Planet Networking & Communication WNL-U554 User manual

802.11n Wireless USB Adapter
WNL-U554
User’s Manual
Version: 3.0
Date: August 2009

Copyright
Copyright ©2009 by PLANET Technology Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or
translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of PLANET.
PLANET makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to
the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties, merchantability or fitness for any
particular purpose. Any software described in this manual is sold or licensed "as is". Should
the programs prove defective following their purchase, the buyer (and not PLANET, its
distributor, or its dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and any
incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software. Further,
PLANET reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in
the contents hereof without obligation to notify any person of such revision or changes.
All brand and product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of 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:
1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio technician for help.
FCC Caution
To assure continued compliance. (Example - use only shielded interface cables when
connecting to computer or peripheral devices). Any changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the

equipment.
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.
Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Radiation
Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure set forth for an uncontrolled
environment. In order to avoid the possibility of exceeding the FCC radio frequency exposure
limits, human proximity to the antenna shall not be less than 20 cm (8 inches) during normal
operation.
R&TTE Compliance Statement
This equipment complies with all the requirements of DIRECTIVE 1999/5/CE OF THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and
telecommunication terminal Equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (R&TTE).
The R&TTE Directive repeals and replaces in the directive 98/13/EEC (Telecommunications
Terminal Equipment and Satellite Earth Station Equipment) As of April 8,2000.
Safety
This equipment is designed with the utmost care for the safety of those who install and use it.
However, special attention must be paid to the dangers of electric shock and static electricity
when working with electrical equipment. All guidelines of this and of the computer manufacture
must therefore be allowed at all times to ensure the safe use of the equipment.
EU Countries Intended for Use
The ETSI version of this device is intended for home and office use in Austria Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, and France (with Frequency channel restrictions). Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg .The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
The ETSI version of this device is also authorized for use in EFTA member states Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
WEEE regulation
To avoid the potential effects on the environment and human health as a result of
the presence of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment,
end users of electrical and electronic equipment should understand the meanin
of the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol. Do not dispose of WEEE as unsorte
g
d

municipal waste and have to collect such WEEE separately.
Revision
User’s Manual for PLANET 802.11n Wireless USB Adapter
Model: WNL-U554
Rev: 3.0 (August, 2009)
Part No. EM-WNLU554v3

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 7
1-1 F EATURES ......................................................................................................................... 7
1-2 S AFETY I NFORMATION ........................................................................................................ 8
1-3 S PECIFICATION .................................................................................................................. 9
1-4 P ACKAGE C ONTENTS ....................................................................................................... 10
1-5 H ARDWARE I NFO ..............................................................................................................11
CHAPTER 2: INSTALLATION ................................................................................................ 12
CHAPTER 3: GENERAL CONFIGURATION ......................................................................... 16
3-1 P ROFILE M ANAGEMENT ................................................................................................... 17
3-1-1 System Configuration ............................................................................................ 18
3-1-2 Authority/Encryption setting................................................................................... 20
3-1-3 Using 802.11x........................................................................................................ 22
3-2 N ETWORK -C ONFIGURATION U TILITY ................................................................................. 25
3-2-1 Using configuration Utility...................................................................................... 25
3-2-2 Connect to an Access Point .................................................................................. 27
3-3 A DVANCED S ETTINGS ....................................................................................................... 31
3-4 V IEW N ETWORK L INK S TATISTICS ..................................................................................... 33
3-5 WMM S ETTING ............................................................................................................... 34
3-6 WPS C ONFIGURATION ..................................................................................................... 35
3-6-1 WPS Setup - PBC (Push-Button Configuration) ................................................... 35
3-6-2 WPS Setup - PIN................................................................................................... 37
3-7 R ADIO O N /O FF ................................................................................................................ 40
3-8 A BOUT ............................................................................................................................ 41
3-9 H ELP .............................................................................................................................. 42
CHAPTER 4: SOFT-AP FUNCTION....................................................................................... 43
4-1 S WITCH TO AP M ODE AND B ASIC C ONFIGURATION ............................................................ 43
4-2 S ECURITY S ETTINGS ........................................................................................................ 46
4-3 A CCESS C ONTROL ........................................................................................................... 48
4-4 C ONNECTION TABLE ......................................................................................................... 50
4-5 E VENT L OG ..................................................................................................................... 52
4-6 S TATISTICS ...................................................................................................................... 53
CHAPTER 5: APPENDIX........................................................................................................ 55
5-1 T ROUBLESHOOTING ......................................................................................................... 55

5-2 G LOSSARY ...................................................................................................................... 57

