Atheros AR5BXB112 User manual

Atheros 802.11n
Adapter
Model AR5BXB112
802.11n Adapter
October, 2010

© 2000–2006 by Atheros Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Atheros Communications, Inc. •iii
Oct. 2010
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Aug. 2010
Revision History
Revision Description of Changes
Aug, 2010 Initial Release

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Feb. 2009
Contents
Introduction ...............................................................................................................7
System Requirements ........................................................................................7
Profile Management .................................................................................................7
Create or Modify a Configuration Profile.......................................................7
Remove a Configuration Profile.......................................................................8
Auto Profile Selection Management.......................................................................8
Switching to a Different Configuration Profile.....................................................9
Import and Export Profiles......................................................................................9
Importing a Profile....................................................................................................9
Exporting a Profile....................................................................................................9
TCP/IP Configuration..............................................................................................9
Configuring the TCP/IP Address for the network device:.................................9
General Tab..............................................................................................................10
Advanced Tab..........................................................................................................10
Security Tab .............................................................................................................11
Using EAP-TLS Security .................................................................................12
Using EAP-TTLS Security...............................................................................12
Using PEAP (EAP-GTC) Security ..................................................................13
Using PEAP-MSCHAP V2 Security...............................................................14
Using LEAP Security .......................................................................................15
Configuring LEAP ..................................................................................................15
Pre-Shared Encryption Keys..................................................................................16
Defining pre-shared encryption keys:..................................................................16
Overwriting an Existing Static WEP Key ............................................................16
Disabling Static WEP..............................................................................................16
Using WPA Passphrase Security ..........................................................................17
Zero Configuration .................................................................................................17
Wireless Network Configuration..........................................................................17
Check the Status Information or Diagnostics......................................................18

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Current Status................................................................................................... 18
Adapter Information Button ................................................................................. 19
Diagnostics Tab....................................................................................................... 19
Transmitted Frames................................................................................................ 20
Received Frames ..................................................................................................... 20
Scan Available Networks....................................................................................... 20
Connecting to a different network ....................................................................... 20
Display Settings....................................................................................................... 22
ACU Tools................................................................................................................ 22
Tray Icon .................................................................................................................. 23
Color ......................................................................................................................... 24
Quality...................................................................................................................... 24
RSSI* ......................................................................................................................... 24
Ad Hoc Mode .......................................................................................................... 24
Ad Hoc Mode Profile Configuration............................................................. 24
Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode...................................................................... 25
Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode Profile Configuration ........................ 25
Uninstall an Old Driver ......................................................................................... 26
Additional Security Features................................................................................. 26
Message Integrity Check (MIC) ............................................................................ 26
Advanced Status Information............................................................................... 27
Compliance.............................................................................................................. 28
Industry Canada Notice:....................................... Erro! Indicador não definido.
Avis de Conformité à la Réglementation d’Industrie Canada: .Erro! Indicador
não definido.
European Community — CE Notice:................................................................... 28

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Oct. 2010
Introduction
The Atheros 802.11n Adapter supports 802.11abg operation. The card uses the Atheros
Client Utility (ACU) which is a user-mode utility designed to edit and add profiles for
selected Atheros network interface adapters.
System Requirements
Laptop/ PC containing:
32-bit PCI Express Bus
32 MB memory or greater
300 MHz processor or higher
Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98 Second
Edition, Windows XP, or Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 6)
Profile Management
Configure the wireless network adapter (wireless card) from the Profile Management tab
of the Atheros Client Utility.
Add a profile
Edit a profile
Import a Profile
Export a Profile
Order profiles
Switch to a different profile
Remove a profile
Connect to a Different
Network
The wireless network adapter works in either infrastructure mode (which uses an access
point) or ad hoc mode (a group of stations participating in the wireless LAN).
Create or Modify a Configuration Profile
To add a new configuration profile, click New on the Profile Management tab. To modify
a configuration profile, select the configuration from the Profile list and click the Modify
button.
The Profile Management dialog box displays the General tab. In profile management:
Edit the General tab.
Edit the Security tab.
Edit the Advanced tab.
To configure a profile for ad hoc or access point (infrastructure) mode, edit the Network
Type field on the Advanced tab.
Note that the ACU only allows the creation of 16 configuration profiles. After the
creation of 16 profiles, clicking the New button displays an error message. Remove an
old profile or modify an existing profile for a new use.

