ASUSTeK Computer MSQWL127 WirelessLan Card User Manual

Add to My manuals
32 Pages

advertisement

ASUSTeK Computer MSQWL127 WirelessLan Card User Manual | Manualzz

First Edition

June 2003

® WL-127

Wireless Fidelity Card

Installation Guide

No part of this documentation, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

ASUS PROVIDES THIS DOCUMENTATION “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,

INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS

FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE

LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR

LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN

IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN

THIS DOCUMENTATION OR PRODUCT.

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.

Products and corporate names appearing in this documentation may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

For documentation updates, visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com.tw.

The specifications and information contained in this documentation are furnished for informational use only, and are subject to change at any time without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ASUS. ASUS assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this documentation, including the products and the software described in it.

2

Copyright © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

ASUS WL-127 Card

WL-127 specifications summary*

Standard

Technology

Data Transfer Rate

Host Interface

Network Types

Frequency Band

Security

Access Point

Operating Distance

Supported OS

Antenna

IEEE 802.11b

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)

11Mbps (with automatic fallback to 5.5, 2 and 1Mbps)

ASUS proprietary WL-127 interface

Supports Infrastructure and Ad Hoc networks

2.4 GHz ~ 2.5 GHz

64-bit/128-bit configurable WEP encryption

Software access point function supports up to 31 terminals

(Windows ® XP only)

Indoors: 100 ft (30 m) @ 11Mbps

Outdoors: 1000 ft (300 m) @ 11Mbps

Windows ® 98SE/ME/2000/XP

Stand-alone dipole antenna

*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

ASUS WL-127 Card 3

4

1. Welcome!

Thank you for buying the ASUS WL-127 Card! The WL-127 card is a wireless network interface card for ASUS motherboards with the proprietary Wi-Fi slot. This card conforms to the IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless local area network (WLAN) assuring you of seamless integration to any wireless network. The WL-127 card is sure to keep you ahead in the world of wireless computing.

2. Package contents

Check the following items in your ASUS WL-127 package. Contact your retailer if any item is damaged or missing.

ASUS WL-127 card

ASUS WL-127 dipole antenna

Installation guide

Support CD

ASUS WL-127 Card

3. Features

The WL-127 card is an easy-to-use wireless solution for desktop PCs. Compliant with the

IEEE 802.11b standard, the WL-127 card gives you freedom to connect to a wireless network and the Internet without wires and cables. Employing the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum

(DSSS) technology, the WL-127 card is capable of transmitting and receiving signals through radio waves on the 2.4 GHz band.

Check out other WL-127 card advantages.

• Reliable data transfer rates of up to 11Mbps with automatic fallback to 5.5, 2, and 1Mbps

• Secure data transmission via Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption

• Operating distance of up to 100 ft (30 m) indoors and 1000 ft (300m) outdoors

• Easy installation and full management software support

• Software access point function supports up to 31 terminals (on Windows ® XP only)

• Supports infrastructure (WL-127 to access point) and ad-hoc (WL-127 to another

Wi-Fi device) network types

• Windows ® 98SE/ME/2000/XP compatible

ASUS WL-127 Card 5

6

4. Card installation

IMPORTANT! Before installing the WL-127 card, make sure that your system meets the following requirements.

4.1 System requirements

• ASUS motherboard with Wi-Fi slot (P4C800/P4C800 Deluxe/P4P800/

P4P800 Deluxe/P4P8X/P4S800/P4S800D/P4V800/P4V800D/P4R800-V/A7N8X-E)*

• Intel ® Pentium™ 4 system

• Minimum 64MB system memory

• Windows ® 98 SE/2000/ME/XP operating system

• CD-ROM drive for software and drivers installation

NOTE. Visit the ASUS website for an updated list of motherboards with WiFi slot.

ASUS WL-127 Card

4.2 Hardware installation

Follow these steps to install the WL-127 card in your system.

