Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/ISA Card User Manual

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The product described in this book is a licensed product of Lucent

September, 199 6

Technologies Inc. --formerly the communications systems and
technology units of AT&T.

WaveLAN and WavePOINT are trademarks of Lucent Technologies.
IBM and AT are registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation.
Microsof t, Windows 95 , Windows N T, MS-Word, and MS-DOS are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Novell and Netware are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.
Velcro is a registered trademark of Velcro, Inc.
Adobe, Acrobat is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Inc.
All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.

It is the policy of Lucent Technologies to improve products as new
technology, components, software, and firmware become available.
Lucent Technologies, therefore, reserves the right to change
specifications without prior notice.

All features, functions, and operations described herein may not be
marketed by Lucent Technologies in all parts of the world. In some
instances, drawings are of equipment prototypes. Therefore, before
using this document, consult your Lucent Technologies
representative or Lucent Technologies office for information that is
applicable and current.

Copyright ©1996 Lucent Technologie s
All Rights Reserved

WaveLAN Technical Support

If applicable , please complete the WaveLAN Driver

Problem Report form and Fax or E-Mail it to us. This

form is available on WaveLAN software diskette 1 as

WVLANPRF.TXT

You can find the mo s t recen t softw a re an d user

documentation for all WaveLAN products on our

Bulletin Board Service and World Wide Web Site.

Useful Numbers and Addresses

U.S.A.

The Netherlands

Voice

+1 800 ATT WAVE

[phone]

Fax:

[phone]

[phone]

BBS Line 1

[phone]

[phone]

BBS Line 2

[phone]

[phone]

Email (Internet)

[e-mail]

FTP Ser ver

FTP://FTP.WAVELAN.COM/PUB

World Wide Web

HTTP://WWW.WAVELAN.COM

If you encounter problems when installing or using this
product, or would like information about our other
WaveLAN products, please contact your local Lucent
Techn olo gies Sales O ffice or Auth o riz e d W av e L AN
Resell e r .

In emergency, or when no local support is availabl e, you
can reach us at the telephone numbers listed below.

Radio Frequency Interference Statement

Canada:

This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry and Scien ce Can ada.

USA - Fed eral Co mm u n icatio n s C ommiss io n (F C C ):

This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.
Operation of this device is subject to the following two conditions:

This device may not cause harmful interference.
This device must accept any in terference that may cause undes i red

operation.

Information to User:

This device must be installed and used in strict accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions. However, there is no guarantee that
interference to radio communications will not occur in a particular
commercial installation. If this device does cause interference, which
can be determined by turning the host equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to consult the instruction manual of the host
equipment or the local device supplier. In case the device does cause
harmful interference with an authorized radio service , the
user/operator shall promptly stop operating the device until harmful
interference has been eliminated.

Lucent Technologies is not responsible for any radio or telev ision
inter ference caus ed by un a uthorized modification of this device or
the substitution or attachment of connecting cables and equipment
other than specified by Lucent Te chnologies.
The correction of interference ca us e d by s uch unautho r i ze d
modification, substitution or attachment will be the responsibility of
the user.

Preface

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

About This Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v

Who Should Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . .v

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Getting Started

About WaveLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Typica l N et wo rk Co n figuratio ns . . . . . . . 1-1

Other WaveLAN Products . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

WaveLAN Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Network Interface Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Optional Boot ROM Feature Kit. . . . . . . . 1-4

Preparing for Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Preparation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Setting the Hardwa re Configuration

Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Installing the Card in your Computer . . . . . . . . 2-4

i

Table of Contents

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Installing the Software

Software Installation Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Installing under Windows 95/NT . . . . . . 3-1

Installing und e r MS-DOS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Installation Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Create a Utilities Diskette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Install theNetwork operating Software . . 3-2

Create a WAVELAN.INI file . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Freque n cy S ele ction (2.4 GH z ) . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Troubleshooting

Radio-fr eq u e nc y N etw o rk Ch a ra cte ris tics. . . . . 4-1

Optimizing Network Performance. . . . . . 4-2

Arranging Network Stations . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Problem Determination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-4

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utilities. . 4-4

Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Chapter 5

ii

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

About Point-to-Point Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Running Point-to-Point Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Selecting the Loca l Wav e LAN Card. . . . . 5-2

Selecting a Link Test Pa rt n er . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Changing Local Identifiers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Selecting a Test Partn e r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

The Measurement Data Display. . . . . . . . 5-6

Table of Contents

Logging the Measurement Data . . . . . . . . 5-7

Command Line Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Chapter 6

Appendix A

Appendix B

The Frequ e n cy S ele ct Ut i lity

About the Frequency Select Utility . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Running the Frequency Select Utility . . . . . . . . 6-3

Select a New Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Command line parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Wave LA N S pe c ification s

Specif ica tio n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-1

Environment Definitions: . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

Driver Installation Examples

NetWare Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

DOS/ODI Workstation Driver . . . . . . . . B-1

NDIS Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

LAN Manager Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Appendix C

Index

Changing the Default IRQ

SETIRQ Uti lit y. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Index1

iii

Table of Contents

iv

Preface

0

Who Should Use This Manual

Overview of the Manual

About This Manual

This manual explains how to install and use the
WaveLAN Network Interface Card in an Industry
Standard Architecture (ISA or PC/AT) based personal
computer, running in a Novell NetWare or Network
Driver Interface Standard (NDIS) compatible network
environment.

The manual is intended to be used by network
administrators and others involved in planning,

0

installing and operating a WaveLAN network.

The manual assumes you have a working knowledge of
basic PC operations and are familiar with network driver
installation procedures.

Chapter 1, “Getting Started”

0

Introduces you to WaveLAN networking concepts and
describes t h e system compon ents. Lists the installa tion
steps and w h at you shou ld co n side r be fore yo u begin.

0

Chapter 2, “Installing the WaveLAN Card”

Tells how to set up a nd in sta ll t he W av eL AN Netwo r k
Interface Card in a personal computer, and how to
connect and position the antenna.

Chapter 3, “Installing the Software”

Describes how to install the Wa v eLAN soft w are and se t
WaveLAN parameters in the network driver
configuration files.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

v

Further Information

WIN95ISA.EXE

WINNTISA.EXE

DOCS

Chapter 4, “Troubleshooting”

Describes the characteristics of radio-frequency
operation and how to optimize network performance.
Introd u ce s th e dia g no stic utilit ie s .

Chapter 5, “The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility”

Descri be s how you can us e the Po in t-t o -p o in t
Diagnostics utility to optimize antenna placement and
verify proper operation of the WaveLAN card and
antenna.

Chapter 6, “The Frequency Select Utility”

Describes how you can use the WaveLAN Frequecny
Select Utility to verify the operating frequency of a
WaveLAN 915 MHz or 2.4 GHz card, and to change the
operating frequency of 2.4 GHz cards.

Appendices: A, “WaveLAN Specifications”

B, “Driver Installation Examples”
C, “Changing the Default IRQ”

Special Installation Bulletins for installing

0

WaveLAN/ISA under Windows 95 or Windows NT are
provided on software diskette 2 that came with your ISA
Card. To view or print these Bulletin of your choice, copy
the files (

or

from the
directory to a local hard-disk drive. In your Filemanager
or Windows Explorer, double-click the file of your choice
to extract the document to MS-Word 6.0 format.

Note: Before installing the WaveLAN card, be sure to look at

the README.TXT file on the WaveLAN software
diskette, which contains information not available when
this User's Guide was printed.

vi WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Getting Started

Chapter 1

Getting Started

About WaveLAN 1-1

Typica l N etw o rk Co n figuratio ns 1-1
Other WaveLAN Products 1-2

WaveLAN Components 1-3

Network Interface Card 1-4
Optional Boot ROM Feature Kit 1-4

Preparing for Installation 1-6

1. Install the WaveLAN Card in a PC 1-6

2. Install the software 1-6

3. Test the Co mmuni ca tio n s Pa th (option a l) 1-7

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Getting Started

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Getting Started

About WaveLAN

1

Typical Network Configurations

About WaveLAN

WaveLAN provides cable-free departmental local area
networking for personal computers. This gives you the
flexibility to relocate people and equipment, or to add
more stations to your network, without the planning
effort and cost of re-cabling.

Using radio communications technology, WaveLAN is
ideally suited to workgroup or departmental networks,
to extending wired networks into difficult to wire areas,
or to setting up temporary ad-hoc networks in special
situations.

