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3Com WL-305 Network Card User Manual

1. If the network type is Access Point this item does not appear in the list Unique hardware name for the associated access point If the network type is Ad hoc this field shows N A Power mode For more information on power modes see Changing Power Traffic and Address Settings on page 27 Indicates the strength of the radio signal All light green indicates the best signal all dark green indicates no signal Data transfer speed For example 11 Mbps 5 5 Mbps 2 Mbps or 1 Mbps eeee e e e Secee TROUBLESHOOTING Diagnosing Problems The 3Com WLAN Launcher window can help you can diagnose problems To display the 3Com WLAN Launcher double click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray If you have difficulty using the PC Card try the solutions in the following table If you continue to experience difficulty see Upgrading PC Card Firmware on page 34 or Uninstalling the Card on page 33 Symptom Solutions PC Card LED is off Make sure the card is properly inserted in the slot Check the PC Card icon in the Windows control panel and make sure that the card type can be recognized PC Card LED is on but not Make sure the card is properly inserted in the slot blinking Uninstall the card and reinstall it PC Card installs as an unknown The Windows Add Hardware Wizard was unable to locate device the PC Card drivers You may have had no CD or the wrong CD inserted in the driv
2. Make sure the card is properly inserted in the slot Make sure that PCMCIA support is installed Check whether a card is already in use Windows 95 Windows 98 Windows Millennium Edition Windows Me and Windows 2000 Check whether the computer has a Plug and Play BIOS Windows NT Make sure that CardWizard is installed on your computer and that you have removed any utility that is similar to CardWizard Client cannot associate with an access point In the WLAN Launcher window you see a red dotted line with an X Diagnostic network connection test fails Click the Padlock icon to display Security Network settings Make sure that the WLAN Service Area set on the client matches that set on the access point Or set the client to Attach to any WLAN Service Area Make sure that encryption is set up correctly and matches security set on the access point See Changing Network and Security Settings on page 23 and 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi Encryption Settings on page 24 If you are associating with a 3Com AirConnect access point make sure that the Short RF Preamble parameter is disabled on both access points There is no network association when the computer becomes active again after being in sleep mode or after the PC Card is removed and reinserted Log out and log in again or restart the computer to restore the connections Client cannot communicate with the network Make sure that fixed IP s
3. You further acknowledge and agree that ownership of and title to the Software and Documentation and all subsequent copies thereof regardless of the form or media are held by 3Com and its suppliers UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGENDS The Software Documentation and any other technical data provided hereunder is commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense The Software is delivered as Commercial Computer Software as defined in DFARS 252 227 7014 June 1995 or as a commercial item as defined in FAR 2 101 a and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in this Agreement which is 3Com s standard commercial license for the Software Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252 227 7015 Nov 1995 or FAR 52 227 14 June 1987 whichever is applicable TERM AND TERMINATION The licenses granted hereunder are perpetual unless terminated earlier as specified below You may terminate the licenses and this Agreement at any time by destroying the Software and Documentation together with all copies and merged portions in any form The licenses and this Agreement will also terminate immediately if you fail to comply with any term or condition of this Agreement Upon such termination you agree to destroy the Software and Documentation together with all copies and merged portions in any form LIMITED WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY All warranties and limitations of liability applicabl
4. user on any personal computer owned by or leased to you for your internal use You may reproduce one 1 copy of the Software and Documentation for backup or archive purposes Any copy of the Software and Documentation must contain 3Com s and its licensors proprietary rights and copyright notices in the same form as on the original You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation delivered to you under this Agreement ASSIGNMENT NO REVERSE ENGINEERING Y ou may transfer the Software Documentation and the licenses granted herein to another party in the same country in which you obtained the Software and Documentation if the other party agrees in writing to accept and be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement If you transfer the Software and Documentation you must at the same time either transfer all copies of the Software and Documentation to the party or you must destroy any copies not transferred Except as set forth above you may not assign or transfer your rights under this Agreement Modification reverse engineering reverse compiling or disassembly of the Software is expressly prohibited However if you are a European Union EU resident information necessary to achieve interoperability of the Software with other programs within the meaning of the EU Directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs is available to you from 3Com upon written request
5. 020 795482 Switzerland 0800 55 3072 U K 0800 966197 Latin America Brazil 0800 13 3266 M exico 01 800 849CARE Puerto Rico 800 666 5065 Central and South America AT amp T 800 998 2112 North America 1 800 NET 3Com 1 800 638 3266 Enterprise Customers 1 800 876 3266 42 APPENDIX B TECHNICAL SUPPORT Returning Products Before you send a product directly to 3Com for repair you must first obtain an for Repair authorization number Products sent to 3Com without authorization numbers will be returned to the sender unopened at the sender s expense To obtain an authorization number call or fax Country Telephone Number Fax Number Asia Pacific Rim 65 543 6500 65 543 6348 Europe South Africa and 31 30 6029900 31 30 6029999 Middle East Central and South America 525 201 0075 Argentina 0810 222 3266 Bolivia 511 241 1691 Brazil 0800 133266 or 55 11 5643 2700 Caribbean 525 201 0004 Chile 562 240 6200 Colombia 525 201 0004 Ecuador 525 201 0004 Mexico 525 201 0004 Paraguay 525 201 0004 Peru 511 241 1691 Uruguay 525 201 0004 Venezuela 525 201 0004 From the following countries you may call the toll free numbers select option 2 and then option 2 Austria 0800 297468 Belgium 0800 71429 Denmark 800 17309 Finland 0800 113153 France 0800 917959 Germany 0800 1821502 Hungary 00800 12813 Ireland 1800553117 Israel 1800 9453794 Italy 1678 79489 Netherlands 0800 0227788 Norway 800 11376 Poland 00800 3111206 Portugal 080
6. EXPORT RESTRICTIONS The Software including the Documentation and all related technical data and any copies thereof collectively Technical Data is subject to United States Export control laws and may be subject to export or import regulations in other countries In addition the Technical Data covered by this Agreement may contain data encryption code which is unlawful to export or transfer from the United States or country where you legally obtained it without an approved U S Department of Commerce export license and appropriate foreign export or import license as required You agree that you will not export or re export the Technical Data or any copies thereof or any products utilizing the Technical Data in violation of any applicable laws or regulations of the United States or the country where you legally obtained it You are responsible for obtaining any licenses to export re export or import the Technical Data In addition to the above the Product may not be used exported or re exported i into or to a national or resident of any country to which the U S has embargoed or ii to any one on the U S Commerce Department s Table of Denial Orders or the U S Treasury Department s list of Specially Designated Nationals TRADE SECRETS TITLE You acknowledge and agree that the structure sequence and organization of the Software are the valuable trade secrets of 3Com and its suppliers You agree to hold such trade secrets in confidence
7. TO ITS CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR USE ONLY AS SET FORTH BELOW DOWNLOADING INSTALLING OR OTHERWISE USING ANY PART OF THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT DO NOT DOWNLOAD INSTALL OR OTHERWISE USE THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION DO NOT CLICK ON THE I AGREE OR SIMILAR BUTTON AND IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION ON PHYSICAL MEDIA RETURN THE ENTIRE PRODUCT WITH THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION UNUSED TO THE SUPPLIER WHERE YOU OBTAINED IT LICENSE 3Com grants you a nonexclusive nontransferable except as specified herein license to use the accompanying software program s in executable form the Software and accompanying documentation the Documentation subject to the terms and restrictions set forth in this Agreement You are not permitted to lease rent distribute or sublicense except as specified herein the Software or Documentation or to use the Software or Documentation in a time sharing arrangement or in any other unauthorized manner Further no license is granted to you in the human readable code of the Software source code Except as provided below this Agreement does not grant you any rights to patents copyrights trade secrets trademarks or any other rights with respect to the Software or Documentation Subject to the restrictions set forth herein the Software is licensed to be used by one 1