CAUTION! Before handling the card, touch a bare metal portion of your PC to discharge static electricity from your body. Wear a wrist strap grounded to the PC chassis when handling the card.

IMPORTANT! The PCI5 and the Wi-Fi slot may not be used simultaneously on certain motherboards. Check your motherboard documentation for this limitation.

1.

Make sure that the PC is turned off. Unplug the power cord from the electrical socket.

2.

Remove the PC cover.

3.

Locate the Wi-Fi slot. Refer to your motherboard documentation for the Wi-Fi slot location.

4.

Remove the rear panel bracket opposite the Wi-Fi slot. Keep the screw for later use.

5.

Carefully insert the card into the Wi-Fi slot. To prevent incorrect orientation, one pin of the WL-127 connector is removed to match the covered hole on the Wi-Fi slot.

6.

Secure the card with the screw that you removed earlier.

7.

Replace the PC cover and plug in the power cord.

ASUS WL-127 Card 7

8

9.

Connect the dipole antenna twist-on connector to the antenna connector (male) of the

WL-127 card.

8.

Turn on the computer.

4.2.1 Indicators

The WL-127 card is equipped with a Data Transmission (Green AIR) and Network Link

(Yellow LINK) LED indicators. Refer to the table below for LED indications.

AIR

Fast Blink

ON

OFF

LINK

ON

ON

OFF

Meaning

Transmitting/receiving data and connected to the network

No data activity but connected to the network

No power or not connected to the network

4.2.2 Antenna Placement

Place the dipole antenna at an elevated location to maintain quality signal. Avoid placing the antenna under your table or in a close compartment.

ASUS WL-127 Card

4.3 Software installation

Follow these steps to install the WL-127 card driver and the Control Center Utility.

1.

Turn on your computer.

2.

Insert the support CD into the CD-ROM drive.

3.

Click “Install ASUS WLAN Card Utilities/

Driver” when the ASUS WL-127 installation window appears.

4.

Restart your computer after the device driver and the Control Center Utility are installed.

NOTE. If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the support CD and double click the Setup.exe file to run the CD.

ASUS WL-127 Card 9

10

4.3.1 Other support CD contents

The support CD also contains the following options.

Uninstall ASUS WLAN Card Utilities. Click this option to uninstall the Control Center Utility from your system.

Read/Install User Documentation. Click to view the installation and quick setup guides in PDF format.

Explore CD-ROM. Click this option to explore the support CD contents.

Browse our Web Site. Click this option to visit the ASUS website.

Click EXIT to close the installation window.

ASUS WL-127 Card

4.4 Windows

®

XP Wireless Options

The first time that the Control Center Utility is launched in Windows ® XP, it will automatically show the Wireless Options window. Select “Only use

ASUS utilities and disable XP wireless

function” to avail all WL-127 card features.

Click OK.

5. Using the Control Center Utility

The Control Center Utility is a management software that launches applications and activate network location settings. The Control Center Utility starts automatically when the system boots and displays an icon in the Windows taskbar. The Control Center icon serves as application launcher, and indicator of signal quality and Internet connection (see next section).

ASUS WL-127 Card 11

12

The Control Center icon indicates the quality of link to the Access Point and whether or not the system is connected to the Internet. Refer to the table below for icon meanings.

Infrastructure Network Mode (WL-127 to an Access Point)

Excellent link quality and connected to the Internet

Good link quality and connected to the Internet

Fair link quality and connected to the Internet

Poor link quality but connected to the Internet

Not linked but connected to the Internet

Excellent link quality but not connected to the Internet

Good link quality but not connected to the Internet

Fair link quality but not connected to the Internet

Poor link quality and not connected to the Internet

Not linked and not connected to the Internet

Ad-Hoc Network Mode (WL-127 to other Wi-Fi device)

Linked

Not Linked

Connected to the Internet

ASUS WL-127 Card

5.1 Control Center Right-Click Menu

Right-clicking the Control Center icon displays the right-click menu. The following sections describe the right-click menu items.

