Sony PCWA-C800S Troubleshooting

PCWA-C800S What to do if...

4-679-934-11(1)

Case 1 Cannot connect to the Internet

The connection between the computer and access point, or the link between the access point and Internet service provider (ISP) may not be established.

1Check the wireless link between the computer and access point.

■ Under the “Status” tab in Wireless Panel, is the Network Name shown as “Not Connected” ?

Check the data encryption (WEP) setting at the access point to which you want to connect.

Click the “Network List” tab in the Wireless Panel.

Modify the settings for the network shown as “Not Connected”, and reconnect.

• Windows 2000 operating system

Troubleshooting Guide

This document provides information related to some common problems and questions encountered by users of this product.

Refer to this guide before contacting Sony Customer Information Services.

How to resolve problems

1 Select the wireless network to which you want to connect, and click “Edit”.

Icon without key indicates network for which data encryption is not enabled.

Icon with key indicates network for which data encryption is enabled.

The “Registering Network” dialog box appears.

2 Change the settings according to the settings at the access point, and click “Connect”.

Encryption key (WEP key)

Introduction

Make sure that the supplied Wireless Panel software is installed. When using the Windows XP operating system, wireless connection settings are made using its built-in functions, but the Wireless Panel software is still useful because it allows monitoring of network status and lets you selectively turn 802.11b/g (2.4 GHz) and 802.11a (5 GHz) transmission on/off.

If a problem occurs, answer the following questions in sequence to find a solution.

Case 1 Cannot connect to the Internet

Is the access point on?

Check the Wireless Panel icon in the taskbar. Was the driver installed correctly?

: The Wireless LAN PC Card may not be fully inserted,

your computer failed to detect the card, or the driver is not installed or was installed incorrectly.

: Driver is installed correctly.

Is the IP address shown on the “Status” tab of the Wireless

Panel window not starting with “169.254. ...” and not “0.0.0.0”?

The wireless link between the computer and access point functions normally.

Yes

Turn on the access point.

Access point documentation

Reinsert the Wireless LAN PC Card correctly or refer to the driver.

If the IP address starts with “169.254. ...”

or is “0.0.0.0”, there may be a problem with the settings for the wireless link between the access point and the computer.

Case 1 – 1 in this document

“

Quick Start Guide” to reinstall the

The computer connects to the access point with the new settings.

• Windows XP operating system

Under the Windows XP operating system, the setting is made in the “Wireless Network Connection” dialog box. For details, refer to the “Quick Start Guide”.

Click the “Status” tab in the Wireless Panel and verify that the IP address does not start with “169.254. ...” and is not

“0.0.0.0”.

The connection between computer and access point should now be normal.

z Hints

• Access point settings can be changed from the computer only after the connection between computer and access point has been established properly. If unable to connect to the Internet, perform the above steps first, to ensure that communication between computer and access point functions normally.

• If an IP address beginning with “169.254...” appears again despite performing the procedure above, see “Case 1 – 3 Check the wireless link between the access point and Internet service provider (ISP)”.

■ Network Name indication does not show “Not Connected”, but IP address starts with “169.254. ...” or is

“0.0.0.0”?

There may be a mismatch in the data encryption settings. If connection to an access point for which data encryption is enabled was attempted with a wrong encryption key, the network name will be shown under the “Status” tab of the Wireless Panel window, but the actual connection is not

established, because no IP address could be obtained (the IP address is shown as “169.254. ...” or “0.0.0.0”).

Enter the correct encryption key as described in

1 above, and reconnect.

z Hint

Even if you connected to the wireless network with the wrong encryption key, the “connected” icon may still appear on the taskbar.

2Is the wireless link set up to act as a network bridge? (Windows XP operating system only)

Proceed as follows to verify.

Click “Start”, and click “Control Panel”.

“Control Panel” appears.

Click “Network and Internet Connections”, and then click “Network Connections”.

The “Network Connections” window appears.

z Hint

If “Network and Internet Connections” does not appear, click “Switch to Category View” on the left.

Is the wireless link set up to act as a network bridge? (Windows XP operating system only)

There may be a problem with the link between the access point and the Internet service provider.

Case 2 Cannot open the Access Point

Setup page

Clicking the “AP Setting” button of the Wireless Panel window does not open the Access Point Setup page.

Does the access point support the “AP Setting” function?

Currently, the Sony Wireless LAN Access Points PCWA-A320/A500/ A820 support the “AP Setting” function (as of January, 2004).

Has the browser been restarted?

If you are using a Web browser other than Internet Explorer, you must disable all proxy settings manually.

If it is set up to act as a network bridge, delete the connection from the bridge list.

Case 1 – 2 in this document

Case 1 – 3 in this document

Case 2 – 1 in this document

A change in proxy settings becomes effective only after restarting the browser.

Confirm that the wireless network connection in question is not acting as a network bridge.

