Asus WL-HDD2.5 User manual

¨
WL-HDD2.5
(For 802.11g Wireless Clients)
User’s Manual

ii ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
Preface
About this Manual
This manual helps you install, set up and configure the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. Please preserve
this manual for ready reference and use it to familiarize yourself with the product.
Copyright Information
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be repro-
duced, 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 MANUAL “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 PAR-
TICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,
EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDEN-
TAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF
PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSI-
NESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL
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 manual may or may not be registered trade-
marks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or
explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FUR-
NISHED FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT
ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COM-
MITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR
ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL,
INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Copyright © 2004 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
Product Name: ASUS WL-HDD2.5
Manual Revision: E1666
Release Date: May 2004

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 iii
Regulatory Information
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference; and
• 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 for a class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residen-
tial 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 encour-
aged to try to correct the interference by one or more 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.
WARNING! The use of a shielded-type power cord is required in order to meet FCC emis-
sion limits and to prevent interference to the nearby radio and television reception. It is essen-
tial that only the supplied power cord be used. Use only shielded cables to connect I/O
devices to this equipment. You are cautioned that changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compliance could void your authority to operate the
equipment.
CAUTION! To maintain compliance with FCC’s RF exposure guidelines, this equipment
should be installed and operated with a minimum distance of 20cm between the radiator and
your body. Use only the supplied antenna. Unauthorized antenna, modification, or attach-
ments could damage the transmitter and may violate FCC regulations.
Reprinted from the Code of Federal Regulations #47, part 15.193, 1993. Washington DC:
Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Govern-
ment Printing Office.

iv ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
CE Conformity Statement
The CE symbol indicates compliance of this equipment to the EMC Directive and the Low
Voltage Directive of the European Union. These markings indicate that this system meets the
following technical standards:
EN 55022 — “Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics of
Information Technology Equipment.”
EN 55024 — “Information technology equipment - Immunity characteristics - Limits and
methods of measurement.”
EN 61000-3-2 — “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 3: Limits - Section 2: Limits
for harmonic current emissions (Equipment input current up to and including 16 A per
phase).”
EN 61000-3-3 — “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) -Part 3: Limits - Section 3: Limita-
tion of voltage fluctuations and flicker in low-voltage supply systems for equipment with
rated current up to and including 16 A.”
EN 60950 — “Safety of Information Technology Equipment.”
NOTE: EN 55022 emissions requirements provide for two classifications:
• Class A is for typical commercial areas.
• Class B is for typical domestic areas.
To determine which classification applies to your computer, examine the CE registration
label located on the back panel of the device. If the label indicates a Class A rating, the fol-
lowing warning applies to your device:
RF INTERFERENCE WARNING: This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment
this product may cause radio frequency (RF) interference, in which case the user may be
required to take adequate measures. This device is classified for use in a typical Class A
domestic environment.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 v
MPE Statement
Your device contains a low power transmitter. When device is connected and transmitting, it
sends out Radio Frequency (RF) signals.
FCC Radio Frequency (Rf) Exposure Caution Statement
• This Wireless LAN radio device has been evaluated under FCC Bulletin OET 65C and
found to be compliant to the requirements as set forth in CFR 47 Sections 2.1091,
2.1093, 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 fre-
quency exposure limits. Nevertheless, this device shall be used in such a manner that the
potential for human contact during normal operation – as a mobile or portable device but
use in a body-worn way is strictly prohibited. When using this device, a certain separa-
tion 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.
• The antenna(s) used for this transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunc-
tion with any other antenna or transmitter.
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 the Asus 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 of the connecting cables and
equipment other than those specified Asus. It is the responsibility of the user to correct
any interference caused by such unauthorized modification, substitution or attachment.
Asus 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 guide-
lines.

