Planet WL-8303 User manual

Wireless PCI Card
WL-8303
User s Manual

Copyright
Copyright 2003 by PLANETTechnology Corp.All rightsreserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, transmitted,transcribed,stored in aretrieval system, ortranslated intoany language or
computer language, in any formor by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic,optical, chemical,
manual orotherwise, without the prior written permission of PLANET.
PLANETmakes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect tothe
contentshereof 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 theirpurchase,the buyer (and notPLANET,itsdistributor,or itsdealer)assumes the
entire cost of all necessary servicing,repair, and any incidental or consequential damages resulting from
any defect in the software. Further,PLANETreserves the right to revise this publication and to make
changes from time to time in the contentshereofwithout obligation to notify any person ofsuch 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 equipmenthas been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limitsare designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in aresidential 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 aparticular
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 useris encouraged to try to correctthe
interference by one ormore ofthe 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 towhich 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
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 Part15 ofthe FCC Rules.Operation is subjectto 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.

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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 withall the requirementsofDIRECTIVE 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&TTEDirective repeals and replaces in the directive 98/13/EEC (Telecommunications Terminal
Equipmentand Satellite EarthStation Equipment) As of April 8,2000.
Safety
This equipmentis designed with the utmost care for 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 of this device is intended for home and office use in Austria Belgium, Denmark,Finland,
France (with Frequency channel restrictions).Germany,Greece, Ireland, Italy,Luxembourg.The
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
The ETSI version ofthis device is also authorized for use in EFTAmemberstates Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Norway and Switzerland.
Potential restrictive use
France: Only channels 10,11,12 and 13
Revision
User s Manual for PLANET Wireless PCI Adapter
Model: WL-8303
Rev: 1.0 (March, 2003)
Part No. EM-WL8303V1

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1
1.1 FEATURES......................................................................................................................................1
1.2 APPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................................2
1.3 SPECIFICATION ...............................................................................................................................4
1.4 PACKAGE CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................4
1.5 MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS...................................................................................................5
1.6 INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS.......................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION PROCEDURE...........................................................................6
2.1 WINDOWS 98/ME/2000 DRIVER INSTALLATION..................................................................................6
2.2 WINDOWS XP DRIVER INSTALLATION.................................................................................................8
2.3 CONFIGURATION UTILITY INSTALLATION...........................................................................................10
CHAPTER 3 CONFIGURATION UTILITY...............................................................................12
3.1 CONFIG .......................................................................................................................................13
3.2 ADVANCED CONFIG.......................................................................................................................14
3.3 STATUS........................................................................................................................................15
3.4 STATISTICS ..................................................................................................................................16
3.5 ABOUT.........................................................................................................................................16
3.6 EXIT............................................................................................................................................17
CHAPTER 4 TROUBLESHOOTING.......................................................................................18
APPENDIX...............................................................................................................................19

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Chapter 1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing PLANETWL-8303. This device is an IEEE 802.11b Wireless PCI Adapter.
It can operate in either Ad-Hoc mode (Pointto Point/Point to Multipoint without Access Point) or
Infrastructure mode (Point to Point/Point to Multipointwith Access Point).It operates in 2.4GHz
unlicensed ISMband in the home or office environment.
The WL-8303 is compatible with Windows98,Me, 2000, XP and Linux.It supports64/128-bitWEP
(Wired Equivalent Privacy), 64/128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and 64/128bit TKIP
(Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) Encryption, AESand TKIP are advanced WLAN security technology
included in the fore coming IEEE 802.11i standard for securing wireless network connection. Itsdata
rate support11,5.5, 2and 1Mbps. With itsauto-fallback function,the datarate can be move to lower
speed if signal quality is not good enough.
WL-8303 provided with adetachable dipole antenna and the original antenna can be replaced with
other external antenna toget better signal quality and longer connection distance. Itsrange of coverage
with original antenna is up to 350 feet indoor and 1100 feet outdoor.
1.1 Features
l Wireless connection without the hassles and cost ofcabling
l Wireless LAN IEEE802.11b compliant
l Up to 11 Mbps high-speed Transfer Rate
l Base on the 2.4GHz Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) Technology
l Supports64/128-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), 64/128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption
Standard) and 64/128bit TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) encryption
l SupportsAd-Hoc (Peer to Peer) communication and Infrastructure mode with Access Point
l Seamless integration with IEEE 802.3 LAN through WAP-1965, WAP-1960 or other IEEE802.11b
compliant Access Point
l Support IEEE802.1xclient
l Supportsmostpopularoperating systems including Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and Linux
l One detachable dipole antenna
l LowInterference and High Susceptibility Guarantee Reliable Performance
l Supports Power Save mode
l Automatic rate fallback enables data security and reliability
l Supports PCI standard v2.2

