Sony Pcwa-c700 - wireless lan dual pc card User manual

Case 1 Cannot connect to the Internet

The connection between the computer and Access Point or the link between the Access Point and Internet Service Provider (ISP) may not be established.

1Check wireless link between computer and Access Point.

■Under the “Status” tab in Wireless Panel, is the Network Name shown as “Not Connected” ?

zHints

• If the connection was established with a wrong encryption key (WEP key), the icon in the system tray may still indicate “Connected”. (If connection to an Access Point

for which encryption is enabled was attempted with encryption set to Off, or vice versa, the connection will not be completed and the “Not Connected” icon will be

shown in the system tray.)

• If the IP address shown in Wireless Panel under the “Status” tab starts with “169.254. ...” or is “0.0.0.0”, there may be a mismatch in the data encryption settings. Correct

the settings as described below. If the IP address does not start with “169.254. ...” and is not “0.0.0.0”, communication between the computer and the Access Point is

normal. Consult the section “3Check wireless link between Access Point and Internet Service Provider (ISP)”.

1Check the data encryption (WEP) setting at the Access Point to which you want to connect.

2Click the “Network List” tab in the Wireless Panel.

3Modify the settings for the network shown as “Not Connected”, and reconnect.

• Windows Me, Windows 2000

1Select the wireless network to which you want to connect, and click “Edit”.

The “Registering Network” dialog box appears.

2Change the settings according to the settings at the Access Point, and click “Connect”.

zHint

You can display the “Registering Network” dialog box by selecting “Dialog Format” on the “Setting” tab. If you select “Wizard Format”, follow the instructions

of the wizard to change settings.

The computer connects to the Access Point with the new settings.

• Windows XP

Under Windows XP, the setting is made in the “Connect to Wireless Network” dialog box. For details, refer to the “Operating Instructions”.

4Click the “Status” tab in the Wireless Panel and verify that the IP address does not start with “169.254. ...” and is not

“0.0.0.0”.

The connection between computer and Access Point should now be normal.

zHint

Access Point settings can be changed from the computer only after the connection between computer and Access Point has been established properly. If unable to

connect to the Internet, perform the above steps first, to ensure that communication between computer and Access Point functions normally.

■Network Name indication does not show “Not Connected”, but IP address starts with “169.254. ...” or is

“0.0.0.0”?

There may be a mismatch in the data encryption settings. If connection to an Access Point for which data encryption is enabled was attempted with a

wrong encryption key (WEP key), the Network Name will be shown under the “Status” tab of the Wireless Panel, but the actual connection is not

established, because no IP address could be obtained (the IP address is shown as “169.254. ...” or “0.0.0.0”).

Enter the correct encryption key (WEP key) as described in 1above, and reconnect.

2Is wireless link set up to act as network bridge? (Windows XP only)

Check this as follows.

1Click “Start”, point to “Connect To”, and click “Show all connections”.

2Confirm that the wireless network connection in question is not acting as a network bridge.

3If the wireless network connection is configured as a network bridge, right-click the corresponding icon, and click “Delete”.

3Check wireless link between Access Point and Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Refer to connection information provided by your ISP to configure the Access Point. For details, contact technical support of the ISP. Sony does not

provide any support regarding this issue.

Case 2

Cannot open the Access Point home page (setup

page)

1The “AP Setting” button under the “Status” tab of the Wireless Panel can only be used in

conjunction with the Access Point PCWA-A500 (as of February, 2003).

2Even when using the Access Point PCWA-A500, clicking the “AP Setting” button results in the

message “There was no response from the access point. Possible reasons include: the access

point is located too far away, the access point may not be configured to respond, the access

point may be turned off.”. In such a case, communication may be instable.

Check whether the distance between computer and Access Point is not excessive, and whether there are any obstacles that may impair signal

transmission. Ensure that the computer and Access Point can communicate and then click the “AP Setting” button again.

3When using Windows XP, opening the Access Point home page (setup page) may not be

possible if the Internet Connection Firewall function has been enabled.

Use the following procedure to check the firewall setting.

1Click “Start”, point to “Connect To”, and click “Show all connections”.

2Right-click the Wireless Network Connection icon to which you want to connect, and click “Properties”.

3Click the “Advanced” tab and (if selected) deselect the “Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing

access to this computer from the Internet” check box.

4Click “OK”.

zHint

Refer to Windows XP Online Help for details about the Internet Connection Firewall.

Note

Take appropriate precautions to ensure security when the “Internet Connection Firewall” function is disabled. Except when configuring the Wireless LAN Access

Point, it is strongly recommended that you enable the Internet Connection Firewall function at all times.

PCWA-C700 What to do if...

Troubleshooting Guide

This document provides information related to some common

problems and questions encountered by users of this product.

Refer to this guide before contacting Sony Customer Information

Services.

4-668-802-11(1)

How to resolve problems

Introduction

Make sure that the supplied Wireless Panel software is installed.

When using Windows XP, wireless connection settings are made using the built-in functions of Windows XP, but the Wireless Panel software is still useful

because it allows monitoring of network status and lets you selectively turn 802.11b (2.4 GHz) and 802.11a (5 GHz) transmission on/off.

