VoxMicro AEH AR9485 User Manual

AEH-AR9485

Product: 11n mPCIe SB WIFI

1x2 HB125 / AR5B125

802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz card

Atheros®, Atheros Driven®, Atheros XR®, Driving the Wireless Future®, ROCm®, Super AG®, Super G®, Total 802.11n®, and Wake on Wireless® are registered by Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. Atheros SST™, SignalSustain Technology™, the Air is Cleaner at 5-GHz™, XSPAN™, Wireless Future. Unleashed Now.™, and 5-UP™ are trademarks of Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. The Atheros logo is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Notice

The information in this document has been carefully reviewed and is believed to be accurate. Nonetheless, this document is subject to change without notice, and Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. (Atheros) assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this document, and makes no commitment to update or to keep current the contained information, or to notify a person or organization of any updates. Atheros reserves the right to make changes, at any time, in order to improve reliability, function or design and to attempt to supply the best product possible. Atheros does not represent that products described herein are free from patent infringement or from any other third party right.

No part of this document may be reproduced, adapted or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, except as expressly set forth in a written agreement signed by Atheros. Atheros or its affiliates may have patents or pending patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, maskwork rights or other intellectual property rights that apply to the ideas, material and information expressed herein. No license to such rights is provided except as expressly set forth in a written agreement signed by Atheros.

ATHEROS MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THE CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL ATHEROS BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL SPECULATORY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT OR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN PARTICULAR, ATHEROS SHALL NOT HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA TRANSMITTED OR OTHERWISE USED WITH THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING THE COSTS OF REPAIRING, REPLACING, INTEGRATING, INSTALLING OR RECOVERING SUCH HARDWARE, SOFTWARE OR DATA. ATHEROS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AS THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE APPLY TO THIS DOCUMENT AND TO THE IDEAS, MATERIAL AND INFORMATION EXPRESSED HEREIN.

The document and its contents are adopted by VoxMicro LTD. from the original document pertinent to the Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. reference design HB125 / model AR5B125. Certificate IDs and antenna details have

been adapted to the actual ones in use. VoxMicro LTD. assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this document, and makes no commitment to update or to keep current the contained information, or to notify a person or organization of any updates. VoxMicro LTD. does not represent that products described herein are free from patent infringement or from any other third party right.

VOXMICRO LTD. MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THE CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL VOXMICRO LTD. BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL SPECULATORY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT OR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN PARTICULAR, VOXMICRO LTD. SHALL NOT HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA TRANSMITTED OR OTHERWISE USED WITH THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING THE COSTS OF REPAIRING, REPLACING, INTEGRATING, INSTALLING OR RECOVERING SUCH HARDWARE, SOFTWARE OR DATA. ATHEROS LTD. SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AS THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE APPLY TO THIS DOCUMENT AND TO THE IDEAS, MATERIAL AND INFORMATION EXPRESSED HEREIN.

VoxMicro LTD

20995 Pathfinder Road., Suite 100,

CA 91765 USA

t: (909) 895-0575 - f: (562) 393-4400

Document Conventions

Bold type within paragrap

h text indicates commands, file names,

italic

Within commands, italics indicate a variable that the user must

The Menu character tag is

used for menu items.

[ ] Within commands, items enclosed in square brackets are optional

{ } Within commands, items enclosed in braces are options from

| Within commands, the vertical bar separates options.

… An ellipsis indicates a repetition of the preceding parameter.

Text Conventions

bold

directory names, paths, output, or returned values.

Example: The DK_Client package will not function unless you use the wdreg_install batch file.

specify.

Example: mem_alloc size_in_bytes

Titles of manuals or other published documents are also set in italics.

Courier

The Courier font indicates output or display.

Example:

Error:Unable to allocate memory for transfer!

Example: Choose Edit > Copy.

parameters or values that the user can choose to specify or omit.

which the user must choose.

The right angle bracket separates successive menu selections.

Example: Start > Programs > DK > wdreg_install.

Notices

NOTE: This message denotes neutral or positive information that calls out

important points to the text. A note provides information that may apply only in special cases.

• iii

January 2012

Revision History

Revision Description of Changes

March 2009 Initial Release

Contents

Introduction .......................................................................................................... 7

System Requirements .....................................