The WaveLAN Network Interface Card (NIC) a nd driver
software have been developed for use with common

1

industry-standard networking systems such as Novell
NetWare, LAN Manager and Windows for Workgroups.

Typica l configurat ion s in clude:

Standalone WaveLAN network including one or

●

more servers.
Physically separated WaveLAN networks (for

●

example: on different floors of the same building)
connected via a wired backbone.

Wired network with WavePOINT access point,

●

allowing wireless c o nnectio n into the wired network
from one or more WaveLAN stations (see Figure 1-1
on page 1-2).

A wireless bridge connecting two wired LANs

●

(overcoming physical obstacles to a wired
connection).

1

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

-1

1

Figure 1-1

1

Wireless access to wired network

Other WaveLAN Products

Getting Started

About WaveLAN

The WaveLAN family of wireless networking products
also includes:

1

WavePOINT - a wireless access point, facilitating

●

wireless cell extensions to wired LANs, and
backbone connections between wireless cells.

WaveLAN/PCMCIA - a WaveLAN NIC for

●

notebook and notepad computers and other
PCMC I A-equippe d dev ic e s, e nabling mobile
communications in WaveLAN networks.

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide 1-2

Getting Started

WaveLAN Components

Figure 1-2

1

WaveLAN/ISA Kit

WaveLAN Components

The WaveLAN/ISA adapter kit contains the basic set of
components required to install WaveLAN in a personal
computer:

WaveLAN Network Interface Card.

●

Omni-directional Antenna Module.

●

WaveLAN software.

●

User's guide (this book).

●

The WaveLAN card is available with or without a built­in encryption feature.

1

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide 1-3

Network Interface

‘INF

Card

Antenna Module

WaveLAN Software

Getting Started

WaveLAN Components

The Network Interface Card (NIC) is a printed circuit
board which acts as the interface between your personal

1

computer and the rest of the network. The NIC is
installed in a card slot inside the computer. It contains a
radio-frequency modem in addition to the circuitry
needed to process the signals exchanged between your
computer and other stations on the network. The NIC
also contains a socket for the optional Remote Boot ROM
feature.

The Omni-directional Antenna module uses a coaxial

1

cable to attach to the NIC. The antenna module is
accompanied by a mounting bracket which you can use
to fix the antenna to a wall or let it stand upright on a
horizontal surface (e.g. PC base, desktop or filing
cabinet).

The WaveLAN software consists of a number of drivers

1

and utilities, to enable you to install your WaveLAN
Card in various network environments:

Optional Boot ROM Feature Kit

Miniport Driver and

●

’ file to install the card in a

Windows 95 or Windows NT environment.
Network drivers and support files that enable you to

●

use your WaveLAN NIC in a ODI- or NDIS­compatible environment.

Diagnostic utilities allowing you to position

●

workstations and antennas for bes t per formance, and
to monitor and diagnose your network.

Utilitie s fo r fre qu e n cy sele c t io n and oth er

●

configuration options.

A Remote Boot ROM for NetWare, that allows a network
station to boot from the server, can be installed on the

1

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide 1-4

New Features

Getting Started

WaveLAN Components

card. For availability, contact your WaveLAN vendor or
local Lucent Technologies office.

The "half-size" ISA card is available in 915 MHz and

1

2.4 GHz versions. New features are:

Auto-connect - the ability to automatically connect to

●

a WaveP O IN T a cce s s poin t . Thi s pro v ide s
relocatability without the need to reconfigure, for
terminals in environments where WavePOINTs are
present.

Frequ en cy se le c t (2.4 G H z c ar ds) - ab ility to set the

●

WaveLAN card's frequency to any 2.4 GHz channel
(subjec t to nat io n a l re gu la to ry av ai la bi lit y ). T hi s
enables more efficient management of the on­premises radio spectrum usage and better protection
against interference.

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide 1-5

Getting Started

Preparing for Installation

What You Need

Preparing f or Installation

To insta ll a Wav e L AN n etwork stat ion, you must ha v e

1

the following:

A (half-size) PC/AT or ISA compatible personal

●

computer with a free card slot.
MS-DOS v ersio n 5.0 or hi gh e r.

●

One of the following network operating

●

environments:

Windows 95 or Windows NT (workgroups)

●

Novell NetWare versions 2.1x or higher, 3.1x,

●

version 4.xx or Personal NetWare.
Any network operating system supporting the

●

NDIS-2 standard. Examples include: LAN
Manager, Microsoft Windows for Workgroups.

The basic WaveLAN component set, described

●

earlier.
An appropriate tool for removing the cover of your

●

computer.

1

Installation Steps

1. Install the WaveLAN Card in a PC

1

Install the optional Boot ROM on the WaveLAN
Network Interface Card if required, set the configuration
switches and install the card in a personal computer.
Connect the antenna. This step is described in Chapter 2,
“Installing the WaveLAN Card”.

2. Install the software

Install the WaveLAN software, and the Network
Opera t in g soft w ar e if not al re ad y installed.Set netw o rk
configuration parameters and optionally the card's

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide 1-6

1

1

Getting Started

Preparing for Installation

operating frequency. The procedure is described in
Chapter 3, “Installing the Software” with references to
the appropriate appendices.

Before you begin

3. Test the Communications Path (optional)

When you have installed at least two WaveLAN cards,
or if a WaveP O IN T ac ce ss po in t is in sta ll e d, you ca n run
the Point-to-point Diagnostics utility to check out your
WaveLAN installation. Using the Point-to-point
Diagnostics utility is described in Chapter 5, “The Point­to-Point Diagnostics Utility”.

Use the MS-DOS

1

copy of your WaveL AN dis kett e. Use yo ur wor kin g copy

Diskco p y

in all card co nf igu r at io n and dri ve r in st a ll a tio n
procedures. Store the original in a safe place.

command to create a working

1

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide 1-7

Getting Started

Preparing for Installation

1-8 WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Chapter 2

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Preparation 2-1

Preparing the Card 2-1
Setting the Ha r dw a re Co nf iguration Switches 2-1

Setting the I/O Base Address 2-2
Setting the Remote Boot ROM's Base Address 2-3

Installing the Card in your Computer 2-4

Connecting the Antenna 2-5

Antenna Placeme n t 2-5

Using t he Antenna Supp ort Bracket 2-6

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Installing the WaveLAN Card

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Preparation

2

Preparing the Card

Warning!

Preparation

Preparation consists of instal ling the optional Remote Boot

2

ROM feature and setting the hardware configuration switches.

Static electricity can damage the interface card. To
prevent damage when unpacking and handling the
inter face card, you sho uld make sure to discharge the
excess st a tic el ect ricity from you r bo d y. You ca n do this
by touching an earthed metal surface such as the chassis
of your com p ut er .

Carefully open the antistatic shipping bag the card

1

comes in, and remove the card. When handling the
card don't touch any of the components on its surface
or the edge connectors along the bottom of the card.
Follow these guidelines always whenever you
handle the card.
If you intend to install the Remote Boot ROM feature,

2

do so now, following the manufacturer's
instructions.

2

Setting the Hardware Configuration Switches

The WaveLAN network interface card has a switch b lock
containing four switches . The first two switches (switches 1, 2)

2

are used to set the card's I /O base addres s. Switche s 3 and 4 are
used to enable the Remote Boot ROM and select the Remote
Boot ROM's base address.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

-1

2

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Preparation

Figure 2-1

2

Hardware Configuration Switches

Setting the I/O Base Address

The I/O base address switches are factory preset to
address
anothe r d e v ice al re a d y in sta lle d in yo ur co mputer is
using this address. Table 2-1 shows which I/O base
addresses are available.

Use a small flat-blade screwdriver to set the switches.

2-2 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

. You need to change this setting only if

0300H

2

Table 2-1

I/O Base Address Switch Settings

Boot ROM Base Address Settings

I/O Base Address

Switch 1

Switch 2

0300H - 030FH

OFF

OFF

0390H - 039FH

OFFON03C0H - 03CFH

ON

OFF

03E0H - 03EFH

ON

ON

Caution

:

I/O Address 03C0H is used by many EGA and VGA video adapter cards.

If your video adapter is using this I/O address, DO NOT USE IT for the WaveLAN

card.

