Proxim RangeLAN2 7420 Series User manual

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Copyright
© 2000 Proxim, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA. All rights reserved. This manual and the
software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval
system or translated into any language in any form by any means without the
written permission of Proxim, Incorporated.
Trademarks
RangeLAN, the RangeLAN logo, RangeLAN2, and Proxim are trademarks of
Proxim, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Limited Warranty, Disclaimer, Limitation Of Liability
For a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase by the retail customer,
Proxim warrants the RangeLAN2 7420 Series PC Card LAN Adapter against
defects in materials and workmanship. Proxim will not honor this warranty if
there has been any attempt to tamper with or remove the Adapter's external foil
label.
This warranty does not cover and Proxim will not be liable for any damage or
failure caused by misuse, abuse, acts of God, accidents, or other causes
beyond Proxim's control, or claim by other than the original purchaser.
If, after inspection, Proxim determines there is a defect, Proxim will repair or
replace the Adapter at no cost to you. To return defective merchandise to
Proxim please call Proxim Customer Service at: [phone] to obtain a
Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) Number.
InnoeventshallProxim,Incorporatedberesponsibleorliableforanydamages
arising:
❑ From the use of the product;
❑ From the loss of use, revenue or profit of the product; or
❑ As a result of any event, circumstance, action, or abuse beyond the control
of Proxim, Incorporated.;
Whether such damages be direct, indirect, consequential, special or otherwise
and whether such damages are incurred by the person to whom this warranty
extends or a third party.
Part # 7630.0121
Rev. A

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Warranty Return Policy
If you have a problem with your RangeLAN2 product, please call Proxim
Technical Support at [phone]. Proxim Technical Support will assist with
resolving any technical difficulties you may have with your Proxim product.
After calling Proxim Technical Support, if your product is found to be defective,
you may return the product to Proxim after obtaining an RMA (Return Materials
Authorization) number from Proxim Customer Service. The product must be
returned in its original packaging. The RMA number should be clearly marked
on the outside of the box. Proxim cannot be held responsible for any product
returned without an RMA number, and no product will be accepted without an
RMA number.
FCC WARNING
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
Bdigitaldevice,pursuanttoPart15oftheFCCRules.Theselimitsaredesigned
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:
❑Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
❑Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
❑Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that
which the receiver is connected.
❑Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
EUROPEAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS INSTITUTE
Statement of Compliance
Information to User
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the European
Telecommunication Standard ETS 300.328. This standard covers Wideband
Data Transmission Systems referred to in the CEPT recommendation T/R
10.01. This type of accepted equipment is designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

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Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................1
RangeLAN2 7400 Series PC Card Family ............................................... 2
The RangeLAN2 Product Line ................................................................ 3
The Product Package................................................................................ 4
System Requirements............................................................................... 6
2. Installing the RangeLAN2 Hardware..........................7
Installing the RangeLAN2 7420 Card ..................................................... 7
Attaching the Snap-On Antenna .............................................................. 8
Detaching the Snap-On Antenna ............................................................. 9
Attaching the Dipole Antenna ................................................................. 9
Storage Position of the Dipole Antenna ................................................ 12
3. Windows Installation Procedure ..............................13
Installing the Windows 95/98 Drivers & Tools ..................................... 13
Windows 98 Installation...................................................................... 13
Windows 95 Installation...................................................................... 15
Installation Tips Common to Windows 95 & 98 ................................ 17
Reinstalling the Windows 95/98 Driver ................................................ 23
Installing the Windows 2000 Driver & Tools........................................ 24
Reinstalling the Windows 2000 Driver ................................................. 29
Installing the Windows NT 4.0 Driver & Tools ..................................... 30
Reinstalling the Windows NT 4.0 Driver .............................................. 36
RangeLAN2 7420 Windows CE Driver ................................................. 37
4. DOS Installation .........................................................39
Installing Drivers Using RL2SETUP ..................................................... 39
Installing Drivers Using the NOS Installation ....................................... 40
SettingParametersforODIand NDISDrivers ........................................ 41
ODI-NET.CFG .................................................................................... 41
NDIS-PROTOCOL.INI ....................................................................... 42

