LBU02 User’s Manual Revision: R00 (December 2001)
TRADEMARKS All brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. NOTE Information in this manual is subject to change without notice.
0 Table of Contents Regulations Information .........................................................iii Safety Precautions................................................................. 3 1 Introduction .......................................................................... 5 1.1 Product Description................................................................. 1 1.2 Product View ........................................................................... 3 2 Setting Up .........................
.7 Software Problem ..................................................................21 A Appendix............................................................................. 23 A.1 Specifications ........................................................................23 A.2 Uninstalling the Utility and Driver ...........................................24 Configuration & Monitor Application Utility............................24 WLAN USB Dongle ............................................................
Regulations Information Federal Communications 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.
Safety Precautions Be sure to read and follow all warning notices and instructions. In order to extend the life of the device it is advised to store it in a protective casing whenever carrying the computing device on travel and not operating the device. Never use abrasive materials or rinse the device with liquids. At all times, it will be the responsibility of the end-user to ensure that an outdoor antenna installation complies with local radio regulations.
1 Introduction This chapter introduces the features and functions of the product. 1.1 Product Description Congratulations on purchasing this USB (Universal Serial Bus) Dongle Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) device. Your WLAN USB Dongle’s 11 Mbps data rate provides an equivalent Ethernet speed to access corporate networks or the Internet in a wireless environment. When installed, the WLAN USB Dongle is able to communicate with any 802.
Typical applications include: IEEE 802.
1.2 Product View Ref Component Wireless Connection Indicator Power Indicator Integrated Antenna USB Port Description Glows green when the WLAN USB Dongle has successfully linked with an Access Point (Infrastructure mode) or with another wireless station (Ad-Hoc mode). Glows red when the WLAN USB Dongle is connected to your computer and is deriving power from it. Allows the WLAN USB Dongle to receive and transmit wireless data. Use a USB cord to connect the WLAN USB Dongle to a computer.
2 Setting Up This chapter tells you how to setup the device for use. 2.1 System Requirements To use the device, you need: Operating system: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Linux 2.2.x Available USB port on your computing device CD-ROM Drive 2.2 Installing the Driver and Utility For Windows 98/2000/Me/XP CAUTION: Do not connect your WLAN USB Dongle to the computer at this stage until you are required to do so.
NOTE: If the WLAN USB Dongle driver have been previously installed and have not been uninstalled prior to this latest installation, the new driver will overwrite the old one without prompting you. 4. After you have confirmed the driver’s “Destination Location” as well as the “Program Folders,” choose the mode of operation whether Ad-Hoc or Infrastructure on the Operating Mode Dialog window.
Ad-Hoc Mode In Ad-Hoc mode the wireless stations can communicate directly with each other. When selecting the Ad-Hoc mode you need to specify the ESSID and the Channel parameters. – ESSID: All stations participating in the Ad-Hoc network should have the same ESSID. – Channel: Select the 14 channels available for use. Infrastructure Mode In Infrastructure mode the use of an Access Point (AP) is necessary for wireless stations to communicate with each other.
5. After you have made your selection, click Next and a window listing your installation setting appears. If the settings are correct, click Next to continue. In case you made a mistake, click Back to make the correction and follow the onscreen instructions to exit the installation. NOTE: For Windows 2000, select Yes when the “Digital Signature Not Found” window appears. 6. Re-boot your system after completing the installation.
NOTE: If you have never installed the driver of the USB port of your system, then Windows would automatically detect the new hardware and may prompt you to install it. Have the Windows installation CD ready (in case you are prompted for it) and follow the onscreen instructions to install the driver. Your WLAN USB Dongle should start searching for wireless signals from an AP (Infrastructure mode) or another wireless station (Ad-Hoc mode). 2.
NOTE: The range values listed above are typical distances measured. These values may provide a rule of thumb and may vary according to the actual radio conditions at the location where the WLAN USB Dongle will be installed. The range of your wireless devices can be affected when the antennas are placed near metal surfaces and solid high-density materials. Range is also impacted due to “obstacles” in the signal path of the radio that may either absorb or reflect the radio signal.
