Aironet PC3500 User manual

Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc. • 367 Ghent Road, Suite 300
P.O. Box 5292 • Fairlawn, Ohio 44334-0292
User’s Guide and Technical
Reference Manual
Aironet 3500 Series
PC3500 Wireless LAN Adapter
DOC-710-004019-A0

i
Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the
express written permission of Aironet Wireless Communications.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Aironet Wireless Communications makes no representations or
warranties with respect to the contents or use of this manual and
specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.
© 1998 Aironet Wireless Communications. All rights reserved.
Aironet, LM3500™, AP3500-E™, AP3500-T™ and PC3500™ are
trademarks of Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc.
Other trademarks used are properties of their respective owners.
Printed in USA
DOC-710-004019-A0

ii
Manufacturers Federal Communication Commission
Declaration of Conformity Statement
Models: PC3500
Manufacturer :
Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc.
367 Ghent Road, Suite 300
Fairlawn, OH 44334
1-800-3-WIRELESS
This device complies with Part 15 rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
1) this device may cause harmful interference, and 2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a residential environment. This equipment generates, uses, and radiates
radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference. However there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on,
the user is encouraged to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from which the
receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio \ TV technician.
User Warning
The Part 15 radio device operates on a non-interference basis with other
devices operating at this frequency.Any changes or modification to said
product not expressly approved by Aironet could void the user’s authority to
operate this device.

iii
Department of Communications - Canada
Canadian Compliance Statement
This Class B Digital apparatus meets all the requirements of the Canadian
Interference - Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte les exigences du Reglement sur le
material broilleur du Canada.
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry of Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: 1) this device may cause harmful interference, and 2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
European Telecommunication Standards Institute
Statement of Compliance
Information to User
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the European
Telecommunications Standard ETS 300.328. This standard covers Wideband Data
Transmission Systems referred in CEPT recommendation T/R 10.01.
This type accepted equipment is designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications.

iv
Declaration of Conformity
Aironet Model Number:
PC3500
Application of Council Directive: 89/336/EEC
Application of Council Directive: 72/23/EEC
CE Type Examination Certificate: HDTP/RDR/167/394122
Standards to which Conformity is Declared:
EN 55022 (B)
EN 55011 (B)
EN 50082-1
EN 60950
Manufacturer: Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc.
367 Ghent Road, Suite 300
Fairlawn Ohio, 44334
The undersigned hereby declares that the equipment specified above
conforms to the directives and standards cited herein.
Michael Smedley
Director, Manufacturing Engineering
Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc.

v
Safety Information
The FCC with its action in ET Docket 96-8 has adopted a safety
standard for human exposure to radiated frequency (RF)
electromagnetic energy emitted by FCC certified equipment. The
Aironet products meet the uncontrolled environmental limits
found in OET-65 and ANSI C95.1, 1991. For proper operation of
this radio according to the instructions found in this manual will
result in the user exposure to be substantially below the FCC
recommended limits.
•Do not touch or move the PC3500/AP3500 antenna while
unit is transmitting or receiving
•Do not hold any component containing the radio such that
the antenna is very close or touching any exposed parts of
the body, especially the face or eyes, while transmitting
•Do not operate a portable transmitter near unshielded
blasting caps or in an explosive environment unless it is a
type especially qualified for such use
•Do not operate radio or attempt to transmit data unless the
antenna is connected, if not, the radio may be damaged
LISTED
UL
®
®

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For Snap-On Antenna
Always orient antenna such that it is at least 5 cm (2 inches)
away from your body.
For Dipole Antenna
Always orient antenna such that it is at least 15 cm
(6 inches) away from your body.
For High Gain Wall Mount or
Mast Mount Antennas
These antennas are designed to be professionally installed
and should be located at a minimum distance of 30 cm (12
inches) or more from your body. Please contact your
professional installer, VAR, or antenna manufacturer for
proper installation requirements.
Warning for Laptop Users
In order to comply with the FCC RF exposure limits, it is
recommended that when using a laptop with the Snap-On
antenna, the antenna should not be positioned closer than
5 cm (2 inches) from your body or nearby persons for
extended periods of time while it is transmitting
(or operating). If the antenna is positioned less than 5 cm
(2 inches) from the user, it is recommended that the user
limit exposure time or engage the power saving features of
the PC3500 radio to reduce RF exposure. See Section 3 -
Installing the PC3500 Software for proper operation of
Power Save Mode.

