MAN-525503/525534-UM-0413-01
WIRELESS N
USB ADAPTER
USER MANUAL
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing this Manhattan™ Wireless N USB Adapter.
Because many netbooks and laptops (especially those more than a couple of
years old) no longer feature the latest in wireless networking technology —
offering Wireless G that maxes out at speeds of 54 Mbps, for example — this
Wireless N Adapter is great for upgrading the wireless capabilities of your PC,
with enhanced link speeds.* Accelerated speeds will enhance how you watch
streaming media, play online games and experience the Internet. Meanwhile,
improved range and signal delity mean you will encounter fewer “dead spots” in
your home or ofce.**
Both of these adapters connect easily through an available USB port on your PC,
and the included software walks you through the conguration process so you
can take advantage of the many features, such as Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
and WEP, WPA and WPA2 data encryption.
Manhattan is also proud to present these products with our Three-Year Warranty.
For a complete list of country-specic warranties and their details, visit our
website: manhattan-products.com/warranty.
Package Contents
• Wireless N USB Adapter
• Software CD with user manual
• Quick install guide
System Requirements
• Notebook or Desktop PC with Pentium 1 GHz-compatible processor or higher
• Windows XP/Vista or Windows 7/8
• Available Hi-Speed USB 2.0 type-A port
* Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors — including
volumeofnetworktrafc,buildingmaterialsandconstruction,andnetworkoverhead—lower
the actual data throughput rate.
** Environmental factors may adversely affect wireless signal range.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Initial Setup....................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Installing the Driver and Utility.................................................................... 4
1.2 Connecting to a Wireless Access Point...................................................... 7
1.2.1 Using the Manhattan Utility................................................................ 7
1.2.2 Using the Windows AutoCong (Zero Conguration) Tool.............. ...8
2 Conguration Utility...................................................................................... 11
2.1 General .................................................................................................... 12
2.2 Prole........................................................................................................ 13
2.2.1 Conguring the Prole................ ......................................................13
2.3 Available Network .................................................................................... 15
2.4 Status........................................................................................................ 16
2.5 Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) .................................................................. 16
2.5.1 PIN Input Conguration........ .......................................................... 17
2.5.2 Pushbutton Conguration (PBC)..................................................... 18
2.6 Using the Wireless Adapter as as Access Point........................................ 20
2.6.1 Access Point Mode........................................................................ ...20
2.6.2 Virtual Wi-Fi Mode........................................................................... 24
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1 INITIAL SETUP
The following software installation procedure represents Windows 7. Instructions
and screen images are similar for all current Windows operating systems.
NOTE: Before proceeding, uninstall any wireless adapter drivers or utilities that
may have been previously loaded onto your PC.
1.1
Installing the Driver and Utility
1. With your PC on, insert the adapter into a USB 2.0 port.
2. The Welcome to the
Found New Hardware
Wizard screen will
display automatically.
Click Cancel to
continue.
3. Insert the included
installation CD in
your CD/DVD drive
and select “Install
Driver.”
4. When the Choose Setup Language screen displays, select a language and
click Next to continue.
OR
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5. Click Next again to begin the installation of the driver and utility. A Setup Status
screen (below) will display to indicate the progress of the installation.
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6. A warning about an unveried publisher or missing logo testing may display.
Select “Install this driver software anyway” (or “Continue Anyway” in XP) to
proceed.
7. When the Complete screen displays, select “Yes, I want to restart my computer
now” and click Finish. The driver and utility are now installed.
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1.2
Connecting to a Wireless Access Point
You have two options for connecting to a wireless access point (AP):
• To take advantage of all the extra features and functions available in the
Manhattan conguration utililty (which you just installed with the driver), follow
the steps below in Section 1.2.1, then skip ahead to the Conguration chapter.
• If you prefer to simply connect to a wireless AP without considering additional
settings, you can proceed to Section 1.2.2 and use the “WLAN AutoCong”
function (introduced in XP as “Zero Conguration”) that’s integrated into Windows
operating systems.
1.2.1
Using the Manhattan Utility
1. Double-click on the icon in the system tray or right click the icon and select “Open conguration utility.”
2.
When the Utility screen displays (the General screen should display initially), go
to the “Available Network” tab and double-click on the wireless access point you
want to connect to.
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3. Input the security setting required for the wireless network you are trying to
connect to and click OK to start the network connection.
1.2.2 Using the Windows AutoCong (Zero Conguration) Tool
As mentioned in Section 1.2, this option simply lets you connect to a wireless AP,
allowing you to skip the advanced Conguration chapter entirely
.
1. On your desktop, click Start / Control Panel, then click Network and Internet.
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2. Click Connect to a network under “Network and Sharing Center.”