3 Using the Configuration & Monitor Application Utility 3.1 Getting Started In special circumstances, you may need to change configuration settings depending on how you would like to manage your wireless network. The Configuration & Monitor Application utility enables you to make configuration changes and perform user-level diagnostics on your WLAN USB Dongle as well as monitor the status of communication. To use the Configuration & Monitor Application utility: 1.
3.2 Monitor The following configuration parameters are shown: Operating Mode Allows you to choose between Ad-Hoc or Infrastructure mode. In Ad-Hoc mode the wireless stations can communicate directly with each other. In Infrastructure mode the use of an Access Point (AP) is necessary for wireless stations to communicate with each other. Channel This item is available only if Ad-Hoc mode was selected in the previous field. Select the 14 channels available for use.
SSID When using the wireless station in an Ad-Hoc mode then all participating stations should have the same SSID. When using the wireless station in an Infrastructure mode the SSID must be the same as the SSID of the AP it is associated with. TxRate Your WLAN USB Dongle provides various transmission (data) rate options for you to select. In most networking scenarios, the option Auto will prove the most efficient. This setting allows your WLAN USB Dongle to operate at the maximum transmission rate.
Link Quality Shows the point-to-point data transmission quality between your WLAN USB Dongle and another WLAN station (Ad-Hoc mode) or the transmission quality between your WLAN USB Dongle and the AP it is associated with (Infrastructure mode). To change the configuration parameters press Change, make your changes then click Submit to save your changes. 3.3 Statistics The Statistics utility allows you to view the statistic (Packets) information (Data Packets, Mgmt Packets, and Rejected Packets).
3.4 Site Survey The Site Survey utility allows you to scan all the channels to locate all the APs (Access Points) within range of your WLAN USB Dongle. When an/various AP(s) are located, information regarding the BSSID and SSID, signal strength and channel where the AP operates, whether or not WEP encryption is used, and the operating mode is shown. Click Re-Scan to update the list.
3.5 Encryption To prevent unauthorized wireless stations from accessing data transmitted over the network, the Encryption utility offers highly secure data encryption by allowing you to set four different WEP keys and specify which one to use. To set encryption: 1. Choose Enabled on the Encryption window. 2. Select any of the available WEP keys (Key #1 to #4) on the WEP Key to use window. The WEP keys must be in HEX (hexadecimal) format in the range of a to f, A to F, and 0 to 9.
3. Select the WEP Mode (Mandatory or Optional). If Mandatory is selected, then not only must you use WEP encryption but also any other station you are communicating with must also use WEP encryption for a link to be established. This requirement is part of the IEEE 802.11b standard. If Optional is selected, then your station can communicate with every other station regardless if they use WEP encryption or not. 4. Select the Authentication Type (Open System or Shared Key). 5.
The Advanced utility allows you to change the following advanced configuration settings: Preamble Type Before selecting Short, make sure that the other station(s) and AP supports this feature. The WLAN USB Dongle has an auto-detect feature that allows it to select the Preamble Type depending on the Preamble Type of the AP it is associated with. Fragmentation Threshold Allows you to set the Fragmentation Threshold (threshold for the activation of the fragmentation mechanism).
4 Troubleshooting This chapter covers potential problems you may run into and the possible remedies. After each problem description, some instructions are provided to help you to diagnose and solve the problem. 4.1 Preliminary Checklist Here are helpful hints to follow before you take further actions when you encounter problems: Try to isolate which part of the computer’s network connection is causing the problem.
For Windows 98 / 2000 / Me / XP operating system, make sure that the USB device driver is installed on your computer. 4.3 Configuration Problem Problems encountered with the configuration. Use the Monitor utility of your Configuration & Monitor Application utility to check the Link Quality of your WLAN USB Dongle with the AP it is associated with (Infrastructure mode) or with other wireless station(s) (Ad-Hoc mode).
