User manual 3COM 3CRWE62092A-FR

11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card User Guide Fully featured wireless local area networking made simple Version 2.0.3 http://www.3com.com/ http://support.3com.com/warrantyregistration/register.pl Published December 2001 Version 2.0.3.1 3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza Santa Clara, California 95052-8145 Copyright © 2001, 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation) without written permission from 3Com Corporation. 3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change. 3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty, term, or condition of any kind, either implied or expressed, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties, terms or conditions of merchantability, satisfactory quality, and fitness for a particular purpose. 3Com may make improvements or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this documentation at any time. If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation, it is furnished under a license agreement included with the product as a separate document, in the hard copy documentation, or on the removable media in a directory file named LICENSE.TXT or !LICENSE.TXT. If you are unable to locate a copy, please contact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following: All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense. Software is delivered as "Commercial Computer Software" as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014 (June 1995) or as a "commercial item" as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in 3Com's standard commercial license for the Software. Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252.227-7015 (Nov 1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is applicable. You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation contained in, or delivered to you in conjunction with, this User Guide. Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may not be registered in other countries. 3Com, AirConnect, and XJACK are registered trademarks and the 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. EXPORT RESTRICTIONS: This product or software contains encryption code which may not be exported or transferred from the US or Canada without an approved US Department of Commerce export license. CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION How Does a Wireless LAN Work? Network Association 7 Roaming 7 Security 7 Ad Hoc Networks 7 Setting Up a 3Com Wireless LAN All Wireless Networks 8 Wired/Wireless Networks 9 Product Registration and Support 7 8 9 2 INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Requirements 11 Inserting the PC Card 11 Using the XJACK Antenna 12 Installing the Software 13 Windows Wizard Installation 13 Install Files 13 Set Up the PC Card 14 Install Utilities 14 Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed Installing Under Service Pack 4 15 Installing Under Service Pack 5 and Above 15 Install Files 15 Install CardWizard 16 Set Up the PC Card 17 Install Utilities 17 Confirming the Installation 18 Custom Installation Options 18 WLAN Service Area 18 Security Settings 18 Installing the Documentation 19 14 3 USING THE WIRELESS LAN About the 3Com Icon 22 Interpreting Status Icons 22 Using the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility Using 3Com Administrator Utilities 26 25 4 SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION Changing Network and Security Settings 27 Network Settings 27 Security Settings 28 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) Encryption Settings 128-bit Shared Key (WiFi) Encryption Settings 128-bit Dynamic Security Link Authentication 128-bit Dynamic Security Link Settings 30 Setting up Auto Network Connect 31 Setting up an Ad Hoc Network 31 Starting an Ad Hoc Network Session 31 Joining an Ad Hoc Network Session 32 Ending an Ad Hoc Network Session 32 Changing Power, Traffic, and Address Settings 33 Changing Your Password 34 Running Diagnostics 34 Viewing Configuration Information 34 29 29 30 5 TROUBLESHOOTING Diagnosing Problems 37 Using the Tools Window 39 Uninstalling the Card 39 Uninstalling Software Utilities 40 Updating PC Card Driver Software 40 Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 98 SE Windows Millenium Edition (Windows Me) 41 Windows 2000 42 Windows NT 43 Upgrading PC Card Firmware 44 40 A WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITHOUT NETWORKING INSTALLED Installation Under Service Pack 4 45 Installation Under Service Pack 5 and Above Install Files and Networking 45 Install CardWizard 47 Set Up the PC Card 47 Install Utilities 48 45 B WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITH SOFTEX CARD EXECUTIVE Install with Networking 49 Softex 2.8.2 and Above 49 Older Softex Versions 50 Install Without Networking 52 Softex 2.8.2 and Above 52 Older Softex Versions 53 C TECHNICAL SUPPORT Online Technical Services 55 World Wide Web Site 55 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 55 3Com FTP Site 55 Support from Your Network Supplier 56 Support from 3Com 56 Returning Products for Repair 58 REGULATORY COMPLIANCE INFORMATION 1 INTRODUCTION 3Com wireless technology brings the benefits of a local area network (LAN) to your office without the restraints and expense of network wiring. If your office already has an Ethernet LAN, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN can extend the network without adding more wires. How Does a Wireless LAN Work? Network Association In a traditional LAN, computers communicate through wires. Instead of wires, a wireless LAN uses radio signals to communicate. Computers that are equipped for wireless LAN communication are called wireless LAN clients. The wireless communication is called network association. Clients associate through one or more access points, which are wireless base stations that act as wireless hubs. An access point can be connected to a wired network device such as an Ethernet hub, switch, or router to give clients access to the wired network where they can share files and printers and gain access to the Internet. Roaming If the office space is large, you can set up multiple access points on the same network to increase coverage. When a wireless client begins to lose the signal as it moves away from an access point, it can reassociate seamlessly with another access point. This is called roaming. You can set up security to encrypt your wireless transmissions so that your data cannot be deciphered if it is intercepted, and to prevent access to the network by unauthorized clients. Wireless clients can associate among themselves at close range without an access point by using ad hoc (temporary) networks. You may wish to set up an ad hoc network, for example, if a group is working away from the office, or if a group in the office needs to share files apart from the LAN. Security Ad Hoc Networks 8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Setting Up a 3Com Wireless LAN The type of network you decide to set up depends on the size of your office and whether or not you require connection to a wired LAN. You can also set up security for each of the different types of networks. Your set up will probably resemble one or more of the following examples. The simplest 3Com wireless LAN consists of several clients associating in an ad hoc network without an access point. All Wireless Networks A simple configuration consists of one access point and several clients. The clients can associate with the wireless network anywhere within the coverage area of the access point. The access point is not connected to any other network segments. For more complex requirements, you can configure several access points as separate networks at the same site. The access points use different network identifiers called wireless LAN service areas (WLAN service areas, also called Extended Service Set Identities or ESSID). Clients can roam within the coverage areas of access points that have the same WLAN service areas. They cannot roam to the coverage areas of access points that are configured with different WLAN service areas. PO WE R WI RE LE SS ET HE RN ET Product Registration and Support 9 Wired/Wireless Networks An access point can be connected to a wired LAN with an Ethernet cable to create a mixed wired/wireless network. In this configuration, the access point provides the link between the wired network and wireless clients. Clients can move freely throughout the service area of the access point and remain associated with the larger network for services such as printing and Internet access. Multiple access points can be connected to an existing LAN to provide complete wireless network coverage. Wireless clients can roam seamlessly between different access points with the same WLAN service areas and remain associated with the larger network. PO WE R PO WE R Product Registration and Support To register your product with 3Com, go to the following Web page: http://support.3com.com/warrantyregistration/frontpg.pl For support information, see "Technical Support" and go to the following Web page: http://support.3com.com W IRE LE SS ET HE RN ET W IRE LE SS ET HE RN ET 2 INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Installing a wireless client consists of inserting the 3Com Wireless LAN PC Card with XJACK® Antenna in your computer and installing the software driver and utilities. If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities installed on a wireless client, you can manage access points or run a site survey. Requirements Before you start the installation, make sure that you have the following items: Operating System One of the following: n Windows 95 The 3Com wireless LAN PC Card runs under Windows 95 version B or higher. If you do not know which version of Windows 95 is installed on your computer, you can display it as follows: In the Control Panel, double-click System to display the System Properties dialog box. Click the General Tab to display the Windows 95 version information. Version B (also known as OSR 2) is identified as 4.00.950b. n n n n Windows 98 Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) Windows NT with Service Pack 4 or above Windows 2000 Web Browser Internet Explorer version 4 required. Internet Explorer version 5.5 recommended. You can download Internet Explorer from www.microsoft.com PC Card 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card with XJACK Antenna 3Com End User Utilities CD, which comes with the PC Card and contains utilities for users. 