Planet WL-U356 User manual

802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter
WL-U356
User s Manual

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Copyright
Copyright ã2004 by PLANETTechnology Corp.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in aretrieval system, or translated intoany language or
computerlanguage,in any formorby any means, electronic, mechanical,magnetic, optical, chemical,
manual orotherwise, without the prior written permission of PLANET.
PLANETmakes no representations or warranties,either expressed orimplied,with respectto the
contentshereofand specifically disclaims any warranties,merchantability orfitness forany particular
purpose. Any software described in this manual is sold or licensed "as is". Should the programs prove
defective following theirpurchase, the buyer (and not this company,itsdistributor,oritsdealer)
assumes the entirecost of all necessary servicing, repair,and any incidental or consequential
damages resulting from any defect in the software. Further,this company reserves the right to revise
this publication and tomake changes from time to time in the contentshereof without obligation to
notify any person ofsuch revision orchanges..
All brand and product names mentioned in this manual aretrademarks and/or registered trademarks of
their respective holders.
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found tocomply with the limitsfor aClass Bdigital device,
pursuant toPart 15 ofFCC Rules. These limitsaredesigned to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in aresidential installation.This equipment generates,uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and,ifnot 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 aparticular installation. Ifthis equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception,which can be determined by turning the equipmentoffand on,the useris
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
1. Reorientor relocate the receiving antenna.
2. Increase the separation between the equipmentand receiver.
3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on acircuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio technician forhelp.
FCC Caution:
Toassure continued compliance.(example-use only shielded interface cables when connecting to
computeror 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 mustacceptany
interference received, including interference thatmay cause undesired operation.

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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 ofexceeding 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 equipmentcomplies with all the requirementsof DIRECTIVE 1999/5/CE OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENTAND THE COUNCILOF 9March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunication
terminal Equipment and the mutual recognition of theirconformity (R&TTE)
The R&TTE Directive repeals and replaces in the directive 98/13/EEC (Telecommunications Terminal
Equipmentand Satellite EarthStation Equipment) As of April 8,2000.
Safety
This equipment is designed with the utmost carefor the safety of those who install and use it. However,
special attention must be paid to the dangersof 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 Not Intended for Use
The ETSI version ofthis device is intended forhome and office use in Austria Belgium,Denmark,
Finland, France (with 4 Frequency channel restrictions). Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,
The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain (with 2Frequency channel restrictions), Sweden and United
Kingdom.
The ETSIversion of this device is also authorized foruse in EFTAmember states Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Revision
User s Manual for PLANET Wireless USB Adapter
Model: WL-U356
Rev: 1.0 (June.2004)
Part No. EM-WLU356

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................1
1.1 Features..............................................................................................1
1.2 Application...........................................................................................1
1.3 Specification........................................................................................4
1.4 Package Contents...............................................................................4
1.5 Minimum System Requirements..........................................................4
1.6 Installation Considerations...................................................................5
CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION PROCEDURE .............................................6
2.1 Configuration UtilityInstallation............................................................6
2.2 Driver Installation.................................................................................9
CHAPTER 3 CONFIGURATION UTILITY...............................................12
3.1 Wireless Connection Status...............................................................12
3.2 More Setting…...................................................................................14
3.3 WEPand WPAEncryption.................................................................15
3.4 Advanced Setting...............................................................................18
3.5 Information.........................................................................................19
3.6 Software APmode.............................................................................19
3.7 AccessPoint Setting..........................................................................20
CHAPTER 4TROUBLESHOOTING......................................................23

