Proxim RangeLAN2 752 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, ProxLink, 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 LAN Adapter against defects in materials and
workmanship. Proximwillnothonorthiswarrantyiftherehasbeenanyattempt
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 Technical Support 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
ofProxim,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 # 7360.0053
Rev. G

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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
The RangeLAN2 Family .......................................................................... 2
The Product Package................................................................................ 2
System Requirements............................................................................... 4
2. Installing the RangeLAN2 7100 Card.........................5
Default Hardware Settings for I/O Port Address ....................................... 6
Installation of the Card ............................................................................ 7
Antenna Installation................................................................................. 7
3. Windows Installation Procedure ................................9
Installing the Windows 95/98 Drivers & Tools ....................................... 9
Reinstalling the Windows 95/98 Driver ................................................ 17
Installing the Windows 2000 Driver & Tools........................................ 17
Reinstalling the Windows 2000 Driver ................................................. 24
Installing the Windows NT 4.0 Driver & Tools ..................................... 25
Reinstalling the Windows NT 4.0 Driver .............................................. 30
4. DOS Installation .........................................................31
Installing Drivers Using RL2SETUP ..................................................... 31
Installing Drivers Using the NOS Installation ....................................... 32
SettingParameters forODIand NDISDrivers ........................................ 33
ODI-NET.CFG .................................................................................... 33
NDIS-PROTOCOL.INI ....................................................................... 34
5. Wireless Topologies..................................................37
Ad Hoc.................................................................................................... 37
Infrastructure .......................................................................................... 38
Guidelines for Roaming ...................................................................... 42

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6. Understanding RangeLAN2 .....................................43
RangeLAN2SoftwareParameters .......................................................... 43
Station_Type ....................................................................................... 43
Domain................................................................................................. 44
Channel................................................................................................ 45
Subchannel .......................................................................................... 45
Master_Name ....................................................................................... 46
SecurityID ........................................................................................... 46
MAC_Optimize ................................................................................... 47
Roam_Config ...................................................................................... 48
Peer_to_Peer ........................................................................................ 49
Node_Override..................................................................................... 49
7. Performance Hints.....................................................51
Running Large Executable Files Efficiently ......................................... 51
Designating Devices as Masters and Alternate Masters...................... 51
Microwave Ovens .................................................................................. 53
Range ..................................................................................................... 53
8. Troubleshooting ........................................................55
How to Obtain Help with Your LAN Installation .................................. 55
RangeLAN2 7100 LEDs ........................................................................ 55
Commonly Asked Technical Support Questions .................................. 56
Other ....................................................................................................... 58
A. Setting the Dip Switch ..............................................59
Configuration of the RangeLAN2 7100 Card ....................................... 59
I/O Address Configuration ..................................................................... 60

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B. RangeLAN2 Utilities .................................................62
The RangeLAN2 Site Survey & Configuration Tool & RL2SETUP .... 62
Diagnostics............................................................................................. 62
Site Survey ............................................................................................. 64
Point to Point Site Survey ................................................................... 65
Master Search ......................................................................................... 67
Snoop ..................................................................................................... 68
Configuration Changes.......................................................................... 69
Setting the RangeLAN2 Security ID...................................................... 69
RangeLAN2 Status Monitor .................................................................. 70
C. Glossary ....................................................................72
D. Parameters ................................................................73
E. Specifications............................................................74
F. How to Reach Technical Support ............................75
Index...............................................................................76

