Linksys WPC11 Owner's Manual

Instant WirelessTMSeries

Network PC Card

& PCI Adapter

User Guide

Use this Guide to install the following:

WPC11 & WDT11

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS
Copyright © 2001 Linksys, All Rights Reserved. Instant Wireless™ is a registered trade­mark of Linksys. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and brand names are the property of their
respective proprietors.

LIMITED WARRANTY
Linksys guarantees that every Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card and PCI Adapter is
free from physical defects in material and workmanship under normal use for one year
from the date of purchase. If these products prove defective during this warranty period,
call Linksys Customer Support in order to obtain a Return Authorization Number. BE
SURE TO HAVE YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE AND A BARCODE FROM THE PROD­UCT'S PACKAGING ON HAND WHEN CALLING. RETURN REQUESTS CANNOT BE
PROCESSED WITHOUT PROOF OF PURCHASE. When returning a product, mark the
Return Authorization Number clearly on the outside of the package and include your
original proof of purchase. All customers located outside of the United States of America
and Canada shall be held responsible for shipping and handling charges.

IN NO EVENT SHALL LINKSYS’ 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 DOES NOT OFFER REFUNDS FOR ANY
PRODUCT. Linksys makes no warranty or representation, expressed, implied, or statuto­ry, with respect to its products or the contents or use of this documentation and all
accompanying software, and specifically disclaims its quality, performance, mer­chantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Linksys reserves the right to revise or
update its products, software, or documentation without obligation to notify any individ­ual or entity. Please direct all inquiries to:

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

These products have been tested and comply with the specifications 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
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used according to 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 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 device

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

• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for assistance
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement

This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth
for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated
with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator and your body.

UG-WDT11&WPC11-010508A AC

Network PC Card and PCI Adapter

Troubleshooting 73

Common Problems and Solutions 73
Frequently Asked Questions 74

Appendix 78

Specifications for the Network PC Card 78
Specifications for the PCI Adapter 78
Environmental Information for the Network PC Card 79
Environmental Information for the PCI Adapter 79
Warranty Information 80
Contact Information 81

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

The Instant WirelessTMWireless Network PC Card and PCI Adapter 1
Features 1
Package Contents for the Network PC Card 2
System Requirements for the Network PC Card 2
Package Contents for the PCI Adapter 3
System Requirements for the PCI Adapter 3

Planning Y our Wireless Network 4

Network Topology 4
Roaming 4

Installing the PCI Adapter and Network PC Card in Your Desktop PC 5

Installing the PCI Adapter 5
Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows 95 6
Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows 98 9
Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows ME 12
Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows NT 14
Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows 2000 25

Installing the Network PCCard in Your Notebook PC 28

Installing the Network PC Card Into Your Notebook PC 28
Installing the Drivers for Windows 95 28
Installing the Drivers for Windows 98 31
Installing the Drivers for Windows ME 34
Setting Up the Network PC Card for Windows NT 36
Setting Up the Network PC Card for Windows 2000 47

Configuring the Network PC Card 50

Configuring the Network PC Card for Windows 95, 98, and ME 50
Configuring the Network PC Card for Windows NT 55
Configuring the Network PC Card for Windows 2000 62

Installing Network Protocols 64

Installing Network Protocols for Windows 95, 98, and ME 64

Configuration Utility 66

Installing the Configuration Utility 66
Configuring the Network PC Card with the Configuration Utility 69

Instant WirelessTMSeries

Instant WirelessTMSeries

Introduction

Put the “mobile” back into mobile computing with the Linksys Instant
Wireless ™ Network PC Card and PCI Adapter! Whether you’re at your desk
or in the boardroom, the Linksys Instant W ireless™ Network PC Card and PCI
Adapter allow you to share printers, files, and more anywhere within your wire­less LAN infrastructure, increasing your productivity and keeping you “in
touch.”

The Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card and PCI Adapter gives you the free­dom to work yourway, from where you want, letting you take full advantage of
your notebook PC’s portability , w hile providing you with access to all your net­work resources. A high-powered built-in diversity antenna means that you’re
covered—at a distance of up to 457 meters. Compatible with Windows 95, 98,
ME, NT 4.0 and 2000, the Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card and PCI
Adapter from Linksys are true necessities for all your wireless PC applications.