3Com Administrator Utilities CD, which comes with the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point and contains utilities for users and tools for administrators. The installation program may ask for the operating system installation media (usually a CD supplied with your computer) or for a path to the operating system files. If you have other networking software installed on your computer, the installation program may ask for its installation media. Installation Media One of the following 3Com CDs: n n Other Requirements n Inserting the PC Card 1 Turn on the computer. 2 Insert the 3Com PC Card into the PC Card slot until it seats snugly. 12 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Arrows on the front of the card indicate the insertion point to the slot. Align the card properly before inserting it in the slot. CAUTION: Forcing the card into the slot can damage the computer or the card. Using the XJACK Antenna The XJACK antenna, which is attached to the end of the PC Card, has two positions: extended and retracted. The antenna works like a ball-point pen--press it to extend it, press it again to retract it. The antenna must be extended to make a network association. To prevent it from damage, the antenna should be retracted when not in use, when you are inserting the card in your computer, or when you are transporting the computer. CAUTION: Do not pull on the antenna to remove the card. The figure at left below shows the PC Card installed with its antenna retracted. The figure at right shows the antenna extended. To get the best reception: n Clear the area around the antenna of items that could block radio transmission, such as metal objects, electronic devices, and cordless telephones. Even a slight change in antenna orientation can affect the network association. If necessary, move your computer a few inches to find a better signal. n Installing the Software 13 Installing the Software Depending on how your computer is set up, the installation program may ask for the operating system installation media (usually a CD supplied with your computer) or for a path to the operating system files. If you have other networking software installed on your computer, the installation program may ask for the networking software installation media. Make sure that you have the appropriate installation CDs or that you know the appropriate paths before you begin installing the software. If you need help during the installation, see "Troubleshooting". Follow the instructions for your operating system: For this Windows version: See this procedure: Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), Windows 98, Windows 95 Windows NT "Windows Wizard Installation" "Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed" or "Windows NT Installation Without Networking Installed". Windows Wizard Installation Install Files Make sure that the computer is running and the PC Card is inserted. The driver installation process starts automatically when the PC Card is inserted. 1 Put the 3Com CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2 In the Add New Hardware Wizard window, click Next. 3 Respond to the instructions in the next windows: a When the driver location is confirmed, click Next. b Verify the driver name (3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card) and click Next. The installation program copies files from the 3Com CD and Windows operating system. This copying process may take a few moments, and the progress bar may seem to update slowly. The installation may prompt for your operating system installation CD, for a path to the operating system, or for the installation CD of other installed networking software. If it does, remove the 3Com CD and insert the appropriate CD. c When you are notified that the installation is complete, remove the CD and click Finish. 4 At the prompt to restart the computer, click Yes. 14 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Set Up the PC Card After the computer restarts, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window opens, in which you specify the PC Card configuration. 1 In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window, select Typical and click Next. Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values: WLAN Service Area--Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting--No security (Open system) If you want to customize the PC Card configuration, for example, to add security, select Custom. See "Custom Installation Options" for details on custom settings. For the fastest installation, it is recommended that you use the typical settings. You can customize the configuration later as described in "Setting the Wireless Client Configuration". 2 In the Summary window, review the PC Card setup. To install the software utilities, make sure that the Start client software installation when finished box is checked. If you are reinstalling the PC Card and already have the software utilities installed, this box is unchecked. 3 Click Finish to complete the PC Card setup and start the software utilities installation. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts. Install Utilities 1 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 2 Read the Software License Agreement and click Yes. (If you click No, the installation stops.) 3 Select a destination folder for the software files and click Next. 4 In the Setup Type window, select the type of installation for the software: Typical--Installs the software and documentation. Compact--Installs the software, but not documentation. Custom--Allows you to choose the components to install. 5 Follow the directions in the Select Program Folder window and click Next. 6 In the Desktop Icon Option window, click Yes. 7 In the Setup Complete window, click Finish. 8 If you are prompted to restart your computer, do so. This completes the basic installation. To confirm the installation, see "Confirming the Installation". Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed The following procedure is for installing the card software when networking is already installed on your computer. If networking is not already installed, see "Windows NT Installation Without Networking Installed". Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed 15 Either CardWizard or Softex Card Executive (utilities that help Windows NT load and manage software) must be installed on your computer to use the PC Card. If the installation program does not detect one of the utilities, it asks whether you want to install CardWizard from the 3Com CD. Internet Explorer version 4 is required to view help files. It is recommended that you install Internet Explorer version 5 or later. Installing Under Service Pack 4 It is recommended that you upgrade to the latest service pack. If you are using Service Pack 4, you must install CardWizard before inserting the PC Card into the computer. If you have Softex Card Executive installed, see "Windows NT Installation With Softex Card Executive" for more details. Otherwise, follow this procedure: 1 Put the 3Com CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2 If the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN Menu appears, click Exit. 3 From the Windows Start menu, select Start/Run. 4 In the run dialog box, type the path to the CardWizard installer on the 3Com CD. For example: d:\cw\disk1\setup.exe 5 Follow the prompts to install CardWizard. At the prompt to restart, shut down the computer. 6 Insert the PC Card, restart the computer, and continue with the installation. Refer to "Installing Under Service Pack 5 and Above" for detailed instructions. Installing Under Service Pack 5 and Above The installation procedure consists of installing files, installing CardWizard, setting up the PC Card, and installing utilities. Install Files 1 Make sure that the computer is running and the PC Card is inserted. 2 Put the 3Com CD in the CD-ROM drive. If the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN Menu appears, click Exit. 3 From the Windows Start menu, select Settings/Control Panel. 4 In the Control Panel, double-click Network. 5 Click the Adapters tab. 6 In the Adapters tab, click Add. 7 In the Select Network Adapter window, click Have Disk. 8 In the Insert Disk window, make sure that the correct path to your CD-ROM drive appears in the entry box (for example, d:) and click OK. 9 In the Select OEM Option window, select 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card and click OK. 10 In the PC Card Setup window, accept the default settings and click OK. The default settings work in most cases. However, you may need to specify values for your installation. Wait while the files are copied. 16 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT 11 In the Adapters tab, click Close. 