5.1.1 Wireless Settings

The Wireless Settings is the main interface that allows users to control the ASUS WL-

127. Use the Wireless Settings to view the operational and connection status, or to modify the WL-127 configuration.

The Wireless Settings window is composed of the property window and tabbed property sheets. Click the icons in the property window to display their tabbed property sheets.

ASUS WL-127 Card

Tabbed Property Sheets

13

14

Status - Status Tab

The Status Tab provides general information on the WL-127 card.

Association State. This field displays the connection status and MAC address of the network where the system is connected.

Service Set Identifier (SSID). This field displays the SSID of the network which the card is associated or is intending to join. The SSID is a group name shared by every member of a wireless network. Only client PCs with the same

SSID are allowed to establish a connection.

The MAC Address field displays the hardware address of a device connected to a network.

The Current Channel field displays the radio channel that the card is currently tuned. The channel changes as WL-127 scans the available channels. See page 27 for channel information.

The Current Data Rate field displays the data transfer rate between the WL-127 card and the access point.

ASUS WL-127 Card

The Radio State field displays the radio communication status. Click the Disable Radio button if you wish to disable radio communication with the access point.

Rescan button - Click to allow WL-127 to scan available wireless networks and to connect to the network with the best signal quality.

Change SSID button - Click to change the SSID. Clicking this button opens the Config-Basic window. See page 17 for details.

Search and Connect button - Click to view all wireless networks within the range of your system. Clicking this button opens the Site Survey window. See page 21 for details.

Status - Connection Tab

The Connection Tab provides real-time information on connection throughput, frame errors, signal strength, link quality and overall connection quality in graph representation.

ASUS WL-127 Card 15

16

Status - IP Config Tab

The IP Config tab displays the current host and ethernet adapter configurations. IP Config displays TCP/IP information including the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, DNS and

Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) configurations.

Use the IP Config Tab to verify your network settings.

IP Buttons

IP Release. Click to release the DHCP IP address for the WL-127 card.

IP Renew. Click to renew the DHCP IP address for the WL-127 card.

IP Buttons

NOTE. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allows a computer or computers on a network to be automatically assigned a single IP address from a

DHCP server.

ASUS WL-127 Card

Config - Basic Tab

The Basic tab provides general information on network types and other configurations.

Network Type. Select which type of network you wish to use. Select Infrastructure mode to establish a connection with an Access Point (AP).

In this mode, your system can access wireless

LAN and wired LAN (Ethernet) via the AP. Select the Ad Hoc mode to communicate directly with other Wi-Fi devices within the WL-127 operating range.

Network Name - Displays the network SSID. The network SSID is a string use to identify a wireless

LAN. Assign different SSIDs to segment the wireless LAN and increase network security. Set the SSID to a null string to allow your station to connect to any available Access Point. Null string may not be used in Ad Hoc mode.

Channel. In Infrastructure mode, WL-127 automatically selects the correct frequency channel. In Ad Hoc mode, select a channel that is allowed for use in your country/region. See page 27 for channel information.

ASUS WL-127 Card 17

18

Data Rate. Select Fully Auto to allow WiFi-b to adjust to the most suitable connection. You may also fix data transfer rates to 11, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps.

PS Mode. This field allows control of the WL-127 card power saving features. The CAM

(Constantly Awake mode) is recommended for systems running on AC power.

Others. Click the WEP or Advanced link to open the Encryption or Advanced property tab sheet.

Config - EncryptionTab

Wireless data transmissions between your WL-

127 and the AP are secured using the Wired

Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption. Check the

Data encryption (WEP enabled) option to assign the WEP keys.

Check the Network Authentication (Shared Mode) option if you wish to use a network key to authenticate a preferred wireless network.

Unchecking this option allows the network to operate on an Open System mode.