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5. Wireless Topologies..................................................45
Ad Hoc.................................................................................................... 45
Infrastructure .......................................................................................... 46
Guidelines for Roaming ...................................................................... 50
6. Understanding RangeLAN2 .....................................51
RangeLAN2SoftwareParameters .......................................................... 51
Station Type ........................................................................................ 51
Domain................................................................................................. 52
Channel................................................................................................ 53
Subchannel .......................................................................................... 53
MasterName ........................................................................................ 54
SecurityID ........................................................................................... 54
MAC Optimize..................................................................................... 55
Roam Config........................................................................................ 55
Peer to Peer........................................................................................... 56
Node Override...................................................................................... 57
PC Card Options..................................................................................... 58
Inactivity Timeout ............................................................................... 58
Card and Socket Services .................................................................... 58
7. Performance Hints.....................................................59
Running Large Executable Files Efficiently ......................................... 59
Designating Devices as Masters and Alternate Masters ........................ 59
Microwave Ovens .................................................................................. 61
Range ..................................................................................................... 61
8. Troubleshooting ........................................................63
How to Obtain Help with Your LAN Installation .................................. 63
Windows 95/98 Installation Problems................................................... 63
Windows NT 4.0 Installation Problems ................................................. 70
Commonly Asked Technical Support Questions .................................. 73
Other ....................................................................................................... 76

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A. RangeLAN2 Utilities .................................................77
The RangeLAN2 Site Survey & Configuration Tool and RL2SETUP . 77
Diagnostics............................................................................................. 77
Site Survey ............................................................................................. 79
Point to Point Site Survey ................................................................... 80
Master Search ......................................................................................... 82
Snoop ..................................................................................................... 83
Configuration Changes.......................................................................... 84
Setting the RangeLAN2 Security ID...................................................... 85
RangeLAN2 Status Monitor .................................................................. 86
B. Glossary ....................................................................88
C. Parameters ................................................................89
D. Specifications............................................................90
E. How to Reach Technical Support ............................91
Index...............................................................................92

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1. Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the RangeLAN2 7420
Series PC Card Wireless LAN Adapter. As with all members of
the RangeLAN2 family, the RangeLAN2 7420 Series PC Card is
a long range, high performance, wireless LAN adapter card with
minimalpower requirements. Settingit apartfromthe
competitionisitsdurabilityandthecapabilityforyoutochoose
the antenna best suited for your host and application.
The RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card was designed to be a “plug-and-
play” product. It provides a choice of antennas designed and
manufactured by Proxim for long range and ease of use. Plug the
adapter into your portable computer’s PCMCIA Type II slot,
attach an antenna, and load the driver. Then you’re connected
withoutwiresto yournetwork’sexistingelectronicmail,printers,
software applications, and other network resources. That’s how
simpleitis!
The RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card supports Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows CE, Windows NT,
Novell NetWare client software, or any DOS-based networking
software that supports ODI or NDIS drivers. Computers with the
RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card installed “look” like standard
network nodes to the operating system.
Today, Proxim is the leading supplier of spread spectrum radio
networkingtechnology for localareaenvironments. Proxim’s
unmatchedspreadspectrumnetworkingexpertise,combinedwith
thecompany’sextensiveexperienceservingthecommunication
needs of the mobile computing user, are some of the reasons why
RangeLAN2 is a market leader and why it has been chosen by
moreOEMintegratorsthanallotheralternativescombined.

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RangeLAN2 7400 Series PC Card Family
The RangeLAN2 7420 Series PC Card is a member of the
RangeLAN2 7400 Series PC Card family that includes the
followingproducts:
❑RangeLAN2 7401 is Proxim’s original 7400 PC Card
that ships with a dipole antenna.
❑RangeLAN2 7402 is Proxim’s original 7400 PC Card
that ships with a snap-on antenna.
❑RangeLAN2 7410 is the RangeLAN2 CE PC Card
designed for use in Windows CE handheld devices. The
7410 ships with a snap-on antenna.
❑RangeLAN2 7421 is a RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card that
ships with a dipole antenna.
❑RangeLAN2 7422 is a RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card that
ships with a snap-on antenna.
❑RangeLAN2 7423 is a RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card that
ships with both a dipole and a snap-on antenna (for
evaluationpurposes).