12 If the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties screen appears, enter the requested information for your network environment. Refer to the Windows NT documentation for assistance. If you choose the DHCP server option, click Yes to the DHCP prompt. When you are finished entering the appropriate TCP/IP information, click OK. 13 When prompted to restart the computer, click Yes. Install CardWizard If CardWizard was already installed before you began installing the PC Card, the installation skips this portion and proceeds directly to "Set Up the PC Card." 1 At the prompt to install CardWizard, click Yes. If you click No and you do not have CardWizard installed, the installation stops. 2 In the CardWizard window, click Next. 3 In the CardWizard welcome page, click Next. 4 Read the CardWizard Software License Agreement and click Yes. 5 When prompted to remove the PC Card, eject the card and click Yes. 6 In the Select Type of Platform window, select your computer type and click Next. If your computer type is not listed, select Other Notebook and click Next. 7 Respond to the prompts to install CardWizard. 8 When the CardWizard installation finishes, click the radio button to restart the computer and click Finish. 9 Insert the PC Card. Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed 17 Set Up the PC Card After the computer restarts, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window opens, in which you specify the PC Card configuration. 1 In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window, select Typical and click Next. The Typical comfiguration sets up the PC Card with the following default values: WLAN Service Area--Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting--No security (Open system) If you want to customize the PC Card configuration (to add security, for example), select Custom. See "Custom Installation Options" for details on custom settings. For the fastest installation, it is recommended that you use the Typical settings. You can customize the configuration later as described in "Setting the Wireless Client Configuration". 2 In the Summary window, review the PC Card setup and click Finish. 3 When prompted to run the Setup program, click OK. 4 Run the Setup program: a From the Windows Start menu, select Run. b In the Run dialog box, enter a path to the Setup program on the 3Com CD. For example, d:\srsetup.exe. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts. Install Utilities 1 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 2 Read the Software License Agreement and click Yes. (If you click No, the installation stops.) 3 Select a destination folder for the software files and click Next. 4 In the Setup Type window, select the type of installation for the software: Typical--Installs the software and documentation. Compact--Installs the software but not documentation. Custom--Allows you to choose the components to install. 5 Follow the directions in the Select Program Folder window and click Next. 6 In the Desktop Icon Option window, click Yes. 7 In the next window, if the option to restart the computer appears, select it and click Finish. If you had a service pack installed before setting up the PC Card, reinstall it and restart the computer. This completes the basic installation. To confirm the installation, see "Confirming the Installation." 18 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Confirming the Installation When the PC Card and software are installed correctly, you will see the following items after you restart the computer: n n PC Card LED is blinking. 3Com WLAN Launcher is running. This utility shows the status of your network association. 3Com icon is in the Windows system tray. Shortcut icon to the 3Com WLAN Launcher is on your desktop (unless you specified no icon during the installation). n n If you do not see the 3Com WLAN Launcher window, click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray to display it. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it by double clicking the shortcut on your desktop, or, from the Windows Start menu, select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. For more information, see "Using the Wireless LAN". Custom Installation Options If you want to set up a custom configuration during installation, when the installation program asks for the Setup Type, select Custom and click Next. You can change the WLAN Service Area and Security settings. WLAN Service Area Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically--This option associates the client automatically to the WLAN service area with the best signal strength. Specify a WLAN Service Area--Select this option and enter the name of a WLAN service area. The name must match the name of the access point WLAN Service Area exactly. For more information on these settings, see "Changing Network and Security Settings". Security Settings See "Changing Network and Security Settings"for information about Security. Installing the Documentation 19 Installing the Documentation Documentation in PDF and HTML formats are supplied on the 3Com CD and are installed automatically during a typical installation. If you chose not to install documentation when you installed the PC Card and utilities, you can use Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel to install it. 1 From the Windows Start menu, select Start/Settings/Control Panel. 2 Double click Add/Remove Programs. 3 In the next window, select 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN and click Add/Remove. 4 In the Install Shield Wizard window, click the Modify radio button and click Next. 5 In the next window, check the boxes next to the documents that you want to install and click Next. A dialog box containing a document file name appears. 6 Insert the 3Com CD. 7 Browse to the path on the CD that contains the file name indicated in the dialog box and click OK. You need Acrobat Reader to read the documentation in PDF format and a Web browser to read the documentation in HTML format. The English versions of Acrobat Reader and the Internet Explorer Web browser are on the 3Com CD. You can obtain versions of Acrobat Reader in languages other than English from the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com. You can obtain versions of Internet Explorer in languages other than English from the Microsoft Web site at www.microsoft.com. 3 USING THE WIRELESS LAN The 3Com WLAN Launcher shows the status of your network association and allows you to perform some network association and configuration tasks. The functions of the 3Com WLAN Launcher buttons are: Access Point Refreshes the association with the access point when you are associated with an access point. When you are associated with an ad hoc network, this button ends the ad hoc session and associates you to an access point. Computer Displays the Ad Hoc Network Login window, in which you can do the following: n When you are associated with an access point, you can end the access point association and start an ad hoc session. When you are associated with an ad hoc network, you can start a new ad hoc session or edit the current ad hoc configuration. n Padlock Displays the Network/Security tab of the 3Com WLAN Configuration utility. Hammer Displays the Tools tab of the 3Com WLAN Configuration utility. Help Displays help. Close Minimizes the 3Com WLAN Launcher window, but does not quit the application. 22 CHAPTER 3: USING THE WIRELESS LAN About the 3Com Icon When the 3Com WLAN Launcher is running, the 3Com icon in the Windows system tool tray displays the status of the network association: Associated Green radio waves indicate a good association with an access point. Not Associated Red circle with a white X indicates no association with an access point. Card Removed Yellow circle with a black X indicates that no PC Card is detected by the computer. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is hidden, click the 3Com icon to display it. You can also right-click the 3Com icon and select from these menu items: Open Refresh AP End AP/Start Ad hoc Security Settings Tools Displays the WLAN Launcher. Disconnects you from an ad hoc network session and reconnects you to an access point. Displays the Ad Hoc Network Login window, where you can start or join an ad hoc network session. Displays the Network/Security tab, where you can set up security. Displays the Tools tab, where you can run WLAN Launcher applications. Show Ethernet Link Status Controls the Ethernet status display. This option appears only if you are associating with a 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point. Exit Quits the WLAN Launcher program. After you exit, the 3Com icon no longer displays in the Windows system tray unless you restart the WLAN Launcher. Interpreting Status Icons The 3Com WLAN Launcher window shows the status of your network ssociation and continuously updates the status. The following tables describe the various states. Good Status The icon on the left represents your computer (the client) with the 3Com PC Card installed. The icon on the right represents the access point. The green dotted line between the two icons indicates a good network association. If both icons are computers, you are associating with an ad hoc network For information on how to set up an ad hoc network, see "Setting up an Ad Hoc Network". Interpreting Status Icons 23 Good Status A green dotted line with a padlock between the two icons indicates a good association with security. If you are using a 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point and it is properly connected to an Ethernet network, a network icon is shown. If the access point is from another manufacturer, no network icon is shown. Search Status The green dotted line with a magnifying glass between the computer icon and the access point icon indicates that the client is currently searching for a network association with an access point. The green dotted line with a magnifying glass between two computer icons indicates that the client is currently searching for an ad hoc network association. 