Profile Management ............................................................................................. 7

Create or Modify a Configuration Profile .................................................... 7

Remove a Configuration Profile ................................................................... 8

Auto Profile Selection Management .................................................................... 8

Switching to a Different Configuration Profile .................................................. 9

Import and Export Profiles ................................................................................... 9

Importing a Profile ................................................................................................ 9

Exporting a Profile ................................................................................................ 9

TCP/IP Configuration ......................................................................................... 9

Configuring the TCP/IP Address for the network device: .................................. 9

General Tab ......................................................................................................... 10

Advanced Tab ..................................................................................................... 10

Security Tab ........................................................................................................ 11

Using EAP-TLS Security .............................................................................. 12

Using EAP-TTLS Security ........................................................................... 12

Using PEAP (EAP-GTC) Security ............................................................... 13

Using PEAP-MSCHAP V2 Security ..........................

Using LEAP Security ................................................................................... 15

Configuring LEAP ............................................................................................... 15

Pre-Shared Encryption Keys .............................................................................. 16

Defining pre-shared encryption keys: ............................................................... 16

Overwriting an Existing Static WEP Key .......................................................... 16

Disabling Static WEP ......................................................................................... 16

Using WPA Passphrase Security ....................................................................... 17

Zero Configuration ............................................................................................. 17

Wireless Network Configuration ........................................................................ 17

Check the Status Information or Diagnostics ................................................... 18

Current Status .............................................................................................. 18

Adapter Information Button .............................................................................. 19

Diagnostics Tab .................................................................................................. 19

Transmitted Frames ........................................................................................... 20

Received Frames ............................................................................................... 20

............................................... 7

.................................. 14

Scan Available Networks ................................................................................... 20

Connecting to a different network ..

................................................................... 20

• v

January 2012

Display Settings .................................................................................................. 22

ACU Tools ........................................................................................................... 22

Tray Icon .............................................................................................................. 23

Color ..................................................................................................................... 24

Quality .................................................................................................................. 24

RSSI* ................................................................................................................... 24

Ad Hoc Mode ...................................................................................................... 24

Ad Hoc Mode Profile Configuration .......................................................... 24

Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode ................................................................... 25

Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode Profile Configuration........................ 25

Uninstall an Old Driver ...................................................................................... 26

Additional Security Features ............................................................................. 26

Message Integrity Check (MIC) ......................................................................... 26

Regulatory Compliance Notices ...........................................................................

USA-Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ............................................

European Community — CE Notice: ....................................................................

Taiwan NCC Radio Compliance: ..........................................................................

2.4GHz Operation ............................................................................................

Introduction

Add

a profile

Order profiles

The Atheros 802.11n Adapter supports 802.11n operation. The card uses the Atheros Client Utility (ACU) which is a user-mode utility designed to edit and add profiles for selected Atheros network interface adapters.

System Requirements

Laptop/ PC containing:

32-bit PCI Express Bus 32 MB memory or greater 300 MHz processor or higher

Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows XP, or Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 6)

Profile Management

Configure the wireless network adapter (wireless card) from the Profile Management tab of the Atheros Client Utility.

Edit a profile Import a Profile Export a Profile

The wireless network adapter works in either infrastructure mode (which uses an access point) or ad hoc mode (a group of stations participating in the wireless LAN).

Create or Modify a Configuration Profile

To add a new configuration profile, click New on the Profile Management tab. To modify a configuration profile, select the configuration from the Profile list and click the Modify button.

The Profile Management dialog box displays the General tab. In profile management:

Edit the General tab. Edit the Security tab. Edit the Advanced tab.

To configure a profile for ad hoc or access point (infrastructure) mode, edit the Network Type field on the Advanced tab.

Switch to a different profile Remove a profile Connect to a Different Network

Note that the ACU only allows the creation of 16 configuration profiles. After the creation of 16 profiles, clicking the New button displays an error message. Remove an old profile or modify an existing profile for a new use.

• vii

January 2012

Remove a Configuration Profile

1. Go to the Profile Management tab.

2. Select the profile to remove from the list of configuration profiles.

3. Click the Remove button.

Auto Profile Selection Management

Including a profile in the auto selection feature allows the wireless adapter to

tomatically select that profile from the list of profiles and use it to connect to the

au network.

