ZyXEL Communications ZyXEL ZyAIR 100 User manual

ZyAIR 100
Wireless PC Card
User’s Guide
Version 1.0.3
October 2002

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
ii Copyright
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 by ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any part or as a whole, transcribed, stored in a
retrieval system, translated into any language, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, photocopying, user’s guide, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
Published by ZyXEL Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
ZyXEL does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, or software
described herein. Neither does it convey any license under its patent rights nor the patent rights of others.
ZyXEL further reserves the right to make changes in any products described herein without notice. This
publication is subject to change without notice.
Trademarks
Trademarks mentioned in this publication are used for identification purposes only and may be properties of
their respective owners.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
FCC Statement iii
Federal Communications Commission(FCC)
Interference Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
This device may not cause harmful interference.
This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operations.
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 commercial environment. 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.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio/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 or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and the 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.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
iv Canadian Users
Information for Canadian Users
The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification means that the equipment meets certain
telecommunications network protective, operation and safety requirements. The Industry Canada does not guarantee
that the equipment will operate to a user's satisfaction.
Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible to be connected to the facilities of the local
telecommunications company. The equipment must also be installed using an acceptable method of connection. In some
cases, the company's inside wiring associated with a single line individual service may be extended by means of a
certified connector assembly. The customer should be aware that the compliance with the above conditions may not
prevent degradation of service in some situations.
Repairs to certified equipment should be made by an authorized Canadian maintenance facility designated by the
supplier. Any repairs or alterations made by the user to this equipment, or equipment malfunctions, may give the
telecommunications company cause to request the user to disconnect the equipment.
For their own protection, users should ensure that the electrical ground connections of the power utility, telephone lines
and internal metallic water pipe system, if present, are connected together. This precaution may be particularly
important in rural areas.
Caution
Users should not attempt to make such connections themselves, but should contact the appropriate electrical inspection
authority, or electrician, as appropriate.
Note
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the
radio interference regulations of Industry Canada.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
ZyXEL Limited Warranty v
ZyXEL Limited Warranty
ZyXEL warrants to the original end user (purchaser) that this product is free from any defects in materials
or workmanship for a period of up to two years from the date of purchase. During the warranty period and
upon proof of purchase, should the product have indications of failure due to faulty workmanship and/or
materials, ZyXEL will, at its discretion, repair or replace the defective products or components without
charge for either parts or labor and to whatever extent it shall deem necessary to restore the product or
components to proper operating condition. Any replacement will consist of a new or re-manufactured
functionally equivalent product of equal value and will be solely at the discretion of ZyXEL. This warranty
shall not apply if the product is modified, misused, tampered with, damaged by an act of God, or subjected
to abnormal working conditions.
Note
Repair or replacement, as provided under this warranty, is the exclusive remedy of the purchaser. This
warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of
merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose. ZyXEL shall in no event be held liable for indirect
or consequential damages of any kind of character to the purchaser.
To obtain the services of this warranty, contact ZyXEL's Service Center; refer to the separate Warranty
Card for your Return Material Authorization number (RMA). Products must be returned Postage Prepaid. It
is recommended that the unit be insured when shipped. Any returned products without proof of purchase or
those with an out-dated warranty will be repaired or replaced (at the discretion of ZyXEL) and the customer
will be billed for parts and labor. All repaired or replaced products will be shipped by ZyXEL to the
corresponding return address, Postage Paid (USA and territories only). If the customer desires some other
return destination beyond the U.S. borders, the customer shall bear the cost of the return shipment. This
warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights that vary from state to state.
Online Registration
Do not forget to register your Prestige (fast, easy online registration at www.zyxel.com for free future
product updates and information.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
vi Customer Support
Customer Support
Please have the following information ready when you contact customer support.
• Product model and serial number.
• Warranty Information.
• Date that you received your device.
• Brief description of the problem and the steps you took to solve it.
METHOD
LOCATION
E-MAIL SUPPORT/ SALES TELEPHONE/ FAX WEB SITE / FTP SITE REGULAR MAIL
[email protected]m.tw [phone] www.zyxel.com
www.europe.zyxel.com
WORLDWIDE
[e-mail] [phone] ftp.europe.zyxel.com
ZyXEL Communications Corp.,
6 Innovation Road II, Science-
Based Industrial Park,
HsinChu, Taiwan 300, R.O.C.
[email protected]m [phone]
800-255-4101
www.zyxel.comNORTH
AMERICA
[e-mail] [phone] ftp.zyxel.com
ZyXEL Communications Inc.,
1650 Miraloma Avenue,
Placentia, CA 92870, U.S.A.
[email protected] [phone] www.zyxel.dkSCANDINAVIA
[e-mail] [phone] ftp.zyxel.dk
ZyXEL Communications A/S,
Columbusvej 5, 2860 Soeborg,
Denmark.
[email protected] [phone] www.zyxel.deGERMANY
[e-mail] [phone]
ZyXEL Deutschland GmbH.
Adenauerstr. 20/A4 D-52146
Wuerselen, Germany

