ActionTec Wireless PC Card Driver 802CAT1 User manual

User Manual
11 Mbps
Wireless
PC Card

i
Table of Contents
1Introduction 1
Package Contents 1
Minimum System Requirements 1
Technical Support 2
2Setting Up the Wireless PC Card 3
Connecting the PC Card 3
3Using the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility 9
Opening the Monitor Utility Window 9
Using the Wireless LAN Monitor 10
Windows XP 18
4Using the Wireless LAN Config. Utility 19
Opening the Configuration Utility Window 19
Using the Wireless LAN Configuration Utility 20
Windows XP 26
AReference 27
Locating Computer Information 27
Locating Windows Operating System Files 28
BSpecifications 31
General 31
Wireless Operating Range 31
Environmental 32
CGlossary 33
Notices 37
Regulatory Compliance Notices 37
Modifications 37
Limited Warranty 39

ii
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual

1
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card. This easy-to-
set-up, easy-to-use PC Card is perfect for the mobile home or small office comput-
er user, and features the latest in wireless networking technology. If you want to
take your computing to the next level, the Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card is
sure to be one of the keys to your success.
Package Contents
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card
Installation CD (includes user manual)
Quick start guide
Warranty and registration card
Minimum System Requirements
Notebook computer with CD-ROM drive, available PCMCIA slot, and at
least 500 Kbytes of free disk space
Microsoft Windows 98, 98 Second Edition (SE), Millennium Edition (Me),
2000, or XP
TCP/IP network protocol installed
1

2
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
Technical Support
Actiontec Electronics prides itself on making durable, high-quality, high-perform-
ance products. If you need assistance, the Actiontec Technical Support Department is
available 24 hours a day, every day, to provide professional support.
Actiontec Electronics, Inc.
760 N. Mary Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
Technical Support
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Internet: www.actiontec.com/support

3
Setting Up the
Wireless PC Card
The instructions that follow parallel the steps contained in the Actiontec Installation
Buddy™,which provides a visual guide to setting up the Pc card. It is recommended the
user run the Installation Buddy first, before attempting any other procedures.
To set up the PC Card, it must be connected to and configured with a computer,
and then connected to a wireless network. To do this, use the following instructions.
Connecting the PC Card
1. Insert the Actiontec Installation Buddy CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive of the
computer. The Installation Buddy will start automatically. Wait until the fol-
lowing screen appears, read the onscreen instructions, then click Next.
2. The next window appears. Select the kind of router, gateway, or access point
the PC Card will connect to (Actiontec or Other Brand) by clicking in the
proper check box, then click Next.
2

4
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
3. In the next window, click in the check box next to Wireless PC Card and
click Next.
4. The next window appears. Read the onscreen instructions, then click Next.
5. When the next window appears, read the information concerning the items
needed to set up the PC Card, then click Next.

5
Chapter 2 Setting Up the Wireless PC Card
6. If Actiontec was chosen in step 2, the following window appears. Read the
instructions concerning the gateway, router, or access point, then click Next.
If Other Brand was chosen in step 2, the following window appears. Read the
instructions concerning the gateway, router, or access point, then click Next.
7. When the next window appears, insert the PC Card into an available
PCMCIA slot on the computer. Click Next.
☞Note:The PCMCIA slot(s) are either on the right or left side of
the computer.

6
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
8. When the next window appears, check that the light on the end of the PC Card is
glowing solid green, then click Next.
9. As shown in the next window, select whether Windows XP is used on the
computer by clicking Ye s or No.Then, click Next.
10. If Ye s (Windows XP is running on the computer) was selected in step 9, the
window below appears, instructing the user to click Start,Settings,and
Network Connections from the desktop. Then, click Next in the Installation
Buddy.
If No was selected in step 9, go to step 13.

7
Chapter 2 Setting Up the Wireless PC Card
11. The next window appears, as well as the “Network Connections” window on
the desktop. In the Network Connections window, double-click on the
Wireless Network Connection,then click Next in the Installation Buddy.
12. When the next window appears, follow the onscreen instructions. In the
“Connect to Wireless Networks” window on the desktop, select the wireless
network the PC Card will be connected to, then click Next in the Installation
Buddy.
13. The next window appears as the Installation Buddy connects the PC Card to
the wireless network.

8
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
13. When the PC Card has finished connecting, a “Congratulations” window
appears. Click Next through the following windows, then click Finish.
The Wireless PC Card is connected to, and configured with, the computer, and is
connected to the wireless network.

9
Using the Wireless
LAN Monitor Utility
☛Important:Ifthe icon in the picture below appears in the
System Tray, use this Utility. If another icon appears, see page 19.
To monitor the wireless network to which the Wireless PC Card is connected, as well as
check or adjust wireless network settings, use the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility. This
utility offers the ability to check wireless network signal strength, connect to a wireless
network using an encryption scheme, and many other options.
☞Note:The Utility is used only on computers running Windows
98, 98 SE, Me, or 2000. If the computer being used runs
Windows XP, see “Windows XP” on page 18.
Opening the Monitor Utility Window
To open the Utility, go to the right-hand corner of the desktop. In the System Tray
(where the clock is located), double-click on the Actiontec Wireless LAN Monitor
Utility icon (shown in the red circle, below)
The Wireless LAN Monitor window appears on the desktop.
3

10
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
Using the Wireless LAN Monitor
After double-clicking on the Wireless LAN Monitor icon, the Wireless LAN
Monitor appears.
There are six tabs at the top of the window: Status,Statistics,Site Survey,
Encryption,Advanced,and Info.To select a particular tab, click on it. To close
the Monitor window, click Exit.
Status
The Status tab(shown in the figure above) features a number of settings and
options related to the wireless network connection. Some of the settings can be
changed. To do this, click Change,which activates the configurable settings. After
making changes, click Submit to save the changes, or Cancel to cancel the
changes.
Operating Mode
The Operating Mode text box displays the type of network to which the PC
Card is connected. There are two operating modes: Infrastructure and Ad Hoc.

