Linksys Instant Wireless Series user guide

Instant Wire less®Se rie s

Use r Guide

Wireless-G

Notebook Adapter

Use this Guide to install the following:

WPC54G V2

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS
Specific ations are subjec t to change without notice. Copyright © 2003 Linksys, All Rights
Reserved. Instant Wireless, Linksys, and the Linksys logo are registered trademarks of
Linksys Group, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trad e­marks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and brand names are the proper­ty of their respective proprietors.

LIMITED WARRANTY
Linksys guarantees that every Instant Wireless®Wireless-G Notebook Adapter will be
free from physic al defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of pur­chase, when used within the limits set forth in the Spec ifications section of this User
Guide. If the product proves defec tive during this warranty period, call Linksys Tec hnical
Support in order to obtain a Return Authorization number. BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR
PROOF OF PURCHASE ON HAND WHEN CALLING. When returning a product, mark
the Return Authorization number clearly on the outsid e of the pac kage and include a
cop y of your original p roof of purchase. RETURN REQUESTS CANNOT BE PROCESSED
WITHOUT PROOF OF PURCHASE. All c ustomers located outside of the United States
of America and Canada shall be held resp onsible for shipping and handling charges.

IN NO EVENT SHALL LINKSYS'S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE PROD­UCT FROM DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAM­AGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, ITS ACCOMPANYING SOFT­WARE, OR ITS DOCUMENTATION. LINKSYS OFFERS NO REFUNDS FOR ITS PROD­UCTS. Linksys makes no warranty or representation, expressed , implied, or statutory,
with respec t to its products or the contents or use of this documentation and all ac com­panying software, and specifically disclaims its q uality, p erformance, merchantability, or
fitness for any particular purpose. Linksys reserves the rig ht to revise or update its prod­ucts, software, or doc umentation without obligation to notify any ind ividual or entity.
Please direct all inquiries to:

Linksys P.O. Box 18558, Irvine, CA 92623.

SAFETY AND REGULATORY NOTICES

FCC STATEMENT
The Instant Wireless®Wireless-G Notebook Adapter has been tested and found to com­ply with the specific ations for a Class B dig ital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is sub ject to the following two conditions:

(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) This devic e must acc ept any interferenc e received, including interference that may

cause undesired operation.

These limits are designed to provid e reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation. This equip ment generates, uses, and can rad iate radio fre­quenc y energy and, if not installed and used according to the instructions, may c ause
harmful interference to radio c ommunications. However, there is no guarantee that inter­ference will not occur in a p articular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which is found by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment or devices

• Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver's

• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technic ian for assistance

FCC Caution: Any chang e or modific ation to the product not expressly approved by
Linksys could void the user's authority to operate the device.

FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement
To comply with the FCC and ANSI C95.1 RF exposure limits, the antenna(s) for this
devic e must comply with the following:

• This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other
antenna or transmitter.

Canadian Department of Communic ations Industry Canada (IC) Notice
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003 and RSS-210.
Cet app areil numérique d e la classe B est c onforme à la norme NMB-003 et CNR-210
du Canad a.
"To prevent radio interference to the licensed service, this device is intended to b e oper­ated ind oors and away from windows to provide maximum shielding . Equip ment (or its
transmit antenna) that is installed outdoors is subject to lic ensing."
" Pour emp êcher que cet app areil cause du brouillage au service faisant l'ob jet d'une
licenc e, il doit être utilisé à l'intérieur et devrait être placé loin des fenêtres afin de fournir
un écran de blindage maximal. Si le matériel (ou son antenne d'émission) est installé à
l'extérieur, il doit faire l'objet d'une licence. "

EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY (EUROPE)
Linksys Group declares that the Instant Wireless®Series produc ts included in the Instant
Wireless®Series conform to the specifications listed below, following the provisions of the
European R&TTE directive 1999/5/EC, EMC d irective 89/336/EEC, and Low Voltage
directive 73/23/EEC:

For 11Mpbs, 2.4 GHz devices with 100 mW radios, the following standards were ap plied:

• ETS 300-826, 301 489-1 General EMC requirements for Radio equipment.

• EN 609 50 Safety

• ETS 300-328-2 Technical requirements for Radio eq uipment.

Caution: This equip ment is intended to be used in all EU and EFTA countries. Outdoor
use may be restricted to certain frequenc ies and/or may require a license for operation.
Contact local Authority for proced ure to follow.

Note: Combinations of power levels and antennas resulting in a radiated power level of
above 100 mW eq uivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) are considered as not c om­pliant with the above mentioned directive and are not allowed for use within the Europ ean
community and countries that have adopted the European R&TTE d irective 1999/5/EC
and/or the CEPT recommendation Rec 70.03.

For more details on legal combinations of power levels and antennas, contac t Linksys
Corporate Compliance.

• Linksys Group vakuuttaa täten että Instant Wireless®Wireless-G Notebook Adapter
tyypp inen laite on direktiivin 1999/5/EY, d irektiivin 89/336/EEC ja direktiivin
73/23/EEC oleellisten vaatimusten ja sitä koskevien näid en direktiivien muiden ehto­jen mukainen.

