Proxim 7550 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: 5,809,060; 6,075,812; 5,077,753;
5,231,634. This user’s guide and the software described in it are copy-
righted with all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro-
duced, 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
Harmony, RangeLAN, the RangeLAN logo, RangeLAN2, and Proxim are
trademarks of Proxim, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Limited Warranty, Disclaimer, Limitation Of Liability
For a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase by the retail cus-
tomer, Proxim warrants the Harmony 8430 Series 802.11b PC Card LAN
Adapter against defects in materials and workmanship. Proxim will not
honor this warranty if there has been any attempt to tamper with or remove
the Adapter’s external foil label.
This warranty does not cover and Proxim will not be liable for any damage or
failure caused by misuse, abuse, acts of God, accidents, or other causes
beyond Proxim’s control, or claim by any entity other than the original
purchaser.
If, after inspection, Proxim determines there is a defect, Proxim will repair or
replace the Adapter at no cost to you. To return defective merchandise to
Proxim please call Proxim Customer Service at 1-408-731-2640 to obtain a
Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number.
In no event shall Proxim, Incorporated be responsible or liable for any
damages arising:
q From the use of the product
q From the loss of use, revenue or profit of the product
q As a result of any event, circumstance, action, or abuse beyond the
control of Proxim, Incorporated
Whether such damages be direct, indirect, consequential, special or other-
wise and whether such damages are incurred by the person to whom this
warranty extends or a third party.
Harmony 8430 Series 802.11b PC Card User’s Guide
Part # 7360.0135
Rev. C

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Warranty Return Policy
If you have a problem with your Harmony 802.11b PC Card, please call
Proxim Technical Support at 1-408-731-2640. 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 Merchandise 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 B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits
are designed 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:
q Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
q Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
q Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that
which the receiver is connected.
q 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 communica-
tions.

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Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................5
The Harmony Family ............................................................................... 6
The Product Package................................................................................ 8
System Requirements ............................................................................... 8
2. Installation ...................................................................9
Windows 95/98 Installation ..................................................................... 9
Pre-installation Considerations .............................................................. 9
Note to Customers Who Have a Laptop Without a CD-ROM Drive .. 10
Installation Procedure .......................................................................... 11
Windows 2000 Installation .................................................................... 20
Note to Customers Who Have a Laptop Without a CD-ROM Drive .. 20
Installation Procedure .......................................................................... 21
Windows NT Installation ....................................................................... 27
Harmony 802.11b Configuration Utility................................................ 31
Uninstall Instructions ............................................................................. 31
3. Wirefree Topologies..................................................32
Ad Hoc ................................................................................................... 32
Infrastructure .......................................................................................... 33
Guidelines for Roaming....................................................................... 37
4. Configuration Parameters ........................................38
802.11b Software Parameters................................................................. 38
Network Mode ..................................................................................... 38
SSID ..................................................................................................... 39
Ethernet Conversion ............................................................................ 40
Transmit Rate....................................................................................... 41
Wired Equivalent Privacy .................................................................... 41
Power Saving Mode............................................................................. 43
Channel ................................................................................................ 43
Advanced Parameters .......................................................................... 44

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5. Performance Hints ....................................................49
Running Large Executable Files Efficiently .......................................... 49
Microwave Ovens .................................................................................. 49
Range...................................................................................................... 49
6. Troubleshooting ........................................................51
How to Obtain Help with Your LAN Installation.................................. 51
LED Indicators ....................................................................................... 51
Windows 95/98/2000 Installation Problems .......................................... 52
Windows NT 4.0 Installation Problem................................................... 56
Commonly Asked Technical Support Questions ................................... 58
Other....................................................................................................... 60
A. Diagnostic Utilities ...................................................61
System Tray Icon ................................................................................... 61
Harmony 802.11b Utility ....................................................................... 62
Link Info .............................................................................................. 63
Configuration ....................................................................................... 66
Encryption............................................................................................ 67
B. Parameters ................................................................72
C. IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence Channels ...............74
D. Specifications ...........................................................75
E. How to Reach Technical Support............................76
Index...............................................................................77

