Planet WNL-U553 User manual

802.11n Wireless USB Adapter
WNL-U553
User’s Manual
Version: 1.00
Date: November 2007

Copyright
Copyright ©2007 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-U553
Rev: 1.0 (November 2007)
Part No. EM-WNLU553

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................... 6
1-1 Features.........................................................................................................6
1-2 Safety Information........................................................................................7
1-3 Specification..................................................................................................8
1-4 Package Contents........................................................................................9
1-5 Hardware Info .............................................................................................10
Chapter 2: Installation.................................................................................... 11
Chapter 3: General Configuration................................................................15
3-1 Connection Profile Management .............................................................15
3-1-1 Make a profile for an access point or wireless device..............15
3-1-2 Using 802.1x – Certification..........................................................23
3-1-3 Using 802.1x - CA Server..............................................................25
3-2 Site Syrvey ..................................................................................................26
3-3 View Network Link Status and Statistics.................................................29
3-3-1 Link Status........................................................................................29
3-3-2 Statistics...........................................................................................30
3-4 Advanced Settings .....................................................................................31
3-5 QoS Setting.................................................................................................34
3-6 WPS Configuration.....................................................................................35
3-6-1 WPS Setup - PBC (Push-Button Configuration)........................36
3-6-2 WPS Setup - PIN............................................................................39
3-7 About ............................................................................................................42
Chapter 4: Soft-AP Function .........................................................................43
4-1 Switch to AP Mode and Basic Configuration..........................................43
4-2 Security Settings.........................................................................................47
4-3 Access Control............................................................................................48
4-4 Connection table.........................................................................................50
4-5 Event Log.....................................................................................................52
4-6 Statistics.......................................................................................................53
CHAPTER 5: APPENDIX .............................................................................54
5-1 Troubleshooting..........................................................................................54
5-2 Glossary.......................................................................................................56

Chapter 1: Introduction
Complying with the most innovative 802.11n technology, PLANET delivers a reliable and cost
effective solution - WNL-U553. WNL-U553 is a USB2.0 wireless adapter which integrates one
transmit channel and two concurrent receive channels; thus, it supports up to 150Mbps upload
and 300Mbps download data rate. Using 2.4GHz frequency band; it is backward compatible
with 802.11b and 802.11g for users to create a new wireless environment based on existing
wireless network.
The WNL-U553 provides a feature rich wireless connectivity. It supports WMM to maintain
stable multimedia quality by granting high priority for such packets. For security, the
WNL-U553 supports the most advanced mechanism, WPA2, to protect the information
exchange through wireless. Moreover, in order to simplify the security configurations, WPS
(Wi-Fi Protected Setup) is enhanced in WNL-U553. This design helps inexperienced users to
secure their wireless network quickly and easily. All these mentioned features are already
certified by Wi-Fi Alliance, which proves the interoperability and secureness of WNL-U553.
The WNL-U553 supports most popular operating systems, Windows 2000 / XP / Vista. With
advanced features and high speed capability, the WNL-U553 gives users the greatest
performance anytime anywhere.
1-1 Features
z2.4GHz ISM band, unlicensed operation
zCompliant with IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
zUSB 2.0 attached interface
zAntenna: Internal two Antennas with one TX and two RX
zProvides up to 300Mbps download and 150Mbps upload data rate
zSupports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
zSupports WEP , WPA, WPA2 high-level security mechanisms
zSupports WMM (WiFi Multi-Media) function to meet the multi-media data bandwidth
requirement. (the connected AP and the application must support WMM as well)
zSupports Software AP mode
zQoS function: Control the bandwidth required for different applications
zSupports most popular operating systems including Windows 2000 , XP , 2003 server
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 ITAGAIN 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 Compliant with 802.11b / 802.11g / 802.11n (draft 2.0)
Data Rate
IEEE 802.11b: 11/5.5/2/1M
IEEE 802.11g: 54/48/36/24/18/12/9/6
IEEE 802.11n:
300/270/243/240/216/180/162/120/108Mbps in 40Mhz mode
145/130/117/104/ 78Mbps in 20Mhz mode
Operating Mode Infrastructure /Ad-Hoc Mode, Soft-AP Mode
Security WEP 64/128bit, WPA, WPA2 , WPA-PSK , WPA2-PSK
RF Modulation
802.11b: DSSS, CCK, QPSK, BPSK
802.11g: OFDM
802.11n: 64QAM, 16QAM, QPSK, BPSK
Output Power
11b mode: 14~16dBm
11g mode: 14~16dBm
11n mode: 12~14dBm
Frequency Band 2400-2483MHz
Management Built-in utility or Windows XP Zero Configuration utility
Operating systems Windows 2000 / XP / 2003 server / Vista
Environmental & Mechanical Characteristics
Temperature Operating: 0 - 55 degree C
Storage: -20 - 70 degree C
Operating Humidity Operating: 0 - 85%
Storage: 0 - 95% Non-Condensing
Dimensions 83 x 27 x 10 mm (L x W x H)
Weight 14g
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:
1 x WNL-U553
1 x Driver and User's manual CD
1 x Quick Installation Guide
1 x USB Cable
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
1
2
3
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 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 “PLANET Configuration Tool”, which provides fully access to all
functions, to manage the WNL--U553. Click “Next” to continue.
6. There are two wireless performance mode you can select here:
Optimize for WiFi mode or
Optimize for performance mode
If you want to enhance wireless performance, please select ‘Optimize for performance
mode’. However, wireless compatibility is not guaranteed in this mode. If you want to use