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Chapter 1 Introduction
Complying with the IEEE802.11g standard, WL-U356 provides simple,reliable, high-speed wireless
connectivity for both desktop and laptop users. By combining two, state-of-the-art technologies—USB 2.0
and 802.11g—the gadget delivers dataat speed up to 54Mbps, five times the speed of existing 802.11b
devices, and spares the effort of opening up the case of yourdesktop computer.
WL-U356 contains an internal patch antenna. It takes advantage of the flexibility and convenience of
USB connections without sacrificing performance. Support of 64,128 and 256-bitWEPencryption plus
WPA(Wi-Fi Protected Access) high-level encryption preventsyour wireless communications from
unauthorized access and ensures secure data transfer.
WL-U356 supports software AP function, which can turn the USB adapter intoacompact Access Point
instantly.The USB adapter is also backward compatible with 802.11b products, so both11b and 11g
clients can reside on the same network. Easy installation and Hot-plugging offersfull mobilityand high
availability, making the device aperfectchoice forusers who are getting tired ofrunning cables or in
constantneed ofwireless access.
1.1 Features
l 2.4GHz ISM band, unlicensed operation
l Wireless connectivitywithout the hassles andcost ofrunning cables
l IEEE 802.11b/g standard compliant
l USB 2.0A-type standard connector, compatible with USB 1.1
l Up to 54Mbps data rate
l Utilization ofDirect Sequence Spread Spectrumplus OFDM modulationto provide
robust, interference-resistant solution in amulti-user environment
l Support of64/128/256-bit WEP encryption and WPA(Wi-Fi ProtectedAccess)
high-level encryption
l Support ofAd-Hoc / Infrastructure mode
l Support ofsoftwareAPfunction.
l Support ofmost popular operating systems includingWindows
98SE/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003
l Plug-and -Playinstallation
1.2 Application
Infrastructure
The major difference between Infrastructure network and Ad-hoc wireless network is thatthe former
requires an Access point.Forold buildings,open areas, orfrequently changing environments,just
install the WL-U356 on yourdesktop or laptop, and thus you can get connected to the wired
Ethernetthrough awireless Access Point. SOHO userscan then access the Internet and share all
kinds of datawith the other wired or wireless clientswithin the coverage of wireless signals. For
enterprise users, the installation of multiple Access Pointsto enlarge the coverage of wireless

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signals can provide wireless users with seamless network access.
The Infrastructure mode is appropriate for enterprise-scale wireless access to a central database or
provides various wireless applications for mobile users.
Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users. More than one BSS can be
configured as an Extended Service Set (ESS).The continuous wireless network connectivity allows
usersto roam freely within an ESS. All wireless clientsusing WL-U356 or other IEEE802.11b
compliantwireless adapters within one ESSmustbe configured with the same ESS ID and to use
the same radio channel.
Before adopting an ESS with roaming capability,choosing an available radio channel with less
interference is highly recommended. Proper Access Point positioning combined with aclear radio
channel will greatly enhance performance.
Ad-Hoc
Still complaining aboutthe high price of wireless access points? This mode is the easiestand
cost-effective way to meet your requirements. Itenables you to constructwireless networking in no
time without any access point.
Ad-hoc mode is awireless network type in which agroup ofcomputersequipped with WL-U356 or
other wireless adaptersare connected together to form an independent wireless LAN. All computers
operating in this mode must be configured to share the same radio channel.
In this scenario, newdevices can be quickly added; however,wireless stations can only
communicate with the other peers that belong to the same IBSS (Independent Basic Service Set).

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SoftAP
This feature converts the wireless USB adapter into a wireless access point immediately, and you
thus can create an instant wireless network, which spares the additional cost of purchasing a
wireless access point.It makes WL-U356 a compact wireless access point with all basic functions
contained in an ordinary access point.
General Application
WL-U356 offers a fast, reliable, cost-effective solution for wireless access to the various network
scenarios:
1. Remote access to corporate network for information
E-mail, file transfer and terminal service.
2. Difficult-to-wire environments
Historical or old buildings,public occasions, venues and open area where it is difficult to wire.
3. Frequentlychanging environments
Factories, Retailers, and Offices that frequently change locations and rearrange the workplace
4. Temporarynetwork access
Events, exhibitions, construction sites or some important occasions that require temporary
network access.
5. Access to database for mobile workers
Doctors, nurses, retailers,white-collar workers who need access to database while roaming in
the hospital, retail store or office.
6. SOHO (Small Office and Home Office)users
SOHO users who are in need of easy-to-install and wide coverage networking.