• Linksys Group déclare que la Instant Wireless®Wireless-G Notebook Adapter est
conforme aux conditions essentielles et aux disp ositions relatives à la directive
1999/5/EC, la directive 89/336/EEC, et à la d irective 73/23/EEC.

• Belgiq ue B L'utilisation en extérieur est autorisé sur le canal 11 (2462 MHz), 12 (2467
MHz), et 13 (2472 MHz). Dans le cas d'une utilisation privée, à l'extérieur d'un b âti­ment, au-dessus d'un espace pub lic, aucun enregistrement n'est néc essaire pour
une distance de moins d e 300m. Pour une distance supérieure à 300m un enreg­istrement auprès de l'IBPT est requise. Pour une utilisation publique à l'extérieur de
bâtiments, une licence d e l'IBPT est requise. Pour les enreg istrements et licences,
veuillez contacter l'IBPT.

• France F:

2.4 GHz Bande : les canaux 10, 11, 12, 13 (2457, 2462, 2467, et 2472 MHz respec­tivement) sont complétement libres d'utilisation en France (en utilisation intérieur).
Pour ce qui est des autres canaux, ils peuvent être soumis à autorisation selon le
dép artment. L'utilisation en extérieur est soumis à autorisation préalable et très
restreint.

2.4 GHz Band: only channels 10, 11, 12, 13 (2457, 2462, 2467, and 2472 MHz
respectively) may be used freely in France for indoor use. License required for out­door installations.

• Deutschland D: Anmeldung im Outdoor-Bereich notwending, ab er nicht genehmi­gung spflichtig. Bitte mit Händler die Vorg ehensweise abstimmen.

• Germany D: Lic ense required for outdoor installations. Chec k with reseller for proce­dure to follow.

• Italia I: E' necessaria la concessione ministeriale anche per l'uso interno. Verificare
con i rivenditori la procedura da seguire. L'uso per installazione in esterni non e' p er­messa.

• Italy I: License required for indoor use. Use with outdoor installations not allowed.

• The Netherlands NL Lic ense required for outdoor installations. Chec k with reseller for
procedure to follow.

• Nederlands NL Licentie verplicht voor g ebruik met buitenantennes. Neem contact op
met verkoper voor juiste proced ure.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 : I ntroduction 1

The Wireless-G Notebook Adapter 1
Features 1

Chapt er 2: P la nning Your Wireless Netw ork 2

Network Topology 2
Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode 2

Chapt er 3: G etting t o Know t he Wirele ss-G Notebook
Adapt er 4

The Adapter’s LEDs 4

Chapt er 4: S oftware I nstalla t ion and Configura tion
for Win dow s 98S E, M e, and 200 0 5

Overview 5
Setup Wizard Instructions for Windows 98SE, Me, and 2000 6

Chapt er 5: H a rdw a re I nst allat ion 10

Chapt er 6: Drive r I nstal la t ion an d Configura tion for
Window s X P 11

Overview 11
Driver Installation for Windows XP 11
Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration 13

Chapt er 7: U sing t he WLAN Monit or for Window s
98SE, M e , and 2000 15

Overview 15
Accessing the WLAN Monitor 15
Link Information 16
Site Survey 18
Profiles 20
Creating a New Profile 22

UG-WPC54G-112702NC BW

Instant Wireless®Series

Wireless-G Notebook Adapter

Chapter 1: Introduct ion

The W ireless-G N ot e book Ada pte r

Appe ndix A: Trouble shooting 28

Common Problems and Solutions 28
Frequently Asked Questions 29

Appe ndix B: Glossa ry 33

Appe ndix C: Spe c ific ations 3 8

Environmental 39

Appe ndix D: Warra nt y I nformat ion 40

Appe ndix E: Cont a c t I nformat ion 41

Wireless-G is the upcoming 54Mbps wireless networking standard that's
almost five times faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B (802.11b) prod­ucts found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the coun­try — but since they share the same 2.4GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices
can also work with existing 11Mbps Wireless-B equipment. The new Wireless­G Notebook Adapter from Linksys has both standards built in, so you can con­nect your notebook to existing 802.11b infrastructure, and also the new scream­ing fast Wireless-G networks. The included Setup Wizard will walk you
through configuring the adapter to your network's settings, step by step. Then
just slide it into your notebook's PC Card slot and enjoy network access with
your notebook computer, while retaining true mobility.

Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the
Internet, and share files and other resources such as printers and network stor­age with other computers on the network, wherever you wander. At home, you
can surf the web or use instant messaging to chat with friends while sitting out
on the patio.You'll also be able to connect with any of the growing number of
public wireless hotspots springing up in coffee shops, airport lounges, hotels
and convention centers. And as those hotspots upgrade to the new high-speed
Wireless-G standard, you'll be ready to take advantage of the increased
speeds.Get connected to current-standard 802.11b networks today, and be pre­pared for the future with the Wireless-G Notebook Adapter from Linksys.

