Linksys WPC12 User Manual
2. The first tab across the top of the screen, labeled Install, should now be high-
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
lighted. Click the Install button. A screen similar to that shown in Figure
2-2 should appear, indicating that Windows is preparing the installation.
Figure 2-2
If, for whatever reason, you need to abort or terminate the installation, press
the Cancel button at any time during the installation. Otherwise the installation will continue automatically.
Note: If you stop the installation before it has finished, you will have to
run the installation completely again before installing your hardware.
4. Figure 2-4 shows the Warranty Policy screen. Read the entire policy by
pressing the Page Down button on your keyboard or by using the on-screen
scroll bar. Click on the Yes button if you agree, or No if you disagree.
Clicking Nowill terminate the installation. If you click Yes, the installation
will continue.
3. The screen in Figure 2-3 will appear next, indicating that Windows is ready
to continue the installation. Click the Next button.
Figure 2-3
Figure 2-4
5. The screen in Figure 2-5 will appear next, requesting the folder into which
the Configuration Utility will be installed. To install the Configuration
Utility in the
default directory (recommended), click
the Next but-
ton. If you
prefer to install
the Utility in
another directory, click the
Browse button,
and locate the
preferred
directory.
Then, click the
Next button.
Figure 2-5
65
6. When the screen shown in Figure 2-6 appears, choose either Infrastructure
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
mode or Ad-Hoc mode. If you are unsure whether to choose Infrastructure
or Ad-Hoc, refer to the next section for more information. Once you have
made your choice, click the Next button.
Figure 2-6
Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode
Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which
they may be set up: Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc. 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 accessible 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 the Infrastructure mode.
The basis of Infrastructure mode centers around an access point, which serves
as the main point of communications in a wireless network (see Figure 2-7).
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
hardware as well.
Figure 2-7
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 (shown in Figure 2-8). Ad-Hoc mode allows computers equipped with
wireless Network PC Cards to communicate directly with each other, eliminating the need for an access point. The drawback of this mode is in the fact that,
in Ad-Hoc 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 2-8
87
Infrastructure Mode
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
Network PC Card
1. If you have chosen Infrastructure mode, the following screen (Figure 2-9)
will appear. If you have chosen Ad-Hoc mode, skip to the next section,
titled “Ad-Hoc Mode”.
Figure 2-9
You will be prompted to enter an SSID value in the box provided. The
SSID may be up to 32 characters in length. This may include any character
on the keyboard, keeping in mind that the SSID is case sensitive. All SSID
values on your wireless network must match. If you are unsure, use the
default value of “linksys.” Then, click the Next button.
3. The screen shown
in Figure 2-11 will
appear, indicating
that all of the
appropriate files
are being copied
onto your drive.
Click the Cancel
button if you need
to stop the installation for any reason.
Figure 2-11
4. Once Windows has finished copying the necessary files, the screen shown
in Figure 2-12 will appear. In order for the drivers to be installed properly,
you must restart your computer. If you choose to do it now, select Yes, I
want to restart my computer now. If you do not want to do it now,
choose No, I will restart my computer later. Once you have made your
choice, click the Finish button to continue.
2. The Review
Settings screen
(Figure 2-10) will
appear next. Verify
that all the settings
are correct and
click the Next but-
ton to continue.
9
Figure 2-12
Note: Restart the computer and go to Chapter 3:
Installing the Network PC Card for further instructions.
Figure 2-10
10
Network PC Card
Ad-Hoc Mode
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
1. If you have chosen Ad-Hoc mode, the following screen will appear. (See
Figure 2-13.) If you have chosen Infrastructure mode, refer to the previous section, titled “Infrastructure Mode”.
2. The screen shown in Figure 2-14 should appear. You will be prompted to
enter an SSID value in the field provided. All SSID values on your wireless network must match. If you are unsure, use the default value of
“linksys.” Then, click the Next button.
Figure 2-14
Figure 2-13
You will be prompted to choose a Channel from the list provided. All
computers on your wireless network must be using the same channel in
order to communicate with each other. If you are unsure about which channel to use, select the default channel (Channel 6). Once you have chosen
your channel, click the Next button.
11
3. The next screen to appear (Figure 2-15) will be the Review Settings screen.
Verify that all the settings are correct and click the Next button to continue.
Figure 2-15
12
4. The next screen
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
will indicate that all
of the appropriate
files are being
copied onto your
drive. (See Figure
2-16.) Click the
Cancel button if
you need to stop
the installation for
any reason.
