Cisco Linksys WPC54G Wireless 802.11g Notebook Adapter User Manual Manual Part 2

Cisco-Linksys, LLC Wireless 802.11g Notebook Adapter Manual Part 2

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Wireless-G Notebook Adapter17Instant Wireless®SeriesThe Link Information screen displays signal strength and link quality informa-tion about the current connection and provides a button to click for additionalstatus information. Ad-Hoc Mode or Infrastructure Mode - The screen indicates whether theAdapter is currently working in ad-hoc or infrastructure mode. Signal Strength - The Signal Strength bar indicates signal strength, from 0 to100%. Link Quality - The Link Quality bar indicates the quality of the wireless net-work connection, from 0 to 100%.Click the More Information button to view more information about the wire-less network connection.Click the X (Close) button in the upper right corner to exit the WLAN Monitor.16TCP/IP SettingIP Address - The IP Address of the Adapter.Subnet Mask - The Subnet Mask of the Adapter.Default Gateway - The Default Gateway address of the Adapter.DHCP - The status of the DHCP client.DNS - The DNS address of the Adapter.Wireless Network StatusState - The status of the wireless network connection.SSID - The unique name of the wireless network. Wireless Mode - The mode of the wireless network currently in use.Transfer Rate - The data transfer rate of the current connection.Channel - The channel to which the wireless network devices are set. WEP - The status of the WEP encryption security feature.MAC - The MAC address of the wireless network’s access point.Signal Strength - The Signal Strength bar indicates signal strength, from 0 to100%. Link Quality - The Link Quality bar indicates the quality of the wireless net-work connection, from 0 to 100%.Click the Back button to return to the initial Link Information screen. Click theX (Close) button in the upper right corner to exit the WLAN Monitor.Figure 7-4Link InformationFigure 7-3

Wireless-G Notebook AdapterIn the WEP drop-down box, select the type of WEP encryption used by thewireless network: 64-bit, or 128-bit WEP.If the wireless network uses a passphrase, enter the passphrase in thePassphrase field. If the wireless network uses a WEP key, enter the WEP keyin the Key 1 field. Click the OK button to complete the network connection and return to the SiteSurvey screen, or click the Cancel button to cancel the network connection andreturn to the Site Survey screen.On the Site Survey screen, click the X (Close) button in the upper right cornerto exit the WLAN Monitor.19Instant Wireless®Series18Figure 7-6The Site Survey screen displays a list of infrastructure and ad-hoc networksavailable for connection. SSID - The SSID or unique name of the wireless network. Signal - The percentage of signal strength, from 0 to 100%.Site InformationWireless Mode - The mode of the wireless network currently in use.Channel - The channel to which the wireless network devices are set. WEP - The status of the WEP encryption security feature.MAC - The MAC address of the wireless network’s access point.Surveyed at - The time at which the wireless network was scanned. Refresh - Click the Refresh button to perform a new search for wirelessdevices. Connect - To connect to one of the networks on the list, select the wireless net-work,and click the Connect button. If the wireless network has WEP encryp-tion enabled, you will see the screen shown in Figure 7-6.Figure 7-5Site Survey

Wireless-G Notebook Adapter25Instant Wireless®Series3. The Wireless Settings screen will appear. If you chose Infrastructure Mode,go to Step 4 now. If you chose Ad-Hoc Mode, select the correct operatingchannel for your network from the Channel drop-down menu. Then, selectthe Network Mode from the drop-down menu. Click the Next button, andgo to Step 4. Click the Back button to change any settings.Channel - The channel you choose should match the channel set on theother devices in your wireless network. If you are unsure about which chan-nel to use, select the default channel (Channel 6).Network Mode - Select Mixed Mode, and both Wireless-G and Wireless-B computers will be allowed on the network, but the speed will be reduced.Select G-Only Mode for maximum speed, but no Wireless-B users will beallowed on the network. 244. The Network Setting screen will appear.If your network has a DHCP server, click the radio button next to Obtainan IP address automatically (DHCP). Click the Next button to continue,or click the Back button to return to the previous screen. Then go to Step 5. If your network does not have a DHCP server, click the radio button next toSpecify the IP address. Enter an IP Address, Subnet Mask, DefaultGateway, and DNS appropriate for your network. Enter each address in thisformat: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (the x’s represent the numbers that make up eachaddress). You must specify the IP Address and Subnet Mask on this screen.If you are unsure about the Default Gateway and DNS addresses, then leavethese fields alone. Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previ-ous screen. Then go to Step 5. IP Address - This IP Address must be unique to your network. Subnet Mask - The Adapter’s Subnet Mask must be the same as your wirednetwork’s Subnet Mask.Default Gateway - Enter the IP address of your network’s Gateway here. DNS - Enter the DNS addresses of your Ethernet (wired) network here. Figure 7-13Figure 7-14