• 11 Mbps High-Speed Transfer Rate

• Interoperable with IEEE 802.11b (DSSS) 2.4GHz-compliant Equipment

• Plug-and-Play Operation Provides Easy Setup

• Utilizes Intersil HFA3841/HFA3842 chip sets

• Advanced Power Management Features Conserve Valuable Notebook PC
Battery Life

• Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Compatible to Prevent Lost Connections

• Rugged Metal Design with Integrated Antenna

• Compatible with Windows 95, 98, Millennium, NT 4.0 and 2000

• Works with All Standard Internet Applications

• Capable of up to 128-Bit WEP Encryption

• Free Technical Support—24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week

• Full 1-Year War ranty

1

Features

The Instant WirelessTMNetwork PC Card and PCI Adapter

Network PC Card and PCI Adapter

• One Instant WirelessTMNetwork PC Card

• One Driver and Utility CD-ROM

• User Guide and Registration Card

• A 16-bit PCMCIA Type II or Type III slot

• PCMCIA revisions 2.10 compliant card and socket services

• Windows 95, 98, Millennium, NT 4.0 or 2000

• 500 Kbytes of free disk space for utility and driver installation

2

Package Contents for the Network PC Card

System Requirements for the Network PC Card

4

Instant WirelessTMSeries

Pac

• One Instant WirelessTMPCI Adapter

• User Guide and Registration Card

• One Driver CD-ROM

• Pentium 90 or Faster

• Minimum 16MB of RAM

• PCI Local Bus 2.1 compliant

3

Network PC Card and PCI Adapter

Planning Your Wireless Network

Network Topology

A wireless LAN is exactly like a regular LAN , e xcept that each computer in the
LAN uses an Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card to connect to the network
using no wires. Computers in a wireless LAN must be configured to share the
same radio channel.

The Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card provides access to a wired LAN for
wireless workstations. An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an
Infrastructure conf iguration. A group of Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card
users and an Access Point compose a Basic Service Set (BSS). Each PC
equipped with an Instant W ireless™ Network PC Card in a BSS can talk to any
computer in a wired LAN infrastructure via the Access Point.

An infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of an Instant
Wireless™ Network PC Card PC to a wired LAN, and doubles the effective
wireless transmission range for two Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card PCs.
Since the Access Point is able to forward data within its BSS, the effective
transmission range in an infrastructure LAN is doubled.

The use of a unique ID in a BSS is essential. All computers that have Instant
Wireless™ Network PC Cards configured without roaming options in an inde­pendent BSS must be configured with a BSS ID (that is used in the BSS).

The Wireless LAN Infrastructure conf iguration is appropriate for enterprise­scale wireless access to a central database, or as a wireless application for
mobile users.

Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users. More
than one BSS can be configured as an Extended Ser vice Set (ESS). This con­tinuous network allows users to roam freely within an ESS. All Instant
Wireless™ Netw ork PC Card PCs within one ESS must be configured with the
same ESS ID and use the same radio channel.

Before enabling an ESS with roaming capability, selecting a feasible radio
channel and optimum Access Point position is recommended. Proper Access
Point positioning combined with a clear radio signal will greatly enhance per­formance.

Roaming

Package Contents for the PCI Adapter

System Requirements for the PCI Adapter

1. Once you have booted up your PC, Windows 95 will automatically identify
the presence of the PCI Adapter and prompt you to install the necessary driv­er. Insert the Setup Utility CD into your CD-ROM drive and click the Next
button to proceed.

2. W indows will notify you that it is unable to locate the driv er and will ask y ou
to specify where the driver is located. Click the Other Locations button to
select the driver’s location.

6

Installing the PCI Adapter and Network
PC Card in Your Desktop PC

1. Turn off your desktop PC. (If you are just installing the WPC11 on your
notebook computer, please skip to the Installing the Network PC Card in
your Notebook PC section.)

2. With the PC Card facing up (the black arrow will be facing up), insert the

card completely into the PCI Adapter. These two devices must

be

installed together. While the card can be inserted either way, when it is

inserted properly , the “Instant Wireless” logo on the front of the card will not
be seen. If seen from the opposite side, only a small portion of the barcode
and no numbers can be seen when the card is inserted completely. If in
doubt, try inserting the card both ways. The card will slide in further when
it is correct. Failure to insert the card properly will prevent the equipment

from functioning.