8. The encryption string can be used only with other 3Com 11 Mbps wireless PC Cards and access points uk WU N Setting up Auto Network Connect 25 a Hexadecimal keys are sequences of hexadecimal digits arranged into four keys A hexadecimal digit may be a letter from A to F or a number from 0 to 9 This type of encryption is compatible with Wi Fi certified equipment from other manufacturers To enter an encryption string In the Security Network window select 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi from the Security setting list Click Encryption Key Settings In the next window select Specify Encryption String Type the encryption string in the space provided Click OK when finished To enter hexadecimal keys In the Security Network window select 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi from the Security setting list Click Encryption Key Settings In the next window select Specify Encryption Keys Enter the key settings You must enter settings for all four keys Click one of the radio buttons to select a key to use 6 Click OK when finished 128 bit Dynamic Security Link Settings 128 bit Dynamic Security Link security requires a user name and password Ask your network administrator for the user name and password In the Network Security window select 128 bit Dynamic Security Link from the Security setting list Click Apply In the next window type the user name and password in the spaces provided Click OK when finished After you lo
9. already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher In WLAN Launcher click either the Padlock or the Hammer icons 3 In the WLAN Configuration Utility window click the Info tab The following information appears in the Info tab Item Driver version Firmware version MAC Address IP Address Card Type Power Source Network Type Security Settings WLAN Service Area Channel Description Useful for troubleshooting Useful for troubleshooting Unique hardware name for your PC Card Your computer s current IP address Type of client adapter for example PCM CIA or PCI AC power or battery power Access Point or Ad hoc Type of security set for the PC Card For information on security see Security Settings on page 24 If the network type is Access Point shows the currently associated WLAN service area For information on the WLAN service area see Changing Network and Security Settings on page 23 If the network type is Ad hoc this item does not appear in the list Radio frequency RF channel CHAPTER 4 SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION Item Network Name Access Point MAC Address Power Management Associated Signal Strength Data Rate Description It the network type Is Ad hoc shows the name ot the ad noc network For information on ad hoc networks see Setting up an Ad Hoc Network on page 26
10. enough diskettes on hand For the driver software prepare a diskette labeled Drivers For the rest of the software label diskettes numerically Disk 1 Disk 2 Disk 3 Put the 3Com CD in the CD ROM drive The setup program should start automatically If it does not start you can run it manually by selecting Run from the Start menu and specifying the srsetup exe program for example d srsetup exe In the 3Com 11 M bps Wireless LAN menu click Tools and Utilities In the Tools and Utilities menu click Create Installation Diskettes In the Disk Factory window click Next Select the software you want to transfer to diskette The Disk Factory displays the number of diskettes that will be required M ake sure you have that number of diskettes Select the action for example Create and Verify Disks specify the destination location and click Next Follow the prompts on the screen If you are installing the drivers manually use the Drivers diskette when the setup wizard for your operating system prompts for drivers supplied by the manufacturer When you are ready to install the application software from diskette put 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Application Disk 1 in the floppy drive and run the setup exe program Inserting the PC Card 1 Turn on the computer 2 Insert the 3Com PC Card into the PC Card slot until it seats snugly Arrows on the front of the card indicate the insertion point to the slot Align the card pro
11. fastest installation it is recommended that you use the typical settings You can customize the configuration later as described in Setting the Wireless Client Configuration on page 23 2 In the Summary window review the PC Card setup and click Finish 3 When prompted to run the Setup program click OK 4 Run the Setup program a From the Windows Start menu select Run b Inthe Run dialog box enter a path to the Setup program on the 3Com CD For example d srsetup exe The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts Install Utilities Read the Welcome page and click Next Read the Software License Agreement and click Yes If you click No the installation stops 3 Select a destination folder for the software files and click Next 4 Inthe Setup Type window select the type of installation for the software Typical Installs the software and documentation Compact Installs the software but not documentation Custom Allows you to choose the components to install 5 Follow the directions in the Select Program Folder window and click Next 6 In the Desktop Icon Option window click Yes 7 Inthe next window if the option to restart the computer appears select it and click Finish If you had a service pack installed before setting up the PC Card reinstall it and restart the computer TECHNICAL SUPPORT 3Com provides easy access to technical support information through a variety of services T
12. 0 328 Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum M atters ERM Wideband Transmission systems data transmission equipment operating in the 2 4 GHz ISM band and using spread spectrum modulation techniques m ETS 300 826 Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum M atters ERM ElectroM agnetic Compatibility EM C standard for 2 4 GHz wideband transmission systems and HIgh PErformance Radio Local Area Network HIPERLAN equipment m ES 59005 Considerations for the evaluation of human exposure to electromagnetic fields EM F s from mobile telecommunication equipment M TE in the frequency range 30 MHz 6 GHz m EN 55022 Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics of Information Technology Equipment CISPR 22 Class B m EN 60950 Safety of information technology equipment including electrical business equipment SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTICE This device has been tested and certified according to the following safety standards and is intended for use only in Information Technology Equipment which has been tested and certified to these or other equivalent standards m UL Standard 1950 CSA C22 2 No 950 m IEC 60950 m EN 60950 3Com END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT IM PORTANT Read Before Installing The Software YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE DOWNLOADING INSTALLING AND USING THIS PRODUCT THE USE OF WHICH IS LICENSED BY 3COM CORPORATION 3COM
13. 0 831416 South Africa 0800 995014 Spain 900 983125 Sweden 020 795482 Switzerland 0800 55 3072 U K 0800 966197 U S A and Canada 1 800 NET 3Com 1 408 326 7120 1 800 638 3266 not toll free Enterprise Customers 1 800 876 3266 INDEX Numbers 128 bit Dynamic Security Link 24 25 3Com Administrator Utilities CD 9 3Com CDs 9 3Com End User Utilities CD 9 3Com icon in Windows system tray 20 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 39 3Com URL 39 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility 21 3Com WLAN Launcher 19 buttons 19 starting 15 22 23 26 27 28 29 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi security 24 A access point 5 ad hoc network 5 6 26 antenna adjusting 15 association 5 20 B base station 5 buttons 3Com WLAN Launcher 19 C changing user passwords 28 checking status 20 clients wireless defined 5 configuration 6 ad hoc defined 6 custom 16 examples 6 utility 21 configuring network settings 23 confirming the installation 15 connection association 5 20 continuous access mode 27 custom configuration 16 D DHCP server and release renew IP address 25 28 disk factory 9 diskettes installation from 9 Dynamic Security Link 24 25 E encryption 24 string 16 24 25 Ethernet status display 20 21 Extended Service Set Identity ESSID 6 F firmware upgrade PC Card 34 G guidelines security 24 H hexadecimal keys 25 l icons status 20 improving reception 16 Info tab 22 instal
14. Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher 2 Inthe 3Com WLAN Launcher click the Padlock or the Hammer icon to display the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window The tab that appears on top depends on the icon used to open the window 7 Com WLAN Configuration Litility x Network J Secuily Options Tools Info gt Access Poirt Wetvortk A F Altech fo ang WLAN Semice Ares sutomaicaly WLAN Service arsar E1 r Ad hoe Hewa LY Tou are cuntenth connected bo Access Fort Network To shart an Adkor naivak parha cik Start Adhoc oox c e The 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window contains these tabs a Network Security See Changing Network and Security Settings on page 23 and Setting up an Ad Hoc Network on page 26 a Options See Changing Power Traffic and Address Settings on page 27 a Tools See Changing Your Password on page 28 Running Diagnostics on page 29 or Upgrading PC Card Firmware on page 34 If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities you can also perform access point management tasks a Info See Viewing Configuration Information on page 29 eere e L d SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION Changing Network and Security Settings Network Settings You can change security and network se
15. If you are using a 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point and it is properly connected to an Ethernet network a network icon is shown If the access point is from another manufacturer no network icon is shown FREESE ly Problem Status If you see an X or a red line refer to Troubleshooting on page 31 A yellow X on the PC Card slot of the computer icon indicates that the operating system does not recognize the card or that no card is inserted G A red dotted line with an X indicates that the card is installed properly but there is no association between the computer and the access point An X on the cable connected to the access point indicates that the card is installed properly and there is a good association with the access point but there is a problem with the Ethernet connection to the access point If you do not have an Ethernet cable connected to the access point you can turn off the Ethernet status display Right click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray and clear the Show Ethernet Link Status option You can use the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window to customize the wireless client set up after installation If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities you can also launch administration tools 22 CHAPTER 3 USING THE WIRELESS LAN To display the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility window 1 In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3
