About Toshiba Wireless Solution 1 Wireless LAN Network Scenarios The Wireless LAN Card Kit enables you to: n Connect your computer to a Peer-to-Peer workgroup of wireless computing devices. n Connect your computer to a Local Area Network (LAN) Infrastructure that includes Wireless LAN Access Points, or other IEEE802.11 compliant LAN systems. n Expand the capabilities of your Wireless LAN Access Points, to support wireless devices that have been equipped with Wireless LAN Card.
Peer-to-Peer Workgroup The Peer-to-Peer workgroup configuration enables you to quickly set up a small wireless workgroup, where the workgroup participants can exchange files using features like “Files and Printer Sharing” as supported by Microsoft Networking. Figure 1-1 Peer-to-Peer Wireless Workgroup You can use this option to setup a temporary or ad-hoc network in environments where no access points are available (for example in Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) environments).
Enterprise Networking Figure 1-2 Stand Alone Wireless LAN With the Wireless LAN Access Points you can connect to a corporate Local Area Network (LAN) infrastructure to have wireless access to all network facilities. LAN Infrastructures may either be. n Stand-alone wireless LANs as pictures in Figure 1-2 n Wireless network infrastructures connected to an existing Ethernet network as pictured in Figure 1-3.
Figure 1-3 LAN Infrastructure Toshiba Wireless LAN mini-PCI Card – Getting started
It’s Easy The Wireless LAN Card functions like any standard wired Ethernet card, but Wireless LAN does not need any wires! Where an Ethernet card requires a cable connection to a hub and/or patch panel, the cable physically ties you down to the location of the wired connection. Wireless LAN allows you connect your computer to a Local Area Network (LAN) system from anywhere within the wireless coverage area.
Wireless LAN Card Features Toshiba Wireless LAN mini-PCI Card is a wireless network card that fits into Mini PCI TypeIIIA.
Wireless LAN Card Types The Wireless LAN Card is a wireless network card that complies with the IEEE 802.11 standard on wireless LANs (Revision B). The Wireless LAN Card supports data rates up to 11 Mbit/s. n n Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) certified by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). This means that your Wireless hardware will communicate with other vendors’ IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless LAN product.
Wireless LAN Cards The Wireless LAN Card supports the following wireless LAN features: n Automatic Transmit Rate Select mechanism in the transmit range of 11, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbit/s. n Frequency Channel Selection (2.4GHz). n Roaming over multiple channels. n Card Power Management. n Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption, based on the 64 bit RC4 encryption algorithm as defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard on wireless LANs.
Finding Information This document was designed to give you a brief introduction about the Wireless LAN Card. n In this document you will find the most important information to get your Wireless LAN network up and running, with a minimum set of parameters. Alternatively you can consult the on-line help documentation for the Wireless LAN drivers and/or tools by: n Clicking the [Help] button on your screen, or n Pressing the [F1] function key on your keyboard.
Basic Settings for Enterprise Networks If you wish to connect to an Enterprise Network, use the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window to: n Click the start button from the Windows task bar. n Click on Settings, and then on Control Panel. n In the Control Panel window, double-click the Wireless nNetwork icon. n Select to connect to an Access Point. n Set the correct Network Name .
1. In the field Network Name define the name of the wireless network to which you want to connect. You can either use: n The value “ANY” To connect to any wireless LAN network in the vicinity of your computer. n An “exact” value to connect to Consult your LAN Administrator for the value that applies to your network. The Network Name can be any alphanumeric string in the range of “a” to “z”, “A” to “Z” and “0” to “9” with a maximum of 32 characters (case-sensitive). 2.
Basic Settings for Peer-to-Peer Workgroups If you wish to connect to a Peer-to-Peer workgroup, use the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window to: n Click the start button from the Windows task bar. n Click on Settings, and then on Control Panel. n In the Control Panel window, double-click the Wireless nNetwork icon. n Select to connect to a Peer-to-Peer Workgroup. n Set the correct Network Name and Encryption Key. Figure 1-5 Edit Configuration window : Peer-to-Peer 1.
Working with Wireless and Windows Introduction This chapter provides general information about: n Using your Wireless LAN Card n View Other Computers n View Wireless Link Quality n View/Modify Wireless LAN Card Settings n Finding More Information Toshiba Wireless LAN mini-PCI Card – Getting started 2
Using your Wireless LAN Card Radio Antennas The radio and antennas of your Wireless LAN Card perform best in an open environment with as few obstacles as possible. n To achieve the maximum range for wireless communications do not close the top panel and cover the top panel objects such as books or thick stacks of paper.
View Other Computers When multiple Wireless LAN stations are up-and-running in your wireless network, you can use the procedure described below to display the other computers: 1. Start Windows Explorer. 2. Scroll down the list of files and folders to look for the item Network Neighborhood. 3. Double-click the Network Neighborhood item to display all stations in your Microsoft Networking Group. 4. To display other workgroups in the network environment, double-click the Entire Network icon.
Using the Client Manager If you installed the Wireless LAN Client Manager you can use the Client Manager to: n Verify the quality of your wireless connection to the network. n View/Modify the configuration settings of your Wireless LAN Card. The Client Manager will start automatically every time you power up your computer. The Client Manager icon is displayed in the “System Tray” of your Windows task bar at the right-side on the bottom of your screen, indicating that the Client Manager programs is running.
Table 2-1 Icon Client Manager Icon Description Excellent radio connection Color Green Good radio connection Green Marginal radio connection: Yellow The radio signal is weak. Move closer to the Wireless LAN Access Point. Poor radio connection: Red The radio signal is very weak. Save your files and move closer to the Wireless LAN Access Point. No radio connection because: n Looking for initial connection, or n You have moved out of range of the network.
