NetComm NP644 User manual

2 NP644 IEEE 802.11g Wireless Network USB Adaptor
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Contents
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 3
Product Features ................................................................................ 3
System Requirements ......................................................................... 4
Wireless Terminology .......................................................................... 4
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NP644 ............................................................... 6
Package Contents ............................................................................... 6
LED Indicators ................................................................................... 7
INSTALLING THE NB644 ........................................................................... 8
Step 1 - Utility Installation ................................................................... 8
Step 2 - Driver Installation ................................................................. 12
USING THE WIRELESS UTILITY ............................................................... 16
Link Information ............................................................................... 16
Configuration ................................................................................... 18
Advanced ........................................................................................ 21
Site Survey ...................................................................................... 24
About Us ......................................................................................... 26
APPENDIX A: Glossary .......................................................................... 27
APPENDIX B: Registration and Warranty Information ................................. 35
Contact Information .......................................................................... 35
Copyright Information ....................................................................... 36
Customer Information ....................................................................... 37
Product Warranty .............................................................................. 38
Limitations of Warranty ..................................................................... 39

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INTRODUCTION
Product Features
• Compliant with IEEE802.11g and 802.11b standards
• Achieves data transfer rates of up to 11Mps for 802.11b, 54Mbps for 802.11g and
108Mbp for 802.11g Super-G Turbo with wide range coverage.
• Strong network security with WEP, WPA and WPA-PSK support
• Auto-switch between IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g standards.
• Driver/Utility support for Windows 2000/XP
• Pen size design provides greater mobility and flexibility.
• Supports both USB 2.0 & 1.1

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System Requirements
• Windows 2000 and XP operating systems
• Pentium III 600MHz system or above is recommended
• USB port
• CD-ROM drive
• 20Mb spare disk storage
Wireless Terminology
Wireless Standards
802.11, 802.11b and 802.11g all refer to a series of standards which govern a common
method of creating wireless local area networks (WLANs).
802.11b and 11g are the most common WLAN types, with 11g being the later and faster
of the two standards with a maximum transmission rate of 54Mbps.
The NP644 is faster again as it is built around a processor which ‘turbo-charges’
transmission rates up to 108Mbps.
802.11g is ‘backward compatible’ with 802.11b, which means that the two standards are
able to communicate, albeit at the lower 11Mbps rate of the 11b standard.
The NP644 can communicate with both kinds of device at their maximum rate, and with
other ‘turbo-charged’ devices at the much higher rate of 108Mbps.

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Wireless Security Terms
The Advanced Features of the NP644 include the ability to select from several types of
Wireless Security.
WEP WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy. Introduced with
802.11b, WEP uses encryption to protect data confidentiality
by way of pre-shared keys (passwords or pass-phrases) that are
entered at both ends. Superseded by WPA and 802.11i but still in
use.
WPA WPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access - authorizes and
identifies users based on a secret key that changes automatically
at a pre-defined interval. This is called TKIP (Temporal Key
Integrity Protocol) to change the temporal key every 10,000
packets (= unit of data.) Keys can either be pre-shared or
established by a RADIUS Server.
RADIUS RADIUS is part of 802.11i security; this is a wireless standard
which is only concerned with wireless security standards.
Authentication is based around a secure server with a challenge-
and-response method of interaction which verifies the identity
of the client wishing to connect to the network. If you wish to
connect to a RADIUS server ask the Network Administrator for
details. RADIUS servers are not usually used as part of home
networks.

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NP644
Package Contents
Open the box of the Wireless PC Card Adapter and carefully unpack it. The box should
contain the following items:
• User Manual
• Driver & Utility with User’s Guide CD-ROM
• A-type USB male to female extension cable
If any of the items are missing or damaged, please contact your local reseller for
replacement.
• NetComm NP 644 108 Mbps Super-G
Wireless Network USB Adaptor

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LED Indicators
LED Description
Power The Power LED will be ON when the unit is powered up.
Link The Link LED will be flashing if there is a WLAN connection.

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INSTALLING THE NB644
Step 1 - Utility Installation
1. Before inserting the USB Adaptor, first install the Utility Program first. Make sure that
the 108Mbps Wireless Network USB Adaptor is NOT inserted into the USB slot in
your PC.
NOTE: All the screens of the installation procedure mentioned in
this manual are based on Windows XP. For other windows
operating systems, the procedures are the same but the
screens may vary slightly to those displayed in this manual.
2. Turn on the computer. Insert the CD into the CD-ROM Drive. Select “USB Adaptor”
and then select “Install”.