As the user moves on, the end node’s RF transmitter regularly checks the sys-tem to determine whether it is in touch with the original access point or whetherit should seek a new one. When a node no longer receives acknowledgmentfrom its original access point, it undertakes a new search. Upon finding a newaccess point, it then re-registers, and the communication process continues.What is ISM band?The FCC and their counterparts outside of the U.S. have set aside bandwidthfor unlicensed use in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band.Spectrum in the vicinity of 2.4 GHz, in particular, is being made availableworldwide. This presents a truly revolutionary opportunity to place convenienthigh-speed wireless capabilities in the hands of users around the globe. What is Spread Spectrum?Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequency technique devel-oped by the military for use in reliable, secure, mission-critical communica-tions systems. It is designed to trade off bandwidth efficiency for reliability,integrity, and security. In other words, more bandwidth is consumed than in thecase of narrowband transmission, but the trade-off produces a signal that is, ineffect, louder and thus easier to detect, provided that the receiver knows theparameters of the spread-spectrum signal being broadcast. If a receiver is nottuned to the right frequency, a spread-spectrum signal looks like backgroundnoise. There are two main alternatives, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum(DSSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS).What is DSSS? What is FHSS? And what are their differences?Frequency-Hopping Spread-Spectrum (FHSS) uses a narrowband carrier thatchanges frequency in a pattern that is known to both transmitter and receiver.Properly synchronized, the net effect is to maintain a single logical channel. Toan unintended receiver, FHSS appears to be short-duration impulse noise.Direct-Sequence Spread-Spectrum (DSSS) generates a redundant bit patternfor each bit to be transmitted. This bit pattern is called a chip (or chippingcode). The longer the chip, the greater the probability that the original data canbe recovered. Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during trans-mission, statistical techniques embedded in the radio can recover the originaldata without the need for retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSSappears as low power wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most nar-rowband receivers. What IEEE 802.11b features are supported?The product supports the following IEEE 802.11b functions: • CSMA/CA plus Acknowledge protocol • Multi-Channel Roaming • Automatic Rate Selection • RTS/CTS feature • Fragmentation • Power Management What is ad-hoc mode?When a wireless network is set to ad-hoc mode, the wireless-equipped com-puters are configured to communicate directly with each other. The ad-hocwireless network will not communicate with any wired network. What is infrastructure mode?When a wireless network is set to infrastructure mode, the wireless network isconfigured to communicate with a wired network through a wireless accesspoint.What is roaming?Roaming is the ability of a portable computer user to communicate continu-ously while moving freely throughout an area greater than that covered by a sin-gle access point. Before using the roaming function, the workstation must makesure that it is the same channel number with the access point of dedicated cov-erage area. To achieve true seamless connectivity, the wireless LAN must incorporate anumber of different functions. Each node and access point, for example, mustalways acknowledge receipt of each message. Each node must maintain contactwith the wireless network even when not actually transmitting data. Achievingthese functions simultaneously requires a dynamic RF networking technologythat links access points and nodes. In such a system, the user’s end node under-takes a search for the best possible access to the system. First, it evaluates suchfactors as signal strength and quality, as well as the message load currentlybeing carried by each access point and the distance of each access point to thewired backbone. Based on that information, the node next selects the rightaccess point and registers its address. Communications between end node andhost computer can then be transmitted up and down the backbone.Wireless-G Notebook Adapter31Instant Wireless®Series30

