Aboundi CardBus WiFiCard User manual

User’sManual
Version 1.1
CardBus WiFiCard™
User’s Manual
Version 1.1

APC 4000-500 User’s Manual
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WARNING - Disclaimer
Aboundi Inc., its Sales, Manufacturing and Design Organizations, Reps., Distributors, VARs and
distribution channels are absolutely not liable for any death, injury, property damage, loss of data, and
loss of business of any other unmentioned loss. The aforementioned entities are not liable even in the
event that any of these entities were apprized of the specifics or generalities of an application or
intended installation at any time.
Radio Linkages of any type can be fragile and tenuous. Over 1/5th of the entire population of the world
now owns cellular telephones, and as any user of a cell phone knows, the cell phone radio
communications link may be easily disrupted or completely lost simply by turning your head or by
other small environmental movements or changes. This clearly demonstrates to everyone the fragility
of any radio link and why radio should not be used for critical implementations, or where death,
personal injury, physical damage, property damage or environmental damage may result.
Aboundi Inc products are not designed, manufactured, or intended for use or resale as online control
equipment in hazardous environments requiring fail-safe performance, such as, but not limited to the
operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation, vital communication systems, air traffic control, life
support machines, weapons systems, or any industry in which environmental disruptions or technology
failure could lead directly to death, personal injury, physical damage, property damage or
environmental damage.
Do not use this device in applications for which any
failure of the wireless link or any data error may
cause death, injury or damage of any kind.

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Copyright © 2005 by Aboundi Inc. 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 the
copyright owner.
All the other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Statement of Conditions
The content described in this manual may be improved or changed at any time and it is subject to be
changed without notice.
Manufacturer assumes no responsibility for errors contained herein or for direct, indirect, special,
incidental or consequential damages with the furnishing, performance, or use of this manual or
equipment supplied with it, even if manufacturer of its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of
such damages.
Electronic Emission Notices
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.
(2) This device will accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
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

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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.
FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement:
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment.
End users must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance.
This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or
transmitter.
IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g operation of this product in the U.S.A. is firmware-limited to channels 1
through 11.
Regulatory Information / Disclaimers
Installation and use of this Wireless LAN device must be in strict accordance with the instructions
included in the user documentation provided with the product. Any changes or modifications (including
the antennas) made to this device that are not expressly approved by manufacturer may void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment. The manufacturer is not responsible for any radio or television
interference caused by unauthorized modification of this device, or the substitution or attachment of
connecting cables and equipment other than manufacturer specified. It is the responsibility of the user
to correct any interference caused by such unauthorized modification, substitution or attachment.
Manufacturer and its authorized resellers or distributors will assume no liability for any damage or
violation of government regulations arising from failing to comply with these guidelines.

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Limited Warranty
This product is warranted by manufacturer to be free from defects in material and workmanship for one
(1) year from the date of purchase unless otherwise stated.
During this period if this product is found to be defective in material or workmanship, manufacturer or
one of its authorized service facilities will at its option either repair or replace this product without
charge, subject to the following conditions, limitations and exclusions:
1. This warranty extends to the original consumer purchaser only and is not assignable or
transferable.
2. This warranty shall not apply to any product which has been subjected to misuse, abuse, abnormal
use, negligence, alteration or accident, or has had its serial number altered or removed.
3. This warranty does not apply to any defects or damage directly or indirectly caused by or resulting
from the use of unauthorized replacement parts and/or service performed by unauthorized
personnel.
4. This warranty does not apply to the software driver that accompanies this product.
This warranty is made expressly in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, including but not
limited to any implied warranty of merchantability of fitness for a particular purpose, and all other
obligations on the part of Manufacturer provided, however, that if the disclaimer of implied warranties
is ineffective under applicable law, the duration of any implied warranties arising by operation of law
shall be limited to one (1) year from the date of purchase or such longer period as may be required by
applicable law.
Manufacturer hereby disclaims any and all liabilities for consequential and incidental damages arising
out of or in connection with any breach of this warranty or any other claim with respect to this product,
including but not limited to claims of negligence, strict liability in tort or breach of contract.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 7
1.1 Features...................................................................................................................................... 7
1.2 Applications............................................................................................................................... 8
1.3 Wireless LAN System................................................................................................................ 8
1.3.1 Ad-Hoc Configuration ................................................................................................... 8
1.3.2 Infrastructure Configuration .......................................................................................... 9
2. Installation....................................................................................................................................... 10
2.1 Product Kit............................................................................................................................... 10
2.2 PC’s Minimum Requirements.................................................................................................. 10
2.3 Installing the Utility and Driver............................................................................................... 10
3. Wireless LAN Configuration Utility ..............................................................................................11
3.1 Icon............................................................................................................................................11
3.2 Status........................................................................................................................................ 13
3.3 Configuration........................................................................................................................... 14
3.3.1 General......................................................................................................................... 15
3.3.2 Encryption.................................................................................................................... 15
3.3.3 Advanced ..................................................................................................................... 17
3.4 Site Survey............................................................................................................................... 17
3.4.1 Profiles Selection ......................................................................................................... 19
3.5 Statistics................................................................................................................................... 20
3.6 About........................................................................................................................................ 21
3.7 Soft Access Point ..................................................................................................................... 21
3.7.1 AP Mode Setting.......................................................................................................... 22
3.7.2 Window XP with Bridge Network............................................................................... 23
3.8 Windows XP WPA Support...................................................................................................... 27
4. Specifications................................................................................................................................... 28
5. Glossary ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Figure 1-1 Ad-Hoc Configuration............................................................................................................. 8
Figure 1-2 Infrastructure Configuration.................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3-1 Wireless LAN Configuration Utility Icon..............................................................................11
Figure 3-2 WLAN Status........................................................................................................................ 13
Figure 3-3 Configuration ........................................................................................................................ 14
Figure 3-4 General Settings .................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 3-5 Encryption Settings............................................................................................................... 16
Figure 3-6 Advanced Settings................................................................................................................. 17
Figure 3-7 Site Survey page.................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 3-8 Profile list of the icon in system tray..................................................................................... 19
Figure 3-9 Statistics page........................................................................................................................ 20