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1.3 Specification
Product 54Mbps Wireless USB Adapter
Models WL-U356
Attach Interface USB 2.0 A-type connector
LED Indicator Link/ACT
Operating Frequency /
Channel
2.412~2.462GHz (FCC, Canada) / 11 Channels
2.412~2.4835GHz (Japan, TELEC) / 14 Channels
2.412~2.472GHz (Euro ETSI) / 13 Channels
RF Modulation OFDMwith BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
RF Output Power 15dBm (Typical)
Data Rate
802.11b: 1, 2, 5.5, 11Mbps
802.11g: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps
auto-rate fall back
Media Access Protocol CSMA/CA + ACK, IEEE802.11b Compliant
Antenna Internal patch antenna
Range Up to 300 feet outdoor and 100 feet indoor
Working Mode Ad-Hoc, Infrastructure
Management Built-in utility or Windows XP/Server 2003 Wireless Zero
Configuration utility
STANDARDS COMPLIANCE
Electromagnetic
Compatibility
FCC, CE
1.4 Package Contents
Before installation, please check the items of your package. The package should include the
following items:
· One Wireless USB Adapter
· One USB Cable
· One CD-Based software (Including the Configuration Utility, Driver and User s Manual)
· One Quick Installation Guide
If any ofthe above items is missing, contact your supplier as soon as possible.
1.5 MinimumSystem Requirements
Before installation, please check the following requirementswith your equipment.
· Pentium Based (above) IBM-compatible PC system with one vacany USB 1.1/2.0 port
· CD-ROMdrive
· Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP/Server 2003 Operating System
· At least 5 MBytes of free disk space forutility and driver installation

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1.6 Installation Considerations
l Beware of the walls and ceilings. Each wall or ceiling can reduce your wireless cover range
form 3-90 feet. Properly position your Access Points, Residential Gateways, and computers
so that the number of walls or ceilings residing between Access Points and clients is
minimized.
l Building materials make a difference –A solid metal door oraluminum studs may have a
negative effecton signal coverage range. Try to properly position Access Points and
computers with wireless adapters so that there would be less obstacles existing between
them.
l Keep your wireless LAN devices away from microwaves, cordless phones and child
incubators. It is likely that the latter will cause interferences to the operation of yourwireless
LAN devices.

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Chapter 2 Installation Procedure
Before you proceed with the installation, it is necessary that you have enough information about the
Wireless USB Adapter.Followthe procedure described belowin this chapter to install the USB
adapter under Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003.
2.1 Configuration UtilityInstallation
The following installation operates under WindowXP.The procedure also applies toWindows
98SE/ME/2000/Server 2003.
Note: Ifyou had everinstalled the otherWireless Cards
before, please uninstall the existed
drivers and utilities first.
A. Insertthe bundled CD into the CD-ROMdrive to launch the autorun program.Once
completed, a menu screen will showup as follows.
B. Click the “Configuration Utility”hyperlink in the WL-U356 field to initiate the installation
procedure.You will see the belowInstallShield Wizard window. Please click “Next”to
continue.

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Note: If the above screen does not appear, click “Start”atthe taskbar.Then, select “Run”
and type “E:\Utility\WL-U356\setup.exe”, where E is your CD-ROMdrive.
C. You may click “Browse”to specify the destination folder you prefer for the installation of
utility. Otherwise, you can keep the default setting and click “Next”to proceed.
D. Once the utility is installed, select “Finish”to complete the installation procedure.

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Note:
If youroperating system is WindowsXP/Server 2003, the belowwindowwill pop up.
Please select “Continue Anyway”to continue.
Note: If youroperating system is Windows2000,th
ebelowwindowwill pop up. Please
choose “Yes”to go on.

