NETGEAR MA111 User Manual

User's Guide

802.11b Wireless USB Adapter

2.4 GHz MA111

System Requirements

Before installing the MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter, please make sure that your
computer system has the following:

• A computer with a USB 1.1/2.0 port. A USB port allows a user to use the same device for
either their desktop or laptop

• Windows®98/ME/2000/XP (be sure to have the Windows Installation CD-ROM ready
for use during installation).

• At least 5 Megabytes disk space for installing the driver and utility programs.

LED Indicators

The green LED on the MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter indicates the wireless link
condition of the station with another wireless node or the associated Access Point.

Installing the MA111 Wireless USB
Adapter

Important Note: You must first install the software before you plug the USB Adapter into your
computer!

Follow these steps to install the MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter.

Install the MA111 Driver and Utility Software

1. Turn on your computer.

2. Insert the GearBox for Wireless USB Adapter CD into the CD-ROM drive.

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LED Activity

Meaning of LED Activity

Steady Green

The MA111 has a connection with an access point or another

802.11b device.

Blinking

The MA111 is trying to establish a connection. If it keeps
blinking for a while, check your configuration, or try moving to a
different location where the wireless signal quality is better.

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of NETGEAR MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter.
With this USB adapter you will get ultimate mobility at home, in your office, or while you are
traveling, and it frees you from traditional Ethernet wiring.

This installation guide shows you how to connect the USB adapter and configure it with your
access point. Setup is easy – follow the instruction in this guide and your system will be up and
running quickly.

Package Contents

The product package should contain:

• MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter

• USB Cable

• GearBox™CD for Wireless USB Adapter

• User’s guide

• Warranty card

• Support information card

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MA111 802.11 Wireless USB Adapter

USB Cable

Resource CD,
Warranty card and
Support information card

8. The Choose Destination Location screen will display the default Destination Folder. If you
want to change the default folder, click Browse and choose a different destination folder.

9. Then, click

Next to continue to the next screen.

10. Modify the Program Folders field, if desired. Click Next to continue. Install Shield will
start copying files onto your system.

11. Click Finish to complete installing the Configuration Utility.

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3. The Autostart Wizard screen will appear, as shown here:

4. Click the

Install Driver & Utility option.

5. If the Autorun wizard does not automatically start, go to your Windows Start menu and

choose Run, and type D:/Setup.exe (“D” represents your CD-ROM drive letter), and
click OK.

6. The InstallShield Wizard screen will appear.

7. Click Next to continue.

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2. Click Properties.

3. Open

Device Manager:

• Windows 98/ME users – Select the Device Manager folder tab.

• Windows 2000/XP users – Select the Hardware folder tab, and click on the Device

Manager button.

4. Double-click Network Adapters. There should be no yellow exclamation mark or red
cross icon on the NETGEAR MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter selection, as
shown here.

5. Double-click NETGEAR MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter. On the General
folder tab, the Device Status window should indicate that the device is working properly,
as shown here:

The installation of the MA111 Wireless USB Adapter driver is complete.

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Install the MA111 Wireless USB Adapter

1. Insert the MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter into the USB port on your computer

as shown here.

2. Windows will automatically detect the MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter and the
Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box will appear.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver for the MA111 802.11b Wireless
USB Adapter.

• For Windows 98/ME users, once the [Please insert the disk labeled “Windows 98/ME

CD-ROM,” and then click OK] window appears, enter the path corresponding to the
appropriate drives and click OK. Usually these files can be found at C:\Windows or
C:\Windows\System.

• For Windows 2000 users, a Digital Signature Not Found message may appear. Click

Yes to proceed.

• For Windows XP users, a Windows Logo Testing Not Found dialog box may appear.

Click Continue Anyway to proceed.

4. Click

Finish to complete the installation.

Verify the Driver Installation

It is a good idea to confirm that the MA111 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter has been properly
installed. Follow the instructions that apply to your computer system:

1. From the Windows desktop, right-click My Computer.

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Desktop
PC

Notebook PC with MA111

802.11b Wireless USB Adapter

MA111 802.11
Wireless USB Adapter

Once you have completed the utility installation, the Windows SysTray will show the icon in
different colors, as described here:

Double-click the

Wireless Adapter SysTray icon to activate the wireless Configuration Utility

for the MA111 Wireless USB Adapter. You can click any of the folder tabs in the NETGEAR
MA111 USB Adapter Utility dialog box to view the current status or modify operational
parameters.

For detailed information on wireless networking, refer to Wireless Network Fundamentals, on
page 18.

The MA111 Configuration Utility contains seven sections:

1. Status

2. Configuration

3. Security

4. Profile

5. Site Survey

6. Statistics

7. About

Note: The above sections are always available by clicking on the tab at the top of the

Configuration Utility window.

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Color

Red

Ad-Hoc Mode

The Wireless PC Card has
not initiated communication
with any other wireless node.

Infrastructure Mode

Either the Wireless Adapter is not able to link to
any Access Point, or the link between the Wireless
Adapter and the Access Point is lost.

The link condition between the Wireless PC Card
and the associated Access Point is weak.

The Wireless Adapter has established good
communication with an Access Point and the signal
is strong.

N/A

The Wireless PC Card has
communicated successfully
with another wireless node.

Yellow

Green

Configuring the MA111 Wireless
USB Adapter

NETGEAR’s wireless Configuration Utility program will help you learn more about your
wireless network, so that you can customize it to better suit your networking needs. The
Configuration Utility program will provide information about signal quality and link
conditions and let you modify various configurable wireless parameters.

Now that the MA111 802.11b Wireless Adapter has been installed, you can use the MA111

802.11b Configuration Utility to view and customize configuration settings and features.

To display the MA111 Configuration Utility:

• Open the NETGEAR MA111 Adapter programs group or double-click the MA111 icon
that appears in the Windows System Tray, as shown here:

To view or change your configuration settings:

If you are using Windows 98/ME/2000, turn to page 12.

If you are using Windows XP, turn to page 9.

About the MA111 SysTray Application

The SysTray (System Tray) resides on one end of the taskbar in the Microsoft Windows
Desktop. It displays interface icons for memory-resident applications that execute continuously
in the background, such as the clock, speaker volume, and virus detection.

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MA111 Wireless Adapter SysTray icon