vi ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
Customer Service Information
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)
Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
General Tel: [phone]
General Fax: [phone]
Web Site: www.asus.com.tw
Technical Support
MB/Others (Tel): [phone] (English)
Notebook (Tel): [phone] (English)
Desktop/Server (Tel): [phone] (English)
Support Fax: [phone]
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)
Address: 44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA
General Fax: [phone]
General E-mail: t[email protected]
Web Site: usa.asus.com
Technical Support
Support Fax: [phone]
General Support: [phone]
Notebook Support: [phone] x5110
Support E-mail: [email protected]
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria)
Address: Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
General E-mail: [e-mail] (for marketing requests only)
General Fax: [phone]
Web Site: www.asuscom.de
Technical Support
Components: [phone]
Notebook PC: [phone]
Support Fax: [phone]
Support E-mail: www.asuscom.de/support (for online support)
ASUSTeK COMPUTER (Middle East and North Africa)
Address: P.O. Box 64133, Dubai, U.A.E.
General Tel: [phone]
General Fax: [phone]

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 vii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Overview..................................................................................... 1
Features................................................................................ 2
System Requirements.......................................................... 3
Power Requirements............................................................ 3
Package List......................................................................... 3
Hardware Components ............................................................... 4
Ports and Buttons................................................................. 4
Status Indicators .................................................................. 5
Wireless Performance................................................................. 6
Site Topography .................................................................. 6
Range................................................................................... 6
Site Surveys......................................................................... 7
Roaming Between ASUS APs............................................. 7
Roaming Guidelines............................................................ 8
Chapter 2 Getting Started 9
Setting up the ASUS WL-HDD2.5............................................. 9
Hardware Installation .......................................................... 9
Location Tips..................................................................... 12
Making Connections.......................................................... 13
AP Mode....................................................................... 13
Network Storage Mode................................................. 14
Connecting Power......................................................... 15
Configuring the Wireless Client............................................... 16
TCP/IP Settings ................................................................. 16
SSID Settings..................................................................... 19
Using the Hard Disk Drive....................................................... 20
Accessing the Hard Disk Drive ......................................... 20
Searching for the Device............................................... 20
Locating the Device Manually...................................... 24

viii ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
Using the ASUS Utility ................................................ 26
Using Internet Explorer................................................. 28
Hard Drive Pre-scan Function........................................... 31
Formatting the Hard Disk ............................................. 31
Setting up Permissions....................................................... 33
Editing the User List..................................................... 34
Editing the Shared Nodes List ...................................... 36
Applying the permissions ............................................. 38
Sharing Files............................................................................. 39
Transferring Data from External Flash Memory...................... 44
Auto-copy Function........................................................... 44
Locating the Copied Files on the Hard Disk Drive........... 45
Shutting down the ASUS WL-HDD2.5.................................... 46
Chapter 3 Software Configuration 47
Connecting to the Web Interface.............................................. 47
Wired Ethernet Connection ............................................... 47
Wireless Connection.......................................................... 47
Configuring the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 ....................................... 48
Wireless ............................................................................. 48
Interface ........................................................................ 49
Bridge............................................................................ 53
Access Control.............................................................. 55
Advanced ...................................................................... 56
Client Mode .................................................................. 58
IP Config............................................................................ 61
LAN .............................................................................. 61
DHCP server................................................................. 62
Storage Setting................................................................... 63
Shared Nodes................................................................ 64
Disk Tool ...................................................................... 66
System Setting................................................................... 67
Change Password.......................................................... 67
Firmware Upgrade........................................................ 68
Factory Default ............................................................. 69

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 ix
Status and Log ................................................................... 69
Status............................................................................. 70
Wireless......................................................................... 71
DHCP Leases................................................................ 71
Chapter 4 Troubleshooting 72
Chapter 5 Appendix 73
Specifications............................................................................ 73
Chapter 6 Index 76

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 1
1. Introduction
Overview
Thank you for purchasing the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. This device is a
wireless local area network (WLAN) hard disk drive (HDD) with
additional Access Point (AP) functionality. It is designed to be fully
compliant with the IEEE 802.11g standard and provides data transfer
at 54 Mbps using the OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multi-
plexing) technology. It is also backward compliant with
IEEE 802.11b standards and can be adapted for wired environments
for data storage.
Wireless LANs are complementary extensions to existing wired
LANs, offering mobility while maintaining continuous network con-
nectivity to both corporate and home Intranets. They add a new level
of convenience for LAN users. PC users stay connected to the net-
work anywhere throughout a building without being bound by LAN
cables. This is accomplished through the Access Point functionality
of the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. The device also has the additional advan-
tage of providing network storage with its hard disk drive. This allows
you to share information and storage capacity through the WLAN and
use the hard disk like a public wireless folder. The large storage
capacity of the hard disk and a high speed data transfer of 54 Mbps
makes the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 a very useful tool to share music and
video files. The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 also supports automatic copying
of files from a flash memory disk to the hard disk.