24 CHAPTER 3: USING THE WIRELESS LAN Problem Status If you see an X or a red line, refer to "Troubleshooting". A yellow X on the PC Card slot of the computer icon indicates that the operating system does not recognize the card or that no card is inserted. A red dotted line with an X indicates that the card is installed properly, but there is no association between the computer and the access point. An X on the cable connected to the access point indicates that the card is installed properly and there is a good association with the access point, but there is a problem with the Ethernet connection to the access point. If you do not have an Ethernet cable connected to the access point, you can turn off the Ethernet status display. Right click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray and clear the Show Ethernet Link Status option. Using the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility 25 Using the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility You can use the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window to customize the wireless client set up after installation. If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities, you can also launch administration tools. To display the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In the 3Com WLAN Launcher, click the Padlock or the Hammer icon to display the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window. (The tab that appears on top depends on the icon used to open the window.) The 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window contains these tabs: n Network/Security--See "Changing Network and Security Settings" and "Setting up an Ad Hoc Network". Options--See "Changing Power, Traffic, and Address Settings". Tools--See "Changing Your Password", "Running Diagnostics", or "Upgrading PC Card Firmware". If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities, you can also perform access point management tasks. Info-- See "Viewing Configuration Information". n n n 26 CHAPTER 3: USING THE WIRELESS LAN Using 3Com Administrator Utilities The 3Com CD contains tools for managing the PC Card. With the tools installed on a wireless client, you can change your password, check for firmware upgrades, or perform a diagnostic test. To install the tools, use the 3Com CD when you install the client on your computer. The installed tools are located on the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In the 3Com WLAN Launcher, click the Hammer icon to display the Tools tab in 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window. The Tools tab contains these tools: n Change Password--Changes the wireless client password. See "Changing Your Password". Firmware Upgrade--Upgrades the firmware on the wireless client. See "Upgrading PC Card Firmware". Diagnostics--Runs diagnostics on the wireless client. See "Running Diagnostics". n n 4 Changing Network and Security Settings SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION You can change security and network settings for the wireless client in the Network/Security tab. 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click the Padlock icon. In the top half of the Security/Network tab, you can change settings for an access point network. In the lower half of the tab, you can configure settings for an ad hoc network. 3 To configure settings for an access point network, see "Network Settings" and "Security Settings". To configure settings for an ad hoc network, click Start Ad hoc. See "Setting up an Ad Hoc Network". 4 If your selection requires encryption key settings, click Encryption Key Settings and enter the encryption key settings in the next window. (Ask your network administrator for the encryption settings.) See "40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) Encryption Settings" and "128-bit Shared Key (WiFi) Encryption Settings". Network Settings Network settings determine the wireless network with which the client can associate. Some wireless LANs are set up with different WLAN service areas. Clients can roam within the coverage areas of access points that have the same WLAN service areas. They cannot roam to the coverage areas of access points that have different WLAN service areas. To change the settings: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click the Padlock icon. 28 CHAPTER 4: SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION 3 In the Security/Network window, WLAN Service Area displays the name of the wireless network with which the wireless PC client can associate. You can change this setting as follows: Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Check this box to associate the client automatically to the WLAN service area with the best signal strength. This is recommended. Specify a WLAN Service Area First uncheck the Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically box. Then, you can either enter the name of a service area (up to 32 characters long), or select from recently used WLAN service areas or from all available WLAN Service Areas within the range of the client. Security Settings You can set the level of security used to protect the network communications between the client and the access point from interception by unintended recipients. The security settings must match those that the network administrator has set up on the network. Some security levels require you to supply encryption settings. The levels of security are: No Security (Open System) 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) No encryption is used. The network communications could be intercepted by unintended recipients. This option encrypts the wireless transmissions to protect your data and is compatible with other Wi-Fi certified wireless PC clients and access points from other manufacturers. This option encrypts the wireless transmissions to protect your data and is compatible with wireless PC clients and access points from other select manufacturers. This option can only be used with a 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point. It is the highest level of security, in which you must enter a user name and password. These must match the user name and password set up by the administrator on the access points with which you associate. Each network session automatically creates a unique, one-time, 128-bit encryption key. You never have to enter a key. 128-bit Shared Key (WiFi) 128-bit Dynamic Security Link To maintain wireless association between clients and access points, follow these guidelines: n n The security setting on the client and the access points must match exactly. For 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) security, the encryption settings on the client and the access point must match exactly. For 128-bit Dynamic Security Link security, the user name and password on the client and the access points must match exactly. n Changing Network and Security Settings 29 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) Encryption Settings 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) security requires you to set up encryption keys. Your network administrator sets up encryption keys for the wireless network and gives you an encryption string or hexadecimal keys. n An encryption string is a string of characters between 8 and 64 characters long. The string can be any combination of letters and numbers and is case sensitive. The encryption string can be used only with other 3Com 11 Mbps wireless PC Cards and access points. Hexadecimal keys are sequences of hexadecimal digits arranged into four keys. A hexadecimal digit may be a letter from A to F or a number from 0 to 9. This type of encryption is compatible with Wi-Fi certified equipment from other manufacturers. n To enter an encryption string: 1 In the Security/Network window, select 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) from the Security setting list. 2 Click Encryption Key Settings. 3 In the next window, select Specify Encryption String. 4 Type the encryption string in the space provided. 5 Click OK when finished. To enter hexadecimal keys: 1 In the Security/Network window, select 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) from the Security setting list. 2 Click Encryption Key Settings. 3 In the next window, select Specify Encryption Keys. 4 Enter the key settings. You must enter settings for all four keys. 5 Click one of the radio buttons to select a key to use. 6 Click OK when finished. 128-bit Shared Key (WiFi) Encryption Settings 128-bit Shared Key security requires you to set up encryption keys using one of the following: n An encryption string, which is a string of case-sensitive characters 6 to 30 characters long. The string is a combination of letters and numbers and is case sensitive. The encryption string can be used only with other 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN clients and access points, and must match exactly across all devices in the wireless network. Hexadecimal keys (for use with compatible equipment from other manufacturers). The key sequences must match exactly across all devices in the wireless network. n Ask your system administrator for the encryption string or hexadecimal keys. 30 CHAPTER 4: SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION To enter an encryption string: 1 In the Security settings window, select 128-bit Shared Key and click Next. 2 In the Encryptions Settings window, select Text Message. 3 Type the encryption string in the spaces provided. 