Including a profile in auto profile selection:

1. On the Profile Management tab, click the Order Profiles button.

2. The Auto Profile Selection Management window appears, with a list of all created profiles in the Available Profiles box.

3. Highlight the profiles to add to auto profile selection, then click Add. The profiles appear in the Auto Selected Profiles box.

Ordering the auto selected profiles:

1. Highlight a profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box.

2. Click Move Up, Move Down, or Remove as appropriate. The first profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box has highest priority, and the last profile has lowest priority.

3. Click OK.

4. Check the Auto Select Profiles box.

5. Save the modified configuration file.

When auto profile selection is enabled by checking Auto Select Profiles on the Profile

agement tab, the adapter scans for an available network. The profile with the

Man highest priority and the same SSID as one of the found networks is the one that is used to connect to the network. If the connection fails, the adapter tries the next highest priority profile that matches the SSID, and so on.

With auto profile selection enabled, the wireless adapter scans for available networks. The highest priority profile with the same SSID as a found network is used to connect to the network. On a failed connection, the adapter tries with the next highest priority profile.

Switching to a Different Configuration Profile

1. To switch to a different profile, go to the Profile Management tab.

2. Click on the profile name in the Profile List.

3. Click the Activate button.

The Profile List provides icons that specify the operational state for that profile. The list also provides icons that specify the signal strength for that profile.

Import and Export Profiles

Importing a Profile

1. From the Profile Management tab, click the I

window appears.

2. Browse to the directory where the profile is located.

3. Highlight the profile name.

4. Click Open. The imported profile appears in the profiles list.

Exporting a Profile

1. From the Profile Management tab, highlight the profile to export.

2. Click the Export button. The Export Profile window appears.

3. Browse to the directory to export the profile to.

4. Click Save. The profile is exported to the specified location.

mport button. The Import Profile

TCP/IP Configuration

Configuring the TCP/IP Address for the network device:

1. After configuring the wireless network adapter properties open Network and Dial-up Connections.

2. Find the Local Area Connection associated with the wireless network adapter. Rightclick that connection, and click Properties.

3. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.

4. Click the radio button Use the following IP address, then enter an IP address and Subnet mask. Assigning an IP address and Subnet mask allows stations to operate in access point mode (infrastructure mode) or in ad hoc mode and to have Internet access. Default gateway and DNS server information is also required. IP configuration information (DHCP to assign the IP address, gateway and DNS server IP addresses) is usually obtained from the corporate IT staff.

5. Click OK to finish.

, open the Control Panel and

January 2012

• ix

General Tab

Profile Name

Identifies the configuration profile. This name mu

st be

Client Name

Identifies the client machine.

Network Names (SSIDs)

The IEEE 802.11 wireless network name. This field has a

Transmit

Selects the transmit power level in mW. Actual transmit power may be

Power Save

Specify:

Network Type

Specifies the network as either

infrastructure

ad hoc

802.11b

Specifies the preamble setting in 802.11b.

The default setting is

Short &

Authentication

Select the mode the wireless adapter uses to authenticate to an A

In the Atheros Client Utility, access the General tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile Management tab. Edit the fields in the General tab to configure the configuration profile. Make sure to also edit the Security and Advanced tabs.

Advanced Tab

In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Advanced tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile Management tab, then clicking the Advanced tab in Profile Management. Edit the fields in the Advanced tab of Profile Management to configure the profile.

unique. Profile names are not case sensitive.

maximum limit of 32 characters. Configure up to three SSIDs (SSID1, SSID2, and SSID3).

Power Level

Mode

Preamble

Mode

limited by hardware.

Maximum mode causes the access point to buffer incoming messages

for the wireless adapter. The adapter periodically polls the access point to see if any messages are waiting.

Normal uses maximum when retrieving a large number of packets,

then switches back to power save mode after retrieving the packets.

Off turns power saving off, thus powering up the wireless adapter

continuously for a short message response time.

Long (access point mode), which allows both short and long headers in

the 802.11b frames. The adapter can only use short radio headers if the access point supports and uses them. Set to Long Only to override allowing short frames.

Auto causes the adapter to attempt authentication using shared, but

switches it to open authentication if shared fails.

Open enables an adapter to attempt authentication regardless of its

WEP settings. It will only associate with the access point if the WEP keys on both the adapter and the access point match.