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1.2 Applications
1.2.1Infrastructure
The WL-8303 provides access to awired LAN forwireless workstations. An integrated wireless and
wired LAN is called an Infrastructureconfiguration. Agroup of WL-8303 PC usersand an Access
Point compose aBasic Service Set (BSS). Each WL-8303 PCin aBSS can talk toany computer in
the wired LAN infrastructure via the Access Point.
An Infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of a WL-8303 equipped PC to a wired LAN,
and doubles the effective wireless transmission range for 2WL-8303 PCs. Since the Access Point is
able to forward datawithin itsBSS, the effective transmission range in an infrastructureLAN is
doubled.
The use of aunique ID in aBSSis essential. All WL-8303 equipped PCsconfigured without roaming
options in an independentBSSmustbe configured with aBSS ID corresponding to the WL-8303
used in the BSS. Check your WL-8303 for itsBSSIDoruse the Site Survey function on
Configuration Utility program to determine the BSS ID.
The InfrastructureWireless LANconfiguration is appropriate for enterprise-scale wireless access to
a central database, or as a wireless application 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 network allowsusersto roam freely
within an ESS. All WL-8303 PCs orother IEEE802.11b compliant wireless adapterwithin one ESS
mustbe configured with the same ESS ID and use the same radio channel.
Before enabling an ESS with roaming capability,choosing afeasible radio channel and optimum
Access Point position is recommended. Proper Access Pointpositioning combined with aclear radio
signal will greatly enhance performance.
1.2.2Ad-Hoc
An Ad-Hoc wireless LANis agroup of computers,each equipped with one WL-8303 adapter or
other wireless adapters, connected as an independent wireless LAN. Computersin aspecific
Ad-Hoc wireless LAN must be configured to share the same radio channel.
Ad-Hoc wireless LAN configurations are appropriate for branch level departmentsor SOHO
operations.

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1.2.3General Application
WL-8303 offersafast, reliable, cost-effective solution for wireless client access tothe network in
applications like these:
1. Remote access to corporate network information
E-mail, file transfer and terminal emulation.
2. Difficult-to-wire environments
Historical or old buildings, asbestos installations, and open area where wiring is difficultto
employ.
3. Frequentlychanging environments
Retailers,manufacturers and banks who frequently rearrange the workplace and change
location.
4. TemporaryLANs for special projects or peak time
Trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites need temporary setup forashort time period.
Retailers,airline and shipping companies need additional workstations for apeak period.
Auditors require workgroups atcustomer sites.
5. SOHO (Small Office and Home Office)users
SOHO users need easy and quick installation of a small computer network.
6. High securityconnection
The wireless security network installs quickly and provides the flexibility to reconfigure easily.