4 Click Next when finished. To enter hexadecimal keys: 1 In the Security settings window, select 128-bit Shared Key and click Next. 2 In the Encryptions Settings window, select Hexadecimal Keys. 3 Type the encryption key sequences in the spaces provided. You must enter key sequences for all four keys. 4 Click one of the radio buttons to select a key to use for encrypting data from your computer. 5 Click Next when finished. 128-bit Dynamic Security Link Authentication 128-bit Dynamic Security Link security can only be used with other 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN clients and access points. 1 Ask your network administrator for the user name and password. 2 In the Security settings window, select 128-bit Dynamic Security Link and click Next. 3 In the Authentication Settings window, type the user name and password in the spaces provided. 4 Enter the password again to confirm it. 5 Click Next when finished. 128-bit Dynamic Security Link Settings 128-bit Dynamic Security Link security requires a user name and password. Ask your network administrator for the user name and password. 1 In the Network/Security window, select 128-bit Dynamic Security Link from the Security setting list. 2 Click Apply. 3 In the next window, type the user name and password in the spaces provided. 4 Click OK when finished. After you log in successfully the first time, Windows remembers the password the next time you log in. Your network administrator may require you to log on every time. Setting up Auto Network Connect 31 Setting up Auto Network Connect Auto Network Connect ensures network association even when traversing subnets. The client automatically associates with the nearest access point that has compatible encryption settings and automatically obtains a valid IP address. This option requires a Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) server. The client's network configuration must be set to obtain its IP address automatically. For more information on DHCP, see the documentation for your operating system. Follow these steps to set up Auto Network Connect: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click the Padlock icon. 3 In the Security/Network window, check the Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically box. 4 Click the Options tab. 5 In the Options window, check the Automatically release/renew the IP address box. 6 Click OK. Setting up an Ad Hoc Network An ad hoc network is useful when you are out of the range of an access point or when you want to share files with others, but not with the entire network. When two or more clients are in ad hoc mode and within range of each other, they can communicate with each other directly through their 3Com Wireless LAN PC Cards without an access point. One client starts the ad hoc session and names it. Other clients can then join the ad hoc network session. Follow this procedure to start an ad hoc network session: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click the Computer icon. 3 In the Ad hoc Network Login window, type a new network name in the space provided. This name identifies your ad hoc network to the rest of the clients. Starting an Ad Hoc Network Session 32 CHAPTER 4: SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION 4 Select a security setting. You can select No Security (Open System) or 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi). If you select 40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi), enter the required encryption information. (For details on encryption settings, see "40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) Encryption Settings".) This security setting only applies to this ad hoc network and only affects the transmissions among the participating ad hoc clients. It does not affect security settings for communication with access points. 5 Select the performance mode. If only 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN clients will be participating in the ad hoc network session, click the Enhanced radio button. If clients from other manufacturers will be participating, click the Wi-Fi interoperable radio button. 6 Click OK. Joining an Ad Hoc Network Session The TCP/IP or NetBEUI protocol settings of clients participating in an ad hoc network session must match. For example, TCP/IP must be configured on the same subnet and NetBEUI must be configured with the same workgroup. After a client has started an ad hoc network session, other clients may join it as follows: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click the Computer icon. 3 In the Ad-hoc Network Login window, select the network name of the ad hoc session you are joining from the drop-down list. 4 Set your security to match that of the client that started the ad hoc session. 5 Set the performance mode to match that of the client that started the ad hoc session. 6 Click OK. Ending an Ad Hoc Network Session There are two ways to end an ad hoc network session and reassociate with an access point: n Right-click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray and select End Ad Hoc/Connect to AP from the menu. Display the WLAN Launcher and click the Access Point icon. n Changing Power, Traffic, and Address Settings 33 Changing Power, Traffic, and Address Settings You can change power management, network traffic, and IP address settings as follows: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click either the Padlock or the Hammer icons. 3 In the WLAN Configuration Utility window, click the Options tab. In the Options window you can change the settings described below. Automatically manage power based on the detected power source When this radio button is selected, and if your computer is able to detect its power source automatically, the PC Card will automatically switch between the following modes: Power saving mode--Recommended when the computer is using battery power. Continuous access mode--Gives faster network performance and is recommended when the computer is using AC power. Manually set the power management When this radio button is selected, you can select the power mode manually. You may want to select this mode, for example, if your computer cannot detect its power source or if you want to improve performance by forcing continuous access even though you are using battery power. Windows NT users must select the power mode because the operating system cannot detect its power source. Network Traffic Accelerator If only 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN equipment is being used, it is recommended that you turn this option on to increase the rate at which traffic is handled. Automatically release/renew the IP address Your Internet Protocol address (IP address) contains the information that allows network traffic to find its way to your computer. This option requires a Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) server. The client's network configuration must be set to obtain its IP address automatically. For more information on DHCP, see the documentation for your operating system. When this box is checked, your computer automatically requests another IP address if you travel outside of your subnet, so the network connection remains active. Leave the box unchecked if your network does not have a DHCP server. To force the system to release and renew an IP address, click Release/Renew Now. You may want to click this button, for example, if you cannot establish association with the network or if you roam in an installation that has multiple access points and you lose network association. 34 CHAPTER 4: SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION Changing Your Password The Change Password utility lets you update the password used in the access control list of the access point with which the client is associated. This is only applicable if you have configured the client to use 128-bit Dynamic Security Link security. Because access points maintain separate User Control Lists, you must update the password separately on each access point that you associate with. 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click the Hammer icon. 3 In the Tools window, double-click the Change Password icon. 4 In the Change Password dialog box, follow the instructions to change the password and click OK. Running Diagnostics The Diagnostics tool checks adapter presence, network connection, signal strength, and link quality. 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click the Hammer icon. 3 In the Tools tab, double-click the Diagnostics icon. 4 Check the boxes next to the tests you want to run. 5 Click Start. The tests run and the results appear in the status column of the Tools tab. Viewing Configuration Information The Info tab summarizes configuration information about the PC Card and the wireless LAN. To view configuration information: 1 In the Windows system tray, click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher. If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running, you can start it from the Windows Start menu. Select Start/Programs/3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN/3Com WLAN Launcher. 2 In WLAN Launcher, click either the Padlock or the Hammer icons. 