Planet WL-3501 WireFree User manual

WL-3501
WireFree
USER'S MANUAL

FCC Information
The Federal Communication Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement includes the
following paragraph:
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 communication. 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:
♦Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
♦Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
♦Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
♦Consult the dealer or an experienced radio / TV technician for help.
The user should not modify or change this equipment without written approval from company
name. Modification could void authority to use this equipment.
For the safety reason, people should not work in a situation which RF Exposure limits be
exceeded. To prevent the situation happening, people who work with the antenna should be
aware of the following rules:
1. Install the antenna in a location where a distance of 6.5 cm from the antenna may be
maintained.
2. While installing the antenna in the location, please do not turn on the power of wireless card.
3. While the device is working, please do not contact the antenna.

Copyright
Copyright © 1999 Planet Technology Corp., all rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, adapted, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language, or
transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Planet
Technology Corp.
Contents subject to revision without prior notice.
Trademarks
Planet is trademark of Planet Technology Corp., all other trademarks throughout this
manual are the property of their respective companies.
Limited Warranty
In no event will Planet be liable for any damage, including loss of data or profits, cost of
cover, or other incidental, consequential or indirect damages arising from the installation,
maintenance, use, performance, failure or interruption of Planet’s products, whatever caused
and on any theory of liability. This limitation will apply even if Planet has been advised
of the possibility of such damage.
CE Mark Warning
This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio
interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.
About This Manual
WireFree WL-3501 User’s Guide is first published by Planet Technology Corp. in 1999.
This Revision is for WireFree WL-3501 Version 2.0, issued in August , 1999.The purpose
of this manual is for the setup of the product WireFree WL-3501. It includes procedures
which help you to avoid unforeseen problems.
Revision
WireFree WL-3501 User’s Guide
Part No.EMWL3501v2

Contents
CHAPTER 1 ABOUT WL-3501 PCMCIA CARD..............................................................................................1
1-1 FEATURES AND BENEFITS..............................................................................................................................1
1-2 APPLICATIONS..............................................................................................................................................1
1-3 PRODUCT KIT...............................................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 2 HARDWARE INSTALLATION ....................................................................................................3
2-1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ...............................................................................................................................3
2-2 HARDWARE INSTALLATION FOR WL-3501 .....................................................................................................3
CHAPTER 3 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION.....................................................................................................5
3-1 SETUP WIREFREE FOR WINDOWS 95 / 98.......................................................................................................5
3-2 SETUP WIREFREE FOR WINDOWS NT 3.51 OR 4.0 ..........................................................................................9
3-3 SETUP WIREFREE FOR NETWARE CLIENT –USING ODI DRIVER (DOS / WINDOWS 3.X).................................13
3-4 SETUP WIREFREE FOR DOS TCP/IP APPLICATIONS .....................................................................................16
CHAPTER 4 NETWORK CONFIGURATION.................................................................................................18
4-1 INSTALLATION OF “WLU”UTILITY .............................................................................................................18
4-2 USING THE WIREFREE UTILITY....................................................................................................................20
CHAPTER 5 TROUBLESHOOTING...............................................................................................................30
APPENDIX A NETWORK CONFIGURATION AND PLANNING.................................................................32
A-1 NETWORK TOPOLOGY................................................................................................................................32
A-2 ROAMING ..................................................................................................................................................35
APPENDIX B SPECIFICATIONS....................................................................................................................39
APPENDIX C GLOSSARY...............................................................................................................................40

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Chapter 1 About WL-3501 PCMCIA Card
The WL-3501 IEEE 802.11 PCMCIA Card is a standard PC card that fits into any standard
PCMCIA Type II slot in a notebook computer. As a Plug-and-Play device, Windows 95/98
will automatically detect the card and begin the installation process. When installed, WL-3501
can communicate with other WireFree products to create a wireless network in your office or
home.
1-1 Features and Benefits
1. Supports up to 2 Mbps data rate.
2. Working range up to 800 ft. in an open environment.
3. Supports point-to-point and point-to-multipoint access.
4. Seamless connectivity to wired Ethernet and PC network LAN’s augments existing
networks quickly and easily.
5. Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technology provides robust, interference-
resistant and secure wireless connection.
6. Wireless connection without the hassles and cost of cabling.
7. Supports a wide range of LAN NOS (Win95/98, NT, NetWare client, DOS)
8. Supports Plug and Play.
9. Easy installation.
10. Greater flexibility to locate or move networked PCs
1-2 Applications
WireFree products offer a fast, reliable, cost-effective solution for wireless client access to the
network in applications like these:
1. Remote access to corporate network information
E-mail, file transfer and terminal emulation.