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The RangeLAN2 Product Line
The RangeLAN2 7420 Series PC Card is part of a line of high-
performanceproductsthatprovidesacompletewireless
networkingsolution,includingthefollowingproducts:
❑RangeLAN2 7100 is a wireless LAN adapter that fits
into a standard PC/AT ISA bus slot.
❑RangeLAN2 7110 is a wireless LAN adapter that fits
into a standard PCI bus slot.
❑RangeLAN2 7510/752x Access Points allow easy
expandibility of a wireless network by increasing range
andfacilitatingmobilityapplications. Operatingatthe
Data Link Layer (layer 2) of the OSI model, the Access
Pointprovidesprotocol-independentaccessfor
RangeLAN2 devices to existing wired Ethernet LANs.
❑RangeLAN2 753x Access Point allows seamless access
for RangeLAN2 devices to existing wired Token Ring
network.
❑RangeLAN2 754x Extension Point extends the cover-
age area of an existing RangeLAN2 network.
❑RangeLAN2 791x Serial Adapter is a wireless serial
device which acts as a replacement for an RS-232 cable.
❑RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter converts any
Ethernet-ready device into a wireless node on a
RangeLAN2 network.

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The Product Package
Each RangeLAN2 7420 package comes with:
❑A standard PC Card (PCMCIA Type II).
❑An antenna unit (a flexible snap-on antenna and/or a
tethered dipole antenna). These antennas work inter-
changeably with the 7420 PC Card, and may be ordered
with the card or separately.
❑Four 3 1/2" disks -- one containing DOS drivers and
utilities, one containing Windows 95 & 98 drivers and
utilities,onecontainingWindows2000 drivers and
utilities, and one containing Windows NT drivers and
utilities.
❑This RangeLAN2 User’s Guide.
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact
yourreseller or Proxim Technical Support.

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R ANGE LAN2 7400
High Performance Wireless LANAdapter for PCMCIA Type II
Equipped Portahles
User's Guide
by proxim
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Figure 1
RangeLAN2 7420 Components
Note:
In addition to the driver diskettes provided, the
RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card also operates in devices
running Windows CE. Devices running Windows CE
3.0 Professional Edition (Windows CE OS 2.11) ship
withtheRangeLAN2driveralreadyinstalled. Inaddi-
tion, users of select devices running Windows CE 2.0
can download the RangeLAN2 driver from Proxim’s
web site at http://www.proxim.com/. A list of compat-
ible devices is available on the web site.

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System Requirements
To begin using the RangeLAN2 7420 Series PC Card, you need
thefollowingminimumrequirements:
❑A computer with a PCMCIA Type II slot. The computer
must have either Card and Socket Services version 2.1 or
higher or an Intel 82365SL or compatible PCMCIA
controllerchip.
❑Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows
NT, Windows CE, or a network operating system that
uses ODI or NDIS drivers like NetWare 3.1x/4.x,
Personal NetWare, or Windows for Workgroups.
❑At least one other RangeLAN2 product installed on the
network.

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2. Installing the RangeLAN2 Hardware
This chapter provides guidelines for installing the RangeLAN2
7420 Series PC Card and antenna. Install the hardware before
installing the network driver software.
Installing the RangeLAN2 7420 Card
The exact installation procedure for the card varies depending on
the model of computer you are using. The computer must have a
Type II PCMCIA slot. Install the RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card by
followingtheinstructions in the hardware manual provided with
your computer for general installation of PCMCIA Type II cards.
After you install the RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card in your com-
puter, you can connect the antenna to the card. There are two
antenna choices for the RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card: the dipole
and the snap-on.
The following figures show a typical installation of the 7420 PC
Card with the dipole antenna and the snap-on antenna in a laptop
computer.
Figure 2
RangeLAN2 7421 Installation with Dipole Antenna

