WNC CB9 User manual

WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter
User Manual
Version: 1.0
Dec. 2003

1
Copyright Statement
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior writing of the publisher.
Windows™98SE/2000/ME/XP are trademarks of Microsoft®Corp.
Pentium is trademark of Intel.
All copyright reserved.

2
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement
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 of the
following measures:
- Reorient or relocate 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.
FCC Caution: To assure continued compliance, (example - use only shielded
interface cables when connecting to computer or peripheral devices) any
changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.
This device complies with Part 15 of the 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.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction
with any other antenna or transmitter.

3
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION 4
1.1 KIT CONTENTS ........................................................................................................4
1.2 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.........................................................................................4
1.3 STATUS LED ............................................................................................................4
2. DRIVER/UTILITY INSTALLATION / UNINSTALLATION 5
2.1 INSTALLATION .........................................................................................................5
2.1.1 ADDITIONAL SETUP PROCESSES .............................................................................8
2.1.2 VERIFYING THE DRIVER.........................................................................................8
2.2 UNINSTALLATION...................................................................................................10
3. CONNECTING TO AN EXISTING NETWORK 11
3.1 ADDITIONAL NOTE FOR WINDOWS XP.................................................................15
4. CREATING AN AD HOC NEW NETWORK 16
5. MODIFYING A WIRELESS NETWORK 19
5.1 INFRASTRUCTURE MODE VS. AD HOC MODE ......................................................19
5.2 MODIFYING A WIRELESS NETWORK.....................................................................20
5.3 DEFAULT SETTINGS WINDOWS XP ZERO-CONFIGURATION................................27
5.4 SUPER A/G SETTING..............................................................................................27
APPENDIX A: TROUBLESHOOTING 28
APPENDIX B: SPECIFICATION 32

4
1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter that provides the
easiest way to wireless networking. This User Manual contains detailed instructions in
the operation of this product. Please keep this manual for future reference.
1.1 Kit Contents
 WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter
 Installation Software CD
 Quick Start Guide
1.2 System Requirements
 A laptop PC contains:
- 32-bit Cardbus slot (or Desktop PC with PC Card-PCI adapter)
- 32 MB memory or greater
- 300 MHz processor or higher
 Microsoft®Win™2000/ME/98 Second Edition/XP
1.3 Status LED
There are 2 Status LEDs on the WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter. You can check
your network connectivity status by looking at the LEDs.
 Off: Power off.
 Slow Blink: A connection is made. There is no activity yet.
 Fast Blink: There are activities in a connected network.
 Alternate Blink between LEDs: Look for a network association.
 One LED Blink: Power Saving Mode is on.
 One LED Steady Light: Awake from Power Saving Mode.

5
2. Driver/Utility Installation / Uninstallation
2.1 Installation
Note! The Installation Section in this User Manual describes the first-time installation
for Windows. To re-install the driver, please first uninstall the previously
installed driver. See Chapter 2.2 “Uninstallation” section in this User Manual.
Note! Do Not insert the Adapter into the Cardbus slot before the driver installation.
Note! If you have inserted the Adapter into the Cardbus slot before installing the
driver, a warning message pops up informing you that the software has not yet
been installed. Please click “Cancel” to close the warning message. Remove
the Adapter, and then start to install the driver.
Follow the steps below to complete the driver/utility installation:
1. Insert the Installation Software CD into the CD-Rom Drive.
2. Click “Next”.

6
3. Read the License Agreement and click “Yes”.
4. Click “Next” to continue or click “Browse” to choose a destination folder.
5. Click “Next”.

7
6. Click “Yes” to create a shortcut icon on your desktop.
7. Click “Finish”.
8. You should now see the shortcut icon on your desktop.
9. Insert the Adapter into the Cardbus slot, and the Windows Operating System will
find the new hardware and automatically install it. (For Windows 98SE or
Windows Me, please restart your computer before inserting the Adatper).

8
2.1.1 Additional Setup Processes
During software installation procedure, each operating system may prompt different
specific options:
1. Windows 98SE: The system will request the original Windows CD during the
installation process. When the installation is finished, you’ll have to restart your
computer.
2. Windows Me: Please restart your computer when the installation is finished.
3. Windows 2000/XP: Select “Install the software automatically” when the window
with this option appears, and then click “Next” to continue installation.
2.1.2 Verifying the Driver
1. Windows 98SE/Me:
Step 1. Right-click “My Computer” icon on the desktop and choose “Properties”.
Step 2. Select “Device Manager” tab and open “Network adapters”. You should
see your WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter in the list. Highlight it and click
“Properties” button.
Step 3. From the “Device status”, you should see the line “This device is working
properly”. If, instead, you see error messages displayed, please remove
this Adapter (highlight this Adapter and click “Remove” button). Restart
your PC and go through the installation process again.
2. Windows 2000:
Step 1. Right-click “My Computer” icon on the desktop and choose “Properties”.
Step 2. Select “Hardware” tab and click “Device Manager”. Open “Network
adapters”. You should see your WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter in the list.
Right-click this Adapter and choose “Properties”.
Step 3. From the “Device status”, you should see the line “This device is working
properly”. If, instead, you see error messages displayed, please uninstall
this Adapter (right-click this Adapter from the “Network adapters” list and
choose “Uninstall”). Restart your PC and go through the installation
process again.