Boot ROM Base Address

Switch 3

Switch 4

DISABLED

OFF

OFF

C8000H - CBFFFH

OFFOND0000H - D3FFFH

ON

OFF

D8000H - DBFFFH

ON

ON

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Preparation

Table 2-2

Setting the Remote Boot ROM's Base Address

The Remote Boot base address switches are factory
preset to disable remote boot. You should change this
setting only if you have installed the Remote Boot ROM
on the card and intend to use it immediately. Table 2-2
shows which remote boot base addresses are available:

Use a small flat-blade screwdriver to set the switches.

2

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 2-3

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Installing the Card in your Computer

Installing the Card in your
Computer

The following directions apply to most PCs. See your PC
owner's manual for more details on how to install an
adapter board.

Turn off the power switch of your computer.

1

Turn off the power to all devices attached to your

2

computer.
Disconnect the power cord and all other cables

3

attached to your computer.

DANGER! Do not attempt to install the interface card without

disconnecting the power cord and other cables from
your personal computer. If you fail to take this
precaution, you could receive a severe electrical shock
or cause damage to your personal computer and
WaveLAN adapter card.

Remove the cover of your personal computer.

4

Refer to your personal computer owner's manual for
specific instructions about removing the cover.
Choose an expansion slot.

5

Prepare the expansion slot to hold your Network
Interface Card by removing the slot's cover plate.
Insert the Interface Card

6

Align the edges of the card with the expansion slot
and gently press on the top of the card until the edge
connector is seated in the slot (see Figure 2-2 on p age
2-5).

2

2-4 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Figure 2-2

2

Inserting the card in your computer

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Installing the Card in your Computer

7

Secure the ca rd in its slo t
Replace and tighten the card retaining screw.

8

Replace the cover and re-attach the cables.
After you insert the Network Interface Card, replace
the PC's cover. Move your PC to its intended
location, and re-attach the power cord and other
cables that you disconnected earlier.

Antenna Placement

Connecting the Antenna

To connect the antenna, simply push the cable end
connector on to the connector situated in the middle of
the card's end bracket until it clicks into place.

The antenna performs best in an op en environme nt with as f ew

2

obstructions as possible . S ignal strength can be significantly
affected by closeness to metal surfaces and, to a lesser extent,
by concrete walls, thick masonry walls and solid high-density
materials. To ensure the best performance:

Position the antenna at right angles to the mounting

●

surface whenever possible.
Place the antenna above a desk rather than below.

●

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 2-5

2

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Installing the Card in your Computer

Figure 2-3

2

Typical Antenna Positions

Avoid leaving the antenna where it may be

●

concealed by working materials such as books or
papers.

Never place the antenna flat a gainst a metal, concrete

●

or masonry surface.

See the discussion of Signal Interference in Chapter 4,
“Troubleshooting” for other situations to avoid.

Using the Antenna Support Bracket

The antenna module is constructed to snap on to its
support bracket in one of two positions (see Figure 2-4
on page 2-7):

At its edge, taking a position at right angles to the

●

support bracket. This is the normal fixing method,
allowing the antenna module to hang from a vertical
surface or stand on a horizontal one.

2-6 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

2

Figure 2-4

2

The Antenna Support Bracket

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Installing the Card in your Computer

At its midpoint, allowing the module to sit flat

●

against the support bracket. This method is suitable
for windows and light hollow partitions. It is not
recommended for met al, concrete , masonry or solid
wood surfaces.

You can fix t he su pp o rt brac ket to a vertical surface in
one of two ways:

with the plugs and screws provided. This method is

●

recommended for concrete and masonry walls,
papered or with a rough surface.

with the Velcro fastening strips. Use this method for

●

smooth hollow surfaces such as half-height office
dividing walls and filing cabinets, or windows.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 2-7

Installing the WaveLAN Card

Installing the Card in your Computer

2-8 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Installing the Software

Chapter 3

Installing th e Software

Software Installation Overview 3-1

Installing under Windows 95/NT 3-1
Installing under MS-DOS 3-1

Installation Procedure 3-2

Create a Utilities Diskette 3-2
Install theNetwork operating Software 3-2
Create a WAVELAN.INI file 3-6
Freque n cy S ele ction (2.4 GH z) 3-6

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Installing the Software

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Software Installation Overview

Software Installatio n

Installing the Software

3

Installing under Windows 95/NT

Installing under
MS-DOS

Note:

Overview

If you are installing WaveLAN/ISA into a computer running
the Windows 95 or Windows NT operating system, please

3

refer to the special Installa tion Bulletins (see “Furthe r
Information”in the “About This Manual” section)..

The WaveLAN Diagnostic Utilities are MS-DOS based.
If you would like to be able to use the WaveLAN utilities
on a Windows 95/NT computer, the computer must
have MS-DOS installed. To run the utilities, you must
restart the computer in MS-DOS mode (yo u can no t run
the utilities from an MS-DOS box under Windows).

The recommended installation procedure to install
WaveLAN/ISA under MS-DOS (or Windows v.3.x) is as

3

follows:

Copy WaveLAN software to the computer's hard

1

disk.
Create a Utilities Diskette.

2

Install the network operating system software on the

3

computer.
Edit the ne tw o r k c onfigurat ion file to incl ud e

4

WaveLAN-specific configuration parameters.
Make a WAVELAN.INI file for use by the WaveLAN

5

utilities.
Reboot the computer to verify that the network

6

driver lo a ds successf ul ly
If necessary, run the Frequency select utility to

7

change the card's operating frequency.

3

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

-1

3

Installing the Software

Installation Procedure

Copy the Software

Create a Utilities Diskette

Installation Proc edure

To install the WaveLAN software on the compute r's hard disk,

3

proceed as follows:

Choose a name for the hard disk directory where the

1

softwa re will be ke p t, e.g.
Place the WaveLAN software diskette in drive A:

2

Make drive A: the current drive and run the batch

3

file CPY2HDSK.BAT with the chosen hard disk
directory name as parameter. Example DOS
commands:

a:
cpy2hdsk c:\wavelan

The Utilities diskette will enable you to run diagnostics and
other WaveLAN utilities. You will use this diske tte to reboot

3

your computer whenever you need to run one of the
WaveLAN utitlities

Change to the hard disk directory where the

1

Wave LA N so ft ware was in st alled.
Insert a DOS-formatted diskette in drive A:

2

Run the batch file UTL2BOOT.BAT. Example DOS

3

commands:

c:
cd \wavelan
utl2boot

c:\wavelan

3

Use the documentation that comes with the network operating

Install theNetwork operating Software

system to do the installation. If asked to insert a diskette

3

containing an

“updated”, “OEM”

driver, insert the WaveLAN diskett e in drive A:.

3-2 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

, or

“other vendor”

- supplied

Driver Configuration

DOS/ODI Driver

Installing the Software

Installation Pr ocedure

See Appendix B fors examples of installing a WaveLAN
workstation driver in various network operating
environments.

Two network drivers are supplied with WaveLAN:

3

A DOS/ODI driver to use in Novell NetWare

●

environments (NetWare, Personal NetWare). The
DOS/ODI driver uses a configuration file called
NET.CFG

A DOS/NDIS-2 driver for NDIS-compatible

●

environments such as LAN Manager and Windows
for Workgroups. The NDIS driver uses a
configuration file called PROTOCOL.INI

You can pla ce Wav e L A N -sp e cific param ete r s in the
network configuration file.The WaveLAN parameter
formats for DOS/ODI and DOS/NDIS2 are described on
the next two pages

3

The WaveLAN configuration paramete r s fo r the
DOS/ODI driver are set in the file NET.CFG. A sample
NET.CFG file is provided in the root directory of the
WaveLAN software diskette.

Note: When editing, be sure to place the WaveLAN

parameters, indented, directly after the "

link d r i v er

statement.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 3-3

"

Installing the Software

WaveLAN Parameters

Value Range

Usage

PORT xxx

'x' in the set [300, 390, 3c0, 3e0 ]

Identifies the card's I/O base address (default '300').

Value must correspond to I/O Base set by switches on

the card (see Chapter 2).Optional parameter if '300'.

NWID xxxx

'xxxx' hexadecimal value in the

range 0100H through FFFFH

Identifies the WaveLAN Network ID. Recommended for

stand-alone networks.. If used, must be same for all

WaveLAN cards in the network cell.

The default value is '0100'. Using this value may result in

unintentional overlap with adjacent WaveLAN cells using

the same default value.

DOMAIN ID xxxx

'xxxx' hexadecimal value in the

range 0000H through FFFFH

This parameter turns on auto-connect. If not used, or if

set to '0000', station cannot auto-connect to a

WavePOINT with a different NWID.