Appendix B:Glossary802.11b - One of the IEEE standards for wireless networking hardware.Products that adhere to a specific IEEE standard will work with each other,even if they are manufactured by different companies. The 802.11b standardspecifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps, an operating frequency of2.4GHz, and WEP encryption for security. 802.11b networks are also referredto as Wi-Fi networks.802.11g - Refers to the proposed extension of the IEEE 802.11 standard forwireless networking, which has not been ratified by IEEE. The draft 802.11gspecifications used by Linksys specifies a maximum data transfer rate of54Mbps using OFDM modulation, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, back-ward compatibility with IEEE 802.11b devices and WEP encryption for secu-rity.Ad-hoc Network - An ad-hoc network is a group of computers, each with awireless adapter, connected as an independent 802.11 wireless LAN. Ad-hocwireless computers operate on a peer-to-peer basis, communicating directlywith each other without the use of an access point. Ad-hoc mode is alsoreferred to as an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) or as peer-to-peermode, and is useful at a departmental scale or SOHO operation.CTS (Clear To Send) - An RS-232 signal sent from the receiving station to thetransmitting station that indicates it is ready to accept data.Default Gateway - The router used to forward all traffic that is not addressedto a station within the local subnet.DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - A protocol that lets networkadministrators manage centrally and automate the assignment of InternetProtocol (IP) addresses in an organization’s network. Using the Internet’s set ofprotocol (TCP/IP), each machine that can connect to the Internet needs aunique IP address. When an organization sets up its computer users with a con-nection to the Internet, an IP address must be assigned to each machine.Without DHCP, the IP address must be entered manually at each computer and,if computers move to another location in another part of the network, a new IPaddress must be entered. DHCP lets a network administrator supervise and dis-tribute IP addresses from a central point and automatically sends a new IPaddress when a computer is plugged into a different place in the network. Would the information be intercepted while transmitting on air?WLAN features two-fold protection in security. On the hardware side, as withDirect Sequence Spread Spectrum technology, it has the inherent security fea-ture of scrambling. On the software side, WLAN offers the encryption function(WEP) to enhance security and access control.What is WEP?WEP is Wired Equivalent Privacy, a data privacy mechanism based on a 64-bitor 128-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard.Wireless-G Notebook Adapter33Instant Wireless®Series32

