Sonnet Aria extreme 54 Mbps Wireless LAN User Manual Download

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Aria

™

extreme 54 Mbps Wireless LAN

CardBus Card or PCI Card

Windows User’s Manual

Summary of Contents for Aria extreme 54 Mbps Wireless LAN

Page 1: ...Aria extreme 54 Mbps Wireless LAN CardBus Card or PCI Card Windows User s Manual ...

Page 2: ...No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical for any purpose without the express written permission of Sonnet Disclaimer Information in this document is subject to change without notice The material contained herein is supplied without representation or warranty of any kind Sonnet therefore assumes no responsibility and shall have n...

Page 3: ...network This User s Manual contains information on how to install and configure your Aria extreme CardBus card or Aria extreme PCI card From this point forward you will be guided through the correct configuration steps to get your device up and running 802 11g Compliance Notice This wireless device supports the final draft 802 11g specification which has been ratified by the IEEE ...

Page 4: ...apter Card 9 Basic Installation Procedure 9 Installing the Wireless LAN Driver and Software 11 Basic Installation Procedures 11 General Guidelines for OS Specific Situations 15 Chapter 3 Using the Wireless LAN Utility 17 Launching the Wireless LAN Utility 18 Note About Using the Wireless LAN Utility Under Windows XP 19 Chapter 4 Using Wireless Tray Icon Functions 35 Viewing Signal Strength Informa...

Page 5: ...Aria extreme Card 52 Chapter 7 Troubleshooting 53 Verify the Aria extreme is functioning properly 53 Cannot Install under Windows 2000 54 Radio Interference 54 Appendix A Limited Warranty 59 Wireless LAN Hardware 59 Appendix B Regulatory Compliance 61 FCC Part 15 Declaration of Conformity DoC 61 FCC Rules and Regulations Part 15 62 FCC Radiation Exposure Statement 63 Appendix C Setting Up TCP IP 6...

Page 6: ...VI Glossary 74 ...

Page 7: ... 32 Figure 3 6 About Tab 33 Figure 5 1 Windows XP Configuration Utility Connect to Wireless Network 40 Figure 5 2 Windows XP Connection Status 42 Figure 5 3 Windows XP Connection Properties General 43 Figure 5 4 Windows XP Connection Properties Wireless Networks 44 Figure 5 5 Windows XP Add Preferred Networks 45 Figure 5 6 Windows XP Configuration Utility Set up a Network to Aceess 47 Figure 5 7 W...

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Page 9: ...wires Operating in 2 4GHz Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum DSSS radio transmission range the Aria extreme transfers data at speeds up to 54Mbps when communicating with other 802 11g devices but is also backward compatible with 802 11b Wi Fi devices Both Ad Hoc and Infrastructure modes are supported and for network security concerns the 64 128 bits Wired Equivalent Protection WEP algorithm is used I...

Page 10: ...peripheral devices such as printers The Aria extreme enables your computer to interact with other computers without connecting cables normally associated with networks This makes it possible for you to move your computer around while staying connected to your network There are two ways to use the Aria extreme One way is to connect directly to one or more Wireless LAN Card equipped computers formin...

Page 11: ...an also access a wired LAN s TCP IP services such as e mail and the Internet by using a TCP IP software router on an Ethernet equipped Macintosh PowerBook or Windows notebook computer Note Using the Aria extreme card in Ad Hoc mode your target peer can be a 802 11b or 802 11g compatible wireless station but not an 802 11a wireless station since 802 11a devices are not compatible with 802 11b g dev...

Page 12: ...ers on your wireless network have access to all of the features of your wired LAN including e mail Internet access networked printers and file servers Note Using the Aria extreme in Infrastructure mode you can connect to 802 11b and 802 11g compatible Access Points but not to an 802 11a AP since 802 11a devices are not compatible with 802 11b g devices Figure 1 2 Infrastructure Mode ...

Page 13: ...rage area for seamless wireless access Within an extended service area all Access Points and wireless clients must use the same Service Set Identity SSID When roaming among different Access Points wireless connectivity is maintained automatically at all times Figure 1 3 Roaming Across Multiple Access Points ...

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Page 15: ...oftware installation for Aria extreme CardBus and PCI cards this chapter also describes the process of hardware installation for the Aria extreme PCI card The driver software enables the card to operate in your computer while the utility software Wireless LAN Utility helps you configure and monitor your Aria extreme ...

Page 16: ...t meet the following minimum requirements Pentium or equivalent processor 300 MHz or better recommended 64MB of RAM additional memory recommended 30 MB or more hard disk space Windows 98SE Me 2000 XP For Aria extreme CardBus card 32 bit CardBus expansion slot For Aria extreme PCI One available PCI slot ...

