Dynex DX-EBNBC - Wireless G Notebook Card User manual

USER GUIDE
GUIDE DE L’UTILISATEUR • GUÍA DEL USUARIO
Wireless Enhanced G Notebook Card
Carte sans fil G amélioré pour ordinateur portatif
Tarjeta inalámbrica G mejorado para PC portátil
DX-EBNBC

2Contents
Dynex DX-EBNBC
Wireless Enhanced G Notebook Card
Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................2
Product features................................................................................2
Setting up your wireless card ............................................................4
Troubleshooting ..............................................................................20
Specifications ..................................................................................24
Legal notices ...................................................................................25
One year limited warranty...............................................................27
Français ...................................................29
Español....................................................57
Introduction
Thank you forpurchasing the Dynex Wireless Enhanced G Notebook Card (the card). Now you
can take advantage of this great new technology and gain the freedom to network your
home and office computers wirelessly. This card lets you connect a notebook computer to
your network. The easy installation and setup will have you networking wirelessly in
minutes. Be sure to read through this User Guide completely.
Product features
The card complies with the IEEE 802.11g standard in order to communicate with other
802.11g-compliant wireless devices at 54 Mbps. The card is compatible with all 802.11g
devices, as well as other 802.11b products at 11 Mbps. 802.11g products run at speeds of up
to 54 Mbps (or 125 Mbps* using G Plus) and operate on the same 2.4 GHz frequency band as
802.11b Wi-Fi® products.
• 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Science, and Medical) band operation
• Integrated easy-to-use Wireless Networking Utility
• CardBus interface, for operation in virtually any notebook computer
• WPA, WPA2, 64-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), or 128-bit encryption
• Wireless access to networked resources
• Support for both Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc (peer-to-peer) networking modes
• Data rate of up to 125 Mbps*in G Plus, 54 Mbps (802.11g), or 11 Mbps (802.11b)
• Easy installation and use
• External antenna
• LED power and network link indicators

Product features 3
*When operating in G Plus, this Wi-Fi device may achieve an actual throughput of up to or
greater than 34.1 Mbps, which is the equivalent throughput of a system following
802.11g protocoland operating at a signal rate of 125 Mbps. Actual throughput will vary
depending on environmental, operational, and other factors.
Package contents
• Wireless Enhanced G Notebook Card
• Quick Installation Guide
• Installation Software CD
•ThisUserGuide
System requirements
• PC-compatible notebook computer with one available CardBus slot and CD/DVD drive
• Windows® 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista
Components
# Component Description
1 Link LED Lights up when the card links to a wireless network
2 Power LED Lights up when the card is turned on.
3 Card connector Fits securely into your computer’s CardBus slot

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Setting up your wireless card
Windows Vista™
Important note: Install the software before inserting the card.
To install the software and the card with Windows Vista:
1Insert the Installation Software CD into your CD/DVD drive. The AutoPlay box opens.
2Double-click Run Installer.exe. If you see a window titled, “An unidentified program
wants access to your computer,” click Allow. The InstallShield Wizard screen opens.
3Click Next to begin the installation process.
You may see a window titled, "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver
software". This is normal and does not indicate a problem. Our software has been fully
tested and is compatible with this operating system.
DX-EBNBC

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4Click Install this driver software anyway, then , when prompted, plug in your card.
5When the installation completes, the InstallShield Wizard Complete screen opens.
6Click Finish. Your installation is now complete.
7To connect to the Internet, open the Network and Sharing Center by clicking Start,
Control Panel, Network and Internet - View network status and tasks. The
Network and Sharing Center opens.

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8Click Connect to a network. The Connect to a network screen opens.
9Select an available wireless network, then click Connect. Your card attempts to
connect to the selected network.
Depending on the security settings of your wireless network, you can be prompted to
enter in a network security key or apassphrase.

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10 Enter thenetwork security key or passphrase, then click Connect. The successful
connection screen opens.
After connecting to the network, you may choose to save this network and connect
automatically after your card is in range.
The Network and Sharing Center should now show the network connection that you
have just made. The links on the left of the window let you configure your network
connections.

