Network Everywhere NWP11B User guide

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS Copyright © 2002 Network Everywhere. All rights reserved. Network Everywhere and the Network Everywhere logo are registered trademarks of The Linksys Group, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other companies and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
LIMITED WARRANTY Network Everywhere guarantees that every Wireless Notebook Adapter will be free from physical defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase, when used within the limits set forth in the Specifications section of this User Guide. If the product proves defective during this warranty period, call Network Everywhere Technical Support in order to obtain a Return Authorization number. BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE ON HAND WHEN CALLING. When returning a product, mark the Return Authorization number clearly on the outside of the package and include a copy of your original proof of purchase. RETURN REQUESTS CANNOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT PROOF OF PURCHASE. All customers located outside of the United States of America and Canada shall be held responsible for shipping and handling charges.
IN NO EVENT SHALL NETWORK EVERYWHERE’S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE PRODUCT FROM DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSE­QUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, ITS ACCOM­PANYING SOFTWARE, OR ITS DOCUMENTATION. NETWORK EVERYWHERE OFFERS NO REFUNDS FOR ITS PRODUCTS. Network Everywhere makes no warranty or repre­sentation, expressed, implied, or statutory, with respect to its products or the contents or use of this documentation and all accompanying software, and specifically disclaims its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Network Everywhere reserves the right to revise or update its products, software, or documenta­tion without obligation to notify any individual or entity. Please direct all inquiries to:
Network Everywhere P.O. Box 18558, Irvine, CA 92623. FCC STATEMENT
The Wireless Notebook Adapter has been tested and complies with the specifications for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used according to the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However , there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a par­ticular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which is found by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
• Increase the separation between the equipment or devices
• Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver’s
• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for assistance
UG-NWP11B-110602A KL
Wireless Notebook AdapterNetwork Everywhere™Series
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
The Network EverywhereTMWireless Notebook Adapter 1 Features 1 LEDs 2
Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network 3
Network Topolo gy 3 Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode 3
Chapter 3: Using the Setup Wizard 5
Before You Start 5 Running the Setup Wizard 5
Chapter 4: Driver Installation and Configuration for Windows XP 8
Overview 8 Driver Installation for Windows XP 8 Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration 9
Chapter 5: Using the WLAN Monitor for Windows 98, Me, and 2000 11
Overview 11 Starting the WLAN Monitor 11 Link Information 12 Site Survey 14 Profiles 15 Creating a New Profile 18
Appendix A: Troubleshooting 23
Common Problems and Solutions 23 Frequently Asked Questions 24
Appendix B: Glossary 27
Appendix C: Specifications 35
Appendix D: Warranty Information 36
Appendix E: Contact Information 37
Chapter 1:Introduction
Connect your notebook computer to a wireless network with the Network Everywhere Wireless Notebook Adapter. The included Setup Wizard will walk you through configuring the adapter and your network's settings, step by step. Then just slide it into your notebook's PC Card slot and enjoy network access with your notebook computer, while retaining true mobility.
Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the Internet, and share f iles and other resources such as printers and network stor­age with other computers on the network, wherever you wander. At home, you can surf the web or use instant messaging to chat with friends while sitting out on the patio. You'll also be able to connect with any of the growing number of public wireless "hotspots" springing up in coffee shops, airport lounges, hotels and convention centers.
The Network Everywhere Wireless Notebook Adapter is fully compliant with the 802.11b wireless network standard, transferring data at up to 11Mbps in the
2.4GHz radio band. If distance or interference starts to degrade the signal, the Adapter automatically drops down to slower speeds, to keep you connected if at all possible. W ireless communications are protected b y up to 128-bit encryp­tion, so your data stays secure.
Get connected and stay mobile with the Network Everywhere Wireless Notebook Adapter.
• IEEE 802.11b compliant
• Auto f allback
• RF Output 18dBm (64mW)
• 64/128-bit WEP
• Cardbus Interf ace
• Easy-to-use Setup Wizard and WLAN Monitor Utility
The Network Everywhere™ Wireless Notebook Adapter
Features
1
Wireless Notebook Adapter
3
Network Everywhere™Series
Power Green. The Power LED lights up when the Adapter is pow-
ered on.
Act Green. The Link LED blinks when the Adapter is receiving
and transmitting network data.
LEDs
Figure 3-1
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Chapter 2:Planning You r Wireless Network
A wireless local area network (WLAN) is exactly like a regular local area net­work (LAN), except that each computer in the WLAN uses a wireless de vice to connect to the network. Computers in a WLAN share the same frequency channel and SSID, which is an identification name for wireless devices.
Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which they may be set up: infrastructure and ad-hoc. An infrastructure conf igura- tion is a WLAN and wired LAN communicating to each other through an access point. An ad-hoc configuration is wireless-equipped computers com­municating directly with each other. Choosing between these two modes depends on whether or not the wireless network needs to share data or periph­erals with a wired network or not.