Page 17: ...ing parts from their packages always ground yourself first by touching a metal part of the computer such as a port access cover and work in an area free of static electricity avoid carpeted area Handle all electronic components by their edges and avoid touching connector traces and component pins Basic Installation Procedure 1 Shut down your computer 2 Open your computer to access the expansion ca...

Page 18: ...e back of the card 6 Install the Aria extreme PCI card into the PCI slot make sure the card is firmly seated and secured 7 Close your computer and replace its cover WARNING When you turn on your system after installing the card the Windows Plug n Play function will detect the card and an installation dialog requesting its driver will appear click Cancel to quit the wizard If you use the wizard the...

Page 19: ...he Wireless LAN Card from your computer and then follow the instructions below Basic Installation Procedures Windows 98SE Me 2000 and XP use the same setup program however OS Operating System specific situations may occur during or after the driver installation process the following sections only describe general installation procedures In OS specific situations follow the on screen instructions t...

Page 20: ...l 12 2 Double click the Utility Driver folder from the software that you downloaded and then double click Setup exe to launch the installer 3 When the Welcome window pops up click Next 4 When the License Agreement window appears click Yes ...

Page 21: ...the default destination folder click Next If you want to install the software to a different folder click Browse select another folder and then click Next 6 For the Aria extreme CardBus card only When the Insert adapter now window appears insert the Aria extreme card label up into the slot ...

Page 22: ...54Mbps Wireless LAN Card User s Manual 14 7 Click Finish when the following window appears Windows may reboot ...

Page 23: ... complete the installation For Windows 98SE When prompted for the Windows 98SE CD ROM click OK Enter the path to your original Windows 98SE files CAB files and then click OK If the original Windows 98SE files are not on your computer you will need to insert your Windows 98SE Installation CD When prompted to restart your computer click Yes For Windows Me If you are prompted to restart your PC click...

Page 24: ...elected to install the Wireless LAN Utility e g C Program Files WLAN Driver PCMCIA and then click OK Verify you ve selected the same path that you used to install the Wireless LAN Utility Once you are done with the software installation procedure you will find the Wireless Monitor icon located on the system tray your Aria extreme is ready to use Proceed to the next chapter to learn how to configur...

Page 25: ...change power saving settings for the card Configuration Displays the current network and operating mode settings Configure your wireless connection settings here Encryption Displays security settings You can change settings for secure wireless transmission Site Monitor Displays information for each available wireless network You can select the network to which you want to connect About Displays in...

Page 26: ...ng the Wireless LAN Utility To launch the Wireless LAN Utility go to the Windows Start menu and select Programs WLAN Utility WLAN Utility If you are using Windows XP go to the next page Otherwise skip to page 22 ...

Page 27: ... Utility included with Windows XP By default the Windows utility manages your Aria extreme As a result you may find that the Configuration and Encryption tabs are not available in the Wireless LAN Utility You can configure the Aria extreme using either the Wireless LAN Utility or Windows XP s utility Configuration and Encryption tabs are not visible when Windows XP overrides the Wireless LAN Utili...

Page 28: ...e click the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility tray icon click Properties or Advanced and then select the Wireless Networks tab 2 Uncheck the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings box on the Wireless Connection Properties tab and then click OK the Wireless Networks tab in the Wireless LAN Utility will be restored Sonnet s WLAN utility icon Wireless Zero Configuration Utility icon ...

Page 29: ...n Utility Double click the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility icon not the Wireless LAN Utility icon and then click Advanced or Properties Click the Wireless Networks tab check the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings box and then click OK ...

Page 30: ...annel Displays the channel currently in use Tx Rate Displays the data transmission rate Link Quality Displays the measured link quality Signal Strength Displays the signal strength as a number in dBm and in a graph State Displays the current status e g scanning or successful association In addition there are three buttons on this tab Radio Disable Enables or disables the Aria extreme s RF transmis...

Page 31: ...23 Reconnect Reconnects your computer to its target wireless network Figure 3 1 Link Status Tab ...

Page 32: ...ettings Operating Mode Infrastructure or Ad Hoc peer to peer Network Name Specifies the name of the WLAN group in which you want to participate For Ad Hoc mode A network name must be entered the SSID for all computers in a single Ad Hoc network must be same For Infrastructure mode If using the special SSID ANY case sensitive your Wireless LAN Card will connect to the first compatible and open AP w...