Shared only allows the adapter to associate with access points that

have the same WEP key.

For infrastructure (access point) networks, click the Preferred APs button to specify up to

WPA/WPA2

Enables the use of Wi

Fi Protected Access (WPA).

WPA/

WPA2

Enables WPA/WPA2 Passphrase security.

Click on the

Configure

802.1x

Enables 802.1x security.

This option requires IT administration.

Pre-Shared Key

Enables the use of pre

shared keys that are defined on both the

four access points to which the adapter should attempt to associate.

Security Tab

In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile Management tab. Click the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

Edit the fields in the Security tab of Profile Management to configure the profile. To define the security mode, select the radio button of the desired security mode. Make sure to also edit the General and Advanced tabs.

Choosing WPA/WPA2 opens the WPA/WPA2 EAP drop-down menu. The options include:

EAP-FAST EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP (EAP-GTC) PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) LEAP

Passphrase

(Static WEP)

button and fill in the WPA/WPA2 Passphrase.

Choosing 802.1x opens the 802.1x EAP type drop-down menu. The options include:

EAP-FAST EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP (EAP-GTC) PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2)

LEAP If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that

Allow Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab to

allow association. Note: If the Lock checkbox is checked, you cannot

change any values in this profile. See your system administrator.

access point and the station.

To define pre-shared encryption keys, choose the Pre-Shared Key radio button and click the Configure button to fill in the Define PreShared Keys window.

If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that

Allow Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab to

• xi

January 2012

allow association.

None

No security (not recommended).

Using EAP-TLS Security

To use EAP-TLS security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. : On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.

2. Choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu.

Enabling EAP-TLS security:

To use EAP-TLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TLS certificates downloaded onto it. Check with the IT manager.

1. If EAP-TLS is supported, choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu on the right,

then click the Configure button.

2. Select the appropriate certificate authority from the list. The server/domain name

and the login name are filled in automatically from the certificate information. Click

OK.

3. Click OK.

4. Activate the profile.

Using EAP-TTLS Security

To use EAP security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA/WPA2 radio button. : On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.

2. Choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu.

Enabling EAP-TTLS security:

To use EAP-TTLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TTLS certificates downloaded onto it. Check with the IT manager.

1. If EAP-TTLS is supported, choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu on the right,

then click the Configure button.

2. Select the appropriate certificate from the drop-down list and click OK.

3. Specify a user name for EAP authentication:

Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the EAP user name. OR: Enter an EAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name and password and start the EAP authentication process.

4. Click Advanced and:

5. Click OK.

6. Enable the profile.

Using PEAP (EAP-GTC) Security

To use PEAP (EAP-GTC) security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in

he Profile Management window.

1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.

2. Choose PEAP (EAP-GTC) from the drop-down menu.

To use PEAP (EAP-GTC) security, the server must have WPA-PEAP certificates, and the

server properties must already be set. Check with the IT manager.

1. Click the Configure button.

2. To avoid the need to log on again after resuming operation (for example, after your computer goes into standby or hibernate mode), check Always Resume the Secure

Session.

3. Select the appropriate network certificate authority from the drop-down list.

4. Specify a user name for inner PEAP tunnel authentication:

Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the PEAP user name. OR: Enter a PEAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name and start the PEAP authentication process.

5. Choose Token or Static Password, depending on the user database. Note that Token uses a hardware token device or the Secure Computing SofToken program (version 1.3 or later) to obtain and enter a one-time password during authentication.

6. Click Settings... and:

Leave the server name field blank for the client to accept a certificate from any server with a certificate signed by the authority listed in the Network Certificate Authority drop-down list. (recommended) Enter the domain name of the server from which the client will accept a certificate. The login name used for PEAP tunnel authentication fills in automatically as PEAP-xxxxxxxxxxxx, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is the computer's MAC address. Change the login name if needed.

7. Click OK.

8. Enable the profile.

January 2012

• xiii

Using PEAP-MSCHAP V2 Security

To use PEAP-MSCHAP V2 security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.

2. Choose PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) from the drop-down menu.

To use PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) security, the server must have WPA-PEAP certificates,

d the server properties must already be set. Check with the IT manager.

