Proxim Symphony HomeRF Base Station User manual

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Copyright
© 2001 Proxim, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA. All rights reserved. Covered by one or
more of the following U.S. patents: 5,412,687; 5,844,900; 5,875,179;
5,913,174; 6,006,090; and 5,231,634. 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
Symphony, Symphony-HRF, the Symphony logo, Symphony Composer,
Symphony Conductor, Symphony Maestro, Proxim, and the Proxim logo 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 Symphony HomeRF Base Station against defects in mate-
rials and workmanship. If a product is found defective during the warranty
period, Proxim will repair or replace the product with the same or a similar
model, which may be a reconditioned unit, without charge for parts or labor.
Any replaced or repaired product will have either a ninety (90) day warranty,
under the conditions described herein, or the remainder of the initial one (1)
year warranty, whichever is longer.
Proxim also warrants the media containing the Symphony software against fail-
ure for a period of ninety (90) days.
Proxim will not honor this warranty if there has been any attempt to tamper with
or remove the product’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
any entity other than the original purchaser.
Symphony HomeRF Base Station User’s Manual
Part # 7360.0147
Rev. A

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In no event shall Proxim, Inc. be responsible or liable for any damages 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, Inc.
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.
Proxim does not warrant that the functions contained in the products will meet
your requirements or that the operation of the Symphony HomeRF Base
Station will be uninterrupted or error free.
Warranty Return Policy
If you have a problem with your Symphony HomeRF Base Station, please call
Symphony Technical Support at [phone]. Symphony Technical Support
will assist with resolving any technical difficulties you may have with your
Symphony product. If a Symphony technical representative determines that a
product is defective and the product is still in warranty, you will be assigned a
Return Material Authorization (RMA) number to authorize its return for repair or
replacement. Dated proof of purchase may be required. Package the product
appropriately for safe shipment, mark the RMA number on the outside of the
package, and ship the package at your expense. Proxim recommends that you
insure the package during shipment.
For support of software media, please refer to the Symphony Web site at
http://www.proxim.com/symphony/.

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Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................... 1
Product Description ................................................................................2
Symphony HomeRF Hardware Products.........................................2
Software Products............................................................................2
The Product Package...............................................................................3
System Requirements..............................................................................4
Interoperability Between Symphony Products .......................................4
2. Wireless Networking With the Base Station........... 5
What Is Wireless Networking?...............................................................5
Supported Configurations.......................................................................6
Sharing Internet Access...................................................................6
Communicating With an Ethernet Network ....................................8
Sharing Internet Access And Communicating With An
Ethernet Network.............................................................................9
3. Installing the Base Station ..................................... 11
4. Software Installation for Adapters......................... 13
Pre-installation Considerations.............................................................13
Note to Customers Using a Laptop Without a CD-ROM Drive....13
Installation Procedure ...........................................................................14
5. Symphony Composer Installation Wizard............. 17
Important Note to Users in Transparent Bridging Mode Only......18
Composer Features................................................................................18
Assign a Security Code..................................................................18
Establish Communication With the Base Station..........................18
Configure TCP/IP Information......................................................19
Assign a Computer Name..............................................................19
Select Drives and Printers to Share ...............................................19
Configure Switcher Prompt at Boot-up.........................................20
Register Symphony Products.........................................................20

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6. Symphony Maestro Configuration Tool ................21
Base Station Management and Configuration Features.......................22
Monitor Communication With Base Station................................. 22
Configure Network Topology....................................................... 22
Configure ISP TCP/IP Settings..................................................... 23
Configure Dial On Demand Settings............................................ 24
Configure Internal TCP/IP Settings.............................................. 25
Upgrade the Base Station.............................................................. 25
View Base Station Status.............................................................. 26
Networking Features ............................................................................ 27
Obtain Network Status Information.............................................. 27
Configure Network Parameters..................................................... 27
Test Wireless Connection ............................................................. 28
Remote Drive Sharing................................................................... 28
Launch Symphony Location Switcher.......................................... 30
Administrative Features ....................................................................... 30
Determine Software Version in Use ............................................. 30
Register Products On-line............................................................. 30
7. Symphony Location Switcher ................................31
Default Switcher Profiles ..................................................................... 31
Location Switcher Icon ........................................................................ 32
Location Switcher Icon In Taskbar............................................... 33
Switcher Prompt at Start-Up................................................................ 33
Switching Between Profiles ................................................................. 34
Editing a Profile ................................................................................... 34
Identification................................................................................. 35
Wireless......................................................................................... 35
TCP/IP........................................................................................... 35
IPX/SPX........................................................................................ 35
File/Printer Sharing....................................................................... 35
Miscellaneous................................................................................ 36
Creating and Deleting Profiles............................................................. 37
How to Use Profiles ............................................................................. 37
Moving a Laptop Computer From the Home to the Office .......... 37
Moving a Laptop Computer From the Office to the Home .......... 38

