NDC InstantWave NWH2210 User manual

Wireless Ethernet Client
NWH2210/NWH2610
Installation Guide
Rev. A1
December 2001
National Datacomm Corporation
4F, No. 24-2, Industry East 4th Road, Science Park
Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Technical Support
E-mail: [email protected]
NDC World Wide Web
www.ndc.com.tw
11Mbps Wireless Networking
WEC

ii InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
TRADEMARKS
NDC and InstantWave are trademarks of National Datacomm Corporation. All other
names mentioned in this document are trademarks/registered trademarks of their
respectiveowners.
NDC provides this document “as is”, without warranty of any kind, neither expressed nor
implied, including, but not limited to, the particular purpose. NDC may make improvements
and/or changes in this manual or in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this
manual at any time. This document could include technical inaccuracies or typographical
errors.
FCC WARNING
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B Digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential 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 encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
ŸReorient or relocate the receiving antenna
ŸIncreasethe separation betweenthe equipment and receiver
ŸConnect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected
ŸConsult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
You are cautioned that changes or modifications not expressly approved bythe party
responsible for compliance could void your authority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
twoconditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. Thisdevice must accept any interference received, including interference that may
causeundesiredoperation
FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an
uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with a
minimum distance of 20 centimeters between the radiator and your body.
"This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction
with any other antenna or transmitter."

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client iii
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS..................................................................................................1
PLACEMENT GUIDELINES.................................................................................................1
HOW TO USETHIS GUIDE.................................................................................................2
TERMINOLOGY USED IN THIS GUIDE..............................................................................2
APPLICATION SCENARIOS................................................................................................3
Infrastructure Network................................................................................................3
Ad Hoc Network...........................................................................................................4
HARDWARE DESCRIPTION.......................................................................................5
LED INDICATORS..............................................................................................................5
WEC CONFIGURATION TOOL INSTALLATION..............................................6
USING THE WEC COMFIG TOOL............................................................................7
CONNECT ............................................................................................................................7
PASSWORD.........................................................................................................................8
SERVICE..............................................................................................................................8
General..........................................................................................................................9
Encryption...................................................................................................................11
Ethernet.......................................................................................................................13
PERFORM WEC SELF DIAGNOSTIC TEST ....................................................................14
UPGRADE WEC FIRMWARE..........................................................................................14
RESET WEC CONFIGURATION......................................................................................15
CONNECT AN ETHERNET DEVICE......................................................................15
TECHNICAL SUPPORT...............................................................................................16
NDC LIMITED WARRANTY.....................................................................................17
SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................................................19
APPENDIX.........................................................................................................................22
INDEX .................................................................................................................................23

iv InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
List of Figures
FIGURE 1. INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK..........................................................................3
FIGURE 2. AD HOC NETWORK...........................................................................................4
FIGURE 3. REAR PANEL......................................................................................................5
FIGURE 4. FRONT PANEL....................................................................................................5
FIGURE 5. CONNECT ...........................................................................................................7
FIGURE 6. PASSWORD.........................................................................................................8
FIGURE 7. SERVICE .............................................................................................................8
FIGURE 8. CONFIGURATION/GENERAL............................................................................9
FIGURE 9. CONFIGURATION/ENCRYPTION.....................................................................12
FIGURE 10. CONFIGURATION/ETHERNET.........................................................................13
FIGURE 11. HARDWARE DIAGNOSIS.................................................................................14
FIGURE 12. UPGRADE FIRMWARE.....................................................................................15
FIGURE 13. RESET CONFIGURATION.................................................................................15
Packing List
The package should contain the following items:
•One InstantWave Wireless Ethernet Client
•RS-232 Cable
•Cross-over Ethernet Cable
•One Floppy Disk
•Installation Guide