3 In the WLAN Configuration Utility window, click the Info tab. Viewing Configuration Information 35 The following information appears in the Info tab: Item Driver version Firmware version MAC Address IP Address Card Type Power Source Network Type Security Settings WLAN Service Area Description Useful for troubleshooting Useful for troubleshooting Unique hardware name for your PC Card. Your computer's current IP address. Type of client adapter; for example, PCMCIA or PCI. AC power or battery power. Access Point or Ad hoc. Type of security set for the PC Card. For information on security, see "Security Settings". If the network type is Access Point, shows the currently associated WLAN service area. For information on the WLAN service area, see "Changing Network and Security Settings". If the network type is Ad hoc, this item does not appear in the list. Channel Network Name Radio frequency (RF) channel. If the network type is Ad hoc, shows the name of the ad hoc network. For information on ad hoc networks, see "Setting up an Ad Hoc Network". If the network type is Access Point, this item does not appear in the list. Access Point MAC Address Power Management Associated Signal Strength Data Rate Unique hardware name for the associated access point. If the network type is Ad hoc, this field shows N/A. Power mode. For more information on power modes, see "Changing Power, Traffic, and Address Settings". Indicates the strength of the radio signal. All light green indicates the best signal; all dark green indicates no signal. Data transfer speed. For example, 11 Mbps, 5.5 Mbps, 2 Mbps, or 1 Mbps. 5 Diagnosing Problems TROUBLESHOOTING The 3Com WLAN Launcher window can help you can diagnose problems. To display the 3Com WLAN Launcher, double click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray. If you have difficulty using the PC Card, try the solutions in the following table. If you continue to experience difficulty, see "Upgrading PC Card Firmware" or "Uninstalling the Card". Symptom PC Card LED is off. Solutions Make sure the card is properly inserted in the slot. Check the PC Card icon in the Windows control panel and make sure that the card type can be recognized. PC Card LED is on, but not blinking. PC Card installs as an unknown device. Make sure the card is properly inserted in the slot. Uninstall the card and reinstall it. The Windows Add Hardware Wizard was unable to locate the PC Card drivers. You may have had no CD or the wrong CD inserted in the drive, or the 3Com CD may not have been ready when the wizard looked for the drivers. Remove the unknown device and repeat the installation procedure. Make sure that you insert the 3Com CD when the installation calls for it and that you wait for it to come up to speed in the drive. Installation program does not finish. The driver fails to load. Network association is intermittent. In the WLAN Launcher window, the green dotted line between associated devices blinks to red with an X, indicating that the radio signal is weak. The diagnostic signal strength or link quality tests fail. There may be a resource conflict. Use the Device Manager to resolve resource conflicts. Select System from the Control Panel, and then click the Device Manager tab. Make sure that the XJACK antenna attached to the end of the card is extended. Try reorienting the antenna. For best use of the antenna: n Keep the area around the antenna clear from materials that could block radio transmission, such as metal objects, electronic devices, and cordless telephones. If the signal is weak, change the direction of the antenna slightly. If necessary, move your computer a few inches to find a better signal. n n 38 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Symptom Computer operating system does not recognize the card. Solutions Make sure the card is properly inserted in the slot. Make sure that PCMCIA support is installed. In the WLAN Launcher window, Check whether a card is already in use. you see a yellow X on the client icon. Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), and Windows 2000: Check whether the The diagnostic adapter presence computer has a Plug and Play BIOS. test fails. Windows NT: Make sure that CardWizard is installed on your computer and that you have removed any utility that is similar to CardWizard. Click the Padlock icon to display Security/Network settings. Make sure that the WLAN Service Area set on the client matches that set on the access point. Or, set the client to In the WLAN Launcher window, Attach to any WLAN Service Area. you see a red dotted line with an X. Make sure that encryption is set up correctly and matches security set on the access point. See "Changing Network Diagnostic network connection and Security Settings" and "40-bit Shared Key (Wi-Fi) test fails. Encryption Settings". If you are associating with a 3Com AirConnect® access point, make sure that the Short RF Preamble parameter is disabled on both access points. There is no network association when the computer becomes active again after being in sleep mode or after the PC Card is removed and reinserted. Log out and log in again, or restart the computer to restore the connections. Client cannot associate with an access point. Client cannot communicate with Make sure that fixed IP settings are correct. the network. If you are connecting to a wired network, make sure that the access point you are associated with is connected to the wired network. If you are using a DHCP server, release/renew the IP address. Client is not working under Windows NT. Make sure that CardWizard is installed and that any utilities similar to CardWizard are not installed. The PC Card LED indicates the following: Condition Off On, but not blinking Blinking Description The computer does not recognize the PC Card. The computer recognizes the PC Card, but the card is not functioning. The PC Card is operating. The blink speed ranges from approximately once every 2.5 seconds to approximately 10 times per second. Slow blinking indicates that the client is either not associated to an access point or is associated at a slow rate. Fast blinking indicates a good network association and fast transmission. Using the Tools Window 39 Using the Tools Window In the Tools window you can change your password, run diagnostics, or upgrade the PC card firmware. If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities, you can also connect to the access point and perform management administration functions. See the following topics for more information: n n n "Changing Your Password" "Running Diagnostics" "Upgrading PC Card Firmware" Uninstalling the Card Previous installations or interrupted installation attempts sometimes leave problems that affect card operation. Possible problems include: n n n PC Card fails to function. Operating system does not detect the PC Card. System issues a warning tone at startup. If the installation is unsuccessful, your best course may be to completely uninstall the card and repeat the installation procedure. CAUTION: Exit any networking applications and remove the PC Card driver before uninstalling the card. 1 Make sure that you have exited any networking applications. 2 Use the standard operating system procedure to remove the card driver. The procedure for Windows Me, Windows 98, and Windows 95 is shown below. Refer to your Windows documentation for the exact procedure under Windows 2000 and Windows NT. a From the Windows Start menu, select Settings and then Control Panel. b In the Control Panel, double-click the System icon. c In the next window, click the Device Manager tab. d Double-click Network Adapters. e Select 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card from the list and click Remove. 3 Gently press and release the antenna to retract it. 4 Remove the card. 40 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING 5 Restart the computer. CAUTION: To avoid damaging the card, do not pull on the antenna. Uninstalling Software Utilities If you want to uninstall the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN software utilities, you can either use the standard operating system procedure for removing programs or use the following shortcut procedure: 1 From the Windows Start menu, select Programs, then 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN, then Uninstall 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN. 2 When prompted to confirm, click OK. Updating PC Card Driver Software Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 98 SE To update your PC Card driver software, find your operating system below, then follow the procedure. 1 Turn on the power to the computer and start Windows. 2 From the Windows Start menu, select Settings, then select Control Panel. 3 Double-click the System icon. 4 Select the Device Manager tab. 5 In the Device Manager Window, expand the Network Adapters list. 6 Select 3Com 3CRWE62092A and click Properties. 7 Select the Driver tab and click Update Driver. 8 In the Update Device Driver Wizard, follow the prompts to install the upgrade. 9 When prompted, click Restart for the changes to take effect. After the computer restarts, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup window appears, in which you specify the PC Card configuration. Updating PC Card Driver Software 41 10 In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window, select Typical and click Next. For the fastest installation, it is recommended that you use the typical settings. You can customize the configuration later. Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values: WLAN Service Area--Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting--No security (Open system) 11 In the Summary window, review the PC Card setup. To install the software utilities, check the Start client software installation when finished box. 12 If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is already running, it is recommended that you exit it and end the PC Card service routine by doing the following: a In the Windows system tray, right-click the 3Com icon and select Exit. b Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring up the Close Program window. c In the Close Program window, select SR Services and click End Task. 13 Click Finish to complete the PC Card setup and start the software utilities installation. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts. 14 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 15 In the Setup Complete window, click Finish. 