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1.3 Specification
Product Wire Free –11Mbps Wireless PCMCIA Adapter
Model Name WL-8303
Attach Interface PCI V2.2/2.1
LED Indicators LNK, TX/RX
Operating Frequency / Channel 2.412~2.462GHz (FCC, Canada) / 11 Channels
2.412~2.4835GHz (TELEC, Japan) / 14 Channels
2.412~2.472GHz (ETSI, Europe) / 13 Channels
RF Modulation Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) Technology
(CCK, DQPSK, DBPSK)
RF Output Power 16dBm
Sensitivity -83dBm (@ PER<8%)
Data Rate 11, 5.5, 2,1 Mbps with auto-rate fallback
Media Access Protocol CSMA/CA + ACK
Standard Antenna One detachable dipole antenna
Range Up to 1100 feet outdoor and 350 feet indoor
Working Mode Ad-Hoc, Infrastructure
Power Consumption TX: 3.3V, 340mA
RX: 3.3V, 160mA
Stand by / sleep mode: 3.3V, 20mA
Dimension (mm) 135*121*19 (L*W*H)
Humidity 0 ~ 90%, non-condensing (Operating and storage)
Temperature0 ~ 55 degree C (Operating), -10~70 degree C(Storage)
Compatibility Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP and Linux
Management Utility or Windows XP built-in management interface
STANDARDS COMPLIANCE
Electromagnetic Compatibility FCC Part 15 class B, CE Mark, ETSI 300 328
1.4 Package Contents
Before installation, please check the items of your package.The package should include the following
items:
WL-8303 x1
Dipole Antenna x1
Quick Installation Guide x1
Drivers and User s Manual CDx1
If any ofthe above items are missing, contact your supplier as soon as possible.

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1.5 Minimum System Requirements
Before installation, please check the following requirementswith your equipment.
• Operating System: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP or Linux
• PC with CD-ROMdrive
• One vacantPCI slot
1.6 Installation Considerations
l Please keep the number of walls and ceilings between the Access Point and clientsas less as
possible. Each wall orceiling can reduce yourwireless cover range form3-90 feet.Position your
Access points, Residential Gateways, and computersso that the number of walls or ceilings is
minimized.
l Building materials make adifference –A solid metal door or aluminum studs may have anegative
effect on range.Try to position Access Points, and computerswith wireless adapters so that the
signal passes through drywall or open doorways and not other materials.
l Keep the wireless product away from electrical devices or appliances at least 3-6 feet, which may
generate extreme RF noise.

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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 PCI Card. Use the Procedure described in belowin this chapter toinstall under Windows
98/Me/2000/XP.
Note: If you ever install the other Wireless Card before, please uninstall the existed driver and
utility first. If this is the first time to install thisdevice, please refer to the following steps to
complete the installation.
2.1 Windows 98/Me/2000 Driver Installation
Note: The following installation operates underWindow 2000.Procedures willbe similar to
Window 98/Me. About Windows XPdriver installation, please refer to next section.
1. Plug WL-8303 into your PC sPCI slot.
2. Power on the PC and insert Drivers and User smanual CD into CD-ROMdrive.
3. Windowswill automatically detect this wireless card and ask the user to install driver.Please
click “Next”.
4. Please select the first option and click “Next”to continue.

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5. Select “Specify a location”and click “Next”.
6. You can click “Browse”to find the driver location. (Assume "E"is yourCD-ROMdrive, the
driver can be found in E:\Drivers\WL-8303\Win2000). Please click “OK”to continue.
7. Windowswill showthis screen to prompt you that it found adriver for the device you are
installing,please click “Next”to continue.

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8. Windows2000 may tell you this driver doesn t contain Microsoftdigital signature. Please don t
worry about this, you can click “Yes”to continue the installation.
9. Please click “Finish”to complete the driver installation.
(For Win98/Me, Windows will ask you restart yourPC when driver installation finished.)
2.2 Windows XP driver installation
1. Plug WL-8303 into your PC sPCI slot.
2. Power on the PC and insert Drivers and User smanual CD into CD-ROMdrive.
3. WindowsXP will detectWL-8303 and ask you toinstall driver. Please select the second option
and click “Next”.

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4. Please select “Include this location in the search”and then click “Browse”to find out WL-8303
driver location to install driver.(Assume "E" is yourCD-ROMdrive, you can find out WL-8303
driver in E:\Drivers\WL-8303\WinXP). Please click “Next”to continue.
5. WinXP will showyou this dialog boxto prompt you the driver has not passed Windowslogo
testing, please press “Continue Anyway”to continue.