3. Open your PC case and locate an available PCI slot on the motherboard.
Check with your computer manufacturer for instructions.

4. Slide the PCI Adapter into the PCI slot. Make sure that all of its pins are

touching the slot's contacts. You may have to apply a bit of pressure to slide
the card all the way in. After the card is f ir mly in place, secure its fasten­ing tab to your PC's chassis with a mounting screw. Then, close your PC.

5. Power on your desktop PC.

The Hardware Installation is complete.

5

Network PC Card and PCI Adapter

Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows 95

Instant WirelessTMSeries

Installing the PCI Adapter

WARNING:

For the PCI Adapter to be installed correctly, you must com­plete the installation with the Network PC Card in place.

This card is not hot-swappable. Whenever you are ready to use
the Network PC Card in the PCI Adapter, you must boot up
your PC with the Network PC Card in place.

Network PC Card and PCI Adapter

3. This will bring you to the Select Other Location screen. Click the Browse
button to select the driver’s location. Windows will ask you to browse for the
driver’s folder. Direct Windows to the CD-ROM and select the d:\WPC11-
WDT11\Win9x folder (where D: is the letter of your CD-ROM drive).
Click the OK button.

4. You will retur n to the Select Other Location screen. The folder that you
selected for the driver will now be shown under Location. Verify that this is
correct and then click the OK button.

5. W indo ws will then displa y the following screen, indicating that Windows has
installed the PCI Adapter drivers. Click the Finish button.

7

6. Windows may ask you to insert your Windows 95 CD-ROM. When prompt-

ed, insert your Windows 95 CD-ROM and click OK. If Windows does not
find the file, enter C:\windows\options\cabs in the drop down box that will
appear.

7. Windows will now ask you to restart your computer. Click the Yes button to

restart. Once your computer has restarted, you can continue on to the
Configuration Utility section.

Instant WirelessTMSeries

8

3. Make sure that Specify a location is selected and type D:\WPC11­WDT11\win9x in the location box (where “D” is the letter of y our CD-R OM

drive).

4. At this point, you will be returned to the Add New Hardware Wizard
screen. Verify that the correct folder is selected to install the driver and click
the Next button.

10

1. Once you boot up your PC, Windows 98 will automatically identify the PCI

Adapter and prompt you to install the necessary driver. Insert the Setup
Utility CD (included) into your CD-ROM drive and click the Next button to
proceed.

2. Make sure Search for the best driver for your device is selected and click
the Next button.

9

Network PC Card and PCI AdapterInstant WirelessTMSeries

Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows 98

1. Windo ws Millennium will automaticall y identify the Network PC Card, once
it is connected to the PC, and prompt you to install the necessary driver.
Make sure the Setup Utility CD is in your CD-ROM drive, select
“Automatic search for better driver”, and click the Next button to proceed

2. When the screen below appears, make sure that the drop-down box reads
“D:\WPC11-WDT11\Win9x” and click OK.

3. Windows will begin copying files from the Setup Utility CD. Windows may
need files from the Windows Millennium CD to complete the installation. If
you are prompted to do so, insert your Windows Millennium CD into the
CD-ROM drive. In the drop down box, type “d:\win9x” in the box (where
“D” is the letter of your CD-ROM drive) and click the OK button to contin­ue.

12

5. During the installation, Windows may ask you for your Windows 98 CD­ROM. When prompted, place your Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM
drive and click the Next button. If Windows does not f ind the file, enter
C:\windows\options\cabs in the drop down box that will appear.

6. Windows is now ready to install the driver. Click the Next button to contin-
ue.

7. Windows will then display the following screen, indicating that the PCI
Adapter installation is now complete. Click the Finish button.

8. Windows will now ask you to restart your computer. Click the Yes button to

restart. Once your computer has restarted, you can continue on to the
Configuration Utility section.

11

Network PC Card and PCI Adapter

Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows ME

Instant WirelessTMSeries

Windows NT will setup the Network PC Card differently depending upon
whether you’ve previously installed network hardware or not. Please follow the
instructions appropriate for you.

If You Have Never Installed Network Hardware:

1. Windows NT is not a Plug-and-Play Operating System and will not auto-

matically identify the PCI Adapter. To begin setup, insert Setup Utility CD
(included) into your CD-ROM drive and select Start, then Settings, and
bring up the Control Panel. Then, double-click on the Network icon.