16 If you are prompted to restart your computer, do so. The software is now updated. Windows Millenium Edition (Windows Me) 1 Turn on the power to the computer and start Windows. 2 From the Windows Start menu, select Settings, then select Control Panel. 3 Double-click the System icon, then select Device Manager. 4 In the Device Manager window, expand the Network Adapters list. 5 Select 3Com 3CRWE62092A and click Properties. 6 Select Driver and click Update Driver. 7 In the Update Device Driver Wizard, follow the prompts to install the upgrade. 8 When prompted, click Restart for the changes to take effect. 9 If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is already running, it is recommended that you exit it and end the PC Card service routine: a In the Windows system tray, right-click the 3Com icon and select Exit. b Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring up the Close Program window. c In the Close Program window, select SR Services and click End Task. 10 Run the Setup program by doing the following: a From the Windows Start menu, select Run. b In the Run dialog box, enter the path to start the Setup program on the 3Com CD. For example: d:srsetup.exe. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts 42 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING 11 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 12 In the Setup Complete window, click Finish. 13 If you are prompted to restart your computer, do so. The software is now updated. Windows 2000 1 Turn on the power to the computer and start Windows. 2 Log in to the Windows 2000 Administrator account. 3 From the Windows Start menu, select Settings, then Control Panel. 4 Double-click the System icon. 5 In the System Properties window, select the Hardware tab. 6 In the next window, click Device Manager. 7 In the Device Manager window, expand the Network Adapters list. 8 Double-click 3Com 3CRWE62092A. 9 In the next window, select the Driver tab. 10 Click Update Driver. 11 In the Upgrade Device Driver Wizard, follow the prompts to install the upgrade: a In the Install Hardware Device Driver window, click the Display list of known drivers so that I can choose a specific driver radio button and click Next. b In the next window, click Have Disk. In the dialog box, specify the directory where you downloaded the software and click Continue. 12 When the installation is finished, click Finish. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup window appears, in which you specify the PC Card configuration. 13 In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window, select Typical and click Next. For the fastest installation, it is recommended that you use the typical settings. You can customize the configuration later. Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values: WLAN Service Area--Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting--No security (Open system) 14 In the Summary window, review the PC Card setup. To install the software utilities, check the Start client software installation when finished box. 15 If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is already running, it is recommended that you exit it and end the PC Card service routine: a In the Windows system tray, right-click the 3Com icon and select Exit. b Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring up the Close Program window. c In the Close Program window, select SR Services and click End Task. 16 Click Finish to complete the PC Card setup and start the software utilities installation. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts. Updating PC Card Driver Software 43 17 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 18 In the Setup Complete window, click Finish. 19 If you are prompted to restart your computer, do so. The software is now updated. Windows NT 1 Turn on the power to the computer and start Windows. 2 Log in to the Windows NT Administrator account. 3 From the Windows Start menu, select Settings, then select Control Panel. 4 Double-click the Network icon. 5 In the Network window, select the Adapters tab. 6 In the Adapters tab, click Update. 7 In the Windows NT Setup window, enter the path to the directory where you downloaded the software and click Continue. 8 Follow the prompts to update the driver. 9 Restart the computer. 10 If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is already running, it is recommended that you exit it and end the PC Card service routine: a In the Windows system tray, right-click the 3Com icon and select Exit. b Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring up the Close Program window. c In the Close Program window, select SR Services and click End Task. 11 Run the Setup program: a From the Windows Start menu, select Run. b In the Run dialog box, enter the path to start the Setup program on the 3Com CD. For example, d:srsetup.exe. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts. 12 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 13 In the Setup Complete window, click Finish. 14 If you are prompted to restart the computer, do so. The software is now updated. 44 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Upgrading PC Card Firmware Firmware is the software that is installed on the PC Card at the factory. Some problems can be solved by installing a new version of the firmware (upgrading firmware). The following firmware upgrade procedure describes how to download firmware updates from the 3Com customer support Web site to your PC Card. 1 Log on to the 3Com support site at http://support.3com.com. 2 Click Wireless. 3 Click Download Software/Drivers. 4 Click 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card firmware files. The Software License Agreement page opens. 5 Read the agreement and click Yes. 6 Click 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card firmware files. The File Download window opens. 7 Check the "Save this program to disk" box and click OK. The Save As window opens. 8 Select a directory to receive the firmware upgrade file and click Save. You can select any directory on the computer. The firmware upgrade file downloads into the directory. 9 Run the PC Card Upgrade utility: a Make sure that the computer is plugged into an AC power source and that the PC Card is inserted. b Double click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray. c In WLAN Launcher, click the Hammer icon. d In the Tools tab, double click the Firmware Upgrade icon. e In the Firmware Upgrade Tool window, enter the firmware file location path in the space provided. This is the directory name you selected when you downloaded the firmware upgrade from the 3Com customer support Web site. If you do not remember the file location, click Browse, locate the firmware upgrade file you downloaded from the 3Com support site, click OK in the dialog box, and the file will automatically be loaded into the Firmware Filename space. f Click Upgrade. g Read the Firmware Upgrade Warning information and click OK. h Restart the computer. A WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITHOUT NETWORKING INSTALLED Use the following procedure to install the PC Card software while you are installing Windows NT Networking. For details on installing networking, see your Windows NT documentation. Either CardWizard or Softex Card Executive (utilities that help Windows NT load and manage software) must be installed on your computer to use the PC Card. If the installation program does not detect one of the utilities, it asks whether you want to install CardWizard from the 3Com CD. Internet Explorer version 4 is required to view help files. It is recommended that you install Internet Explorer version 5 or later. Installation Under Service Pack 4 It is recommended that you upgrade to the latest service pack. If you are using Service Pack 4, you must install CardWizard before inserting the PC Card into the computer, using the following procedure: 1 Put the 3Com CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2 If the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN menu appears, click Exit. 3 From the Windows Start menu, select Start/Run. 4 In the run dialog box, type the path to the CardWizard installer on the 3Com CD. For example: d:\cw\disk1\setup.exe 5 Follow the prompts to install CardWizard. At the prompt to restart, shut down the computer. 6 Insert the PC Card, restart the computer, and continue with the installation. Refer to "Installation Under Service Pack 5 and Above" for detailed instructions. Installation Under Service Pack 5 and Above Install Files and Networking The installation procedure consists of installing files and networking, installing CardWizard, setting up the PC Card, and installing utilities. 1 Make sure that the computer is running and the PC Card is inserted. 2 Put the 3Com CD in the CD-ROM drive. If the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN menu appears, click Exit. 3 From the Windows Start menu, select Settings/Control Panel/Network. 4 The system notifies you that "Windows NT Networking is not installed. Do you want to install it now?" Click Yes. This opens the Network Setup Wizard. 46 CHAPTER A: WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITHOUT NETWORKING INSTALLED 5 Check Wired to the network and click Next. 6 When the system prompts to have setup start searching for a network adapter, click Select from List. 7 In the Select Network Adapter window, click Have Disk. 8 In the Insert Disk dialog box, make sure that the correct path to your CD-ROM drive appears in the entry box (for example, d:) and click OK. 9 In the Select OEM Option window, select 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card and click OK. 10 In the Network Setup Wizard window, click Next. 11 In the Network Protocols list, place a check mark next to each network protocol required for your site and click Next. 12 In the Network Services window, place a check mark in the box next to each desired service. Select the default settings and click Next. The message, "Windows NT is ready to install networking" appears. 