Wireless G Notebook Card Connect your notebook computer to a wireless network ����� ������� ����� User Manual �� � � ������ ������� ������� F5D7010 �� ��
Table of Contents 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Benefits of a Home Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Advantages of a Wireless Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Placement of your Wireless Networking Hardware for Optimal Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction 1 2 3 4 Benefits of a Home Network Your Belkin Home Network will allow you to: • Share one high-speed Internet connection with all the computers in your home • Share resources, such as files, and hard drives among all the connected computers in your home • Share a single printer with the entire family • Share documents, music, video, and digital pictures • Store, retrieve, and copy files from one computer to another • Simultaneously play games online, check Internet email, and chat
Introduction Placement of your Wireless Networking Hardware for Optimal Performance Your wireless connection will be stronger the closer your computer is to your wireless router (or access point). Typical indoor operating range for your wireless devices is between 100 and 200 feet. In the same way, your wireless connection and performance will degrade somewhat as the distance between your wireless router (or access point) and connected devices increases. This may or may not be noticeable to you.
Introduction Avoid Obstacles and Interference Avoid placing your wireless router (or access point) near devices that may emit radio “noise”, such as microwave ovens.
Introduction capabilities of your Belkin Wireless Networking Utility to locate any other wireless networks, and move your wireless router (or access point) and computers to a channel as far away from other networks as possible. Experiment with more than one of the available channels in order to find the clearest connection and avoid interference from neighboring cordless phones or other wireless devices.
Overview 1 The Card complies with the IEEE 802.11g standard in order to communicate with other 802.11g-compliant wireless devices at 54Mbps. The Card is compatible with all 802.11g devices as well as other 802.11b products at 11Mbps. 802.11g products operate on the same 2.4GHz frequency band as 802.11b Wi-Fi ® products. 2 • 2.
Overview Applications and Advantages • Wireless roaming with a laptop around the home or office Offers the freedom of networking without cables • Connection rates of up to 54Mbps Provides immediate, higher-speed wireless connectivity at home, work, and hotspot locations without compromising the use of existing 802.11b products • Compatibility with 802.11b products 802.11g wireless LAN solutions are backward-compatible with existing Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.
Overview (b) 1 2 3 4 (c) 5 6 (a) Link LED Lights up when the Card links to a wireless network (b) Activity LED Lights up when the Card is active (c) Card Connector Part of the Card that fits into your computer’s CardBus slot System Requirements • PC-compatible laptop with one available CardBus slot • Windows ® 98SE, Me, 2000, XP Package Contents • Wireless G Notebook Card • Quick Installation Guide • Installation Software CD • User Manual 7 section (a)
Installing and Setting up the Card Step 1 Install WARNING: Install the Software before Inserting the Card. 1.1 Insert the Installation Software CD into your CD-ROM drive. 1. 2 The Belkin Setup Utility screen will automatically appear. (This may take 15–20 seconds.) Click “install” to start the installation.
Installing and Setting up the Card 1.4 You might see a screen similar to 2 3 4 Step 2 5 Insert 6 Insert the Card into your Computer 2.1 Please insert your Card, then click “OK.” 2.2 You will be prompted to select a country. Click the drop-down box; select the country you are located in, then click “OK.” 9 section this one. This DOES NOT mean there is a problem. Our software has been fully tested and is compatible with this operating system.
Installing and Setting up the Card 2.3 2.2 The Found New Hardware Wizard will appear. (This may take 15–20 seconds.) Select “Install the software automatically” and click “Next” to install the hardware. 2.4 2.3 The Wizard will now install your software. 2.5 The installation is now complete. 2.4 Click “Finish” to exit. Step 3 Configure Use the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility 3.1 After restarting your computer, double-click the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility icon on the desktop screen.
