Sony PCWAC700 Users Manual

4-668-798-11(1)

2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card

PCWA-C700 Quick Install Guide

This concise guide explains how to install software required for use of the

2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C700 and how to configure the computer for network connection.

Please read this document first.

Capabilities

The 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C700 is a PC Card type wireless network card. With this product, you can build a wireless LAN, such as shown below. The supplied Wireless Panel software lets you easily configure the card for multiple networks. For example, you can store different settings required for networking at the office and at home, or quickly switch between Access Point (Infrastructure) Network mode and Peer to Peer Network mode. This greatly facilitates use of the card in various environments and for a range of applications.

z Hint

This document explains how to configure the computer for Access Point Network mode. For information on settings for Peer to Peer Network mode, refer to the separate “Wireless LAN Quick Guide”.

Accessing the Internet from various places around the house (Access Point (Infrastructure) Network mode)

With a separately available Access Point you can easily build a wireless network. By connecting a DSL modem, cable modem, or ISDN router to the Access Point, you can access the Internet from the living room, bedroom, or any other convenient location in the house. Equipping multiple computers with a Wireless LAN PC Card also allows you to exchange files between the computers via the Access Point.

Step 5

Configure Access Point for wireless communication and for Internet access.

When wishing to use the Access Point to provide Internet access to computers on the network, the Access Point must be configured for Internet access.

(Refer to documentation of Access Point)

Step 6

Reconfigure the computer to reflect the settings made in Step 5.

Step 1

Insert the Wireless LAN PC Card into the computer and install the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.

Before you start...

If your computer has only one PC card slot and your CD-ROM drive must be connected through it, copy the “WirelessLAN” folder from the supplied CD-ROM to the hard disk of the computer before inserting the Wireless LAN PC Card. The following explanation assumes that a folder called “Temp” was created on drive D and that the data were copied to this folder.

Insert the Wireless LAN PC Card into the PC Card slot of the computer, as shown below.

Click “Next”.

PCWA-C700

This document provides an overview of the functions of the 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C700. Here you will also find step-by-step instructions for installing the required software and for configuring the computer for network access. When using an Access Point, you should also consult the documentation of the Access Point.

• Ethernet is a registered trademark of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

• Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States of America and other countries.

• Adobe

• The documentation of this product refers to the 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C700

• In this document, Microsoft

and Adobe® Acrobat® Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

as Wireless LAN PC Card.

Microsoft Home Edition and Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition are referred to as Windows XP.

Windows® 2000 Professional is referred to as Windows 2000. Microsoft® Windows® XP

Windows® Millennium Edition is referred to as Windows Me.

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The illustration above shows an example for a system configuration using Access Point (Infrastructure) Network mode. Two computers with Wireless LAN PC Cards communicate with the Access Point, which is connected to an Ethernet LAN via a hub.

Smooth playback of streaming video data* (Peer to Peer (Ad-Hoc) mode)

Peer to Peer Network mode enables computers equipped with Wireless LAN PC Cards to communicate directly. This allows playback of streaming data and file sharing also in locations where there is no Wireless LAN Access Point.

* A method of playing a file while the download is still in progress.

Note

Poor radio signal conditions can cause interruptions of video playback.

Insert in arrow direction

When you insert the Wireless LAN PC card, the driver installation wizard starts automatically. The actual procedure differs slightly, depending on whether you are using Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP. Please refer to the section for the operating system you are using.

Note

When using a computer which has two PC Card slots arranged vertically (one above the other), insert the Wireless LAN PC Card into the top slot. If inserted into the bottom slot, the antenna of the Wireless LAN PC Card will block the top slot.

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For detailed information on inserting and removing the Wireless LAN PC Card and on uninstalling the Wireless LAN PC Card driver, refer to the User’s Guide supplied as a PDF file in the folder “manual” on the CD-ROM.

For Windows Me

Select “Specify the location of the driver”, and click “Next”.

The driver is installed.

Click “Finish”.

Follow the on-screen instruction to restart the computer.

For Windows 2000

Note

Log on to Windows 2000 with a user account listed in “Administrators”.

Click “Next”.

Confirm that “Search for a suitable driver for my device” is selected, and click “Next”.

Unpacking

Your Wireless LAN PC Card comes with the following items.

• Wireless LAN PC Card

• PC Card Case

• CD-ROM (Setup disc)

• Read This First

• Quick Install Guide (This document)

• Wireless LAN Quick Guide

• Troubleshooting Guide

• Warranty Card

About the documentation

The Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C700 comes with the following documentation.

• Read This First

Contains important information designed to prevent accidents or damage. Be sure to read this before starting to use the product.

• Install Guide (this document)

Contains information about how to install the Wireless LAN PC Card in the computer and how to install the driver and supplied software. Basic settings for Access Point Network mode are also explained here.

• Wireless LAN Quick Guide

Contains detailed information about the supplied Wireless Panel software and instructions for setting up a Peer to Peer network.