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 1
Introduction
Congratulations on choosing an InstantWave Wireless Ethernet Client (WEC).
This guide gives instructions on installing the WEC and using the configuration
program.
The InstantWave WEC is part of a family of easy to use high-performance wireless
communication products. The family products also include:
•InstantWave AP (NWH660)
•InstantWave PC Card (NWH610)
•InstantWave PCI Card (NWH630)
The InstantWave WEC provides a wireless connection to the Internet or toshared
resources for an Ethernet-enabled device. Once the WEC has been set up, all that
is required is a simple cross-over Ethernet cable between the WEC and the device
to be connected, e.g. notebook computer. Ad hoc mode allows Ethernet-enabled
devices to communicate wirelessly WEC to WEC
System Requirements
System requirements to install and operate the InstantWave WEC are:
•An Ethernet adapter
•A PC runningWindows 95/98/Me/NT4.0/2000/XP (only required when
configuration of the WEC’s network properties is necessary)
Placement Guidelines
A few tips to mention that are particularly significant in a radio wave
communications system:
1. Radio waves reflect or refract from buildings, walls, metal furniture, or other
objects. This could result in performance degradation due to the fluctuation of
the received signal.
2. Microwave ovens use the 2.45 GHz frequency band. InstantWave also
functions in the 2.4 ~ 2.5 GHz band, and therefore shares some of the band
with microwave ovens. This means that when a nearby microwave oven is in
use, it may interfere with InstantWave signals, resulting in performance
degradation on the wireless network.
For the best performance, follow the guidelines below in placing the product:
•Place as high as possible, in as open an area as possible

2InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
•Avoid placing the WEC (especially the antenna) close to metal objects (e.g.
file cabinets, metal cubicles, etc.)
•Keep WECs as far away as possible from microwave ovens (10 meters min. is
advisable)
How to Use this Guide
The Installation Guide gives complete instructions for installation of the
InstantWave Wireless Ethernet Client (WEC).
Use the WEC COMFig tool , see page 7, to change the default WEC settings. The
WEC COMFig tool permits basic WEC offline configuration from a PC via an RS-
232cable/COM port connection.
Terminology Used in this Guide
Domain Name/SSID
A “Domain” is most commonly used to refer to a group of computers whose
hostnames share a common suffix. The domain is usually defined by the network
administrator as a segment/subnet of a large network and may be made up of
overlapping wireless cells. Wireless nodes can roam freely within the same
domain without disconnecting from the network.
RegulatoryDomain
InstantWave products use the unlicensed ISM (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) band
to communicate through radio waves. Different countries offer different radio
frequencies to be used as the ISM band. There are four frequency bands defined
by IEEE 802.11: Japan (2.471GHz –2.497 GHz), USA, Extended Japan, Canada,
and Europe (2.4 GHz –2.4835 GHz), Spain (2.445 GHz –2.475 GHz), and France
(2.4465 GHz –2.4835 GHz). To use InstantWave in a country not listed above,
check with your government’s regulating body to find the correct frequency band
to use. All InstantWave products are supplied preset to the country of sale’s
frequency band.
WEP
WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy. It is an encryption scheme that
provides secure wireless data communication. WEP uses a 40-bit or 128-bit key to
encrypt data. In order to decode the data transmission, each wireless client on the
network must use identical keys.

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 3
Application Scenarios
Infrastructure Network
An Infrastructure network is formed by several stations and one or more Access
Points (APs), with the stations within a set distance from the AP. Figure 1depicts
a typical Infrastructure network topology.
Figure 1. Infrastructure Network
PrintServer
Ethernet Ready
Computer
Computer with
Wireless LAN
Card
Hub
Access Point
WEC

4InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
Ad Hoc Network
An Ad hoc network is formed by a number of wireless stations (without an Access
Point) communicating via radio waves. For the users, the shared resources on the
wireless network appear exactly as they would on a regular wired network. The
wireless operation of the network is totally transparent. Figure 2depicts a typical
Ad hoc network scenario.
Figure 2. Ad Hoc Network
Print
Server
WEC
Ethernet Ready
Computer
Computer
with
Wireless
LAN Card
WEC

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 5
Hardware Description
The WEC rear panel contains the cable connectors. One RS-232 port for
connecting the configuration cable from a computer COM port, one UTP port for
connecting a cross-over Ethernet cable from an Ethernet device, and the DC5V
power-in port for connecting the power adapter.
Note: Use only the supplied power adapter.
Figure 3. Rear Panel
Figure 4. Front Panel
LED Indicators
The WEC LEDs on the front panel (Figure 4) show the status of the connections.
PWR/STATUS Unlit: Power is off
Blinking Green: Diagnostic test
Steady Green: Healthy condition
Steady Red: Sick condition
Blinking Green: The WEC COMFig Tool is being
used to configure the WEC
Ethernet LINK Unlit: No link
Steady Green: Ethernet link
Ethernet TX/RX Unlit: No activity
Blinking Orange: TX/RX activity
Wireless LINK Unlit: No link
Steady Green: Radio link
Blinking Green: The WEC COMFig Tool is being
used to configure the WEC
Wireless TX/RX Unlit: No activity
Blinking Orange: TX/RX activity

6InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
WEC Configuration Tool Installation
Before adding a WEC into an existing network, you may need to set basic
parameters, e.g. domain name (SSID), security setting (WEP), etc. in order to make
it compatible with the existing network.
Follow the steps below to connect the WEC to a PC for configuration:
step1. Connect the supplied RS-232 cable to the COM port on the WEC and
connect the other end to a serial port (COM port) on the PC
step2. Connect the power block to the electricity outlet and then to the WEC
DC5V port
step3. Insert the InstantWave WEC floppy disk into the floppy disk drive and
click Start/Run. Type a:/setup.exe
step4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the WEC COMFig Tool
installation

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 7
Using the WEC COMFig Tool
The WEC COMFig Toolis a Windows based utility used to configure the WEC
via a COM port connection between the WEC and a PC.
It provides the following functions:
•Sets WEC parameters (e.g., Network Mode, Domain Name (SSID), Security,
etc.)
•Diagnoses the WEC hardware and shows the diagnostic results
•Upgrades the WEC firmware
•Resets the WEC Configuration
To start the WEC COMFIG Tool, click Start/Programs/Wec/WEC COMFig Tool.
Connect
The program opens with the WEC COMFig Tool/Connect card (Figure 5). Once a
valid COM port is selected, the WEC COMFig tool will remember this port
number and use it as the default port when the program is next run. The program
will show Connected when a connection is made.
Figure 5. Connect

8InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
Password
Afterconnecting with the WEC, click on the Password tab to open the Password
card (Figure 6). Setting a password prevents unauthorized changes to the WEC
configuration settings.
The password is blank by default. A password of up to 30 characters may be set.
Figure 6. Password
Service
Click on the Service tab to open the Service card (Figure 7). The Service card
provides access to the management features.
Figure 7. Service

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 9
Click the View and Modify WEC Configurationbutton. The Configuration screen
will open (Figure 8).
General
The General card (Figure 8) is the first card in the Configuration section.
Figure 8. Configuration/General
On this card, you can set and view general WEC settings:

10 InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
Network Mode
The WEC allows for two types of networking operation,
Infrastructure or Ad-hoc.
Domain Name
(SSID)
Identifies the wireless LAN domain that this WEC is in.
Only WECs and Access Points with the same SSID can
associate with eachother. Each SSID may contain up to
31 characters.
Empty SSID Click this button to clear the SSID history and reset the
SSID to ‘any’. This allows the WEC to associate with
the Access Point with the best signal quality, regardless
of the SSID setting.
Authentication
Mode The Authentication Mode parameter controls the
validation of the WEP Key.
Open System
On association with an Access Point, only the SSID
setting is checked. The Wired Equivalent Privacy
(WEP) key will be checked only when a data link is
made.
Shared Key
Both the SSID and the WEP key will be checked during
WLAN association. Shared Key selection is not
available when the WEC encryption method is set to
disabled (see Encryption, page 11). In such cases the
WEC will automatically use the open system
authentication mode.
Auto Switch
When using auto switch mode, the WEC will try shared
key authentication mode first. If shared mode fails, the
WEC attempts to use the open system authentication
mode.
Transmission Rate Sets the transmission rate at which the data packets are
transmitted by the WEC.
Basic Rates This value determines the basic rates used and reported
for this BSS by the WEC. The highest rate specified
will be the rate that the WEC will use when transmitting
broadcast/multicast and management frames.
Available options are:

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 11
1 and 2Mbps
All (1, 2, 5.5, and 11Mbps)
Channel Number 802.11b WLAN operates on multiple radio channels.
The allowed channels depend on the country you are in.
When the WEC is running in Infrastructure mode, the
channel number is auto set to the same channel as the
Access Point to which it is associated.
In Ad hoc mode, the channel must match the channel
used by the other wireless stations you wish to
communicate with. Select the channel you want to use.
Refer to the Appendix, page 22, for channels supported
in each regulatory domain.
Regulatory Domain Identifies the country where the WEC is used. Each
country has defined its available channel numbers and
transmission power (see Appendix,page 22).
WEC Address This is the MAC ID of the WEC.
Firmware Version The current WEC firmware version.
Important:
In a multiple cell network topology, overlapping and/or adjacent cells using
different channels can operate simultaneously without interference if the frequency
distance between the center frequencies is at least 30MHz. For example channels 1,
7, and 13 are non-overlapping frequency channels.
After making any changes, click the Apply button to make the changes effective
immediately, without closing the dialog box, or click OK to accept the changes and
close the box.
Encryption
Data encryption provides more secure wireless data communications. Click the
Encryption tab to setup/change the security settings (Figure 9). The default is
Disabled and initially the keys section will be blank.

