Wireless USB Adapter Version: 2.02 --- - September 2001 Copyright Statement No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior writing of the publisher. Windows 95/98 and Windows 2000 are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. Pentium is trademark of Intel. All copyright is reserved. Radio Channel Selection Table Channel_ID U.S.A. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 × × × × × × × × × × × - Regulatory domains Most of Canada Spain Europe × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × - France × × × × - Japan × × × × × × × × × × × × × × Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1-1 Package Contents 1-2 Advantages for Using Wireless Network Chapter 2 QUICK START TO WIRELESSS NETWORKING Chapter 3 STEP BY STEP INSTALLATION GUIDE 3-1 Install Wireless USB Adapter Driver 3-2 Install Wireless USB Adapter Utility 3-3 Wireless LAN Monitor Utility 3-4 Remove your Wireless USB Adapter 3-5 Uninstall the Wireless USB Adapter Utility / Driver Chapter 4 APPLICATION 4-1 File Sharing in Microsoft Windows 98. 4-2 Printer Sharing in Windows 98 4-3 Using the shared folder 4-4 Using the Shared Network printer Chapter 5 TROUBLESHOOTING 5-1 Check the Various Properties of the Card 5-2 Microsoft Networking Checklist 5-3 Others 1 2 2 3 5 5 8 9 15 16 18 18 20 21 21 22 22 23 24 Chapter 1 Introduction USB (Universal Serial Bus) provides a high-speed link for external devices to connect to a PC, and it has better Plug-and-Play support. Therefore, network adapters based on USB are easier to use than traditional PCI or PCMCIA adapters. With a wireless (IEEE 802.11b/Bluetooth) USB adapter, a desktop or laptop computer can communicate with another computer in a wireless way. Besides, through a wireless access point or a wireless Internet router, the computer can access resources on an Ethernet LAN or on the Internet. Easy-to-use utilities are bundled with Wireless USB adapter for configuration, monitoring, and diagnosis purposes. After install Wireless USB Adapter, you can: a. Share your Internet access by using just one connection b. Share printers and other peripheral devices c. Share data and image files between networked PCs d. Play multi-player games Wireless USB Adapter can wirelessly transmit and receive data, minimizing the need for wired connections, at a speed of up to eleven megabit per second. With Wireless USB Adapter you can locate your PC wherever you want without wires and cables. Wireless USB Adapter provides LAN users with an access to real-time information anywhere in their organization. The mobility provides productivity and service, which are not available under wired networks. The Wireless USB Adapter configuration is easy to change from peer-to-peer networks, suitable for a small number of users, to full infrastructure networks of thousands of users that allow roaming around a broad area. Please read this manual to get familiar with the Wireless USB Adapter. This manual contains detailed instructions in operation of this product. Please keep this manual for future reference. 1 1.1 Package Contents The Wireless USB Adapter kit includes the following items: a. b. c. Wireless USB Adapter USB Cable The CD including: 1. Wireless USB Adapter Utility & Driver software 2. User's Manual (this document) d. Quick Installation Guide 1.2 Advantages for Using Wireless Network Advantages for Using a Wireless Network: Hard to wire areas: Wireless USB Adapter provides access to network services in areas otherwise hard or expensive to wire, such as historic buildings with asbestos and classrooms. Flexible workgroups: Lower total cost of ownership for workspaces that are frequently reconfigured. Networked conference rooms: user can access the network as they move from meeting to meeting, getting up to date access to information and the ability to communicate decision while `on the go' Ad hoc networking: on site consultants and small workgroups increase productivity with quick network setup and collaboration software Branch office networking: provides an easy to install, use and maintain network for a remote or sales office Campus-wide network mobility: roaming capabilities allow enterprise to set up easy to use wireless networks that cover the entire campus transparently 2 Chapter 2 1. Quick Start to Wireless Networking Plug the connector of the USB cable, which has been connected to the USB adapter, into any free USB port on your PC. Windows will automatically detect the USB Adapter as a new device and display the Add New Hardware Wizard dialog box. Click Next to continue. Follow the installation wizard to setup step by step. After the Add New Hardware Wizard has completed the installation process, the System Settings Change dialog box will appear asking to restart the system. Click Yes to restart. Once your system has restarted, i Control Panel, double-click the System icon, click the Device n Manager tab. Operation System will detect new device. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select Run from the Start menu. Type "E:\Wireless USB Adapter\ Utility\Setup.exe" in the Open box (where E: is your CD-ROM drive) and click OK. Follow the installation wizard to setup step by step. After completing the Utility installation process, check the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. There is a small icon to indicate the connection status. Red color means no connection and green color means connected. Double-click the Utility icon, and click the Site Survey tab. Then choose the AP that you want to connect with. 7. 8. 9. 3 10. Click IE Explorer to surf the Internet. 4 Chatper 3 Step by step Installation Guide This section will lead you through the installation of Wireless USB Adapter and Wireless USB Adapter software in through details. You may wish to skip to quick installation guide to wireless networking. To establish your wireless network connection, the following steps should be executed. 1. 2. 