SMC Networks EZ Connect SMC2735W User manual

EZ Connect
802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapter
◆ 54 Mbps data rate (72 Mbps Turbo Mode): provides
alternative for wired LANs that can dramatically cut costs
◆ Coverage area up to 1650 ft
◆ Seamless connectivity to wired Ethernet LANs: augments
existing networks quickly and easily
◆ Supports 64/128/152-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
◆ Supports a wide range of operating systems
(Win98/NT/ME/2000/XP)
◆ Built-in antenna
◆ Easy installation
Installation Guide
SMC2735W

6 Hughes
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: [phone]
EZ Connect
User Guide
The easy way to make all your network connections
December 2001
Pub. # 150000013700A
Part No: 01-111321-006

Copyright
Information furnished by SMC Networks, Inc. (SMC) is believed to
be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by
SMC for its use, nor for any infringements of patents or other rights
of third parties which may result from its use. No license is granted
by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of
SMC. SMC reserves the right to change specifications at any time
without notice.
Copyright © 2001 by
SMC Networks, Inc.
6 Hughes
Irvine, CA 92618
All rights reserved. Printed in Taiwan
Trademarks:
SMC is a registered trademark of SMC Networks, Inc. Other product and company names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

i
L IMITED W ARRANTY
Limited Warranty Statement: SMC Networks, Inc. (“SMC”) warrants its products
to be free from defects in workmanship and materials, under normal use and
service, for the applicable warranty term. All SMC products carry a standard 90-day
limited warranty from the date of purchase from SMC or its Authorized Reseller.
SMC may, at its own discretion, repair or replace any product not operating as
warranted with a similar or functionally equivalent product, during the applicable
warranty term. SMC will endeavor to repair or replace any product returned under
warranty within 30 days of receipt of the product.
The standard limited warranty can be upgraded to a Limited Lifetime* warranty by
registering new products within 30 days of purchase from SMC or its Authorized
Reseller. Registration can be accomplished via the enclosed product registration
card or online via the SMC web site. Failure to register will not affect the standard
limited warranty. The Limited Lifetime warranty covers a product during the Life of
that Product, which is defined as the period of time during which the product is an
“Active” SMC product. A product is considered to be “Active” while it is listed on
the current SMC price list. As new technologies emerge, older technologies become
obsolete and SMC will, at its discretion, replace an older product in its product line
with one that incorporates these newer technologies. At that point, the obsolete
product is discontinued and is no longer an “Active” SMC product. A list of
discontinued products with their respective dates of discontinuance can be found
at:
http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?action=customer_service_warranty.
All products that are replaced become the property of SMC. Replacement products
may be either new or reconditioned. Any replaced or repaired product carries
either a 30-day limited warranty or the remainder of the initial warranty, whichever
is longer. SMC is not responsible for any custom software or firmware,
configuration information, or memory data of Customer contained in, stored on, or
integrated with any products returned to SMC pursuant to any warranty. Products
returned to SMC should have any customer-installed accessory or add-on
components, such as expansion modules, removed prior to returning the product
for replacement. SMC is not responsible for these items if they are returned with the
product.
Customers must contact SMC for a Return Material Authorization number prior to
returning any product to SMC. Proof of purchase may be required. Any product
returned to SMC without a valid Return Material Authorization (RMA) number
clearly marked on the outside of the package will be returned to customer at
customer’s expense. For warranty claims within North America, please call our
toll-free customer support number at [phone]. Customers are responsible for
all shipping charges from their facility to SMC. SMC is responsible for return
shipping charges from SMC to customer.