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2.2 Driver Installation
Note:The following installation operates under WindowsXP.The procedure also applies to
WindowsServer 2003. If your operating system is Windows2000, please directly
skip to step
3. Ifyour operating system is Windows98SE, Windowswill automatically detectand install
the device and ask you toinsert the system installation CD to complete the entire procedure.
Justclick “Yes”to continue.
A. InsertWL-U356 into a vacant USB port on the computer.
B. Windowswill automatically detect the device. Choose “Install the software automatically
(Recommended)”.Then click “Next”to continue.
C. Ascreen will appear to inform you that the USB adapter has not passed Windows Logo

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testing (WHQL).Click “Continue Anyway”to proceed since the card has been tested
thoroughly to verify the compatibility.
Note:If your operating system is Windows 2000,the belowwindowwill pop up. Please click
“Yes”to continue.
D. When the driver is installed, click “Finish”to complete the installation procedure.

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Chapter 3 Configuration Utility
The Configuration Utility is a powerful tool thathelps you to configure WL-U356 easily and monitor
the status ofwireless communication.By double-clicking in the system tray, the dialog box will
appearas follows:
Note: It is highly recommended that you use PLANETutility tool to configure WL-
U356 rather
than WindowsXP/ Server 2003 Wireless Zero Configuration unless you prefer the latter.
WindowsServer 2003 Wi
reless Zero Configuration will take over the configuration of the USB
adapter after installing the configuration utility and driver for the USB adapter.Make sure to
disable the Wireless ZeroConfiguration utility provided by WindowsServer2003 b
efore
launching PLANETutility.Tocompletethis, firstly,restart your computer,and click the
WindowsServer 2003 networking icon in the system tray,and then click “Advanced”
in
“Wireless Network Connection”window.Uncheck “Use Windowsto configure my
wireless
network settings”and click “OK”
to exit (If youroperating system is Windows
98SE/ME/2000/XP,this step can be ignored). At last, double-click the utility icon
in the
system tray to use the configuration utility.About the details please refer
to the Quick
Installation Guide.
Right-click the icon, there aresome items for you to use the configuration utility:
u Open Utility Window: It enables you to open the configuration utility tool.
u Exit PLANET WL-U356: Select this to close the configuration utility tool.
3.1 WirelessConnection Status
When you open the configuration utility, the system will scan all the channels to locate all the
access points and wireless stations within the signal coverage. Then it will automatically connect
to the access point or wireless station with the strongest signal strength. This screen displays all
the information about the current wireless connection.

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u Mode:
Ø Station: Configure the USB adapter as a wireless station.
Ø Access Point: Switch the USB adapter into a wireless access point.
u Network Adapter: Displays the product information of the USB adapter.
u Available Network: Displays all the SSID and Signal Strength of wireless access point
and stations nearby.To rescan the available wireless networks, please click the “Refresh”
button. The USB adapter can associate with the specified wireless access pointor station
on the list by double-clicking the station directly or selecting the preferred device, and then
pressing the “Connect this site”button.
u Current Network Information: Displays the information about the wireless network
which WL-U356 is connected to. The information includes Channel, Type, SSID, TXRate
and Encryption settings.Please refer to the section 3.2 for detailed descriptions of each
item.
u More Settings:Press this button for further settings including disable/enable WEPPower
Saving Mode, and so on. Please refer to the Section 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 for detailed
descriptions ofeach item.
u Link Status: Displays the status ofthe current wireless connection.
u BSSID: Shows the MAC address of the network (i.e. the connected Access Point) the
USB adapter is linked to.
u Signal Strength:Indicates the signal strength level,which helps to find out the proper
positioning of the wireless device forquality wireless communication.
u Link Quality: Indicates the quality of the active link.
u TX/RX Frame: Shows the number of valid transmitted/received dataframes of the USB
adapter.

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3.2 More Setting…
You can enter this screen by clicking the “More Setting…” button. Here you can specify the
wireless network to which WL-U351 intends to connect, enable/disable the WEPdata encryption,
save or load the settings into/from the profile, etc.
u General Connection Setting: Displays the information including Channel, SSID,Tx Rate
and Network Type. You can click the “Change”button to modify these values.
Ø Channel: Shows the number of the radio channel used for the wireless networking.
This parameter is not configurable in the Infrastructure mode.
Ø Tx Rate: Shows the DataTransfer Rate. There are
Auto/1/2/5.5/11/6/9/12/18/24/36/48/54Mbps for selection. If the Auto Mode is
selected, the device will choose the most suitable transmission rate automatically.
Ø SSID: Shows the SSID of the current associated wireless network.
Ø Any: If “Any“check boxis enabled,WL-U356 will survey and connectto one of the
available wireless networks without checking the consistency of the channel and
SSID with the specified wireless device.
Ø Network Type:
Infrastructure: This mode requires the presence of an APorRouter to create a
wireless network. All the communication is processed through the AP or Router.