2 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
Features
The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 has the following useful features:
• 54 Mbps high speed WLAN access
– Maximum available speed of 54 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz fre-
quency band
– Compatible with existing 802.11b WLAN environments
– Auto fallback algorithm to select transmission rate
• Secure wireless connectivity
– AP mode: 64/128 bit WEP, WPA
– Client mode: 64/128 bit WEP
• Standard IDE device support
– Uses Ultra DMA 100 IDE controller
– Adapted for 2.5-inch slim hard disk drives
• Real time clock support to synchronize the network time.
• Auto copy function to copy data from an external flash memory
disk through USB
• Hard disk pre-scan to scan hard disk functionality at startup
• Windows-based utility to set up WLAN and hard disk data access
• Wireless profile enabling connectivity for home or office envi-
ronments
• Hard disk access using Network Neighborhood in Windows or
Samba in Linux
• UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) feature for Windows XP and
Windows Me
• Firmware upgrade function using Ethernet or WLAN

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 3
System Requirements
To begin using the ASUS WL-HDD2.5, your system must have the
following minimum requirements:
• An Ethernet (10BaseT or 10/100BaseT) adapter for wired client
• At least one 802.11g (54Mbps) or one 802.11b (11Mbps) wire-
less adapter for wireless mobile clients
• TCP/IP and an Internet browser installed
Power Requirements
The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 requires power from an external power sup-
ply. Your package ships with a 5V, 2A power adapter. Use only the
power adapter provided for safe operation.
Package List
Your package contains the following items:
Quick start guide
2.4GHzdipole
antenna Power adapter
(5 Volts DC, 2 Amp)
Support CD
(utilities and user’s
manual)
RJ-45 Ethernet cable
(straight-through)
ASUS WL-HDD2.5

4 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
Hardware Components
This section gives you a tour of the different ports and status indica-
tors of the ASUS WL-HDD2.5. Refer to this section when installing
and operating your device.
Ports and Buttons
Connect the power
adapter here.
Insert a USB flash
disk here.
Connect one end of
the RJ-45 Ethernet
cable here and the
other end to the RJ-
45 port of a network
hub, switch, or router.
Press down this but-
ton for 5 seconds to
shut down the device.
Press it for
30 seconds to reset
the device.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 5
Status Indicators
POWER LED
WLAN LED
HDD LED
USB LED
LED Status Indication
USB LED Off No USB device found
Blinking (fast) Copying from the USB device to
the hard disk drive
Blinking (slow) Partition 1 of the hard disk drive is
full
On USB device found
HDD LED Off Normal state
Blinking Hard disk drive is being accessed
WLAN LED On Normal state
Blinking Wireless packets are being trans-
mitted or received
POWER LED On Power adapter is plugged in and
the device is powered on
Blinking (slow) File system on the hard disk drive
is inconsistent
10Mbps Ethernet
LED Blinking Data is being transferred with a speed of 10Mbps.
100Mbps Ether-
net LED Blinking Data is being transferred with a speed of 100Mbps.
10Mbps Ethernet LED
100Mbps Ethernet LED

