Creative BLASTER PCMCIA Card User manual

Getting Started
Creative Network Blaster
Wireless PCMCIA Card 2021
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Creative
Technology Ltd. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and may be used or copied only in
accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any other medium except as specifically
allowed in the license agreement. The licensee may make one copy of the software for backup purposes. No part of this manual may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any
purpose without the written permission of Creative Technology Ltd.
Copyright © 2002 Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.
Version 1.0
August 2002
Network Blaster and Sound Blaster are registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd.
Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

ii
Contents
Contents
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
General Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Setup Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Before you Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Recording model and serial numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Checking System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1 About Your Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
About your PCMCIA Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Device Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
In Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Uninstalling Driver and Network Blaster 2021 Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ejecting the PCMCIA Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3 Device Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
About your Network Blaster 2021 Utility Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting in Windows 98 SE/Me/2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4 Device Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Configuring in Windows 98 SE/Me/2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Configuring in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Configuring a Wireless Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5 Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
The Importance of Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Security Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
A Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

iii
Contents
B What Is Wireless Network? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
C Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Problems With Your Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Problems With Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
D Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
E Service and Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
The Americas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

iv
Safety Instructions
Safety Instructions
To avoid the risk of fire, electric shock or personal injury, note the following
precautions when using the product:
❍Do not expose the product to direct sunlight or excessive heat.
❍Do not place the product in surroundings that exceed 40°C (104°F).
❍Avoid humid conditions. Do not place the product near a water source
or outlet.
❍Do not clean the product with a damp cloth or liquid cleaner.
❍Do not put any weight on the product.
❍Allow only qualified personnel to service or repair the product, if such
is necessary.
❍This equipment must be installed and operated in accordance with
provided instructions and a minimum 2.5 cm spacing must be
provided between the product and the user during wireless modes of
operation.
❍This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
❍Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the authority to operate
equipment.
❍This device must not be co-located or operated in conjuction with any
other atenna or transmitter.
General Safety
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement

5
Setup Guide
Setup Guide
1
2Understand your Product
Install your Product
Connect Card
❍Go to Chapter 1—
Shows you the parts of your PCMCIA card.
❍Go to Chapter 2—
Shows you how to install your product’s hardware and software.
❍Go to Chapter 3—
Shows you how to connect your PCMCIA card.
4
Secure Your Connection
❍Go to Chapter 5 —
Shows you how to use the encrytion feature to secure your wireless
connection.
5
Before You Begin
❍Go to "Before you Begin"—
Shows you what to do before you begin installing your PCMCIA card.
3
6
Configure Card
❍Go to Chapter 4—
Shows you how to configure yourPCMCIA card.

6
Before you Begin
Before you Begin
The Creative Network Blaster Wireless PCMCIA Card 2021 is a fully featured
wireless network solution for your Notebook, from the makers of Sound Blaster®.
It installs quickly and effortlessly, and uses auto-sensing capabilities to ensure
fast connections and great performance.
Complete 802.11b compatibility allows you to connect wirelessly at home and
work, or even connect directly to other wireless enabled computers or
Notebooks. And with 128-bit WEP encryption, your personal information and
sensitive work information will be secure wherever you use your Notebook.
Introduction
Creative Network
Blaster Wireless
PCMCIA Card
2021
Quick Start leaflet Installation CD
containing software and
PDF User Manual
Package Contents

7
Before you Begin
Your PCMCIA card has a model number and a serial number. The numbers are
found on the bottom-side of the device. After removing the Network Blaster from
its packaging, write down its model and serial numbers for future reference. You
will need to provide these numbers when contacting our Technical Support.
The following are the minimum system requirements:
• Intel®Pentium®II 233 MHz processor or equivalent
• 20 MB of free hard disk space
• 64 MB RAM
• Microsoft®Windows®98 Second Edition (SE), Windows 2000, Windows
Millennium Edition (Me) or Windows XP
• CD-ROM drive
• Available PCMCIA slot (68-pin, 16 bit, Type II)
This manual uses the following icons to highlight useful or urgent information:
❍Tip. This tells you about shortcuts or hints relating to a feature.
❍Note. This highlights additional or important information about a
feature.
❍Caution! This highlights proper usage of your product. Use this
information to avoid situations involving risk.
❍Warning! This warns you of possible hazards, which may result in
injury to yourself or damage to the product.
Recording Model and Serial Numbers
Checking System Requirements
Document Conventions