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1. Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Harmony 8430 Series
802.11b PC Card wireless LAN adapter. The Harmony 8430
Series 802.11b PC Card is a long range, high performance,
wireless LAN adapter card that complies with the IEEE 802.11b
standard.
The Harmony 802.11b PC Card supports Windows 95, Windows
98, Windows 2000, and Windows NT. Computers with the
Harmony 802.11b PC Card installed “look” like standard
network nodes to the operating system.
The Harmony 802.11b PC Card can be used with other 802.11b
PC Cards to form a stand-alone wirefree Ad Hoc network or
used in conjunction with a Harmony infrastructure to provide
mobile clients with wirefree access to an Ethernet network.
Proxim is the leading supplier of wirefree networking solutions.
Proxim’s unmatched expertise in spread spectrum radio network-
ing technology, combined with the company’s extensive experi-
ence serving the communication needs of the mobile computing
user, have kept Proxim at the forefront of the wireless LAN
market.

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The Harmony Family
The Harmony 802.11b PC Card is a member of a product family
that provides a complete wirefree networking solution.
qThe Harmony Access Point Controller Model 7560
centralizes the management, security, and filtering
capabilities of a wireless LAN. The Access Point
Controller communicates with Harmony Access Points
over the Ethernet network to provide wirefree network
access for mobile clients. The Access Point Controller
can support multiple Access Points, even if each Access
Point follows a different wireless standard.
qThe Harmony Access Point is a networking bridge that
operates at Layer 2 of the OSI networking model.
Working in conjunction with a Harmony Access Point
Controller, the Access Point forwards packets between
its radio and the Ethernet network. Two models of the
Harmony Access Point are available to support either
the OpenAir or IEEE 802.11b wireless standards: the
OpenAir Access Point Model 7550 and the 802.11b
Access Point Model 8550. Note that the Harmony
Power System operates only with the 802.11b Access
Point.
qThe optional Harmony Power System Model 7562
provides remote DC power to Harmony 802.11b Access
Points over the unused pins of a twisted pair Ethernet
cable.

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qThe Harmony PC Card is a wireless LAN adapter that
fits into a PCMCIA Type II slot in a laptop computer.
Two models of the Harmony PC Cards are available to
support either the OpenAir or IEEE 802.11b wireless
standards.
The Harmony 802.11b PC Card Model 8432, which includes an
integrated antenna (with built-in diversity), is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Harmony 802.11b PC Card With Integrated Antenna
(Model 8432)
Warning!
Do not attempt to remove the antenna from the Model
8432 PC Card. This will damage the card and
antenna.

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The Product Package
Each Harmony 8430 Series 802.11b PC Card comes with the
following:
qA 3.3-volt PC Card (PCMCIA Type II) with an antenna
qA Harmony Installation CD containing drivers and
utilities for Windows 95/98, Windows 2000, and
Windows NT
qOne Harmony 8430 Series 802.11b PC Card User’s
Guide
qOne warranty registration card
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact
your reseller or Proxim Technical Support.
System Requirements
To begin using the Harmony 802.11b PC Card Model 8432, you
must have the following minimum requirements:
qA computer with a PCMCIA Type II slot.
qWindows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or
Windows NT
qAt least one other IEEE 802.11b-compatible product
installed on the network (this includes other Harmony
802.11b products)

