Belkin USB Wireless Adapter User manual

Play USB WIRELESS ADAPTER
User Manual
8820ed00386_F7D4101_v1
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Table Of Contents
Introduction ...............................................1
Benefits of a Home Network.................................... 1
Advantages of a Wireless Network .............................. 2
Placement of your Wireless Networking Hardware for Optimal
Performance................................................. 3
Overview..................................................7
Product Features ............................................ 7
Applications and Advantages .................................. 8
Product Specifications ........................................ 9
System Requirements........................................ 11
Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing and Setting up the Adapter........................12
A. Installation Process for Windows Vista and 7 .................. 12
B. Installation Process for Windows XP .........................20
Connecting to a Secure Wi-Fi®Network ........................ 27
Troubleshooting ......................................... 28
Information.............................................. 35
FCC Statement.............................................. 35
Belkin International, Inc., Limited 2-Year Product Warranty .........38

1
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Belkin Play Wireless USB Adapter.
Now you can take advantage of this great new technology and gain
the freedom to network your home and office computers wirelessly.
This Adapter allows you to connect a notebook or desktop computer
to your network. Please be sure to read through this User Manual
completely, and pay special attention to the section titled, “Placement
of your Wireless Networking Hardware for Optimal Performance.”
Benefits of a Home Network
Your Belkin Home Network will allow you to:
 
with all the computers in your home
 
all the connected computers in your home
 
 
 
 

2
INTRODUCTION
Advantages of a Wireless Network
 you’ll no longer need a dedicated “computer
room”—now you can work on a networked laptop or
desktop computer anywhere within your wireless range
  Belkin Easy Installation
Wizards make setup simple
 set up and access printers, computers, and
other networking devices from anywhere in your home
  the wide range of Belkin networking
products let you expand your network to include
devices such as printers and gaming consoles
 you can spare the expense and hassle
of retrofitting Ethernet cabling throughout the home or office
  choose from a
wide range of interoperable networking products

3
INTRODUCTION

Hardware for Optimal Performance
Your wireless connection will be stronger the closer your computer
is to your wireless router (or access point). Typical indoor operating
range for your wireless devices is between 100 and 200 feet. In the
same way, your wireless connection and performance will degrade
somewhat as the distance between your wireless router (or access
point) and connected devices increases. This may or may not be
noticeable to you. As you move farther from your wireless router
(or access point), connection speed may decrease. Factors that
can weaken signals simply by getting in the way of your network’s
radio waves are metal appliances or obstructions, and walls.
If you have concerns about your network’s performance that might
be related to range or obstruction factors, try moving the computer
to a position between five and 10 feet from the wireless router (or
access point) in order to see if distance is the problem. If difficulties
persist even at close range, please contact Belkin Technical Support.
Note: While some of the items listed below can affect network
performance, they will not prohibit your wireless network from
functioning; if you are concerned that your network is not operating
at its maximum effectiveness, this checklist may help.

4
INTRODUCTION

Place your wireless router (or access point), the central
connection point of your network, as close as possible
to the center of your wireless network devices.
To achieve the best wireless network coverage for your “wireless
clients,” (i.e., computers enabled by Belkin Adapters or Cards):
 
antennas are parallel to each other, and are positioned
vertically (toward the ceiling). If your wireless router (or
access point) itself is positioned vertically, point the
antennas as much as possible in an upward direction.
 
floor that is as close to the center of the home as possible. This may
mean placing the wireless router (or access point) on an upper floor.
 
point) near a cordless 2.4GHz phone.
2. Avoid Obstacles and Interference
Avoid placing your wireless router (or access point) near devices
that may emit radio “noise”, such as microwave ovens. Other
objects that can inhibit wireless communication can include:






If your wireless signal seems weak in some spots, make sure
that objects such as these are not blocking the signal’s path
between your computers and wireless router (or access point).

5
INTRODUCTION
3. Cordless Phone Placement
If the performance of your wireless network is impaired after
attending to the above issues, and you have a cordless phone:
 
(or access point) and your wireless-enabled computers.
 
operates on the 2.4GHz band (check manufacturer’s information).
If this fixes the problem, your phone may be interfering.
 
on the phone to the farthest channel from your wireless network
as possible. For example, change the phone to channel 1 and
move your wireless router (or access point) to channel 11.
(Your channel selection will vary depending on your region.)
See your phone’s user manual for detailed instructions.
 
900MHz or 5GHz cordless phone.

In locations where homes or offices are close together, such
as apartment buildings or office complexes, there may be
wireless networks nearby that can conflict with yours. Use the
Site Survey capabilities of your Belkin Wireless Networking
Utility to locate any other wireless networks, and move
your wireless router (or access point) and computers to a
channel as far away from other networks as possible.
Experiment with more than one of the available channels in
order to find the clearest connection and avoid interference
from neighboring cordless phones or other wireless devices.
For more Belkin wireless networking products,
use the detailed Site Survey and wireless channel
information included in your User Manual.

6
INTRODUCTION
5. Secure Connections, VPNs, and AOL
Secure connections typically require a user name and password, and
are used where security is important. Secure connections include:
 
used to connect remotely to an office network
 
Online (AOL), which lets you use AOL through broadband
provided by another cable or DSL service
 
 
name and password to access your account
Secure connections can be interrupted by a computer’s power
management setting, which causes it to “go to sleep.” The simplest
solution to avoid this is to simply reconnect by re-running the
VPN or AOL software, or by re-logging into the secure website.
A second alternative is to change your computer’s power
management settings so it does not go to sleep; however,
this may not be appropriate for portable computers. To
change your power management setting in Windows,
see the “Power Options” item in the Control Panel.
If you continue to have difficulty with Secure Connections,
VPNs, and AOL, please review steps 1–4 in the previous
pages to be sure you have addressed these issues.
These guidelines should allow you to cover the maximum possible
area with your wireless router. Should you need to cover an even wider

For more information regarding our networking products,
visit our website at 
or call Belkin Technical Support.

7


The Adapter complies with the IEEE 802.11n specification
to communicate with other 802.11n-compliant
wireless devices at up to 300Mbps*.

at 54Mbps as well as 802.11b products at 11Mbps.
The Adapter can operate on the same 2.4GHz
®products or 5GHz
frequency band as 802.11a Wi-Fi products.
 
 
computer with a USB 2.0 bus-power port
 
Privacy), or 128-bit WEP encryption
 
 

 
 
 

8

Applications and Advantages
 Wireless roaming with a laptop around the home or
 Offers the freedom of networking without cables
 Provides
immediate high-speed wireless connectivity at home,
work, and hotspot locations without compromising

 The Adapter is

  Enables networking
in buildings with solid or finished walls, or open
areas where wiring is difficult to install
 Adapts easily in offices
or environments that frequently rearrange or change locations
 Provides
the easy and quick, small network installation SOHO users need