ZyXEL ZYAIR 100 User Guide

ZyAIR 100

Wireless PC Card

User’s Guide

Version 1.0

September, 2000

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

ZyAIR 100

Wireless PC Card

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2000 by ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any part or as a whole, transcribed, stored in a retrieval

system, translated into any language, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic,
optical, chemical, photocopying, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of ZyXEL
Communications Corporation.

Published by ZyXEL Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.

DISCLAIMER

ZyXEL does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, or software described herein.
Neither does it convey any license under its patent rights nor the patent rights of others. ZyXEL further reserves the
right to make changes in any products described herein without notice. This publication is subject to change without
notice.

TRADEMARKS

Trademarks mentioned in this publication are used for identification purposes only and may be properties of their
respective owners.

ii Copyright

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Statement (No. M4Y-XI-300)

This device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
This device may not cause harmful interference.
This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operations.
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 commercial
environment. 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.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio/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 or more of the following
measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and the 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.

NOTICE 1

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.

NOTICE 2

Shielded RS-232C cables are required to be used to ensure compliance with FCC Part 15, and it is the responsibility of
the user to provide and use shielded RS-232C cables.

FCC Statement iii

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Information for Canadian Users

The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification means that the equipment meets certain
telecommunications network protective, operation and safety requirements. The Industry Canada does not guarantee
that the equipment will operate to a user's satisfaction.

Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible to be connected to the facilities of the local
telecommunications company. The equipment must also be installed using an acceptable method of connection. In some
cases, the company's inside wiring associated with a single line individual service may be extended by means of a
certified connector assembly. The customer should be aware that the compliance with the above conditions may not
prevent degradation of service in some situations.

Repairs to certified equipment should be made by an authorized Canadian maintenance facility designated by the
supplier. Any repairs or alterations made by the user to this equipment, or equipment malfunctions, may give the
telecommunications company cause to request the user to disconnect the equipment.

For their own protection, users should ensure that the electrical ground connections of the power utility, telephone lines
and internal metallic water pipe system, if present, are connected together. This precaution may be particularly
important in rural areas.

CAUTION

Users should not attempt to make such connections themselves, but should contact the appropriate electrical inspection
authority, or electrician, as appropriate.

NOTE

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the
radio interference regulations of Industry Canada.

iv Canadian Users

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

ZyXEL Limited Warranty

ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects in materials or
workmanship for a period of up to two years from the date of purchase. During the warranty period and upon proof of
purchase, should the product have indications of failure due to faulty workmanship and/or materials, ZyXEL will, at its
discretion, repair or replace the defective products or components without charge for either parts or labor and to
whatever extent it shall deem necessary to restore the product or components to proper operating condition. Any
replacement will consist of a new or re-manufactured functionally equivalent product of equal value and will be solely
at the discretion of ZyXEL. This warranty shall not apply if the product is modified, misused, tampered with, damaged
by an act of God, or subjected to abnormal working conditions.

NOTE

Repair or replacement, as provided under this warranty, is the exclusive remedy of the purchaser. This warranty is in
lieu of all other warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a
particular use or purpose. ZyXEL shall in no event be held liable for indirect or consequential damages of any kind of
character to the purchaser.

To obtain the services of this warranty, contact ZyXEL's Service Center; refer to the separate Warranty Card for your
Return Material Authorization number (RMA). Products must be returned Postage Prepaid. It is recommended that the
unit be insured when shipped. Any returned products without proof of purchase or those with an out-dated warranty will
be repaired or replaced (at the discretion of ZyXEL) and the customer will be billed for parts and labor. All repaired or
replaced products will be shipped by ZyXEL to the corresponding return address, Postage Paid (USA and territories
only). If the customer desires some other return destination beyond the U.S. borders, the customer shall bear the cost of
the return shipment. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights that vary from
state to state.

Online Registration

Do not forget to register your Prestige (fast, easy online registration at www.zyxel.com for free future product updates
and information.