If used, must be same for all WaveLAN cards and

access points in the area where auto-connect is allowed

BEACON KE Y xxxx

'xxxx' hexadecimal value in the

range 0000H through FFFFH

Used to encode the NWID transmitted by a

WavePOINT. If used, must be same for all WaveLAN

cards and WavePOINTs in the area where auto-connect

is allowed. '0000' = no encoding.

NODE ADDRESS xx.. ......x x

12 hexadecimal digits

Locally administered address which overrides the card's

factory installed Universal MAC address.

The 2nd digit must be 2, 6, A, or E.

STATION NAME x.............x

Any alpha-numeric string (max. 31

characters - no spaces allowed)

Can be used by the Point-to-Point Diagnostic utility

ENCRYPTION KE Y xx........xx

16 hexadecimal digits (or '0')

A 16 hexadecimal digit value enables encryption. The

value '0' disables encryption.

Required Parameters:

To enable the card to auto-connect to a WavePOINT a (non-zero) Domain ID is required. All other parameters are optional.

If the auto-connect feature is not required, reset the DOMAIN ID to '0000', and set the NWID.

Installation Procedure

Table 3-1
WaveLAN parameters in NET.CFG

3-4 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

DOS/NDIS -2 Driver

3

Parameter

Value Range

Usage

AT_Address = 0x0nnn

'nnn' in the set [300, 390, 3c0, 3e0]

Identifies the card's I/O base address (default '300').

Value must correspond to I/O Base set by switches on

the card (see Chapter 2

)

.Optional parameter if '300'.

NWID = 0xnnnn

'nnnn' hexadecimal value in the

range 0100 through FFFF

Identifies the WaveLAN Network ID. If used, must be

same for all WaveLAN cards in the network.

The default value is '0100'. Using this value may result in

unintentional overlap with adjacent WaveLAN cells.

Domain_ID = 0xnnnn

'nnnn' hexadecimal value in the

range 0000 through FFFF

This parameter turns on auto-connect. If not used, or if

set to '0x0000', station cannot auto-connect to a

WavePOINT with a different NWID.

All stations in the Domain must have the same Domain

ID.

Beacon_Key = 0xnnnn

'nnnn' hexadecimal value in the

range 0000 through FFFF

Used to encode the NWID transmitted by a WavePOINT.

If used, must be same for all WaveLAN cards and

WavePOINTs in the area where auto-connect is allowed.

'0x0000' = no encoding.

Station_Address 0xnn, 0xnn, ..

6 groups of 2 hexadecimal digits

('nn') separated by commas

Locally administered address which overrides the card's

factory installed Universal MAC address.

The 2nd digit of the first digit-pair must be 2, 6, A, or E.

Station_Name = x..................x

Any alpha-numeric string (max. 31

characters - no spaces allowed)

Can be used by the Point-to-Point diagnostics utility.

Encryption_Key 0xnn, 0xnn, ..

8 groups of 2 hexadecimal digits

('nn') separated by commas, or '0'

A 16 hexadecimal digit value enables encryption. The

value '0' disables encryption.

Required Parameters:

To enable the card to auto-connect to a WavePOINT a (non-zero) Domain ID is required. All other parameters are optional.

If the auto-connect feature is not required, reset the Domain ID to '0000', and set the NWID.

Table 3-2
WaveLAN parameters in PROTOCOL.INI

Installing the Software

Installation Pr ocedure

The WaveLAN configuration paramete r s fo r the
DOS/NDIS-2 driver are set in the file PROTOCOL.INI.
A sample PROTOCOL.INI file is provided in directory
\MSLANMAN.DOS\DRIVERS\WAVELAN of the
WaveLAN software diskette.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 3-5

Installing the Software

Installation Procedure

Create a WAVELAN.INI file

The WaveLAN.INI file is used to tell the WaveLAN utilities
where to find configuration information relating to the

3

WaveLAN card. It contains a pointer to the network
configuration file you modified in the previous step “Driver
Configuration” on page 3-3. Use an ASCII text editor, such as
the MS-DOS EDIT program to create a file called
WAVELAN.INI, containing 2 lines:

full path filename of the configuration file.

●

type of driver installed (ODI or NDIS-2).

●

Example (ODI):

filename=c:\nwclient\net.cfg
filetype=netc

Example (NDIS):

filename=c:\wavelan\protocol.ini
filetype=prot

Copy the WAVELAN.INI file to the Utilities diskette you
created as described in “Create a Utilities Diskette” on
page 3-2.

Reboot your computer to verify that the network driver loads

Verify the Installation

3

correctly.
A message similar to one of the following is displayed when
the ODI driver loads successful ly:

WLAN DOS ODI vX.xx (YYMMDD)
ISA XXXX MHz Roaming enabled Domain ID = xxxx Default
NWID=xxxx
Security Feature disabled

A message similar to one of the following is displayed
when the NDIS-2 driver loads successfully:

WaveLAN DOS NDIS 2 Driver vXX.xx
ISA XXXX MHz Roaming enabled NWID=xxxx Security Feature
disabled

If you have installed a 2.4 GHz card and intend to use it in

Frequency Selection (2.4 GHz)

3-6 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

networks with older WaveLAN 2.4 GHz ISA cards, Micro

3

Channel cards or WavePOINTs you need to change the card's

Installing the Software

Installation Pr ocedure

operating frequency to the one currently used by the older
products.

Alternatively, if the newly-installed network suffers
from interference from an adjacent network or from
other RF emitters, you may be able to overcome this by
changing the operating frequency of all the WaveLAN
cards.

Appendix D describes how to use the WFREQSEL utility
to change the operating frequency.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 3-7

Installing the Software

Installation Procedure

3-8 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Troubleshooting

Chapter 4

Troubles hooting

Radio-fr eq u e nc y N etw o rk Ch a ra cte ris tics 4-1

Signal Interference 4-1
Signal Attenuation 4-1
Optimizing Network Performance 4-2
Arrangin g Ne tw or k Sta tio n s 4-2
Antenna Placeme n t 4-3

Problem Determination 4-4

Component Failure 4-4

Environment and Operation 4-4
The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utilities 4-4
Troubleshooting List 4-5

Error Messages 4-7

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Troubleshooting

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Troubleshooting

Radio-frequency Network Characteristics

Radio-f requency Network

4

Signal Interference

Characteristics

In general, a radio-frequency Local Area Network
behaves in much the same way as other types of LAN.
However, due to the nature of the transmission medium,
radio-frequency networks are more sensitive to:

Signal interference (Noise).

●

Signal attenuation.

●

Signal inte rfer en ce (or no is e ) is rad io -fr equency sig nal s

4

detected by a receiving antenna, that were not
transmitted by any station in the receiving station's
network. The source of the interfering signal may be:

Adjacent WaveLAN network with a different

●

Network ID.
Other radio-frequency communications devices.

●

Non-network sources such as:

●

Security gates (like those often placed near the

●

entrances of shops and department stores).
Elevator motors.

●

Photocopiers.

●

Microwave ovens.

●

4

Signal Attenuation

For most non-network noise sources the effect is local
and can be eliminated by relocating the antenna or
computer. Users of 2.4 GHz WaveLAN cards can often
solve the problem by selecting another frequency.

Signal attenuation is a loss of signal strength, which

4

occurs naturally over distance, but which also can be

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

-1

4

Troubleshooting

Radio-frequency Network Characteristics

caused by radio-frequency barriers in the signal path.
Examples of barriers are:

●

●

Nearly every object (partitions, furniture, people) in the
path of the signal will cause some slight degree of
attenuation. In most cases this does not have a significant
effect on network performance.

You can optimize network performance through careful

Optimizing Network Performance

placement of servers and workstations, taking into

4

account the radio-frequency characteristics of the work
environment. These depend on a large number of
factors, including:

●

●

●

Metal surfaces surrounding an antenna.
Enclosed locations with concrete walls, floor and

ceiling.

Construction materials.
Office plan (closed or open).
Presence of windows, ducting.

It is not possible to predict exactly how the environment
will affect network performance, if at all. Following are
general guidelines and hints, some of which may be
appropriate in your environment.

A file server is often the busiest station on a network. In

Arranging Network Stations

an open or semi-open work area, you are recommended

4

to arrange the network in such a way that file servers
occupy a central position.

When a network is dispersed across two or more
workgroups separated by a large open space or situated
on different floors, you can use an access point such as
WavePOINT to connect to a wired backbone between the
wireless cells, eliminating signal attenuation.