vii
Table of Contents
About the User's Guide......................................................... 1
Typographical Conventions.................................................. 3
Section 1
Welcome to the PC3500....................................................... 4
Frequency Hopping Radio Technology................................. 4
Data Transparency and Protocols......................................... 5
Protocols Supported ............................................................. 5
Radio Characteristics........................................................... 6
Radio Ranges....................................................................... 6
Site Survey........................................................................... 6
Radio Antenna..................................................................... 8
Security Features.................................................................. 8
Terminology........................................................................ 9
System Configurations........................................................12
Coverage Options................................................................16
Section 2
Installing the PC3500 Hardware .........................................19
Before You Start .................................................................20
Antenna Connectors............................................................21
Standard Antennas..............................................................22
Attaching the Antenna........................................................23
Detaching the Antenna .......................................................24
Installing the PC3500 into the PC Card Slot .......................25
Section 3
Installing the PC3500 Software...........................................26
Driver Overview .................................................................26
Windows 95 NDIS3 Installation..........................................28
Windows NT NDIS3 Installation ........................................29

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Windows for Workgroups NDIS2 Installation.....................30
DOS NDIS2 Installation .....................................................31
DOS Packet Driver Installation...........................................32
ODI Driver Installation.......................................................33
General Information............................................................34
Driver Keywords and Settings.............................................36
Section 4
Utilities...............................................................................48
Site Survey and Link Test ...................................................48
Loading New Firmware Versions........................................53
Section 5
Error Messages and Trouble Shooting.................................55
Indicator LEDs ...................................................................55
If Your Radio Fails to Establish Contact..............................57
Appendix A
PC3500 Specifications ........................................................58
LAN Drivers Supported ......................................................58
Radio Specifications............................................................59
Power Requirements ...........................................................60
Physical Specifications........................................................60
Mechanical Description ......................................................61

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Appendix B
Overview of WinDGS.........................................................62
Commands Menu................................................................62
Options Menu.....................................................................64
Edit Parameters...................................................................65
Network Parameters............................................................67
RF Network Parameters ......................................................68
Advanced (Infrastructure) ...................................................69
Advanced (Ad Hoc/IBSS)....................................................71
Technical Support...............................................................73

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List of Figures
Figure 1.1 - Viewing the Infrastructure .........................................11
Figure 1.2 - Ad Hoc Wireless LAN...............................................12
Figure 1.3 - Wireless Infrastructure ..............................................13
Figure 1.4 - Wireless Infrastructure with Workstations
Accessing a Wired LAN.............................................14
Figure 1.5 - Extended Infrastructure Using Repeaters....................15
Figure 1.6 - Minimal Overlap Coverage Option ............................16
Figure 1.7 - Heavy Overlap Coverage Option................................17
Figure 1.8 - Multiple Overlapping Systems Coverage Option........18
Figure 2.1 - Overview of the PC3500 ............................................21
Figure A.1 - Mechanical Outline...................................................61

xi
List of Tables
Table 1.1 - Supported Drivers.................................................5
Table 3.1 - Driver Disk Structure..........................................27
Table 3.2 - Minimum PROTOCOL.INI Driver Settings........31
Table 3.3 - Minimum AWCPKT.INI Driver Settings............32
Table 3.4 - Minimum NET.CFG Driver Settings..................33
Table 3.5 - General Network Keywords ................................37
Table 3.6 - Advanced Network Keywords.............................38
Table 3.7 - Fragmentation Keywords....................................39
Table 3.8 - Power Management Keywords............................40
Table 3.9 - Scanning Keywords............................................42
Table 3.10- Infrastructure Keywords......................................43
Table 3.11- Ad Hoc Keywords...............................................45
Table 3.12- PC Card Keywords..............................................47
Table 5.1 - Green LED Operating Messages.........................56
Table 5.2 - Amber LED Operating Messages........................56
Table A.1 - Supported Drivers...............................................58
Table A.2 - Radio Specifications............................................59
Table A.3 - Power Requirements...........................................60
Table A.4 - Physical Characteristics ......................................60

1
About the User’s Guide
This guide covers the installation, configuration, control and
maintenance of your Aironet PC3500 PC Card Wireless LAN
Adapter.
Please read Sections 2 and 3 before attempting to install or use
the hardware and software described in this guide.
This Guide is arranged as follows:
Section 1 – Welcome to the PC3500 – provides you with a
general introduction to the PC3500, frequency hopping radio
technology, and the various configurations you can use when
operating the PC3500 in your infrastructure.
Section 2 –Installing the PC3500 Hardware – describes the
physical installation of the PC3500 and the standard antenna.
Section 3 –Installing the PC3500 Software – describes
installation and configuration of the various network drivers.
Section 4 –Utilities – provides detailed procedures for using the
utilities to perform link tests and site surveys as well as loading
new firmware versions.
Section 5 –Error Messages and Troubleshooting – provides
detailed descriptions of the LED messages and error codes, as
well as general procedures for correcting common problems.

2
Appendix A –PC3500 Specifications – provides PC3500 radio
and physical specifications.
Appendix B –Using the WinDGS Utility – provides detailed
descriptions on using the WinDGS utility.