Warranty v

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Customer Support

If you have questions about your ZyXEL product or desire assistance, contact ZyXEL Communications
Corporation offices worldwide, in one of the following ways:

Method

Region

Worldwide

North

America

Scandinavia

Austria

Germany

EMAIL – Support Telephone Web Site

EMAIL – Sales Fax FTP Site

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

[phone] www.zyxel.com

www.europe.zyxel.com

[e-mail] [phone] ftp.europe.zyxel.com
[e-mail] [phone]

www.zyxel.com

800-255-4101

[e-mail] [phone] ftp.zyxel.com
[e-mail] [phone] www.zyxel.dk

[e-mail] [phone] ftp.zyxel.dk
[e-mail]

[phone]

www.zyxel.at

0810-1-ZyXEL
0810-1-99935

[e-mail] [phone] ftp.zyxel.at

NOTE: for Austrian users with

*.at domain only!

[e-mail]

[phone]
0180-5213247

Tech Support hotline

0180-5099935

RMA/Repair hotline

www.zyxel.de

[e-mail] [phone] ftp.europe.zyxel.com

Regular Mail

ZyXEL Communications

Corp., 6 Innovation Road II,

Science-Based Industrial

Park, HsinChu, Taiwan.

ZyXEL Communications Inc.,

1650 Miraloma Avenue,

Placentia, CA 92870, U.S.A.

ZyXEL Communications A/S,

Columbusvej 5, 2860

Soeborg, Denmark.

ZyXEL Communications

Services GmbH.,

Thaliastrasse 125a/2/2/4,

A-1160 Vienna, Austria.

ZyXEL Deutschland GmbH.,

Adenauerstr. 20/A4, D-52146

Wuerselen, Germany.

vi Customer Support

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Table of Contents

Customer Support...................................................................................................................vi

Table of Contents................................................................................................................... vii

List of Figures.........................................................................................................................ix

List of Tables...........................................................................................................................ix

Preface................................................................................................................................... xi

GETTING STARTED

Chapter 1 Getting to Know Your ZyAIR 100............................................................................1-1

1.1 The ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card................................................................................................1-1

1.2 Features of the ZyAIR 100............................................................................................................1-1

1.3 Applications for ZyAIR 100..........................................................................................................1-2

Chapter 2 Hardware Installation..............................................................................................2-1

2.1 System Requirements.....................................................................................................................2-1

2.2 Installing the ZyAIR 100...............................................................................................................2-1

Chapter 3 Software Installation...............................................................................................3-1

3.1 Setting Up the ZyAIR 100 for Windows® 95 (OSR2) / 98........................................................3-1

3.2 Setting Up the ZyAIR 100 for Windows® NT 4.0......................................................................3-7

3.3 Setting Up the ZyAIR 100 for Windows® 2000 .......................................................................3-12

3.4 Basic Setup Complete..................................................................................................................3-13

ADVANCED MANAGEMENT, TROUBLESHOOTING, APPENDICES, GLOSSARY AND INDEX

Chapter 4 Parameter Configuration ........................................................................................4-1

4.1 Setting Up the ZyAIR 100 Utility.................................................................................................4-1

4.2 Using the ZyAIR 100 Utility.........................................................................................................4-2

4.2.1 Main Menu .............................................................................................................................4-3

4.2.2 Network Configuration.........................................................................................................4-3

4.2.3 Diagnostic Tools Screen........................................................................................................4-8

Table of Contents vii

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Chapter 5 Troubleshooting......................................................................................................5-1

5.1 Problems During Installation.........................................................................................................5-1

5.2 Problems With the Configuration.................................................................................................5-2

5.3 Problems With the Settings for the Access Point.........................................................................5-2

5.4 Problems Communicating With the Computer............................................................................5-3

Appendix A Network Configuration...........................................................................................A

Appendix B Hardware Specifications....................................................................................... D

Appendix C Important Safety Instructions................................................................................ E

Glossary of Terms....................................................................................................................F

Index.......................................................................................................................................M

viii Table of Contents

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

List of Figures

Figure 2-1 Inserting the ZyAIR 100 into the Notebook Computer .................................................................2-2

Figure 4-1 Utility – Main Menu.........................................................................................................................4-3

Figure 4-2 Utility – Network Configuration Screen.........................................................................................4-4

Figure 4-3 RTS Threshold..................................................................................................................................4-6

Figure 4-4 Utility – WEP Encryption Screen....................................................................................................4-7

Figure 4-5 Diagnostic Tools Screen ..................................................................................................................4-9

Figure 4-6 Diagnostic Tools – Site Survey Screen.........................................................................................4-10

Figure 4-7 Diagnostic Tools – Link Quality Test (Master Test Station) .......................................................4-11

Figure 4-8 Diagnostic Tools – Link Quality Test (Slave Test Station)..........................................................4-12