6 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
Wireless Performance
This section provides a few ideas to help you improve the perfor-
mance of your WLAN.
Site Topography
For optimal performance, locate wireless mobile clients and the
ASUS WL-HDD2.5 away from transformers, heavy-duty motors, flu-
orescent lights, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and other industrial
equipment. Signal loss can occur when metal or concrete walls or
floors block transmission. Locate the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 in open
areas or add more devices (APs) as needed to improve coverage.
Microwave ovens operate in the same frequency band as the ASUS
WL-HDD2.5. Therefore, if you use a microwave oven within range of
your device, you may notice network performance degradation. How-
ever, your microwave oven and ASUS WL-HDD2.5 will continue to
function.
Range
Every environment is unique with different obstacles, barriers, mate-
rials, and so on. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the exact range
of your WLAN without testing in the specific environment. However,
you can follow some of the guidelines described in this section to esti-
mate the range of your network.
Radio signals may be reflected by some obstacles or absorbed by oth-
ers depending on their construction. For example, with two 802.11b
radios, you may achieve clear reception over a distance of up to
1000 feet in open spaces, with the two devices being in line of sight
(meaning they have no obstacles in a straight line between them).
However, the same two units may only achieve up to 300 feet of
range when used indoors.
By default, the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 automatically adjusts the data
rate to maintain a usable signal connection. Therefore, a client that is
close to the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 may operate at higher speeds while a
client that is on the fringe of coverage may operate at lower speeds.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 7
You can configure the data rates used by the ASUS WL-HDD2.5 to
improve the performance. However, if you limit the range of data
rates available to the ASUS WL-HDD2.5, you may reduce the effec-
tive wireless range of the WLAN coverage.
Site Surveys
A site survey (utility provided with ASUS WLAN cards) analyzes the
installation environment and provides users with recommendations
for equipment and its placement. The optimum placement differs
depending on the ASUS AP design and specifications.
Roaming Between ASUS APs
If there are multiple ASUS APs on the network, then a wireless
mobile client may seamlessly roam from one ASUS AP to another.
Each ASUS AP creates its own wireless cell or coverage area. This is
also known as a Basic Service Set (BSS). Any wireless mobile client
can communicate with a particular ASUS AP if it is within the ASUS
AP’s coverage area.
If the cells of multiple ASUS APs overlap, then the wireless mobile
client may switch from one ASUS AP to another as it travels through-
out the building. During the hand-off from one ASUS AP to another,
the wireless mobile client maintains an uninterrupted connection to
the network. This is known as “roaming.”
Multiple ASUS APs connected to a common Ethernet network form
an Extended Service Set (ESS). All members of an Extended Service
Set are configured with an ID, known as the SSID or ESSID. Wireless
mobile clients must be configured with the same SSID as the ASUS
APs on the network; a client can only roam between ASUS APs that
share the same SSID.

8 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
Roaming Guidelines
• An ASUS WLAN card can only roam between APs of the same
type.
• All ASUS APs must have the same SSID.
• All ASUS WLAN cards must have the same SSID as the APs
that they will roam between.
• If WEP encryption is enabled, then all ASUS APs and client
adapters must use the same encryption level and WEP Key(s) to
communicate.
• ASUS APs’ cells must overlap to ensure that there are no gaps in
coverage and to ensure that the roaming client will always have a
connection available.
• ASUS APs that use the same Channel should be installed as far
away from each other as possible to reduce potential interference.
• It is strongly recommended that you perform a site survey using
the utility provided with the ASUS WLAN card to determine the
best location for each ASUS AP in the building.

ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5 9
2. Getting Started
This chapter provides important information about installing and con-
necting your ASUS WL-HDD2.5. Read these instructions carefully to
set up your device correctly.
Setting up the ASUS WL-HDD2.5
Refer to this section to learn about installing and configuring the
ASUS WL-HDD2.5.
Hardware Installation
Follow these steps to insert the hard disk and assemble the device
before using it.
1. Remove the screws from the bottom.
Warning: The ASUS WL-HDD2.5 is not hot-swappable. Make
sure that it is turned off and not connected to the power outlet
when performing the following assembly procedure.

10 ASUS 802.11g WL-HDD2.5
2. Remove the front cover and slide out the internal circuit board.
3. Insert the hard drive into the slot. Make sure that the hard drive
connecting pins and the connector are properly aligned for a sta-
ble connection.
4. Insert the circuit board back inside the outer shell and replace the
front cover.