international standards. The organization publishes a number of journals, hasmany local chapters, and several large societies in special areas, such as theIEEE Computer Society. Infrastructure Network - An infrastructure network is a group of computersor other devices, each with a wireless adapter, connected as an 802.11 wirelessLAN. In infrastructure mode, the wireless devices communicate with eachother and to a wired network by first going through an access point. An infra-structure wireless network connected to a wired network is referred to as aBasic Service Set (BSS). A set of two or more BSS in a single network isreferred to as an Extended Service Set (ESS). Infrastructure mode is useful ata corporation scale, or when it is necessary to connect the wired and wirelessnetworks.IP Address - In the most widely installed level of the Internet Protocol (IP)today, an IP address is a 32-binary digit number that identifies each sender orreceiver of information that is sent in packet across the Internet. When yourequest an HTML page or send e-mail, the Internet Protocol part of TCP/IPincludes your IP address in the message (actually, in each of the packets if morethan one is required) and sends it to the IP address that is obtained by lookingup the domain name in the Uniform Resource Locator you requested or in thee-mail address you're sending a note to. At the other end, the recipient can seethe IP address of the Web page requester or the e-mail sender and can respondby sending another message using the IP address it received. IPCONFIG - A utility that provides for querying, defining and managing IPaddresses within a network. A commonly used utility, under Windows NT and2000, for configuring networks with static IP addresses.ISP - An ISP (Internet service provider) is a company that provides individualsand companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web sitebuilding and virtual hosting. LAN - A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associateddevices that share a common communications line and typically share theresources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (forexample, within an office building). MAC Address - The MAC (Media Access Control) address is your computer’sunique hardware number. DHCP uses the concept of a “lease” or amount of time that a given IP addresswill be valid for a computer. The lease time can vary depending on how long auser is likely to require the Internet connection at a particular location. It’s espe-cially useful in education and other environments where users change fre-quently. Using very short leases, DHCP can dynamically reconfigure networksin which there are more computers than there are available IP addresses. DHCP supports static addresses for computers containing Web servers thatneed a permanent IP address. DNS - The domain name system (DNS) is the way that Internet domain nameare located and translated into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. A domain nameis a meaningful and easy-to-remember “handle” for an Internet address. DSSS (Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum) - DSSS generates a redundant bitpattern for all transmitted data. This bit pattern is called a chip (or chippingcode). Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during transmission,statistical techniques embedded in the receiver can recover the original datawithout the need for retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSS appearsas low power wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most narrowbandreceivers. However, to an intended receiver (i.e. another wireless LAN end-point), the DSSS signal is recognized as the only valid signal, and interferenceis inherently rejected (ignored).Dynamic IP Address - An IP address that is automatically assigned to a clientstation in a TCP/IP network, typically by a DHCP server. Network devices thatserve multiple users, such as servers and printers, are usually assigned static IPaddresses. ESS (Extended Service Set) - A set of more than two or more BSSs (multipleaccess points) forming a single network.Firmware - Code that is written onto read-only memory (ROM) or program-mable read-only memory (PROM). Once firmware has been written onto theROM or PROM, it is retained even when the device is turned off.IEEE - The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEEdescribes itself as “the world’s largest technical professional society—promot-ing the development and application of electrotechnology and allied sciencesfor the benefit of humanity, the advancement of the profession, and the well-being of our members.” The IEEE fosters the development of standards that often become national andWireless-G Notebook Adapter35Instant Wireless®Series34

Subnet Mask - The method used for splitting IP networks into a series of sub-groups, or subnets. The mask is a binary pattern that is matched up with the IPaddress to turn part of the host ID address field into a field for subnets. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) - A method (protocol) used along withthe IP (Internet Protocol) to send data in the form of message units (datagram)between network devices over a LAN or WAN. While IP takes care of handlingthe actual delivery of the data (routing), TCP takes care of keeping track of theindividual units of data (called packets) that a message is divided into for effi-cient delivery over the network. TCP is known as a "connection oriented" pro-tocol due to requiring the receiver of a packet to return an acknowledgment ofreceipt to the sender of the packet resulting in transmission control.TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - The basic com-munication language or set of protocols for communications over a network(developed specifically for the Internet). TCP/IP defines a suite or group ofprotocols and not only TCP and IP.UDP (User Datagram Protocol) - A method (protocol) used along with the IP(Internet Protocol) to send data in the form of message units (datagram)between network devices over a LAN or WAN. While IP takes care of handlingthe actual delivery of the data (routing), UDP takes care of keeping track of theindividual units of data (called packets) that a message is divided into for effi-cient delivery over the network. UDP is known as a “connection-less” protocoldue to NOT requiring the receiver of a packet to return an acknowledgment ofreceipt to the sender of the packet (as opposed to TCP).WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) - A data privacy mechanism based on a 64-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11b standard. WINIPCFG - Configuration utility based on the Win32 API for querying,defining and managing IP addresses within a network. A commonly used util-ity under Windows 95, 98SE, and Me.WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) - A group of computers and associat-ed devices that communicate with each other wirelessly.mIRC - mIRC runs under Windows and provides a graphical interface for log-ging onto IRC servers and listing, joining and leaving channels.Network Mask - also known as the “Subnet Mask.”OFDM - Developed for wireless applications, Orthogonal Frequency DivisionMultiplexing (OFDM) technology offers superior performance-increased datarates and more reliable transmissions-than previous technologies, such asDSSS. OFDM is a scheme in which numerous signals of different frequenciesare combined to form a single signal for transmission on the medium. OFDM works by breaking one high-speed data stream into a number of lower-speed data streams, which are then transmitted in parallel. Each lower speedstream is used to modulate a subcarrier. Essentially, this creates a multi-carriertransmission by dividing a wide frequency band or channel into a number ofnarrower frequency bands or sub-channels. OFDM is also used for other appli-cations, including powerline networking.Plug-and-Play - The ability of a computer system to configure expansionboards and other devices automatically without requiring the user to turn offthe system during installation.Roaming - In an infrastructure mode wireless network, this refers to the abili-ty to move out of one access point's range and into another and transparentlyreassociate and reauthenticate to the new access point. This reassociation andreauthentication should occur without user intervention and ideally withoutinterruption to network connectivity. A typical scenario would be a locationwith multiple access points, where users can physically relocate from one areato another and easily maintain connectivity.SSID (Service Set Identifier) - An identification name that wireless devicesuse to make connections. In order for wireless devices to communicate, theymust all be set to the same channel and they all must use the same SSID. Forinstance, if you are using an access point to connect two computers using wire-less devices, the access point and each of the wireless devices must use thesame SSID. Even if they are set to the same channel, they cannot communicateunless the SSID is the same. Static IP Address - A permanent IP address that is assigned to a node in aTCP/IP network. Wireless-G Notebook Adapter37Instant Wireless®Series36