3. Click the access point you want to use if it’s shown, then click Connect.
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4. If it’s an unnamed access point — that is, if the SSID (service set identication)
of this wireless access point is hidden — you’ll be prompted to enter its name,
which must be identical to the SSID setting of the wireless AP you’re connecting
to. Once you’ve typed your entry in the “Network Name” eld, click Next.
5. If the access point is protected by an encryption method, you need to input its
security or passphrase here. It must match the encryption setting on the
access point. Once you’ve typed your entry in the “Security key or passphrase”
eld, click Connect.
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6. If you can see the screen below, the connection between your computer and
wireless access point has been successfully established. Click Close to start
the network connection.
2 CONFIGURATION UTILITY
The Conguration Utility is a powerful application that helps you congure the
adapter and monitor the link status and statistics during the communication
process. It appears as an icon either in the system tray or on the
desktop in Windows.
To view a pop-up menu of options for the utility, right-click on the icon.
• Select “Open Cong Utility” to open the conguration utility.
• Select “About” to show utility information.
• Select “Hide” to hide the utility in the system tray.
• Select “Quit” to quit the utility in the system tray.
You can open it by double-clicking the icon.
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2.1
General
The initial utility screen that displays is General. As all the conguration screens
do (Prole, Available Network, etc.), this screen presents you with several
navigation and reference options.
Refresh: Select to update the list of adapters in the network.
Mode: There are two modes: Station and Access Point. If “Station“ is selected,
the adapter works as a wireless adapter. If “Access Point“ is selected, the
adapter will works as a wireless AP.
About: Select to view information about this version of the utility.
Show Tray Icon: Check the box to display the icon in the system tray.
Radio Off: Check the box to turn off the radio of the adapter. If the radio is turned
off, the adapter will not work.
Disable Adapter: Check the box to disable the adapter.
Virtual Wi-Fi allowed: Win7/8 users can activate this option to use the adapter’s
integrated Software AP function. After that, a new tab (Virtual Wi-Fi) will
appear to the right of the Wi-Fi Protected Setup tab (see Section 2.5).
NOTE: Users with older operating systems will see a Windows Zero
Cong box here, which can be selected to congure the adapter using
Windows Zero Conguration.
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2.2
Prole
This section is for managing the networks you connect to frequently.
Available Prole(s): This shows the preferred networks for the wireless
connection. You can add, remove, edit and duplicate the preferred
networks or set one of the networks as the default connection.
Add: Click to advance to the next screen and create a new prole.
Remove/Edit: Click to delete/edit the selected proles.
Duplicate: Click to build up the new prole with the same settings as the current
prole.
Set Default: Click to designate a prole as the default network for the connection
from the Available Prole(s) list.
2.2.1
Conguring a Prole
A prole allows you to save the settings for different wireless networks; e.g., for
your home or at work. There are two ways of adding a WLAN prole: The easier,
thus typically preferred, method is described in Section 1.2 Connecting to a
Wireless Access Point; the other way, as described here, allows you to create
a prole manually, which means that you need to key in all values yourself. If you
are not sure which values your wireless network uses, you should by all means
proceed as outlined in Section 1.2 using the Available Networks screen.
On the prole tab, click Add.
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This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network; wireless access points are
not used: This option should not be activated in a standard home
environment
. Only if you indeed wish to create a wireless peer-to-peer
network do you need to activate this option.
Prole Name: Enter a recognizable name so you can identify different networks.
Network Name (SSID):
Every wireless network broadcasts an identication name,
allowing wireless clients such as laptops, smartphones or tablet PCs to
see which network they are connecting to. You need to type in the exact
name of the wireless network you wish to connect to. If you connect to a
wireless network as explained in Section 1.2, this step won’t be
necessary, as the utility will automatically ll in the correct value for you.
Channel: This option is only available when you activate the rst option —
“computer-to-computer (ad hoc)” — and is used to assign a channel to
the wireless peer-to-peer connection.
Network Authentication: Wireless networks are typically protected to ensure that
only authorized users have access. There
are different ways to go about securing the
wireless network, and this adapter supports
pretty much all of them. You need to select
the correct authentication type for the
wireless network you’re trying to connect to.
If you don’t know the authentication type, check with the administrator or
owner of the network and ask for the security details. If you connect
to a
wireless network as explained in Section 1.2, this step won’t be neces
sary,
as the utility will automatically ll in the correct value for you.
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Data Encryption: Options are “WEP,” “TKIP” and “AES.” Select the correct value
for the wireless network you wish to connect to.
ASCII / Passphrase: These two options only apply to WEP encryption. T
o connect
to a network that is protected by WEP encryption, you need to specify
whether you type in the key in ASCII format or as a passphrase. When
you select “Passphrase,” the key length needs to be provided. Select 64
bits or 128 bits from the drop-down list.