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8. Using the Wireless Network................................... 39
Networks Using Transparent Bridging Mode Only..............................39
Understanding Transparent Bridging ............................................39
TCP/IP Settings for Transparent Bridging Only Networks...........39
Application Hints..................................................................................40
Range of Symphony HomeRF Products........................................40
Reducing Interference....................................................................41
Home Network Security ................................................................41
Accessing E-Mail...........................................................................42
Playing Games Over the Home Network ......................................42
Sharing Software Applications......................................................42
Sharing a Scanner with the Home Network ..................................42
9. About the Base Station........................................... 43
LED Indicators......................................................................................43
Ports and Buttons..................................................................................44
10. Uninstalling Symphony Products........................ 47
Uninstalling the Base Station................................................................47
Uninstalling Adapters ...........................................................................47
11. Troubleshooting.................................................... 49
Common Technical Support Questions................................................49
Operational Issues..........................................................................49
General Questions..........................................................................52
A. How to Reach Technical Support.......................... 53
B. Specifications ......................................................... 54
C. Regulatory Information .......................................... 55
Index............................................................................. 56

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1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Proxim’s Symphony HomeRF Base Station, a mem-
ber of the Symphony HomeRF 2.0 Network. Proxim has been a market leader
in the wireless networking industry for over ten years providing award-win-
ning technology to companies and individuals around the world. You can
expect this same reliability from the Symphony HomeRF 2.0 products in your
home and/or small office.
The Symphony HomeRF Base Station interoperates with Symphony HomeRF
adapters to deliver reliable, hassle-free networking for your laptops and desk-
tops without wires or cabling. A Base Station connected to a cable modem,
DSL modem, or ISDN router can provide broadband Internet access to wire-
less computers. Alternatively, you can connect the Base Station to an existing
Local Area Network (LAN) to provide wireless computers with the same net-
work connectivity as your wired Ethernet clients.
With the Symphony HomeRF 2.0 Network, laptops become free of wires and
cables so you can check e-mail, surf the Internet, or exchange files from any-
where in your home or backyard! Desktop computers in hard to wire locations
can now enjoy connectivity with the rest of the network.
This manual provides all of the information necessary to install and configure
not only the Symphony HomeRF Base Station, but also the Symphony
HomeRF adapters that you will use in conjunction with this device. However,
you may want to refer to the manual that shipped with each adapter for addi-
tional information and troubleshooting suggestions.

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Product Description
The Symphony HomeRF Base Station is a member of a product family that
provides a complete wireless networking solution for the home or small office.
The Symphony HomeRF 2.0 Network complies with the HomeRF specifica-
tion 2.0 and operates at radio data rates up to 10 Mbps.
Symphony HomeRF Hardware Products
❑Symphony HomeRF PC Card Model 4440: a 3.3-volt Type II
PCMCIA card that ships with a snap-on antenna.
❑Symphony HomeRF USB Adapter Model 4240: a wireless adapter
that connects to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port with a 6-foot
cable; the adapter has a built-in antenna.
❑Symphony HomeRF Base Station Model 4940: a stand-alone
networking bridge that provides Internet access to the wireless
network over a broadband connection like DSL or cable. The Base
Station may also attach to a small Ethernet LAN to provide network
connectivity between Ethernet nodes and wireless computers. The
Base Station may also attach to a small Ethernet LAN to provide net-
work connectivity between Ethernet and wireless computers. Over
its Ethernet interface, it operates at either 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps
(10/100 auto-sensing).
Software Products
Proxim ships several software tools with the Symphony HomeRF adapters to
make installation and configuration simple and hassle-free.
❑The Symphony Composer Installation Wizard guides the user
through the setup and configuration of a Symphony network during
the initial installation or following an upgrade from an earlier version
of the Symphony software. The Composer Installation Wizard is
described in Chapter 5 beginning on page 17.
❑The Symphony Maestro Configuration Tool allows the user to con-
figure the settings and monitor the status of the Symphony network.
The Maestro Configuration Tool is described in Chapter 6 beginning
on page 21.