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
Table of Contents vii
Table of Contents
Copyright...................................................................................................................................................ii
Federal Communications Commission(FCC) Interference Statement................................................iii
Information for Canadian Users.............................................................................................................iv
ZyXEL Limited Warranty........................................................................................................................v
Customer Support....................................................................................................................................vi
List of Figures...........................................................................................................................................ix
List of Tables.............................................................................................................................................ix
Preface........................................................................................................................................................x
GETTING STARTED ................................................................................................................................... I
Chapter 1 Getting to Know Your ZyAIR ............................................................................................1-1
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1-1
1.2 Features of the ZyAIR ............................................................................................................. 1-1
1.3 Applications............................................................................................................................. 1-2
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation......................................................................................................... 2-1
2.1 System Requirements .............................................................................................................. 2-1
2.2 Installing the ZyAIR................................................................................................................ 2-1
Chapter 3 ZyAIR Driver Installation.................................................................................................. 3-1
3.1 Windows 95 (OSR2)/98/ME Setup ......................................................................................... 3-1
3.2 Windows NT 4.0 Setup ........................................................................................................... 3-5
3.3 Windows 2000 Setup............................................................................................................... 3-9
3.4 Windows XP Setup.................................................................................................................3-10
3.5 Software Installation Complete ..............................................................................................3-12
ADVANCED MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................................................II
Chapter 3 ZyAIR Utility Installation and Configuration.................................................................. 3-1
3.1 Installing the Utility................................................................................................................. 3-1
3.2 Accessing the Utility ............................................................................................................... 3-2
3.3 Utility Screens ......................................................................................................................... 3-3
3.4 Configuration........................................................................................................................... 3-3
3.4.1 WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).................................................................................... 3-4
3.4.2 Create Encryption Keys by Using a Passphrase .............................................................. 3-5

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
viii Table of Contents
3.4.3 Create Encryption Keys Manually ...................................................................................3-5
3.4.4 Advanced Configuration ..................................................................................................3-6
3.4.5 Loop Back ........................................................................................................................3-8
3.4.6 AP Browser ......................................................................................................................3-9
3.4.7 Site Survey .....................................................................................................................3-10
Chapter 4 Advanced Configuration .....................................................................................................4-1
4.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................4-1
4.2 Advanced Property Parameters ................................................................................................4-1
4.2.1 Authentication Algorithm ................................................................................................4-1
4.2.2 Preamble Mode ................................................................................................................4-1
4.3 Advanced Configuration in Windows 95(OSR2)/98/ME ........................................................4-2
4.4 Advanced Configuration in Windows 2000/XP.......................................................................4-3
4.5 Advanced Configuration in Windows NT................................................................................4-4
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.............................................................................................................. III
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................5-1
5.1 Problems During Driver Installation ........................................................................................5-1
5.2 Problems With the Utility Configuration .................................................................................5-2
5.3 Problems With Access Point Settings ......................................................................................5-2
5.4 Problems Communicating With the Computer ........................................................................5-3
Appendix A Network Configuration ...................................................................................................... B
Appendix B Hardware Specifications .................................................................................................... E
Appendix C Important Safety Instructions............................................................................................F
Index ......................................................................................................................................................... G