Installing and Setting up the Card 3.2 The Belkin Wireless Networking Utility screen will appear. 1 2 4 3.3 Select a network to connect to from the “Available Networks” list and click “Connect”. Note: In order to see your available networks, you must be near a working wireless router or access point. 3.4 The Belkin Wireless Networking Utility icon can also be found on the system tray.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility After successfully installing the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility (WNU), configurations for wireless connection and security are just a few easy clicks away. Accessing the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility from the Windows System Tray To access the WNU, simply place your mouse pointer and right-click over the WNU icon on the Windows task tray. If the icon is not present, click on “Start > Programs > Belkin > Belkin Wireless Utility”.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility The WNU’s default screen is the “Current Status” tab. The “Current Status” tab displays the current Network Status and Available Networks. 1 2 3 Network Status 4 5 6 Available Networks This window displays the available networks at the current location as well as their SSID, Signal Strength, Security Type, Channel, and Network Type.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility Connection Failure Other options will appear during attempts to reconnect. To stop connecting, click “Stop” and to reattempt connection, click “Retry”. Network Status and Solution Tips To further understand the current Network Status, click “Open Wireless Utility”. The default screen will be the “Current Status” tab and the “Network Status” section determines which connections are good and/or faulty.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility Setting Wireless Network Profiles 1 The “My Connections” tab on the WNU allows you to add, edit, and delete connection profiles. It also displays signal strength, security, and network type. 2 3 5 6 Securing your Wi-Fi® Network If you choose to connect to a secure network, determine the type of security (WPA or WEP*) and use the appropriate field in the dialog box.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility Note: When you select a network using encryption, you will first see the simple security screen. Click the “Advanced” button to see other security options (below). Wireless Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a less secure, but more widely adopted wireless security protocol. Depending on the security level (64- or 128-bit), the user will be asked to input a 10- or 26-character hex key. A hex key is a combination of letters, a–f, and numbers, 0–9.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility At the time of publication, four Encryption Methods are available: 1 2 Encryption Methods: 3 64-Bit Wired Equivalent Privacy 128-Bit Wired Equivalent Privacy Wi-Fi Protected Access-TKIP Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 4 Acronym 64-bit WEP 128-bit WEP WPA-TKIP/AES (or just WPA) WPA2-AES (or just WPA2) 5 Security Good Better Best Best Features Static keys Static keys Dynamic key encryption and mutual authentication Dynamic key encryption and mutua
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility 128-Bit Encryption As a result of 64-bit WEP’s potential security weaknesses, a more secure method of 128-bit encryption was developed. 128-bit encryption includes a key length of 104 bits plus 24 additional bits of system-generated data (128 bits total). Some hardware manufacturers refer to 128-bit as 104-bit encryption.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility WPA2 requires Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption of data, which offers much greater security than WPA. WPA uses both Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and (AES) for encryption. Setting up your Belkin Wireless Router (or Access Point) to use Security IMPORTANT: You must now set all wireless network cards/adapters to match these settings.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility WEP Setup 64-Bit WEP Encryption 1. Select “WEP” from the “Data Encryption” drop-down menu. 2. After selecting your WEP encryption mode, you can enter your key by typing in the hex key manually. A hex (hexadecimal) key is a combination of numbers and letters from A–F and 0–9. For 64-bit WEP, you need to enter 10 hex keys. For instance: AF 0F 4B C3 D4 = 64-bit WEP key 3. Click “Save” to finish. Encryption in the wireless router (or access point) is now set.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility WARNING: If you are using a wireless client to turn on the security settings in your wireless router (or access point), you will temporarily lose your wireless connection until you activate security on your wireless client. Please record the key prior to applying changes in the wireless router (or access point). If you don’t remember the hex key, your client will be locked out of the wireless router (or access point).
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility 3. Click “Save” to finish. Encryption in the wireless router (or access point) is now set. Each of the computers on your wireless network will now need to be configured with the same security settings. WARNING: If you are using a wireless client to turn on the security settings in your wireless router (or access point), you will temporarily lose your wireless connection until you activate security on your wireless client.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility 3. Click “Save” to finish. You must now set all clients (network cards) to match these settings. Wireless Networking Utility Options The “Options” tab on the WNU provides the user the ability to customize his or her WNU settings. 1 2 3 5 6 Wireless Networking Utility Help The WNU “Help” tab provides users with access to online and telephone support, as well as advanced diagnostic tools.
Using the Belkin Wireless Networking Utility Advanced Diagnostic Tools The “Advanced Diagnostic Tools” section is the central control panel for all the settings of the hardware and software components of the wireless network. It provides an array of tests and connectivity services to ensure optimal network performance.