this mode, you may not be able to communicate with older wireless devices and wireless
access point, such as 802.11b devices, but the data transfer rate will be enhanced in this
mode. You can select this mode when you only plan to communicate with 802.11 Draft-N
devices.
If you want to keep compatibility and communicate with older wireless devices, please
select ‘Optimize for WiFi Mode’.
After you finish the selection, please click ‘Next’ to continue. If you see ‘Found New
Hardware’ message again, please ignore it and wait.
7. Click “Install” to begin the installation.

8. If the screen appears during installation, please click “ContinueAnyway” to continue.
9. Please click “Finish” to finish the installation.

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-U553 can act as an AP. Please refer to next chapter for details.
Exit: close the Configuration Utility tool.
3-1 Connection Profile Management
If you need to connect to different wireless access points at different time, like to access point
of your home, office, cybercafe, or public wireless service, you can store the connection
parameters (encryption, passphrase, security etc, 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.
3-1-1 Make a profile for an access point or wireless device
There are two ways to add a new connection profile:
Create a new profile,
Add a profile from an existing wireless access point or wireless device
If you want to click new profile, click ‘Profile’ tab, 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, Channel, etc.
This sign indicates the activated profile is been connecting.
This sign indicates the activated profile is not been connecting.
Add/Delete/Edit Button Click these buttons to add/delete/edit 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
‘Site Survey’ tab, then click ‘Add to Profile’ button:

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.
PSM (Power Saving 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.
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.
Preamble The preamble defines the length of the CRC block for communication
among wireless devices. This option is only active in theAd Hoc network.
There are two modes including Auto and Long Preamble. If “Auto“mode
is selected, the card will auto switch the preamble mode depending on
the wireless devices the card is connecting to.
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.
Parameter Description

Authentication Type
This setting has to be consistent with the wireless networks that the card intends to connect.
Open – No authentication is needed among the wireless network.
Shared – Only wireless devices using a shared key (WEP Key identified) are
allowed to connecting each other.
LEAP – LEAP is a pre-EAP, Cisco-proprietary protocol, with many of the
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.
WPA – WPA provides a scheme of mutual authentication using either IEEE
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
only authorized users may access their networks. For enterprises that have
already deployed IEEE 802.1x authentication, WPA offers the advantage of
leveraging existing authentication databases and infrastructure.
WPA-PSK – It is a special mode designed for home and small business users
who do not have access to network authentication servers. In this mode,
known as Pre-Shared Key, the user manually enters the starting password in