Introduction
A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) serves the same purpose as a conventional
wired Ethernet network (LAN) but without the wires. Computers are linked
together by radio waves. The wireless adaptor is your “wireless network card”.
It turns your computer into a wireless station, allowing it to connect to other
wireless stations or wireless access points to share network resources including
Internet access. Your wireless adaptor is Wi-Fi certified to the IEEE 802.11b
standard. This ensures wireless connectivity among all wireless equipment that
meets the same 802.11b standard irrespective of vendor.
THIS PRODUCT CAN BE SET UP ON TWO TYPES OF WIRELESS NETWORKS
1.
Infrastructure network
In an infrastructure network, your wireless adaptor connects your computer
to a wired network via a wireless access point. This enables your computer
to share all available resources including Internet access and peripherals on
the wired network.
2.
Ad-hoc (peer to peer) network
This is a computer network built of wireless stations. Your wireless adaptor
connects your computer to other wireless stations for file sharing.
WIRELESS PRIVACY
Privacy is an important issue with wireless. These functions are provided for
access control and security:
1.
Service Set ID (SSID)
This is a user specified name that uniquely identifies a wireless domain. You
must set your wireless adaptor to use the SSID for the wireless network.
2.
Wired Equivalent Privacy
(WEP)
is an authentication algorithm that protects
users from eavesdropping. When enabled, all wireless stations always transmit
data encrypted using a key of your choice. The receiving station will use the
same key for decryption.
Installing the Wireless Adaptor
IMPORTANT:
Do not connect the wireless adaptor to your computer before
installing the supplied software from the manufacturer’s CD.
Otherwise if you
connect the adaptor to your computer Windows would pop up a message box
requesting the driver in which case click Cancel to proceed.
Windows XP
comes with built in wireless adaptor software. You only need to
follow section 2.2 to install the driver. Please skip the procedure in section 2.1.
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