Proxim orinoco series User manual

ORiNOCO Wireless
Client
User Guide

ORiNOCO Wireless Client User Guide
Copyright and Trademarks
Copyright
2004 Proxim Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA. All rights reserved. Covered by one or more of the following U.S.
patents: 5,231,634; 5,875,179; 6,006,090; 5,809,060; 6,075,812; 5,077,753. This user guide 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 Corporation.
Trademarks
ORiNOCO is a registered trademark, 2X, Proxim, and the Proxim logo are trademarks of Proxim Corporation. All
other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
67875/1

ORiNOCO Wireless Client User Guide
Table of Content
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................5
1-1 INTRODUCING THE ORINOCO WIRELESS CLIENT ...............................................................5
1-2 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORINOCO 802.11 WIRELESS CLIENT PRODUCTS .......................6
1-3 USING A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK ..........................................................................7
1-4 PRODUCT PACKAGE ..................................................................................................................7
1-5 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS .....................................................................8
1-5-2 INTEROPERABILITY.............................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION..................................................................................................11
2-1 PRE-INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS ..................................................................................11
2-2 WINDOWS ME AND WINDOWS 98 SE INSTALLATION CD REQUIREMENT .........................12
2-3 PROXIM CLIENT UTILITY INSTALLATION .............................................................................12
2-4 PROXIM CLIENT UTILITY MAJOR UPGRADE ........................................................................22
CHAPTER 3 WIRELESS TOPOLOGIES ................................................................................23
3-1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................23
3-2 PEER-TO-PEER GROUP ...........................................................................................................23
3-3 ACCESS POINT INFRASTRUCTURE .........................................................................................24
CHAPTER 4 PROXIM CLIENT UTILITY CONFIGURATION ..........................................28
4-1 PROXIM CLIENT UTILITY ICON..............................................................................................28
4-2 CURRENT STATUS TAB ............................................................................................................29
4-3 PROFILE MANAGEMENT.........................................................................................................31
4-4 DIAGNOSTIC TAB ....................................................................................................................52
4-5 ACTION MENU .........................................................................................................................54
4-6 CONFIGURING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORKING SETTINGS WITH WINDOWS XP ...............55
CHAPTER 5 TROUBLESHOOTING .......................................................................................57
5-1 HOW TO OBTAIN HELP WITH YOUR LAN INSTALLATION ...................................................57
5-2 COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS ....................................................................................57
5-3 CONFIGURING NETWORKING CLIENTS AND PROTOCOLS....................................................58
5-4 UNINSTALLING AN ORINOCO WIRELESS CLIENT ..............................................................59
5-5 RANGE .....................................................................................................................................62
5-6 LED INDICATORS....................................................................................................................62

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5-7 COMMON TECHNICAL SUPPORT QUESTIONS........................................................................63
APPENDIX A - SPECIFICATIONS ..........................................................................................65
A-1 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................65
APPENDIX B WARRANTY AND REGULATORY INFORMATION .................................69
B-1 LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY........................................69
B-2 REGULATORY INFORMATION ................................................................................................70
APPENDIX C TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND GLOSSARY ..................................................73
C-1 TECHNICAL SUPPORT CONTACT INFORMATION ..................................................................73
C-2 GLOSSARY ..............................................................................................................................75

ORiNOCO Wireless Client User Guide
Chapter 1 Installation 5
1
Chapter 1 Introduction
1-1 Introducing the ORiNOCO Wireless Client
Congratulations on your purchase of an ORiNOCO Wireless Client, a high performance wireless
LAN adapter card that complies with the IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and/or 802.11g wireless
standards. (Standards support varies by client product)
This user manual covers the following ORiNOCO Wireless Client products:
z ORiNOCO 11a/b/g ComboCard
z ORiNOCO 11b/g PC Card
z ORiNOCO 11a/b/g PCI Card
The basic installation and client utility setting described in the following chapters can be applied
to all three products; only some of the specifications are different. These differences are
explained later in this chapter.
The ORiNOCO Wireless Client supports Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium
Edition (ME), and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE). Computers with an ORiNOCO Wireless
Client installed “look” like standard network nodes to the operating system.
The ORiNOCO Wireless Client can be used with other 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g devices to
form a stand-alone wireless Peer-to-Peer Group*or used in conjunction with an Access Point
infrastructure to provide mobile clients with wireless access to an Ethernet network.
Proxim is a leading manufacturer of wireless networking equipment. Proxim’s unmatched
expertise in radio networking technology, combined with the company’s extensive experience
serving the communication needs of the mobile computing user, have kept Proxim at the
forefront of the wireless Local Area Networking (LAN) market.

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*Available features vary by region/country.
1-2 Differences Between ORiNOCO 802.11 Wireless Client Products
This user guide covers the installation and operation of the following ORiNOCO Wireless Client
products:
z ORiNOCO 11a/b/g ComboCard
z ORiNOCO 11b/g PC Card
z ORiNOCO 11a/b/g PCI Card
Refer to the table below for differences between the two products. For more specification details,
please go to A-1 Technical Specifications
Table 1-1 Comparison list of Proxim Wireless Client
Support
11a/b/g
ComboCard
11b/g PC Card 11a/b/g PCI
Adapter
802.11a X X
802.11b X X X
802.11g X X X
Fastest Radio
Data Rate 54Mbps
5.4 GHz & 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz only 5.4 GHz & 2.4 GHz
802.11a 2X Turbo Only supported in
US
Only supported in
US
Radio Type OFDM & DSSS OFDM & DSSS OFDM & DSSS
System Interface Card Bus for
laptop
Card Bus for
laptop
Peripheral
Component
Interconnect (PCI)
Network
Architecture Types
Infrastructure and
Ad-Hoc
Infrastructure and
Ad-Hoc
Infrastructure and
Ad-Hoc
Xmeans “supported”.
The installation and configuration procedure is the same for all of the ORiNOCO Wireless Client

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products. During installation, all three products are referred to as an “802.11 Wireless Client.”
1-3 Using a Wireless Local Area Network
A wireless LAN provides the same functionality of a wired network, but it eliminates the need to
install networking cables and other networking equipment. Not only is a wireless LAN easier to
deploy, but it also allows for mobility through “roaming.” For example, the ORiNOCO 11a/b/g
ComboCard can roam from a conference room to an office without being disconnected from the
network.
1-4 Product Package
Each ORiNOCO Wireless Client comes with the following:
1. One Gold or Silver ORiNOCO Wireless Client
z All models include two integral antennas (antennas are inside the casing and not visible
to the user)
z ORiNOCO 11a/b/g ComboCard:
z Gold model: 8480
z Silver model: 8481
z ORiNOCO 11b/g PC Card:
z Gold model: 8470
z Silver model: 8471
z ORiNOCO 11a/b/g PCI Card
z Gold Model only: 8482
2. One ORiNOCO Installation CD-ROM containing software and utilities and this user guide in
Portable Document Format (PDF)
3. One ORiNOCO Wireless Client Quick Start Guide
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact your reseller or ORiNOCO
Technical Support (see C-1 Technical Support Contact Information for contact information).

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1-5 System Requirements and Specifications
To begin using an ORiNOCO Wireless Client, you must have the following minimum
requirements:
1. A computer that meets the following specifications:
zWindows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), or Windows 98 Second
Edition (SE) installed
zPC Card expansion slot (32-bit CardBus) for ORiNOCO 11a/b/g ComboCard and
ORiNOCO 11b/g PC Card
z32-bit PCI bus slot on your desktop for the ORiNOCO 11a/b/g PCI Card.
zAt least 64 MB of memory
zA 300 MHz processor or higher
2. At least one other IEEE 802.11a-compliant, 802.11b-compliant or 802.11g-compliant device:
zCustomers in Europe who want to use the card in 802.11a mode need an
802.11a-compliant Access Point that supports Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS);
802.11a Peer-to-Peer Groups are not available in Europe (see the user documentation
that came with your 802.11a Access Point for details).
1-5-1 The IEEE 802.11 Specifications
In 1997, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) adopted the 802.11 standard
for wireless devices operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. This standard includes provisions
for three radio technologies: direct sequence spread spectrum, frequency hopping spread
spectrum, and infrared. Devices that comply with the 802.11 standard operate at a data rate of
either 1 or 2 Mbps.
In 1999, the IEEE modified the 802.11 standard to support direct sequence devices that can
operate at speeds of up to 11 Mbps. The IEEE ratified this standard as 802.11b. 802.11b devices
are backwards compatible with 2.4 GHz 802.11 direct sequence devices (that operate at 1 or
2 Mbps).
Also in 1999, the IEEE modified the 802.11 standard to support devices operating in the 5 GHz
frequency band. This standard is referred to as 802.11a. 802.11a devices are not backward
compatible with 2.4 GHz 802.11 or 802.11b devices. 802.11a radios use a radio technology
called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to achieve data rates of up to 54
Mbps. In addition, ORiNOCO Wireless Clients that support the 802.11a standard also support

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Proxim’s 2XTM Turbo mode. This mode is not part of the IEEE 802.11a standard but delivers data
rates of up to 108 Mbps. Note that 2X Turbo mode is only available in the FCC regulatory domain
(e.g., the United States).
In 2003, the IEEE ratified the 802.11g standard. This standard delivers the same 54Mbps
maximum data rate as 802.11a, yet it offers an additional and compelling advantage-backward
compatibility with 802.11b equipment. This means that 802.11b client cards will work with
802.11g access points, and 802.11g client cards will work with 802.11b access points. Note that
802.11b products cannot be upgraded to support 802.11g since the 802.11g radios use a
different chipset than 802.11b devices. However, 802.11g products and 802.11b products can
work in the same network. Because 802.11g and 802.11b operate in the same unlicensed band,
the two standards share the same three channels, which can limit wireless capacity and
scalability.
Since 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11d and 802.11g are based on the same common standard (IEEE
802.11), 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g devices have many of the same parameters. This user
guide uses the generic term 802.11 to refer to parameters that apply to 802.11a, 802.11b and
802.11g devices.
An 802.11a device and an 11b/g device cannot communicate with
each other. Also, a device in 802.11a 2X mode and a device
operating in 802.11a mode (2X mode disabled) cannot
communicate.
In addition to the three standards above, the IEEE 802.11 committee has also ratified the
802.11d standard. When 802.11 first became available, only a handful of regulatory domains
(e.g., U.S., Europe, and Japan) had rules in place for the operation of 802.11 wireless LANs. In
order to support a widespread adoption of 802.11, the IEEE committee created the 802.11d task
group to define an operational procedure that satisfies the regulatory requirements within all
countries. This is especially important for operation in the 5GHz bands because the use of these
frequencies differ widely from one country to another.
802.11d is a “regulatory domain update.” The idea behind 802.11d is that the wireless Access
Point (AP) can tell a client in what country it is located and what operating channels and transmit
power levels are legal in that country. In some countries, wireless LANs in the 802.11-defined
bands are not legal. With 802.11d, in theory, an Access Point could describe the “legal”
configuration to wireless clients so that wireless LANs could be deployed in those countries.
The ORiNOCO Wireless Client supports the 802.11d standard. Note that this standard does not

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have a direct visible impact on end user operation because it primarily applies to companies
developing 802.11 products.
1-5-2 Interoperability
The Wi-Fi standard certified at 5 GHz ensures the wireless interoperability with other Wi-Fi
(802.11a) certified devices.
The Wi-Fi standard certified at 2.4 GHz ensure the wireless interoperability with other Wi-Fi
(802.11b) certified devices.
1-5-3 Security
The ORiNOCO Wireless Client supports the following security standards (features vary based
on model):
z Cisco Client Extension compatibility (including LEAP)
z Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption using 64 bit, 128 bit or 152 bit encryption
z AES-CCM Encryption support
z Support for Windows 802.1x supplicants
z Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption using PassPhrase (text string with at least 8 to 63
characters, it can be any combination of letters, numbers and other characters).
1-5-4 Differences Between Gold and Silver Models
z The Silver model supports 64 bit and 128 bit WEP encryption; the Gold model supports 64
bit, 128 bit and 152 bit WEP encryption.
z The Silver model supports two user profiles; the Gold model supports an unlimited number
of profiles.
z The Gold model supports Transmit Power Control; the Silver model does not support
Transmit Power Control.

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2
Chapter 2 Installation
This chapter describes how to install an ORiNOCO Wireless Client and software in a computer
running Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), or Windows 98 Second
Edition (SE).
Note for Windows XP Users: The Windows XP operating system has a built-in feature known
as “Wireless Zero Configuration” which has the capability to configure and control the ORiNOCO
Wireless Client (see 4-6 Configuring Your Wireless Networking Settings with Windows XP).
Installing the Wireless LAN Client utility will disable this Windows XP feature.
2-1 Pre-installation Considerations
Review the following pre-installation consideration before installing an ORiNOCO Wireless
Client.
The ORiNOCO Wireless Client must comply with the EMI requirement of the followings:
Emission
802.11a
 North America FCC Part 15b, Part 15e
 Europe EN 300 836(Hiplan1), 839(hiplan2), EMC301 489-1, EN301 489-17
 Japan TELEC STD-72
802.11g
 North America FCC Part 15b, Part 15c
 Europe EN 301 893
 Japan TELEC STD –33, STD- 66

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Safety Requirements
 North America UL 60950 Ver.3 for USA, CSA C22.2 for Canada
 Europe EN 60950
ESD Requirement
ORiNOCO Wireless Client must withstand 15KV test voltage of electrostatic discharge under
operational conditions.
2-2 Windows ME and Windows 98 SE Installation CD Requirement
Before beginning the installation of an ORiNOCO Wireless Client, confirm that you have a
Windows 98 SE or Windows ME installation CD available (depending on the computer’s
operating system). Windows 98/ME users may be prompted to insert a Windows CD during the
installation. You should not need a Windows CD when installing the card in a Windows XP or
Windows 2000 computer.
If you do not have a Windows 98/ME CD, it is possible that you already have the Windows
installation files on your hard drive. These Windows installation files are known as Windows
Cabinet or CAB files. The Cabinet files are commonly located at:
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\INSTALL\ or C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS\.
Windows 98/ME users may need the Windows CD or Cabinet
files to complete the installation of an ORiNOCO Wireless Client.
Proxim recommends that you do not proceed with the installation
until you have confirmed that you have one of these Windows
installation media available.
2-3 Proxim Client Utility Installation
The instructions below describe how to install an ORiNOCO Wireless Client by running the
ORiNOCO Installation program before inserting the card into the computer. It is recommended
that you insert the card after the setup and configuration procedure is completed.
Follow these steps to install an ORiNOCO Wireless Client in a Window 98 SE, Windows ME,

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Windows 2000, or Windows XP computer.
1. Turn on the computer and logon to Windows, if applicable.
2. Insert the ORiNOCO Installation CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive.
3. If the ORiNOCO Installation program does not launch automatically, run SETUP.EXE from the
ORiNOCO Installation CD to launch the program.
4. Click Next on the Software Setup Welcome dialog box as shown in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Setup “Welcome” Dialog Box
5. The License Agreement screen appears. Click Yes to continue.

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Figure 2-2 License Agreement for the Installation of the ORiNOCO Wireless Client

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6. Once you see the Setup Type dialog, please choose setup type, and then click Next button to
continue. There are 3 choices:
-Install Driver and ORiNOCO 802.11 Wireless Utility: installs both driver and wireless
configuration utility onto your system.
-Install Driver Only: Install driver into your system only. If you install ORiNOCO Wireless
Adapter on Windows XP, you can choose this item. After the installation, you can
configure connection settings from Windows Zero Configuration, however; you can’t use
PEAP, LEAP, WPA-PSK since no supplicant is installed.
-Install ORiNOCO 802.11 Wireless Utility Only: Installs ORiNOCO 802.11 Wireless Utility into
your system, and no any driver will be copied. Unless you have other 3rd-party provided
driver, you should not select this item.
Fig 2-3 Choose Setup Type to meet your configuration
7. Choose a destination location for the ORiNOCO Wireless Client installation files. You may use
the default path or click Browse to specify a different location. After you are done, click the
Next button.

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Figure 2-4 Choose Destination for Installation
8. Select Program Folder.
Setup will then ask you to select a folder name for ORiNOCO 802.11 Wireless Client. You can
accept the default setting, or enter another folder name as you wish.

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Figure 2-5 Select Program Folder in this dialog
9. Please be patient while the software is installed on your computer.

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Figure 2-6 Software Setup in Process
10. Click Finish to close the Software Setup wizard when prompted.

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Figure 2-7 Installation Completed
The Proxim Client Utility will be automatically loaded each time
your computer starts. To access the utility, click the Proxim Client
Utility icon in the Windows Taskbar.
11. Insert the ORiNOCO Wireless Client into your laptop’s PC Card slot. This process applies only
to ORiNOCO ORiNOCO 11a/b/g ComboCard, and ORiNOCO b/g PC Card.

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Figure 2-8 Insert the ORiNOCO Wireless Client into the Laptop
12. To insert the ORiNOCO 11a/b/g PCI Card, first shut down your computer and unplug the
power cable from the power outlet.
13. Remove the computer cover according to the instructions provided by the computer’s
manufacturer. Touch the metal chassis of your computer to avoid damage caused by
electrostatic discharge.
Figure 2-9 Remove the Computer Cover to Introduce the PCI Card
14. Select a PCI bus slot and remove the metal filler strip. Feed the external antenna and cable
through the PCI slot and out the back of the computer.
15. Insert the card into the PCI slot and secure it in place (refer to the PC’s user documentation for
details).