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2. Installation
This chapter describes how to install the Harmony 802.11b PC
Card and software in a computer running Windows 95, 98, 2000,
and NT.
Windows 95/98 Installation
This section describes how to install the Harmony 802.11b PC
Card in a computer running either Windows 95 or Windows 98.
Pre-installation Considerations
Before beginning the installation of a Harmony 802.11b PC
Card, confirm that you have a Windows CD or diskettes avail-
able (either Windows 95 or Windows 98, depending on the
computer’s operating system). You may be prompted to insert a
Windows CD during the installation.
If you do not have the Windows CD or diskettes, it is possible
that you already have the Windows 95 or Windows 98 installa-
tion files on your hard disk. These Windows installation files
are known as Windows Cabinet files or CAB files. The Win-
dows Cabinet files are commonly located in
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS.
Note:
You may need the Windows CD, diskettes, or Cabinet
files to complete the installation of the Harmony
802.11b PC Card. Proxim recommends that you do
not proceed with the installation until you have con-
firmed that you have one of these Windows 95 or
Windows 98 installation media available.

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Note to Customers Who Have a Laptop Without a
CD-ROM Drive
If you are installing a Harmony 802.11b PC Card in a laptop that
does not have a CD-ROM drive, you should follow the steps
below prior to installing the Harmony software:
1. Confirm that the Windows cabinet (CAB) files are
installed on the computer. The CAB files are typically
located in C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS\.
2. If the computer does not have the CAB files installed, copy
the WIN95 or WIN98 folder, found on the Windows
CD-ROM, to a temporary folder on the computer.
3. Copy the contents of the Harmony Installation CD-ROM to
a temporary folder on the computer. Alternatively, you
may download the Harmony software from Proxim’s Web
site at http://www.proxim.com/support/.
4. Follow the installation instructions contained in this chap-
ter. When the instructions call for either the Windows CD
or the Harmony Installation CD, direct the installation
wizard to search the temporary folders you created in Steps
#2 and 3 above.
5. When the installation is complete, remove the temporary
folders you created in Steps #2 and #3 above from the
computer’s hard drive.

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Installation Procedure
Follow these steps to install the Harmony 802.11b PC Card:
1. Insert the Harmony Installation CD into the computer’s
CD-ROM drive.
2. Double-click the My Computer icon on the Windows
desktop.
3. Double-click the CD-ROM drive icon (typically this is
drive D:) to browse the Harmony Installation CD.
4. Double-click the file SETUP.EXE to manually launch the
installation program.
The Welcome screen will appear, as shown below.

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5. Click <Next> to continue.
6. Click <Yes> to continue if you agree to the terms of the
software license agreement.
7. Enter your wirefree network’s SSID (Service Set ID) in the
box provided and click <Next>, as shown below. Refer to
Chapter 5 for more information on SSID.
Note:
The default SSID for the Harmony 802.11b PC Card
is“ANY.” ThissettingallowsthePCCardtocommu-
nicatewithanyexisting802.11installationregardless
of SSID.
8. Select a network mode (either Ad Hoc or Infrastructure)
and click <Next> to continue.

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In an Ad Hoc network, two or more 802.11b adapters
communicate exclusively with the other members of the
network.
An Infrastructure network, an 802.11b PC Card communi-
cates with an Ethernet network via an Access Point. See
Chapters 4 and 5 for more information on the available
network modes.
9. Select a folder in which to install the utility files or use the
default location. Click <Next> to continue.
10. Select a folder in which to install the program icons or use
the default location. Click <Next> to continue.
The installation program will now copy the utility files to the
computer.

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11. After the files have been copied, select No, I will restart
my computer later, as shown below, and click <Finish>.
12. Shut down the computer.
13. Insert the Harmony 802.11b PC Card into one of the
computer’s PCMCIA slot.
Note:
If you cannot insert the Harmony 802.11b PC Card
into the laptop’s PCMCIA slot, contact the laptop’s
manufacturer to determine if the laptop supports
3.3-volt PC Cards. Your laptop’s PCMCIA slot must
support3.3voltsinordertousethe Harmony802.11b
PC Card.
14. Turn on the computer.
The Windows operating system will automatically detect and
install the Harmony 802.11b PC Card.

