VIA Technologies VNT6656GUV00 802.11 b/g USB Dongle User Manual

VIA Technologies, Inc. 802.11 b/g USB Dongle

User Manual

VNT6656GUV00 USER'S MANUAL Revision 1.0 July 5, 2006 VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Copyright Notice: Copyright © 2006, VIA Technologies, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise without the prior written permission of VIA Technologies, Incorporated. VNT6656GEV00 may only be used to identify WLAN products of VIA Technologies, Inc. is a registered trademark of VIA Technologies, Incorporated. All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. Disclaimer Notice: No license is granted, implied or otherwise, under any patent or patent rights of VIA Technologies Inc. VIA Technologies Inc. makes no warranties, implied or otherwise, in regard to this document and to the products described in this document. The information provided by this document is believed to be accurate and reliable as of the publication date of this document. However, VIA Technologies Inc. assumes no responsibility for any errors in this document. Furthermore, VIA Technologies Inc. assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of the information in this document and for any patent infringements that may arise from the use of this document. The information and product specifications within this document are subject to change at any time, without notice and without obligation to notify any person of such change. Offices: USA Office: Taipei Office: 940 Mission Court 8th Floor, No. 533 Fremont, CA 94539 Chung-Cheng Road, Hsin-Tien USA Taipei, Taiwan ROC Tel: (510) 683-3300 Tel: (886-2) 2218-2078 Fax: (510) 683-3301 or (510) 687-4654 Fax: (886-2) 2219-8461 Web: www.vntek.com Web: www.vntek.com.tw
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - iii - Revision History Revision History Release Date Revision Initials1.0 2006-07-05 Initial release. SH
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - iv - Table of Contents Table of Contents 1. Features........................................................................................................................1 1.1. Drivers and Applications.......................................................................................... 1 1.2. Certifications ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3. Software Packages ................................................................................................. 1 1.4. Programming Guide ................................................................................................ 1 2. Drivers and Utilities..................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Drivers..................................................................................................................... 2 2.2. Utilities for end users............................................................................................... 2 2.3. Utilities for manufacturers........................................................................................ 2 3. Software Package Information ................................................................................... 3 3.1. Directory structure................................................................................................... 3 3.2. Driver Keywords/Parameters .................................................................................. 4 4. Windows Utilities......................................................................................................... 6 4.1. WiFiset .................................................................................................................... 6 4.1.1. Status................................................................................................................... 6 4.1.2. Config................................................................................................................... 6 4.1.3. Site Survey......................................................................................................... 10 4.1.4. Statistics............................................................................................................. 11 4.1.5. Signal................................................................................................................. 11 4.1.6. Profiles............................................................................................................... 12 4.2. WPA Networking ................................................................................................... 16 Appendix A: Terminology................................................................................................... 19 Appendix B: Important Notices.......................................................................................... 20
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 1 - Features 1. Features 1.1. Drivers and Applications  Drivers available for Microsoft Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP and all major distributions of Linux.  Setup utility for automatic driver installation on Windows.  Mass-production support tool.  Mass-production application interface for custom programs.  PATCH utility for driver customization. This utility allows the manufacturers to customize the driver packages, such as changing the drivers’ icons and file names. 1.2. Certifications  "Designed for Microsoft Windows" Logo.  Wi-Fi Certified. 1.3. Software Packages  Software package for manufacturers: A complete set of drivers and utilities.  Evaluation package (CD version) for manufacturers: Includes MPTOOL, Winsetup, and drivers for Windows only.  Software package for end users: Includes all drivers and utilities, except MPTOOL and PATCH. 1.4. Programming Guide  All drivers are available in the binary format. Source codes are not released.  An EEPROM layout guide is available.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 2 - Drivers and Utilities 2. Drivers and Utilities 2.1. Drivers DRIVER TYPE DESCRIPTION NDIS 5 Supports Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, XPe, and Sever 2003. NDIS 4 Supports Windows NT 4.0. WinCE 4.2 Supports Windows CE 4.2. WinCE 5 Supports Windows CE 5.0. x64 Supports AMD 64-bit CPUs. 2.2. Utilities for end users UTILITY NAME DESCRIPTION Winsetup Automatic driver installation, uninstallation, and updating utility for Windows 98 SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Sever 2003. WiFiset Wireless configuration setup tool for Windows, 98 SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Sever 2003. 