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Remove a Configuration Profile
1. Go to the Profile Management tab.
2. Select the profile to remove from the list of configuration profiles.
3. Click the Remove button.
Auto Profile Selection Management
Including a profile in the auto selection feature allows the wireless adapter to
automatically select that profile from the list of profiles and use it to connect to the
network.
Including a profile in auto profile selection:
1. On the Profile Management tab, click the Order Profiles button.
2. The Auto Profile Selection Management window appears, with a list of all created
profiles in the Available Profiles box.
3. Highlight the profiles to add to auto profile selection, then click Add. The profiles
appear in the Auto Selected Profiles box.
Ordering the auto selected profiles:
1. Highlight a profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box.
2. Click Move Up, Move Down, or Remove as appropriate. The first profile in the Auto
Selected Profiles box has highest priority, and the last profile has lowest priority.
3. Click OK.
4. Check the Auto Select Profiles box.
5. Save the modified configuration file.
When auto profile selection is enabled by checking Auto Select Profiles on the Profile
Management tab, the adapter scans for an available network. The profile with the
highest priority and the same SSID as one of the found networks is the one that is used
to connect to the network. If the connection fails, the adapter tries the next highest
priority profile that matches the SSID, and so on.
With auto profile selection enabled, the wireless adapter scans for available networks.
The highest priority profile with the same SSID as a found network is used to connect to
the network. On a failed connection, the adapter tries with the next highest priority
profile.

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Switching to a Different Configuration Profile
1. To switch to a different profile, go to the Profile Management tab.
2. Click on the profile name in the Profile List.
3. Click the Activate button.
The Profile List provides icons that specify the operational state for that profile. The list
also provides icons that specify the signal strength for that profile.
Import and Export Profiles
Importing a Profile
1. From the Profile Management tab, click the Import button. The Import Profile
window appears.
2. Browse to the directory where the profile is located.
3. Highlight the profile name.
4. Click Open. The imported profile appears in the profiles list.
Exporting a Profile
1. From the Profile Management tab, highlight the profile to export.
2. Click the Export button. The Export Profile window appears.
3. Browse to the directory to export the profile to.
4. Click Save. The profile is exported to the specified location.
TCP/IP Configuration
Configuring the TCP/IP Address for the network device:
1. After configuring the wireless network adapter properties, open the Control Panel and
open Network and Dial-up Connections.
2. Find the Local Area Connection associated with the wireless network adapter. Right-
click that connection, and click Properties.
3. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
4. Click the radio button Use the following IP address, then enter an IP address and Subnet
mask. Assigning an IP address and Subnet mask allows stations to operate in access
point mode (infrastructure mode) or in ad hoc mode and to have Internet access. Default
gateway and DNS server information is also required. IP configuration information
(DHCP to assign the IP address, gateway and DNS server IP addresses) is usually
obtained from the corporate IT staff.
5. Click OK to finish.

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General Tab
In the Atheros Client Utility, access the General tab by clicking New or Modify on the
Profile Management tab. Edit the fields in the General tab to configure the configuration
profile. Make sure to also edit the Security and Advanced tabs.
Profile Name
Identifies the configuration profile. This name must be
unique. Profile names are not case sensitive.
Client Name
Identifies the client machine.
Network Names (SSIDs)
The IEEE 802.11 wireless network name. This field has a
maximum limit of 32 characters.
Configure up to three SSIDs (SSID1, SSID2, and SSID3).
Advanced Tab
In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Advanced tab by clicking New or Modify on the
Profile Management tab, then clicking the Advanced tab in Profile Management. Edit
the fields in the Advanced tab of Profile Management to configure the profile.
Transmit
Power Level
Selects the transmit power level in mW. Actual transmit power may be
limited by hardware.
Power Save
Mode
Specify:
Maximum mode causes the access point to buffer incoming messages
for the wireless adapter. The adapter periodically polls the access
point to see if any messages are waiting.
Normal uses maximum when retrieving a large number of packets,
then switches back to power save mode after retrieving the packets.
Off turns power saving off, thus powering up the wireless adapter
continuously for a short message response time.
Network Type
Specifies the network as either infrastructure or ad hoc.
802.11b
Preamble
Specifies the preamble setting in 802.11b. The default setting is Short &
Long (access point mode), which allows both short and long headers in
the 802.11b frames. The adapter can only use short radio headers if the
access point supports and uses them. Set to Long Only to override
allowing short frames.
Authentication
Mode
Select the mode the wireless adapter uses to authenticate to an AP:
Auto causes the adapter to attempt authentication using shared, but
switches it to open authentication if shared fails.
Open enables an adapter to attempt authentication regardless of its
WEP settings. It will only associate with the access point if the WEP
keys on both the adapter and the access point match.
Shared only allows the adapter to associate with access points that
have the same WEP key.