L IMITED W ARRANTY
ii
WARRANTIES EXCLUSIVE: IF AN SMC PRODUCT DOES NOT OPERATE AS
WARRANTED ABOVE, CUSTOMER’S SOLE REMEDY SHALL BE REPAIR OR
REPLACEMENT OF THE PRODUCT IN QUESTION, AT SMC’S OPTION. THE
FOREGOING WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND ARE IN LIEU
OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, EITHER
IN FACT OR BY OPERATION OF LAW, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING
WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SMC NEITHER ASSUMES NOR AUTHORIZES ANY OTHER
PERSON TO ASSUME FOR IT ANY OTHER LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH
THE SALE, INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE OR USE OF ITS PRODUCTS. SMC
SHALL NOT BE LIABLE UNDER THIS WARRANTY IF ITS TESTING AND
EXAMINATION DISCLOSE THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT DOES NOT
EXIST OR WAS CAUSED BY CUSTOMER’S OR ANY THIRD PERSON’S MISUSE,
NEGLECT, IMPROPER INSTALLATION OR TESTING, UNAUTHORIZED ATTEMPTS
TO REPAIR, OR ANY OTHER CAUSE BEYOND THE RANGE OF THE INTENDED
USE, OR BY ACCIDENT, FIRE, LIGHTNING, OR OTHER HAZARD.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: IN NO EVENT, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT OR
TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), SHALL SMC BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND,
OR FOR LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF BUSINESS, OR OTHER FINANCIAL LOSS
ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALE, INSTALLATION,
MAINTENANCE, USE, PERFORMANCE, FAILURE, OR INTERRUPTION OF ITS
PRODUCTS, EVEN IF SMC OR ITS AUTHORIZED RESELLER HAS BEEN ADVISED
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR
THE LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR
CONSUMER PRODUCTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS MAY
NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS,
WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. NOTHING IN THIS WARRANTY
SHALL BE TAKEN TO AFFECT YOUR STATUTORY RIGHTS.
* SMC will provide warranty service for one year following discontinuance from the
active SMC price list. Under the limited lifetime warranty, internal and external
power supplies, fans, and cables are covered by a standard one-year warranty from
date of purchase.
SMC Networks, Inc.
6 Hughes
Irvine, CA 92618

iii
C OMPLIANCES
FCC - Class B
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 instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that the interference will not occur in
a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Reorient the receiving antenna
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
Industry Canada - Class B
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from
digital apparatus as set out in the interference-causing equipment standard entitled
“Digital Apparatus,” ICES-003 of the Department of Communications.
Cet appareil numérique respecte les limites de bruits radioélectriques applicables aux
appareils numériques de Classe B prescrites dans la norme sur le matériel brouilleur:
“Appareils Numériques,” NMB-003 édictée par le ministère des Communications.

C OMPLIANCES
iv

v
T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
EZ Connect™
802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Package Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Hardware Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
LED Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
System Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Windows 98/2000/ME/XP Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Installation for Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Network Configuration and Planning . . . . . . . . .21
Network Topologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Ad Hoc Wireless LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Infrastructure Wireless LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Infrastructure Wireless LAN for Roaming Wireless PCs . . 24
Configuration and Diagnostic Utility . . . . . . . . . .25
Utility Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Using the Wireless LAN Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Adapter Installation Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Network Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
SMC Networks:
802.11a Wireless Product Maximum Distance Table . . . . . 33
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
vi

1
EZ C ONNECT
™
802.11a W IRELESS C ARD B US
A DAPTER
Introduction
SMC’s EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapter is a 54 Mbps
(72 Mbps Turbo Mode) wireless network card that seamlessly
integrates with existing Ethernet networks to support applications
such as mobile users or temporary conferences. This solution
offers fast, reliable wireless connectivity with considerable cost
savings over wired LANs (which include long-term maintenance
overhead for cabling). Just plug wireless cards into your notebook
PCs and start networking.
Using this card in conjunction with SMC’s EZ Connect SMC2755W
802.11a Wireless Access Point, you can create an instant network
that integrates seamlessly with 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LANs.
Moreover, moving or expanding your network is as easy as
moving or installing additional access points — no wires!

EZ C ONNECT ™ 802.11 A W IRELESS C ARD B US A DAPTER
2
Package Checklist
The EZ Connect Wireless CardBus Adapter package includes:
• 1 EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapter (SMC2735W)
• 1 Driver and Utility CD ROM
•ThisUserGuide
Please register this product and upgrade product warranty at:
www.smc.com.
Please inform your dealer if there are any incorrect, missing or
damaged parts. If possible, retain the carton, including the original
packing materials. Use them again to repack the product in case
there is a need to return it for repair.
Hardware Description
SMC’s EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapter is fully
compliant with 802.11a wireless networking as defined in IEEE
802.11a. It can be installed in any notebook with a CardBus slot.
Support is provided for Windows 98/ME/2000/NT4.0/XP.