11
Chapter 3 Using the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility
Infrastructure - When Infrastructure is selected, the PC Card is connected to a
router, gateway, or access point.
Ad Hoc - When Ad Hoc is selected, the PC Card is connected to another com-
puter.
Channel
The Channel text box displays the channel in which the PC Card is currently
operating. This option cannot be changed from here.
SSID
The SSID text box displays the name of the wireless network to which the PC
Card is currently connected. To change the network name, enter a new name in
the text box.
TX Rate
The TX Rate text box sets the rate of packets being sent across the PC Card’s
wireless connection.Options include 5.5 Mbps,11 Mbps,and Auto.
Radio
The Radio text box displays the state of the PC Card’s wireless capability.
Selecting On,turns the PC Card’s wireless capability on; selecting Off turns the
wireless capabilty off.
Status
The Status text box contains the status of the PC Card’s wireless connection,
including whether the PC Card is associated with a wireless network and the
MAC (Media Access Control) address of the connection’s device (router/gate-
way/access point/computer).
Signal Strength, Link Quality
Each bar graph displays the relative strength or quality of the wireless signal and
link.

12
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
Statistics
Clicking Statistics in the Wireless LAN Monitor window causes the “Statistics” tab
to appear.
This tab contains various Tx (transmit cell) and Rx (ATM cell) statistics for the
wireless connection. Clicking Reset sets all the statistics displayed back to zero, and
starts the count again.

13
Chapter 3 Using the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility
Site Survey
Clicking Survey Site in the Wireless LAN Monitor window causes the “Survey
Site” tab to appear.
In the tab’s large text box, a list of all wireless networks the PC Card can detect
appears, along with the particular network’s BSSID (MAC address), SSID name,
signal strength, channel, encryption state, and BSS (type of connection
[Infrastructure or Ad Hoc]).
Clicking Re-Scan causes the PC Card to refresh its list of detected networks.

14
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
Encryption
Clicking Encryption in the Wireless LAN Monitor window causes the
‘Encryption” tab to appear. If changing settings in this tab, make sure to click
Submit after making all changes.
Encryption Types
Clicking the arrow next to the “Encryption” text box reveals a list box with three
options: Disabled, 64 Bit, and 128 Bit.
Disabled - If joining a wireless network with no encryption, select this option.
64 Bit - If joining a wireless network with 64-bit encryption, select this option.
128 Bit - If joining a wireless network with 128-bit encryption, select this option.
Key #1 - Key #4
If joining a wireless network with 64-bit or 128-bit encryption, enter the
encryption keys here. These keys must be identical to the wireless network’s
encryption keys to join the network.

15
Chapter 3 Using the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility
Default Key
When 64 Bit or 128 Bit encryption is selected, the “Default Key” text box activates.
Click the arrow next to the text box to reveal a list box with four options: Key #1,
Key #2,Key #3,and Key #4.Some networks use a default key when using encryp-
tion (rather than using all the keys available) If connecting to a network using a
default key, click on the default key number used by the network
Mode
When 64 Bit or 128 Bit encryption is selected, the “Mode” text box activates.
Click the arrow next to the text box to reveal a list box with two options:
Mandatory and Optional.Select the option by clicking on it.
Mandatory - When Mandatory is selected, all other computers trying to con-
nect to the PC Card must use the same encryption scheme used on the wireless
network to which the PC Card is currently connected.
Optional - When Optional is selected. other computers can connect to the PC
Card without using the encryption scheme used on the wireless network to
which the PC Card is currently connected.
Authentication Type
When 64 Bit or 128 Bit encryption is selected, the “Authentication Type” text box
activates. Click the arrow next to the text box to reveal a list box with three options:
Open System,Shared Key,and Optional.Select the option by clicking on it.
Open System - When Open System is selected, the PC Card and the wireless device
to which it is connected send and accept randomly generated keys that last only a
short time before new keys are generated and sent. This is the highest level of
authentication.
Shared Key - When Shared Key is selected, the PC Card and wireless device to
which it is connected send and accept a single key. This key is used indefinitely, and
if an outside user discover the key, he can eavesdrop on the network traffic between
the PC Card and wireless device.
Optional - When Optional is selected. other computers can connect to the PC
Card without using any type of authentication.

16
Actiontec 11 Mbps Wireless PC Card User Manual
Advanced
Clicking Advanced in the Wireless LAN Monitor window causes the “Advanced”
tab to appear. The settings in this tab should be changed only if the user is very
familiar with wireless networking concepts.
Preamble Type
A preamble is a signal which synchronizes transmissions between two or more
systems. This setting should remain at Auto.
Fragmentation Threshold
Sets the amount of network resources used to recover packet errors. If high
packet error rates exist, this setting can be decreased, but network performance
may degrade.
RTS/CTS Threshold
Sets the RTS/CTS (Request To Send/Clear To Send) threshold. If the connection
drops from the network frequently and without apparent reason, set this thresh-
old lower.

17
Chapter 3 Using the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility
Power Save
Clicking in this box enables Power Save mode. Activate Power Save when using
the PC Card with a laptop running on battery power to minimize the PC Card’s
power load.
Info
Clicking Info in the Wireless LAN Monitor window causes the “Info” tab to appear.
In this tab, the PC Card’s Driver Version, Firmware Version, Application Version,
and MAC Address are displayed.