9
3. Windows XP:
Step 1. Click Start>Control Panel> System.
Step 2. Select “Hardware” tab, and click “Device Manager”. Open “Network
adapters”. You should see your WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter in the list.
Right-click this Adapter and choose “Properties”.
Step 3. From the “Device status”, you should see the line “This device is working
properly”. If, instead, you see error messages displayed, please uninstall
this Adapter (right-click this Adapter from the “Network adapters” list and
choose “Uninstall”). Restart your PC and go through the installation
process again.

10
2.2 Uninstallation
Note! Before uninstallation, please close all running programs.
1. Click Start>Programs>WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter>UnInstall WLAN a+b+g
Cardbus Adapter.
2. Choose “Remove”. Click “Next”.
3. Click “OK” to start Uninstall.
4. Click “Finish”. Uninstall is now completed.

11
3. Connecting to an Existing Network
1. Double click the shortcut icon of “WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter” on the
desktop, and the Configuration window appears.
2. Click on the Refresh button to list all available networks.

12
Note: To automatically connect to the network with the strongest signal, select
Enable Smart Selection. Any displays in Profile List.
3. From the list of “Available Networks”, choose one network by double clicking the
Network Name. One of the following dialog boxes appears. Click “Yes” to
continue.
4. If the chosen network has security enabled, the Security tab displays. Select the
security option used by the network. Contact the network administrator for the
correct settings.

13
5. If selecting WPA or 802.1X, select the EAP type, then click on the Configure
button to select the certificate.
6. If selecting WPA-PSK, click on the Configure button to enter the PassPhrase.

14
7. If selecting Pre-Shared Key, click on the Configure button to enter the correct
Encryption Keys.
8. Click on OK (or Apply if using the other tabs) when done to save the settings.
9. Once connected (the icon or in front of the name of the Connected
Network), you can check the signal strength from the icon in the Windows
System Tray.

15
3.1 Additional Note for Windows XP
In Windows XP, it is recommended that you use the WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter
Configuration Utility. Before using the Utility, please follow the steps below to
disable the Windows XP Zero Configuration:
Option 1:
1. Double click the shortcut icon to open the Utility.
2. From the Windows System Tray, you should see the signal icon. Right-click it
and select “Disable Zero-Configuration”.
Option 2:
1. Go to “Control Panel” and double click “Network Connections”.
2. Right-click “Wireless Network Connection” of “WLAN a+b+g Cardbus Adapter”,
and select “Properties”.
3. Select “Wireless Networks” tab, and uncheck the check box of “Use Windows to
configure my wireless network settings”, and then click “OK”.

16
4. Creating an Ad Hoc New Network
1. In the Configuration window, click New .
2. Select the “Profile Editor” tab.

17
3. Choose the check box of Enable Advanced Setting to edit all settings.
4. If joining or creating an Ad-Hoc network, choose Ad Hoc.
5. If the correct country is not selected, select the country where the computer is
located.
ALERT: Different countries have different regulations that affect which channels
can be used. You should always choose the country where you are physically
located to avoid using an illegal channel.
6. Click OK (or Apply if using the other tabs) to save the settings.
For details of each setting, refer to Modifying a Wireless Network on page 20.
7. Click the Security tab. If not using security, select None.
8. If security is used, select Pre-Shared Key and click on the Configure button.

18
9. Enter an encryption key in the Shared: First field.
10. Click OK (or Apply if using the other tabs) to save the settings.
The new Network Name is listed in the Profile List.
The driver does not allow channel selection in Ad-Hoc mode. Instead, the driver starts
with an initial channel then checks channel status. If the channel is busy, the driver
automatically uses a different channel.
For details of each setting, see Modifying a Wireless Network on page 20.

19
5. Modifying a Wireless Network
5.1 Infrastructure Mode vs. Ad Hoc Mode
You can set the Wireless Network Adapter to work in either Infrastructure mode or
Ad Hoc mode.
Infrastructure Mode
In infrastructure mode, devices communicate with each other by first going through
an Access Point (AP). Wireless devices can communicate with each other or can
communicate with a wired network. When one AP is connected to wired network
and a set of wireless stations, it is referred to as a BSS (Basic Service Set).
Ad Hoc Mode
Ad-hoc mode is also called “peer-to-peer mode” or “Independent Basic Service Set
(IBSS)”. In ad hoc mode, devices communicate directly with each other without
using an Access Point (AP).