16. are files with others but not with the entire network When two or more clients are in ad hoc mode and within range of each other they can communicate with each other directly through their 3Com Wireless LAN PC Cards without an access point One client starts the ad hoc session and names it Other clients can then join the ad hoc network session Follow this procedure to start an ad hoc network session In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher In WLAN Launcher click the Computer icon 3 Inthe Ad hoc Network Login window type a new network name in the space provided This name identifies your ad hoc network to the rest of the clients Select a security setting You can select No Security Open System or 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi If you select 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi enter the required encryption information For details on encryption settings see 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi Encryption Settings on page 24 This security setting only applies to this ad hoc network and only affects the transmissions among the participating ad hoc clients It does not affect security settings for communication with access points Select the performance mode If only 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN clients will be participating in the ad hoc
17. art it by double clicking the shortcut on your desktop or from the Windows Start menu select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher For more information see Using the Wireless LAN on page 19 Using the The XJACK antenna which is attached to the end of the PC Card has two XJACK Antenna positions extended and retracted To extend or retract the antenna gently but A firmly press and release it The antenna must be extended to make a network association To prevent it from damage the antenna should be retracted when not in use when you are inserting the card in your computer or when you are transporting the computer CAUTION Do not pull on the antenna to remove the card The figures below show the antenna extended and retracted NZ 16 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT To get the best reception a Clear the area around the antenna of items that could block radio transmission such as metal objects electronic devices and cordless telephones a Even a slight change in antenna orientation can affect the network association If necessary move your computer a few inches to find a better signal Custom Installation Options WLAN Service Area Security Settings If you want to set up a custom configuration during installation when the installation program asks for the Setup Type select Custom and click Next You can change the WLAN Service Area and Security settings Attach
18. curity Link Settings 25 Setting up Auto Network Connect 25 Setting up an Ad Hoc Network 26 Starting an Ad Hoc Network Session 26 Joining an Ad Hoc Network Session 27 Ending an Ad Hoc Network Session 27 Changing Power Traffic and Address Settings 27 Changing Your Password 28 Running Diagnostics 29 Viewing Configuration Information 29 TROUBLESHOOTING Diagnosing Problems 31 Using the Tools Window 32 Uninstalling the Card 33 Uninstalling Software Utilities 34 Upgrading PC Card Firmware 34 WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITHOUT NETWORKING INSTALLED Install Files and Networking 35 Install CardWizard 36 Set Up the PC Card 37 Install Utilities 37 TECHNICAL SUPPORT Online Technical Services 39 World Wide Web Site 39 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 39 3Com FTP Site 39 Support from Your Network Supplier 40 Support from 3Com 40 Returning Products for Repair 42 REGULATORY COMPLIANCE INFORMATION 3Com END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT eee lt e e t INTRODUCTION 3Com wireless technology brings the benefits of a local area network LAN to your office without the restraints and expense of network wiring If your office already has an Ethernet LAN the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN can extend the network without adding more wires How Does a Wireless LAN Work Network Association Roaming Security Ad Hoc Networks In a traditional LAN computers communicate through wires Instead of wires a wirele
19. d Key Wi Fi This option encrypts the wireless transmissions to protect your data and is compatible with other Wi Fi certified wireless PC clients and access points from other manufacturers 128 bit Dynamic Security Link This option can only be used with a 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point It is the highest level of security in which you must enter a user name and password These must match the user name and password set up by the administrator on the access points with which you associate Each network session automatically creates a unique one time 128 bit encryption key You never have to enter a key To maintain wireless association between clients and access points follow these guidelines a The security setting on the client and the access points must match exactly For 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi security the encryption settings on the client and the access point must match exactly a For 128 bit Dynamic Security Link security the user name and password on the client and the access points must match exactly 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi Encryption Settings 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi security requires you to set up encryption keys Your network administrator sets up encryption keys for the wireless network and gives you an encryption string or hexadecimal keys a An encryption string is a string of characters between 8 and 64 characters long The string can be any combination of letters and numbers and is case sensitive
20. d LICENSE TXT or LICENSE TXT If you are unable to locate a copy please contact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND If you are a United States government agency then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense Software is delivered as Commercial Computer Software as defined in DFARS 252 227 7014 June 1995 or as a commercial item as defined in FAR 2 101 a and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in 3Com s standard commercial license for the Software Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252 227 7015 Nov 1995 or FAR 52 227 14 June 1987 whichever is applicable You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation contained in or delivered to you in conjunction with this User Guide Unless otherwise indicated 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may not be registered in other countries 3Com AirConnect and XJACK are registered trademarks and the 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation Microsoft Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Wi Fi is a trademark of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance All other company and product na
21. e tp 3com com a Username anonymous m Password lt your Internet e mail address gt You do not need a user name and password with Web browser software such as Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer 40 APPENDIX B TECHNICAL SUPPORT Support from Your Netw ork Supplier If you require additional assistance contact your network supplier M any suppliers are authorized 3Com service partners who are qualified to provide a variety of services including network planning installation hardware maintenance application training and support services When you contact your network supplier for assistance have the following information ready m Product model name part number and serial number a A list of system hardware and software including revision levels a Diagnostic error messages Details about recent configuration changes if applicable If you are unable to contact your network supplier see the following section on how to contact 3Com Support from 3Com If you are unable to obtain assistance from the 3Com online technical resources or from your network supplier 3Com offers technical telephone support services To find out more about your support options call the 3Com technical telephone support phone number at the location nearest you When you contact 3Com for assistance have the following information ready m Product model name part number and serial number a A list of system hardware and so
22. e or the 3Com CD may not have been ready when the wizard looked for the drivers Remove the unknown device and repeat the installation procedure Make sure that you insert the 3Com CD when the installation calls for it and that you wait for it to come up to speed in the drive Installation program doesnot There may be a resource conflict Use the Device M anager finish The driver fails to load to resolve resource conflicts Select System from the Control Panel and then click the Device M anager tab Network association is Make sure that the XJACK antenna attached to the end of intermittent the card is extended Try reorienting the antenna For best In the WLAN Launcher window use of the antenna the green dotted line between Keep the area around the antenna clear from materials associated devices blinks to red that could block radio transmission such as metal with an X indicating that the objects electronic devices and cordless telephones radio signal is weak If the signal is weak change the direction of the antenna a The diagnostic signal strength or slightly ink quality tests tall a f necessary move your computer a few inches to find a better signal 32 CHAPTER 5 TROUBLESHOOTING Using the Tools Window Symptom Solutions Computer operating system does not recognize the card In the WLAN Launcher window you see a yellow X on the client icon The diagnostic adapter presence test fails
23. e to the Software are as stated on the Limited Warranty Card or in the product manual whether in paper or electronic form accompanying the Software Such warranties and limitations of liability are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference GOVERNING LAW This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California U S A excluding its conflicts of laws principles and excluding the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods SEVERABILITY In the event any provision of this Agreement is found to be invalid illegal or unenforceable the validity legality and enforceability of any of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired and a valid legal and enforceable provision of similar intent and economic impact shall be substituted therefor ENTIRE AGREEMENT This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding and agreement between you and 3Com and supersedes all prior agreements whether written or oral with respect to the Software and Documentation and may be amended only in a writing signed by both parties Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement or if you desire to contact 3Com for any reason please contact the 3Com subsidiary serving your country or write 3Com Corporation Customer Support Information 5400 Bayfront Plaza Santa Clara CA 95052 3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza P O Box 58145 Santa Clara CA 95052 8145 408 326 5000 Copyrig