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Figure 3-10 About Information............................................................................................................... 21
Figure 3-11 Soft Access Point................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 3-12 Windows XP with Bridge Network..................................................................................... 23
Figure 3-13 Bridge Connections............................................................................................................. 24
Figure 3-14 Network Bridge Connecting................................................................................................ 24
Figure 3-15 Network Bridge Connections.............................................................................................. 25
Figure 3-16 Network Bridge Properties.................................................................................................. 26

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1. Introduction
The CardBus WiFiCard™ (hereafter, referred as APC4000 or WiFiCard™) offers high-speed wireless
connection up to 54Mbps with seamless full mobility and cell to cell roaming capability. It enables web
browsing, access to POP3 email accounts and synchronization of data wirelessly.
The APC4000 incorporates the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) with 64-bit/128-bit encryption design
that supports secure and reliable wireless communication. It also enhances security in Windows XP
through the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) supporting TKIP (Temporary Key Integrity Protocol) or
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithms to meet the higher requirements.
It provides power saving mode in the “Infrastructure” environment application to extend the battery life.
The automatic fallback feature enhances reliability in noisy environments or extended distance
situations. In addition, its Plug-and-Play feature provides care free adaptability for mobile applications
on notebook computers.
Overall, the APC4000 provides carefree adaptability for home networking, device sharing, wireless or
mobile networking in an office environment and the bandwidth to support wireless multimedia
applications such as video streaming.
1.1 Features
 Seamless full mobility and 802.11d roaming from cell to cell and between 802.11b to 802.11g
 IEEE 802.11 Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) high rate compatible
 Supports RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) security function
 Enhances security in Windows XP through WPA(Wi-Fi Protected Access) supports of TKIP
(Temporary Key Integrity Protocol) or AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithm
 WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) 64 / 128-bit encryption
 Supports IEEE802.1x VPN pass through
 Supports “Ad-Hoc” and “Infrastructure” topologies
 Power saving mode in infrastructure mode to minimizes power consumption
 Enhances reliable connectivity through auto data rate fallback under noisy environment
 Build-in diversity chip antenna
 Compliant with Windows 98 / Me / 2000 / XP
 Easy-to-Use Graphical Configuration utility saves detailed connectivity profiles for frequently
accessed networks

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 Supports 32-bit CardBus Interface
 Plug and Play installation
1.2 Applications
 Home networking for device sharing - Remote access to corporate network information email, file
transfer and terminal emulation
 Frequently changing environments - Retailers, manufacturers and banks that frequently rearrange
the workplace and change location
 SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) users - SOHO users need easy and quick installation of a
small computer network functions.
 Inter-building connection - The wireless building-to-building network installs quickly, requires no
monthly lease fees, and provides the flexibility to reconfigure easily.
 Typical applications include hard-to-wire buildings, campuses, hospitals/medical offices,
warehouse, security huts, exhibition centers, etc.
 Temporary LANs for special projects or occasions - Auditors require workgroups at customer sites.
Trade shows, exhibitions, retailers, airline, and shipping companies need additional workstations
for a peak period of data traffic.
1.3 Wireless LAN System
1.3.1 Ad-Hoc Configuration
An Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers, each equipped with one WLAN PC Card (e.g.,
APC4000) connected as an independent wireless LAN, refer to Figure 1-1.
Computers in a specific Ad-Hoc wireless LAN must be configured at the same radio channel. Ad-Hoc
wireless LAN is applicable to a departmental scale for a branch or SOHO operation.
Figure 1-1Ad-Hoc Configuration

