: a group of wireless devices
communicating directly with each other (peerto-peer) without the use of an access point.
roaming: the ability to take a wireless device
from one access point's range to another without
losing the connection.
ssid: your wireless network's name.
topology: the physical layout of a network.
4
Chapter 2: Planning your Wireless Network
Network Layout
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Network Layout
Linksys wireless access points and wireless routers have been designed for use with 802.11b and 802.11g
products. Products using the 802.11g and 802.11b standards can communicate with each other.
Access points and wireless routers are compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g adapters, such as the notebook
adapters for your laptop computers, PCI adapters for your desktop PCs, and USB adapters for when you want to
enjoy USB connectivity. Wireless products will also communicate with a wireless print server.
When you wish to connect your wireless network to your wired network, network ports on access points and
wireless routers can be connected to any of Linksys's switches or routers.
With these, and many other, Linksys products, your networking options are limitless. Go to the Linksys website at
www.linksys.com/international for more information about wireless products.
5
Chapter 3: Getting to Know the Home Wireless-G PC Card
The LED Indicators
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Chapter 3: Getting to Know the Home Wireless-G PC Card
The LED Indicators
The PC Card's LEDs display information about network activity.
Power Green. The Power LED lights up when the PC Card is powered on.
Link Green. The Link LED lights up when the PC Card has an active connection.
Figure 3-1: Front Panel
6
Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card
Using the Setup Wizard
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card
The Home Wireless-G PC Card Setup Wizard will guide you through the installation procedure. The Setup Wizard
will install the driver and Wireless Network Monitor, as well as configure the PC Card.
Using the Setup Wizard
Insert the Setup Wizard CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. The Setup Wizard should run automatically, and the
Welcome screen should appear. If it does not, click the Start button and choose Run. In the field that appears,
enter D:\setup.exe (if “D” is the letter of your CD-ROM drive).
On the Welcome screen, you have the following choices:
Click Here to Start - Click the Click Here to Start button to begin the software installation process.
User Guide - Click the User Guide button to open the PDF file of this User Guide.
Exit - Click the Exit button to exit the Setup Wizard.
1. To install the PC Card, click the Click Here to Start button on the Welcome screen.
2. After reading the License Agreement, click the Next button if you agree, or click the Cancel button to end the
installation.
Figure 4-1: Setup Wizard’s Welcome Screen
Figure 4-2: Setup Wizard’s License Agreement
NOTE: You must run the Setup Wizard before inserting the PC Card
into your computer.
7
Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card
Using the Setup Wizard
Home Wireless-G PC Card
3. The Setup Wizard will ask you to choose a network mode. Click the Infrastructure Mode radio button if you
want to connect to a wireless router or access point. Click the Ad-Hoc Mode radio button if you want to
connect directly to another wireless device without using a wireless router or access point.
In the SSID field, enter the SSID or name of your wireless network. The SSID must be identical for all devices
in the network. The default setting is linksys (all lowercase). Click the Next button.
4. If you chose Infrastructure Mode, go to Step 5 now. If you chose Ad-Hoc Mode , select the correct operating
channel for your network. Then, select the Network Mode from the drop-down menu. Click the Next button,
and go to Step 5. Click the Back button to change any settings.
Channel - The channel you choose should match the channel set on the other devices in your wireless
network. If you are unsure about which channel to use, keep the default channel.
Network Mode - Select Mixed Mode if you want to allow Wireless-G and Wireless-B computers on the
network, even though network speeds will be reduced. For maximum speed, select G-Only Mode; however,
no Wireless-B users will be allowed on the network.
Figure 4-3: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Mode Screen
NOTE: Network SSIDs should be unique to your network and identical for all
devices within the network.
Figure 4-4: Setup Wizard’s Ad-Hoc Mode Settings Screen
8
Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card
Using the Setup Wizard
Home Wireless-G PC Card
5. If you don’t want to use encryption, select Disabled and then click the Next button to continue. Proceed to
Step 7.
Select the method of security you want to use: WEP or WPA Personal. WEP stands for Wired Equivalent
Privacy, and WPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access.
Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previous screen.