3. Install the Wireless USB Adapter. Install the software using the installation CD. Install the required network protocols to communicate with your network. Most likely, you will need the TCP / IP protocol. The product is designed to operate in Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000. And the installation procedure is about the same. Please follow up the installation wizard that provided by your system to install the software. The example here is based on the Windows 98SE. 3.1 Install Wireless USB Adapter Driver 1. Plug the connector of the USB cable, which has been connected to the Wireless USB Adapter, into any free USB port on your PC. 2. Windows will automatically detect the USB Adapter as a new device and display the Add New Hardware Wizard dialog box. Click Next to continue. Note: If you're asked to insert a " Windows 98 CD-ROM " during the installation, insert your " Windows 98 CD-ROM " and click " Yes ". Once the setup task is completed, the " Microsoft Internet Explorer " should start up. Please close it. Additional Note for Windows 2000 If you install the Wireless USB Adapter under Windows 2000, it will be a little bit different 5 from Windows 98 or Me. A message will be prompted as follows, click "Yes" to complete the USB adapter setup. 3. The following dialog box asks how would you like to install the driver. Select the Search for the best driver...option and click Next. 4. Place the Wireless USB Adapter CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. Select the "Specify a location" check box and type the following path: E:\Wireless USB Adapter\ Driver (substitute the letter of your CD drive for E if needed). Click Next to continue. 6 5. The Add New Hardware Wizard finds the correct driver, click Next to proceed. 6. After the Add New Hardware Wizard has completed the installation process, click Finish. The System Settings Change dialog box will appear asking to restart the system. Click Yes to restart. 7 3.2 Install Wireless USB Adapter Utility 1. Once your system has restarted, select Run from the Start menu. 2. Type "E:\Wireless USB Adapter\Utility\Setup.exe" in the Open box (where E: is your CD-ROM drive) and click OK. Read the Welcome screen and click Next. 3. 4. The next screen will tell you the directory into which the utility will be installed. Accept the default directory or if you wish, enter an alternate location, then click Next to proceed. 8 5. The Select Program Folder dialog box allows you to accept the default application program folder name or to assign a name of your preference. 6. Once the installation is complete, a dialog box will appear asking if you want to restart the system. Click Finish to accept. 3.3 Wireless LAN Monitor Utility Wireless USB Adapter has its own management software. Users can control all functions provided by the application named Wireless LAN Monitor Utility. The Utility icon will appear in the taskbar by clicking the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility shortcut on your desktop. The monitor Utility includes six tabs: Monitor, Statistics, Site Survey, Encryption, Advanced, and Version. In AdHoc mode, the Channel and SSID must be the same among stations so that the computers can communicate within the local LAN properly. Moreover, all connected computers should have the same netid and subnetid, you can follow the procedure below to check whether you have the same netid and subnetid among stations: 1. Right-click on the Network Neighborhood on your desktop and then click on "Properties". 2. In Configuration, click on "TCP/IP -> Wireless USB Adapter" and then click on "Properties". 3. Click on "IP Address". 9 4. Click on "Specify an IP Address" and make sure having the same netid and subnetid of all the connected computers. 3.3.1 Setting l Operating Mode: If you want to connect with Access Point, please set the mode as" Infrastructure". If you have more stations and just want to set them as local network, please set the Mode as " Ad Hoc". l Channel: It shows radio channel numbers that used for networking. The Channel number must be the same among stations, so that computers can communicate within the local LAN. It can be changed only under the Ad Hoc Mode. If the Mode is Infrastructure, this parameter will not be active. l SSID: SSID is the group name that will be shared by every member of your wireless network .You will only be able to connect with an Access Point (AP), which has the same SSID. Note that the SSID will be case sensitive. Please note that when you are in the Ad-hoc mode, the SSID must be the same among stations so that computers can communicate within the local LAN properly. l Tx Rate: You can choose one of the transmission rates as follows, 1Mbps, 2Mbps, 5.5Mbps, 11Mbps, and Fully Auto. l Power Save Mode: You can set this mode as Power Save to set your USB adapter as power saving mode. l MAC Address: It shows the MAC address of your Wireless USB Adapter device, and the parameter can't be changed. l Other information: The Signal Strength and Link Quality will be shown in the screen below under the Status of your USB adapter, l Status: The Status will show the "OK" if you select "Ad Hoc mode" in the Operating Mode. Besides, the Status will show BSSID of AP that you associated if you select the "Infrastructure " in the "Operating Mode". 10 There are three processes once you want to change the parameter in the "Setting": 1. Click the "Change" button first if you want to change any of the parameter. 2. Choose the parameter you wish to change. 3. After changing the parameter, please click on the "Submit" button to finish. 3.3.2 Statistics The following screen shows various statistics including the Data Packets, Management Packets and Rejected Packets in transmitting and receiving status. You can click the Clear button to reset Statistics Tab. 11 3.3.3 Site Survey The screen shows all the messages of Access Point around your Wireless USB Adapter device. The messages of Access Point include BSSID, SSID, Signal, the Channel used by AP, and enabled the Encryption AP or not. You can click the Rescan button to find the new AP. You can double-click the BSSID to choose the AP that you want to connect with. 12 3.3.4 Encryption You may desire an additional measure of security in your wireless network, which can be achieved by using the Encryption function. WEP Key to use: You can choose one of the four Keys you typed (Key1~Key4) as the WEP Key. WEP Mode: If you set the Mode to Optional, your device can communicate with the stations with disabled WEP. Otherwise, if you set Mode to Mandatory, then your device cannot communicate with the stations with disabled WEP. Authentication Type: Open System Authentication algorithm is mostly used. In Shard Key Authentication algorithm, you must have WEP on, the algorithm should be different, and some steps use packets with encryption by transferring a ...