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1.3.2 Infrastructure Configuration
 An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an infrastructure configuration (refer to Figure
1-2). A group of WLAN PC Card (e.g. CardBus WiFiCard™) and an Access Point (e.g. AAP2000)
is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Each BSS will have one unique SSID. Each WLAN PC Card
in this BSS can be linked to any computer in the wired LAN infrastructure via the AP.
 Infrastructure configuration not only extends the accessibility of a WLAN PC to the wired LAN,
but also doubles the effective wireless transmission range between two WLAN PC Cards.
 BSS ID is, in essential, the ID of each independent WLAN PC Card. All WLAN PC Cards
configured without roaming options in this independent BSS must be configured with BSS ID of
that AP. You may need to check BSS ID of yourAP by using its vendor supplied program.
 Infrastructure configuration is applicable to enterprise scale for wireless access to central database,
or wireless application for mobile workers.
 Two APs can be used as a point-to-point link between two LANs. LAN interconnection is
applicable to a wireless backbone between buildings.
Figure 1-2 Infrastructure Configuration
 The infrastructure configuration supports roaming capability for mobile workers. More than one

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BSS can be jointly configured as an Extended Service Set (ESS). On account of a continuous
connection to the network, users within this ESS can roam freely. All WLAN PC Cards andAPs
within one ESS must be configured with the same ESS ID.
 Before setting up an ESS for roaming, it would be helpful to achieve good performance by
choosing a feasible radio channel and right places for APs.
2. Installation
Use the procedures described in this chapter to install your CardBus WiFiCard™ adapter under MS
Windows 98SE/Me/2000, and XP.
2.1 Product Kit
Before starting installation, please make sure the CardBus WiFiCard™ adapter package you purchased
includes the following items:
 WiFiCard™
 CD-ROM (including Driver/Utility and User’s Manual).
 Quick Start Guide.
If anything is missing, please contact your vendor.
2.2 PC’s Minimum Requirements
To install the APC4000 successfully, your PC (notebook, or desktop) should meet the following
minimum requirements:
 A PCMCIA slot compliant with Release 2.1 of the PCMCIA specification.
 Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, or XP operating system.
 Minimum 10 Mbytes free disk space for installing the driver and the utility program.
2.3 Installing the Utility and Driver
Note: Please do not plug your WiFiCard™ until the following setup procedure has been completed.
Follow the steps below to install the utility and driver.
 Insert the supplied CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.
 The InstallShield Wizard should start automatically. If AUTORUN is disabled in your Windows

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settings, you will need to go to the Windows “Start” button, choose “Run” and type “D:\setup.exe”
in the text box, where D is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive.
 Follow the InstallShield Wizard to install the driver and utility.
 Reboot your PC after completing the installation process. (Recommended)
 Plug your WiFiCard™. The “Add New Hardware Wizard” automatically loads the driver, and then
a new application (the Configuration & Monitor Utility) icon will be displayed in the task bar.
 Go to Section 3 for Configuration.
Note: In the MS Windows 2000/XP installation procedure, an extra window prompts you to select the
options whether you would like to install the “Digital Signature Not Found” or not. You can
safely select “YES”.
3. Wireless LAN Configuration Utility
The Wireless LAN Configuration Utility is a powerful application that helps you to configure the
APC4000 and monitor the statistics of the communication. Unlike the standard method of configuring
the card via the operating system utilities (e.g. Control Panel), this application permits the dynamic
modification of configuration parameters while the card is operating. This application also offers more
configuration options.
3.1 Icon
The Wireless LAN Configuration Utility appears as an icon on the system tray of Windows while the
card is running. You can open it by clicking the icon (see Figure 3-1).
Figure 3-1 Wireless LAN Configuration Utility Icon
The icon is appeared as bar diagram with different color and level for representing different connection
status. When the station is not associated with other Station/AP, the icon will appear as an empty
(blank) bar diagram. Once it is associated, it will appear as different color for different level of signal
strength (RSSI). There are 3 levels of icons to represent the signal strength, the green one (100%~50%),
the yellow one (50%~25%), and the red one (below 25%).