Appendix C:SpecificationsStandards: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE draft 802.11gModulations: 802.11b: CCK (11 Mbps), DQPSK (2 Mbps),DBPSK (1 Mbps); 802.11g: OFDMChannels:802.11b, 11 Channels (USA)draft 802.11g 13 Channels (Europe)14 Channels (Japan) PCMCIA: CardBus Speed: 15 dBmLEDs: Power, LinkWEP Key Bits: 64-Bit and 128-BitWireless-G Notebook AdapterDimensions: 4.53" x 2.13" x 0.30" (115 mm x 54 mm x 7.5 mm)Unit Weight: 1.66 oz. (0.047 kg)Power: 3.3V Bus poweredCertifications: FCC, CEOperating Temp.: 32ºF to 185ºF (0ºC to 85ºC) Storage Temp.: 40ºF to 194ºF (-40ºC to 90ºC) Operating Humidity: 5% to 95%, Non-CondensingStorage Humidity: 5% to 95%, Non-Condensing 39Instant Wireless®Series38Environmental

Appendix E:Contact InformationFor help with the installation or operation of the Wireless-G Notebook Adapter,contact Linksys Technical Support at one of the phone numbers or Internetaddresses below.Sales Information 800-546-5797 (LINKSYS)Technical Support 800-326-7114RMA (Return MerchandiseAuthorization) Issues www.linksys.com (or call 949-271-5461)Fax 949-265-6655E-mail support@linksys.comWeb http://www.linksys.comFTP Site ftp.linksys.comAppendix D:Warranty InformationBE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE AND A BARCODEFROM THE PRODUCT’S PACKAGING ON HAND WHEN CALLING.RETURN REQUESTS CANNOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT PROOF OFPURCHASE. IN NO EVENT SHALL LINKSYS’ LIABILITY EXCEED THE PRICE PAIDFOR THE PRODUCT FROM DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDEN-TAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USEOF THE PRODUCT, ITS ACCOMPANYING SOFTWARE, OR ITS DOCU-MENTATION. LINKSYS DOES NOT OFFER REFUNDS FOR ANY PROD-UCT. LINKSYS OFFERS CROSS SHIPMENTS, A FASTER PROCESS FOR PRO-CESSING AND RECEIVING YOUR REPLACEMENT. LINKSYS PAYSFOR UPS GROUND ONLY. ALL CUSTOMERS LOCATED OUTSIDE OFTHE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA SHALL BE HELDRESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING AND HANDLING CHARGES. PLEASECALL LINKSYS FOR MORE DETAILS.Wireless-G Notebook Adapter41Instant Wireless®Series40

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