24. es A IIM bps Wireless LAN 3cOM PC Card User Guide Full featured wireless local area networking made simple Version 2 0 http www 3com com http support 3com com warrantyregistration register pl Published M arch 2001 Version 2 0 1 3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza Santa Clara California 95052 8145 Copyright 2001 3Com Corporation All rights reserved No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work such as translation transformation or adaptation without written permission from 3Com Corporation 3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change 3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty term or condition of any kind either implied or expressed including but not limited to the implied warranties terms or conditions of merchantability satisfactory quality and fitness for a particular purpose 3Com may make improvements or changes in the product s and or the program s described in this documentation at any time If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation it is furnished under a license agreement included with the product as a separate document in the hard copy documentation or on the removable media in a directory file name
25. ettings are correct If you are connecting to a wired network make sure that the access point you are associated with is connected to the wired network If you are using a DHCP server release renew the IP address Client is not working under Windows NT Make sure that CardWizard is installed and that any utilities similar to CardWizard are not installed The PC Card LED indicates the following Condition Description Off The computer does not recognize the PC Card On but not blinking The computer recognizes the PC Card but the card is not functioning Blinking The PC Card is operating The blink speed ranges from approximately once every 2 5 seconds to approximately 10 times per second Slow blinking indicates that the client is either not associated to an access point or is associated at a slow rate Fast blinking indicates a good network association and fast transmission In the Tools window you can change your password run diagnostics or upgrade the PC card firmware If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities you can also connect to the access point and perform management administration functions See the following topics for more information a Changing Your Password on page 28 a Running Diagnostics on page 29 a Upgrading PC Card Firmware on page 34 Uninstalling the Card Previous installations or interrupted installation attempts sometimes leave problems that affect card operation Po
26. ew Hardware Wizard window click Next 3 Respond to the instructions in the next windows a When the driver location is confirmed click Next b Verify the driver name 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card and click Next The installation program copies files from the 3Com CD and Windows operating system This copying process may take a few moments and the progress bar may seem to update slowly The installation may prompt for your operating system installation CD fora path to the operating system or for the installation CD of other installed networking software If it does remove the 3Com CD and insert the appropriate CD c When you are notified that the installation is complete remove the CD and click Finish 4 At the prompt to restart the computer click Yes 12 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Set Up the PC Card Install Utilities After the computer restarts the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window opens in which you specify the PC Card configuration In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window select Typical and click Next Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values WLAN Service Area Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting No security Open system If you want to customize the PC Card configuration for example to add security select Custom See Custom Installation Options on page 16 for details on custom settings For
27. ffic Accelerator If only 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN equipment is being used it is recommended that you turn this option on to increase the rate at which traffic is handled Automatically release renew the IP address Your Internet Protocol address IP address contains the information that allows network traffic to find its way to your computer This option requires a Dynamic Host Control Protocol DHCP server The client s network configuration must be set to obtain its IP address automatically For more information on DHCP see the documentation for your operating system When this box is checked your computer automatically requests another IP address if you travel outside of your subnet so the network connection remains active Leave the box unchecked if your network does not have a DHCP server To force the system to release and renew an IP address click Release Renew Now You may want to click this button for example if you cannot establish association with the network or if you roam in an installation that has multiple access points and you lose network association Changing Your Passw ord The Change Password utility lets you update the password used in the access control list of the access point with which the client is associated This is only applicable if you have configured the client to use 128 bit Dynamic Security Link security Because access points maintain separate User Control Lists you must update the passw
28. ftware including revision levels a Diagnostic error messages a Details about recent configuration changes if applicable Here is a list of worldwide technical telephone support numbers These numbers are correct at the time of publication Refer to the 3Com Web site for updated information Country Telephone Number Asia Pacific Rim Australia 1 800 678 515 Hong Kong 800 933 486 India 61 2 9937 5085 or 000800 6501111 Indonesia 001 800 61 009 Japan 03 5783 1270 Malaysia 1800 801 777 New Zealand 0800 446 398 Pakistan 61 2 9937 5083 Philippines 1235 61 266 2602 P R of China 10800 61 00137 or 021 6350 1590 or 00800 0638 3266 Singapore 800 6161 463 S Korea 82 2 3455 6455 From anywhere in S Korea 00798 611 2230 From Seoul 00798 611 2230 Taiwan R O C 0080 611 261 Thailand 001 800 611 2000 Support from 3Com 41 Country Telephone Number Europe Middle East and Africa From anywhere in these regions call 44 0 1442 435529 phone 44 0 1442 436722 fax Europe and South Africa From the following countries you may use the toll free numbers Austria 0800 297468 Belgium 0800 71429 Denmark 800 17309 Finland 0800 113153 France 0800 917959 Germany 0800 1821502 Hungary 06800 12813 Ireland 1800 553117 Israel 1800 9453794 Italy 800 8 79489 Luxembourg 0800 3625 Netherlands 0800 0227788 Norway 800 11376 Poland 00800 3111206 Portugal 0800 831416 South Africa 0800 995014 Spain 900 983125 Sweden
29. g firmware PC Card 34 typical installation 12 14 37 U upgrading PC Card firmware 34 URL 39 Ww warranty registration 7 Web browser requirements 9 Windows system tray 3Com icon 20 wireless association connection 5 20 clients defined 5 wireless LAN defined 5 ways to setup 6 wireless LAN service area 6 23 WLAN Configuration Utility 21 WLAN launcher 19 buttons 19 starting 15 22 23 26 27 28 29 WLAN service area defined 6 setting up 23 World Wide Web WWW 39 REGULATORY COMPLIANCE INFORMATION FCC RADIO FREQUENCY EXPOSURE NOTICE This device generates and radiates radio frequency energy In order to comply with FCC radio frequency radiation exposure guidelines for an uncontrolled environment this equipment has to be installed and operated while maintaining a minimum body to antenna distance of 2 5 cm This product does not contain any user serviceable components Any unauthorized product changes or modifications will invalidate 3Com s warranty and all applicable regulatory certifications and approvals FCC Part 15 NOTICE APPLICABLE TO USE WITHIN THE USA 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 WARNING This equipment has been tested and found to comply wit
30. g in successfully the first time Windows remembers the password the next time you log in Your network administrator may require you to log on every time Setting up Auto Network Connect Auto Network Connect ensures network association even when traversing subnets The client automatically associates with the nearest access point that has compatible encryption settings and automatically obtains a valid IP address This option requires a Dynamic Host Control Protocol DHCP server The client s network configuration must be set to obtain its IP address automatically For more information on DHCP see the documentation for your operating system 26 CHAPTER 4 SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION Follow these steps to set up Auto Network Connect In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher In WLAN Launcher click the Padlock icon In the Security Network window check the Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically box 4 Click the Options tab 5 In the Options window check the Automatically release renew the IP address box 6 Click OK Setting up an Ad Hoc Netw ork Starting an Ad Hoc Network Session 1 An ad hoc network is useful when you are out of the range of an access point or when you want to sh
31. h 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 or more of the following measures m Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna m Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver m Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from the one which the receiver is connected to m Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful The Interference Handbook This booklet is available from the U S Government Printing Office Washington D C 20402 Stock No 004 000 00345 4 M ANUFACTURER S DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY 3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza P O Box 58145 Santa Clara CA 95054 8145 408 326 5000 Declares that the product Date 1 November 2000 B