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All other Windows versions
Important note: Install the software before inserting the card.
To install the software:
1Insert the Installation Software CD into your notebook’s CD/DVD drive. The InstallShield
Wizard Welcome screen opens.
Note: If the InstallShield WizardWelcome screen does not open, double-click My Computer,
then double-click the CD/DVD drive where the installation CD was placed. Double-click
the Files folder, then double-click setup.exe.
2Click Next. The Choose Destination Location screen opens.
3Click Next. The Please plug in your Notebook Card now screen opens.
Note: If at any time during the install a warning appears that the software has not passed
Windows® logo testing, it is safe to click the Continue anyway button to proceed. This
software is designed to run on Windows.
4Firmly insert the card, label side UP, into your computer's CardBus slot until it stops.
The Found New Hardware Wizard Welcome screen opens.

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Note: If your system did not prompt you to insert your Card, do so now.
5Click No, not this time, then click Next. The Welcome to the Found New Hardware
Wizard Install screen opens.

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6Click Install the software automatically (Recommended), then click Next. The
Completing the Found New Hardware Wizard opens.
7Click Finish. The Setup has finished installing screen opens.
8Click Yes, I want to restart my computer now, then click Finish. Your computer
will restart and the Dynex Wireless Networking Utility opens.
Note: In order to see your available networks, you must be near a working wireless router.
9Select a network to connect to from the Available Networks list, then click Connect.
Note: If the Dynex Wireless Networking Utility did not open automatically, double-click the
Wireless Utility icon in the system tray near the clock.

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Connecting to your network
To use the wireless networking utility:
1After restarting your computer, double-click the Wireless Networking Utility (WNU)
icon located on the screen. The WNU screen opens.
2Select a network to connect to from the Available Networks list, then click Connect.
Note: In order to see your available networks, you must be near a working wireless router.
3The WNU icon can also befound on the system tray.
Note: Double-clicking on the WNU icon on the system tray will bring up the Utility screen.
Accessing the wireless networking utility
To access the WNU from the Windows system tray:
• Right-click the WNU icon on the Windows system tray in the lower right corner of the
desktop.

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If the icon is not present, click on Start,Programs,Dynex,Wireless Networking
Utility.
The WNU’s default screen is the Current Status tab, which displays the current
network status and available networks.
Network Status
This area displays the connectivity status of the current network, between the computer and
router and between the router and the Internet. In the event of a problem, use the Network
Status area to determine the source (for example, computer, router, or Internet/modem).
Available Networks
This area displays the available networks at the current location as well as their SSID, Signal
Strength, Security Type, Channel, and Network Type.
Lost Wireless Connection
If the current wireless connection is lost, a window opens and the WNU trys to reconnect.
Connection Failure
Other options will appear during attempts to reconnect. To stop trying to connect, click Stop.
To re-try connecting, click Retry.
Network Status and Solution Tips
To further understand the current network status, click Open Wireless Utility. The default
screen is the Current Status tab and the Network Status section determines which
connections are good or faulty.

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Setting Wireless Network Profiles
The My Connections tab on the WNU lets you add, edit, and delete connection profiles. It
also displays signal strength, security, and network type.
Securing your Wi-Fi® Network
If your router has security (WEP or WPA) set, you will see this box when you try to connect.
When this box opens, type the encryption key you set on your router, then click Connect.
The next few pages are advanced options of setting the security through the card instead of
the router.
Note: When you select a network using encryption, you will first see the simple security
screen. Click the Advanced button to see other security options (below).