View/Modify Wireless LAN Card Settings If you would like to view or modify Wireless LAN parameters, for example because you would like to connect to another network or type of network, proceed as follows: 1. Right-click on the Client Manager icon on the Windows task bar. 2. From the menu, select Configuration Profile (see Figure 2-1) and select: n Add/Edit Profile to add a new profile or to modify an existing profile.
If your Client Manager icon is not visible, you have to start the Client Manager program again: 1. Click the start button from the Windows task bar. 2. Select Programs, and then select the Toshiba Wireless Solution workgroup. 3. Next select Client Manager to start the Client Manager program. Alternatively you can to change the Card configuration via the Control Panel: 1. Click the start button from the Windows task bar. 2. Click on Settings, and then on Control Panel. 3.
Finding More Information If you are looking for more information than contained in this Wireless LAN Card – please consult one of the following options: n The on-line help system of your Wireless LAN system – for information about software and driver functionality. To View the on-line help system click the Help button or press [F1] function key on your keyboard in any Wireless window.
Advanced Configurations 3 Introduction Although your Wireless LAN Card will work fine in most network environment with the Basic Parameters, you may wish to explore the advanced parameters options as displayed on the Wireless LAN Card’s Edit Configuration windows. Only if connected to an existing network advanced parameters can be specified for an Wireless LAN Card. Consult your LAN Administrator for information about whether these parameters apply to your situation.
Figure 3-1 Setup Encryption Parameters You can identify up to 4 different key values to decrypt wireless data, and select one of these keys to encrypt wireless data transmissions. Advanced parameters Tab One the Advanced parameters tab of the Edit Configuration window you can adjust a number of parameters.
Figure 3-2 Setup Advanced Parameters Toshiba Wireless LAN mini-PCI Card – Getting started
n n n Card Power Management Interference Robustness To extend the battery life of (mobile) wireless devices. Can be activated in exceptional cases when troubleshooting slow performance of the Wireless LAN network that could be related to in-band interference from e.g. microwave ovens.
Figure 3-3 n n Setup Admin Parameters Distance between Access Points MAC Address Depending on the number of access points in a Wireless LAN network this parameter controls the network performance. Can be activated in exceptional cases when troubleshooting slow performance of the Wireless LAN network that could be related to in-band interference from e.g. microwave ovens.
Card Specifications A Physical Specifications Table A-1 Physical Specifications Form Factor Mini PCI TypeIIIA Color Black for Wireless LAN Card Dimensions Weight Temperature & Humidity Operation 0 to 55 C Maximum humidity 95% Transit -20 to 70 C 15 to 95% (no condensation allowed) Storage -10 to 60 C 10 to 90% (no condensation allowed) Although the Card may still operate in the range of –20 to 70 C, operation outside the range of 0 to 55 C may no longer be according to specifications.
Networking Characteristics Table A-3 Networking Characteristics Compatibility n n Network Operating System Host Operating System n Media Access Protocol Data Rate IEEE 802.11 Standard for Wireless LANS (DSSS) Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) certified by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) Microsoft Windows® Networking Microsoft Windows® 95: n NDIS3 Miniport Driver Microsoft Windows® NT v4.
Radio Characteristics Radio Characteristics of Wireless LAN Cards may vary: n According to the country where the product was purchased. n According to the type of product that was purchased. Wireless communication is often subject to local radio regulations. Although Wireless LAN Wireless networking products have been designed for operation in the license-free 2.4GHz band, local radio regulations may impose a number of limitations to the use of wireless communication equipment.
Table A-4 Radio Characteristics R-F Frequency Band Modulation Technique Spreading Bit Error Rate (BER) Nominal Output Power Receiver Sensitivity Delay Spread (at FER of <1%) 2.4GHz (2400-2483.
The range of the wireless signal is related to the Transmit Rate of the wireless communication. Communications at lower Transmit range may travel larger distances. NOTE: The range values listed in Table A-4 are typical distance as measured at the Toshiba Wireless LAN laboratories. These values may provide a rule of thumb and may vary according to the actual radio conditions at the location where the Wireless LAN product will be installed.
Supported Frequency Sub-bands Subject to the radio regulations that apply in your country, your Wireless LAN Card may support a different set of 2.4 GHz channels (see Table A-5). Consult your Authorized Wireless LAN or Toshiba Sales office for information about the radio regulations that apply in your country. Table A-5 Wireless IEEE 802.11 Channels Sets Frequency Range 2400-2483.
Information to the User Wireless Interoperability The Toshiba Wireless LAN Mini PCI Card products are designed to be interoperable with any wireless LAN product that is based on Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum(DSSS) radio technology, and is compliant to: €The IEEE 802.11 Standard on Wireless LANs(Revision B), as defined and approved by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. €The Wireless Fidelity(WiFi) certification as defined by the WECA Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance.
Regulatory Information The Toshiba Wireless LAN Mini PCI Card must be installed and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions as described in the user documentation that comes with the product. This device complies with the following radio frequency and safety standards. Canada – Industry Canada (IC) This device complies with RSS 210 of Industry Canada.
USA-Federal Communications Commission(FCC) This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation of the devices in a Wireless LAN System is subject to the following two conditions: € This device may not cause harmful interference. € This device must accept any interference that may cause undesired operation. [H] Caution: Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation. The radiated output power of the Toshiba Wireless LAN Mini PCI Card is far below the FCC radio frequency exposure limits.
