802.11g Wireless LAN Module User Manual Version: 1.
COPYRIGHT Copyright ©2004/2005 by this company. All rights reserved.
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 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.
R&TTE Compliance Statement This equipment complies with all the requirements of DIRECTIVE 1999/5/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL of March 9, 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunication terminal Equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (R&TTE) The R&TTE Directive repeals and replaces in the directive 98/13/EEC (Telecommunications Terminal Equipment and Satellite Earth Station Equipment) As of April 8, 2000.
CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 Features ......................................................................................................................... 1 Specifications................................................................................................................ 1 Package Contents ..........................................................................................................
1 Introduction Thank you for purchasing the 802.11g Wireless LAN Module. This card complies with IEEE 802.11g standard, which supports up to 54Mbps high-speed wireless network connections. It can also work with IEEE 802.11b devices. When the card connects to 11b devices, the link speed will be up to 11Mbps. For WLAN security issues, this card supports 64/128-bit WEP data encryption that protects your wireless network from eavesdropping.
• • • • • Drivers: Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP/Linux Transmit Power: 16dBm~18dBm Temperature: 32~131°F (0 ~55°C) Humidity: Max. 95% (NonCondensing) Certification: FCC Module Approval 1.3 Package Contents Before you begin the installation, please check the items of your package. The package should include the following items: • One Wireless Module • One CD (Driver/Utility/User’s Manual) • One Quick Guide If any of the above items is missing, contact your supplier as soon as possible.
2 Installation Procedure Before you proceed with the installation, please notice following descriptions. Note1: The following installation was operated under Windows XP. Windows 98SE/Me/2000.) (Procedures are similar for Note2: If you have installed the Wireless Module driver & utility before, please uninstall the old version first. Software Installation A. A “Found New Hardware Wizard” is displayed after the card is installed to the computer. Click “Cancel”. B.
C. Click “Easy Install” or “Next” to continue. D. The system starts to install the software of the card. Please wait a moment. E. The current setting of the “Country Channel” of the card is displayed for your reference. If you are in different country, please change the “Country Channel” from the drop-down menu and click “Next”.
F. Click “Finish” to complete the installation. G. The “RaConfig” is displayed and you can start to configure the card.
3 Configuration Utility The Configuration Utility is a powerful application that helps you configure the card and monitor the link status and the statistics during the communication process. The Configuration Utility appears as an icon on the system tray of Windows while the card is running. You can open it by double-click on the icon. Right click the icon, there are some items for you to operate the configuration utility.
Parameter Description Available Networks This list shows all available wireless networks within range of your card. It also displays the information of the networks including the SSID, BSSID, Signal Strength, Channel, Encryption, Authentication and Network Type. If you want to connect to any networks on the list, double-click the item on the list, and the card will automatically connect to the selected network.
3.2.1 Configure the Profile System Configuration Parameter Description Profile Name Define a recognizable profile name for you to identify the different networks. SSID The SSID (up to 32 printable ASCII characters) is the unique name identified in a WLAN. The ID prevents the unintentional merging of two co-located WLANs. You may specify a SSID for the card and then only the device with the same SSID can interconnect to the card.
Parameter Description Network Type Infrastructure – This operation mode requires the presence of an 802.11 Access Point. All communication is done via the Access Point or Router. Ad-Hoc – Select this mode if you want to connect to another wireless stations in the Wireless LAN network without through an Access Point or Router. Transmit Power If you want to lower the transmit power of the card for saving the power of the system, you can select the lower percentages from the list.
Authentication vs. Security Parameter Description Authentication Type This setting has to be consistent with the wireless networks that the card intends to connect. None – No authentication is needed among the wireless network. Shared – Only wireless stations using a shared key (WEP Key identified) are allowed to connecting each other. WPA-PSK –It is a special mode designed for home and small business users who do not have access to network authentication servers.
Parameter Description Encryption Mode None – Disable the WEP Data Encryption. WEP – Enable the WEP Data Encryption. When the item is selected, you have to continue setting the WEP Encryption keys. TKIP – TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) changes the temporal key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of message transmitted over a network.) This insures much greater security than the standard WEP security.
3.2.2 Enable WPA in Windows XP Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a specification of standards-based, interoperable security enhancement that strongly increases the level of data protection (encryption) and access control (authentication) for existing and future wireless LAN systems. The technical components of WPA include Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) for dynamic key exchange, and 802.1x for authentication. There are two types of WPA security: WPA-PSK (no server) and WPA (with server).
3. Press “Configure” button to configure the WPA function for the current network. Note: Uncheck “Use Windows to Configure my wireless network settings”, the “RaConfig” utility will be enabled again. Parameter Description Network Authentication Open –No authentication is needed among the wireless network. Shared – Only wireless stations using a shared key (WEP Key identified) are allowed to connecting each other.
Parameter Description Data Encryption WEP – In WPA or WPA-PSK mode, WEP is also able to be the encryption method for the transmission data. TKIP – TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) changes the temporal key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of message transmitted over a network.) This insures much greater security than the standard WEP security.
Parameter Description Current Tx Rate Display the transmission rate of the network. The maximum transmission rate is 54Mbps. Throughput (Kbits/sec) Display the speed of data transmitted and received. Link Quality This bar indicates the quality of the link. The higher the percentage, the better the quality. dBm If you want to know the signal strength in the unit of dBm, select this check box. Signal Strength This bar shows the signal strength level.
3.5 Advance This option enables you to configure more advanced settings, for example: wireless mode, protection mode and etc. Parameter Description Wireless Mode 802.11 B/G mix – If you have a mix of 802.11b and 802.11g wireless stations in your network, it is recommended to setting the card to this mode. This mode is also the default setting. 802.11 B only – This card can be compatible with both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless stations. If there are only 802.
Parameter Description ADHOC_OFDM When the network type is in Ad Hoc mode, that the card can only work in 11b data rate. It is defined by Wi-Fi organization. If you want to enable the data rate up to 54Mbps (11g), select “ADHOC_OFDM”. Tx Rate There are several options including Auto/1/2/5.5/11/6/9/12/18/24/36/48/54Mbps for you to select. When the “Auto” is selected, the device will choose the most suitable transmission rate automatically.
4 Troubleshooting This chapter provides solutions to problems usually encountered during the installation and operation of the card. 1. What is the IEEE 802.11g standard? 802.11g is the new IEEE standard for high-speed wireless LAN communications that provides for up to 54 Mbps data rate in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11g is quickly becoming the next mainstream wireless LAN technology for the home, office and public networks. 802.11g defines the use of the same OFDM modulation technique specified in IEEE 802.
6. What is BSS ID？ A specific Ad hoc LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Computers in a BSS must be configured with the same BSS ID. 7. What is WEP？ WEP is Wired Equivalent Privacy, a data privacy mechanism based on a 40 bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802 .11 standard. 8. What is TKIP? TKIP is a quick-fix method to quickly overcome the inherent weaknesses in WEP security, especially the reuse of encryption keys. TKIP is involved in the IEEE 802.
13. What is Spread Spectrum？ Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequency technique developed by the military for use in reliable, secure, mission-critical communication systems. It is designed to trade off bandwidth efficiency for reliability, integrity, and security.