13 Click Next. The Windows NT Setup windows asks for the location of the Windows NT installation files. 14 Remove the 3Com CD from the CD-ROM drive, put the Windows NT CD in the drive, and wait for it to spin up to speed. Make sure that the correct path to your CD-ROM drive appears in the entry box (for example, d:) and click Continue. Instead of installing from the Windows NT CD, if you have the Windows NT system files on your computer, you can enter the path to the Windows NT installation files (for example, C:\i386) and click Continue. The Setup window appears again. 15 In the PC Card Setup window, accept the default settings and click Continue. The default settings work in most cases. However, you may need to specify values for your installation. 16 If the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties screen appears, enter the requested information for your network environment. Refer to the Windows NT documentation for assistance. If you choose DHCP server, click Yes at the DHCP prompt. When you are finished entering the appropriate TCP/IP information, click OK. 17 When the window for enabling or disabling bindings opens, click Next. 18 When Windows NT is ready to start the network, click Next to copy the network files. 19 Enter your computer name and workgroup or domain name when prompted and click Next. 20 When the system displays "Networking has been installed on this computer," click Finish. 21 When prompted to restart the computer, remove the Windows NT CD from the drive, insert the 3Com CD in the drive, and click Yes. Installation Under Service Pack 5 and Above 47 Install CardWizard If CardWizard was already installed before you began installing the PC Card, this portion is skipped and the installation proceeds directly to "Set Up the PC Card". 1 When the computer restarts, if the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN Menu appears, click Exit. 2 At the prompt to install CardWizard, click Yes. If you click No and you do not have CardWizard installed, the installation stops. 3 In the CardWizard window, click Next. 4 In the CardWizard Welcome page, click Next. 5 Read the CardWizard Software License Agreement and click Yes. 6 When prompted to remove the PC Card, eject the card and click Yes. 7 In the Select Type of Platform window, select your computer type and click Next. If your computer type is not listed, select Other Notebook and click Next. 8 Respond to the prompts to install CardWizard. 9 When the CardWizard installation finishes, click the Restart the computer radio button and click Finish. 10 Insert the PC Card. Set Up the PC Card After the computer restarts, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window opens. In this window, you can specify the PC Card configuration. 1 In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window, select Typical and click Next. Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values: WLAN Service Area--Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting--No security (Open system) If you want to customize the PC Card configuration, for example, to add security, select Custom. See "Custom Installation Options" for details on custom settings. For the fastest installation, it is recommended that you use the typical settings. You can customize the configuration later as described in "Setting the Wireless Client Configuration". 2 In the Summary window, review the PC Card setup and click Finish. 3 When prompted to run the Setup program, click OK. 4 Run the Setup program: a From the Windows Start menu, select Run. b In the Run dialog box, enter a path to the Setup program on the 3Com CD. For example, d:\srsetup.exe. The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts. Install Utilities 1 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 2 Read the Software License Agreement and click Yes. (If you click No, the installation stops.) 3 Select a destination folder for the software files and click Next. 4 In the Setup Type window, select the type of installation for the software: Typical--Installs the software and documentation. Compact--Installs the software but not documentation. Custom--Allows you to choose the components to install. 5 Follow the directions in the Select Program Folder window and click Next. 6 In the Desktop Icon Option window, click Yes. 7 In the next window, if the option to restart the computer appears, select it and click Finish. If you had a service pack installed before setting up the PC Card, reinstall it and restart the computer. B Install with Networking Softex 2.8.2 and Above WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITH SOFTEX CARD EXECUTIVE Use one of the following procedures when installing the PC Card in a notebook with Windows NT and Softex Card Executive software running. If you have networking installed on your notebook, choose the appropriate version of Softex you are running and follow the procedure. If you are running Softex 2.8.2 or above on your notebook, the drivers needed for the PC Card have already been downloaded to your hard drive. Follow this procedure: 1 Insert the PC Card in your notebook. 2 The PCMCIA Card Not Configured window appears. Make sure the Install system provided driver for this card (recommended) option is activated, then click OK. 3 The 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card window appears. Make sure Auto is displayed in both the IRQ Number and I/O Base text boxes, then click Continue. The drivers are installed. 4 Once the drivers are installed, the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties window appears. If it is not already open, select the IP Address tab and make sure the Obtain an IP address from a DHCP server option is activated. 5 Click Yes, then click OK. 6 The PCMCIA Card Configuration Complete window appears. Select Manufacturer 3Com Card type 3CRWE62092A Wireless PC Card, then click OK. 7 Reboot your notebook computer. 8 When the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window appears, select Typical and click Next. Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values: WLAN Service Area--Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting--No security (Open system) If you want to customize the PC Card configuration (to add security, for example), select Custom. See "Custom Installation Options" for details on custom settings. For fastest installation, it is recommended you use the typical settings. You can customize the configuration later as described in "Setting the Wireless Client Configuration". 9 In the Summary window, review the PC Card setup and click Finish. 10 Windows displays the following prompt: "Please install the utility software by running Setup.exe from the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN CD and going to the Tools and Utilities menu." Click OK. 11 Insert the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN CD in the CD-ROM drive. 50 APPENDIX B: WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITH SOFTEX CARD EXECUTIVE 12 Select Start/Run, then enter x:\setup.exe (where "x" is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive). 13 When the 3Com 11Mbps WLAN menu appears, select Tools and Utilities. 14 Select Install the Utility Software and Documentation. The installation starts, and the files are downloaded. 15 Read the Welcome page and click Next. 16 Read the Software License Agreement and click Yes. (If you click No, the installation stops.) 17 Select a destination folder for the software files and click Next. 18 In the Setup Type window, select the type of installation for the software: Typical--Installs the software and documentation. Compact--Installs the software but not documentation. Custom--Allows you to choose the components to install. 19 Follow the directions in the Select Program Folder window and click Next. 20 In the Desktop Icon Option window, click Yes. 21 In the next window, if the option to restart the computer appears, select it and click Finish. The PC Card drivers, along with the 3Com utilities and documentation, are now installed on your notebook. Older Softex Versions If you are running a version of Softex below 2.8.2 and have networking already installed, use the following procedure: 1 Insert the PC Card in your notebook 2 The PCMCIA Card Not Configured window appears. Make sure the Manually install the driver for this card option is activated, then click OK. 3 The Select OEM Driver window appears. From the list window, select Network Adapter, then click OK. 4 The Network window appears. From the Adapters tab, click Add.... 5 In the Select Network Adapter window, click Have Disk.... 6 When the Insert Disk window appears, insert the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN CD in your CD-ROM drive. Enter x:\softex (where "x" is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive), and click OK. 7 The Select OEM Option window appears, with 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless PC Card highlighted. Click OK. 8 In the next window, make sure Auto is displayed in both the IRQ Number and I/O Base text boxes, then click OK. The files are downloaded to your hard drive. 9 When the download is finished, the Network window appears. Select the Adapter tab, and 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card is highlighted in the Network Adapters list window. Click Close. 10 The Microsoft TCP/IP Properties window appears. If it is not already open, select the IP Address tab and make sure the Obtain an IP address from a DHCP server option is activated.