4-2 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Antenna Placement

Troubleshooting

Radio-frequency Network Characteristics

Within any given environment, performance can be

4

optimized by careful antenna placement. For the best
resul ts ma ke su r e th e ante n n a is sec ure l y co n ne cte d to
the WaveLAN card, and that you have followed the
guidelines on antenna placement given in Chapter 2,
“Installing the WaveLAN Card”.

Use the Point-to-Point Diagnostics utility to verify
satisfactory communications quality.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 4-3

Troubleshooting

Problem Determination

Probl e m Det e r m in ation

Problem s in a Wave LA N net wo rk ca n be relate d to:

Component failure (of card or antenna).

●

Environment and operation.

●

Component Failure

Component failure is normally detected by a startup
diagnostics routine built into programs which use the
WaveLAN card.

Environment and Operation

Environment and operation-related problems can be
caused by one or more of the following:

Placing the computer in a "noisy" area.

●

Path defects (antenna connection, barriers, distance).

●

Competition from adjacent networks.

●

Network loading.

●

4

4

4

The Point-to-Point Diagnostic utility allows you to verify

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utilities

the communications path between two stations. You can

4

use it to measure local noise and to find the best antenna
position.

Installing and using Point-to-Point Diagnostics is
described in Chapter 5, “The Point-to-Point Diagnostics
Utility”

4-4 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

.

Troubleshooting List

Problem

Possible Cause

Action to Take

Unable to log on to

network

Antenna not connected

Check antenna connected

Different WaveLAN Network ID

Check NWID parameter in driver

initialisation

(NET.CFG or PROT OC OL .INI)

Auto-connect not correctly enabled

Check Domain ID in driver initializ ation same

as WavePOINT.

Securit y mi smatch

Check: (All stations) Security feature present

and security enabled and all have same

Encryption key, or

Security disabled on all stations.

Card or antenna defective, or station out of range.

1. Run Point-to-Point diagnostics between

this station and one known to work.

2. Run Point-to-Point diagnostics between

this station and a WavePOINT (or wireless

server).

Station's MAC address not in WavePOINTs Access

Control Table (if Access Control enabled).

Check Access Control Table data or reload

configuration with Access Control disabled.

Operating frequency mismatch

Run the WFREQSEL utility to check the

frequency of this and other cards in the

network, and correct as necessary.

Performance less than

expected

Local noise level high , wrong frequency bandwidth ,

local traffic high (bandwidth nearly full) or station out

of range

Run Point-to-Point diagnostics (and

Frequency Select utility) to establish cause,

then take appropriate action.

Utility unable to detect

other stations (network

using encryption).

The utility cannot find a WAVELAN.INI file which is

needed to locate the network configuration file

(NET.CFG or CONFIG.SYS) containing the

Encryption key parameter.

Create a WAVELAN.INI file on the Utilities

diskette (See Chapter 3

)

.

Troubleshooting

Problem Determination

The following table identifies some common symptoms

4

of environment or operational problems, and suggests
the direction to take to find a solution.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 4-5

Troubleshooting

Performance loss or "Out-

of-range" condition

(typically when the station

is relocated)

No closer WavePOINT to hand over to.

Install another WavePOINT to extend the

Auto-connect area.

The WaveLAN Card’s “Auto-conect feature has been

disabled.

Check the DOMAIN ID parameter in the

NET.CFG file (Netware ODI ) or

PROTOCOL.INI (NDIS) file. The value

‘0000’ disables Auto-connect. Modify the

Domain ID an Beacon Key value, to match

the settings used by the WavePOINTs.

Roaming not enabled at the new, closer WavePOINT

Check Installation records. Ask the Network

Administrator to run WaveMONITOR to

check that WavePOINT is sending Beacons,

Signal Quality is O.K. and Domain ID

correct.

Domain ID or Beacon Key mismatch with new

WavePOINT

Station's MAC address not in new WavePOINT's

Access Control Table

Check Access Control Table data or reload

configuration with Access Control disabled.

Encryption Key mismatch on new WavePOINT

Check Security feature status and

Encryption key of new WavePOINT

corresponds to that of other WavePOINTs

and WaveLAN stations in the Domain.

Problem Determination

4-6 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Troubleshooting

Bad initialization parameter

type for keyword AT_Address

Call code not available

Card in use by another

program

Card not found

Card not functioning correctly

Error Messages

Error Messages

Messages appear here sorted in alphabetical or der of the
text in the message body. However, some messages may
be displayed with the prefix "

Cause:

4

The driver has detected an invalid I/O Base
Address parameter value in the PROTOCOL.INI

WaveLAN:

file.

Actio n: Correct the parameter and reload the driver.

4

Cause:

Valid values are:
The WaveLAN card has no call code (required in

0300, 0390, 03c0, 03e0

Japan).

Action: Contact yo ur lo ca l sup pli e r

Cause:

4

Another program was using the WaveLAN card
when this program attempted to access it. The
most likely occurrence of this message is when
an attempt is made to start a diagnostic program
while the network driver is running.

Action: Disable automatic start-up of the driver and

reboot the computer, or boot from a floppy di sk.
Run this pro g r a m ag a in .

"

4

4

Cause:

The driver or utility could not detect a
WaveLAN card, or the driver could not find a
card at the spe c ifi e d sl o t.

Action: Make sure the

AT_Address

in PROTOCOL.INI corresponds to

parameter in NET.CFG or

PORT

that set with the switches on the card.

4

Cause:

Start-up diagnostics detected a malfunctioning
component and has determined that the card
cannot be used.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 4-7

Troubleshooting

Configuration Install utility

should be run

Could not find driver named

WVLN09$

Error opening WAVELAN.INI

file

Error writing new

configuration to the card

Error Messages

Action: This may be a transient or permanent problem.

Try the program reporting the error again. If the
message persists, replace the card. If possible,
try the card in another PC to verify that the
problem is in the card and no t it s env ironme nt .

Cause: The card has not been properly configured, or

4

the configuration data has become corrupted.

Action: Run the utilities SETCONF.EXE and

INSTCONF.EXE. These utilities are in directory
\UTIL on the WaveLAN software diskette.

Cause: The WaveLAN NDIS driver could not find the

4

device name in the PROTOCOL.INI file. This is
most likely caused by an in v a lid d evice name in
the

DRIVERN AM E=

statement in

PROTOCOL.INI

Correct the

DRIVERNAME=

statement and reload the

driver.

Cause: An attempt was made to start a utility and the

4

utility could not find the WAVELAN.INI file.

Action: If you need to run the utility from a floppy disk,

ensure that WAVELAN.INI and the network
configuration file are also on the disk and that
WAVELAN.INI contains the correct path to the
network configuration file (NET.CFG or
PROTOCOL.INI).

Cause: A hardware malfunction prevented the card

4

configura t ion fr om being updat ed .

Action: This may be a transient or permanent problem.

Try to install the new configuration again. If the
message persists, replace the card. If possible,
try the card in another computer to verify that
the probl em is in the card and no t it s
environment.

4-8 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Troubleshooting

Invalid Combination of

keywords

IRQ Conflict or Card not

functioning correctly

Security Feature not

functioning correctly

Security Feature not available

Error Messages

Cause: More than one card location keyword is present

4

in the configuration file (NET.CFG or
PROTOCOL.INI).

Action: Select one card location keyword to specify the

correct card location:

AT_Address

(PROTO C O L . IN I ) . If no lo cation is

(NET.CFG) or

PORT

speci f ied , the driv e r wi ll aut om ati ca ll y se le c t t he
first card found.

Invalid <
<

STATION ADDRESS, STATION_ADDRESS
NWID

parameter

parameter

>

> = FRAME

Cause: An invalid parameter value was passed to the

driver in the NET.CFG or PROTOCOL.INI file.

Action: Edit NET.CFG or PROTOCOL.INI to corr ect the

parameter value, and reload the driver.

Cause: Card malfunction, or IRQ number is used by

4

another program

Action: Check if the IRQ is already in use by another

program. If so, run SETIRQ.BAT (Appendix C)
to configure another IRQ for the WaveLAN card.
If possible try the card in another computer to
verify th at the pro b le m is in the car d and n o t its
environment.

Cause: Start-up diagnostics have determined that the

4

Security Feature is defective

Action: Replace the card, or run with Security disabled

(see next message action).

4

Cause: The configuration installed on the card indicates

that Datalink Security is enabled, but the card is
not equipped with the Security Feature.