32. he correct path to your CD ROM drive appears in the entry box for example d and click Continue Instead of installing from the Windows NT CD if you have the Windows NT system files on your computer you can enter the path to the Windows NT installation files for example C i386 and click Continue The Setup window appears again In the PC Card Setup window accept the default settings and click Continue The default settings work in most cases However you may need to specify values for your installation If the Microsoft TCP IP Properties screen appears enter the requested information for your network environment Refer to the Windows NT documentation for assistance If you choose the DHCP server option click Yes to the DHCP prompt When you are finished entering the appropriate TCP IP information click OK When the window for enabling or disabling bindings opens click Next When Windows NT is ready to start the network click Next to copy the network files Enter your computer name and workgroup or domain name when prompted and click Next When the system displays Networking has been installed on this computer click Finish When prompted to reboot the computer remove the Windows NT CD from the drive insert the 3Com CD in the drive and click Yes Install CardWizard gt N n OU kh W If CardWizard was already installed before you began installing the PC Card this portion is skipped and the i
33. his appendix describes these services Information contained in this appendix is correct at time of publication For the most recent information 3Com recommends that you access the 3Com Corporation World Wide Web site Online Technical Services World Wide Web Site 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 3Com FTP Site 3Com offers worldwide product support 24 hours a day 7 days a week through the following online systems a World Wide Web site a 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services a 3Com FIP site To access the latest networking information on the 3Com Corporation World Wide Web site enter this URL into your Internet browser http www 3com com This service provides access to online support information such as technical documentation and software library as well as support options that range from technical education to maintenance and professional services This interactive tool contains technical product information compiled by 3Com expert technical engineers around the globe Located on the World Wide Web at http knowledgebase 3com com this service gives all 3Com customers and partners complementary round the clock access to technical information on most 3Com products Download drivers patches software and M IBs across the Internet from the 3Com public FTP site This service is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week To connect to the 3Com FTP site enter the following information into your FTP client a Hostnam
34. ht 2001 3Com Corporation All rights reserved 3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation Version 2 0 1
35. icense Agreement and click Yes If you click No the installation stops Select a destination folder for the software files and click Next 4 Inthe Setup Type window select the type of installation for the software Typical Installs the software and documentation Compact Installs the software but not documentation Custom Allows you to choose the components to install Follow the directions in the Select Program Folder window and click Next 6 In the Desktop Icon Option window click Yes Confirming the Installation 15 7 In the next window if the option to restart the computer appears select it and click Finish If you had a service pack installed before setting up the PC Card reinstall it and restart the computer This completes the basic installation To confirm the installation see Confirming the Installation Confirming the When the PC Card and software are installed correctly you will see the following Installation items after you restart the computer a PC Card LED is blinking a 3Com WLAN Launcher is running This utility shows the status of your network association a 3Com icon is in the Windows system tray a Shortcut icon to the 3Com WLAN Launcher is on your desktop unless you specified no icon during the installation If you do not see the 3Com WLAN Launcher window click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray to display it If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can st
36. ings You can change power management network traffic and IP address settings as follows In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher 2 In WLAN Launcher click either the Padlock or the Hammer icons 3 Inthe WLAN Configuration Utility window click the Options tab In the Options window you can change the settings described below Automatically manage power based on the detected power source When this radio button is selected and if your computer is able to detect its power source automatically the PC Card will automatically switch between the following modes Power saving mode Recommended when the computer is using battery power Continuous access mode Gives faster network performance and is recommended when the computer is using AC power 28 CHAPTER 4 SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION Manually set the power management When this radio button is selected you can select the power mode manually You may want to select this mode for example if your computer cannot detect its power source or if you want to improve performance by forcing continuous access even though you are using battery power Windows NT users must select the power mode because the operating system cannot detect its power source Network Tra
37. ion To confirm the installation see Confirming the Installation on page 15 Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed The following procedure is for installing the card software when networking is already installed on your computer If networking is not already installed see Windows NT Installation Without Networking Installed on page 35 gt Install Files The CardWizard utility which helps Windows NT to load and manage software must be installed If the installation program does not detect the CardWizard utility on your computer it will ask whether you want to install it If you already have a similar utility installed you must first uninstall that utility to prevent conflicts with CardW izard Internet Explorer version 4 is required to view help files It is recommended that you install Internet Explorer version 5 or later 1 Make sure that the computer is running and the PC Card is inserted N on ou kh WwW 10 11 12 13 Install CardWizard gt 1 Put the 3Com CD in the CD ROM drive If the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN Menu appears click Exit From the Windows Start menu select Settings Control Panel In the Control Panel double click Network Click the Adapters tab In the Adapters tab click Add In the Select Network Adapter window click Have Disk In the Insert Disk window make sure that the correct path to your CD ROM drive appears in the entry box for example d and clic
38. k OK If you are installing from diskettes enter the path to the diskette drive In the Select OEM Option window select 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card and click OK In the PC Card Setup window accept the default settings and click OK The default settings work in most cases However you may need to specify values for your installation Wait while the files are copied In the Adapters tab click Close If the Microsoft TCP IP Properties screen appears enter the requested information for your network environment Refer to the Windows NT documentation for assistance If you choose the DHCP server option click Yes to the DHCP prompt When you are finished entering the appropriate TCP IP information click OK When prompted to restart the computer click Yes If CardWizard was already installed before you began installing the PC Card this portion is skipped and the installation proceeds directly to Set Up the PC Card At the prompt to install CardW izard click Yes If you click No and you do not have CardWizard installed the installation stops 2 Inthe CardW izard window click Next 3 In the CardW izard welcome page click Next CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Set Up the PC Card Install Utilities 4 Read the CardWizard Software License Agreement and click Yes When prompted to remove the PC Card eject the card and click Yes 6 In the Select Type of Platform window select your computer t
39. lation 11 confirming 15 making diskettes 9 media 9 PC Card 10 typical 12 14 37 installation media requirements 9 installing new firmware PC Card 34 Internet Protocol address defined 28 IP address defined 28 releasing and renewing 28 setting 26 27 28 L LAN wireless defined 5 ways to setup 6 launcher 19 buttons 19 starting 15 22 23 26 27 28 29 LED PC Card 32 M making installation diskettes 9 MIBs 39 N network adhoc 5 6 26 association defined 20 settings configuring 23 network supplier support 40 Network Security tab 22 23 No Security 24 0 online technical services 39 open system 24 operating system requirements 9 Options tab 22 P password changing user 28 PC Card inserting 10 LED 32 power management continuous access mode 27 power saving mode 27 setting 27 product registration 7 R reception 16 registration 7 requirements 9 returning products for repair 42 roaming defined 5 S security 128 bit Dynamic Security Link 24 25 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi 24 and network settings 23 guidelines 24 no security 24 settings 24 service area defined 6 set up wireless LAN 6 settings encryption 24 network configuring 23 security 24 security and network 23 status display Ethernet 20 21 icons 20 string encryption 25 T technical support 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 39 3Com URL 39 network suppliers 40 product repair 42 Tools tab 22 troubleshootin