1. Click the Configure button.

2. Select the appropriate certificate from the drop-down list.

3. Specify a user name for inner PEAP tunnel authentication:

4. Click Advanced and:

5. Click OK.

6. Enable the profile.

Using LEAP Security

To use security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. LEAP security requires that all infrastructure devices (e.g. access points and servers) are configured for LEAP authentication. Check with the IT manager.

Configuring LEAP

On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. Choose WPA-LEAP from the drop-down menu. OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button. Choose LEAP from the drop-down menu.

1. Click the Configure button.

2. Specify a user name and password. Select to Use Temporary User Name and

Password by choosing the radio button:

Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the LEAP user name. OR: Check Manually Prompt for LEAP User Name and Password to manually login and start the LEAP authentication process.

Select to Use Saved User Name and Password by choosing the radio button:

Specify the LEAP user name, password, and domain to save and use.

3. Enter the user name and password. Confirm the password.

5. Specify a domain name:

Check the Include Windows Logon Domain with User Name setting to pass the Windows login domain and user name to the RADIUS server. (default) OR: Enter a specific domain name.

6. If desired, check No Network Connection Unless User Is Logged In to force the wireless adapter to disassociate after logging off.

7. Enter the LEAP authentication timeout time (between 30 and 500 seconds) to specify how long LEAP should wait before declaring authentication failed, and sending an error message. The default is 90 seconds.

8. Click OK.

9. Enable the profile.

January 2012

• xv

Pre-Shared Encryption Keys

Key Entry

Determines the entry method for an encryption key: hexadecimal (0

Encryption

Selects the de

fault encryption keys used. Only allows the selection for

WEP Keys

Defines a set of shared encryption keys for network configuration

WEP Key

Defines the size for each encryption key. The options include:

Defining pre-shared encryption keys:

1. Click the Pre-Shared Key (Static WEP) radio button on the Security tab.

2. Click the Configure button.

3. Fill in the fields in the Define Pre-Shared Keys dialo

A-F), or ASCII text (all keyboard characters except spaces).

g box:

Keys

4. Click OK for the changes to take effect.

Overwriting an Existing Static WEP Key

1. Click the Pr

2. Click on Configure.

3. In the window, all existing static WEP keys are displayed as asterisks for security reasons. Click in the field of the existing static WEP key to overwrite.

4. Delete the asterisks in that field.

5. Enter a new key.

6. Make sure to select the Transmit Key button to the left of this key is selected for the key to transmit packets.

7. Click OK.

e-Shared Key radio button on the Security tab.

a shared First, Second, Third, or Fourth key whose corresponding field has been completed.

(1-4)

security. At least one Shared Key field must be populated to enable security using a shared key. Click on the radio button to set the key as the default encryption key.

Size

64-bit (enter 10 digits for hexadecimal, 5 ASCII characters) 128-bit (enter 26 digits for hexadecimal, 13 digits for ASCII) 152-bit (enter 32 digits hexadecimal, 16 digits for ASCII)

Disabling Static WEP

To disable static WEP for a particular profile, Select any other security option on the Profile Management tab to automatically disable static WEP

OR: choose None on the Security tab to disable security, and click OK (not recommended).

Using WPA Passphrase Security

To use WPA Passphrase security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window.

1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA Passphrase radio bu

2. Click on the Configure button.

3. Fill in the WPA Passphrase.

4. Click OK.

Zero Configuration

This section describes the operation of the Atheros Client Utility (ACU) and Windows XP Wireless Configuration Service (WZCS).

Wireless Network Configuration

The Windows WZCS is a service that manages the wireless connection in a largely dynamic way. Only minimal connection information must be identified and configured. To set Zero Configuration on Windows XP, take the following steps:

1. In Windows XP, open the Wireless Network Configuration Properties dialog box.

2. Select the check box “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” to set

Zero Configuration.

When this check box is selected, Windows XP takes control of these settings for all configuration profiles:

SSID Security keys Ad hoc settings

tton.

Note that Windows XP takes control of these settings for all configuration profiles, thus users can not ( create new profiles with different settings while using Windows Zero Configuration.

The Zero Configuration settings override all configuration profiles, even when you select other options. However, the ACU does still control the following settings when Zero Configuration is set:

Power settings Active/Passive scanning (where applicable) Transmit power Wireless band Short/Long preamble (802.11b)

• xvii

January 2012

When Zero Configuration is in use, a pop-up message is displayed on the ACU when

Profile Name

The name

of the current selected configuration profile.