Chapter 1: Introduction
WNL-U554 wireless USB adapter adapts IEEE 802.11n technology compatible with IEEE
802.11b and IEEE 802.11g, offering a reliable and cost effective solution. With the interface of
USB 2.0 that integrates one transmit channel and one concurrent receive channel, the speed
could be up to 150Mbps upload and download data rate for extending wireless coverage
range.
The WNL-U554 provides advanced security, not only 64/128-Bits WEP, but also WPA, WPA2
and LEAP encryption. Moreover, in order to simplify the security configurations, WPS (Wi-Fi
Protected Setup) offers a convenient and fast method for users as well. Besides, QoS-WMM
maintains the high priority transition quality for such multimedia packets.
WNL-U554 supports Windows base systems, included 2000, XP and Vista. With high speed
capability, users get higher wireless transmission in anytime, anywhere.
1-1 Features
z2.4GHz ISM band, unlicensed operation
zCompliant with IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
zUSB 2.0 attached interface
zWPS hardware button supported
zAntenna: Internal two Antennas with one TX and one RX
zProvides up to 150Mbps download and upload data rate
zSupports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
zSupports WEP 64/128, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK, LEAP
zCisco CCX support
zSupports QoS-WMM (WiFi Multi-Media) function / WMM-PS
zSupports Software AP mode
zSupports most popular operating systems including Windows 2000 , XP , and Vista

1-2 Safety Information
In order to keep the safety of users and your properties, please follow the following safety
instructions:
1. This USB wireless network card is designed for indoor use only. DO NOT expose this
network card to direct sun light, rain, or snow.
2. DO NOT put this network card at or near hot or humid places, like kitchen or bathroom. Also,
do not left this wireless network card in the car in summer.
3. This network card is small enough to put in a child’s mouth, and it could cause serious injury
or could be fatal. If they throw the network card, the card will be damaged. PLEASE KEEP
THIS NETWORK CARD OUT THE REACH OF CHILDREN!
4. This network card will become hot when being used for long time (This is normal and is not
a malfunction). DO NOT put the network card on a paper, cloth, or other flammable objects
after the network card has been used for a long time.
5. There’s no user-serviceable part inside the network card. If you found that the network card
is not working properly, please contact your dealer of purchase and ask for help. DO NOT
disassemble the network card by your self, warranty will be void.
6. If the network card falls into water, DO NOT USE IT AGAIN BEFORE YOU SEND THE
CARD TO THE DEALER OF PURCHASE FOR INSPECTION.
7. If you smell something strange or even see some smoke coming out from the network card,
switch the computer off immediately, and call dealer of purchase for help.

1-3 Specification
Interface USB 1.1 / 2.0, Type-A
Standards
Conformance IEEE 802.11n/802.11b/802.11g compatible
Data Rate
802.11n (20MHz):up to 72 Mbps
802.11n (40MHz):up to 150 Mbps
802.11g:6/9/12/24/36/48/54Mbps
802.11b:1/2/5.5/11Mbps
Operating Mode Infrastructure / Ad-Hoc Mode, Soft-AP Mode
Security WEP 64/128, WPA, WPA2
Cisco CCX support
RF Modulation
802.11b:Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS): DBPSK,
DQPSK, CCK
802.11g:Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM): BPSK,
QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
802.11n:Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM): BPSK,
QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
Output Power
14±1dBm@11n
17±1dBm@11b
14±1dBm@11g
Operating systems Windows 2000 / XP / 2003 server / Vista
Environmental & Mechanical Characteristics
Temperature Operating: 0 - 40 degree C
Storage: -20 - 60 degree C
Operating Humidity Operating: 0 - 90%
Storage: 0 - 95% Non-Condensing
Dimensions 19.5 x 56 x 10 mm (W x D x H)
Weight 9g
Certifications FCC, CE

1-4 Package Contents
Before you begin the installation, please check the items of your package. The package should
include the following items:
WNL-U554 x 1
CD-ROM x 1 (Including User’s Manual, Quick Installation Guide, and Utility)
If any of the above items is missing, contact your supplier as soon as possible.

1-5 Hardware Info
1. USB Connector
2. Connector Cap (To protect USB connector when not in use)
3. Link/Activity LED
4. WPS button
3
2
1
4
LED Light Status Description
On Linked to a wireless access point / Transferring dataLink/
Activity Off No wireless activity

Chapter 2: Installation
Note 1: If you had ever installed the other Wireless Cards before, please uninstall
the existed drivers and utilities first.
Note 2: The installation below is performed in Windows XP system. The
installations in Windows 2000 and Vista are similar.
1. Insert the USB wireless network card into an empty USB 2.0 port of your computer when
computer is switched on. Never use force to insert the card, if you feel it’s stuck, flip the
card over and try again.
2. The system will find the new hardware and display the below message. Click “Cancel” to
skip.
3. Insert the bundled CD into the CD-ROM drive to launch the auto run program. Once

completed, a menu screen will appear. Click the “2000/XP/Vista Utility” hyperlink to initiate
the install wizard.
4. Read the License Agreement carefully. Click “Yes” to accept it and continue.
5. It is suggested to use “Install driver and Planet WLAN Utility”, which provides full
installation to manage the WNL-U554. Otherwise, choose ”Install driver only” for only
installing driver. Then click “Next” to continue.
6. It is suggested to use “PLANET configuration Tool”, which the WNL-U554 Utility.
Otherwise, choose ”Microsoft Zero Configuration Tool” for only installing Microsoft
wireless configuration. Then click “Next” to continue.