2.3. Utilities for manufacturers UTILITY TYPE DESCRIPTION MPTOOL Mass-production tool for Windows 2000/XP. MP API Mass-production application interface for manufacturer-specific programs.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 3 - Software Package Information 3. Software Package Information 3.1. Directory structure DIRECTORY DESCRIPTION / (Root directory) Drivers for Windows 98 SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Sever 2003; release note; and other documentations. /XPe Driver for Windows XP Embedded. /WIFISET Wireless configuration setup tool for Windows. /WINSETUP Windows driver setup utility for Windows 98 SE, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Sever 2003. /MPTOOL Mass-production tool and the EEPROM layout guide. /Win CE / CE4.2 / CE5 Drivers for Windows CE 4.2 and 5.0. /x64 Software for supporting AMD 64.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 4 - Software Package Information 3.2. Driver Keywords/Parameters Figure 1. Properties—Advanced Adhoc Beacon Interval Defines the beacon interval in the ad hoc mode. Antenna Diversity Enables or disables antenna diversity. Connection Rate Specifies the connection rate (in Mbps): 1, 2, 5.5, 11, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54, or Auto. Default Channel The user-defined connection channel—applicable in the ad hoc mode and AP mode. Desired SSID The user-defined SSID—to be automatically connected at driver startup. Fragment Threshold Defines the size at which packets are fragmented.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 5 - Software Package Information Network Address The user-defined network address—overrides the network address originally set by the hardware vendor. Operation Mode Determines the operation mode: Infrastructure or Ad Hoc. Preamble Type Determines the acceptable preamble type: Select Long to accept long preambles only; select Short to support short preambles. RadioControl Determines whether the radio is on or off. Receive Buffers Defines the size of the internal driver buffers for received packets. RTS Threshold Defines the size at which packets are sent via the RTS-CTS mechanism. Transmit Buffers Defines the size of the internal driver buffers for packets to be transmitted.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 6 - Windows Utilities 4. Windows Utilities 4.1. WiFiset1 The VIA WiFiset is a Windows-based application. Its main features are listed below. 4.1.1. Status Displays the network status of the device. Figure 2. WiFiset—Status 4.1.2. Config Displays and controls the link configurations for the device. 1 To avoid software conflict, WiFiset does not synchronize its settings with Windows Zero Configuration (WZC), nor vice versa.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 7 - Windows Utilities Figure 3. WiFiset—Config SSID The service set identifier (SSID) is the name given to a wireless network by its administrator(s). The default value is Any, which allows the device to connect to any access point in the Infrastructure Mode, or to any other wireless device in the Ad Hoc Mode. The SSID can be up to 32 characters long, and is case sensitive. Power Save Mode Selects a power-save mode from three preconfigured settings: • CAM (Continuous Access Mode) Highest performance with no power saving. • Max PSP (Max Power Saving Mode) Maximum power saving with reduced performance. • Fast PSP (Fast Power Saving Mode) Greater power saving than CAM and higher performance than Max PSP. Operation Mode Determines the type of network or mode of operation. • Ad Hoc Mode For peer-to-peer networking with other wireless devices without routing through wired network. • Infrastructure Mode (default) For connecting to a wired network via an access point. • AP Mode For setting up the device as an access point. Note: In order to function as an access point, your computer must be physically connected to a wired network.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 8 - Windows Utilities Radio Status Shows whether the radio is on or off. Data Rate Selects the rate of transmission between your computer and the access point (in the infrastructure mode) or another wireless device (in the ad hoc mode). In general, a higher transmission rate would provide a smaller coverage area, and a lower transmission rate would cover a greater distance. The default setting is Auto Rate, which allows the device to start at 54 Mbps and automatically lowers the transmission rate when necessary. Channel Selects the frequency channel for the transmission in the Ad Hoc Mode or AP Mode. Fragment Threshold Defines the size at which packets are fragmented. The acceptable range of values is from 256 to 2312 bytes, and the default value is 2312 bytes. RTS Threshold Defines the size at which packets are sent via the RTS-CTS mechanism. The acceptable range of values is from 0 to 2312 bytes, and the default value is 2312 bytes. Network Type Selects the 802.11 network protocol usage; there are three modes, “802.11b only”, “802.11g”, and “Auto”. The default setting is Auto. WEP config Controls the authentication and encryption configurations for the device.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 9 - Windows Utilities Figure 4. WiFiset—WEP config Encryption state Determines whether Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is used for data encryption. • None (default) No encryption. • WEP Data is encrypted with a WEP key. Up to four WEP keys can be specified. Each key can have a length of 40, 128, or 256 bits. Authentication Mode Determines the method of authentication. • Open System (Default) A null authentication algorithm is used, which allows the device to be authenticated by any access point or other devices with an appropriate SSID. • Shared Key A WEP key is used as a means of authentication, which allows the device to be authenticated only by access points or other devices that has the same WEP key in addition to an appropriate SSID.