Key Index: This option, too, is only active for WEP encryption. Normally there’s no
need to change it, but if the wireless network you want to connect uses a
key other than key “1,” then you can select the correct key number from
the drop-down list.
Network Key: Enter the network security key for the wireless network you want
to connect to.
Conrm Network Key: Re-enter the network security key. If you don’t know the
password for the wireless network, check with the administrator or owner
of the wireless network and ask for the security details.
2.3
Available Network
When you open the Conguration Utility, the system will scan all the channels to
nd all the access points/stations within the accessible range of your adapter and
automatically connect to the wireless network with the highest signal strength. On
the Available Network screen, all the networks nearby will be listed, and you can
change the connection to another network.
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Available Network(s): This list shows all information of the available wireless
networks within the range of your adapter (SSID, Channel, Encryption, etc.).
To connect to any network on the list, select it and double-click.
Refresh: Click to update the Available Networks list. It’s recommended that you
refresh the list any time you change the connection network.
Add to Prole: Click to add the selected network to a prole, which stores the
settings so that you can connect to the network quickly.
2.4
Status
This screen shows information about the manufacturer, driver version, settings of
the wireless network the adapter is connecting to, linking time and link status. If
you’re unsure about the status of the adapter and the network you’re connecting
to, go to this screen for details.
2.5
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS, or Wi-Fi Simple Cong) is a computing standard
that attempts to allow the easy establishment of a secure wireless home network.
This means that you can join a secured wireless network without entering a
complicated password; instead, you simply push a button or enter a PIN code.
WPS is still relatively new, and some wireless routers, especially older models,
don’t support it. If you’re not sure whether or not your wireless router supports
WPS, there’s a simple way to nd out. The housing of the router must have a
WPS button (sometimes called N-connect). If there is no
such button, you can
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stop reading this section now because everything that follows
would not be
applicable to your network.
2.5.1
PIN Input Cong (PIN)
The rst method uses a PIN code to connect to the wireless network.
1. Connect to your wireless router’s conguration interface and open the section
that allows you to set up WPS. (If you need to, refer to the user manual of your
wireless router
for instructions about how to do this.) The settings on this WPS
screen of your wireless router typically included an option for PIN.
2. Find the PIN code on your Manhattan wireless utility screen — circled in red in
the example above — and enter that PIN code into the conguration of your
wireless router. The example below is from a Manhattan wireless router.
3. Click Start PIN on the router’s conguration interface. (Again, depending on
which router you have, this may be called different things.)
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4. Immediately after that, on the Manhattan
wireless utility screen, click PIN Input Cong
(PIN). You’ll be asked whether or not you
want to specify an access point manually.
Click No.
The wireless utility starts searching
for wireless networks with a
matching PIN code. This process
may take several minutes, as
indicated on the status bar.
If all goes well, you’ll see the General
tab of the Manhattan wireless utility
indicating
an active wireless
connection.
If too much time elapses between Steps 3 and 4, you may see a rather dramatic
error message. If you see this, simply click OK and
repeat Steps 3 and 4 — but this time, please don’t
take a coffee break between the two steps.
2.5.2 Push Button Cong (PBC)
The PBC method connects the Manhattan wireless adapter to your wireless network
with the push of a button. Simply speaking, you rst press the WPS button on the
router, then within 2 minutes you press the WPS button on the wireless adapter.
The connection will then be established automatically, and no further interaction
is necessary.
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So, you may ask, if PBC involves pressing physical buttons, then why does the
Manhattan wireless utility have an option for a push-button setup? The answer is
simple. The same Manhattan WLAN utility is included with the PCI WLAN Card
and the tiny Wireless 150N Micro Adapter. In the case of the PCI card, it is matter
of convenience. The software push-button eliminates the need of getting down on
your hands and knees and pushing the sometimes-hard-to-reach PBC button on
the PCI adapter on the back of your computer underneath your desk. In case of
the micro adapter it is a necessity. The adapter is so small that there is no room
to place a physical button on the product, making a virtual button mandatory.
1. Press the WPS button (sometimes referred to as N-Connect) on the back of
the router.
2.
Click Push Button Cong (PBC)
on the Manhattan wireless utility
screen (as highlighted in blue in
Section 2.5). The utility will scan
for any wireless network currently
accepting new connections that
have been initiated via PBC.
3.
If the utility can’t nd a wireless network that’s accepting its connection attempts
within
2 minutes, this error will display.
Click OK to get back to the previous
window and repeat the procedure
4. If all goes well, you’ll see the General tab of the Manhattan wireless utility
indicating an active wireless connection.
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2.6 Using the Wireless Adapter as an Access Point
Your Manhattan wireless adapter supports three main operational modes: Station,
Access Point and Virtual Wi-Fi (a combination of the rst two modes). You can
switch between the rst two modes using the mode selector menu in the wireless
utility.