Set up the

Link Status

Shows whether the station is assoc

iated to the wireless network.

Wireless Mode

Displays the

wireless mode

Configure the wireless mode on the

IP Address

Displays the computer's

IP address.

Network Type

The

type of network

the station is connected to.

Options include:

Current Channel

Shows the currently connected channel.

Server Based

Shows whether server based authentication is used.

you attempt to create or edit a configuration profile from the Profile Management tab of the ACU.

To turn Zero Configuration off on Windows XP, take the following steps:

1. In Windows XP, open the Wireless Network Configuration Properties dialog box.

2. Clear the check box “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” to set Zero Configuration. When this check box is cleared, all profile settings are controlled by the configuration profile, which is set up from the ACU Profile Management tab.

Check the Status Information or Diagnostics

The Atheros client utility includes a number of tools to display current diagnostics and status information.

Check current status Check driver information Check receive and transmit diagnostics

Current Status

The Current Status tab contains general information about the program and its operations. The Current Status tab does not require any configuration. The following table describes the items found on the Current Status screen.

Authentication

configuration name on the General tab.

Advanced tab.

Infrastructure (access point)

Ad Hoc

Configure the network type on the Advanced tab.

Data Encryption

Displays the encryption type the driver is using.

Configure the

encryption type on the Security tab.

Signal Strength

Shows the strength of the signal.

Card Name

Name of the w

ireless network adapter.

MAC Address

MAC address of the wireless network adapter.

Driver

Driver name and path of the wireless network adapter driver.

Driver Version

Version of the wireless network adapter driver.

Driver Date

Creation date of the wirele

ss network adapter driver.

Client Name

Name of the client computer.

Click the Advanced button to see the advanced status diagnostics.

Adapter Information Button

dapter Information button contains general information about the network

The A interface card (the wireless network adapter) and the network driver interface specification (NDIS) driver. Access the adapter information from the Diagnostics tab.

Diagnostics Tab

The ACU Diagnostics tab provides allows retrieval of receive and transmit statistics. The Diagnostics tab does not require any configuration. It lists these receive and transmit diagnostics for frames received by or transmitted by the wireless network adapter:

Multicast packets transmitted and received Broadcast packets transmitted and received Unicast packets transmitted and received Total bytes transmitted and received

The Adapter Information button has general information about the wireless network adapter and NDIS driver. The Advanced Statistics button to shows statistics for diagnostics for frames received by or transmitted to the wireless network adapter:

• xix

January 2012

Transmitted Frames

Frames transmitted

Received Frames

OK Frames retried Frames dropped No ACK frames ACK frames RTS frames Clear-to-send (CTS) frames No CTS frames Retried RTS frames Retried data frames

Frames received OK Beacons Frames with errors CRC errors Encryption errors Duplicate frames AP mismatches Data rate mismatches Authentication time-out Authentication rejects: the number of AP authentication failures received by the wireless network adapter Association time-out Association rejects: the number of AP authentication rejects received by the wireless network adapter Standard MIC OK Standard MIC errors CKIP MIC OK CKIP MIC errors

Scan Avai

Scan Available Networks

Scan AvaiScan Avai

Click the S and ad hoc networks. On this list, click Refresh to refresh the list at any time.

Connecting to a different network

lable Networks

lable Networkslable Networks

can button on the Profile Management tab to scan for available infrastructure

Highlight a network name and click the Activate button to connect an available network. If no configuration profile exists for that network, the Profile Management window opens to the General tab. Fill in the profile name and click OK to create the configuration profile for that network.

Infrastructure (AP) Network

Connected Infrastructure (AP) Network

Ad Hoc Network

Encryption Active

Connected Ad Hoc Network

January 2012

• xxi

Display Settings

Signal Strength Display

Sets the units used when displaying signal

Refresh Interval

Use the up/down arrows to set the display refresh

Data Display

Sets the display to cumulative or relative:

Enable/Disable

Radio

Enable or di

sable the RF Signal on all Atheros

Enable/Disable

Tray

Enable or disable the

tray icon

Troubleshooting

Run the o

ptional

Troubleshooting Utility

Manual LEAP Login

manually, if LEAP is set to

Reauthenticate

Reauthenticate to a LEAP

configured access

Exit

Exit the Atheros Client Utility application.