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❑The Symphony Conductor Modem Sharing Software allows one
computer to share its installed modem or Ethernet card with other
computers on the wireless network. Note that you cannot use the
Conductor program on a Symphony HomeRF 2.0 network that
includes a Base Station.
❑The Symphony Location Switcher provides a fast and convenient
way to move a wireless computer between different locations by stor-
ing Internet and network configurations for multiple networks. The
Location Switcher is described in Chapter 7 beginning on page 31.
Proxim also offers Symphony accessory products, such as a second antenna
option for the Symphony HomeRF PC Card. Refer to the Symphony Web site
at http://www.proxim.com/symphony/ for additional information.
The Product Package
Each Symphony HomeRF Base Station comes with the following:
❑One (1) Symphony HomeRF Base Station
❑One (1) 12VDC, 500mA power adapter
❑One (1) five-foot Ethernet cable (straight through)
❑One (1) Symphony HomeRF Base Station Quick Start Guide
❑One (1) Symphony HomeRF Base Station User’s Manual

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System Requirements
In order to use a Symphony HomeRF Base Station, you must have the
following:
❑An external, Ethernet-ready device that provides broadband Internet
access, such as a cable modem, DSL modem, or ISDN router (one of
these devices is required to share Internet access)
OR
❑An Ethernet hub or a computer with an Ethernet card already
installed (one of these devices is required to communicate with an
Ethernet network)
❑An account with an ISP (Internet Service Provider); this is required to
share Internet access with the wireless network
❑At least one Symphony HomeRF adapter installed in a computer run-
ning Windows 98, Windows ME, or Windows 2000 Professional with
a minimum 486/66 MHz processor, a minimum of 16 MB of RAM,
and a minimum of 10 MB of hard disk space available
Note:
The Symphony software to configure and manage a Base Station
does not support Windows 95 or Windows 2000 Server.
Interoperability Between Symphony Products
Proxim’s Symphony HomeRF products can operate at four data rates: 10
Mbps, 5 Mbps, 1.6 Mbps, and 800 Kbits/sec.
When operating at 1.6 Mbps or 800 Kbits/sec, the Symphony HomeRF prod-
ucts are compatible with Proxim’s Symphony-HRF product line (PC Card,
USB Adapter, and Cordless Gateway).
Note:
The Symphony HomeRF products are not interoperable with
OpenAir-based Symphony product, namely the Symphony Cord-
less Modem, Symphony Ethernet Bridge, Symphony PC Card,
Symphony PNP ISA Card, and the Symphony PCI Card.

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2. Wireless Networking With the Base Station
What Is Wireless Networking?
A “network” is two or more computers physically connected to each other.
For example, if you connect two computers together with a cable, you have
created a network. The two computers will communicate with each other over
the cable. Networking technology enables two or more PCs, located through-
out your home or small office, to communicate. With a network in your home
or small office, you can:
❑Share Internet access so family members may surf the Internet at the
same time using a single connection
❑Print to a printer that is connected to another computer on the
network
❑Access and transfer files on the hard drive of any computer that is a
member of the network
❑Play multiplayer games
The term “wireless” refers to communication that occurs over radio waves
rather than over a cable. A wireless network alleviates the need for expensive
and intrusive wiring within the home to connect computers. It also allows
mobile users to remain connected to the network even when a laptop is carried
around the home or taken into the backyard.
The Symphony HomeRF products create a wireless network between each
computer in a household using standard networking software included with
Windows. This network links the computers together so that they can share
files, printers, and other peripheral devices, such as CD-ROM drives or floppy
disk drives. In addition, a Symphony network with a Base Station can share an
Internet connection or communicate with a small Ethernet network.

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Supported Configurations
The Base Station provides a wireless solution for a wide variety of small
networking environments, including these three supported configurations:
❑A Wireless Network Sharing Internet Access
❑A Wireless Network Communicating With an Ethernet Network
❑A Wireless Network Sharing Internet Access and Communicating
With an Ethernet Network
Each configuration is described below.
Sharing Internet Access
The Symphony HomeRF Base Station connects to an Ethernet-ready Internet
device, such as a DSL modem, cable modem, or ISDN router, to share Internet
connectivity with each computer on the wireless network.
Figure 1 illustrates an example of this networking configuration. The diagram
shows a Symphony HomeRF Base Station connected to a cable modem with
an Ethernet cable.
Figure 1
Sharing Internet Access