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1. Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of RangeLAN2 7100, an ISA
bus wireless LAN adapter. As with all members of the
RangeLAN2 family, RangeLAN2 7100 is a long range, high
performance, wireless LAN adapter card that allows your
computer to communicate with other computers on the network
withoutwires.
RangeLAN2 7100 was designed to be easy to use. In most cases,
you can use the default settings and just install the adapter board
into a standard PC/AT bus slot and load the driver — the same
way you are used to installing wired Network Interface Cards
(NICs). Then you're connected without wires to your network's
existingelectronicmail,printers,softwareapplications,andother
network resources. That's how simple it is!
The RangeLAN2 7100 may be placed in Windows 95, Windows
98, Windows 2000, or Windows NT computers, NetWare clients,
or in any network node that supports ODI or NDIS drivers. Your
RangeLAN2 7100 wireless clients “look” like standard network
nodestothe operating system.
Today, Proxim is the leading supplier of spread spectrum radio
networkingtechnology forlocal areaenvironments. Proxim’s
unmatchedspread spectrumnetworking expertiseand the
company'sextensiveexperienceservingthecommunications
needs of the mobile computing user are some of the reasons why
RangeLAN2 is a market leader and why it has been chosen by
moreOEMintegratorsthan allotheralternativescombined.

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The RangeLAN2 Family
RangeLAN2 7100 is part of a family of high-performance
productsthatprovidesacompletewireless networkingsolution.
❑RangeLAN2 7110 is a wireless LAN adapter that fits
into a standard PCI bus slot.
❑RangeLAN2 7400 is a high performance wireless LAN
adapter which fits into a PCMCIA Type II slot on a
notebook,laptop,or pen-based computer.
❑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 into existing wired Ethernet LANs.
❑RangeLAN2 753x Access Point allows seamless access
for RangeLAN2 devices into 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 replaces an RS-232 cable.
❑RangeLAN2 792x Ethernet Adapter converts any
Ethernet-ready device into a wireless node on a
RangeLAN2 network.
The Product Package
Each RangeLAN2 adapter package comes with:

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❑One RangeLAN2 wireless LAN adapter.
❑Four 3 1/2" disks -- one containing DOS drivers and
utilities,one containingWindows 95/98drivers and
utilities,onecontaining Windows2000drivers and
utilities, and one containing Windows NT drivers and
utilities.
❑ One antenna.
❑One RangeLAN2 User’s Guide.
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact your
resellerorProximTechnicalSupport.
Proxim
RangeLAN2 7100
by proxim
2
R ANGE LAN2 7100
Wireless LAN Adapter for ISABus Computers
User's Guide
by proxim
2
Figure 1
RangeLAN2 Components
RangeLAN2 7100 Drivers RangeLAN2 7100 Network
and Utility Diskettes Interface Card
RangeLAN2 7100 Antenna RangeLAN2 7100 Manual

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System Requirements
To begin using your RangeLAN2 7100 adapter, you need the
followingminimumsystemrequirements:
❑A PC/AT computer or 100% compatible with an
availableslot.
❑Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows
NT, 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 7100 Card
The RangeLAN2 7100 has two hardware components: the ISA
card and the antenna. See Figure 2 and Figure 3 respectively.
by proxim
2
Figure 2
RangeLAN2 7100 Card
Figure 3
RangeLAN2 7100 Antenna

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Default Hardware Settings for I/O Port
Address
RangeLAN2 7100 has one bank of dip switches which is used to
set the I/O Port Address. For most installations the RangeLAN2
default I/O Port Address setting of 270 will work. All
RangeLAN2 7100 cards are shipped with this default setting.
Pleaseconfirmthis settingbeforeinstalling theRangeLAN2 card
bymatchingthe diagram below:
by proxim
2
End View
SW1
On
Red LED
acting as master when on
Green LED
carrier detect
Yellow LED
synched to master
Yellow LED
TX
Figure 4
Default Switch Setting for the RangeLAN2 7100 Card
At this point, you should determine if you will have a hardware
conflict at I/O Port Address 270. If so, you will need to change
the I/O Port Address by modifying the dip switch setting of the
RangeLAN2 7100 card and changing the software driver setting.
Appendix A describes how to modify the I/O Base Address
switchsetting.