EZ C ONNECT ™ 802.11 A W IRELESS C ARD B US A DAPTER
3
Applications
EZ Connect Wireless products offer a fast, reliable, cost-effective
solution for wireless client access to the network in applications
such as:
• Remote access to corporate network information
E-mail, file transfer and terminal emulation
•Difficult-to-wire environments
Historical or old buildings, asbestos installations and open
areas where wiring is difficult to employ
• Frequently changing environments
Retailers, manufacturers and banks which frequently rearrange
the workplace or change location
• Temporary LANs for special projects or peak times
Trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites which need
temporary setup for a short time period. Retailers, airline and
shipping companies which need additional workstations for a
peak period. Auditors who require workgroups at customer
sites.
• Access to databases for mobile workers
Doctors, nurses, retailers, or white-collar workers who need
access to databases while being mobile in a hospital, retail
store or an office campus.
•SOHO(Small Office and Home Office) users
SOHO users who need easy and quick installation of a small
computer network.

EZ C ONNECT ™ 802.11 A W IRELESS C ARD B US A DAPTER
4
LED Indicators
The SMC2735W includes two status LED indicators, as described in
the following figure and table.
LED Condition Status
Power On Awake from power save. (The
CardBus Adapter automatically enters
this state after exit from power save
mode and before any other activity.)
Off No Power.
Slow
Flashing
Power save mode - or indicates
association with no activity (if flashing
together with Network LED).
Fast
Flashing
Indicates associated with network
activity. (Flashing together with
Network LED.)
Network Off Neither associated nor looking for
association.
Slow
Flashing
Associated with no activity. (Flashes
together with Power LED.)
Fast
Flashing
Associated with network activity.
(Flashes together with Power LED.)
Alternate
Power/Network
Alternate
Flashing of
both LEDs
Looking for a network but no activity.
Power LED
Network LED

EZ C ONNECT ™ 802.11 A W IRELESS C ARD B US A DAPTER
5
System Requirement
Before you install the EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus
Adapter, check your system for the following requirements:
• A computer with a CardBus slot
• Windows 98/NT4.0/ME/2000/XP (Have the Windows
installation CD-ROM ready for use during installation)
• A minimum of 10 Mbytes of free disk space for installing the
driver and utility program
• Other IEEE 802.11a-compliant devices installed in your service
area (such as the SMC2755W Wireless 802.11a Access Point)

H ARDWARE I NSTALLATION
6
H ARDWARE I NSTALLATION
1. Turn your computer on and boot to your operating system.
2. Find an available CardBus slot in your computer.
3. With the EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapter 68-pin
connector facing the CardBus slot and the EZ Connect 802.11a
Wireless CardBus Adapter label facing up, slide the card
completely into the CardBus slot as shown below.
Note: The CardBus slot allows you to “hot swap”the CardBus
Adapter at any time, even when your computer is
powered on.
4. For Windows 98/NT4.0/ME/2000/XP, CardBus specification is
required. Please check the documents for your CardBus
Adapter driver before installing the software driver for the
SMC2735W.
5. Install the appropriate network driver for your operating
system. Drivers can be found on the CD ROM. See “Driver
Installation”on page 8 for more information.

H ARDWARE I NSTALLATION
7
6. Install the EZ Connect Wireless 802.11a CardBus Configuration
Utility for your wireless CardBus Adapter. The Setup.exe file
can be found on the CD ROM. See “Configuration and
Diagnostic Utility”on page 25 for more information.

D RIVER I NSTALLATION
8
D RIVER I NSTALLATION
The folder labeled “Driver”on the CD ROM that comes with the
package contains all the software drivers available for the EZ
Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapter. Select the driver you
need for your system and refer to this guide for the installation and
configuration procedure. Any new or updated drivers can be
downloaded from SMC’s Web site at:
http://www.smc.com.
You may find that the instructions in this chapter do not exactly
match your version of Windows. This is because these steps and
screenshots were created from Windows 2000. Windows 98,
Windows XP and Windows Millennium Edition are similar, but not
identical, to Windows 2000.

D RIVER I NSTALLATION
9
Windows 98/2000/ME/XP Installation
1. Insert the CardBus into a standard CardBus slot in your
notebook.
2. Windows 98/2000/ME/XP will automatically detect the new
hardware and prompt you to install the driver. Click “Next”to
find the driver.

D RIVER I NSTALLATION
10
3. Insert the CD ROM labeled “SMC2735W/SMC2755W Driver/
Utility/Documentation CD,”specify the location
“D:\Driver\Win2K (or Win98...)”and click “Next.”