Action: Replace the card by one that includes the

security feature, or reconfigure to disable

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 4-9

Troubleshooting

Software incompatible with

Card

Too many drivers loaded

Unrecognized NET.CFG

keyword on line <n>

Unrecognized parameter on

Command Line

Error Messages

Datalink Se cu rity.
Note: If you decide to disable Datalink Security
you will hav e to d o it for all Wa ve L A N stati o ns
and access points.

Cause: The program version you are using does not

4

match the version of the card installed.

Action: Use only software from the diskettes that were

supplied with the installed WaveLAN card, or
later releases.

4

Cause: An attempt was made to load more copies of one

driver than could be handled by the the driver
software.

Action: Edit the autoexec.bat file to remove excessive

load commands of the same driver.

Cause: Invalid keyword in NET.CFG or spacing wrong

4

on parameter line.

Action: Check the parameters in NET.CFG. Words that

are part of a keyword should be separated by a
single space.

Cause: The command line contained a string that did

4

not match the MS-DOS conventions for program
filename s or wa s no t a v a lid co m m a nd lin e
parameter.

Action: Correct the com m and li ne (see this bo ok).

4-10 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utilit y

Chapter 5

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics
Utility

About Point-to-Point Diagnostics 5-1

Running Point-to-Point Diagnostics 5-2

Selecting the Local WaveLAN Card 5-2
Selecting a Link Test Partner 5-2
Changing Local Identifiers 5-3

Search for Other Stations 5-3
Select in g a Te st Pa r tn e r 5-5
The Measuremen t Da ta Di splay 5-6
Logging the Measure ment Dat a 5-7
Command Line Parameters 5-8

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

The Point-to-Point Diagno sti cs Utili ty

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

About Point-to-Point Diagnostics

About Point-to -Point

5

Note:

Diagnostics

The Poin t-t o-Point Diag nostic Utility is a MS -DO S base d
utility that allows you to verify the communications path
between two WaveLAN stations, or between a
WaveLAN station and WavePOINT access point.

You can use this ut ili ty to:

Check that cards and antennas function correctly to

●

allow exchange of messages
Optimize antenna positioning

●

Verify whether stations are within op erating range of

●

each other
Diagnose the occurrence of local RF noise and

●

environmental suitability.

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility has a log-file
option, to save measurement data to a disk file.

The Point-to-Point Diagnostic is a MS-DOS based utility.
If you would like to run this utility on a Windows 95/NT
computer, the computer must have MS-DOS installed.
Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode, as you can not
run the utility from an MS-DOS box under Windows.

5

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

-1

5

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

Running Point-to-P oint Diagnostics

Running Point-to-Point

Note:

Selecting the Local WaveLAN Card

Selecting a Link Test Partner

Diagnostics

To run the utility place the Utilities diskette in drive A: of
the workstation or server and reboot. Type:

ptpdiag [Enter]

The Point-to-Point diagnostic utility includes a”remote
diagnostics” feature that allows a link test with a remote
station without operator intervention at the remote
station. Some older versions of the WaveLAN network
drive rs installed on desktop compute rs do not support
this feature. Stations running these older driver versions
do not appear in the list of “Other Stations”. For these
WaveLAN stations we recommend that you install this
current version of WaveLAN software.

The opening screen allows you to select the card to use
for the test, in case more than one WaveLAN card is

5

present.

The main selection screen of the utility (Figure 5-1)
enables you to change the Network ID of the monitoring

5

(local) station temporarily for this Link Test Session. You
will also use this scr ee n to

5

Search for other stations running Point-to-Po int

●

diagnostics
Start a link test with a sele cte d sta tio n .

●

Note:

Mobile st a tio n s w ith Wa v e L AN power man age ment
enabled are not displayed, because these stations can “go
to sleep” at unpredictable moments, thereby giving
unreliable link test results.

5-2 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Figure 5-1

NWID

Name

5

Main Selection Screen

Changing Local Identifiers

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

Running Point-to-Point Diagnostics

The local station’s WaveLAN Network ID (NWID) and
name (initially the MAC address) are displayed and may

5

be modified if required. The modifications are in force
only for the duration of the test. When you exit the utility
the original values are restored.

Defaults to the WaveLAN Network I D set i n t he network

5

configuration file or when the card was configured. If the
card is not configured the default value is “0100”H.
Change the Network ID to investigate path conditions in
other WaveLAN cells.

Defaults to the WaveLAN card’s MAC Address. This

5

name will be displayed in the “Other Stations” box on
any other stations in this network that are running the
Point-to-Point Diagnostics program. Change it if a more
meaningful name is required.

Search for Other Stations

Selecting this option causes a search to be made for all
statio ns able to participa te in Point-to- P o int di agnostics

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 5-3

5

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

Running Point-to-P oint Diagnostics

Note: If no stations, or fewer than expected, are listed the

with this station. The following conditions must be
satisfied:

Same frequency.

●

Same NWID.

●

Within range.

●

WaveLAN driver loaded (or Point-to-Point

●

diagn o stics utility sta r te d in sta tio n s w ith old er
netwo rk d riv e rs installe d ).

The responding stations’ names or MAC addresses are
displayed in the “Other Stations” box. (Figure 5-1 on
page 5-3).

reason may be:

Wrong NWID

●

Utility not started at one or more stations where

●

older network driv e rs a re insta l le d .
Antenna not properly connected.

●

WavePOINT not powered on.

●

Signal too weak. The antenna is completely shielded

●

by a radio-frequency barrier or the stations are too
far apart.

Noise level too high for signal measurement. The

●

antenna of the local or remote station is too close to a
noise source.

WaveLAN card or antenna defective.

●

Security Fea ture mismat ch. If t h e security feature

●

option has been installed, it is possible that one of th e
stations does not have encryption enabled or that the
encryption key values are different (The “local”
display indicates whether or not encryption is
enabled for that station).

5-4 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Selecting a Test Partner

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

Running Point-to-Point Diagnostics

Frequency band mismatch; 2.4 GHz WaveLAN car ds

●

will not communicate with 915 MHz cards, nor will

2.4 GHz cards of different frequencies communicate
with each other.

Can’t find encryption key. If the network is using the

●

security feature, the Enabler is installed, and the
encryption key is present as a parameter in the
network configuration file, the utility needs to be
able to locate the network configuration file to access
the encryption key. The location of the network
configuration file is given by the WAVELAN.INI fil e
which must be present on the utilities diskette.
Chapter 3, “Installing the Software” describes how to
create a WA VELAN . IN I fil e .

Use the Up- and Down-arrow keys with the Enter key to
select fr om the d isp la y ed list which r em ot e sta t ion is to

5

participate in the di a gnost ic test. After the sel ection is
made the program executing at each participating station
begins to measure signal reception conditions. Based on
these measurements the utility displays an assessment of
the Link quality. Link quality can be “Good”,
“Acceptable” or “Poor”.

You can investigate the Link Quality in more detail by
pressing [Enter] or the Cursor key to display the
Measurement Data screen (Figure 5-2 on page 5-6).

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 5-5

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

SNR

Running Point-to-P oint Diagnostics

Figure 5-2

5

The Measurement Data Display

The Measurement
Data Display

The utility displays measurement data for both the local
and rem o te sta t ion s. For each st at io n six me a s ure ments

5

are disp laye d :

Packets received - actual and expected.

●

Packet s lost

●

Percentage successful packets received

●

Signal Level

●

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)

●

Signal Quality (SQ)

●

The Link Quality assessment is based on the Percentage
successful packets received, Signal Quality and SNR
measurements.

5

Signal-to-noise Ratio is based on the strength of the
received signal relative to the local noise. The received
Signal Level is displayed as well as the SNR
measurement.

5-6 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Signal Quality

PC Pos itioning

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

Running Point-to-Point Diagnostics

Signal Quality is an indication of the “clarity” of signals

5

received. This can be affected by the number and
position of radiofrequency reflecting surfaces (such as
exposed steel structural components of some buildings)
in the environment of the signal path.

The Signal Quality and SNR displays give you an

5

opportu n ity o f intera ct i vel y fin d in g the be st st a tio n or
antenna placement, by watching the display as you try
out various positions.

Some environments can cause pockets of reduced Signal
Quality to occur in an unpredictable way. A small
relocation of the computer or antenna is often enough to
give a significant improvement.

If SNR is low (<20) and Signal Level is high, the antenna
is too close to a local noise source.