Page 33: ... domain US Canada Channels 1 11 FCC Japan Channels 1 14 TELEC Europe Channels 1 13 ETSI Channels 10 13 for France Transmit Rate Determines the data transmission speed The default setting Fully Automatic enables the Aria extreme to automatically adjust its data transmission rate as the signal strength warrants Note that the available rates vary according to the supported rates of the associated AP ...

Page 34: ...26 Screen Item Description For 802 11g AP or wireless client 1 2 5 5 6 9 11 12 18 24 36 48 and 54 Mbps rates are supported ...

Page 35: ...gs to secure your network by using WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy If encryption isn t necessary select Disable from the Encryption WEP security drop down menu To enable WEP follow the steps below 1 Select 64 bits or 128 bits as the WEP key length from the Encryption WEP security drop down menu ...

Page 36: ...correct WEP key to pass the authentication If selected your Aria extreme must use identical WEP keys as the target wireless network 3 Choose Alphanumeric or Hexadecimal as the key format and then enter up to four keys in the provide fields When using Hexadecimal format only digits 0 9 and letters a f A F are allowed Make sure to enter the characters matching the required key format and length as b...

Page 37: ...3 3 Encryption Tab 4 From the Use WEP Key list select which key you want to use to encrypt your transmitting data 5 After you have finished entering all the encryption settings click Apply to activate the changes ...

Page 38: ...quality between your computer and multiple APs or clients in its vicinity The Site Monitor enables you to conduct a site survey to Determine the overall wireless coverage of your wireless network Optimize placement of the Access Point s to provide seamless connectivity to mobile stations Roam throughout the wireless network environment with your station to identify areas that may not have adequate...

Page 39: ...wireless station WEP Displays whether WEP is ON or OFF Signal Displays the signal strength in dBm Link Quality Measures the signal level Network Address The MAC address of the AP or wireless client AP band The frequency band used by the AP You can identify whether the AP or wireless client supports 802 11b 11g or only 802 11b Infra Describes the operating mode Infrastructure or Ad Hoc ...

Page 40: ...32 Figure 3 5 Site Monitor Tab ...

Page 41: ...33 About Tab The About tab displays information about the Aria extreme card and the Wireless LAN utility including the Utility Driver and Firmware version details Figure 3 6 About Tab ...

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Page 43: ...you start Windows you should be able to find the wireless monitor icon loaded in the system tray located near the clock on the task bar While connected to a network you can place your cursor over the icon to view the pop up text that gives information about the wireless link and signal strength ...

Page 44: ...d has an excellent radio connection with the network enabling excellent network communication at the highest transmit rate Good Your Aria extreme card has a good radio connection with the network enabling normal network communication Low The radio signal is low Moving your computer closer to your target Access Point or wireless station can result in better signal strength Poor The radio signal is ...

Page 45: ...rors such as your SSID or WEP encryption key doesn t match that of the target AP or wireless station Move your device closer to your target Access Point or wireless station or verify your SSID or WEP settings Radio if OFF no transmission You have manually disabled the RF signal Disconnected There is no wireless connection available ...

Page 46: ...nu shown below Each item on the context menu is described as below Radio ON Radio OFF Enables or disables the RF signal Link Status Configuration Encryption Site Monitor About Opens the Wireless LAN Utility HIDE Closes the menu Exit Shuts down the Wireless LAN Utility ...

Page 47: ...eless Zero Configuration utility described in this chapter This section only provides the basic instructions for using the Windows XP wireless utility to establish your wireless network For more detailed information please refer to Windows XP online help Connecting to an Access Point or Wireless LAN Card To connect to an existing Access Point or Wireless LAN card perform the following steps 1 Righ...

Page 48: ...ee all of the nearby Access Points and Wireless LAN cards that are broadcasting Select the wireless network to which you want to connect Figure 5 1 Windows XP Configuration Utility Connect to Wireless Network 3 If the selected Access Point or Wireless LAN Card has been set up using a WEP key you must enter the same WEP key in the Network key field Otherwise leave it blank ...

Page 49: ...ished the connection icon appears as shown below Note If the wireless connection can t be established double click the connection icon and then click Properties Go to Authentication tab first to make sure that you have entered the correct authentication type for the Aria extreme For more information refer to Authentication on page 47 ...

Page 50: ...network double click the wireless connection icon in the system tray again the Wireless Network Connection Status window will open You can view general configuration information for the Aria extreme such as Status Duration Speed Signal Strength etc Figure 5 2 Windows XP Connection Status ...

Page 51: ...wing describes the contents of each of the properties window s tabs to enable you to configure the Aria extreme to suit your needs General With this tab selected you can specify the network connection method to be used with your Aria extreme The network policy depends on your wireless network For TCP IP protocol you should configure its properties as instructed by your network administrator For mo...