If a problem occurs, answer the following questions in sequence to find a solution.

Cannot connect to the Internet

Turn on the Access Point.

cAccess Point manuals

Is the Access Point on?

Refer to “Verifying Wireless LAN PC Card driver

installation”in the “Operating Instruction”to make

sure that the driver is installed correctly. If the driver

is not installed correctly, perform the procedure

outlined in “Uninstalling the Wireless LAN PC Card

driver”in the “Operating Instructions”, and then

reinstall the driver. For details, visit

http://www.sony.com/wirelesslansupport.

Check the Wireless Panel icon in the taskbar. Was the driver

installed correctly?

If the IP address starts with “169.254. ...”or

is “0.0.0.0”, there may be a problem with

the settings for the wireless link between

the Access Point and the computer.

Case 1 – 1in this document

Is the IP address shown on the “Status” tab of the Wireless

Panel not starting with “169.254. ...” and not “0.0.0.0”?

Ye s No

There may be a problem with the link between the Access Point

and Internet Service Provider.

When using the Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500*, clicking the

“AP Setting” button opens the Access Point home page (setup page). (*As

of February, 2003). Make sure that the Access Point is configured

correctly for Internet access. For details, refer to the manuals of the Access

Point or to connection information supplied by the Internet Service

Provider.

A change in proxy settings becomes

effective only after restarting the browser.

Has the browser been restarted?

The wireless link between the computer and Access Point functions

normally.

Is the wireless link set up to act as a network bridge?

(Windows XP only)

Does the Access Point support the “AP Setting” function?

Currently, the Sony 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500

supports the “AP Setting”function (as of February, 2003).

Turn on the Access Point.

Access Point manuals

Is the Access Point on?

Is the wireless link between the computer and Access Point

established correctly?

Case 2 – 3in this document

When using Windows XP, has the Internet Connection Firewall

function been enabled?

Case 1in this document

Were the Access Point Network Name (SSID) or Data

Encryption (WEP) settings changed?

Case 3 – 1in this document

If the Network Name (SSID) or Data

Encryption (WEP) settings were changed

for the Access Point, the settings at the

computer must also be changed

accordingly.

If it is set up to act as a network bridge,

delete the connection from the bridge list.

Case 1 – 1in this document

Cannot open the Access Point home

page (setup page)

Clicking the “AP Setting” button does not open the Access Point

home page (setup page).

Cannot connect to the Internet after

changing Access Point settings

: Driver is not installed or not installed correctly.

: Driver is installed correctly.

Icon with key indicates network for which

data encryption is enabled.

Icon without key indicates network for

which data encryption is not enabled.

Encryption key (WEP key)

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States of America and other countries.

•In this manual, Microsoft®Windows®Millennium Edition is referred to as Windows Me.

• In this manual, Microsoft®Windows®2000 Professional is referred to as Windows 2000.

• In this manual, Microsoft®Windows®XP Professional and Microsoft®Windows®XP Home Edition are referred to as Windows XP.

Printed on 100% recycled paper using VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)-free vegetable oil based ink.

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Case 7 Clicking the “AP Setting” button opens the dial-

up dialog box, and Access Point setup is not

possible

The wireless link between computer and Access Point is normal and the IP address does not start

with “169.254. ...” or is “0.0.0.0”, but clicking the “AP Setting” button brings up the following dialog

box.

1Click “Connect”.

The “Internet Properties” dialog box appears.

2Check “Never dial a connection”, click “Apply”, and then click “OK”.

3In the “Dial-up Connection” dialog box, click “Cancel”.

The browser starts up automatically.

4Click the “AP Setting” button.

Case 8 Playback of MPEG2 streaming contents (4 Mbps,

8 Mbps) is jerky and there are dropped frames

When using 802.11b wireless LAN

Because the actual throughput in a 802.11b wireless LAN is about 4 Mbps, MPEG2 streaming data cannot be played. Use a 802.11a wireless LAN.

802.11a wireless LAN is used, but there are still dropped frames

Check the following points.

1Are multiple computers using a single Access Point simultaneously for streaming data

playback?

The actual throughput in a 802.11a wireless LAN is on the order of 17 - 20 Mbps (depending on environment). Under optimum conditions, such a

network can support MPEG2 (8 Mbps) streaming playback for up to two computers. For best results, simultaneous playback with multiple computers

should be avoided.

2Contents server and Access Point are connected by wireless link

If the contents server and Access Point are connected by wireless link, a situation similar to 1above occurs. When using the Wireless LAN Access

Point PCWA-A500, connect the Network 2 connector with a cross-wired cable, as shown below.

ADSL router etc.

Cross-wired cable

To Internet

802.11a (5 GHz) Access Point

Server

Connected to backbone

network

Server

Connected directly to

Access Point

Client computer

Network1

Network2

3Under Windows XP, above conditions 1and 2do not apply, but there are occasional dropped

frames

Set “Streaming Mode” under the “Status” tab of Wireless Panel to On. This temporarily suspends the Windows XP wireless configuration functions

(Wireless Zero Configuration service) in order to optimize performance.