1. Station — This is the default mode. It allows your computer to connect to
wireless networks using the Manhattan wireless adapter. NOTE: As this mode
has already been detailed earlier, only Access Point and Virtual Wi-Fi modes
are further explained below.
2. Access Point — When this mode is enabled, your Manhattan wireless adapter
turns into an access point for other wireless clients, even allowing them to
connect to the Internet using your computer as a wireless router. When you
operate the Manhattan wireless adapter in Access Point mode, the adapter
cannot be used to connect to other wireless networks at the same time.
3. Virtual Wi-Fi — This mode can only be activated if the adapter is operating in
Station mode. Virtual Wi-Fi is available on Windows 7 and 8 systems, and it
combines the features of the Station and Access Point modes.
2.6.1 Access Point Mode
W
hen you activate the Access Point (AP)
mode, the interface of the Manhattan
wireless utility will change and adapt to the
new operational mode.
Click Cong to begin (below). A new
window displays that allows you to congure the various options of the wireless
network you are about to create.
Acts as an access point and allows
Can use the WLAN adapter to other WLAN clients to connect to the
Mode connect to other wireless networks Internet through the adapter
Station Yes No
Access Point No Yes
Virtual Wi-Fi Yes Yes (mandatory WPA2-PSK encryption)
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Network Name (SSID): Every wireless network broadcasts an identication name,
allowing wireless clients such as laptops, smartphones or tablet PCs to
see which network they are connecting to. Enter the name of the wireless
network you wish to create.
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Channel: Every wireless network operates on a specic
channel. In the U.S., your wireless network can be set
to channels 1–11; otherwise, you can use channels
1–13 (1–14 in Japan).
So, which cannel should you use? The answer depends
on whether or not other wireless networks
are around,
and whether or not you, the owner of the
wireless
network, care about optimum performance. If no other
wireless networks are in range, you can
use whatever channel you want;
for example, leave the channel set to the
default setting (“1”).
However, if other wireless networks are in range and you are indeed
concerned about maximum performance, you should set your channel at
least three channels apart from the other networks. For example,
if another
wireless network is present at channel 2, you don’t want to set your own
network to channel 1, 2, 3 or 4. Ideally, you set it as far away from the
existing network as you can; for example, channel 11.
If you are unsure about whether other wireless networks are in range, or
which channels they are using, you can use channel 1, the default setting.
You may not get the best possible performance, but it will work nonetheless.
Network Authentication: Select WPA2-PSK from the drop-down list. Older
standards are no longer secure and should only be used if you have an
older device that isn’t able to use WPA2 encryption. Select “Open System”
to create a wireless network that is open to everyone and unprotected.
Data Encryption: Select AES from the drop-down list as it is more secure than
the older TKIP encryption.
Network Key: Enter the network security key for the wireless network you want
to create.
Conrm Network Key: Re-enter the network security key.
Click OK to create the wireless network. (In the
example here, it’s “hotspot.” Your computer will now
start broadcasting the new wireless network. Other
wireless clients will be able to see it and connect to
it provided they use the correct security credentials.
As soon as wireless clients connect to the newly
created access point, the Manhattan wireless utility
shows them in its Association Table (below).
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The main conguration screen has two additional options as indicated by the red
and blue arrows below.
IP Address: This is the IP address which your newly created access point uses.
Normally there is no need to change this value.
Setting Internet Connection Sharing (ICS): To share an existing Internet
connection among the wireless clients, activate this option. (Additional
conguration options will appear on the screen.) If you’re only allowing
local network access, this option should remain disabled.
Shared network: In order to use ICS, your computer must have an active Internet
c
onnection. This can be a wired connection or another wireless connection.
Select the correct network adapter here or, alternatively, let the utility sort
this out for you by activating the “Auto Select Public Network” option.
Click Apply to activate ICS.
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2.6.2
Virtual Wi-Fi Mode
The setup of Virtual Wi-Fi is nearly identical to that of Access Point mode. The
main differences are that a) you activate this mode while the wireless adapter is
in Station mode; and b) that your wireless adapter operates as a wireless client
and wireless AP at the same time.
1. Activate Virtual Wi-Fi by enabling this option.
2. When enabled, a new Virtual Wi-Fi tab appears.
3. Activate the “Start Virtual Wi-Fi Soft AP” option.
4. Click Cong to set up the wireless network. Unlike Access Point mode, where
you can choose the type of security you want to use, the Virtual Wi-Fi function
defaults to WPA2-PSK AES. This cannot be changed (which is actually for your
own benet).
5. The other options (IP address, ICS) are identical to the previously detailed
Access Point mode.
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© IC Intracom. All rights reserved
Manhattan is a trademark of IC Intracom, registered in the U.S. and other countries.
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