Action: Relocate the antenna and/or the station, or
eliminate th e local noise so urce.

Logging the Measurement Data

If SNR is low and Signal Level is low (<20), the problem
is most likely signal attenuation caused by antenna
shield ing or stations too far a part.

Action: Remove shielding or relo cate the antenna
and/or the station.

Press Function Key [F2] to s ave the measurement data to
a log file. You can choose between “Spreadsheet

5

compatible” (Comma-Separated Value or CSV) or ASCII
file format. An example of measurement data saved in
ASCII format is shown in Figure 5-3 on page 5-8.

You can append data to an existing file or save to a new
file, and you can choose to save the data once only or at
regular intervals during the test.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 5-7

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

P-value

1 2 3

4

I/O Base Address

‘0300’H

‘0390’H

‘03c0’H

‘03e0’H

Running Point-to-P oint Diagnostics

Figure 5-3

5

Measurements Log File Example

Comma nd L i ne Parameters

If you are a skilled computer technician, you may wish
to use one of the following parameter options on the MS-

5

DOS command line to:

Specify an I/O Base address

●

Specify a WaveLAN Network ID

●

Specif y a sta tio n na me

●

Select monochrome displa y mo de

●

The following parameters are shown in uppercase for
clarity. You can also use lowercase characters.

This “position” parameter is related to the card’s I/O
Base address as shown in the table below:

:

Table 5-1
I/O Base Address parameter

5-8 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

-Ixxxx

-Nxxxxxx........xx

-M

Parameter Usage Example:

Running Point-to-Point Diagnostics

The -P parameters suppress display of the diagnostic
utility ’s initial scr ee n

5

Sets the WaveLAN Network ID (xxxx is a hexadecimal
value in the range ’0100’H -’FFFF’H). This value
overrides the configured Network ID for the duration of
the test. You can use this parameter to allow the station
to run Point-to-Point tests in different networks.

Sets the Station Name. Any Alphanumeric combination

5

up to 20 characters long is allowed.

5

Sets the video mode to monochrome. Used for some
monochrome monitors and non-standard video
adapters. Try using this parameter if you have difficulty
viewing the display.

5

ptpdiag -p1 -i2402

This com m a n d wi ll ru n Po i nt -t o - Po i nt di ag n o stics on a
WaveLAN card installed at I/O Base address ‘ 0300’. The
WaveLAN Network ID is set to ‘2402’ for the duration of
program execution or until changed to another value.
The links can be tested between this station and other
stations or WavePOINTs that use this Network ID.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 5-9

The Point-to-Point Diagnostics Utility

Running Point-to-P oint Diagnostics

5-10 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

The Frequency Select Utility

Chapter 6

The Frequency Select Ut ility

About the Frequency Select Utility 6-1

Running the Frequency Select Utility 6-3

Select a New Frequency 6-3
Command line parameter 6-4

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

The Frequency Select Utility

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

The Frequency Select Utility

2.4 GHz Sub-band

WaveLAN Channel Type

2.425 GHz

Type_A

2.460 GHz

Type_B

2.4305 GHz

Type_D

About the Frequency Select Utility

About the Frequency Select

6

Table 6-1
Fixed Frequency Settings WaveLAN

Utility

The Frequen cy S ele ct Uti lit y all ow s yo u to:

Check the operating frequency of any WaveLAN

●

card.
Change the operating frequency of a WaveLAN

●

card.

GHz

Use the utility to select a different frequency when:

Your existing WaveLAN network (e.g. with

●

WavePOINTs and WaveLAN cards) operates at
another radio frequency.

Your wireless network suffers from interference by

●

other wireless devices.

Earlier versions of WaveLAN/ISA and Micro Channel
cards and WavePOINT access points can operate at one
fixed freq ue n cy on ly. To comply wit h loca l reg ul ati o ns
these products have been set to operate at one of the
following frequencies:

2.4

6

You can determine the frequency used by already­installed Wav e LAN card s by running this utili ty.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

-1

6

The Frequency Select Utility

Serial Number

WaveLAN Channel Type

3105-0111

Type_A

3105-0112

Type_B

3105-0114

Type_D

About the Frequency Select Utilit y

Table 6-2
Fixed Frequency Setting
WavePOINT

The frequency of a Wave POINT c an be determined from
the last 4 digits of the model number, printed on a label
on the back of the unit. Use the following list to convert
the model number to the associated frequency channel:

If you are not certain about the frequency used by your
WaveLAN products, contact your local supplier.

6-2 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

The Frequency Select Utility

Running the Frequency Select Utility

Running the Frequenc y Select

Select a New Frequency

Figure 6-1

6

Frequency Select Screen

Utility

To run the utility place the Utilities diskette in drive A: of
the workstation or server and reboot.

Type:

wfreqsel

The program will ask you to select the WaveLAN card
address. Use the cursor control keys to select the
address, and press

The program will diagnose the card settings and display
the current operating frequency, along with a list of

6

optional frequencies supported by the WaveLAN card
(Figure 6-1).

and press

[Enter]

[Enter]

.

6

Use the cu rsor co ntro l ke ys to sele ct an ot h er frequency
from the displayed list.

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide 6-3

The Frequency Select Utility

Running the Frequency Select Utility

Command line parameter

Press

[Enter]

to program this operating frequency into
your card. The WaveLAN card will use the new
frequency until the Frequency Select Utility is run again.

Press the

key to quit the utility.

[F10]

You can use the parameter option -M on the MS-DOS
command line to select a "Monochrome Display" mode.

6

Try this parameter if you have difficulty viewing the
displa y in no rm al co lo u r m o de .

Example:

wfreqsel -m

6-4 WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide

Table of Contents

WaveLAN Specifications

Appendix A

WaveLAN Specifications

Specifications A-1

Environment Definitions: A-2

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Table of Contents

WaveLAN Specifications

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Specifications

ISA Card Specifications

Hardware Switched

I/O Base Address, Remote Boot Base Address

Temperature Range Host

Equipment

0° to +40° C

Data Communicatio n

Data Ra t e :

2Mbit/sec.

Media Access Protocol:

Ethernet variety (CSMA/CA)

Bit Error Rate:

Better than 10

Power Consumption

915 MHz

2.4 GHz

+5V:

1400 mA (max)

1200 mA (max)

-12V:

8 mA (max)

8 mA (max)

R-F Specification

915 MHz

2.4 GHz

Frequency:

Fixed Frequency

Sub-Band Frequency Selection

(subject to local radio

regulations)

Modulation Technique

Spread Spectrum - DQSPK

Output Power

23 dBm

15 dBm

Receiver Sensitivity

-78 dBm

-80 dBm

Spread Spectrum - DQSPK

FCC Regulati ons:

No site license required

No site license requ ired

Range

:

Open Office:

250m (800 ft)

200 m (600 ft)

Semi-open Office:

60m (200 ft)

50 m (160 ft)

Closed Of f ice:

30m (100 ft)

25 m (80 ft)

(Office environments are described on next page)

WaveLAN Specifications

A

Specifications

A

-8

WaveL AN/ I SA U s er ’s Gu ide

-1

A

WaveLAN Specifications

The range of WaveLAN may vary according to the

physical environment where the product will be used.

Signal stre ng t h can be affe cte d by cl o seness to metal

surfaces and solid high-density materials. The ranges

listed on the previous page may provide a rul e of thumb

to the range that might be expected in a typical

environment.

Open office:

Antennas can "see" each other, i.e. there are no physical

obstructions between them.

Semi-o p e n office:

Work space is divided by shoulder-height, hollow wall

elements; antennas are at desktop level.

Closed Offi ce :

Completely enclosed work space with non-metallic, non-

concrete walls from floor to ceiling.

Specifications

Environment Definitions:

A

A

A

A

A-2 WaveLAN/ISA U s er ’s Gu ide

Table of Contents

Driver Installation Examples

Appendix B

Driver Installation Examples

NetWare Examples B-1

Personal NetWare B-1
DOS/ODI Workstation Driver B-1

NDIS Examples B-3

LAN Manager Installation B-3
Windows for Workgroups Driver Installation B-4

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Driver Installation Examples

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Driver Installation Examples

•

Personal NetWare

•

NetWare (workstation)

Personal NetWare

Run the Personal NetWare INSTALL program as

described in the Personal NetWare documentation. From

the list of Primary Network Interface Cards, select the

OEM supplied driver files

option.