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2. Difficult-to-wireenvironments
Historical or old buildings, asbestos installations, and open area where wiring is difficult to
employ.
3. Frequently changing environments
Retailers, manufacturers and banks who frequently rearrange the workplace and change
location.
4. Temporary LANs for special projects or peak time
Trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites need temporary setup for a short time
period. Retailers, airline and shipping companies need additional workstations for a
peak period. Auditors require workgroups at customer sites.
5. Access to database for mobile workers
Doctors, nurses, retailers, white-collar workers need access to database while being
mobile in the hospital, retail store or office campus.
6. SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) users
SOHO users need easy and quick installation of a small computer network.
7. Inter-building connection
The wireless building-to-building network installs quickly, requires no monthly lease fees,
and provides the flexibility to reconfigure easily. (Please refer to Planet Air Access Series
for Inter-Building application.)
1-3 Product Kit
WireFree WL-3501 includes the following items. Please go through each listed item below.
If any listed item is not included, please contact your local dealer.
A. WireFree WL-3501 / PCMCIA Adapter
lWL-3501 PCMCIA Type II Adapter…………………………………… x 1
lDriver & Utility Diskette………………………………………………x 1
lQuick Installation Guide………………………………………………x 1

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Chapter 2Hardware Installation
2-1 System Requirements
In order to use the WL-3501 PCMCIA card, your computer must be equipped with the following:
1. APCMCIA Type II slot, and a PCMCIA card and socket services compliant with revision
2.10 of the PCMCIA specification (or higher).
2. Windows 95 or Windows 98 (with a Windows installation CD-ROM, diskettes for use during
installation)
3. MS-DOS 3.0 or higher.
4. Minimum 500 Kbytes free disk space for installing driver and utility program.
2-2 Hardware Installation for WL-3501
To install WL-3501 wireless LAN PCMCIA adapter, please follow these steps:
Step1: Insert the PCMCIA Adapter
1. Find an available Type II or Type III PCMCIA slot in your computer.
2. With the PCMCIA adapter’s 68-pin connector facing the PCMCIA slot and its “WL-
3501 / PCMCIA”label facing up, slide the PCMCIA adapter completely into the
PCMCIA slot.
Fig 2.1 Insert the WL-3501 into Notebook
NOTE: The PCMCIA slot allows “hot swap”of PCMCIA adapter. You may therefore
insert or remove your WL-3501 / PCMCIA adapter from the slot anytime, even
when the power of your computer is on.

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Step2: Setup PCMCIA Driver
For DOS and Windows 3.1, a PCMCIA card and socket services compliant with revision
2.10 (or higher) of the PCMCIA specification are required. Please check the
documents of your PCMCIA driver to install WireFree WL-3501. For applicable
drivers, please refer to CardSoft / CardWizard published by SystemSoft, Card Manager by
Phonex, AMI Card Manager Pro. by AMI, etc.
Then, continue the installation steps in next chapter - “Software Installation”.

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Chapter 3Software Installation
3-1 Setup WireFree for Windows 95 / 98
1. Insert the WL-3501 PCMCIA adapter into a standard type II PCMCIA slot in your
notebook.
2. Windows 95/98 will automatically detect the new hardware and will prompt you to install the
driver needed.
3. Select “Search for the best driver for your device”.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA adapter

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4. Select the location of driver from ”Floppy disk devices”, insert the diskette labeled
“WireFree WL-3501 Driver & Utility Diskette”into any 3 1/2 floppy drive in your
computer, then click Next.
5. Windows 95/98 will find “WireFree WL-3501 PCMCIA Adapter”, now click Next.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA adapter
A:\WPCMCIA.INF

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6. Set parameters for WL-3501. Please refer to 4-2, C. for the definition of each parameter.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA Adapter Properties
7. Click Finish to complete the hardware installation.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA Adapter

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8. Restart the computer.
9. Open the Control Panel folder, double-click System and Adapters to see if any error
message appears. If no, that means your WL-3501 is working well.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA Adapter
Fig 3.1Chick OK if WL-3501 works properly.