To change the display settings, choose Options > Display Settings from the menu. The display settings dialog box contains tools to set the:

ACU Tools

Use the Action menu to access the Atheros Client Utility tools:

Units

Icon

strength: percentage (%) or dBm.

interval in seconds.

Relative displays the change in statistical data

since the last update.

Cumulative displays statistical data collected

since opening the profile.

station reference designs.

manually prompt for user name and password on each login.

point.

Tray Icon

Help

Open the online help.

Open Atheros Client

Launch the Atheros Client Utility (ACU).

Use the ACU to

Troubleshooting

Run the

Troubleshooting Utility

Preferences

Set the ACU startup and menu options. Check to start the

Enable/Disable Radio

Enable or disable the RF signal.

Manual LEAP Login

LEAP

manually, if LEAP is set to manually prompt

Reauthenticate

Reauthenticate to the access point.

Select Profile

Click a configuration profile name to switch to. If no

Show Connection

This window displays connection information:

Displays the active

configuration profile

name.

Auto Profile

Selection

wireless network.

connected to.

wireless adapter is connected to.

Lists the speed of the link connection.

Adapter IP

Address

The tray icon appears at the bottom of the screen, and shows the signal strength using colors and the received signal strength indication (RSSI).

Hold the mouse cursor over the tray icon to display the current configuration profile name and association, as well as transmit and receive speed and the wireless adapter name and IP address. Right-click on the tray icon to:

Utility

Status

configure a profile or view status and statistics information.

program automatically when Windows starts, and check menu items that should appear on the popup menu.

for user name and password on each login.

configuration profile exists for a connection, add a profile.

Active Profile

Shows whether auto profile selection is enabled.

Connection Status

Link Quality SSID Displays the SSID of the associated network. Access Point

Name Access Point

IP Address Link Speed

Displays whether the adapter is connected to a

Lists the quality of the link connection.

Shows the name of the AP the wireless adapter is

Shows the IP address of the access point the

Displays the IP address of the wireless adapter.

• xxiii

January 2012

Exit

Exit the Atheros Client Utility application.

The colors are defined as follows:

Color

Quality

RSSI*

Green

Excellent

20 dB +

Green

Good

10-

20 dB +

Yellow

Poor

10 dB

Red

Poor

< 5 dB

Gray

No Connection

*Received signal strength indication RSSI. Displayed in dB or percentage. Enable or

disable the tray icon in the Action menu.

Ad Hoc Mode

In ad hoc mode, a wireless network adapter works within an independent basic service set (IBSS), as illustrated here. All stations communicate directly with other stations without using an access point (AP).

To connect to an ad hoc network, configure the profile for ad hoc mode. Ad Hoc

operation may be limited by Hardware to meet regulatory requirements.

Ad Hoc Mode Profile Configuration

To configure a profile in ad hoc mode, change the Network Type in the Profile Management's Advanced tab. For ad hoc mode, modify the settings:

Network Name (on General Tab)

Transmit Power Level

802.11b Preamble (if using 802.11b)

Wireless Mode When Starting an Ad Hoc Network

Make sure to also edit the General and Security tabs.

Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode

In infrastructure (access point (AP)) mode, the wireless network adapter participates in a

asic service set (BSS) as a station, and communicates with the other stations through an

b AP, as illustrated here.

To connect to an access point network, configure the profile for access point mode.

Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode Profile Configuration

To configure a profile in infrastructure (access point) mode, change the Network Type in the Advanced tab. For access point mode, modify the settings:

Power Save Mode

802.11b Preamble (if using 802.11b) Wireless Mode

802.11 Authentication Mode

Make sure to also edit the General and Security tabs.

January 2012

• xxv

Uninstall an Old Driver

Uninstall an old driver before upgrading to a new NDIS driver release.

To remove the newly installed driver from the system if the system does not have previously installed versions of the NDIS driver, proceed to Step 4.

1. To remove the NDIS driver from the OS, go to Device Man

AR500x Wireless Network Adapter, and choose Uninstall.