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The Base Station links the broadband Internet device and the wireless comput-
ers so that each computer (laptops and desktops) on the Symphony network
has simultaneous Internet access and can share files and printers with each
other.
To use the Base Station in this configuration, you need an account with an
Internet Service Provider (ISP) and one of the following pieces of equipment
that you will connect to the Base Station with an Ethernet cable:
❑An external cable modem
❑An external DSL device, such as an ADSL modem
❑An ISDN router
❑Any other Ethernet device that can provide Internet access to a
network.
Note that ISDN terminal adapters cannot be used with the Base Station
because they do not communicate over Ethernet and do not have an RJ-45
connector.
The Base Station uses a technique known as Network Address Translation
(NAT) to provide up to ten wireless computers with simultaneous access to the
same Internet connection.
To implement NAT, the Base Station has two IP addresses: one that it uses to
communicate with the ISP’s network (which it receives from the ISP) and one
to communicate with the Symphony wireless network (which is referred to as
the Internal IP address).
In addition, the Base Station acts as a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol) server to automatically assign IP addresses to its wireless clients.
By default, the Base Station is configured to accept a dynamic IP address from
an ISP’s DHCP server. If your ISP uses static IP addressing or PPPoE, then
you will need to configure the Base Station with the account information
assigned by your ISP.
See Chapter 6: “Base Station Management and Configuration Features” on
page 22 for more information on how to configure the Base Station’s TCP/IP
parameters.

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Communicating With an Ethernet Network
If you already have a small network in your home or office, you can connect
the Symphony HomeRF Base Station directly to an Ethernet cabling hub in
order to provide connectivity between wireless computers and nodes on the
wired Ethernet, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2
Communicating With a Wired Ethernet Network
Note:
The Base Station is designed to provide connectivity to small Ether-
net networks that contain up to seven Ethernet nodes. Do not con-
nect the Base Station to a cabling hub that has more than seven
Ethernet devices attached.
The Base Station transparently links the two networks so that to each node
there appears to be only one network. This function is known as Transparent
Bridging.
In this configuration, each computer will have the ability to share files and
printers with all of the other computers on the wireless and Ethernet networks.
For example, if you have a network server (such as a Windows 2000 server) on
the Ethernet backbone, you can use the Base Station to provide wireless com-
puters with the same client/server and file sharing capabilities available on
existing Ethernet clients.

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By default, the Base Station performs both Network Address Translation
(NAT) and Transparent Bridging. However, to communicate with the Ethernet
network using TCP/IP, you should disable NAT. Refer to Chapter 6: “Config-
ure Network Topology” on page 22 and Chapter 8: “Networks Using Trans-
parent Bridging Mode Only” on page 39 for details.
Sharing Internet Access And Communicating With An Ethernet
Network
As discussed above, a Symphony HomeRF Base Station can link a Symphony
network to a wired Ethernet network.
In addition, if you have an existing device on the Ethernet network that pro-
vides broadband Internet access to each of the Ethernet workstations (such as a
cable modem, DSL modem, or ISDN router), then the wireless computers will
also be able to share this Internet connection.
Figure 3 illustrates how a Base Station can connect a wireless network to an
Ethernet network that has shared Internet access.
Figure 3
Sharing Internet Access and Ethernet Connectivity
Note:
The Base Station is designed to provide connectivity to small Ether-
net networks that contain up to seven Ethernet nodes. Do not con-
nect the Base Station to a cabling hub that has more than seven
Ethernet devices attached.

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The Ethernet hub in Figure 3 has three devices attached: an Ethernet-ready
desktop computer, a DSL modem, and a Base Station. The Base Station links
the Ethernet and wireless networks together so that all computers can share
files, printers, and Internet access.
In this configuration, the Base Station may perform both Network Address
Translation (NAT) and Transparent Bridging or Transparent Bridging only.
By default, the Base Station will perform both functions, but depending on
your network configuration, you may need to change this setting within the
Symphony Maestro Configuration Tool.
If you already have an Internet-sharing software package (such as a proxy
server program) installed on the network, configure the Base Station to per-
form Transparent Bridging only and then configure the wireless computers
with TCP/IP settings that match the TCP/IP settings of the workstations on the
existing Ethernet network. See Chapter 8: “Networks Using Transparent
Bridging Mode Only” on page 39 for details.
If you do not have shared Internet access from all of the computers on the
Ethernet network, you can use NAT to share a single IP address for the wire-
less network but you will not be able to share files and printers using TCP/IP.
In this case, you must install a second protocol, such as NetBEUI or IPX/SPX,
on all computers (Ethernet and wireless) to support file and printer sharing.