12 InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
Figure 9. Configuration/Encryption
The dropdown Method box lists three options:
1. Disabled (default) -Disables data encryption
2. 40-bit WEP -Enables 40-bit WEP encryption
3. 128-bit WEP -Enables 128-bit WEP encryption
Key Generation-There are two ways to generate a security key.
The first is by entering anytext in the Passphrase field. The passphrase should
contain multiple words and may include spaces, numbers, and punctuation
characters; the passphrase is case sensitive. Click the Generate button. For 40-bit
WEP, it will generate four keys, Key 1, Key 2, Key 3, and Key 4. Select a key
number from the dropdown list of the Default Key box. If you do not manually
select a key, key 1 will be selected. For 128-bit WEP, only one key will be
generated. Click Apply.
Another WEP key generation method is to insert the key values directly from the
keyboard. The key value must be valid hexadecimal characters (0-9, and A-F).
Enter yourown key into one of the Key 1~4 fields. Select that field number in the
Default Key box. Click OK.

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 13
Ethernet
This card is used to set the WEC’s Ethernet port settings.
Figure 10. Configuration/Ethernet
Auto Detect If Auto Detect is selected, the WEC will use the MAC
address of the connecting Ethernet device as its MAC
address.
Fixed Address This option allows youto specify a specific Ethernet
device MAC address that is allowed to pass traffic
through the WEC.
Always Connect Selecting this option keeps the WEC always associated
with an Access Point, regardless of whether an Ethernet
device is connected to the WEC.
Idle Time The Idle Time option determines the amount of time the
WEC may be idle (no packets received from or
transmitted to it) before it disconnects from the
associated Access Point. Specify a time from 60 to
60,000 seconds for this option.

14 InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
Perform WEC Self Diagnostic Test
On the Service card (Figure 7, page 8), click Perform WEC Self Diagnostic Test.
The Hardware Diagnosis screen will open (Figure 11).
Figure 11. Hardware Diagnosis
Click Start and the tests will commence. As each item is tested, a yellow arrow
will appear alongside it. If the test is successful, the arrow will change to a green
tick. If a failure occurs, an “X” will appear. You can click Cancel at any time to
stop the tests. When the tests have completed, the Cancel button changes to a
Close button. Click Close to return to the Service card.
Upgrade WEC Firmware
From time to time updated firmware is released and may be downloaded from our
website at http://www.ndc.com.tw/support/support.htm
The updated firmware may be installed via a COM port using the WEC COMFig
tool. Click on Upgrade WEC Firmware (Figure 7, page 8). The Upgrade
Firmware dialog box will open (Figure 12).

InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client 15
Figure 12. Upgrade Firmware
Use the Browse button to choose the file to be uploaded to the WEC, or type the
file location and name in the File Name field. The Upgrade button will then
become enabled. Click Upgrade. The new firmware will be loaded into the
WEC’s flash memory area. When the firmware upgrade is complete, click Close
to return to the Service card.
Reset WEC Configuration
Click Reset WEC Configuration(Figure 7, page 8) to open the screen shown in
Figure 13, and click Reset to restore the factory default configuration to the WEC.
Figure 13. Reset Configuration
Connect An Ethernet Device
Follow the steps below to connect the WEC to a PC or to another Ethernet device.
step1. Connect one end of the supplied cross-over Ethernet cable to the
port on the rear of the WEC
step2. Connect the other end of the cable to the Ethernet adapter of a PC
or other Ethernet device

16 InstantWave 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet Client
Technical Support
If you have any problems that you cannot resolve with the information in
troubleshooting, or the FAQs at
http://www.ndc.com.tw/support/tech/iw_faq.htm
please note the following information and contact our technical support team:
•What you were doing when the error occurred
•What error messages you saw
•Whether the problem can be reproduced
•The serial number of the product
•The firmware version and the debug information
NDC Technical Support is available via e-mail: [email protected]
For other information about NDC, please visit us at: www.ndc.com.tw