If the wireless network connection is configured as a network bridge, right-click the corresponding icon, and click “Delete”.

3Check the wireless link between the access point and Internet service provider (ISP).

Refer to the connection information supplied by your Internet service provider to configure the access point. If you are using the Access Points PCWA-A320/A500/A820, clicking the “AP Setting” button of the Wireless Panel window opens the Access Point Setup page (as of January, 2004). For details, contact your Internet service provider. Sony does not provide any support concerning this issue.

Case 2

Cannot open the Access Point Setup page

Is the access point on?

Is the wireless link between the computer and access point established correctly?

When using the Windows XP operating system, has the Internet Connection Firewall function been enabled?

Case 3 Cannot connect to the Internet

after changing the access point settings

Were the access point network name (SSID) or data encryption settings changed?

Case 3 – 1 in this document

Printed on 100% recycled paper using VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)-free vegetable oil based ink.

Turn on the access point.

Access point documentation

Case 1 – 1 in this document

Case 2 – 3 in this document

If the network name (SSID) or data encryption settings were changed for the access point, the settings at the computer must also be changed accordingly.

Case 1 – 1 and case 3 – 2 in this

document

1The “AP Setting” button on the “Status” tab of the Wireless Panel window can only be used in

conjunction with the Wireless LAN Access Points PCWA-A320/A500/A820 (as of January, 2004). The Wireless LAN Access Points PCWA-A200 and PCWA-A220 are configured using setup and scan utilities supplied with the respective access points. For details, see the documentation provided with these access points.

2Even when using the Wireless LAN Access Points PCWA-A320/A500/A820, clicking the “AP

Setting” button results in the message “There was no response from the access point. Possible reasons include: the access point is located too far away, the access point may not be configured to respond, the access point may be turned off.” In such a case, communication may be unstable.

Check whether the distance between computer and access point is not excessive, and whether there are any obstacles that may impair signal transmission. Ensure that the computer and access point can communicate and then click the “AP Setting” button again.

3When using the Windows XP operating system, opening the Access Point Setup page may not

be possible if the Internet Connection Firewall function has been enabled.

Use the following procedure to check the firewall setting.

Click “Start”, point to “Connect To”, and click “Show all connections”.

Right-click the Wireless Network Connection icon to which you want to connect, and click “Properties”.

Click the “Advanced” tab and (if selected) clear the “Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to

this computer from the Internet” check box. Click “OK”.

z Hint

Refer to Windows XP Help for details about the Internet Connection Firewall function.

Note

Take appropriate precautions to ensure security when the Internet Connection Firewall function is disabled. Except when configuring the wireless LAN access point, it is strongly recommended that you enable the Internet Connection Firewall function at all times.

z Hint

The PCWA-A820 is the access point of the Wireless Broadband Router PCWA-AR800.

Case 3 Cannot connect to the Internet after changing the

Case 7 Even if the settings in “Channel settings to create

access point settings

If you have changed the data encryption setting of the access point according to its documentation, you must change the wireless connection settings at the computer accordingly, using the same values as for the access point. If Internet access was working and has become unavailable after changing the encryption settings, perform the following steps to match the settings of the computer and access point.

1The access point encryption settings were changed, but the settings for the link between the

access point and computer were not modified.

Follow the instructions for “Case 1 – 1 Check the wireless link between the computer and access point” and modify the settings of the computer to match the access point settings.

2The access point encryption settings were changed, and the settings for the link between the

access point and computer were also modified.

Has the encryption key been input correctly? Temporarily return the access point settings to their defaults as described below, and then reconfigure the access point.

Follow the instructions in the access point documentation to reset the access point to its defaults.

Establish the wireless link between the access point and computer.

If communication between the access point and computer is normal at this stage, the access point can be configured.

Configure the access point for access to the Internet via an Internet service provider (ISP).

If required, change the network name (SSID) of the access point. For security reasons, data encryption for the access point should be configure the enabled.

z Hint

Do not forget the encryption key.

If the network name (SSID) or data encryption settings of the access point were changed in step 3, configure the

computer with the same settings.

Ad hoc network” on the Wireless Panel are configured, you cannot build a peer-to-peer network

The Wireless Panel software “Channel settings to create Ad hoc network” settings are not, in actuality, used to build peer-to-peer networks. They are rather an IEEE 802.11 mode used with the Windows XP operating system wireless configuration function to build peer-to-peer networks, as well as a channel configuration function. When you configure the “Channel settings to create Ad hoc network” settings, you must also use the Windows XP operating system wireless configuration function to build your peer-to-peer network. For details about the Windows XP operating system wireless configuration function, refer to the Window XP operating system Help.

Case 8 Playback of MPEG2 streaming contents (4 Mbps,

8 Mbps) is jerky and there are dropped frames

z Hint

When you change the access point settings, communication between the access point and computer will be interrupted. If you have changed settings at the access point, be sure to reconfigure the computer with the same settings.