If the computers on the wireless network need to be accessed by a wired network or need to share a peripheral, such as a print­er, with the wired network computers, the wireless network should be set up in infrastructure mode. (See Figure 2-1.) The basis of infrastructure mode centers around an access point, which serves as the main point of com­munications in a wireless network. Access points transmit data to PCs equipped with wireless network cards and adapters, which can roam within a certain radial range of the access point. Multiple access points can be arranged to work in succession to extend the roaming range, and can be set up to com­municate with your Ethernet (wired) hardware as well.
Network Topology
Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode
Figure 2-1
Wireless Notebook Adapter
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Chapter 3: Using the Setup Wizard
The Network Everywhere™ Wireless Notebook Adapter comes with an auto­mated software installation procedure for Windows 98, Me, and 2000. This automatically installs the drivers and Configuration Utility before you insert the Adapter into your PC, so there’s no searching for the location of drivers.
Again, this step is taken before inserting the Adapter into your PC.
1. Before installing your adapter, insert the Setup Wizard CD into your CD­ROM drive. Unless you have deactivated the auto-run feature of Windows, the screen shown in Figure 3-1 should appear automatically. If it does not, this means the autorun is not functioning. Start the Setup Wizard manually by clicking the Start button, selecting Run, and typing d:\setup.ex e(where “D” is your PD’s CD-ROM drive).
Click the Install button to run the Setup Wizard or the Exit button to close this screen. You opened this User Guide by clicking the User Guidebutton.
Before You Star t
Figure 3-1
Important for Windo ws XP users:Do NOT run the Wireless Notebook Adapter’s Setup Wizard. See “Chapter 4: Driver Installation and Configuration for Windows XP.” If the Setup Wizard runs automatically after the Setup Wizard CD-ROM has been inserted, click the Exit tab..”
Running the Setup Wizard
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4
If the wireless network is relatively small and needs to share resources only with the other computers on the wireless network, then the ad-hoc mode can be used. (See Figure 2-2.) Ad-hoc mode allows computers equipped with wire­less transmitters and receivers to communicate directly with each other, elimi­nating the need for an access point. The drawback of this mode is that, in Ad­Hoc mode, wireless-equipped computers are not able to communicate with computers on a wired network. And, of course, communication between the wireless-equipped computers is limited by the distance and interference direct­ly between them.
Figure 2-2
Wireless Notebook Adapter
4. The Channel set­ting that appears on the next screen, shown in Figure 3-4, speci­fies the channel used in wireless communication and should be set to the same chan­nel as the other points in the wire­less network. This setting can only be adjusted in Ad­Hoc mode.
Once this setting is made, click the Next button to proceed or the Back but­ton to return to the previous screen.
5. Review your set­tings on the fol­lowing screen, shown in Figure 3-5. If they are correct, click the Next button to proceed or the Back button to change settings on a previous screen.
6. Lastly, you will see the Congratulations screen, showing that installation of the Adapter’s drivers and software has been installed. Click the Finish but­ton to close the Setup Wizard.
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2. The following screen, shown in Figure 3-2, will dis­play the Network Everywhere End­User License Agreement. Read this and click the Next button to pro­ceed or the Cancel button to close the Setup Wizard.
3. When the screen shown in Figure 3-3 appears, you will choose your net­work topology, as described in Chapter 2. Ad-Hoc mode is used for a sim­ple peer-to-peer network and allows the sharing of local resources only between Wireless Notebook Adapters without needing an access point or wireless router. The Infrastructure mode allows a wireless network to be integrated into an existed, wired network through an access point or wire­less router
With your network topology selected, enter your wireless network’s SSID. This is a type of network name and must be identical for all points in your network. It is case sensitive and must not exceed 32 characters. Enter this in the SSID f ield.
Once these settings are made, click the Next button to pro­ceed or the Back button to return to the previous screen.
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Figure 3-4
Figure 3-5
Network Everywhere™Series
Figure 3-2
Figure 3-3
Wireless Notebook Adapter
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2. After Windows has finished installing the driv­er, click the Finish button, as shown in Figure 4-2.
You have now completed the driver installation for
the Wireless Notebook Adapter.To configure the Adapter, proceed to
the next section, “Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration.”
1. After installing the Adapter, the Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration icon will appear in your comput­er’s system tray (see Figure 4-3). Double-click the icon.
Figure 4-2
Network Everywhere™Series
Chapter 4:Driver Installation and Configuration for Windows XP
After inserting the Wireless Notebook Adapter into your computer, you will install the driver and configure the Adapter.
1. Windows XP will automatically detect the Adapter . Insert the Setup Wizard
CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. Click the radio button next to Install the software automatically (Recommended), as shown in Figure 4-1, and click the Next button.
Important for Windo ws XP users:Do NOT run the Wireless Notebook Adapter’s Setup Wizard. If the Setup Wizard runs automatically after the Setup Wizard CD-ROM has been inserted, click the Exit tab.
Figure 4-1
Overview
Driver Installation for Windows XP
Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration
Important for Windows XP users: Windows XP has a built-in con­figuration tool. Use the Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration (in the system tray at the bottom of your screen) to configure the Adapter.
Figure 4-3
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