3
Typographical Conventions
When reading the User’s Guide and Technical Reference
Manual, it is important to understand the symbol and formatting
conventions used in the documentation. The following symbols
are used in this guide.
Convention Type of Information
iIndicates a note which contains important
information.
!A caution message that appears before
procedures which if not observed could result
in loss of data or damage to the equipment.
Bold type An action you must perform such as type or
select.
Monospaced font Information and menus that are visible on
the Configuration Software screens.

4
Section 1
Welcome to the Aironet PC3500
The Aironet PC3500 is a PC Card radio module that provides
transparent wireless data communications between fixed,
portable, or mobile devices and other wireless devices or a
wired network infrastructure (Ethernet or Token Ring). Host
devices can be any device equipped with a PC Card Type II or
Type III slot. These devices include:
•Desktop systems
•Portable laptops
•Notebook computers
•Personal digital assistants
•Pen based computers
•Other data collection devices
The PC3500 is fully compatible when used in a device
supporting Plug-and-Play technology.
The PC3500 can also be built into peripheral devices such as
printers to provide them with a transparent wireless connection
to a wired network.
Frequency Hopping Radio Technology
The PC3500 uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum
(FHSS) transmission previously developed for military “anti-
jamming” and “low probability of intercept” radio systems.
Interference is reduced because the radio signal is constantly
moving (changing frequency) during the transmission of data.

5
If a particular frequency encounters a level of noise and/or
interference, the PC3500 will rebroadcast part of the
transmission where interference occurred on another frequency
channel.
Data Transparency and Protocols
The PC3500 transports data packets transparently as they move
through the wireless infrastructure. The PC3500 operates
similarly to a standard network product except the wire is
replaced with a radio connection. All existing applications,
which operate over a network, will operate using the PC3500
without any special wireless networking functions.
Protocols Supported
The PC3500 can be used in a variety of infrastructure
configurations. Aironet Access Points (AP3500-E and
AP3500-T) provide connections to Ethernet or Token Ring
Networks. When using the Aironet standard device drivers, the
PC3500 is fully compliant with the following protocols and
wired networks:
Table 1.1 - Supported Drivers
Drivers Operating System
ODI DOS based driver for Novell NetWare
NDIS2 MS DOS, Windows 3.xx
NDIS3 Windows 95, Windows NT
Packet MS DOS, Windows 3.xx

6
Radio Characteristics
The PC3500 uses a radio modulation technique known as
Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) transmission. It
combines high data throughput with excellent immunity to
interference. The PC3500 operates in the 2.4 GHz license-free
Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. Data is
transmitted over a half-duplex radio channel operating up to
2 Megabits per second (Mbps).
Radio Ranges
This section provides general guidelines on factors that
influence network performance (see Section 4 - Site Survey
and Link Test).
Site Survey
Because of differences in component configuration, placement
and physical environment, every network application is a
unique installation. Before installing the system, users should
perform a site survey in order to determine the optimum
utilization of networking components and to maximize range,
coverage and network performance.
Here are some operating and environmental conditions that
need to be considered:
•Data Rates. Sensitivity and range are inversely
proportional to data bit rates. The maximum radio range is
achieved at the lowest workable data rate. There will be a
decrease in receiver threshold as the radio data rate
increases.

7
•Antenna Type and Placement. Proper antenna
configuration is a critical factor in maximizing radio
range. As a general guide, range increases in proportion
to antenna height.
For a detailed explanation of antenna types and
configurations along with guidelines on selecting antennas
for specific environments, see the Aironet Antenna Guide,
document number 710-003725.
•Physical Environments. Clear or open areas provide
better radio range than closed or filled areas. Also, the
less cluttered the work environment, the greater the range.
•Obstructions. A physical obstruction such as shelving or
a pillar can hinder the performance of the PC3500,
particularly when using the small Snap-On antenna.
Avoid locating the computing device and antenna in a
location where there is a barrier between the sending and
receiving antennas.
•Building Materials. Radio penetration is greatly
influenced by the building material used in construction.
For example, drywall construction allows greater range
than concrete blocks.

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Radio Antenna
The Snap-On Diversity antenna comes standard with the
PC3500 and provides omni-directional coverage.
A benefit of diversity system is improved coverage. At the
edges of the RF coverage or fringe areas, there are very often
multiple signals reaching the receiver, all from the same
transmitter. These signals travel in different paths (multipath)
and are caused by reflection and shadows of the RF signals.
When the signals combine, the receiver may have trouble
decoding the data. The Aironet radio’s ability to switch and
sample between these antennas allows it to select the optimum
antenna for receiving the packet.
Optional antennas are offered for the PC3500. Consult the
Aironet Antenna Guide document number 710-003725 for
more information.
Security Features
The Aironet PC3500 employs Frequency Hopping Spread
Spectrum Technology, previously developed for military “anti-
jamming” and “low probability of intercept” radio systems.
The Aironet Access Point must be set to the same Service Set
Identifier (SSID) as all other Aironet devices on the wireless
infrastructure. Units with a different SSID will not be able to
directly communicate with each other.