Page 52: ...erred networks described as below Under Available networks section you can also see all the available nearby Access Points and Wireless LAN Cards Click Refresh to update the list of Access Points and Wireless LAN Cards Figure 5 4 Windows XP Connection Properties Wireless Networks ...

Page 53: ...the list After you click the Add button the Wireless Network Properties window pops up Type your network name SSID and if needed the wireless network WEP settings If the Access Point or Wireless LAN Card that you want to connect to has been set with WEP key you must type the same WEP key as the Access Point s or Wireless LAN Card s Figure 5 5 Windows XP Add Preferred Networks ...

Page 54: ...ss certain wireless network types click the Advanced button on the Wireless Networks tab to open the Advanced window You can choose to connect to the following networks Any available network access point preferred Access point infrastructure Computer to computer Peer to Peer Group The default network type is Any available network access point preferred In this network type your device will connect...

Page 55: ...entication With this tab selected you can configure your Aria extreme card s authentication settings Be sure to disable Enable network access control using IEEE802 1X to ensure successful connection between the Aria extreme and Access Points or other wireless LAN Cards You must disable this function Otherwise problems may occur during connection For other settings we recommend you keep the default...

Page 56: ...48 Figure 5 7 Windows XP Connection Properties Authentication Make sure to disable Enable network access control using IEEE 802 1X ...

Page 57: ...d software first and then remove the hardware from your computer Please proceed as follows Uninstalling the Wireless LAN Card Software Note Before uninstalling the Wireless LAN Card software please disable the utility by right clicking the utility tray icon and select Exit from the context menu The icon will disappear to indicate that the utility is not in operation ...

Page 58: ...50 1 Close all programs that are currently running 2 Click the Windows Start button point to Programs WLAN Utility Uninstall Utility 3 Click OK to proceed with the software uninstall procedure ...

Page 59: ...51 4 Click Finish to complete the software uninstallation Depending on which Windows version is running your computer may reboot ...

Page 60: ... the computer s PCMCIA slot when the computer is powered on To remove the Aria extreme it is recommended that you follow the standard Windows procedure for disconnecting a PCMCIA device from your computer The following steps describe a Windows 98 environment 1 On the system tray right click the PCMCIA icon and then click Adjust PC Card Properties 2 Select the Wireless LAN Card that you want to rem...

Page 61: ...the Device Manager as below For Windows 98 Me Under Control Panel click System Device Manager For Windows 2000 XP Under Control Panel click System Hardware Device Manager 2 In the Device Manager window double click Network adapters to display your Aria extreme 3 If there is no exclamation mark next to the Aria extreme it is working properly Otherwise you will need to remove and reinstall the wirel...

Page 62: ...ick the Network and Dial up Connections icon Right click on the Local Area Connection then select Properties 2 Click Install Client Add Client for Microsoft Networks OK 3 The Microsoft Network Client is now installed Manually restart your computer to enable the changes 4 Try to install the software again following the steps in this manual Radio Interference You may be able to eliminate or reduce i...

Page 63: ...e computer For the Aria extreme CardBus card make sure you are using a 32 bit CardBus expansion slot and that the slot is working Contact your dealer for additional testing if there is a hardware problem with the Aria extreme Cannot Connect to Another Wireless LAN Card If you cannot make a connection to another Wireless LAN Card from your computer it could be due to one of the following reasons In...

Page 64: ...ct to an 802 11a wireless adapter 802 11a and 802 11b g standards are not interoperable Poor Link Quality If the Link Quality display stays in the poor range it could be due to one of the following reasons For Aria extreme PCI cards verify the antenna is screwed in securely try moving the antenna to a different position Radio object interference To minimize this problem move the devices within the...

Page 65: ...urity settings different Make sure the security settings are the same for both the Aria extreme and the Access Point Operation mode not configured properly Make sure the Aria extreme is configured to allow Infrastructure connections Make sure you are not trying to connect to an 802 11a Access Point 802 11a and 802 11b g standards are not interoperable The Access Point has reached its maximum numbe...

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Page 67: ...t s shall be allowed only when it is submitted to Sonnet within the warranty period No claim shall be allowed in respect to product s which have been altered neglected damaged or stored in any manner which adversely affects them No product s shall be returned to Sonnet for any reason without a return authorization from Sonnet You bear the responsibility for shipping product s to Sonnet within 30 d...

Page 68: ...F ANY KIND WHATSOEVER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AND ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED BY SONNET Without limitation of the foregoing Sonnet expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any damages incurred directly or indirectly in connection with its product s including without limitation loss of profits and special incidental or consequentia...