6. Proceed to the appropriate section for your security method: WEP or WPA Personal.
WEP
WEP - Select 64-bit or 128-bit encryption from the drop-down menu, and enter a passphrase or WEP key.
Passphrase - Enter a passphrase in the Passphrase field, so a WEP key is automatically generated. It is case-
sensitive and should not be longer than 16 alphanumeric characters. This passphrase must match the
passphrase of your other wireless network devices and is compatible with Linksys wireless products only. (If
you have any non-Linksys wireless products, enter the WEP key manually on those products.)
WEP Key - The WEP key you enter must match the WEP key of your wireless network. For 64-bit encryption,
enter exactly 10 hexadecimal characters. For 128-bit encryption, enter exactly 26 hexadecimal characters.
Valid hexadecimal characters are “0” to “9” and “A” to “F”.
Advanced Users
TX Key - The default transmit key number is 1. If your network’s access point or wireless router uses transmit
key number 2, 3, or 4, select the appropriate number from the TX Key drop-down box.
Authentication -The default is set to Auto, so it will auto-detect for Shared Key or Open System
authentication. For Shared Key authentication, both the sender and the recipient share a WEP key for
authentication. For Open System authentication, the sender and the recipient do not share a WEP key for
authentication. If you are not sure which authentication method to select, keep the default, Auto.
Click the Next button to continue. Click the Back button to return to the previous screen.
Figure 4-5: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Security Screen
Figure 4-6: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Security -
WEP Screen
encryption: encoding data transmitted in a network.
wep (wired equivalent privacy): a method of encrypting
network data transmitted on a wireless network for greater
security.
wpa (wi-fi protected access: a wireless security protocol
using TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) encryption,
which can be used in conjunction with a RADIUS server.
9
Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card
Using the Setup Wizard
Home Wireless-G PC Card
WPA Personal
WPA Personal offers two encryption methods, TKIP and AES, with dynamic encryption keys. Select the type of
algorithm, TKIP or AES, used for encryption. Then enter a Passphrase that is 8-63 characters in length.
Encryption - Select the type of algorithm you want to use, TKIP or AES, for the Encryption setting.
Passphrase - Enter a Passphrase, also called a Pre-Shared Key, of 8-63 characters in the Passphrase field.
The longer and more complex your Passphrase is, the more secure your network will be.
Click the Next button to continue. Click the Back button to return to the previous screen.
7. The Setup Wizard will ask you to review your settings before it starts to install files. Click the Next button if
you are satisfied with your settings, or click the Back button to change any settings.
Figure 4-7: Setup Wizard’s Wireless Security -
WPA Personal Using TKIP Screen
Figure 4-8: Setup Wizard’s Check Settings Screen
10
Chapter 4: Setting up the Home Wireless-G PC Card
Using the Setup Wizard
Home Wireless-G PC Card
8. After the software has been successfully installed, the Congratulations screen will appear. Click the Exit
button to exit the Setup Wizard, or click the Online Registration button to register the PC Card.
Proceed to “Chapter 5: Inserting the Home Wireless-G PC Card.”
Figure 4-9: Setup Wizard’s Congratulations Screen
11
Chapter 5: Inserting the Home Wireless-G PC Card
Connecting the PC Card
Home Wireless-G PC Card
Chapter 5: Inserting the Home Wireless-G PC Card
Connecting the PC Card
1. Power down your notebook PC.
2. Locate an available CardBus slot on your notebook PC.
3. With the connector pin end facing the CardBus slot and the label facing up, slide the PC Card into the CardBus
slot until it locks in place.
4. Restart your notebook PC. The Power LED should light up when the PC Card is installed correctly.
5. Windows will begin copying the driver files to your computer. If Windows asks you for the original Windows
CD-ROM, insert the CD-ROM, and direct Windows to its correct location (e.g., D:\).
The installation of the Home Wireless-G PC Card is complete.
If you want to check the link information, search for available wireless networks, or make additional
configuration changes, go to “Chapter 6: Using the Wireless Network Monitor.”
Figure 5-1: Inserting the PC Card
NOTE: You must run the Setup Wizard to install the software before installing the hardware.
Loading...