DOS/ODI

Workstation Driver

For NetWare versions 3.12 and 4 the procedure for

installing the workstation driver is similar to that for

Persona l Ne tWar e (a bov e ).

For earlier versions, proceed as follows:

NetWare Examples

B

NetWare Examples

This se ction de scrib es installation in th e following
environments:

B

Place the WaveLAN diskette in drive A: and enter a:
when asked for a path name for the driver.

Continue with steps
installation procedure.

Modify the NET.CFG file as described in

and 3 of the Personal NetWare

2

Chapter 3

B

.

B

Insert the NetWare WSGEN diskette in drive A:. Copy
NetWare DOS/ODI from the WSGEN diskette support
files to the root directory of the workstation. Example
commands:

copy a:\netx.com c:\wavelan\
copy a:\lsl.com c:\wavelan\
copy a:\ipxodi.com c:\wavelan\

WaveL AN/ I SA U s er ’s Gu ide

-1

B

Driver Installation Examples

Edit the workstation's AUTOEXEC.BAT file to include

the following lines in the order shown here (example):

NetWare Examples

C:\WAVELAN\LSL
C:\WAVELAN\WVLAN05
C:\WAVELAN\IPXODI
C:\WAVELAN\NETX or C:\WAVELAN\VLM

Edit the NET.CFG file to include WaveLAN
configuration parameters as described in

Chapter 3.

Note:

The WaveLAN DOS/ODI driver works only with the
latest versions of the NetWare files: LSL.COM,
IPXODI.COM and NETX or VLM support files. You can
find these files on the WaveLAN diskette in the archive
A:\VLM\VLMUP4.EXE. The README.TXT file on the
WaveLAN diskette describes how to extract and install
these files.

B-2 WaveLAN/ISA U s er ’s Gu ide

Driver Installation Examples

•

Microsoft LAN Manager

•

Microoft Windows for Workgroups

LAN Manager

Installation

To install the WaveLAN NDIS driver in a LAN Manager

environment, use the LAN Manager SETUP utility

(described in the

This section provides additional information

specific to WaveLAN driver installation.

NDIS Examples

NDIS Examples

This section provides examples for the following NDIS
environments:

If your NDIS environment is n ot listed here, pleas e check
the README.TXT file on the WaveLAN software
diskette.

B

Guide) .

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Start the LAN Manager SETUP program, and select
the Actions menu.
Insert your working copy of the WaveLAN diskette
in a disk drive.
Choose "Import" from the Actions menu, and specify
the WaveLAN diskette's drive letter when asked. The
"Import Network Drivers" dialog box is displayed:
Select the WaveLAN driver (use the
exit. The driver is copied to directory

\LANMAN\DRIVERS\WAVELAN
\LANMAN.DOS\DRIVERS\WAVELAN

Choose View/Modify from the Actions menu, and
use the Network Drivers dialog box to install the
driver.
Choose Save from the Actions menu, to save the new
driver in st a ll a tio n .
Edit PROTOCOL.INI (see below,

Installation Parameters"

Microsoft LAN Manager Install at ion

[Space]

key) and

or

"Changing

).

B

WaveL AN/ I SA U s er ’s Gu ide B-3

Driver Installation Examples

Changing Installation

Parameters

Chapter 3, “Installing

the Software”

Windows for

Workgroups Driver

Installation

Add or modify the WaveLAN card Configuration

parameters as described in Chapter 3, “Installing the

Software”.

NDIS Examples

During WaveLAN driver installation parameters are
added to the file PROTOCOL.INI in directory

B

\LANMAN. Example:

[WVLAN09_NIF]
; Protocol.ini entry for WaveLAN Communications Adapter.
; etc. (can be deleted)
;
DriverName = WVLN09$
Domain_ID= 0x0001
Beacon_Key= 0x0000
Encryption_Key = 0

Edit the

NET.CFG

file to include WaveLAN configuration

parameter values as described in

1

Locate the

Network group in the Windows for

Workgroups Program Manager window. Select the

Network Setup icon.

2

B

From the Network Setup menu, select Drivers....

3

From the Network Drivers menu, select Add Adapter....

4

From the

Updated Network Adapter

5

Insert the WaveLAN diskette in drive A: and hit Enter

Add Network Adapter menu, select 'Unlisted or

'.

(or click on the OK button). The
'WaveLAN NDIS 2 Driver' name is display e d.

6

Hit Enter again to install the WaveLAN driver.

The file PROTOCOL.INI in dire ctory C:\WINDOWS
will include the following parameters:

[WVLAN09_PC]
DriverName = WVLN09$
NWID = 0x 0100
Domain_ID= 0x0001
Beacon_Key= 0x0000

B-4 WaveLAN/ISA U s er ’s Gu ide

Table of Contents

Changing the Default IRQ

Appendix C

Changing th e De fault IRQ

SETIRQ Uti lit y C-1

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Changing the Default IRQ

WaveLAN/ISA User’s Guide

SETIRQ Utility

WaveLAN cards are factory-preset to use Interrupt

Request Line (IRQ)

10

. If this IRQ cannot be used (for

example, because another device in your computer is

using it) you ca n reconfigure the WaveLAN card to use

another IRQ by running the SETIRQ batch file.

To run SETIRQ.BAT, place the Utilities diskette in drive

A: of the workstation or server and reboot.

Type:

where:

Valid I/O Base address values are:

Valid IRQ values are:

setirq xxx nn [Enter]

Changing the Default IRQ

SETIRQ Utility

C

C

xxx

The I/O Base address of the card, which must
correspond to the switch settings on the card.

300 390 3C0 3E0

nn

The IRQ number you wish to use. Select from the
following list an IRQ not used by another device.

03 04 05 07 10 11 12 15

WaveL AN/ I SA U s er ’s Gu ide

-1

C

Changing the Default IRQ

SETIRQ Utility

C-2 WaveL AN/ I SA U s er ’s Gu ide

Index

A

Antenna Module
Antenna Placement
Antenna Support Bracket

B

Boot ROM

C

Configuration, WAVELAN.INI

3-6

file

D

Dip Switch Settings
DOS/NDIS-2 parameter

settings

DOS/ODI parameter

settings

Driver Configuration

E

Email

WaveLAN Support

Error Messages

F

Features

1-5

1-4

2-5, 4-3

2-6

1-4, 2-3

2-1

3-5

3-3

3-3

i

4-7

Frequency Select Utility
Frequency Selection
Frequency, change the
Frequency, check the
Frequency, WaveLAN Channel

6-1

Type

H

Hardware Configuration

Switches

I

I/O Base Address
Information

BBS
Email
FTP Server
Internet World Wide Web

Numbers and Addresses
Installation
Installation, Driver

Configuration
Installation, Network operating

Software
Interference
Interference, noise

N

NET.CFG
Network Configurations

2-1

i

i

i

1-6

3-2

4-1

3-4

6-1

3-6

6-1

6-1

2-2

i

3-3

4-1

1-1

P

Performance, network

performance
Point-to-Point Diagnostics
Problem Determination
PROTOCOL .INI

S

Signal Interference
Software
Software Installation

T

Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting, Erro r

1-4

Messages

4-7

i

U

Utilities Diskette

W

WaveLAN Configurations
WaveLAN Produc ts
WaveLAN Technical Support
WaveLAN/ISA Features
WaveLAN/ISA Kit

Index

4-2

3-5

4-1

3-1

4-5

3-2

1-2

1-3

0

5-1

4-4

1-1

i

1-5

WaveLAN/ISA Card User’s Guide Index

-1

This book was creat ed by:

Authors: Hugh Davison and William van der Moolen

Dear reader,

Graphic Design: Hugh Davison and Jek M istry
Typesetting: William van der Moolen

Lucent Technologies
Wireless Communications and Networking Division
Zadelstede 1-10
3431 JZ Nieuwegein
The Netherlands

An electronic copy of this document can be downloaded from our
Library on the World Wide Web: http://www.wavelan.com.
To view or print the electronic document, in Adobe’s Portable
Document Format (PDF), you will need the fr eeware ‘Acroba t’ viewer
from Adobe Inc. (available at http://www.adobe.com).

We value your feedback. If you find errors or omissions in this book,
or if you can suggest ways to improve its usefulness, I would like to
hear from you. Pl e as e contact me at:

Telephone: + 31 30 609 7471
Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail]

Sincerely,
William van de r Moolen

008 - 0127332/B
October 1996

Copyright © 1996 Lucent Technologies Inc.
All Rights Reserved