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3. Installing the Base Station
The Symphony HomeRF Base Station is a stand-alone device which requires
no software installation. Also, the Base Station has a built-in antenna which
does not require installation.
Note:
Install the Base Station first before installing the Symphony
HomeRF adapters that will communicate with it.
Follow these steps to install the Base Station:
1. Determine the best location for the Base Station. Keep in mind the
following considerations:
❑If you intend to use the Ethernet cable included with the product, the
distance between the Base Station and the Ethernet-ready device to
which it will connect cannot exceed the length of the cable. If you
intend to use your own Ethernet cable rather than the one supplied,
the cable must not exceed 100 meters.
❑You should try to place the Base Station on a flat, sturdy surface as
far from the ground as possible, such as on top of a desk or bookcase,
keeping clear of metal obstructions and away from direct sunlight.
❑You should try to centrally locate the Base Station so that it will pro-
vide coverage to all of the computers on the wireless network.
❑The distance between the Base Station and a wall outlet cannot
exceed the length of the power adapter’s cable.
2. Attach one end of the Ethernet cable, provided in the product package, to
Port I on the back of the Base Station and attach the other end to a
10/100 Mbps port on an Ethernet device.
Note:
Make sure that the Ethernet device is powered on before
proceeding.
3. Attach one end of the supplied AC power adapter to the back of the Base
Station and the other end to the wall outlet.

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Note:
Use the Symphony HomeRF Base Station only with the power
adapter supplied by Proxim with the product. Using another
power supply may damage the Symphony HomeRF Base Station.
The three LEDs on the top of the Base Station will momentarily light up. In
addition, the green Link LED, located to the left of the Ethernet ports, should
light up.
4. If the Link LED is on, go to Step #10; if the LED is not on, go to Step #5.
5. Remove the connector plug from Ethernet Port II.
6. Remove the Ethernet cable from Port I and insert the cable into Port II.
The Link LED should now light up.
7. If the Link LED is on, proceed to Step #9. If the Link LED is not on,
proceed to Step #8.
8. If the Link LED does not turn on when the Ethernet cable is connected to
either Ethernet Port I or Port II, try the following:
❑Confirm that both the Base Station and the attached Ethernet device
are powered up and operational.
❑Try using another Ethernet cable, if available.
❑Try connecting the Ethernet cable to another port on the Ethernet
device.
❑Contact Symphony Technical Support for assistance if none of these
suggestions solve the problem.
9. Insert the connector plug into the Ethernet port that is not in use.
10. Proceed with the installation of the other Symphony HomeRF products in
your home or small office following the instructions in Chapters 4 and 5.
Note:
The Symphony HomeRF Base Station must remain powered on
during the installation of the other Symphony products.

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4. Software Installation for Adapters
The following procedure describes how to install the Symphony software for
the Symphony HomeRF adapters that you will communicate with the Base
Station. The Symphony software supports Windows 98, Windows Millennium
Edition (ME), and Windows 2000 Professional.
Note:
The Symphony software does not support Windows 95 or Win-
dows 2000 Server. Refer to Proxim’s Web site at
http://www.proxim.com to determine if there are driver-only
packages available which support these operating systems.
Pre-installation Considerations
Before beginning the installation of a Symphony HomeRF adapter, confirm
that you have a Windows 98 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 a Symphony adapter on a Windows 2000
Professional 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 disk. These Windows installation
files are known as Windows Cabinet or CAB files. The Windows Cabinet files
are commonly located in C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\INSTALL\ or
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS\.
Note:
Windows 98/ME users may need the Windows CD or Cabinet
files to complete the installation of the Symphony HomeRF
adapter. 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 a Symphony HomeRF PC Card 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 PCMCIA slot with network adapter cards, you should follow
the steps below prior to installing the Symphony software:

14
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 Symphony Installation CD-ROM to a temporary
folder on the computer. Alternatively, you may download the software
from the Symphony Web site at http://www.proxim.com/symphony/.
4. Follow the installation instructions contained in this chapter. When the
instructions call for either the Windows CD or the Symphony Installation
CD, search the temporary folders you created in Steps #2 and 3 above.
5. When the installation is complete, remove the temporary folders you cre-
ated in Steps #2 and 3 above from the computer’s hard drive.
Installation Procedure
Follow these steps to install a Symphony HomeRF adapter:
Note:
Make sure that the Symphony HomeRF Base Station is powered
on before proceeding.
1. Insert the Symphony Installation CD; the Symphony Installation program
will launch automatically, as shown in the example on the next page. If
the program does not launch, run SETUP.EXE from the CD-ROM.
Note:
If you inserted the Symphony HomeRF adapter into the com-
puter before running the Symphony Installation program, refer
to Chapter 9 of the Symphony HomeRF Adapters User’s
Manual for installation instructions.