Figure 4-9 Diagnostic Tools – Link Quality Test (Loopback Through Access Point).................................4-13

Figure 4-10 Diagnostic Tools – Access Point Browser Screen......................................................................4-14

List of Tables

Table 4-1 Diagnostic Tools – Link Quality Test Menu Fields (Master Test Station) ...................................4-11

Table 4-2 Diagnostic Tools – Link Quality Test Menu Fields (Slave Test Station) .....................................4-12

Table 4-3 Diagnostic Tools – Link Quality Test Menu (Loopback Through Access Point)........................4-14

Table 4-4 Diagnostic Tools – Access Point Browser Screen Menu Fields ...................................................4-15

Table 5-1 Troubleshooting the Installation of Your ZyAIR 100......................................................................5-1

Table 5-2 Troubleshooting the Configuration...................................................................................................5-2

Table 5-3 Troubleshooting the Settings for the Access Point ..........................................................................5-2

Table 5-4 Troubleshooting Communication Problems.....................................................................................5-3

List of Figures/Tables ix

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Preface

About Your ZyAIR 100

Congratulations on your purchase of the ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card.

Online Registration

Do not forget to register your ZyAIR 100 (fast, easy online registration at www.zyxel.com for free future
product updates and information.

With the built-in Access Point and the powerful routing feature of the Prestige series models, you can place
a wireless Prestige anywhere on a local network to create a wireless infrastructure for real time database
accessing, file sharing, email sending/retrieving, printer sharing, and fast Internet accessing. A mobile
investment saves you office construction cost, maintenance effort, and it's easy to extend the connection
nodes by just adding a ZyAIR 100 on a laptop. A mobile office can highly increase the office efficiency. It
is designed for:

q Home offices and small businesses with Cable, DSL and wireless modem as Internet access media.
q Wireless LAN connectivity allows you to work anywhere in the coverage area.
q Multiple office/department connections via access devices.
q E-commerce/EDI applications.

Your ZyAIR 100 is easy to install and to configure.

About This User's Manual

This manual is designed to guide you through the hardware and software installation of your ZyAIR 100 for
its various applications.

Structure of this Manual

This manual is structured as follows:
Part I. Getting Started (Chapters 1 to 3) is structured as a step-by-step guide to help you connect,

install and setup your ZyAIR 100 to operate on your notebook computer.

Part II. Advanced Management and Troubleshooting (Chapters 4 and 5) provides information

on Configuring Parameters, System Diagnosis and solving common problems as well as some
Appendices, a Glossary and an Index.

Regardless of your particular application, it is important that you follow the steps outlined in Chapters 2
and 3 to install your ZyAIR 100. You can then refer to the appropriate chapters of the manual, depending
on your applications.

Preface xi

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Syntax Conventions

• “Enter” means for you to type one or more characters and press the carriage return. “Select” or

“Choose” means for you to select one from the predefined choices.

• A single keystroke is in Arial font and enclosed in square brackets, for instance, [Enter] means the
Enter, or carriage return key; [Esc] means the Escape key.

• For brevity’s sake, we will use “e.g.,” as a shorthand for “for instance” and “i.e.,” for “that is” or “in
other words” throughout this manual.

xii Preface

Getting Started

Part I:

GETTING STARTED

Chapters 1 to 3 are structured as a step-by-step guide to help you connect, install and setup your

ZyAIR 100 to operate on your notebook computer.

I

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Chapter 1

Getting to Know Your ZyAIR 100

This chapter introduces the main features and applications of the ZyAIR 100.

1.1 The ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

The ZyAIR 100 is an 11 Mbps IEEE 802.11(b) Wireless PC Card and standard PCMCIA adapter that fits
into any standard PCMCIA Type II slot on a notebook computer. Its 11 Mbps data rate gives equivalent
Ethernet speed to access corporate networks or the Internet in a wireless environment. When installed, the
ZyAIR 100 is able to communicate with any 802.11 and 802.11b-compliant product, allowing you to work
anywhere in the coverage area, enjoying its convenience and mobility.