8
About Your Product
1About Your Product
The LEDs on your PCMCIA card can be seen in Figure 1-1:
Do not tamper with the internal assembly or circuit board of the PCMCIA card
as none of its parts are user replaceable.
About Your PCMCIA Card
Power LED
Lights up when the PCMCIA card is
connected to the Notebook and activated.
Activity LED
This indicates the activity status.
Blinking green: the PCMCIA card is
transferring or receiving data.
Figure 1-1: PCMCIA card

9
Device Installation
2Device Installation
DO NOT insert the PCMCIA card into your Notebook before installing the
software. You will be required to do so halfway during the installation.
1Turn on your Notebook and
insert the Installation CD
into your CD-ROM drive.
2Click the Install Software
option.
3Select the drivers and
applications to install, then
click the OK button.
4When the InstallShield
Wizard dialog box similar to
Figure 2-1 appears, click the
Next button.
In Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP
Figure 2-1

10
Device Installation
5When the dialog box similar
to Figure 2-2 appears, click
the Typical option, and then
click the Next button.
6When the Insert adapter
now dialog box similar to
Figure 2-3 appears, insert
your PCMCIA card into your
Notebook (Figure 2-4), and
then click the OK button.
Windows 98 SE users may be prompted to insert the Win 98 SE installation
CD. Insert the Win 98 SE installation CD into your CD-ROM drive, and then
click the OK button.
Figure 2-2
Figure 2-3
Figure 2-4

11
Device Installation
7For Windows 2000 only:
When the Digital
Signature not Found
dialog box similar to Figure
2-5 appears, click the Yes
button.
For Windows XP only:
When the Found New
Hardware Wizard dialog
box similar to Figure 2-6
appears, click the Install
the software
automatically
(Recommended) option,
and then click the Next
button.
If the Hardware
Installation dialog box
similar to Figure 2-7
appears, click the
Continue Anyway button.
Figure 2-5
Figure 2-7
Figure 2-6

12
Device Installation
At the time of this product’s release, Microsoft strongly encouraged companies
to submit their hardware solutions for certification. If a hardware device driver is
not submitted, or does not qualify, for Microsoft certification, a warning
message similar to Figure 2-7appears.
You may see this message when installing this driver. If you do, you may
choose to click the Continue Anyway button. Creative has tested this driver on
Windows XP, and it does not impair or destabilize your computer. If you need
more XP-related information, go to the product web site's Help or speak with
Creative Technical Support staff.
8Click the Finish button.
For Windows 98 SE/Me/2000
only:
The Network Blaster
Wireless LAN PCMCIA Card
utility dialog box appears.
Installation is now complete.
Go to "Device Connection" on
page 15 to connect your PCMCIA
card.

13
Device Installation
You may at times need to uninstall and then reinstall the drivers to correct
problems or make version upgrades. The following instructions tell you how to
uninstall the driver and Network Blaster 2021 Utility in all Windows operating
systems.
1Close all applications.
2Click Start -> Programs or All Programs -> Creative Network Blaster
2021 -> Uninstall Network Blaster 2021 Utility.
3When the Confirm File Deletion dialog box appears, click the OK button.
4When the Uninstallation Completed dialog box appears, click the OK
button.
5Restart your Notebook if it does not restart automatically.
6Eject the PCMCIA card.
Uninstalling Driver and Network Blaster 2021 Utility

14
Device Installation
You can remove the PCMCIA card from your Notebook. You need not turn off
your Notebook when removing the card. However, before ejecting the card, you
should exit any applications, and disable the PCMCIA card. This is to prevent
data loss.
To disable the PCMCIA card:
1Double-click the PC card icon on the taskbar.
2On the menu that appears, click Wireless LAN PCMCIA Card, and then click
the Stop button.
3Click the OK button.
4Click the Close button.
If you remove the PCMCIA card without
disabling it, a dialog box similar to Figure 2-8
appears. Click the OK button.
Ejecting the PCMCIA Card
OR
Figure 2-8