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Currently, there are four encryption methods available:
WEP
WEP is a common protocol that adds security to all Wi-Fi-compliant wireless products. WEP
gives wireless networks the equivalent level of privacy protection as a comparable wired
network.
WEP Encryption Keys—After selecting either the 64-bit or 128-bit WEP encryption mode,
it is critical that you generate an encryption key. If the encryption key is not consistent
throughout the entire wireless network, your wireless networking devices will be unable to
communicate with one another. You can enter yourkey by typing in the hex key manually, or
you can type a passphrase into the “Passphrase” field and click “Generate” to create a key. A
hex (hexadecimal) key is a combination of numbers and letters from A–F and 0–9. For 64-bit
WEP, you need to enter 10 hex characters. For 128-bit WEP, you need to enter 26 hex
characters.
For instance:
AF 0F 4B C3 D4 = 64-bit WEP key
C3 03 0F AF 0F 4B B2 C3 D4 4B C3 D4 E7 = 128-bit WEP key
The WEP passphrase is NOT the same as a WEP key. Your card uses this passphrase to
generate your WEP keys, but differenthardware manufacturers might have different
methods on generating the keys. If you have multiple vendors’ equipment in your network,
the easiest thing to do is to use the hex WEP key from your wireless router and enter it
manually into the hex WEP key table in your card’s configuration screen.
64-Bit Wired
Equivalent
Privacy
128-Bit Wired
Equivalent
Privacy
Wi-Fi Protected
Access-TKIP
Wi-Fi Protected
Access 2
Acronym 64-bit WEP 128-bit WEP WPA-TKIP/AES (or just
WPA) WPA2-AES (or just WPA2)
Security Good Better Best Best
Features
Static keys Static keys Dynamic key
encryption and
mutual
authentication
Dynamic key
encryption and
mutual
authentication
Encryption keys based
on RC4 algorithm
(typically 40-bit keys)
More secure than
64-bit WEP using a
key length of 104 bits
plus 24 additional bits
of system generated
data
TKIP (Temporal Key
Integrity Protocol)
added so that keys are
rotated and
encryption is
strengthened
AES (Advanced
Encryption Standard)
does not cause any
throughput loss

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WPA
WPA is a new Wi-Fi standard that improves upon the security features of WEP. To use WPA
security, the drivers and software of your wireless equipment must be upgraded to support
it. These updates will be found on your wireless vendor’s Website. There are three types of
WPA security: WPA-PSK (no server), WPA (with radius server), and WPA2.
WPA-PSK (no server) uses what is known as a pre-shared key as the network key. A network
key is a password that is between eight and 63 characters long. It can be a combination of
letters, numbers, or characters. Each client uses the same network key to access the network.
Typically, this is the mode that will be used in a home environment.
WPA (with radius server) is a system where a radius server distributes the network key to the
clients automatically. This is typically found in a business environment.
WPA2 requires Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption of data, which offers
much greater security than WPA. WPA uses both Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and
AES for encryption.
Most Wi-Fi products ship with security turned off. So once you have your network working,
you need to activate WEP or WPA and make sure all your wireless devices are sharing the
same network key.
IMPORTANT: You must now set all wireless network cards/adapters to match these settings.
Configuring your wireless enhanced G notebook card to
use security
You should already have your wireless router set to use WPA or WEP. You will need to set your
wireless enhanced G notebook card to use the same security settings.
Changing the Wireless Security Settings
The Wireless G USB network adapter supports the latest WPA security feature as well as the
legacy WEP security standard. By default, wirelesssecurity is disabled.
Your Dynex wireless adapter is equipped with the latest security standard called Wi-Fi
Protected Access 2 (WPA2™) and the legacy security standard called Wired Equivalent Privacy
(WEP). It also supports the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) specification, which simplifies the
setup of a wireless network. WPS uses familiar methodologies, such as typing in a Personal
Identification Number (PIN) or pushing a button, to enable you to automatically configure
network names and strong WPA/WPA2 data encryption and authentication.
Using Wi-Fi protected setup:
• Encryption key if not using WPS
• Personal Identification Number (PIN) method: Your wireless adapter generates a PIN
to be entered into your router.
• Push Button Configuration (PBC) method: Your wireless adapter can also connect by
using the software pushbutton.
• Manual configuration method: This section lists the default security settings to be set
if you are not using WPS.