40. mes may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated EXPORT RESTRICTIONS This product or software contains encryption code which may not be exported or transferred from the US or Canada without an approved US Department of Commerce export license CONTENTS INTRODUCTION How Does a Wireless LAN Work 5 Network Association 5 Roaming 5 Security 5 Ad Hoc Networks 5 Setting Up a 3Com WirelessLAN 6 All Wireless Networks 6 Wired Wireless Networks 6 Product Registration and Support 7 INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Requirements 9 Disk Factory 9 Inserting the PC Card 10 Installing the Software 11 Windows Wizard Installation 11 Install Files 11 Set Up the PC Card 12 Install Utilities 12 Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed 12 Install Files 13 Install CardWizard 13 Set Up the PC Card 14 Install Utilities 14 Confirming the Installation 15 Using the XJACK Antenna 15 Custom Installation Options 16 WLAN Service Area 16 Security Settings 16 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi Encryption 16 128 bit Dynamic Security Link Authentication 17 Installing the Documentation 17 USING THE WIRELESS LAN About the 3Com Icon 20 Interpreting Status Icons 20 Using the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility 21 4 SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION 5 Changing Network and Security Settings 23 Network Settings 23 Security Settings 24 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi Encryption Settings 24 128 bit Dynamic Se
41. network session click the Enhanced radio button If clients from other manufacturers will be participating click the Wi Fi interoperable radio button Click OK Joining an Ad Hoc Network Session Ending an Ad Hoc Network Session The TCP IP or NetBEUI protocol settings of clients participating in an ad hoc network session must match For example TCP IP must be configured on the same subnet and NetBEUI must be configured with the same workgroup After a client has started an ad hoc network session other clients may join it as follows In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher 2 In WLAN Launcher click the Computer icon 3 In the Ad hoc Network Login window select the network name of the ad hoc session you are joining from the drop down list 4 Set your security to match that of the client that started the ad hoc session Set the performance mode to match that of the client that started the ad hoc session Click OK There are two ways to end an ad hoc network session and reassociate with an access point a Right click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray and select End Ad Hoc Connect to AP from the menu a Display the WLAN Launcher and click the Access Point icon Changing Power Traffic and Address Sett
42. nnected to an existing LAN to provide complete wireless network coverage Wireless clients can roam seamlessly between different access points with the same WLAN service areas and remain associated with the larger network Product Registration and Support To register your product with 3Com go to the following Web page http support 3com com warrantyregistration frontpg pl For support information see Technical Support on page 39 and go to the following Web page http support 3com com eee se e Secor INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT Installing a wireless client consists of inserting the 3Com Wireless LAN PC Card with XJACK Antenna in your computer and installing the software driver and utilities If you have 3Com Administrator Utilities installed on a wireless client you can manage access points or run a site survey Requirements Before you start the installation make sure that you have the following items Operating System One of the following a Windows 95 The 3Com wireless LAN PC Card runs under Windows 95 version B or higher If you do not know which version of Windows 95 is installed on your computer you can display it as follows In the Control Panel double click System to display the System Properties dialog box Click the General Tab to display the Windows 95 version information Version B also known as OSR 2 is identified as 4 00 950b a Windows 98 a Windows Millennium Editi
43. nstall documentation when you installed the PC Card and utilities you can use Add Remove Programs in the Control Panel to install it From the Windows Start menu select Start Settings Control Panel Double click Add Remove Programs In the next window select 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN and click Add Remove In the Install Shield Wizard window click the Modify radio button and click Next In the next window check the boxes next to the documents that you want to install and click Next A dialog box containing a document file name appears 6 Insert the 3Com CD Browse to the path on the CD that contains the file name indicated in the dialog box and click OK You need Acrobat Reader to read the documentation in PDF format and a Web browser to read the documentation in HTML format The English versions of Acrobat Reader and the Internet Explorer Web browser are on the 3Com CD You can obtain versions of Acrobat Reader in languages other than English from the Adobe Web site at www adobe com You can obtain versions of Internet Explorer in languages other than English from the Microsoft Web site at www microsoft com USING THE WIRELESS LAN The 3Com WLAN Launcher shows the status of your network association and allows you to perform some network association and configuration tasks aal alt 2 gaa The functions of the 3Com WLAN Launcher buttons are Access S Point Computer Padlock Ei T Hammer i Hel
44. nstallation proceeds directly to Set Up the PC Card When the computer restarts if the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN Menu appears click Exit At the prompt to install CardWizard click Yes If you click No and you do not have CardW izard installed the installation stops In the CardWizard window click Next In the CardWizard Welcome page click Next Read the CardWizard Software License Agreement and click Yes When prompted to remove the PC Card eject the card and click Yes In the Select Type of Platform window select your computer type and click Next If your computer type is not listed select Other Notebook and click Next Respond to the prompts to install CardW izard 10 Set Up the PC Card 37 When the CardWizard installation finishes click the Restart the computer radio button and click Finish Insert the PC Card Set Up the PC Card After the computer restarts the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window opens In this window you can specify the PC Card configuration In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window select Typical and click Next Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values WLAN Service Area Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting No security Open system If you want to customize the PC Card configuration for example to add security select Custom See Custom Installation Options on page 16 for details on custom settings For the
45. on Windows Me a Windows NT with Service Pack 4 or above a Windows 2000 Web Browser Internet Explorer version 4 required Internet Explorer version 5 5 recommended You can download Internet Explorer from www microsoft com PC Card 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card with XJACK Antenna Installation Media One of the following 3Com CDs a 3Com End User Utilities CD which comes with the PC Card and contains utilities for users a 3Com Administrator Utilities CD which comes with the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point and contains utilities for users and tools for administrators Other a The installation program may ask for the operating system Requirements installation media usually a CD supplied with your computer or for a path to the operating system files If you have other networking software installed on your computer the installation program may ask for its installation media m If you need to install from diskettes see Disk Factory Disk Factory If you are installing the software on a computer that does not have a CD ROM drive or if you choose to install the drivers manually you will have to make diskettes from the 3Com CD The setup application includes Disk Factory a utility for creating disks from CD To use disk factory you need access to a computer 10 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE WIRELESS CLIENT a U A UW with a CD ROM drive and a floppy drive and eight or more diskettes M ake sure you have
46. ord separately on each access point that you associate with In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher In WLAN Launcher click the Hammer icon 3 In the Tools window double click the Change Password icon In the Change Password dialog box follow the instructions to change the password and click OK Running Diagnostics 29 Running Diagnostics 0U A WU N The Diagnostics tool checks adapter presence network connection signal strength and link quality In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher In WLAN Launcher click the Hammer icon In the Tools tab double click the Diagnostics icon Check the boxes next to the tests you want to run Click Start The tests run and the results appear in the status column of the Tools tab Viewing Configuration Information The Info tab summarizes configuration information about the PC Card and the wireless LAN To view configuration information In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not
47. ou from an ad hoc network session and reconnects you to an access point End AP Start Ad hoc Displays the Ad Hoc Network Login window where you can start or join an ad hoc network session Security Settings Displays the Network Security tab where you can set up security Tools Displays the Tools tab where you can run WLAN Launcher applications Show Ethernet Link Status Controls the Ethernet status display This option appears only if you are associating with a 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point Exit Quits the WLAN Launcher program After you exit the 3Com icon no longer displays in the Windows system tray unless you restart the WLAN Launcher Interpreting Status Icons The 3Com WLAN Launcher window shows the status of your network association and continuously updates the status The following tables describe the various states Good Status The icon on the left represents your computer the client with the 3Com PC Card installed The icon on the right represents the access point The green dotted line between the two icons indicates a good network association If both icons are computers you are associating with an ad hoc network For information on how to set up an ad hoc network see Setting up an Ad Hoc Network on page 26 Using the 3Com WLAN Configuration Utility Good Status A green dotted line with a padlock between the two icons indicates a good association with security