2. Windows will notify you that Networking is not installed. Click the Yes but-

ton to continue.

14

Network PC Card and PCI Adapter

Installing the PCI Drivers for Windows NT

3. After Windows Millennium copies f iles from your CD, you will be notified
that installation has been completed. Click the Finish button to continue.

4. Windows will now ask you to restart your computer. Click the Ye s button to

restart. Once your computer has restarted, you can continue on to the
Configuration Utility section.

13

Instant WirelessTMSeries

5.A list of adapters will appear on the next screen. You will not want to select
one of these, however, as your Setup Utility CD has all of the appropriate
drivers. Click the Have Disk button to continue.

6. On the Insert Disk screen, type “D:\WPC11- WDT11\ WINNT” (where D: is
the letter of your CD-ROM drive) in the field provided. Then, click the OK
button to continue.

7. The Select OEM Option screen will show two options from which to
choose. You will want to highlight Instant Wireless - Network PCI Card
and click the OK button to continue.

16

3. Installation will begin and you will reach the screen shown below. You will

want to select the box that reads W ired to the network since you are adding
network hardware. Then, click the Next button to continue.

4. The next screen will not show any Network Adapters installed on your sys­tem, which signifies that no network hardware has been previously installed.
You will want to click the Select from list button to continue.

15

Network PC Card and PCI AdapterInstant WirelessTMSeries

10. On the screen showing Network Services, the selections are automatically
made. Simply, click the Next button to continue.

11. At this point, Windows NT will be ready to start installing Networking
Components. Review your selections and click the Next button to continue
if everything is correct. Or, click the Back button to make any necessary
corrections.

18

8.On the next screen, make sure there is a check mark in the box beside Instant
Wireless - Network PCI Card. Then, click the Next button to continue.

9. The next screen will show a list of network protocols. While the TCP/IP
Protocol is already selected by default, you should check with your net-

worked computers before installing any additional network protocols. Click
the Next button to continue.

17

Network PC Card and PCI AdapterInstant WirelessTMSeries

NNoottee::

Linksys does not provide technical sup-

port for TCP/IP configuration or troubleshooting.

14. After setting the Properties f ields, Windows NT will begin installing the

network components you previously selected. You may be asked if you
would like to configure the protocols with a DHCP server on your network.
If this screen comes up, check with your Network Administrator before
clicking the Yes or No button to continue.

15. After the network component installation is complete, the following screen

may appear. Click the Next button to continue.

16. At this point, Windo ws NT will let you know that it is ready to start the net-

work. If you wish to make any corrections, click the Back button. To con­tinue, click the Next button.

20

12. Windows NT may

request further files
at this point. Type
“ D:\WPC11-
WDT11\WINNT”
in the field provid­ed and click the
Continue button.
If files are still
requested, insert
your Windows NT
CD into your CD­ROM drive and
type “D:\i386”
(where “D” repre­sents your CD­ROM drive). Then,
click the Continue
button.

13. You will now reach the

screen shown here. This is
called the Properties
screen. Please check with
your other wireless com­puters for the proper set­tings. For more informa­tion concerning these set­tings, refer to the section
called Configuring the

Network PC Card for
Windows NT. Adjust the

settings as are appropriate
and click the OK button.

19

Network PC Card and PCI AdapterInstant WirelessTMSeries

If You Have Installed Network Hardware Before:

1. Windows NT is not a
Plug-and-Play Operating
System and will not
automatically identify
the PCI Adapter. To
begin setup, insert
Setup Utility CD into
your CD-ROM drive
and click Start then

Settings to bring up the
Control Panel. Then,

double-click on the
Network icon.

2. To add the Network PC

Card, you will click the
Adapters tab and then click
the Add button to continue.

22

17. Verify that the correct information is presented on this screen, which will

appear next. To make any corrections, click the Back button. To continue,
click the Next button.

8. Windows NT has now completed installing the network. Click the Finish

button to continue and then restart your computer. Once your computer has
restarted, you can continue on to the Configuration Utility section.

21

Network PC Card and PCI AdapterInstant WirelessTMSeries

NOTE: After you have installed the PCI Adapter, reapply the

Windows NT service pack.