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WPS uses WPA2 for encryption. It does not provide additional security, but standardizedthe
method for securing your wireless network. On your client utility, WPS-enabled networks are
indicated by a key icon. You can use either the PBC method or the PIN method to let a device
access your wireless network.
To use the PBC method:
1Push and hold the WPS button (located on the back of your router) for three seconds.
Initiate the WPS procedure on the client utility within two minutes.
2Open the WNU and select the network name, then click Connect. Your client
automatically exchanges security information and is added to your wireless network.
You can also initiate the PBS method from the client side.
To use the PIN method:
1Open the WNU and select the WPS-enabled network, then click Connect.
2Choose the PIN method option, then complete the WPS procedure on your router. Your
client is automatically enrolled in your wireless network within two minutes.
To enable security, you will first need to determine which standard is used by the router. (See
your wireless router’s guide for directions on how to access the security settings.)
To access the security settings on your card:
1Open the WNU.
2Click the My Connections tab, then click the connection you want to change.
3Click Edit, then click Advanced to change settings.
Setting up WEP
To set up 64-Bit WEP encryption:
1Select OPEN from the Network Authentication menu on the Wireless Network
Properties tab on the Edit information for a network page.
2Select WEP from the Data Encryption menu.
3After selecting your WEP encryption mode, enter your key by typing in the hex key
manually, or type in a passphrase in the Passphrase field, then click Generate to
create a key.
A hex (hexadecimal) key is a combination of numbers and letters from A–F and 0–9.
For 64-bit WEP, you need to enter 10 hex characters.

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For instance:
AF 0F 4B C3 D4 = 64-bit WEP key
4Click Save to finish. Encryption in the wireless router is now set. Each of your
computers on your wireless network will now need to be configured with the same
security settings.
Caution: If you are using a wireless client (such as your notebook equipped with a wireless
notebook card) to turn on the security settings in your wireless router, you will temporarily
lose your wireless connection until you activate security on your wirelessclient. Record the
key prior to applying changes in the wireless router. If you don’t remember the hex key,
your client will be locked out of the wireless router.
Setting up 128-bit WEP encryption:
1Select OPEN from the Network Authentication menu on the Wireless Network
Properties tab on the Edit information for a network page.
2Select WEP from the Data Encryption menu.
3After selecting your WEP encryption mode, enter your key by typing in the hex key
manually, or type in a passphrase in the Passphrase field, then click Generate to
create a key.
A hex (hexadecimal) key is a combination of numbers and letters from A–F and 0–9.
For 128-bit WEP, you need to enter 26 hex keys.

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For instance:
C3 03 0F AF 0F 4B B2 C3 D4 4B C3 D4 E7 = 128-bit WEP key
4Click Save to finish. Encryption in the wireless router is now set. Each of your
computers on your wireless network will now need to be configured with the same
security settings.
Caution: If you are using a wireless client (such as your notebook equipped with a wireless
notebook card) to turn on the security settings in your wireless router, you will temporarily
lose your wireless connection until youactivate security on your wireless client. Record the
key prior to applying changes in the wireless router. If you don’t remember the hex key,
your client will be locked out of the wireless router.
To set up WPA2-PSK (no server):
Note: Choose this setting if your network does not use a radius server. WPA2-PSK (no server)
is typically used in home and small office networking.
1Select WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK (no server) from the Network Authentication menu
on the Wireless Network Properties tab on the Edit information for a network page.
2Select TKIP or AES from the list.

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3Enter your network key. This can be from eight to 63 characters and can be letters,
numbers, or symbols. This same key must be used on all of the clients (network cards)
that you want to include in your network.
4Click Save to finish. You must now set all clients (network cards) to match these
settings.
Wireless networking utility options
The Options tab on the Wireless Networking Utility (WNU) lets you customize WNU settings.

20 Troubleshooting
WNU Help
The WNU Help tab lets you access to online and telephone support, as well as advanced
diagnostic tools.
Advanced diagnostic tools
The Advanced Diagnostic Tools section is the central control panel for all the settings of
the hardware and software components of the wireless network. It provides an array of tests
and connectivity services to ensure optimal network performance.
Troubleshooting
Placement of your wireless networking hardware for
optimal performance
Your wireless connection will be stronger the closer your computer is to your wireless router.
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 and connected devices increases. This may or may not
be noticeable to you. As you move farther from your wireless router, connection speed may
decrease.
Factors that can weaken signals simply by getting in the way of your network’s radio waves
are metal appliances, obstructions, and walls.