48. p x Close Refreshes the association with the access point when you are associated with an access point When you are associated with an ad hoc network this button ends the ad hoc session and associates you to an access point Displays the Ad Hoc Network Login window in which you can do the following a When you are associated with an access point you can end the access point association and start an ad hoc session a When you are associated with an ad hoc network you can start a new ad hoc session or edit the current ad hoc configuration Displays the Network Security tab of the 3Com WLAN Configuration utility Displays the Tools tab of the 3Com WLAN Configuration utility Displays help Minimizes the 3Com WLAN Launcher window but does not quit the application 20 CHAPTER 3 USING THE WIRELESS LAN About the 3Com Icon When the 3Com WLAN Launcher is running the 3Com icon in the Windows system tool tray displays the status of the network association Associated Green radio waves indicate a good association with an access point Not Associated Red circle with a white X indicates no association with an access point Card Removed Yellow circle with a black X indicates that no PC Card is detected by the computer If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is hidden click the 3Com icon to display it You can also right click the 3Com icon and select from these menu items Open Displays the WLAN Launcher Refresh AP Disconnects y
49. perly before inserting it in the slot 1 CAUTION Forcing the card into the slot can damage the computer or the card Installing the Software 11 Installing the Softw are Depending on how your computer is set up the installation program may ask for the operating system installation media usually a CD supplied with your computer or for a path to the operating system files If you have other networking software installed on your computer the installation program may ask for the networking software installation media Make sure that you have the appropriate installation CDs or that you know the appropriate paths before you begin installing the software If you need help during the installation see Troubleshooting on page 31 Follow the instructions for your operating system For this Windows version See this procedure Windows 2000 Windows Windows Wizard Installation on page 11 Millennium Edition Windows Me Windows 98 Windows 95 Windows NT Windows NT Installation with Networking Installed on page 12 or Windows NT Installation Without Networking Installed on page 35 Windows Wizard Installation Install Files 1 M ake sure that the computer is running and the PC Card is inserted The driver installation process starts automatically when the PC Card is inserted Put the 3Com CD in the CD ROM drive If you are installing from diskettes insert the Drivers diskette 2 Inthe Add N
50. play the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher In WLAN Launcher click the Padlock icon 24 CHAPTER 4 SETTING THE WIRELESS CLIENT CONFIGURATION 3 In the Security Network window WLAN Service Area displays the name of the wireless network with which the wireless PC client can associate You can change this setting as follows Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Check this box to associate the client automatically to the WLAN service area with the best signal strength This is recommended Specify a WLAN Service Area First uncheck the Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically box Then you can either enter the name of a service area up to 32 characters long or select from recently used WLAN service areas or from all available WLAN Service Areas within the range of the client Security Settings You can set the level of security used to protect the network communications between the client and the access point from interception by unintended recipients The security settings must match those that the network administrator has set up on the network Some security levels require you to supply encryption settings The levels of security are No Security Open System No encryption is used The network communications could be intercepted by unintended recipients 40 bit Share
51. rand Name 3Com Corporation WL 305 Equipment Type Wireless LAN PC Card Model Number 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 3Gom Conporation WL 405 Tasted to Comply With FGC Standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE INDUSTRY CANADA NOTICE APPLICABLE TO USE WITHIN CANADA AVIS DE CONFORMITE A LA REGLEMENTATION D INDUSTRIE CANADA This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES 003 To prevent radio interference to the licensed service this device is intended to be operated indoors and away from windows to provide maximum shielding Equipment or its transmit antenna that is installed outdoors is subject to licensing Cet appareil num rique de la classe B est conform a la norme NMB 003 du Canada Pour emp cher que cet appareil cause du brouillage au service faisant l objet d une licence cet appareil doit tre utilis a l int rieur seulement et devrait tre plac loin des fen tres afin de fournir un cran de blindage maximal EUROPEAN COMMUNITY CE NOTICE Marking by the symbol Ce 0e8e indicates compliance of this equipment to the R amp TTE Directive 1999 5 EC Such marking is indicative that this equipment meets or exceeds the following technical standards m ETS 30
52. rol Panel double click Network 5 When the system prompts Windows NT Networking is not installed Do you want to install it now click Yes This opens the Network Setup Wizard 6 Check Wired to the network and click Next 7 When the system prompts to have setup start searching for a network adapter click Select from List 8 In the Select Network Adapter window click Have Disk 9 Inthe Insert Disk dialog box make sure that the correct path to your CD ROM 10 11 12 13 drive appears in the entry box for example d and click OK If you are installing from diskettes enter the path to the diskette drive In the Select OEM Option window select 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card and click OK In the Network Setup Wizard window click Next In the Network Protocols list place a check mark next to each network protocol required for your site and click Next In the Network Services window place a check mark in the box next to each desired service Select the default settings and click Next The message Windows NT is ready to install networking appears 36 CHAPTER A WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITHOUT NETWORKING INSTALLED 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Click Next The Windows NT Setup windows asks for the location of the Windows NT installation files Remove the 3Com CD from the CD ROM drive put the Windows NT CD in the drive and wait for it to spin up to speed Make sure that t
53. ss LAN uses radio signals to communicate Computers that are equipped for wireless LAN communication are called wireless LAN clients The wireless communication is called network association Clients associate through one or more access points which are wireless base stations that act as wireless hubs An access point can be connected to a wired network device such as an Ethernet hub switch or router to give clients access to the wired network where they can share files and printers and gain access to the Internet If the office space is large you can set up multiple access points on the same network to increase coverage When a wireless client begins to lose the signal as it moves away from an access point it can reassociate seamlessly with another access point This is called roaming You can set up security to encrypt your wireless transmissions so that your data cannot be deciphered if it is intercepted and to prevent access to the network by unauthorized clients Wireless clients can associate among themselves at close range without an access point by using ad hoc temporary networks You may wish to set up an ad hoc network for example if a group is working away from the office or if a group in the office needs to share files apart from the LAN Setting Up a 3Com Wireless LAN All Wireless Networks Wired Wireless Networks The type of network you decide to set up depends on the size of your office and whether or not
54. ssible problems include a PC Card fails to function a Operating system does not detect the PC Card a System issues a warning tone at startup If the installation is unsuccessful your best course may be to completely uninstall the card and repeat the installation procedure CAUTION Exit any networking applications and remove the PC Card driver before uninstalling the card 1 Make sure that you have exited any networking applications 2 Use the standard operating system procedure to remove the card driver The procedure for Windows Me Windows 98 and Windows 95 is shown below Refer to your Windows documentation for the exact procedure under Windows 2000 and Windows NT a From the Windows Start menu select Settings and then Control Panel b Inthe Control Panel double click the System icon c Inthe next window click the Device M anager tab d Double click Network Adapters e Select 3Com 3CRWE62092A Wireless LAN PC Card from the list and click Remove Gently press and release the antenna to retract it 4 Remove the card Restart the computer CAUTION To avoid damaging the card do not pull on the antenna 34 CHAPTER 5 TROUBLESHOOTING Uninstalling Software Utilities If you want to uninstall the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN software utilities you can either use the standard operating system procedure for removing programs or use the following shortcut procedure From the Windows Start menu select Programs
55. tem administrator for the encryption string or hexadecimal keys To enter an encryption string 1 In the Security settings window select 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi and click Next 2 Inthe Encryptions Settings window select Text M essage 3 Type the encryption string in the spaces provided 4 Click Next when finished Installing the Documentation 17 To enter hexadecimal keys 1 In the Security settings window select 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi and click Next 2 In the Encryptions Settings window select Hexadecimal Keys 3 Type the encryption key sequences in the spaces provided You must enter key sequences for all four keys Click one of the radio buttons to select a key to use for encrypting data from your computer Click Next when finished 128 bit Dynamic Security Link Authentication 128 bit Dynamic Security Link security can only be used with other 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Cards and access points 1 Ask your network administrator for the user name and password 2 In the Security settings window select 128 bit Dynamic Security Link and click Next In the Authentication Settings window type the user name and password in the spaces provided 4 Enter the password again to confirm it Click Next when finished Installing the Documentation ur WN Pe Documentation in PDF and HTML formats are supplied on the 3Com CD and are installed automatically during a typical installation If you chose not to i