• Troubleshooting Guide

Contains answers to frequently asked questions and commonly encountered problems.

• User’s Guide

Detailed manual for the Wireless LAN PC Card. This is a PDF file found in the folder “manual” on the supplied CD-ROM. To display PDF files, Adobe

• Wireless Panel Online Help

This is the Online Help of the supplied Wireless Panel software. Refer to this help for instructions on how to use the Wireless Panel.

Acrobat® Reader is required.

Installation settings and operation flow

First, you must insert the Wireless LAN PC Card in the computer and install the required software. Then you configure the computer to enable wireless communication. After configuring the communication and Internet settings of the Access Point, you must then reconfigure the computer to reflect these settings.

Step 1

Insert the Wireless LAN PC Card into the computer and install the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.

Step 2

When using the product in Access Point Network mode, install and configure the Access Point.

Step 3

Install the Wireless Panel software supplied with the Wireless LAN PC Card.

Step 4

Configure the computer for wireless communication.

In this step you select whether to use the product in Access Point Network mode or Peer to Peer Network mode.

(Refer to documentation of Access Point)

Select “Specify a location”.

Click “Browse”, and specify the driver location.

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If you copied the contents of the WirelessLAN folder on the CD-ROM to the temp folder on the D drive, specify the 1WinMe folder within those contents (D:\temp\WirelessLAN).

Click “OK”.

Select “Specify a location”, and click “Next”.

Click “Browse”, and specify the location of the driver.

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If you copied the contents of the WirelessLAN folder on the CD-ROM to the temp folder on the D drive (D:\temp\WirelessLAN).

Click “OK”.

Continued on next page

Click “Next”.

The driver is installed.

Click “Finish”.

For Windows XP

Note

Log on to Windows with a user account with Administrator privileges.

Step 2

When using the product in Access Point Network mode, install and configure the Access Point.

For details, see the documentation of the Access Point.

When wishing to access the Internet via the Access Point, you must first enable wireless communication between the computer and the Access Point. The following steps show how to make the minimum settings required for wireless connection.

Important

Firewall function of computer

If Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall function has been enabled

In the default condition of Windows XP, the Internet Connection Firewall function is disabled. However, if this function has been enabled, external access to the computer will be blocked which causes problems when trying to change Access Point settings via the network. In such a case, temporarily disable the Internet Connection Firewall, connect to the network and make the settings, and then reactivate the Internet Connection Firewall. For details about the Internet Connection Firewall, refer to Windows XP Online Help.

Step 4

Configure the computer for wireless communication.

This section shows an example for a system configuration using Access Point (Infrastructure) Network mode.

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For information on settings for Peer to Peer Network mode, refer to the separate Wireless LAN Quick Guide.

Windows Me, Windows 2000

Verify that the box “Use Easy Setup Wizard” is checked. Then click “Next”.

The following screen appears.

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If you want to close the wizard, click “Cancel”.

Right-click “Wireless Network Connection *” (“*” is a number that differs according to the computer settings), and select “View Available Wireless Networks” from the shortcut menu.

The “Connect to Wireless Network” dialog box appears.

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If the computer is not connected to a wireless network, an “x” is shown for the “Wireless Network Connection *” icon in the “Network Connections” window.

From the “Available Wireless Networks” list in the “Connect to Wireless Network” dialog box, select the Access Point to which you want to connect.

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Clicking on “Advanced” allows you to configure the wireless network in more detail. For more information, refer to the separate “Wireless LAN Quick Guide”.

Select “Install from a list or specific location”, and Click “Next”.

Select “Include this location in the search”.

Click “Browse”, and specify the location of the driver.

z Hint

If you copied the contents of the WirelessLAN folder on the CD-ROM to the temp folder on the D drive, specify the 3WinXP folder within those contents (D:\temp\WirelessLAN).

Click “OK”.

Click “Next”.

Note

Take appropriate precautions to ensure security when the Internet Connection Firewall function is disabled.

If using the personal firewall function of virus scanning software or network security software

Virus scanning software and network security software sometimes includes a function called a “personal firewall” that is designed to prevent illegal access by outside entities. Depending on the software, the security level of this function may be initially set to a high level. If this high security level setting is in effect, it may be impossible to connect to a network which causes problems when trying to change Access Point settings via the network. In this case, lower the security level in order to permit the network connection. For details, refer to the instruction manual and online help for your software.

Notes

• Take appropriate precautions to ensure security.

• Sony does not provide any support regarding this issue.

Step 3

Install the Wireless Panel software supplied with the Wireless LAN PC Card.

Note

To install the software on a computer running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, log on with a user account with Administrator privileges.

Before installation

• Complete installation of the Wireless LAN PC Card driver (Step 1).

• Close all other Windows programs.

Go to the “WirelessLAN” folder copied from the supplied CD-ROM and doubleclick “Setup.exe”.

Depending on your computer’s settings, the file name “Setup.exe” may be displayed as “Setup”. If there are multiple files named “Setup” in the same folder, double-click the one with the following icon:

Click “Next”.