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3-2Setup WireFree for Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0
1. Login as Administrator.
2. From the desktop, select Control Panel, double-click Network, go to the Interface
Card tab, and then click the Add button.

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3. Windows NT will present a list of all its supported adapters. Select OTHERS,or click
Have Disk to continue.
4. Windows NT will ask for the drive/path containing the WireFree WL-3501 Windows
NT drivers. Insert the WL-3501 Driver and Utility diskette into the floppy drive, and
then type A:\
A:\

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5. Windows NT will attempt to locate an INF file in the specified path. If you have entered
the path name correctly, Windows NT should copy the appropriate drivers to the
Windows NT system. You need to recognize the selection.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA Adapter
Fig 3.2Choose device model.
6. A “WireFree/WL-3501 Wireless LAN Adapter Setup”dialog box will show up.
Please select the “Default Channel”¡B”Network Type”¡B”RTS Threshold”and
“ESSID”manually according to the setting in the following fig. Your WL-3501 adapter
will thereafter work on this configuration under Windows NT. Press OK to continue.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA Adapter Setup

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7. Now, the drivers would have been properly copied and the installation would proceed to
the next step --- “Network Setup”.Please specify each parameter required the
network to work on.
WLAN/WPCMCIA PCMCIA Adapter
8. Restart the system.
9. To ensure whether the WL-3501 adapter works fine or not, go to Control Panel and
double-click Devices.
WLAN/WPCMCIA Adapter Driver

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3-3 Setup WireFree for NetWare Client –Using ODI Driver
(DOS /Windows 3.x)
For DOS and Windows 3.xNetWare Clients, WireFree provides the ODI driver. The
ODI driver program allows you to run Novell NetWare’s IPX protocol stack in your
workstation. The WireFree ODI driver supports the Port, Node Address, Protocol and
Frame options for creating your own NET.CFG file. For more information on these
keywords, please refer to Novell’s “NetWare ODI shell for DOS –NET.CFG options.”
Install a NetWare 3.x/4.x ODI DOS and Windows 3.xWorkstation (using NetWare Client
Install)
1. Install the NetWare ODI Client Driver files into your workstation, if not yet installed.
Follow the installation procedure described in the NetWare installation manual.
2. The suggested way to install a NetWare Client (workstation) is to use the NetWare Client
Install program to install all necessary files. Please follow its prompted screens to
accomplish the installation procedure and select the WireFree ODI driver as the network
driver.
3. To select the ODI driver of the WireFree wireless LAN adapter, copy the files to nwclient
directory.
WPCMCIA.COM
WPCMCIA.INS
4. The NetWare Client Install program copies the necessary files for NetWare Client. Please
continue its installation procedure to completion. Upon completion, a new NET.CFG file
will be created in your NWCLIENT directory. Typically, this file contains the following
lines:

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Link Driver WPCMCIA ; or WISA for WL-2400, ISA
FRAME Ethernet_802.3
FRAME Ethernet_802.2
Link Driver WPCMCIA
Fig 3.3Configure NET.CFG
5. A typical STARTNET.BAT for the ODI workstation performs the following commands:
SET NWLANGUAGE=ENGLISH ; Set NetWare 4.X to English
; Language
LSL ; Link Support Layer Module (provided by
; Novell)
WPCMCIA ; Hardware Specific Module (For PCMCIA, uses
; WL-3501)
IPXODI ; IPX Protocol Stack Module (provided by Novell)
VLM ; DOS Support Module (provided by Novell)
L: ; Change current drive to connected device
; (L:, for example)
LOGIN ; Issue login command to login to file server

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You may run STARTNET.BAT to access (logon) the Novell NetWare server.
WPCMCIA.COM
Fig 3.4Configure STARTNET.BAT
Fig 3.5Login NetWare Server.
NWServer

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3-4 Setup WireFree for DOS TCP/IP Applications
1. For the entire legacy TCP/IP applications in DOS environment, please install WireFree
Packet Driver.
2. First, setup the configurations of WL-3501. Type “A:\PACKET\PKTCFG.COM”
Fig 3.6Configure WL-3501
3. Please select the ”Wireless LAN Net work type”¡B“ESSID”and “Default Channel”
manually. Press “F10”after setting properly.
Fig 3.7Save current parameters.