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For infrastructure (access point) networks, click the Preferred APs button to specify up to
four access points to which the adapter should attempt to associate.
Security Tab
In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab by clicking New or Modify on the
Profile Management tab. Click the Security tab in the Profile Management window.
Edit the fields in the Security tab of Profile Management to configure the profile. To
define the security mode, select the radio button of the desired security mode. Make sure
to also edit the General and Advanced tabs.
WPA/WPA2
Enables the use of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).
Choosing WPA/WPA2 opens the WPA/WPA2 EAP drop-down
menu. The options include:
EAP-FAST
EAP-TLS
EAP-TTLS
PEAP (EAP-GTC)
PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2)
LEAP
WPA/WPA2
Passphrase
Enables WPA/WPA2 Passphrase security. Click on the Configure
button and fill in the WPA/WPA2 Passphrase.
802.1x
Enables 802.1x security. This option requires IT administration.
Choosing 802.1x opens the 802.1x EAP type drop-down menu. The
options include:
EAP-FAST
EAP-TLS
EAP-TTLS
PEAP (EAP-GTC)
PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2)
LEAP
If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has
WEP set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that
Allow Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab to
allow association. Note: If the Lock checkbox is checked, you cannot
change any values in this profile. See your system administrator.
Pre-Shared Key
(Static WEP)
Enables the use of pre-shared keys that are defined on both the
access point and the station.
To define pre-shared encryption keys, choose the Pre-Shared Key
radio button and click the Configure button to fill in the Define Pre-
Shared Keys window.
If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has
WEP set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that
Allow Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab to

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allow association.
None
No security (not recommended).
Using EAP-TLS Security
To use EAP-TLS security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the
Profile Management window.
1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button.
OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.
2. Choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu.
Enabling EAP-TLS security:
To use EAP-TLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TLS certificates
downloaded onto it. Check with the IT manager.
1. If EAP-TLS is supported, choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu on the right,
then click the Configure button.
2. Select the appropriate certificate authority from the list. The server/domain name
and the login name are filled in automatically from the certificate information. Click
OK.
3. Click OK.
4. Activate the profile.
Using EAP-TTLS Security
To use EAP security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile
Management window.
1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA/WPA2 radio button.
OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.
2. Choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu.
Enabling EAP-TTLS security:
To use EAP-TTLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TTLS certificates
downloaded onto it. Check with the IT manager.
1. If EAP-TTLS is supported, choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu on the right,
then click the Configure button.
2. Select the appropriate certificate from the drop-down list and click OK.
3. Specify a user name for EAP authentication:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the EAP user
name.
OR: Enter an EAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name
and password and start the EAP authentication process.
4. Click Advanced and:
Leave the server name field blank for the client to accept a certificate from any
server with a certificate signed by the authority listed in the Network Certificate
Authority drop-down list. (recommended)

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Oct. 2010
Enter the domain name of the server from which the client will accept a
certificate.
Change the login name if needed.
5. Click OK.
6. Enable the profile.
Using PEAP (EAP-GTC) Security
To use PEAP (EAP-GTC) security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in
the Profile Management window.
1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button.
OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.
2. Choose PEAP (EAP-GTC) from the drop-down menu.
To use PEAP (EAP-GTC) security, the server must have WPA-PEAP certificates, and the
server properties must already be set. Check with the IT manager.
1. Click the Configure button.
2. To avoid the need to log on again after resuming operation (for example, after your
computer goes into standby or hibernate mode), check Always Resume the Secure
Session.
3. Select the appropriate network certificate authority from the drop-down list.
4. Specify a user name for inner PEAP tunnel authentication:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the PEAP
user name.
OR: Enter a PEAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name
and start the PEAP authentication process.
5. Choose Token or Static Password, depending on the user database.
Note that Token uses a hardware token device or the Secure Computing SofToken
program (version 1.3 or later) to obtain and enter a one-time password during
authentication.
6. Click Settings... and:
Leave the server name field blank for the client to accept a certificate from any
server with a certificate signed by the authority listed in the Network Certificate
Authority drop-down list. (recommended)
Enter the domain name of the server from which the client will accept a
certificate.
The login name used for PEAP tunnel authentication fills in automatically as
PEAP-xxxxxxxxxxxx, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is the computer's MAC address.
Change the login name if needed.
7. Click OK.
8. Enable the profile.