56. the fastest installation it is recommended that you use the typical settings You can customize the configuration later as described in Setting the Wireless Client Configuration on page 23 In the Summary window review the PC Card setup To install the software utilities make sure that the Start client software installation when finished box is checked If you are reinstalling the PC Card and already have the software utilities installed this box is unchecked Click Finish to complete the PC Card setup and start the software utilities installation The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts If you are installing from diskettes insert Disk 1 and run the setup exe program to start the software utilities installation 1 Read the Welcome page and click Next 2 Read the Software License Agreement and click Yes If you click No the on oO U installation stops Select a destination folder for the software files and click Next In the Setup Type window select the type of installation for the software Typical Installs the software and documentation Compact Installs the software but not documentation Custom Allows you to choose the components to install Follow the directions in the Select Program Folder window and click Next In the Desktop Icon Option window click Yes In the Setup Complete window click Finish If you are prompted to restart your computer do so This completes the basic installat
57. then 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN then Uninstall 3Com 11M bps Wireless LAN When prompted to confirm click OK Upgrading PC Card Firmware A WN Pe ul Firmware is the software that is installed on the PC Card at the factory Some problems can be solved by installing a new version of the firmware upgrading firmware The following firmware upgrade procedure describes how to download firmware updates from the 3Com customer support Web site to your PC Card Log on to the 3Com support site at http support 3com com Click Wireless Click Download Software Drivers Click 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card firmware files The Software License Agreement page opens Read the agreement and click Yes 6 Click 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card firmware files The File Download window opens Check the Save this program to disk box and click OK The Save As window opens Select a directory to receive the firmware upgrade file and click Save You can select any directory on the computer The firmware upgrade file downloads into the directory Run the PC Card Upgrade utility a Make sure that the computer is plugged into an AC power source and that the PC Card is inserted b Double click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray c In WLAN Launcher click the Hammer icon d Inthe Tools tab double click the Firmware Upgrade icon e In the Firmware Upgrade Tool window enter the firmware file location path in the space pro
58. to any WLAN Service Area automatically This option associates the client automatically to the WLAN service area with the best signal strength Specify a WLAN Service Area Select this option and enter the name of a WLAN service area The name must match the name of the access point WLAN Service Area exactly For more information on these settings see Changing Network and Security Settings on page 23 In the Security settings window select one of the options and click Next If you select No Security for no encryption no further configuration is necessary The other options require you to configure encryption keys or authentication settings in the next window The settings must match those on the access point For more information on these settings see Security Settings on page 24 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi Encryption 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi security requires you to set up encryption keys using one of the following a An encryption string which is a string of characters between 8 and 64 characters long The string is a combination of letters and numbers and is case sensitive The encryption string can be used only with other 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Cards and access points and must match exactly across all devices in the wireless network a Hexadecimal keys for use with compatible equipment from other manufacturers The key sequences must match exactly across all devices in the wireless network Ask your sys
59. ttings for the wireless client in the Network Security tab In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to display the 3Com WLAN Launcher If the 3Com WLAN Launcher is not already running you can start it from the Windows Start menu Select Start Programs 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN 3Com WLAN Launcher In WLAN Launcher click the Padlock icon In the top half of the Security Network tab you can change settings for an access point network In the lower half of the tab you can configure settings for an ad hoc network To configure settings for an access point network see Network Settings and Security Settings on page 24 To configure settings for an ad hoc network click Start Ad hoc See Setting up an Ad Hoc Network on page 26 If your selection requires encryption key settings click Encryption Key Settings and enter the encryption key settings in the next window Ask your network administrator for the encryption settings See 40 bit Shared Key Wi Fi Encryption Settings on page 24 Network settings determine the wireless network with which the client can associate Some wireless LANs are set up with different WLAN service areas Clients can roam within the coverage areas of access points that have the same WLAN service areas They cannot roam to the coverage areas of access points that have different WLAN service areas To change the settings In the Windows system tray click the 3Com icon to dis
60. vided This is the directory name you selected when you downloaded the firmware upgrade from the 3Com customer support Web site If you do not remember the file location click Browse locate the firmware upgrade file you downloaded from the 3Com support site click OK in the dialog box and the file will automatically be loaded into the Firmware Filename space f Click Upgrade g Read the Firmware Upgrade Warning information and click OK h Restart the computer WINDOWS NT INSTALLATION WITHOUT NETWORKING INSTALLED Use the following procedure to install the PC Card software while you are installing Windows NT Networking For details on installing networking see your Windows NT documentation The CardWizard utility which helps Windows NT to load and manage software must be installed If the installation program does not detect the CardWizard utility on your computer it will ask whether you want to install it If you already have a similar utility installed you must first uninstall that utility to prevent conflicts with CardW izard Internet Explorer version 4 is required to view help files It is recommended that you install Internet Explorer version 5 or later Install Files and Networking M ake sure that the computer is running and the PC Card is inserted Put the 3Com CD in the CD ROM drive If the 3Com 11 Mbps WLAN Menu appears click Exit 3 From the Windows Start menu select Settings Control Panel 4 Inthe Cont
61. you require connection to a wired LAN You can also set up security for each of the different types of networks Your set up will probably resemble one or more of the following examples The simplest 3Com wireless LAN consists of several clients associating in an ad hoc network without an access point A simple configuration consists of one access point and several clients The clients can associate with the wireless network anywhere within the coverage area of the access point The access point is not connected to any other network segments GH ds For more complex requirements you can configure several access points as separate networks at the same site The access points use different network identifiers called wireless LAN service areas WLAN service areas also called Extended Service Set Identities or ESSID Clients can roam within the coverage areas of access points that have the same WLAN service areas They cannot roam to the coverage areas of access points that are configured with different WLAN service areas An access point can be connected to a wired LAN with an Ethernet cable to create a mixed wired wireless network In this configuration the access point provides the link between the wired network and wireless clients Clients can move freely throughout the service area of the access point and remain associated with the larger network for services such as printing and Internet access Multiple access points can be co
62. ype and click Next If your computer type is not listed select Other Notebook and click Next Respond to the prompts to install CardW izard When the CardW izard installation finishes click the radio button to restart the computer and click Finish Insert the PC Card After the computer restarts the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window opens in which you specify the PC Card configuration In the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Client Setup window select Typical and click Next Typical configures the PC Card with the following default values WLAN Service Area Attach to any WLAN Service Area automatically Security Setting No security Open system If you want to customize the PC Card configuration for example to add security select Custom See Custom Installation Options on page 16 for details on custom settings For the fastest installation it is recommended that you use the typical settings You can customize the configuration later as described in Setting the Wireless Client Configuration on page 23 In the Summary window review the PC Card setup and click Finish 3 When prompted to run the Setup program click OK Run the Setup program a From the Windows Start menu select Run b Inthe Run dialog box enter a path to the Setup program on the 3Com CD For example d srsetup exe The 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Setup program starts 1 Read the Welcome page and click Next 2 Read the Software L

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