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Figure 3
RangeLAN2 7422 Installation with Snap-On Antenna
Attaching the Snap-On Antenna
The flexible snap-on antenna plugs directly into the PCMCIA
card and extends less than one inch. Attach the antenna’s male
connector to the gold-plated female connector on the card, as
shown in Figure 4 below.
Note that when connecting the antenna to the card, the Proxim
logo on the antenna should be facing the same direction as the
RangeLAN2 label on the card.
Also, it may be easier to install the snap-on antenna to the card
priorto inserting the cardintothe computer’s slot.

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Figure 4
Attaching the Snap-On Antenna
(Back of Card and Back of Antenna Shown)
Detaching the Snap-On Antenna
Proxim recommends that you leave the snap-on antenna attached
to the card at all times to increase connector life. However, you
can remove the antenna by firmly holding the card in one hand
and gently pulling on the antenna with the other.
Attaching the Dipole Antenna
Follow these steps to attach the dipole antenna to the PC Card:
1. Shut down your laptop computer.
2. Locate the antenna connector on the end of the PC Card.
3. Attach the antenna to the PC Card’s antenna connector.

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4. Insert the PC Card into one of your laptop or notebook
computer’s PCMCIA slots. If you cannot identify a PCMCIA
slot, refer to the documentation that came with your PC for
moreinformation.
5. Insert the antenna into the mounting clip included in the
productpackage.
6. Determine the best location for the mounting clip on the
laptop cover. Keep in mind the following considerations:
❑The distance between the clip and the PCMCIA slot
cannot exceed the length of the antenna cable.
❑The cable must have enough slack to allow the antenna
torotate.
❑During operation, the antenna should be mounted verti-
cally and point towards the ceiling.
❑For best results, the antenna shaft should clear the top of
the laptop cover. If necessary, mount the antenna so that
it points diagonally off to the side to clear the laptop
cover.
❑After attaching the clip, you should wait at least 24 hours
beforeattempting to insert,remove, or rotatetheantenna.
Note:
You should position the clip so that the antenna can
successfullyrotateatleast90degreesfromtheupright
position.
7. Remove the protective backing from the mounting clip to
expose the adhesive surface. Attach the mounting clip to the
desired location on the laptop cover, as shown in Figures 5
and 6 below.

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Figure 5
Attaching the Dipole Antenna
Figure 6
The Mounting Clip
(Shown Mounted on a Notebook Cover)

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Storage Position of the Dipole Antenna
When not in use, rotate the antenna 90 degrees for storage.
However, be careful not to rotate the antenna more than 180
degrees in either direction to avoid creating twists or knots in the
antennacable.
Figure 7
Rotating the Dipole Antenna for Storage

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3. Windows Installation Procedure
This chapter describes the installation of the Windows 95, 98,
2000, and NT driver software and utilities once the hardware is
installed.
Installing the Windows 95/98 Drivers & Tools
The RangeLAN2 Windows 95/98 driver installs just as any other
network card driver under Windows 95 or Windows 98.
Note:
During the installation of the RangeLAN2 7420 PC
Card,youmaybe promptedto inserta Windows95or
98CD-ROM,dependingonthe computer’s operating
system, in order to complete the installation. Please
confirmthatyouhaveeithertheWindows95or98CD,
diskettes,orCabinetfilesavailablebeforeproceeding
withthisinstallation.
Windows 98 Installation
If the computer has Windows 98 installed, then the first time you
insert the RangeLAN2 7420 PC Card, the “Add New Hardware
Wizard” will appear as shown below.

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Insert the RangeLAN2 Windows 95/98 driver diskette into the
disk drive and click <Next>. Follow the on-screen instructions to
allow the Add New Hardware Wizard to search for the best driver
forthisdevice.
When prompted, check the box labeled “Floppy disk drives” so
that the wizard will search the disk drive for the RangeLAN2
driver, as shown below.