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
List of Figures and Tables ix
List of Figures
Figure 2-1 Inserting the ZyAIR into your Notebook Computer ................................................................ 2-2
Figure 3-1 Utility – Configuration ............................................................................................................ 3-3
Figure 3-2 Utility – WEP Encryption........................................................................................................ 3-5
Figure 3-3 Utility – Advanced Configuration............................................................................................ 3-6
Figure 3-4 RTS Threshold......................................................................................................................... 3-7
Figure 3-5 Utility – Loop Back ................................................................................................................. 3-8
Figure 3-6 Utility – Access Point Browser................................................................................................ 3-9
Figure 3-7 Utility – Site Survey .............................................................................................................. 3-10
List of Tables
Table 2-1 LED Descriptions...................................................................................................................... 2-2
Table 3-1 Utility – Access Point Browser Screen Menu Fields................................................................. 3-9
Table 4-1 Two Advanced Property Field Descriptions..............................................................................4-3
Table 5-1 Troubleshooting the Installation of Your ZyAIR 100................................................................ 5-1
Table 5-2 Troubleshooting the Configuration............................................................................................ 5-2
Table 5-3 Troubleshooting the Settings for the Access Point .................................................................... 5-2
Table 5-4 Troubleshooting Communication Problems .............................................................................. 5-3

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
x List of Figures and Tables
Preface
About Your ZyAIR 100
Congratulations on your purchase of the ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card.
Online Registration
Do not forget to register your ZyAIR 100 (fast, easy online registration at www.zyxel.com) for free future
product updates and information.
With a built-in Access Point and powerful routing features of the Prestige series models, you can place a
wireless Prestige anywhere on a local network and create a wireless infrastructure for real-time database
access, file sharing, email, printer sharing, and fast Internet access. A mobile investment saves your office
construction costs, maintenance, and scalability because it's easy to add nodes. A mobile office can
dramatically increase the office efficiency. The ZyAIR 100 is designed for:
 Home offices and small businesses with cable, DSL and wireless modem.
 Wireless LAN connectivity: allows you to work anywhere in the coverage area.
 Multiple office/department connections via access devices.
 E-commerce/EDI applications.
Your ZyAIR 100 is easy to install and to configure.
About This User's Guide
This user’s guide is designed to guide you through the hardware and software installation of your ZyAIR
100 for its various applications.
Regardless of your particular application, it is important that you follow the steps outlined in Chapters 2
and Chapter 3. You can then refer to the appropriate chapters of the user’s guide, depending on your
application.
Related Documentation
 Supporting Disk
More detailed information and examples can be found in our included disk (as well as on the
zyxel.com web site). This disk contains information on configuring your ZyAIR 100, Application
Notes and Troubleshooting.
 Quick Start Guide

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
Preface xi
Our Quick Start Guide is designed to help you get up and running right away. It contains a detailed
easy-to-follow setup steps, default settings, handy checklists and information on setting up your
network using the ZyAIR 100 utility.
 ZyXEL Web Site
The ZyXEL download library at www.zyxel.com contains additional support documentation.
Please also refer to www.zyxel.com for an online glossary of networking terms.
Syntax Conventions
• The window screen titles and labels are in Bold Times New Roman font. Predefined field choices are
in Bold Arial font.
• “Type” means for you to type one or more characters and press the carriage return. “Select” or
“Choose” means for you to use one of the predefined choices.
• For brevity’s sake, we will use “e.g.,” as shorthand for “for instance”, and “i.e.,” for “that is” or “in
other words” throughout this manual.
• The ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card may be referred to as the ZyAIR 100 or the ZyAIR in this user’s
guide.

Getting Started
I
P
Pa ar rt t I I: :
GETTING STARTED
Chapters 1 to 3 are structured as a step-by-step guide to help you connect, install and setup your
ZyAIR to operate on your notebook computer.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
Getting to Know Your Wireless PC Card 1-1
Chapter 1
Getting to Know Your ZyAIR
This chapter introduces the main features and applications of the ZyAIR.
1.1 Introduction
The ZyAIR is an 11 Mbps IEEE 802.11(b) wireless PCMCIA card and that has a standard PCMCIA adapter
which fits into any standard PCMCIA Type II notebook computer slot. Its maximum 11 Mbps data rate
gives equivalent Ethernet speed to access corporate networks or the Internet in a wireless environment. The
ZyAIR gives you the wireless communication with any 802.11b-compliant product, allowing you to stay
connected anywhere within a coverage area.
1.2 Features of the ZyAIR
The following are the essential features of the ZyAIR.
• Supports data rate of 1, 2, 5.5 and 11 Mbps
• Ranges up to 800 feet in an open environment
• Supports Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multi-point access
• Seamless connectivity to wired Ethernet and computer Network LAN
• Helps to augment existing networks quickly and easily
• Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technology provides robust, interference-resistant and
secure wireless connections
• Wireless connectivity minus the cost of cabling
• Supports, Windows 95 (OSR2)/98/NT4.0/2000/XP
• Supports Plug and Play
• Ease of installation