The “License Agreement” dialog box appears. Click “Yes” to accept.

The “Choose Destination Location” dialog box appears.

Specify the install location, and click “Next”.

The Wireless Panel software is installed.

Click “Finish”.

Under Windows Me and Windows 2000, the message “Installation is completed. Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard will be launched” appears. Proceed to Step 6.

z Hint

In the following cases, the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard does not appear.

• If the driver for the Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 is already installed and enabled.

• If the Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C700 was installed and enabled, and then the Wireless Panel only was uninstalled and is now being reinstalled.

Under Windows XP, the Wireless Panel starts automatically and the icon appears in the notification area. Under Windows XP, installation of the Wireless Panel is now complete.

Click “OK” to start the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard.

Under Windows Me and Windows 2000, the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard starts after Wireless Panel installation is completed.

Select “Access Point Network”, and click “Next”.

The following screen appears.

Configure the “Network Name (SSID)” and “WEP” items.

Click to open the “Network Name” list. Select the name of the network to which you want to connect. (The list shows all wireless networks within range.) You can also enter the Network Name manually.

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For some Access Points, the Network Name may be shown as “SSID”.

When you select a network from the “Network Name” list, the data encryption setting for that network is automatically enabled. If you have manually entered a Network Name, choose the same setting as used by the Access Point. If data encryption is enabled, you must also enter the encryption key (WEP key).

An explanation of the respective item is shown here. Enter encryption key (WEP key) matching

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• To manually enter the encryption key (WEP key), first check the box “Data Encryption (WEP)” and then enter the key in the “Network key” field.

• Until you have entered the required number of characters for the key, you cannot proceed to the next step. For information about the encryption key (WEP key), consult the administrator of the Access Point. (For some Access Points, data encryption may be disabled by default.) The required number of characters is shown at right.

Click “Next”.

A confirmation screen showing the selected settings appears.

Click “Next”.

When communication with the Access Point could be established, the message “This computer is now connected to the access point” appears. Wireless connection to the Access Point is now operative.

Click “Finish”.

The main screen of the Wireless Panel software is shown, and the icon appears in the system tray of the computer.

the Access Point data encryption setting.

ASCII Hex

40bit 5 characters 10 digits

104bit 13 characters 26 digits

If Data Encryption (WEP) is enabled for the Access Point, enter the encryption key (WEP key) in the “Network key” field.

z Hint

The data encryption function serves to prevent unauthorized access to the network. When connecting to an existing Access Point, consult your network administrator regarding the proper settings.

Click “Connect”.

Communication with the Access Point is established.

What to do next

If you have installed the Access Point for the first time, proceed to Step 5. If the Access Point is already connected to the Internet, the setup procedure is complete.

Note

To use an Access Point to connect to the Internet, you must change the Access Point factory default settings.

When using Service Pack 1

If you have installed Windows XP Service Pack 1, steps 3 and 4 must be performed as follows.

From the “Available Wireless Networks” list in the “Connect to Wireless Network” dialog box, select the Access Point to which you want to connect.

Depending on the Data Encryption (WEP) settings of the Access Point, proceed as follows.

• Data Encryption (WEP) at selected Access Point is enabled Enter the encryption key (WEP key) in the “Network key” field. (The input is shown only as asterisks.) For verification, the same string must be entered once more in the “Re-enter WEP Key” field.

• Data Encryption (WEP) at selected Access Point is disabled Check the box ??“XXXXXXXXXXX”??. (For security reasons, enabling data encryption is recommended.)

//PENDING//

What to do next

If you have installed the Access Point for the first time, proceed to Step 5. If the Access Point is already connected to the Internet, the setup procedure is complete.

Step 5

Configure Access Point for wireless communication and for Internet access.

If you are using the Sony 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500/A520*, clicking the “AP Setting” button of the Wireless Panel starts your Web browser and displays the Access Point home page (setup page). (* As of November 2002) When using other Access Points, refer to the documentation of the Access Point for information on how to configure it.

Click “Finish”.

What to do next

Configure the wireless LAN environment. When using Windows Me or Windows 2000, proceed to Step 4, section “Windows Me, Windows 2000”. When using Windows XP, the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard does not appear. Proceed to Step 4, section “Windows XP”.

What to do next

If you have installed the Access Point for the first time, proceed to Step 5. If the Access Point is already connected to the Internet, the setup procedure is complete.

Windows XP

From the “Start” menu, click “Connect To” – “Show all connections”.

The “Network Connections” window appears.

Step 6

Reconfigure the computer to reflect settings made in Step 5.

If you have changed the Network Name (SSID) and Data Encryption (WEP) settings of the Access Point in Step 5, the settings will no longer match those of the computer and communication will be interrupted. In this case, use the supplied Wireless Panel software to reconfigure the computer accordingly. For more information, refer to the separate Wireless LAN Quick Guide.

Also consult the separate Wireless LAN Quick Guide and the separate Troubleshooting Guide.