Page 69: ...Name Aria extreme is herewith confirmed to comply with the requirements of FCC Part 15 rules The 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 ...

Page 70: ...struction manual 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 and correct the interference by one or more of the following me...

Page 71: ...ure Statement This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance of 20cm between the radiator your body ...

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Page 73: ...protocol for the Aria extreme The IP address policy depends on your wireless network you should configure the TCP IP protocol as instructed by your network administrator For Windows 98 ME 1 Double click the Network icon on the Control Panel 2 Click the Configuration tab in the Network dialog box ...

Page 74: ...the methods as required Option A Click Specify an IP address In the IP Address box enter a valid four component IP address either a public or private one as required In the Subnet Mask box enter a valid four component IP address Then select the Gateway tab and enter your gateway information Option B Select Obtain an IP address automatically An IP address will be automatically assigned to your comp...

Page 75: ...turn to the Network dialog box and click OK again to finish the configuration procedure If your TCP IP properties have been modified you will be prompted to restart your computer Click Yes to have new settings take effect ...

Page 76: ...2000 XP 1 Double click Network Dial up Connections Windows 2000 or Network Connections Windows XP on Control Panel then Network Connections 2 Right click the Broadcom 802 11g Network Adapter icon and click Properties ...

Page 77: ... IP address Enable the Use the following IP Address option Enter the IP address Subnet Mask and Default gateway Then click OK Option B Use a dynamic IP address Select Obtain an IP address automatically 4 Close the Local Area Connection Properties window For Windows 2000 if prompted click Yes to restart your computer ...

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Page 79: ...Voltage 3 3VDC Network Standards IEEE 802 11b Wi Fi standard and IEEE 802 11g standard 54G Modulation Techniques DBPSK DQPSK CCK 16QAM 64QAM Modulation Technology OFDM DSSS Data Rate 802 11b 11 Mbps maximum Auto ranging 1 2 5 5 and 11 Mbps 802 11g 54 Mbps maximum Auto ranging 6 9 12 18 24 36 48 and 54 Mbps Network Architectures Infrastructure and Ad Hoc ...

Page 80: ...vity PER 10 80dBm 6Mbps Antenna Type Hardware diversity support transmit and receive on Main and Auxiliary antenna connectors Indoor Coverage Area Typical 802 11b Up to 60 M at 11 Mbps up to 125 M at 1 Mbps 802 11g Up to 20 M at 54 Mbps up to 75 M at 18 Mbps Power Consumption Tx peak 550 ma 3 3VDC Rx peak 350 ma 3 3VDC Idle 225mA 3 3VDC Security Hardware 64 128 bit WEP engine WEP weak key avoidanc...

Page 81: ...d for Windows XP 2000 and ME Linux and VxWorks embedded drivers LED Indicators WLAN Activity Monitor WLAN Radio Status Indicators Switch Manual radio on off in software disables transmit and receive to comply with aviation in flight restrictions Temperatures Operating 0 158 F 0 70 C Storage 20 194 F 4 90 C Humidity non condensing 5 to 95 Certifications FCC Part 15 CE TELEC JATE Specifications are ...

Page 82: ...e of an Access Point AP Ad hoc mode is useful for establishing a network where wireless infrastructure does not exist or where wired network services are not required Ad hoc mode is also referred to as peer to peer mode or an Independent Basic Service Set IBSS Bit A bit short for binary digit is the smallest unit of data in a computer A bit has a single binary either 0 or 1 BSS Basic Service Set I...

Page 83: ...d in 1963 when AIEE merged with IRE IEEE is an organization composed of engineers scientists and students The IEEE is best known for developing standards for the computer and electronics industry Infrastructure An 802 11 networking framework in which devices communicate with each other by first going through an Access Point AP In Infrastructure mode wireless devices can communicate with each other...

Page 84: ...necting media communications are achieved via radio waves instead Mbps Stands for millions of bits per second or megabits per second and is a measurement for data transmission Protocol The rules and encoding specifications for sending data RF Radio Frequency any frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio wave propagation When an RF current is supplied to an antenna an elec...

Page 85: ...rest of the Internet A Subnet Mask that has the same first three components for example 255 255 255 0 is the routing pattern for a Class C address TCP Transmission Control Protocol The standard transport level protocol that provides the full duplex stream service on which many applications protocols depend TCP allows a process on one machine to send a stream of data to a process on another Softwar...

Page 86: ...their structure having some or all part of the network inside a building protected from unauthorized access WLANs which are over radio waves do not have the same physical structure and therefore are more vulnerable to tampering WEP aims to provide security by encrypting data over radio waves so that it is protected as it is transmitted from one end point to another WLAN Wireless Local Area Network...

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