ASUS WL-127 Card

Key Format allows you to set a hexadecimal digit or ASCII character WEP key.

Key Length allows you to choose a 64-bit or a 128-bit WEP key. A 64-bit encryption contains

10 hexadecimal digits or 5 ASCII characters. A 128-bit encryption contains 26 hexadecimal digits or 13 ASCII characters.

NOTE. 64-bit and 40-bit WEP keys use the same encryption method and can interoperate on wireless networks. This lower level of WEP encryption uses a 40-bit

(10 hexadecimal digits assigned by the user) secret key and a 24-bit Initialization

Vector assign by the WL-127. 104-bit and 128-bit WEPs uses the same encryption method.

Two ways to assign WEP keys

Manual Assignment. For a 64-bit encryption, enter 10 hexadecimal digits (0~9, a~f, A~F) in each of the four WEP keys.

Automatic Generation. Type a combination of up to 64 letters, numbers, or symbols in the

Passphrase field. The Wireless Settings Utility uses an algorithm to generate four WEP keys based on the typed combination.

ASUS WL-127 Card 19

NOTE. After assigning the WEP keys, Click APPLY to save and activate the encryption. Manually assigned encryptions are more secured than automatically generated encryptions.

Config - Advanced

The Advanced tab displays the WL-127 card advance settings. It is recommended that you do not make any changes on these settings.

20 ASUS WL-127 Card

Site Survey

The Site Survey tab displays the available networks within the range of the WL-127 card.

The following network attributes are displayed:

BSSID - The IEEE MAC address of the network

SSID - SSID (service set identifier) of the network.

CH - Direct sequence channel used by the network.

RSSI - Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) in dBm.

Type - wireless network mode. AP indicates an

Infrastructure network type. STA indicates an

Ad Hoc network type.

WEP - shows whether a network has an enabled (On) or disabled (Off) WEP encryption.

Select an available network and click Connect to establish connection. Click Search to rescan available networks.

ASUS WL-127 Card 21

About

Click the About icon to view the software version, driver version, and copyright information.

Link State

Displays the current connection status of the WL-

127 card to the AP or to other Wi-Fi device.

22 ASUS WL-127 Card

5.1.2 Help Menu

The Control Center Utility is equipped with a

Help menu to guide you in using and configuring the WL-127 card.

Right-click the Control Center icon on the taskbar, then select Help. Select the Help menu you wish to browse.

5.1.3 Configuring your system as an Access Point (AP)

The Control Center Utility can configure your system as soft access point (AP). The WL-127 soft AP function can support up to 31 wireless clients. Before configuring your system as soft

AP, make sure your system meets the following requirements:

• Connection to the Internet (cable, DSL, satellite, etc) and wired LAN

• Windows ® XP operating system

ASUS WL-127 Card 23

Follow these instructions to configure your system as soft AP.

Right-click the Control Center icon on the taskbar, then select

Change Mode in the pop-up menu. A Change Mode window appears.

Select SoftAP Mode. Click OK.

24

The Access Point icon replaces the Control Center icon in the Windows ® taskbar.

IMPORTANT. Make sure that the network type of wireless clients is set to

Infrastructure mode. Wireless clients must also have the same SSID with the soft

AP to establish connection.

ASUS WL-127 Card

5.1.4 Preferences

The Preferences window allows you to customize the Control Center Utility settings.

5.1.5 About Control Center

The About Control Center menu displays the software, drivers, and copyright information.

ASUS WL-127 Card 25

26

5.2 Control Center Left-Click Menu

Left-clicking the Control Center icon displays the

Left-Click menu. The options are described below.

Wireless Radio On – Turns the WL-127 radio ON.

Wireless Radio Off – Turns the WL-127 radio OFF.

Search & Connect – View available wireless networks within range.

Wireless Option (Windows ® XP only) – Sets your Windows ® XP wireless networking environment. See page 11 for details.