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3. InstallShield Wizard will automatically start. Please click “Next” to continue.
If you want to change the destination folder click “Browse” to change the directory or
click “Next” to continue.

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4. Select a Program Folder and click “Next” to continue.
5. The InstallShield Wizard will show the progress as the Utility installs on your compu-
ter.

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6. Click “Finish” to complete the utility installation.
7. Restart your computer to activate the settings.

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Step 2 - Driver Installation
1. After restarting the computer, insert the USB Adaptor into the USB port. After a few
moments the “Found New Hardware Wizard” menu should start up. Select “Next”.
2. Windows XP/2000 users may see the following screen. Click “Continue Anyway” to
keep installation going.

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3. Click “Finish” to complete the USB driver installation.
4. After installing the USB driver, you will be prompted with another pop up screen.
Select “Next”.

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5. Windows 2000/XP users may get the following screen. Click “Continue Anyway” to
keep installation going.
6. Click “Finish” to complete the USB hardware installation.

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7. (Optional)
You can check the success of your installation by accessing Device Manager. To
access Device Manager, open up Control Panel. In control Panel select the “system”
icon, and then select the “Hardware” tab. Finally, select the “Device Manager” button.
Under Network Adapters you should see “108Mbps Wireless Network USB Adaptor”.
8. Once the installation is successful, a utility program icon will show on your desktop.
To lunch the utility, just double click the icon.

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USING THE WIRELESS UTILITY
Link Information
After launching the utility program, you will see the following screen.
Field Description
Status: Shows the BSSID (or Mac address) of the adaptor, which can be
used to identify it on the wireless network.
SSID: Shows current SSID, which must be the same for the all wireless
devices in order for communication to be established.
Frequency: Shows the current frequency used for the wireless network.

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Field Description
Wireless Mode: Shows the current wireless mode used for wireless
communication.
Encryption: Shows the current encryption mode used in the wireless network.
TxRate: Shows the current data rate used for transmitting.
Channel: Shows the current communication channel.
Link Quality: Shows the link quality of the NP644 Wireless USB Adaptor with
the Access Point when operating under Infrastructure mode.
Signal Strength: Shows the strength of the wireless signal between the NP644
Wireless USB Adaptor and the Access Point.
Data Rate: Shows the statistics of the data transfer rate. The calculation is
based on the number of packets transmitted and received.

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Configuration
In the configuration page you can change the basic settings of the adaptor to suit your
wireless network.
Field Description
SSID: Service Set Identifier, which is a unique name shared among
all clients and nodes in a wireless network. The SSID must be
identical for each client and node in the wireless network. Give
your network a name which you will remember but which does
not obviously identify it to the outside world.
Wireless Mode: There are two types available for selection:
● Infrastructure – to establish wireless communication with
the LAN and other wireless clients through the use of Access
Points.

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Field Description
● Ad-Hoc – to establish peer-to-peer wireless communication
directly with other wireless client devices such as other
computers with wireless cards.
Ad-Hoc Band: There are three bands available for selection- 11B, 11G and 11G
Turbo. Choice depends on the type of wireless equipment you
wish to connect to. Check the documentation of the associated
equipment to verify details.
Channel: The channel value that the PCI card will operate in. Australian
Users should select the Channel Range 1-13 and all stations
on the WLAN need to be on the same channel if they are to
communicate.
Tx Rate: Select the data rate for data transmission.
Power Mode: There are 3 modes to choose from:
● Continuous Access Mode (default) – the USB Adaptor is
constantly operating with full power and it consumes the most
power.
● Maximum Power Save – theUSB Adaptor consumes the
least power and only operates when there is wireless network
activity.
● Power Save – the USB Adaptor consumes a moderate level of
power.

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Field Description
Preamble: Select Long Preamble or Short & Long Preamble type. Leave as
default unless advised otherwise by your Network Administrator.
Support Band: There are three functions for you to select, including 11B, 11G and
eXtended Range. The default setting is 11B, 11G and eXtended
Range enabled, which is interoperable with both 11B and 11G
devices, and provides a connectivity range of 500m.
Note: You must select at least 11B or 11G to support your wireless
connection.