Chapter 4: Installing the Drivers
and Configuration Utility for
Windows XP
Windows XP will automatically walk you through the driver installation
process as well as automatically configure the Network PC Card for your wireless network. If you have any questions regarding wireless networking on your
Windows XP PC, please refer to your Windows XP documentation.
Figure 2-16
5. Once Windows has finished copying the necessary files, a screen similar to
that shown in Figure 2-17 will appear. In order for the drivers to be
installed properly, you must restart your computer. If you choose to do it
now, select Yes, I want to restart my computer now. If you do not want
to do it now, choose No, I will restart my computer later. Once you have
made your choice, click the Finish button to continue.
Figure 2-17
To install the Network PC Card’s drivers, insert the Setup Utility CD-ROM into
your CD-Rom drive and then insert the card into your PC’s PCMCIA slot.
Windows XP will automatically detect the card and search for the appropriate
drivers. The screen in Figure 4-1 will then appear.
Figure 4-1
13
Note: Restart the computer and go to Chapter 5:
Installing the Network PC Card for further instructions.
Verify that the radio button beside Install the software automatically
(Recommended) is highlighted. If not, click it. Then, click the Next button to
continue.
14
The Windows XP
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
Network PC Card
compatibility screen
will appear, as
shown in Figure 4-2.
As this card has
been tested to work
with Windows XP,
click the Continue
Anyway button to
continue.
On the final installation screen, click
the Finish button
to complete installation.
Chapter 5: Installing the Network
PC Card
1.Locate an available Type II or Type III PCMCIA slot on
your notebook computer.
2. With the Network PC Card’s 68-pin connector facing the PCMCIA slot
and the “Network PC Card” label facing up, as shown in Figure 5-1, slide the
Network PC Card completely into the PCMCIA slot while the computer is
restarting and before the Windows desktop appears.
Figure 4-2
Windows XP automatically detects and configures the Network PC Card for
your wireless network. To adjust these settings, refer to your Windows XP documentation.
15
Figure 4-3
The Hardware Installation is complete.
3. You may see several screens appear as the driver installation is finalized.
This is normal. No input should be necessary, and the screens should disappear when the card is ready for use.
The Hardware Installation is complete. Your Wireless Network PC Card
is set up and ready for use. You may continue reading to learn about the
card’s Configuration Utility in Chapter 6 for Windows NT or Chapter 7
for other Windows Operating Systems.
16
Chapter 6: Installing the Drivers
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
and Configuration Utility for
Installing the Drivers for Windows NT
Windows NT will set up the Network PC Card differently depending upon
whether you’ve previously installed network hardware or not. Please follow the
instructions appropriate for you.
Windows NT
Overview
The installation of the Network PC Card is different for users of Windows NT
because it is not a Plug-and-Play (PnP) operating system. This means it will not
automatically detect the presence of the Card when it is inserted.
Consequently, the order of the installation is different. The steps involved in
the installation are different, as well. If you are using any other operating sys-
tem than Windows NT, stop here and refer to the chapters regarding those operating systems.
Installing the Network PC Card In Your Notebook PC
1. Locate an available Type II or Type III PCMCIA slot on your notebook
computer.
2. With the Network PC Card’s 68-pin connector facing the PCMCIA slot
and the “Network PC Card” label facing up, slide the Network PC Card
completely into the PCMCIA slot while the computer is restarting and
before the Windows desktop appears.
The Hardware Installation is complete. Proceed to the next section for
driver installation.
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 Network PC Card. To begin setup, insert the Setup
Utility CD into your CD-ROM drive. If the Setup Utility CD attempts to
autorun, exit out of the utility to the desktop by clicking the Exit tab. Select
Settings from the
Start Menu and
bring up the
Control Panel
(as shown in
Figure 6-1).
Double-click the
Network icon.
17
Figure 6-1
2. Windows will display
the screen in Figure 62, showing that
Networking has not
been installed. Click
the Yes button to continue.
Figure 6-2
18
3. Installation will begin and you will reach the screen in Figure 6-3. You will
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
Series
want to select the box that reads Wired to the network since you are adding
network hardware. Click the Next button to continue.
Figure 6-3
4. The screen shown in Figure 6-4 will not show any Network Adapters
installed on your system; this signifies that no network adapter has been previously installed. Click the Select from list button to continue.