2. Click OK to uninstall the device.

3. When the device is uninstalled from Device Manager, search for and delete the driver files that reside in the system.

a. Go to the Start menu and choose Search > For Files or Folders. b. Enter oem*.inf in the Search for files or folders named: field, and enter

Atheros in the Containing text: field.

c. Click Search Now. A few files matching these criteria are possible, if previous

drivers have not been removed properly.

d. Choose the files that have been found and delete them from the system.

4. To complete the uninstallation, remove the file ar5211.sys from the folder \WINNT\system32\drivers.

Additional Security Features

These security features prevent attacks on a wireless network's WEP keys. The wireless adapter automatically supports each of these features, but these features must be enabled on the access point.

Message Integrity Check (MIC)

MIC prevents bit-flip attacks on encrypted packets. In a bit-flip attack, someone

ntercepts an encrypted message retransmits it after some alterations. Thus the receiver

i accepts the message as legitimate. The MIC adds some bytes to each packet to protect it against tampering.

ager, right-click Atheros

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)

This feature prevents attacks on WEP in which someone catches encrypted packets and uses their initialization vector (IV) to decipher the WEP key. TKIP removes the predictability to protect both unicast and broadcast WEP keys.

Broadcast Key Rotation

EAP authentication provides dynamic unicast WEP keys for wireless adapters, but uses s

atic broadcast keys. In broadcast WEP key rotation, the access point supplies a

dynamic broadcast WEP key and changes it at intervals.

January 2012

• xxvii

Advanced Status Information

Network Name (SSID)

Displays the wireless network name.

Server Based

Shows w

hether server based authentication is used.

Data Encryption

Displays the encryption type the driver is using.

Configure the

Authentication Type

Displays the

authentication mode

Message Integrity

Shows whether

MIC is enabled. MIC prevents bit

flip attacks on

Associated AP Name

Displays the name of the access point the wireless adapter is

Associated AP IP

Shows the IP address of the access

point the wireless adapter is

Associated AP MAC

Displays the MAC address of the access point the wireless

Power Save Mode

Shows the

power save mode

. Power management is disabled in

Current Power Level

Displays the

rate in mW.

Current Signal Strengt

Shows the current signal strength in dBm.

Current Noise Level

Displays the current noise level in dBm.

Up Time

Shows how long the client adapter has been receiving power (in

802.11b Preamble

Displays the

802.11b preamble

format.

Current Receive Rate

Shows the current receive rate in Mbps.

Current Transmit Rate

Displays the current transmit rate i

n Mbps.

Channel

Shows the currently connected channel.

Click the Advanced button on the Current Status tab of the Atheros Client Utility to see advanced information about the program and its operations. The Current Status tab does not require any configuration. The following table describes the items found on the Advanced Status screen.

Configure the network name on the General tab.

Authentication

encryption type on the Security tab.

Configure the authentication mode on the General tab.

Check

Address

encrypted packets.

associated to.

adapter is associated to.

ad hoc mode. Configure the power save mode on the Advanced tab.

transmit power level

hours:minutes:seconds). If the adapter runs for more than 24 hours, the display shows in days:hours:minutes:seconds.

Configure the preamble format on the Advanced tab.

Frequency

Displays frequency the station is using.

Channel Set

Shows the current channel set.

• xlvii

January 2012

Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits 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 in accordance with 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 can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:

- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

- Increase th e separation between the equipment and receiver.

- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio /TV technician for help.

FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.

This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

Radiation Exposure Statement:

This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator & your body.

This device is intended only for OEM integrators under the following conditions:

1) The antenna must be installed such that 20 cm is maintained between the

antenna and users, and

2) The transmitter module may not be co-located with any other transmitter

or antenna.

As long as 2 conditions above are met, further transmitter test will not be required. However, the OEM integrator is still responsible for testing their end-product for any additional compliance requirements required with this module installed

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that these conditions can not be met (for example certain laptop configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID can not be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for re-evaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization.

End Product Labeling

This transmitter module is authorized only for use in device where the antenna may be installed such that 20 cm may be maintained between the antenna and users. The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following: “Contains FCC ID: 2AE3B-AEH-AR9485”. The grantee's FCC ID can be used only when all FCC compliance requirements are met.

Manual Information To the End User

The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding how to install or remove this RF module in the user’s manual of the end product which integrates this module. The end user manual shall include all required regulatory information/warning as show in this manual.

VoxMicro AEH AR9485 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual