Proxim ORiNOCO User manual

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User Guide for the
ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard

2
Copyright
© 2002 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’s 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, and Harmony, 2X, Proxim, and the Proxim logo are trademarks of
Proxim Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard User’s Guide
Part # 62564
Rev. 02
11_02

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ORiNOCO ComboCard User’s Guide
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Introducing the ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Product Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The IEEE 802.11 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Pre-installation Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
U.S. Regulatory Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
FCC Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Radio Frequency Interference Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Windows ME and Windows 98 SE Installation CD Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Note to Customers Using a Laptop Without a CD-ROM Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Note to Customers Who Already Have Harmony 802.11a Software Installed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installation Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Related Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3 Wireless Topologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Peer-to-Peer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Access Point Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Connecting to a Single AP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Roaming Between Multiple APs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Guidelines for Roaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4 Configuration Utility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Status Monitor Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Configuration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Association Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Note to Windows XP Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Basic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Site Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Refresh List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Snoop Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Associate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Packet Transmission Success Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
How to Obtain Help with Your LAN Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Common Installation Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Card Inserted Before Running the Installation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Card Not Listed in Device Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Card Not Installed Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Configuring Networking Clients and Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Windows XP/2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Windows ME/98 SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Uninstalling an ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
LED Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Common Technical Support Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
A Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
B Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
C Warranty and Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Limited Warranty, Disclaimer, Limitation Of Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Warranty Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
FCC WARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
European Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Japanese Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Product Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

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1
Introduction
In This Chapter
•Introducing the ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard
•The Product Package
•System Requirements
•The IEEE 802.11 Specifications
Introducing the ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard
Congratulations on your purchase of an ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard, a high performance wireless LAN adapter
card that complies with the IEEE 802.11a and 802.11b wireless standards. This means that the card is interoperable
with IEEE 802.11a and 802.11b equipment from any manufacturer. The card cannot use both standards
simultaneously but it can automatically switch between the two. In addition, the card supports 802.11a 2X mode*,
which provides data rates of up to 108 Mbps.
The ORiNOCO ComboCard supports Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), and Windows
98 Second Edition (SE). Computers with an ORiNOCO ComboCard installed “look” like standard network nodes to the
operating system.
The ORiNOCO ComboCard can be used with other 802.11a or 802.11b 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.
*Available features vary by region/country.
The Product Package
Each ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard comes with the following:
•OneGold Model 8460 or Silver Model 8461 ORiNOCO ComboCard
• The Gold card provides the following features that are not included with the Silver card:
— Supports Harmony Key Management (also known as the Harmony Security Protocol)
— Includes Boingo Wireless Software
• Both models include two integral antennas (antennas are inside the casing and not visible to the user)
• One ORiNOCO Installation CD-ROM containing software and utilities and this user’s guide in Portable Document
Format (PDF)
•One
ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard Quick Start Guide
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact your reseller or ORiNOCO Technical Support (see
“Technical Support”on page 58 for contact information).

Introduction
6
System Requirements
To begin using an ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard, you must have the following minimum requirements:
•A computer that meets the following specifications:
•Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), or Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) installed
•PC Card expansion slot (32-bit CardBus)
•At least 64 MB of memory
•A 300 MHz processor or higher
•At least one other IEEE 802.11a-compliant or 802.11b-compliant device
•Customers in Europe who want to use the card in 802.11a mode need an 802.11a-compliant Access Point
(Peer-to-Peer Groups are not available in Europe)
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 backwards 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.
Since both 802.11a and 802.11b are based on the same common standard (IEEE 802.11), 802.11a and 802.11b
devices have many of the same parameters. This user’s guide uses the generic term 802.11 to refer to parameters that
apply to both 802.11a and 802.11b devices.
In addition to supporting 802.11a and 802.11b mode, the ORiNOCO ComboCard supports a third operating mode:
2XTM mode. 2X mode is an extension of the 802.11a standard that allows data rates of up to 108 Mbps; the ORiNOCO
Utility refers to this mode as 802.11a 2X; other products, such as the ORiNOCO AP-2000, refer to this mode as Turbo
mode. Note that 2X mode is not part of the 802.11a standard (so devices using this mode from different vendors may
not necessarily be interoperable with each other), and 2X mode is not available in all countries.
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An 802.11a device and an 802.11b 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.

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2
Installation
In This Chapter
This chapter describes how to install an ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard and software in a computer running
Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), or Windows 98 Second Edition (SE).
•Pre-installation Considerations
•Installation Instructions
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Run the ORiNOCO Installation program before installing the ORiNOCO ComboCard in the computer.
Pre-installation Considerations
Review the following pre-installation considerations before installing an ORiNOCO ComboCard.
U.S. Regulatory Warnings
FCC Guidelines
This device has been tested for compliance with FCC RF Exposure (SAR) limits in a typical laptop configuration with a
PCMCIA slot on either the right or left side of the laptop.
In order to comply with the SAR limit established in the ANSI C95.1 standard, it is recommended when using a
PC card adapter that the integrated antenna is positioned more than 2.5 centimeters from nearby persons during
extended periods of operation. If the antenna is positioned less than 2.5 centimeters from nearby persons, it is
recommended that the user limit exposure time.
This device and its antenna must not be co-located or operated in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
Radio Frequency Interference Requirements
The ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard, Models 8460 and 8461, operates in multiple frequency ranges including the
5.15 to 5.35 GHz band (when in 802.11a or 802.11a 2X mode); the device is restricted to indoor use due to their
operation in the 5.15 to 5.25 GHz frequency range. FCC 15.407(e) requires that these devices be used indoors in the
frequency range of 5.15 to 5.25 GHz to reduce the potential or harmful interference to co-channel Mobile Satellite
systems. Therefore the devices should be used indoor only for channel 36, 40, 44, and 48 and when in 802.11a 2X
mode, channel 42 and 50.
High power radars are allocated as primary users of the 5.25 to 5.35 GHz and 5.725 to 5.850 GHz band. These radar
stations can cause interference with and/or damage the ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard.
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We, Proxim Corporation,
935 Stewart Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94085 USA
408-731-2700
declare under our sole responsibility that the ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard, Models 8460 and 8461, complies with
Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to 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.

Installation
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Windows ME and Windows 98 SE Installation CD Requirement
Before beginning the installation of an ORiNOCO ComboCard, 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 in
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\INSTALL\ or C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS\ .
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Windows 98/ME users may need the Windows CD or Cabinet files to complete the installation of an
ORiNOCO ComboCard. Proxim recommends that you do not proceed with the installation until you have
confirmed that you have one of these Windows installation media available.
Note to Customers Using a Laptop Without a CD-ROM Drive
If you are installing the ORiNOCO ComboCard in a laptop that does not have a CD-ROM drive or if your CD-ROM
drive is an external device that shares a single CardBus slot with network adapter cards, you should follow the steps
below prior to installing the card:
1. Windows 98/ME users: Confirm that the Windows cabinet (CAB) files are installed on the computer. The CAB files
are typically located in
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\INSTALL\ or C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS\ .
2. Windows 98/ME users: If the computer does not have the CAB files installed, copy the
Win98 or Win9x folder
found on the Windows CD-ROM to a temporary folder on the computer.
3. Copy the contents of the ORiNOCO Installation CD-ROM to a temporary folder on the computer. Alternatively, you
may download the software at
http://www.proxim.com or http://www.orinocowireless.com.
4. Follow the installation instructions contained in this chapter. When the instructions call for either the Windows CD
or the ORiNOCO Installation CD, search the CAB files or the temporary folders you created in Steps #2 and 3.
5. When the installation is complete, remove the temporary folders you created in Steps #2 and 3 from the
computer’s hard drive.
Note to Customers Who Already Have Harmony 802.11a Software Installed
The ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard’s software and utility cannot be installed on a computer that is already running
the Harmony 802.11a Utility. If your computer already has the Harmony 802.11a Utility installed, the ORiNOCO 802.11
Setup program will detect the Harmony 802.11a software during installation and prompt you to authorize the removal
of the Harmony 802.11a software, as shown in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Harmony 802.11a Software Detected
If you click Yes to proceed with ORiNOCO installation, the ORiNOCO Setup program will automatically remove the
Harmony 802.11a Utility. If you select No, the ORiNOCO Setup program will close, and the ORiNOCO ComboCard will
not be installed.
After installing the ORiNOCO software, the Harmony 802.11a card will continue to function in the computer but you will
use the ORiNOCO Utility rather than the Harmony 802.11a Utility to configure it.
If you later want to return to the Harmony 802.11a Utility, you will need to uninstall the ORiNOCO software and reinstall
the Harmony 802.11a software.

Installation
9
Installation Instructions
The instructions below describe how to install an ORiNOCO ComboCard by running the ORiNOCO Installation
program before inserting the card into the computer. If you inserted the card before running the ORiNOCO Installation
program, see “Card Inserted Before Running the Installation Program”on page 50 for instructions.
Follow these steps to install an ORiNOCO ComboCard in a Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, 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, which is shown in Figure 2-2.
Figure 2-2 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Welcome Screen
4. Click Next to continue.
5. Select a destination folder for the ORiNOCO Utility files and click Next to continue.

Installation
10
Figure 2-3 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Choose Destination Location Screen
6. Enter a name for the utility’s Program Manager group and click Next. This is the name that will appear under the
Windows Start menu (under Start > Programs).
Figure 2-4 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Select Program Manager Group Screen

Installation
11
7. Click Next to install the utility.
Figure 2-5 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Start Installation Screen
8. If prompted that a Harmony 802.11a Installation has been found on your computer, click Yes to uninstall it and
continue with the ORiNOCO Installation. After installation, you will be able to use a Harmony 802.11a card with the
ORiNOCO Utility. See “Note to Customers Who Already Have Harmony 802.11a Software Installed”on page 8 for
more information.
9. When prompted, click OK to review the README file.
Figure 2-6 ORiNOCO Installation Program – README Prompt
10. Close the README file when finished.
11. Select installation options and click Finish. The Boingo software option only appears when installing a Gold card.
•Leave the Read ORiNOCO configuration instructions option checked to view information about the
ORiNOCO Utility.
•Gold Card users: Leave the Install Boingo Software option checked to add Boingo Wireless Software to
your computer. Boingo is an easy-to-use service that provides wireless Internet access in hundreds of hot spot
locations, such as airports, hotels, convention centers, and cafes. See http://www.boingo.com for more
information.

Installation
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Figure 2-7 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Utility Installation Complete Screen (Gold Card Installation)
12. If you left the Read ORiNOCO configuration instructions option checked, review the information that describes
the ORiNOCO Status Monitor and click Finish to continue.
Figure 2-8 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Instructions Screen

Installation
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13. Click OK to begin the ORiNOCO ComboCard’s driver installation.
Figure 2-9 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Driver Install Screen
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Windows 2000/XP users: If prompted that the software is not Microsoft-certified, click Yes or Continue
Anyway to continue the installation. The software is fully compatible with Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
14. Insert the card into the computer’s CardBus slot when prompted by the ORiNOCO Device Setup screen, shown in
Figure 2-10.
Figure 2-10 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Device Setup Screen
15. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the card. Note the following:
•If prompted to identify the location of the file
Prox11ab.sys or Ntpr11ab.cat , direct the installation wizard to
search the ORiNOCO Installation CD.
•Windows XP users: If prompted, select Install the software automatically (Recommended) and click Next.
•Windows 2000/XP users: If prompted that the software is not Microsoft-certified, click Yes or Continue
Anyway to continue the installation. The software is fully compatible with Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
•Windows 98/ME users: Insert the Windows installation CD if prompted. If you do not have a Windows
installation CD, see “Windows ME and Windows 98 SE Installation CD Requirement”on page 8.

Installation
14
16. Click Close when prompted that the ORiNOCO ComboCard has been successfully installed.
Figure 2-11 ORiNOCO Installation Program – Card Successfully Installed
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If the ORiNOCO Device Setup program or Windows Networking reports that the card has not been properly
configured, follow the on-screen instructions and refer to “Troubleshooting”beginning on page 50 for
suggestions.
17. Gold Card users: If you left the Install Boingo Software option checked, the Boingo installer will launch
automatically. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
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If you are a Boingo customer and are having problems using the Boingo software, contact Boingo Technical
Support for assistance at 1-800-880-4117 or [e-mail]. See http://www.boingo.com for more
information.
18. The ORiNOCO Utility’s Status Monitor icon will appear in Windows Taskbar, as shown in Figure 2-12.
Figure 2-12 Status Monitor Icon: Associated with an 802.11b Network
19. The ORiNOCO ComboCard is now ready for use. The card will automatically search for an 802.11a or 802.11b
network to communicate with. Use the ORiNOCO Utility (described in “Configuration Utility”beginning on page 20)
to configure the card.
•Windows XP users: You may need to enable the ORiNOCO Utility’s configuration parameters before you can
use the utility to change the card’s settings. See “Note to Windows XP Users”on page 23 for details.
If you have one or more 802.11a and/or 802.11b Access Points, configure the card’s Network Type to Access Point.
If your network consists of only 802.11a client adapters or 802.11b client adapters, set Network Type to Peer-to-Peer
Group.
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ORiNOCO ComboCards sold in Europe do not support Peer-to-Peer Group when in 802.11a mode.
For more information on Peer-to-Peer Groups and Access Point networks, see “Wireless Topologies”beginning on
page 16 and “Network Type”on page 24.

Installation
15
Related Topics
•Refer to “Configuration Utility”beginning on page 20 for information on the card’s configuration parameters and for
information on how to use the ORiNOCO Utility.
•See “Configuring Networking Clients and Protocols”on page 51 for information on how to configure networking
protocols like TCP/IP (so you can configure the card’s IP settings).

16
3
Wireless Topologies
In This Chapter
ORiNOCO wireless products look and operate similar to Ethernet products. The only difference is that a radio replaces
the wire between communicating devices. This means that all of your existing applications that operate over Ethernet
will work with the ORiNOCO ComboCard without any special wireless networking software.
The ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard supports several network topologies, which are described in this chapter.
•Peer-to-Peer Group
•Access Point Infrastructure
Peer-to-Peer Group
Two or more computers easily establish a peer-to-peer group (also known as an Ad Hoc network) when the units are
in range of each other. Each computer can dynamically connect and reconnect to the others with no additional
configuration, using off-the-shelf peer-to-peer network operating systems, as illustrated in Figure 3-1.
Figure 3-1 Peer-to-Peer Group
The ORiNOCO ComboCard can communicate with either an 802.11a or an 802.11b Peer-to-Peer Group (but it can not
dynamically switch between the two). Therefore, you must manually configure the card to use one radio mode or the
other. Follow these steps to configure the card as a member of a Peer-to-Peer Group:
1. Launch the ORiNOCO Utility and select the Configuration tab.
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You may want to create a new Profile before continuing. Profiles let you easily switch between pre-configured
network so you can change the card’s settings with a single mouse click. See “Profiles”on page 39 for more
information.
2. Select the Basic tab on the left-hand side of the screen (if necessary).
3. Set Network Type to Peer-to-Peer Group.

Wireless Topologies
17
4. Select a Mode. The card does not support the Auto option when Network Type is set to Peer-to-Peer Group.
•If you want the card to join an 802.11a Peer-to-Peer Group, select 802.11a.
•If you want the card to join an 802.11b Peer-to-Peer Group, select 802.11b.
•If you want the card to join an 802.11a 2X Peer-to-Peer Group, select 802.11a 2X Mode.
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ORiNOCO ComboCards sold in Europe do not support Peer-to-Peer Groups when in 802.11a or 802.11a 2X
mode.
5. Set the card’s Network Name to match the Network Name used by the Peer-to-Peer Group (or assign it a new
Network Name if this is the first member of a Peer-to-Peer Group).
6. Select the Advanced tab.
7. Select the Channel used by the Peer-to-Peer Group or set Channel to Automatic to let the card search for
available groups that use the same Network Name.
8. Click Save and Yes (when prompted) to save these settings to your current profile.
9. Click the Security tab and configure the Security settings, if necessary (see “Security”on page 27 for details).
10. Click OK to close the utility.
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See “Configuration Utility”on page 20 for additional information on these parameters.
Access Point Infrastructure
Many companies have an existing Ethernet or wired LAN infrastructure and want to be able to extend that capability to
wireless nodes. This is accomplished by installing one or more Access Points on the Ethernet network. Access Points
are devices that communicate with both the Ethernet network and the wireless network.
You can use the ORiNOCO ComboCard to communicate with 802.11a Access Points, 802.11b Access Points, or a
combination of both. The card is compatible with 802.11a or 802.11b Access Points from any vendor, including
Proxim’s ORiNOCO and Harmony Access Point products.
Connecting to a Single AP
Figure 3-2 depicts an ORiNOCO network that uses a single Access Point (AP); in this example, the Access Point is an
ORiNOCO AP-2000 (with an ORiNOCO Gold 802.11b PC Card installed).
Figure 3-2 Communicating with a Single 802.11b Access Point

Wireless Topologies
18
Roaming Between Multiple APs
For larger environments, the ORiNOCO ComboCard may roam from one Access Point to another while maintaining
the same network connection. The Access Points establish coverage areas or cells similar in concept to those of a
cellular phone network. The card will connect to any Access Point that is within range.
The ORiNOCO ComboCard supports roaming between APs of the same type (for example, from one 802.11a AP to
another) or roaming between APs of different types (from an 802.11a AP to an 802.11b AP). Figure 3-3 illustrates
roaming between APs of the same radio type (in this case, AP-2000s with 802.11a 5 GHz upgrade kits installed).
Figure 3-3 Roaming Between APs of the Same Radio Type
Figure 3-4 illustrates roaming between APs of different radio types:
Figure 3-4 Roaming Between APs of Different Radio Types

Wireless Topologies
19
In either case, each Access Point within a roaming network must have a unique, independent Channel, but all must
have the same Network Name and security settings.
Mobile clients equipped with an ORiNOCO ComboCard have Network Type set to Access Point and have the same
Network Name and security settings as the Access Points. Alternatively, the mobile client’s Network Name may be
“any”; this setting lets the client associate with any available Access Point, regardless of the Access Point’s Network
Name (this assumes that the AP is not a closed system; see “Network Name”on page 26 for more information).
As the mobile client seamlessly switches from cell to cell, its network connectivity is preserved. The user can move
freely between the Access Points in the network. When the roaming client leaves the transmission range of one
Access Point, the card automatically detects the other Access Point(s) in the same vicinity to continue the network
connection. The ORiNOCO ComboCard also includes a Roaming parameter that lets you adjust the speed at which
the card roams to new Access Points. See “Roaming”on page 26 for details.
Guidelines for Roaming
•An ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard can roam between multiple 802.11a Access Points, multiple 802.11b Access
Points, or between both 802.11a and 802.11b Access Points.
•To support roaming between 802.11a and 802.11b Access Points, the card’s Mode must be set to Auto.
•Standard 802.11a clients can only roam between 802.11a Access Points.
•Standard 802.11b clients can only roam between 802.11b Access Points.
•All 802.11a and/or 802.11b Access Points that a client will roam between must have the same Network Name.
•All workstations with ORiNOCO ComboCards installed must use either a Network Name of “any”or the same
Network Name as the Access Points that they will roam between (this assumes that the AP is not a closed system;
see “Network Name”on page 26 for more information).
•All Access Points and ORiNOCO ComboCards must have the same security settings to communicate.
•The Access Points’cells must overlap to ensure that there are no gaps in coverage and to ensure that the roaming
client will always have a connection available.
•Access Points of the same type (802.11a or 802.11b) installed in the same vicinity should each use a unique,
independent Channel to avoid potential interference.
•Access Points that use the same Channel should be installed as far away from each other as possible to reduce
potential interference.

20
4
Configuration Utility
In This Chapter
Proxim provides a software utility that simplifies the management and configuration of an ORiNOCO ComboCard.
“Installation,”beginning on page 7, describes how to install the utility. This chapter describes how to use the ORiNOCO
Utility after it has been installed.
•Status Monitor Icon
•Configuration Utility
•Association Information
•Configuration
•Basic
•Security
•Advanced
•Profiles
•Statistics
•Site Monitor
•Snoop Tool
•Packet Transmission Success Rate
•Version Information
Status Monitor Icon
After you have installed the utility, the Status Monitor icon will appear in the Windows Taskbar. By default, the card’s
Network Type is set to Access Point, and the icon appears as an Access Point with two antennas.
If the card cannot locate an 802.11a or 802.11b Access Point (AP) (either because the radio settings do not match or
the other devices are out of range), the icon will appear as follows:
Figure 4-1 Status Monitor Icon: No Connection
When the card is associated with an 802.11a Access Point, the icon is labeled a. When the card is associated with an
802.11a Access Point in 2X mode, the icon is labeled 2X. When the card is associated with an 802.11b Access Point,
the icon is labeled b. Each of these icons is shown in Figure 4-2.
Figure 4-2 Status Monitor Icon: When Associated with an AP
802.11a
802.11a 2X
802.11b