Case 4 When attempting to connect to the access point

with the Easy Setup wizard, the “Wireless LAN PC Card not inserted” message appears.

1Make sure that the computer is running the Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition, or

Windows XP Professional operating system.

This product does not support the Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows NT 4.0 operating system.

2Has the driver been installed correctly?

To verify that the Wireless LAN PC Card driver has been installed properly, perform the following procedure.

Right-click “My Computer”, and click “Properties” on the menu. The “System Properties” dialog box appears.

On the “Hardware” tab, click “Device Manager”.

Windows 2000 operating system Windows XP operating system

When using an IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN

Because the actual throughput of an IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN is about 4 Mbps, MPEG2 streaming data cannot be played back. Use an IEEE 802.11g or

802.11a wireless LAN.

Using an IEEE 802.11g or 802.11a wireless LAN, but there are still dropped frames

Check the following points.

1Are multiple computers using a single access point simultaneously to stream data playback?

The actual throughput of an IEEE 802.11g or 802.11a wireless LAN is of the order of 17 to 20 Mbps (depending on environment). Under optimum conditions, such a network can support MPEG2 (8 Mbps) streaming playback for up to two computers. For best results, simultaneous playback with multiple computers should be avoided.

2The contents server and access point are connected by wireless link

If the contents server and access point are connected through a wireless link, a situation similar to 1 above occurs. Connect to the contents server through an Ethernet. If you are using the Wireless Broadband Router PCWA-AR300 or PCWA-AR800, use an Ethernet cable to establish the connection as illustrated below.

Double-click “Network adapters” and check “Sony 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Adapter”.

• If an “X” or “?” symbol is shown before “Sony 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Adapter”, the driver was not correctly installed. Proceed to step 4.

• If you cannot locate “Sony 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Adapter”, double-click “Other devices” and verify whether you can find “Ethernet controller“. If you do, proceed to step 4.

In situations other than those described above, the driver was correctly installed.

To the Internet

PCWA-AR800 or PCWA-AR300

Server

When connected to the backbone network

Client modem or DSL modem

Ethernet cable

Server

When connected directly to the router

Client computer

3Under the Windows XP operating system, conditions 1 and 2 above do not apply, but there are

occasional dropped frames

Set “Streaming Mode” on the “Status” tab of the Wireless Panel window to On. This temporarily suspends the Windows XP operating system wireless configuration functions (Wireless Zero Configuration service) to optimize performance.

Right-click “Sony 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Adapter” or “Ethernet controller”, and then click “Remove” on the menu.

Refer to the "Quick Start Guide" and reinstall the driver and utility software.

Case 5 In the Easy Setup Wizard, the encryption key

(WEP key) was input, but the “Next” button remains grayed and cannot be clicked

Was the encryption key input correctly as a string of the exact length?

If the string input as encryption key (WEP key) is too long or too short, or if it contains an illegal character, the “Next” button does not become available. Enter a string of the exact length, as indicated below.

ASCII Hexadecimal

40 or 64 bits 5 characters (alphanumeric and symbols) 10 digits (0 - 9, A - F, a - f)

104 or 128 bits 13 characters (alphanumeric and symbols) 26 digits (0 - 9, A - F, a - f)

Notes

• When playback of streaming data is finished, do not forget to set the “Streaming Mode” button to Off. If the setting is left On, network switching is not possible.

• When you establish a connection to a network using the WPA security method, you cannot use “Streaming Mode”.

Case 9 Some functions and settings are not available to

some users

Under the Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems, some functions are restricted depending on the access privileges of the user.

Note

To install the supplied software on a computer running the Windows 2000 operating system, log on as a user account listed in “Administrators”. To install the supplied software on a computer running the Windows XP operating system, log on as a user account with administrator access privileges. You cannot install the software when logged on as another user.

Limitations according to access privileges are as follows:

User account type Limitation

Windows 2000: Administrator Windows XP: Computer Administrator

Other users

Can use all the functions (no restrictions). Actual functions depend on the operating system.

Windows 2000: Cannot install the Wireless Panel software and Wireless LAN PC Card drivers. Cannot switch and

register networks. Cannot set the wireless transmission On/Off. (Transmission status monitoring and access point configuration are possible.)

Windows XP: Cannot install the Wireless Panel software and Wireless LAN PC Card drivers.

Cannot use streaming mode and cannot set the wireless transmission On/Off.

Case 6 Cannot switch networks

When using the Windows 2000 operating system

If logged on to Windows as a user with limited privileges, the network cannot be switched. Log on as a user with administrator access privileges.

When using the Windows XP operating system

If “Streaming Mode” was set to On, the wireless setting functions of the Windows XP operating system are not available. Set “Streaming Mode” to Off after viewing streaming video data.

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• In this document, Microsoft

• In this document, Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional and Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition are referred to as Windows XP.

Windows® 2000 Professional is referred to as Windows 2000.