Troubleshooting I can’t connect to the Internet wirelessly. If you are unable to connect to the Internet from a wireless computer, please check the following items: 1. Look at the lights on your wireless router. If you’re using a Belkin Wireless Router, the lights should be as follows: • The “Power” light should be on. • The “Connected” light should be on, and not blinking. • The “WAN” light should be either on or blinking.
Troubleshooting 3. The exact window that opens will vary depending on the model of wireless card you have; however, any of the utilities should have a list of “Available Networks”. Available networks are wireless networks to which you can connect. If you are using a Belkin 802.11g (G Plus) Router, or Belkin 802.11g (54g) Router, “Belkin54g” is the default name. If you are using a Belkin 802.11b Router, the default name should be “WLAN”.
Troubleshooting The name of your wireless network DOES NOT appear in the list of “Available Networks”. If the correct network name is not listed, check the SSID settings to see if they match. The SSID is case-sensitive and the spelling on each computer must be exactly the same in order for the Card to connect to the wireless router (or access point). If issues persist even at close range, please contact Belkin Technical Support. Installation CD-ROM does not start Belkin Wireless Networking Utility.
Troubleshooting Link LED is blinking slowly; I cannot connect to a wireless network or the Internet. If your Card appears to be functioning properly, but you cannot connect to a network or you have a red wireless icon at the bottom of your screen, the problem may be that there is a mismatch between the network name (SSID) settings in your wireless network properties. Check the SSID settings to see if they match.
Troubleshooting Data transfer is sometimes slow. Wireless technology is radio-based, which means connectivity and the throughput performance between devices decreases when the distance between devices increases. Other factors that will cause signal degradation (metal is generally the worst culprit) are obstructions such as walls and metal appliances. As a result, the typical indoor range of your wireless devices will be between 100 to 200 feet.
Troubleshooting Control Panel, open “Network Connections” and double-click on your Card’s connection. In the “Properties” dialog, select the “Configure” button on the “General” tab (Windows 98 users will have to select the Wireless Card in the list box and then click “Properties”), then choose the “Advanced” tab and select the rate property.
Troubleshooting Card does not perform or connection is unstable when computer has a second built-in wireless network card (such as a mini PCI or Intel® Centrino™). This condition occurs if your computer has a built-in wireless card while your Belkin Wireless Card is also active. This happens because Windows must now handle two active wireless connections. You need to disable the built-in wireless card from your computer under “Network Adapters” in the Device Manager.
Troubleshooting Belkin Pre-N 802.11a Frequency Common household devices such as cordless phones and microwave ovens may interfere with the unlicensed band 2.4GHz Common household devices such as cordless phones 5GHz— and microwave uncrowded ovens may band interfere with the unlicensed band 2.4GHz Compatibility 802.11g 54Mbps Compatible with 802.11g Compatible with 802.11b Incompatible with 802.11b or 802.11g Compatible with 802.11g or 802.11b Coverage* 600% faster than standard 802.
Troubleshooting Technical Support You can find technical support information at www.belkin.com or www.belkin.com/networking.
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement 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.
Canada-Industry Canada(IC) Operation is subject to the following two conditions : (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the interference-causing equipment standard entitled “Digital Apparatus,” ICES-003 of the Department of Communications.
Information Products with the CE marking comply with the EMC Directive (89/336/EEC) and the Low Voltage Directive (72/23/EEC) issued by the Commission of the European Community. Compliance with these directives implies conformity to the following European Norms (in brackets are the equivalent international standards).
Wireless G Notebook Card Belkin Tech Support US: 877-736-5771 310-898-1100 ext. 2263 Europe: 00 800 223 55 460 Australia: 1800 235 546 New Zealand: 0800 235 546 Singapore: 800 616 1790 Belkin Corporation 501 West Walnut Street Compton, CA 90220-5221, USA 310-898-1100 310-898-1111 fax Belkin Ltd. 7 Bowen Crescent, West Gosford NSW 2250, Australia +61 (0) 2 4372 8600 +61 (0) 2 4372 8603 fax Belkin B.V.