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Ad Hoc: This mode enables interconnecting of wireless adapters withoutthe
presence of an APor Router.
Ø Encryption: There are four items for selection: Disable, WEP,TKIP, and AES. You
can configure the encryption method based on the settings in the “Encryption
Setting”field.
Ø Authentication mode:
Auto: Auto switching ofthe authentication mode depends on the one adopted on
wireless network that the USB adapter is connected to.
Open system: In this mode, wireless stations directly associate with the access
pointwithout any authentication (null authentication). You can decide whether to
employ WEP dataencryption.
Shared key: In this mode, wireless stations communicate with the Access Point
using the identical WEP keysettings for authentication and dataencryption. It
always combines with WEP data encryption.
Ø Change/Apply: Click “Change”will enable you to configure the parameters in the
“General Connection Setting”field.Meanwhile, it will turn into “Apply”for you to
confirm the modified settings.
u Encryption Setting: You can enable/disable WEP and WPAencryption within the
wireless network. Please refer to the Section 3.3 for detailed descriptions.
u Profile:
Ø Profile Name: You can save the network settings as a profile file by assigning ita
name.
Ø Load: Load the settings from the specified profile file in the “Profile name”list.The
newsettings will take effect immediately.
Ø Save Current: Enter a profile name and click this to write the current settings to a
profile file in the “Profile name”list.
Ø Delete: Delete the profile you have selected.
u Other:
Ø Advanced Setting: Click this for more advanced setting. Please refer to the
Section 3.4 fordetailed descriptions.
Ø Information: To view the basic information of WL-U356. Please refer to the Section
3.5 fordetailed descriptions.
3.3 WEP and WPAEncryption
3.31 WEPSetting
WEPis both a data encryption method and an authentication mechanism, which ensures
authenticated user access and secures data transfer on the wireless network. Toimplement WEP,
the Authentication type and the WEP key format, length and ID must be identical on the APand
client side. WL-U356 supports64/128/256-bitHex/ASCII WEP encryption.

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u KeyLength: Select the 64, 128, or 256-bit WEPkey to encrypt transmitted data. Larger
key length will provide higher level of security, butthe throughput will thus be affected.
u Default KeyID: Select one of the four keys (1~4) as the specified encryption key.
u KeyFormat:
Ø Hexdecimal: Only “A-F”, “a-f”,and “0-9”are allowed to be entered.
Ø ASCII: Digits, characters or signs are allowed to be entered.It s more recognizable
for users.
u KeyValue:The keys are used to encrypt data transmitted on the wireless network. Fill
the text boxby following the rules below:
Ø 64-bit: Enter 10-digit Hexvalues or 5-digit ASCII values as the encryption keys. For
example: “0123456aef“.
Ø 128-bit: Enter 26-digit Hexvalues or 13-digit ASCII values as the encryption keys.
For example: “01234567890123456789abcdef“
Ø 256-bit: Enter 58-digit Hexvalues or 29-digit ASCII values as the encryption keys.
u Change/Apply: Click “Change”enables you to configure the WEPkey. In the meantime,
the button will change into “Apply”for you to confirm your newsettings.
3.32 WPASetting
In view of the defectsof WEP encryption, WPA(Wi-Fi Protected Access) provides better security by
adopting TKIP/AES encryption method and key rotation mechanism. There are two types of WPA
mode: WPA-Radius and WPA-PSK. WPA-Radius is designed for enterprise use and requires a
Radius server and a CertificateAuthority (CA) for userauthentication and data encryption, while
WPA-PSK is designed for home and SMB users who do not have or cannot afford a Radius server
and a Certificate Authority.To implement WPA, the WPAsettings must be identical on the AP and
the wireless station side.