Out-of-range situation, which prevents the WLAN USB Dongle from establishing a wireless connection with the network. Move the WLAN USB Dongle closer to the Access Point it is associated with. Make sure that your WLAN USB Dongle is configured with the same security option (encryption) to the Access Point. Make sure that the BSSID is the same as the Access Point for a roamingdisabled wireless station, or the ESSID is the same as the Access Point for a roaming-enabled wireless station. 4.
A Appendix A.1 Specifications NOTE: Specifications are subject to change without notice. Parts Frequency Band Operating Channel Modulation Technique Data Rate Antenna Antenna Gain Radiation Power Receiver Sensitivity Power Consumption Dimension (W×H×D) Weight Environment Temperature Environment Humidity Specifications ISM Band 2400 to 2483.5 MHz (for USA and Canada) 2400 to 2483.5 MHz (for Europe) 2400 to 2497 MHz (for Japan) IEEE 802.
Parts Regulation (compliant) OS Support Specifications Wi-Fi compliant, FCC/CA, CE (Europe), DGT/BSMI Windows 98 / Me / 2000 / XP / Linux 2.2.x A.2 Uninstalling the Utility and Driver Configuration & Monitor Application Utility 1. Exit the Configuration & Monitor Application utility if it is currently active. 2. Select the “Uninstall Configuration & Monitor Application” option by clicking on Start, then Programs, then 802.11 Wireless LAN.
G lossary 802.11 The IEEE standard that specifies WLAN MAC and PHY (Physical Layer) specifications. 802.11b The IEEE standard that specifies Higher-Speed Physical Layer Extension in the 2.4 GHz band for 5.5 and 11 Mbps WLANs. 802.3 The IEEE standard that specifies carrier sense media access control and physical layer specifications for Ethernet LANs. Access Control The prevention of unauthorized usage of network resources by demanding that users supply a login name and password.
Broadband Of or relating to communications systems in which the medium of transmission (such as a wire or fiber-optic cable) carries multiple messages at a time, each message modulated on its own carrier frequency by means of modems. Broadband communication is found in wide area networks. BSS Basic Service Set. An AP associated with several wireless stations. Byte Abbreviated B. Short for binary term. A unit of data, today almost always consisting of 8 bits.
Host Any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other computers on the network. It is quite common to have one host machine provide several services, such as WWW and USENET. HTTP Acronym for HyperText Transfer Protocol. The client/server protocol used to access information on the World Wide Web. IEEE 802 Standards A set of standards developed by the IEEE to define methods of access and control on LANs.
LAN (Local Area Network) Personal and other computers within a limited area that are linked by high-performance cables so that users can exchange information, share peripherals, and draw on programs and data stored in a dedicated computer called a file server. Ranging tremendously in size and complexity, LANs may link only a few personal computers to an expensive, shared peripheral, such as laser printer.
Port (H/W) An interface on a computer for connecting peripherals or devices to the computer. A printer port, for example, is an interface that is designed to have a printer connected to it. Ports can be defined by specific hardware (such as a keyboard port) or through software. Port An Internet port refers to a number that is part of a URL, appearing after a colon (:) right after the domain name. Every service on an Internet server listens on a particular port number on that server.
Roaming A function that enables one to travel with his mobile end system (e.g., WLAN mobile station) throughout a domain (e.g., an ESS) while being continuously connected to the infrastructure. Router An intermediary device on a communications network that expedites message delivery. On a single network linking many computers through a mesh of possible connections, a router receives transmitted messages and forwards them to their correct destinations over the most efficient available route.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) An address for a resource on the Internet. URLs are used by Web browsers to locate Internet resources. A URL specifies the protocol to be used in accessing the resource (such as http: for a World Wide Web page or ftp: for an FTP site), the name of the server on which the resource resides (such as //www.whitehouse.gov), and, optionally, the path to a resource (such as an HTML document or a file on that server). VPN (Virtual Private Network) 1.