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Installation of the Card
After setting the I/O Port Address, you are ready to install the
card. The card may be placed in either a 16-bit ISA-bus slot or an
8-bit ISA-bus slot in your computer.
1. Turn off your computer and unplug it from the wall outlet
forsafety.
2. Remove the computer cover.
3. Locate an unused ISA slot and use a screwdriver to remove
the retaining screw. Remove the metal slot cover.
4. Align the RangeLAN2 card over the slot and insert it firmly
intotheslot.
5. Use the screw from the slot cover to secure the card’s metal
bracketto thecomputer.
6. Replacethecomputer cover.
7. Plug the computer back into the wall outlet.
Antenna Installation
1. Locate the antenna connector of the RangeLAN2 7100 at
the back of your computer as shown in Figure 5 below.
2. Firmly screw the end of the RangeLAN2 antenna cable
onto the connector in a clockwise motion. Place the antenna
on top of your desk or computer.

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Note:
FCC regulations mandate that the RangeLAN2 7100
antenna not be alterable. Therefore, the RangeLAN2
7100 Card uses a custom antenna connector. Do not
attemptto usea differentantennaoryoumay damage
the connector and the card.
Figure 5
Attachment of the RangeLAN2 7100 Antenna

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3. Windows Installation Procedure
Thischapterdescribes the installationof the Windows 95/98,
2000, and NT software drivers and utilities once the hardware has
been installed as described in Chapter 2.
Installing the Windows 95/98 Drivers & Tools
The RangeLAN2 7100 ISA adapter is not a plug and play device.
Once the hardware is installed, it will not be automatically de-
tected by Windows 95 or Windows 98.
To install the RangeLAN2 Windows 95/98 driver, go to the
Network icon located in the Control Panel, as shown below.

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Click the <Add> button to display the “Select Network Compo-
nent Type” screen.
Highlight “Adapter” and click the <Add>button, as shown
above. Windows 95 or 98 will build a list of compatible network
adapters. Click the <Have Disk> button which appears in the
lower right hand corner of this list.
Insert the Windows 95/98 driver diskette when prompted. A list
ofcompatibleProxim devices willappear. Select “Proxim
RangeLAN2 7100 ISA Adapter” from the list. Click <OK> to
return to the “Network” screen.
If you already have existing network components installed when
loading the RangeLAN2 Windows 95/98 driver, the 7100 adapter
will bind to the existing networking client and protocols and add
Client for Microsoft Networks and the TCP/IP protocol, if they
are not already loaded. If no network components exist before the
RangeLAN2 driver is installed, the driver will add Client for
Microsoft Networks and the TCP/IP protocol, as shown below.

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Theinstallationprocedure will alsoadd a protocolcalled
RL2API. This protocol is required for the RangeLAN2 Utilities
to run in Windows 95 or Windows 98.
Add any additional network components required by your net-
work (such as the NetBEUI protocol or File and Printer Sharing),

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and click <OK>. You will be prompted to choose a “Configura-
tion Type” for the 7100 adapter. Select “Basic Configuration 0”
and click <OK> to complete the installation.
Note that during the installation, you may be prompted to insert
the Windows 95 or 98 CD-ROM so that the installation can copy
certain Windows networking files. If you have the CD available,
insert it into the CD-ROM drive when prompted.
If you do not have a CD-ROM drive or do not have the Windows
95 or 98 CD available, it is possible that the computer has Win-
dowscabinetfiles (CABS) alreadyinstalled.
If the computer has the Windows CABS files on its hard drive,
point the installation program to the Windows CABS directory,
which is typically located in C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS,”
as shown below.
Restart the computer when prompted to do so. After the com-
puter restarts, the RangeLAN2 Windows 95/98 driver should be
loadedsuccessfully.

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To confirm that the driver has been loaded correctly, open the
Device Manger located in the System icon and look for the
“Proxim RangeLAN2 7100 ISA Adapter” entry under the Net-
work Adapters category, as shown below.
Double-click on the entry to view the properties for the card. The
Device Status for the card should read: “This device is working
properly.”

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If the RangeLAN2 7100 ISA Adapter entry has an “!” or an “X”
next to its description, as shown below, then the card did not
installproperly.
Most likely, the card has a resource conflict and is trying to use an
Interrupt Request (IRQ) or I/O Base Address which is either
already in use or not available for use by the card. Double-click
the “Computer” entry in the Device Manager to view the list of