15
Device Connection
3Device Connection
This chapter explains how to connect your PCMCIA card in Windows 98 SE,
Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Before you can connect your
PCMCIA card, you need to choose whether you will be connecting directly to
another wireless enabled Notebook, computer or to an access point. You may
easily switch between modes if your requirements change
Use Ad-hoc mode when connecting directly to other wireless computers or
Notebooks. Use Infrastructure mode when connecting to an access point. In
either mode the Service Set Identifier (SSID) and Wired Equivalent Privacy
(WEP) must have the same settings. For more information, see “What Is A
Wireless Network?” on page 32.
The Network Blaster 2021 Utility icon appears on your Notebook’s taskbar after
you have installed the driver and Network Blaster 2021 Utility. It disappears when
you remove the PCMCIA card from you Notebook, or when you are not running
Network Blaster 2021 Utility.
Ad-Hoc mode (Figure 3-1).
The black bars on it indicate the signal strength in either mode.
Infrastructure mode (Figure 3-2).
The black bars on it indicate the signal strength in either mode.
In Infrastructure mode, your PCMCIA card is not connected to the
access point (Figure 3-3).
About your Network Blaster 2021 Utility Icon
Figure 3-1
Figure 3-2
Figure 3-3

16
Device Connection
1After installing the driver
and software, the Network
Blaster Wireless LAN
PCMCIA Card Utility
dialog box appears
(Figure 3-4).
If it does not, double-click
the Network Blaster
2021 Utility icon on the
taskbar (Figure 3-1).
2Click the Site Survey tab.
3Click the Re-Scan button.
A list of available access
points and Ad-hoc
stations appear.
4In the BSSID box,
double-click the access
point or Ad-hoc station
that you want to connect
to. Your PCMCIA card
automatically connects to the selected network.
After your Notebook connects to a network, you can start using the Internet. If,
however, you want to configure or view the rest of your PCMCIA card’s
settings, proceed to “Configuring a Network in Windows 98 SE/Me/2000” on
page 18.
Connecting to a Network in Windows 98 SE/Me/2000
Figure 3-4

17
Device Connection
1After installing the driver
and Network Blaster
2021 Utility, the
Windows Wireless
Network Connection
icon (Figure 3-5) appears
on the taskbar.
2Right-click the Windows
Wireless Network
Connection icon, and
then click View Available
Wireless Networks.
3When the Connect to
Wireless Network dialog
box similar to Figure 3-6
appears, click the
available network that
you want, to select it.
4If necessary, type a WEP
key entry in the Network
key box.
5Click the Connect
button. Your Notebook
automatically connects to
the selected network.
After your Notebook connects to a network, you can start using the Internet. If,
however, you want to configure or view the rest of your PCMCIA card’s
settings, proceed to "Configuring a Network in Windows XP" on page 22.
Connecting to a Network in Windows XP
Figure 3-5
Figure 3-6

18
Device Configuration
4Device Configuration
After connecting to a selected network, you should configure your PCMCIA card’s
network settings.
1After connecting to a selected
network, the Network Blaster
Wireless LAN PCMCIA Card
Utility dialog box appears
(Figure 4-1). The status of your
wireless connection is displayed.
2Click the Monitor tab.
3Determine if your wireless
network is operating in Ad-hoc or
Infrastructure mode (see “What Is
Wireless Network?” on page 32).
4In Ad-hoc mode, click the
Channel box, and then click the
channel that is the same as your
Ad-hoc network.
In Infrastructure mode, this
setting is disabled.
5Click the SSID box, and then type
the SSID that is the same as your
access point or Ad-hoc network.
For more information on SSID, refer to “Service Set Identity (SSID)” on page
46.
Configuring a Network in Windows 98 SE/Me/2000
Figure 4-1

19
Device Configuration
5Click the Statistics tab
(Figure 4-2). The
available statistic
information is displayed.
6Torenew or update the
statistics, click the Clear
button.
Figure 4-2