5.A list of adapters
will appear as in
Figure 6-5. You will
not want to select
one of these, however, as your installation disk (the Setup
Utility CD) has all
of the appropriate
drivers. Click the
Have Disk button to
continue.
Figure 6-5
6. When the Insert Disk
screen appears (shown
in Figure 6-6), type
“D:\WINNT” in the
field provided and click
the OK button to continue.
19
Figure 6-4
Figure 6-6
7.The Select OEM Option screen (shown in Figure 6-7) will display all
available adapters. Make sure that Instant Wireless - Network PC Card
V3.0 is highlighted and click the OK button to continue.
Figure 6-7
20
8. On the next screen, make sure there is a check mark in the box beside
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
Instant Wireless - Network PC Card (as shown in Figure 6-8). Then click
the Next
button to
continue.
10. On the screen showing Network Services (Figure 6-10), the selections are
automatically made. Click the Next button to continue.
Figure 6-8
9.The next screen (Figure 6-9) will show the list of network protocols used on
your network. While the TCP/IP Protocolis already selected by default, you
should check with your network administrator before installing any additional network protocols. Click the Next button to continue.
Figure 6-9
Figure 6-10
11.As displayed in Figure 6-11, Windows NT will now be ready to start
installing networking components. After verifying your selections, click the
Next button to continue or click the Back button to make any necessary
corrections.
Figure 6-11
21
22
12. Windows NT may
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
Series
request further
files at this point
(as shown in
Figure 6-12). Type
“ D:\WINNT”
(where “D” represents your CDROM drive) in the
field provided and
click the Continue
Figure 6-12
button.
If files are still requested, insert your Windows NT CD into your CD-ROM
drive and type “D:\i386” (where “D” represents your CD-ROM drive).
Then, click the Continue button.
13.You will now reach the screen shown in Figure 6-13. This is called the
Resources & Properties screen. It is recommended that you leave these
options at their
default settings. If
settings must be
changed, it is preferred that you use
the Configuration
Utility that came
with the Network
PC Card. If you
must adjust the settings on this screen,
refer to Chapter 9:
Advanced
Properties for more
information on the
Advanced
Properties for
Windows NT. Click
the OK button to
continue.
14. After setting the Resource and Properties fields, Windows NT will begin
installing the network components you’ve selected. You may be presented
with the screen shown in Figure 6-14, asking if you would like to configure
the protocols with a DHCP server on your network. Click the Yes or No
button to continue. This setting may also be changed at a later time.
Figure 6-14
15. In the event that the screen shown in Figure 6-15 appears, do not make any
changes unless you are proficient with the advanced networking properties
of Windows NT. Click the Next button to continue.
Figure 6-15
16. At this point, Windows NT will let you know that it is ready to start the network. If you’d like to stop the procedure, click the Back button. To continue, click the Next button.
23 24
Figure 6-13
17. On the screen shown in Figure 6-15, enter your Computer Name, how your
Network PC Card
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
computer is identified on the network. Then, assign the computer to either
a Workgroup or Domain, whichever is appropriate. The Computer Name
must be different than any
other on the
Workgroup or
Domain. Click
the Next button.
Make sure that the Instant Wireless Network PC Card ver. 3.0 appears in the
Adapter window (as shown in Figure 6-17). Then, unless you need to
assign a static IP address, select Obtain an IP address from a DHCP
server and click the OK button. If you need to assign a static IP address,
select Specify an IP Address, and enter the appropriate values under IP
Address, Gateway Mask, and Default Gateway. After you have made your
choice, click the OK button.
Windows NT has now completed installing the network. Remove the Setup
Utility CD from the CD-ROM drive and click the Finish button to continue. Then, restart your computer.
The Driver Installation is complete. Continue now to the section called
Installing the Configuration Utility for Windows NT.
Note: After you have installed the Network PC
Card, reapply the Windows NT service pack.
18. Once the drivers
have been installed,
the following screen
(Figure 6-17) may
appear.
Figure 6-16
Figure 6-17
If You Have Installed Network Hardware Before:
1. Windows NT is not a
Plug-and-Play Operating
System and will not
automatically identify
the Network PC Card. To
begin setup, insert the
Setup Utility CD into
your CD-ROM drive and
then select Settingsfrom
the Start Menu. Bring
up the Control Panel (as
shown in Figure 6-18)
and double-click the
Network icon.
Figure 6-18
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