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6. Please click “Finish”to complete the driver installation.
2.3 Configuration UtilityInstallation
1. Run “setup.exe”under “E:\Utility\WL-8303\”directory,or click the “Start”button and choose
“Run”.When the dialog box appears, enter “E:\Utility\WL-8303\setup.exe”(Assume “E”is your
CD-ROMdrive). You will see the dialog boxas the picture. Please click “Next”to continue.
2. Please check the content of this dialog box. Press ”Yes”to continue.

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3. When installation completed, please click “Finish”and restart your PC.
Note: If the card isnotworking properly after the restartprocedure, you should make
sure that your system has free resources since it may show them as being available,
although this may not be true.

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Chapter 3 Configuration Utility
The Configuration Utility is a powerful application thathelps you configure the Wireless LAN Adapter and
monitor the link status and the statistics during the communication process.
This utility can be used to change the following configuration parameterswhen the device is active.
Following details the configuration options.
After configuration utility installation finished and PC restart,the configuration utility will automatically
start. You can find the icon in the bottom right, please double click the icon to make further
configuration. The configuration utility will automatically search all the nearby APs in the screen as
below.You can select one ofthem and click “Connect”toconnect orclick “Advanced”formore detail
settings as following sections.

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3.1 Config
In this option, you can configurethe settings of WL-8303 for the wireless device it will connect to.
u Available Wireless Network: You can find all the available wireless stations for WL-8303.
Please select the device you want to connect and click “Configure”forthe detail settings.After
click “Configure”,you will see the dialog boxas below.If you don tfind the device you want to
connect,please click “Refresh”to search again.
u Available Profile(s):
If you want to modify the profile, please double click the profile thatyou want to modify.It provides
three functions for users to edit the profiles.
Ø Add: You can add anewprofile with this button. If you want WL-8303 work in Ad-Hoc
mode, you can add a newprofile and set it to Ad-Hoc mode.
Ø Remove: If you want to delete profile, please selectthe profile and click this button.
Ø Set to default: You can select one of the profiles and setitto default.WL-8303 will use
the settings of this profile to work.
u Signal Strength: This bar showsthe signal strengthlevel. The higher percentage shownin the
bar, the more radio signal been received by the adapter.This indicator helps to find the proper
position of the wireless device for a good quality network operation.
u Signal Quality: This bar indicates the quality of the link. The higher the percentage,the better
the quality.

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u Network Name (SSID): It shows the SSID of the BSS that willing to join.
u Wireless network key(WEP): You can enable the network security function, share
authentication mode and enternetwork key value in this option. About the Network Key, please
enter 10 or 26 Hexadecimal code as your network key and confirm the network key in next field.
If you are use WinXP,you can use the build-in utility to setthis WL-8303 with Hexadecimal or
ASCII code as your Network Key.
u Enable IEEE802.1x authentication for this network: If the network has support IEEE802.1x
protocol, you can checked this option to join to your IEEE802.1xnetwork.
u This is acomputer-to-computer (ad hoc) network;wireless access pointsare not used: If
you want to set this PC to work in Ad-Hoc mode, please check this option.
3.2 Advanced Config
In this option, you can configure some advanced settings for WL-8303.

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u AdHoc default channel: This setting defines which channel the WL-8303 will use when it is
working in Ad-Hoc mode.
u Power Save: ShowsPower Managementmodes. There are twooptional selections for this
mode.
Ø CAM: Continuous Access Mode, adapter will always set in active mode.
Ø Max: Adapter will enter power saving mode when it is idle.
Ø Fast: Enable the adapter in the power saving mode when it is idle, but some components
of the adapter is still alive.In this mode, the power consumption is larger than
“Max“mode.
u Encryption Algorithm: WL-8303 has provided three kinds of encryption mode.WEP,TKIP and
AES. Please ensure the wireless network that it will join is working with same encryption mode.
u Showicon in system tray: Enable or disable the icon shown in the taskbar.
u Radio off: When the setting is checked, WL-8303 will stop working.
u Rescan: Click this button to make the settings above effective.
3.3 Status
In this option, you can check the current status of the WL-8303.

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3.4 Statistics
In this option, you can get the real time information about the packet transmission and receiving
status.
3.5 About
You can see the configuration utility version in this option.