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
1-2 Getting to Know Your Wireless PC Card
• Flexibility and mobility to locate or move networked computers
1.3 Applications
The ZyAIR offers fast, reliable and cost-effective solutions for wireless networks. They include:
• Remote Access to Corporate Network Information
For email, file transfer and terminal emulation access.
• Difficult to Wire Environments
For use in historical or old buildings, asbestos installations and open areas where wiring is impossible
to deploy.
• Frequently Changing Environments
For retailers, manufacturers and those who frequently rearrange the workplace or change location.
• Temporary LANs for Special Projects or During Peak Time
For trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites where a temporary network is required. For
retailers, airline and shipping companies who need additional workstations during peak periods. For
auditors requiring workgroups at customer sites.
• Access to Database for Mobile Users
Doctors, nurses, retailers who need to access their databases on the move in a hospital, retail store,
office or campus.
• SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) Users
SOHO users who need easy and quick installation of a small computer network.
• High Security Connection
Flexible, secure and quick installations.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
Hardware Installation 2-1
Chapter 2
Hardware Installation
This chapter shows you how to install the hardware.
2.1 System Requirements
• PCMCIA Type II slot
• PCMCIA card and socket service that is Revision 2.1-compliant to PCMCIA specification (or higher)
• Windows 95 (OSR2)/98/NT 4.0/2000/ME/XP Operating System.
• 500 Kbytes free hard disk space (minimum) for driver and utility program installation.
2.2 Installing the ZyAIR
Follow the procedure shown next to install the ZyAIR. Refer to the appendix for important safety
instructions.
Step 1. Locate available Type II or Type III PCMCIA slot in your notebook computer.
Step 2. With the ZyAIR adapter’s 68-pin connector facing the PCMCIA slot and its label side and
LEDs facing up, slide the ZyAIR completely into the PCMCIA slot as shown next.
Never force, bend or twist the ZyAIR into the slot.
Step 3. Go to the next chapter for more instructions on installing the driver.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
2-2 Hardware Installation
Figure 2-1 Inserting the ZyAIR into your Notebook Computer
The PCMCIA slot supports “hot swapping” of PCMCIA adapter, allowing you to
insert or remove the ZyAIR from the slot whenever you like even when power to
your computer is on. However, you should always disable the ZyAIR prior to card
removal to allow Windows to log off from the network server. Disable the ZyAIR
properly and disconnect power to the PC Card slot.
The following table describes the LEDs.
Table 2-1 LED Descriptions
LED COLOR STATUS DESCRIPTION
POWER Green On The ZyAIR is receiving power.
LINK Orange On The ZyAIR has a successful wireless connection.
Blinking The ZyAIR is sending/receiving data through the wireless connection.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
ZyAIR Driver Installation 3-1
Chapter 3
ZyAIR Driver Installation
This chapter shows you how to install the ZyAIR driver for Windows 95 (OSR2)/98/NT
4.0/2000/XP Operating Systems.
3.1 Windows 95 (OSR2)/98/ME Setup
Before starting driver installation, make sure that the ZyAIR has been inserted
into a standard type II PCMCIA slot on your notebook computer.
Step 1. Insert the ZyAIR into an avialable PCMCIA slot in your notebook computer. Windows will
auto-detect the ZyAIR and displays Add New Hardware Wizard dialog box. Click Next.

ZyAIR 100 Wireless PC Card
3-2 ZyAIR Driver Installation
Step 2. Select Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended) and then click Next.
Step 3. Insert the support CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive and specify the location of the driver, then
click Next.