1.2 Features of the ZyAIR 100

The following are the essential features of the ZyAIR 100.

l Supports 1, 2, 5.5 and 11 Mbps Data Rate
l Working Range up to 800 ft. in an Open Environment
l Supports Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multi-point Access
l Seamless Connectivity to Wired Ethernet and PC Network LAN’s Helps to Augment Existing

Networks Quickly and Easily

l Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) Technology Provides Robust, Interference-Resistant and

Secure Wireless Connection

l Wireless Connectivity Minus the Cost of Cabling
l Supports a Wide Range of LAN NOS (Network Operating System), e.g., Windows® 95/98/NT, DOS

and Windows® 2000

l Supports Plug and Play
l Ease of Installation
l Greater Flexibility and Mobility to Locate or Move Networked PCs

Getting to Know Your Wireless PC Card 1-1

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

1.3 Applications for ZyAIR 100

ZyAIR 100 offers a fast, reliable and cost-effective solution for wireless client access to the network with
applications such as these:

l Remote Access to Corporate Network Information

For accessing emails, file transfer and terminal emulation.

l Difficult to Wire Environments

For use in historical or old buildings, asbestos installations and open areas where wiring is difficult to
deploy.

l Frequently Changing Environments

For retailers, manufacturers and those who frequently rearrange the workplace and change location.

l Temporary LANs for Special Projects or During Peak Time

For trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites where a temporary network is required. For
retailers, airline and shipping companies who need additional workstations during peak periods. For
auditors requiring workgroups at customer sites.

l Access to Database for Mobile Users

Doctors, nurses, retailers who needs to access their database while being mobile in the hospital, retail
store or office campus.

l SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) Users

SOHO users who need easy and quick installation of a small computer network.

l High Security Connection

The secure wireless network can be installed quickly and provide flexibility.

1-2 Getting to Know Your Wireless PC Card

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Chapter 2

Hardware Installation

This chapter shows you how to properly install the hardware.

2.1 System Requirements

In order to use the ZyAIR 100, your computer must be equipped with the following:
l Available PCMCIA Type II slot and a PCMCIA card and socket services that is Revision 2.1-

compliant to the PCMCIA specification (or higher)

l Windows® 95 (OSR2) / 98 Operating System (with the Windows® installation CD-ROM disc readily

available during actual installation)

l 500 Kbytes free hard disk space (minimum) for driver and utility program installation.

2.2 Installing the ZyAIR 100

This section outlines how to install the ZyAIR 100. Please also see the Appendices for important safety
instructions on handling the ZyAIR 100.

Step 1. Find an available Type II or Type III PCMCIA slot in your notebook computer.
Step 2. With the ZyAIR 100 adapter’s 68-pin connector facing the PCMCIA slot and its label side

facing up, slide the ZyAIR 100 completely into the PCMCIA slot.

NOTE: Upon inserting the ZyAIR 100, Windows® would automatically detect the

new hardware and prompt you to install the driver needed. Go to the next chapter

for more instructions on installing the driver.

Hardware Installation 2-1

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Figure 2-1 Inserting the ZyAIR 100 into the Notebook Computer

NOTE: The PCMCIA slot allows “hot swapping” of PCMCIA adapter, allowing you

to insert or remove the ZyAIR 100 from the slot whenever you like, even when the

power to your computer is on. However, you are advised to always disable the

ZyAIR 100 prior to removing the card from the PC Card slot. This allows the
Windows® operating system to log off from the network server. Disable the

driver properly and disconnect power to the PC Card slot.

2-2 Hardware Installation

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Chapter 3

Software Installation

This chapter shows you how to install the driver for using the ZyAIR 100 on the Windows® 95

(OSR2) / 98 / NT 4.0 / 2000 Operating Systems.

3.1 Setting Up the ZyAIR 100 for Windows® 95 (OSR2) / 98

NOTE: Before starting driver installation, make sure that the ZyAIR 100 has been

inserted into a standard type II PCMCIA slot on your notebook computer.

Step 1. Upon inserting the ZyAIR 100 into your notebook computer, Windows® would automatically

detect the new hardware and prompt you to install the driver needed. When the Add New
Hardware Wizard dialog box appears, click on the Next button.

Step 2. Select Search for the best driver for your device and click on the Next button.

Software Installation 3-1

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Step 3. Insert the ZyAIR Support CD-ROM disc into the CD-ROM drive and select the location where

the corresponding driver is located, then click on the Next button.

3-2 Software Installation

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card

Step 4. Windows® 95 (OSR2) / 98 will locate ZyAIR 100 PCMCIA, then click on the Next button.

Step 5. Click on the Next button to install the necessary driver to support your new ZyAIR 100.

Software Installation 3-3