7. Click “Install” to begin the installation.
8. If the screen appears during installation, please click “Continue Anyway” to continue.
9. Please click “Finish” to finish the installation.

10. The WNL-U554 utility will appear on the screen. Please select the AP you would like to
connect and press “Connect” button and full in the security information, and then click
“OK” to connect the wireless network.

Chapter 3: General Configuration
The Configuration Utility appears as an icon on the system tray of Windows while the card is
running. You can open the utility by double-click on the icon.
Right click the icon; there are some items for you to operate the configuration utility.
Lauch Config Utilities: open the Configuration Utility tool.
Use Zero Configuration as Configuration Utility: use Windows XP built-in wireless
configuration utility (Windows Zero Configuration) to configure the card.
Switch to AP Mode: the WNL-U554 can act as an AP. Please refer to next chapter for details.
Exit: close the Configuration Utility tool.

3-1 Profile Management
If you need to connect to different wireless access points at different time, like to access point
of your home, office, cybercafé, or public wireless service, you can store the connection
parameters (encryption, passphrase, security etc.) as a profile for every access point, so you
don’t have to input these parameters every time you want to connect to a specific wireless
access point.
If you want to click new profile, click ‘Profile’ menu, then click ‘Add’ button.
Parameter Description
Profiles List The profiles list display all the profiles and the relative settings of
the profiles including Profile Name, SSID etc.
Add / Edit / Delete Button Click these buttons to add / edit / delete the selected profiles.
Activate Button Click “Activate” to connect to the selected profile. When a profile
is activated, the card will be initially connected to the profile.

Or, you can add a connected wireless access point or wireless device to a profile by clicking
‘Network’ tab, then click ‘Add to Profile’ button:
3-1-1 System Configuration
And you can set the parameter for this profile here:

Parameter Description
Profile Name Define a recognizable profile name for you to identify the different
networks.
SSID The SSID (up to 32 printable ASCII characters) is the unique
name identified in a WLAN. The ID prevents the unintentional
merging of two co-located WLANs.
You may specify a SSID for the card and then only the device with
the same SSID can interconnect to the card. If you want to add the
network nearby to the profile list, pull down the menu, all the
networks will be listed for you to add one of them to the profile list.
Network Type Infrastructure – This operation mode requires the presence of an
802.11 Access Point. All communication is done via the Access
Point or Router.
Ad-Hoc – Select this mode if you want to connect to another
wireless station in the Wireless LAN network without through an
Access Point or Router.
Tx Power You can select the wireless output power here. If you’re not too far
from access point (good signal reception), you can select a lower
output power to save energy; for a distant access point, you can
select a higher output power.
It’s suggested to select ‘Auto’ to let setup utility decide the best
output power for you.
Power Save Mode The power saving function is only available when the network type
is in Infrastructure.
CAM (Constantly Awake Mode) – The card will always set in
active mode.
PSM (Power Saving Mode) – Enable the card in the power
saving mode when it is idle.
RTS Threshold Minimum packet size required for an RTS (Request To Send). For
packets smaller than this threshold, an RTS is not sent and the
packet is transmitted directly to the wireless network. Select a
setting within a range of 0 to 2347 bytes. Minor change is
recommended.
Fragment Threshold The value defines the maximum size of packets; any packet size
larger than the value will be fragmented. If you have decreased
this value and experience high packet error rates, you can
increase it again, but it will likely decrease overall network
performance. Select a setting within a range of 256 to 2346 bytes.
Minor change is recommended.

3-1-2 Authority/Encryption setting
Parameter Description
Authentication has to be consistent with the wireless networks that the card
ation is needed among the wireless network.
hared – Only wireless devices using a shared key (WEP Key identified) are
EAP – LEAP is a pre-EAP, Cisco-proprietary protocol, with many of the
Type
This setting
intends to connect.
Open – No authentic
S
allowed to connecting each other.
L
features of EAP protocols. Cisco controls the ability of other vendors to
implement this protocol, so it should be selected for use only when limited
vendor choice for client, access-point, and server products is not a concern.
If you select ‘LEAP’, the following message will be displayed. Please input
LEAP identity, password, domain name, and select encryption type. You can
check ‘Show Password’ box so the password you inputted will be displayed
as you type, but not replace by asterisk.
PA – WPA provides a scheme of mutual authentication using either IEEE
only authorized users may access their networks. For enterprises that have
W
802.1x/Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication or pre-shared
key (PSK) technology. It provides a high level of assurance to enterprises,
small businesses and home users that data will remain protected and that