Fe a t ures

• High-speed Wireless-G (draft 802.11g) networking for your notebook com­puter

• Data rates up to 54Mbps -- 5 times faster than Wireless-B (802.11b)

• Also interoperates with Wireless-B networks (at 11Mbps)

• Wireless security -- up to 128-bit WEP encryption

• Free Technical Support—24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, Toll-Free US
Calls

• 1-Year Limited Warranty

1

Instant Wireless®Series

Chapter 2: Planning You r

Wireless Netw ork

Netw ork Topology

A wireless local area network (WLAN) is exactly like a regular local area net­work (LAN), except that each computer in the WLAN uses a wireless device to
connect to the network. Computers in a WLAN share the same frequency
channel and SSID, which is an identif ication name for wireless devices.

Ad-Hoc versus In frastruct ure M ode

Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which
they may be set up: infrastructure and ad-hoc. An infrastructure configura-
tion is a WLAN and wired LAN communicating to each other through an
access point. An ad-hoc configuration is wireless-equipped computers com­municating directly with each other. Choosing between these two modes
depends on whether or not the wireless network needs to share data or periph­erals with a wired network or not.

If the computers on the
wireless network need to
be accessed by a wired
network or need to share a
peripheral, such as a print­er, with the wired network
computers, the wireless
network should be set up
in infrastructure mode.
(See Figure 2-1.) The
basis of infrastructure
mode centers around an
access point, which serves
as the main point of communications in a wireless network. Access points
transmit data to PCs equipped with wireless network cards, which can roam
within a certain radial range of the access point. Multiple access points can be
arranged to work in succession to extend the roaming range, and can be set up
to communicate with your Ethernet (wired) hardware as well.

Figure 2-1

Wireless-G Notebook Adapter

If the wireless network is relatively small and needs to share resources only
with the other computers on the wireless network, then the ad-hoc mode can
be used. (See Figure 2-2.) Ad-hoc mode allows computers equipped with wire­less transmitters and receivers to communicate directly with each other, elimi­nating the need for an access point. The drawback of this mode is that, in Ad­Hoc mode, wireless-equipped computers are not able to communicate with
computers on a wired network. And, of course, communication between the
wireless-equipped computers is limited by the distance and interference direct­ly between them.

Figure 2-2

32

Instant Wireless®Series

Wireless-G Notebook Adapter

Chapter 3: Gett ing to Know the

Wireless- GNotebook Adapter

The A da pte r’s LEDs

Figure 3-1

Power Green. The Power LED lights up when the Adapter is pow-

ered on.

Chapter 4: Sof tw are Installation

and Configuration for Window s

98SE, Me, and 2 000

Overview

The Wireless-G Notebook Adapter Setup Wizard will guide you through the
installation procedure for Windows 98SE, Me, and 2000. The Setup Wizard
will install the WLAN Monitor and driver, as well as configure the Adapter.

Important for Windows XP users: Do NOT run the Setup Wizard.
Proceed directly to “Chapter 5: Hardware Installation.”

Important for Windows 98SE, Me, and 2000 users: You must run
the Setup Wizard to install the software before installing the hardware.

Insert the Setup Wizard CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. The Setup
Wizard should run automatically, and Figure 4-1 should appear. If it does not,
click the Start button and choose Run. In the f ield that appears, enter

D:\setup.exe (if “D” is the letter of your CD-ROM drive).

Link Green. The Link LED lights up and stays solid when the

Adapter is inserted correctly and a link is established with
the Notebook. The LED flashes when there is no signal.

4

Figure 4-1

5

Instant Wireless®Series

Wireless-G Notebook Adapter

Se t up Wizard Inst ructions for Wind ow s 98 SE, Me, a nd 20 0 0

1. To install the Adapter, click the Install button on the Welcome screen,
Figure 4-1. Click User Guide to view the User Guide or click Exit to exit
the Setup Wizard.

2. After reading the License Agreement, click the Next button to continue the
installation, or click the Cancel button to end the installation.

3. The Setup Wizard will ask you to choose a wireless mode. Click the

Infrastructure Mode radio button if you want your wireless computers to
network with computers on your wired network using a wireless access
point. Click the Ad-Hoc Mode radio button if you want multiple wireless
computers to network directly with each other. Do not use the Ad-Hoc
mode if you want your wireless computers to communicate with computers
on your wired network.

In the SSID field, enter the SSID 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, or click the Back button to return to the
previous page.

Figure 4-2

Figure 4-3

6

7

Instant Wireless®Series

Wireless-G Notebook Adapter

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 from the
Channel drop-down menu. Then, select the Network Mode from the drop-
down menu. Click the Next button, and go to Step 4. 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, select the default channel (Channel 6).

Network Mode - Select Mixed Mode, and both Wireless-G and Wireless­B computers will be allowed on the network, but the speed will be reduced.
Select G-Only Mode for maximum speed, but no Wireless-B users will be
allowed on the network.

5. The Setup Wizard will ask you to review your settings before it starts to

copy files. Click the Next button to save these settings, or click the Back
button to change any settings.

Figure 4-5

6. After the files have been successfully copied, the screen in Figure 4-6 will

appear. Click the Exit button.

Figure 4-4

Figure 4-6

Proceed to “Chapter 5: Hardware Installation.”

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