Note

When playback of streaming data is finished, do not forget to set the “Streaming Mode” button to Off. If the setting is left at On, network switching is not possible.

Case 9 Some functions and settings are not available to

some users

Under Windows 2000 and Windows XP, some functions are restricted depending on access privileges of the user.

Note

To install the supplied software on a computer running Windows 2000, log on with a user account listed in “Administrators”. To install the supplied software on a computer

running Windows XP, log on with a user account with administrator privileges. You cannot install the software when logged on with any other account.

Limitations according to access privileges are as follows

User account type Limitation

Windows 2000: Administrator Can use all functions (no restrictions). Actual functions will depend on OS.

Windows XP: Computer Administrator

Windows 2000: Cannot install Wireless Panel and Wireless LAN PC Card driver. Cannot switch and register networks.

Cannot set wireless transmission to On/Off. (Transmission status monitoring and Access Point

configuring is possible.)

Other user

Windows XP: Cannot install Wireless Panel and Wireless LAN PC Card driver.

Cannot use streaming mode and cannot set wireless transmission to On/Off.

Case 3 Cannot connect to the Internet after changing

Access Point settings

If you have changed the Data Encryption (WEP) setting of the Access Point according to its documentation, you must change the wireless connection

settings at the computer accordingly, using the same values as for the Access Point.

If Internet access was working and has become unavailable after changing the encryption settings, perform the following steps to match the settings of the

computer and Access Point.

1Access Point encryption settings were changed, but settings for link between Access Point and

computer were not modified

Follow the instructions for “Case 1 – 1Check wireless link between computer and Access Point” and modify settings of computer to match Access

Point settings.

2Access Point encryption settings were changed, and settings for link between Access Point and

computer were also modified

Has encryption key (WEP key) been input correctly?

Temporarily return Access Point settings to factory defaults as described below, and then reconfigure Access Point.

1Follow instructions in Access Point documentation to reset Access Point to factory defaults.

2Establish wireless link between Access Point and computer.

If communication between Access Point and computer is normal at this stage, the Access Point can be configured.

3Configure Access Point for access to Internet via Internet Service Provider (ISP).

If required, change Network Name (SSID) of Access Point. For security reasons, Data Encryption (WEP) for Access Point should be enabled.

z Hint

Make a note of the encryption key so as not to forget it.

4If Network Name (SSID) or Data Encryption (WEP) settings for Access Point were changed in Step 3, configure the

computer with the same settings, according to “Case 1 – 1Check wireless link between computer and Access Point”.

z Hint

When you change the Access Point settings, communication between Access Point and computer will be interrupted. If you have changed settings at the Access Point,

be sure to reconfigure the computer with the same settings.

Case 4 The driver and supplied utility software were

installed, and the Easy Setup Wizard* has

started, but the message “It appears that the

driver is not installed properly.” appears

* Under Windows XP, the Easy Setup Wizard does not start automatically.

1Make sure that the computer is running Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition,

or Windows XP Professional.

This product does not support Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0.

2Has the driver been installed correctly?

To verify that the Wireless LAN PC Card driver has been installed properly, perform the following steps.

1Right-click “My Computer” on the Desktop, and select “Properties” from the menu. The “System Properties” dialog box

appears.

2Click the “Hardware” tab, then click “Device Manager”.

Under Windows Me, click the “Device Manager” tab.

Windows 2000 Windows Me

3Click “Network adapters” and check “Sony 802.11a/b Wireless Network Adapter”.

If an “X” or “?” symbol is shown before “Sony 802.11a/b Wireless Network Adapter”, the driver was not correctly installed. Proceed to step 4.

If no symbol is shown, the driver was correctly installed.

4Right-click “Sony 802.11a/b Wireless Network Adapter” and select “Remove” from the menu.

5Refer to "Verifying Wireless LAN PC Card driver installation" in the "Operating Instruction" to make sure that the driver is

installed correctly. If the driver is not installed correctly, perform the procedure outlined in "Uninstalling the Wireless LAN

PC Card driver" in the "Operating Instructions", and then reinstall the driver. For details, visit

http://www.sony.com/wirelesslansupport.

Case 5 In the Easy Setup Wizard, the encryption key

(WEP key) was input, but the “Next”button

remains grayed and cannot be clicked

Was the encryption key input correctly as a string of the exact length?

If the string input as encryption key (WEP key) is too long or too short, or if it contains an illegal character, the “Next” button does not become available.

Enter a string of the exact length, as indicated below.

ASCII Hex

40bit 5 characters (alphanumeric and symbols) 10 digits (0 - 9, A - Z, a - z)

104bit 13 characters (alphanumeric and symbols) 26 digits (0 - 9, A - Z, a - z)

Case 6 Cannot switch networks

When using Windows 2000 or Windows Me

If logged on to Windows as a user with limited privileges, the network cannot be switched. Log on as a user with administrator privileges.

When using Windows XP

If “Streaming Mode” was set to On, the wireless setting functions of Windows XP are not available. Set “Streaming Mode” to Off after viewing streaming

video data.

Case 10

How to configure the PCWA-A200 and

PCWA-A220?