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Using PEAP-MSCHAP V2 Security
To use PEAP-MSCHAP V2 security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab
in the Profile Management window.
1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button.
OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button.
2. Choose PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) from the drop-down menu.
To use PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) security, the server must have WPA-PEAP
certificates, and the server properties must already be set. Check with the IT manager.
1. Click the Configure button.
2. Select the appropriate certificate from the drop-down list.
3. Specify a user name for inner PEAP tunnel authentication:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the PEAP
user name.
OR: Enter a PEAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name
and start the PEAP authentication process.
4. Click Advanced and:
Leave the server name field blank for the client to accept a certificate from any
server with a certificate signed by the authority listed in the Network Certificate
Authority drop-down list. (recommended)
Enter the domain name of the server from which the client will accept a
certificate.
The login name used for PEAP tunnel authentication fills in automatically as
PEAP-xxxxxxxxxxxx, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is the computer's MAC address.
Change the login name if needed.
5. Click OK.
6. Enable the profile.

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Using LEAP Security
To use security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile
Management window. LEAP security requires that all infrastructure devices (e.g. access
points and servers) are configured for LEAP authentication. Check with the IT manager.
Configuring LEAP
On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. Choose WPA-LEAP from the
drop-down menu.
OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button. Choose LEAP from the
drop-down menu.
1. Click the Configure button.
2. Specify a user name and password. Select to Use Temporary User Name and
Password by choosing the radio button:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the LEAP
user name.
OR: Check Manually Prompt for LEAP User Name and Password to
manually login and start the LEAP authentication process.
Select to Use Saved User Name and Password by choosing the radio button:
Specify the LEAP user name, password, and domain to save and use.
3. Enter the user name and password.
4. Confirm the password.
5. Specify a domain name:
Check the Include Windows Logon Domain with User Name setting to pass
the Windows login domain and user name to the RADIUS server. (default)
OR: Enter a specific domain name.
6. If desired, check No Network Connection Unless User Is Logged In to force the
wireless adapter to disassociate after logging off.
7. Enter the LEAP authentication timeout time (between 30 and 500 seconds) to
specify how long LEAP should wait before declaring authentication failed, and
sending an error message. The default is 90 seconds.
8. Click OK.
9. Enable the profile.

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Pre-Shared Encryption Keys
Defining pre-shared encryption keys:
1. Click the Pre-Shared Key (Static WEP) radio button on the Security tab.
2. Click the Configure button.
3. Fill in the fields in the Define Pre-Shared Keys dialog box:
Key Entry
Determines the entry method for an encryption key: hexadecimal (0-9,
A-F), or ASCII text (all keyboard characters except spaces).
Encryption
Keys
Selects the default encryption keys used. Only allows the selection for
a shared First, Second, Third, or Fourth key whose corresponding
field has been completed.
WEP Keys
(1-4)
Defines a set of shared encryption keys for network configuration
security. At least one Shared Key field must be populated to enable
security using a shared key.
Click on the radio button to set the key as the default encryption key.
WEP Key
Size
Defines the size for each encryption key. The options include:
64-bit (enter 10 digits for hexadecimal, 5 ASCII characters)
128-bit (enter 26 digits for hexadecimal, 13 digits for ASCII)
152-bit (enter 32 digits hexadecimal, 16 digits for ASCII)
4. Click OK for the changes to take effect.
Overwriting an Existing Static WEP Key
1. Click the Pre-Shared Key radio button on the Security tab.
2. Click on Configure.
3. In the window, all existing static WEP keys are displayed as asterisks for security
reasons. Click in the field of the existing static WEP key to overwrite.
4. Delete the asterisks in that field.
5. Enter a new key.
6. Make sure to select the Transmit Key button to the left of this key is selected for the
key to transmit packets.
7. Click OK.
Disabling Static WEP
To disable static WEP for a particular profile, Select any other security option on the
Profile Management tab to automatically disable static WEP
OR: choose None on the Security tab to disable security, and click OK (not
recommended).