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 10 - Windows Utilities 4.1.3. Site Survey Displays a list of all available networks within range. Figure 5. WiFiset—Site Survey Join Network Joins the device to the selected network. Re-Scan it! Re-scans to discover all currently available networks within range.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 11 - Windows Utilities 4.1.4. Statistics Displays the real-time transmission and reception statistics of the device. Figure 6. WiFiset—Statistic Pause Pauses, or freezes, the currently displayed statistics. Clicking Pause again will resume the real-time display. Reset Resets all values to zero. 4.1.5. Signal Displays the current and past values of signal strength (SS) and signal quality (SQ) for the connected network.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 12 - Windows Utilities Figure 7. WiFiset—Signal 4.1.6. Profiles A profile is a set of preconfigured settings for a particular network environment. Having different profiles stored in WiFiset, you can move from one network to another without having to reconfigure the network settings. 4.1.6.1. Adding a new profile Before adding the current network configuration as a new profile, make sure that your device is connected to a network and that all settings are properly configured. To add a profile in WiFiset, please follow these steps: Step 1. Click Profile in WiFiset’s menu bar, and then click Add to create a new profile based on the current network’s configurations.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 13 - Windows Utilities Figure 8. WiFiset—Adding a new profile Step 2. Enter a name for the new profile, and then click OK. Figure 9. WiFiset—Profile Name
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 14 - Windows Utilities Step 3. The new profile is now successfully added to the Profile List, and it’s set to be a default one automatically. Figure 10. WiFiset—New profile added 4.1.6.2. Default profile and automatic connection You can configure your device to automatically connect to a network according to the default profile. Step 1. Select a profile name from the Profile Select box. Step 2. Click the Default Profile button. Step 3. Select the check box for Auto Connect with Default Profile, and then click the Apply Profile button.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 15 - Windows Utilities Figure 11. WiFiset—Auto Connect with Default Profile Note: Once the device is set to automatically connect with a netowork according to the default profile, most of the options under WiFiset’s Config tab would become unavailable, and therefore appear dimmed—except for Power Save Mode and Auto connect. In addition, a check mark would now appear in the Auto connect check box.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 16 - Windows Utilities Figure 12. WiFiset—Auto connect 4.2. WPA Networking VT6655 supports Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration service for connecting to a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) network. Step 1. Open Wireless Network Connection.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 17 - Windows Utilities Figure 13. Wireless Network Connection Step 2. Click a wireless network from the list of available networks, and then click Connect. Step 3. Enter the network key, also known as WEP key or WPA key.
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 18 - Windows Utilities Figure 14. Wireless Network Connection—Network key
VIA Technologies, Inc. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 - 19 - Appendix A: Terminology Appendix A: Terminology  ad hoc network A network composed solely of stations within mutual communication range of each other via the wireless medium (WM).  access point (AP) Any entity that has station functionality and provides access to the distribution ser-vices, via the wireless medium (WM) for associated stations.  Station (STA) Any device that contains an IEEE 802.11 conformant medium access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) interface to the wireless medium (WM).  RTS (Request To Send) The frame type used to deign the RTS-CTS clearing exchange. RTS frames are used when the frame that will be transmitted is larger than the RTS threshold.  CTS (Clear To Send) The frame type used to acknowledge receipt of a Request to Send and the second component used in the RTS-CTS clearing exchange used to prevent interference from hidden nodes.  WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) The optional cryptographic confidentiality algorithm specified by IEEE 802.11 used to provide data confidentiality that is subjectively equivalent to the confidentiality of a wired local area network (LAN) medium that does not employ cryptographic techniques to enhance privacy.  authentication The service used to establish the identity of one station as a member of the set of stations authorized to associate with another station.  WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) A specification of standards-based, interoperable security enhancements that strongly increase the level of data protection and access control for existing and future wireless LAN systems.
Appendix B: Important Notices Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures: - Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. - Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. - Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. - Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. (3) This device shall automatically discontinue transmission in case of either absence of information to transmit or operation failure. INFORMATION TO USER To assure continued compliance, any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment. Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 -20- Appendix B: Important Notices
IMPORTANT NOTE: This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. End users must follow the specific operation instruction for satisfying RF exposure compliance. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. The maximum reported SAR value is: (802.11b) 0.596 W/Kg (802.11g) 0.374W/Kg Revision 1.0 • July 5, 2006 -21- Appendix B: Important Notices

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