ASUS WL-127 Card

6. Appendix

6.1 Channels

The IEEE 802.11b standard for Wireless LAN allocated the 2.4 GHz frequency band into 14 overlapping operating channels. Each channel corresponds to a different set of frequencies.

The table below shows the center frequencies of each channel.

Channel Channel

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Center

Frequency

2.412 GHz

2.417 GHz

2.422 GHz

2.427 GHz

2.432 GHz

2.437 GHz

2.442 GHz

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Center

Frequency

2.447 GHz

2.452 GHz

2.457 GHz

2.462 GHz

2.467 GHz

2.472 GHz

2.484 GHz

IMPORTANT! If several WL-127 devices are operating in the same vicinity, the distance between the center frequencies of channels used must be at least 25 MHz to avoid interference.

ASUS WL-127 Card 27

28

The number of channels available for the WL-127 varies by country/region. Refer to the table below to determine the number of channels available in your location.

Country/Region

United States (FCC) and Canada (IC)

Europe (ETSI) except Spain and France

Spain

France

Japan (MKK)

Available Channels

Channels 1 to 11

Channels 1 to 13

Channels 10 and 11

Channels 10 to 13

Channels 1 to 14

NOTE. Channels 1,6 and 11 are independent and do not overlap each other. It is recommended to tune your WL-127 card to these channels.

ASUS WL-127 Card

6.2 Safety Information

In order to maintain compliance with the FCC RF exposure guidelines, this equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance [20cm] between the radiator and your body.

Use only with supplied antenna. Unauthorized antenna, modification, or attachments could damage the transmitter and may violate FCC regulations.

CAUTION! Any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authorization to use this device.

MPE Statement

Your device contains a low power transmitter. When device is transmitted it sends out Radio

Frequency (RF) signal.

Caution Statement of the FCC Radio Frequency Exposure

This Wireless LAN radio device has been evaluated under FCC Bulletin OET 65C and found compliant to the requirements as set forth in CFR 47 Sections 2.1091, and

15.247(b)(4) addressing RF Exposure from radio frequency devices. The radiation output power of this Wireless LAN device is far below the FCC radio frequency exposure limits.

Nevertheless, this device shall be used in such a manner that the potential for human contact during normal operation is minimized. Use in a portable or body-worn configuration is strictly prohibited.

ASUS WL-127 Card 29

prohibited. When using this device, a certain separation distance between antenna and nearby persons has to be kept to ensure RF exposure compliance. In order to comply with the RF exposure limits established in the ANSI C95.1 standards, the distance between the antennas and the user should not be less than [20cm].

30 ASUS WL-127 Card

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ASUS WL-127 Card 31

ASUS Contact Information

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Marketing

Address: 150 Li-Te Road

Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112

General Tel.: +886-2-2894-3447

General Fax: +886-2-2894-3449

General Email: [email protected]

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Marketing

Address: 44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont,

CA 94538, USA

General Fax: +1-502-933-8713

General Email: [email protected]

Technical Support

MB/Others (Tel):

Notebook (Tel):

Desktop/Server (Tel):

Support Fax:

Web Site:

Technical Support

Support Fax:

General Support:

Web Site:

Support E-mail:

+886-2-2890-7121 (English)

+886-2-2890-7122 (English)

+886-2-2890-7123 (English)

+886-2-2890-7698 www.asus.com.tw

+1-502-933-8713

+1-502-995-0883 usa.asus.com

[email protected]

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria)

Marketing

Address: Harkortstr. 25 40880 Ratingen,

BRD, Germany

General Fax: +49-2102-9599-31

General Email: [email protected]

(for marketing requests only)

Technical Support

Support Hotline: Components: +49-2102-9599-0

Notebook: +49-2102-9599-10

Support Fax: +49-2102-9599-11

Support (Email):

Web Site: www.asuscom.de/support

(for online support) www.asuscom.de

advertisement

Related manuals

advertisement