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Using WPA Passphrase Security
To use WPA Passphrase security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in
the Profile Management window.
1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA Passphrase radio button.
2. Click on the Configure button.
3. Fill in the WPA Passphrase.
4. Click OK.
Zero Configuration
This section describes the operation of the Atheros Client Utility (ACU) and Windows
XP Wireless Configuration Service (WZCS).
Wireless Network Configuration
The Windows WZCS is a service that manages the wireless connection in a largely
dynamic way. Only minimal connection information must be identified and configured.
To set Zero Configuration on Windows XP, take the following steps:
1. In Windows XP, open the Wireless Network Configuration Properties dialog box.
2. Select the check box “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” to set
Zero Configuration.
When this check box is selected, Windows XP takes control of these settings for all
configuration profiles:
SSID
Security keys
Ad hoc settings
Note that Windows XP takes control of these settings for all configuration profiles, thus users can
not ( create new profiles with different settings while using Windows Zero Configuration.
The Zero Configuration settings override all configuration profiles, even when you select
other options. However, the ACU does still control the following settings when Zero
Configuration is set:
Power settings
Active/Passive scanning (where applicable)
Transmit power
Wireless band
Short/Long preamble (802.11b)
When Zero Configuration is in use, a pop-up message is displayed on the ACU when
you attempt to create or edit a configuration profile from the Profile Management tab of
the ACU.

18 • Atheros Communications, Inc.
To turn Zero Configuration off on Windows XP, take the following steps:
1. In Windows XP, open the Wireless Network Configuration Properties dialog box.
2. Clear the check box “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” to set
Zero Configuration. When this check box is cleared, all profile settings are controlled
by the configuration profile, which is set up from the ACU Profile Management tab.
Check the Status Information or Diagnostics
The Atheros client utility includes a number of tools to display current diagnostics and
status information.
Check current status
Check driver information
Check receive and transmit diagnostics
Current Status
The Current Status tab contains general information about the program and its
operations. The Current Status tab does not require any configuration. The following
table describes the items found on the Current Status screen.
Profile Name
The name of the current selected configuration profile. Set up the
configuration name on the General tab.
Link Status
Shows whether the station is associated to the wireless network.
Wireless Mode
Displays the wireless mode. Configure the wireless mode on the
Advanced tab.
IP Address
Displays the computer's IP address.
Network Type
The type of network the station is connected to. Options include:
Infrastructure (access point)
Ad Hoc
Configure the network type on the Advanced tab.
Current Channel
Shows the currently connected channel.
Server Based
Authentication
Shows whether server based authentication is used.
Data Encryption
Displays the encryption type the driver is using. Configure the
encryption type on the Security tab.
Signal Strength
Shows the strength of the signal.
Click the Advanced button to see the advanced status diagnostics.

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Adapter Information Button
The Adapter Information button contains general information about the network
interface card (the wireless network adapter) and the network driver interface
specification (NDIS) driver. Access the adapter information from the Diagnostics tab.
Card Name
Name of the wireless network adapter.
MAC Address
MAC address of the wireless network adapter.
Driver
Driver name and path of the wireless network adapter driver.
Driver Version
Version of the wireless network adapter driver.
Driver Date
Creation date of the wireless network adapter driver.
Client Name
Name of the client computer.
Diagnostics Tab
The ACU Diagnostics tab provides allows retrieval of receive and transmit statistics. The
Diagnostics tab does not require any configuration. It lists these receive and transmit
diagnostics for frames received by or transmitted by the wireless network adapter:
Multicast packets transmitted and received
Broadcast packets transmitted and received
Unicast packets transmitted and received
Total bytes transmitted and received
The Adapter Information button has general information about the wireless network
adapter and NDIS driver. The Advanced Statistics button to shows statistics for
diagnostics for frames received by or transmitted to the wireless network adapter:

20 • Atheros Communications, Inc.
Transmitted Frames
Frames transmitted
OK
Frames retried
Frames dropped
No ACK frames
ACK frames
RTS frames
Clear-to-send (CTS)
frames
No CTS frames
Retried RTS frames
Retried data frames
Received Frames
Frames received OK
Beacons
Frames with errors
CRC errors
Encryption errors
Duplicate frames
AP mismatches
Data rate mismatches
Authentication time-out
Authentication rejects: the number of AP authentication
failures received by the wireless network adapter
Association time-out
Association rejects: the number of AP authentication rejects
received by the wireless network adapter
Standard MIC OK
Standard MIC errors
CKIP MIC OK
CKIP MIC errors
Scan Available Networks
Click the Scan button on the Profile Management tab to scan for available infrastructure
and ad hoc networks. On this list, click Refresh to refresh the list at any time.
Connecting to a different network
Highlight a network name and click the Activate button to connect an available
network. If no configuration profile exists for that network, the Profile Management
window opens to the General tab. Fill in the profile name and click OK to create the
configuration profile for that network.
Infrastructure
(AP) Network
Connected
Infrastructure
(AP) Network