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15. If prompted to identify the location of the Harmony
802.11b driver files, direct Windows to search for the
driver on the Harmony Installation CD.
16. Insert the Windows CD if prompted. If you do not have
the Windows CD, direct Windows to search the CAB files,
if available.
Note:
If the installation wizard cannot locate a particular
file,do NOT skipthe file. Instead, try to locate the file
on the Windows CD, within the Windows CAB
directory, or within the C:\Windows\ and
C:\Windows\System\ directories. In order for the
Harmony 802.11b PC Card to install correctly, the
installation wizard must find and copy all of the files
that it is looking for.
17. If Windows prompts you that a file you are copying is
older than the one currently on the system, click <Yes> to
keep the existing file.
18. Restart the computer when prompted.
The Harmony 802.11b PC Card should now be successfully
installed.
Confirming That the Card Has Been Successfully Installed
To confirm that the adapter has been successfully installed,
follow these steps:
1. Open the Device Manager, located within the Control
Panel’s System icon.

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2. Expand the Device Manager’s Network adapters
category.
3. Highlight the Proxim Harmony 802.11b PC Card
Adapter entry.
4. Click the <Properties> button to display the card’s
Properties screen.
The Device status should read “This device is working prop-
erly,” as shown below.

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If the card is not listed within the Device Manager, then the card
has not been properly installed. If the card’s Device Manager
entry has a yellow exclamation point (“!”) next to it or the
Device status field reports that the card is not working properly,
then either the card has not been installed properly or the com-
puter has a system conflict.
Refer to Chapter 6 for troubleshooting suggestions.
Installing Clients and Protocols
If you already have existing network components installed when
loading the Windows 95/98 driver, the Harmony 802.11b PC
Card will bind to existing networking clients and protocols.
If no network components exist before the driver is installed, the
driver will add Client for Microsoft Networks, Client for
Netware Networks, and the IPX/SPX-compatible protocol.
To determine what clients and protocols are currently installed,
open the Control Panel’s Network icon to view the Network
Configuration list, as shown on the next page.

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Follow these steps to add a protocol, such as TCP/IP or
NetBEUI:
1. Click <Add>.
2. Select the Protocol option and click <Add>.

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3. Select the protocol you want to add from the list and click
<OK>. Select Microsoft from the Manufacturers list
(Microsoft provides TCP/IP, NetBEUI and IPX/SPX;
select another vendor if you want to install a different
protocol).
4. Highlight the protocol’s entry in the Configuration list and
click <Properties> to configure its settings. For example,
if you installed TCP/IP, you can assign the card static IP
information within this screen.
5. To enable File and Printer sharing, click the <File and
Print Sharing...> button and place a check mark next to
each option. Click <OK> to return to the Network Con-
figuration list.
6. Click <OK> to close the Network icon.
7. Insert the Windows CD if prompted. If you do not have
the Windows CD, direct Windows to search the CAB files,
if available.
Note:
If Windows cannot locate a particular file, do NOT
skip the file. Instead, try to locate the file on the
Windows CD, within the Windows CAB directory, or
within the C:\Windows\ and C:\Windows\System\
directories. Inorderforaprotocoltoinstallcorrectly,
the installation wizard must find and copy all of the
files that it is looking for.
8. Restart the computer when prompted.

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Windows 2000 Installation
This section describes how to install the Harmony 802.11b PC
Card in a computer running Windows 2000.
Note to Customers Who Have a Laptop Without a
CD-ROM Drive
If you are installing a Harmony 802.11b PC Card in a laptop that
does not have a CD-ROM drive, you should follow the steps
below prior to installing the Harmony software:
1. Copy the contents of the Harmony Installation CD-ROM to
a temporary folder on the computer. Alternatively, you
may download the Harmony software from Proxim’s Web
site at http://www.proxim.com/support/.
2. Follow the installation instructions contained in this chap-
ter. When the instructions call for the Harmony Installa-
tion CD, direct the installation wizard to search the tempo-
rary folders you created in Step #1 above.
3. When the installation is complete, remove the temporary
folders you created in Step #1 above from the computer’s
hard drive.