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The Wireless LAN Configuration Utility is a highly integrated application included the following
options:
 Status (including Configuration)
 Site Survey
 Statistics
 About

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3.2 Status
A typical status screen of the application in Infrastructure mode is shown in Figure 3-2. The wireless
configuration parameters are shown at the upper part of the screen.
Figure 3-2 WLAN Status
Network Address:
Section shows the current Network status such as the MAC address, DHCP (Enable or not), IP address,
Subnet Mask address, Gateway Address and DNS server address.
Change:
By clicking the Change button, you can perform the multi-country roaming (802.11d).

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S/W Radio:
Shifting RF to ON/OFF via the WLAN configuration tool (software shifting) is possible.
The default is on.
CFB:
The Contention Free Bursting is supported, which allows the transmission of a train of small packets
without intermediate contention to improve the throughput.
3.3 Configuration
Press Configuration button (refer to Figure 3-3) in order to change the configuration parameters, and
then a pop-up Configuration dialog box will be appeared for you to modify your settings. The
configuration dialog box includes General, Encryption, and Advanced.
Figure 3-3 Configuration

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3.3.1 General
In this page, the user can configure the station card with its network type (Infrastructure/Ad-Hoc),
SSID (up to 32 characters), channel (only in Ad hoc mode, and its range is according to the regulatory
domain), and Tx Rate (Automatic/1/2/5.5/6/9/11/12/18/24/36/48/54 Mbps), refer to Figure 3-4.
Figure 3-4 General Settings
3.3.2 Encryption
Note: When AP turns on the WEP function, APC4000 must have same WEP settings as those set in
AP.
Figure 3-5 allows the encryption settings.
Encryption Mode
Base on AP encryption settings, you can set the encryption mode to be None or WEP.
Authentication

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There are 3 options in the Authentication mode -- Open system, Shared key, and Auto Switch.
 Open System authentication is not required to be successful while a client may decline to
authenticate with any particular other client.
 When WEP Key setting will be used, it should be set to Shared key.
 By choosing Auto Switch, it will detect these 2 modes automatically.
Figure 3-5 Encryption Settings
WEP Key # and Encryption Key Length
The Key # can be 64-bit, 128-bits or 152-bits specified in the Encryption Key Length.
 64-bit: 10-digit Hexadecimal number e.g. 12345abdef (in the range ofA~F, a~f, and 0~9)
 128-bit: 26-digit Hexadecimal number e.g. 12345678901234567890abcdef (in the range ofA~F,
a~f, and 0~9)
 152-bit: 32-digit Hexadecimal number e.g. 12345678901234567890abcdefabcdef (in the range of
A~F, a~f, and 0~9)
When the WEP Key is set complete, then click Apply.

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3.3.3 Advanced
In this tap window, the advanced configuration settings can be changed, such as the Power Saving
mode, Preamble Type, Fragmentation Threshold, and RTS Threshold. Figure 3-6shows the
recommended configuration for the advanced settings.
Before selecting Short Preamble, make sure that the other stations and APs are also supporting this
feature.
Figure 3-6Advanced Settings
3.4 Site Survey
By choosing the Site Survey tap in the upper frame, you can scan all the channels to find all the access
points/stations within the accessible range of your APC4000. As shown in Figure 3-7, the list of the
“Available Networks” includes the information about the BSSID, SSID, Mode (Network Type), WEP
(On/Off), Channel, Signal Strength and Supports Rate.
You may press the Rescan button dynamically in order to update this list and double-clicking at the
one on the list once you want to associate with it, and then the Configuration window will be
displayed (refer to 3.3).

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Figure 3-7 Site Survey page

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3.4.1 Profiles Selection
The Wireless LAN Configuration Utility provides the easy-to-use profile function. It shows all the
profiles (up to 32 sets) with its configurations currently stored in the program, which includes Profile
Name, Network Type, SSID, Desired Rate, Encryption Key and other advanced settings.
There are two methods to access the profile:
 Site Survey Window
From the lower part of the Site Survey window, there are three options can be selected:
- New: When selected, the Configuration window will be displayed for adding new profile
(refer to 3.3).
- Delete: Select the profile to be deleted, and then click the Delete button.
- Edit: When Edit is selected, the Configuration window will be displayed for updating the
profile (refer to 3.3)
 System Tray
The profiles can be selected by right clicking the mouse on the Wireless LAN Configuration
Utility icon in the system tray, refer to Figure 3-8, and then select Connect.
You can apply the profile by double-clicking the item in the profiles list.
Figure 3-8 Profile list of the icon in system tray