IBM Network Card 19K4543 User Manual

IBM

High-Rate Wireless

LAN PC Card

User’s Guide

OPTIONS

by IBM

19K4543

IBM

High-Rate Wireless

LAN PC Card

User’s Guide

19K4543

Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, be sure to

read the information under Appendix D, “Product warranties and

notices” on page D-1.

First Edition (May 2000)

Note to U.S. Government Users — Documentation related to restricted rights — Use,

duplication or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in GSA ADP Schedule

Contract with IBM Corp.

Contents

Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

About this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Part 1: Installation and u ser ’s g uide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-1

Appendix A. Product specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Appendix B. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Appendix C. Help and service information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Appendix D. Product warranties and notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1

iii

iv High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Safety Information

Before installing this product, read the Safety Information book.

Antes de instalar este produto, leia o Manual de Informações sobre Segurança.

Pred instalací tohoto produktu si prectete prírucku bezpecnostních instrukcí.

Læs hæftet med sikkerhedsforskrifter, før du installerer dette produkt.

Lue Safety Information -kirjanen, ennen kuin asennat tämän tuotteen.

Avant de procéder à l'installation de ce produit, lisez le manuel Safety Information.

Vor Beginn der Installation die Broschüre mit Sicherheitshinweisen lesen.

Installálás el tt olvassa el a Biztonsági el írások kézikönyvét !

Prima di installare questo prodotto, leggere l’opuscolo contenente le informazioni sulla

sicurezza.

Lees voordat u dit product installeert eerst het boekje met veiligheidsvoorschriften.

Les heftet om sikkerhetsinformasjon (Safety Information) før du installerer dette

produktet.

Przed zainstalowaniem tego produktu należy przeczytać broszurę Informacje Dotyczące

Bezpieczeństwa.

Antes de instalar este produto, leia o folheto Informações sobre Segurança.

Перед установкой продукта прочтите брошюру по технике безопасности

(Safety Information).

Pred inštaláciou tohto produktu si pre ítajte Informa nú brožúrku o bezpe nosti.

Preden namestite ta izdelek, preberite knjižico Varnostne informacije.

Antes de instalar este producto, lea la Información de Seguridad.

Läs säkerhetsinformationen innan du installerar den här produkten.

vi High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Safety Information vii

viii High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

About this book

This manual contains instructions for installing and using the IBM High-Rate WIreless

LAN PC Card. The manual is divided into two parts:

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide

This guide contains the product description, hardware and software installation

instructions, and product use and maintenance information.

Part 2: Appendixes

The appendixes contain help and service information, the product warranties, and notices.

Note: The illustrations in this manual might be slightly different from your hardware.

High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide

This section provides the product and software descriptions, and the installation and user’s

guide.

Product description

The High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card is a standard PC Card that fits into any PC Card

Type II slot.

The High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card has two light-emitting diode (LED) indicators and

two integrated antennas. You can use the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card in

combination with an external antenna.

The High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card is a wireless network PC Card that complies with

the IEEE 802.11 standard on wireless LANs (Revision B) and supports data transfer rates

up to 11 MBps.

The High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card is fully compatible with any other wireless LAN

system based on direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) radio technology that complies

with the IEEE 802.11 standard on wireless LANs (Revision B).

The High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card supports the following wireless LAN features:

•

Automatic Transmit Rate Select mechanism in the range of “High, Medium, Standard

and Low”

•

Frequency Channel Selection (2.4 GHz)

Roaming over multiple channels

Card Power Management

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption, based on the 64 bit RC4

encryption algorithm as defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard on wireless LANs

In addition to this manual, your package contains the following:

•

High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card

Transparent protective casing for PC Card storage

Note: To extend the life of the PC Card hardware, store the PC Card in the protective

casing whenever carrying the computer on travel without operating the device.

The High-Rate Wireless LAN software CD

•

If any of these items are missing or damaged, contact your reseller.

1-1

Software description

The High-Rate Wireless LAN software CD contains software and documentation for all

High-Rate Wireless LAN products that support roaming functionality in indoor

environments.

The High-Rate Wireless LAN software CD is divided into two sections:

•

X:\Manuals: User’s guides and reference documents, where X is the drive letter of

your CD-ROM drive

•

X:\Software: Software for High-Rate Wireless LAN client stations and infrastructure

products, such as the High-Rate Wireless LAN Access Point

Before installing the software, read the software license agreement (LICENSE.TXT)

located in the root folder of the CD.

You can visit the IBM Web site to:

•

Verify if newer versions of the software that was shipped with your product are

available

•

Download and install the latest software with your purchased product

You can download the latest software and documentation from the High-Rate Wireless

LAN Web site at

http://www.ibm.com/pc/

The High-Rate Wireless LAN software CD also contains a folder named Xtras. This folder

contains additional tools that might be helpful for installing and managing your High-Rate

Wireless LAN Network.

The Acrobat folder includes a copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is required to

view or print the High-Rate Wireless LAN user documentation included on this CD.

The Adobe Acrobat Reader is owned by and licensed from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

This software is provided “as is.”

Note: IBM makes no warranty or representation, express or implied, relating to the

completeness, reliability, effectiveness, accuracy, performance, or operation of the

Adobe software, or as to its suitability, merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose or against infringement of intellectual property rights of any party.

For more information about Adobe Acrobat software, see the Adobe Web site at

http:\\www.adobe.com\acrobat

1-2 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Configuring the High-Rate Wireless LAN network

You can use the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card Kit to:

•

Connect your computer to a Peer-to-Peer workgroup of wireless computing devices

Connect your computer to a local area network (LAN) infrastructure that includes

IBM High-Rate Wireless LAN Access Points (Access Points), or other IEEE 802.11-

compliant LAN systems

•

Expand the capabilities of your Access Points, to support wireless devices that have

been equipped with High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Cards

Peer-to-Peer workgroups

With the Peer-to-Peer workgroup configuration, you can quickly set up a small wireless

workgroup, where the workgroup participants can exchange files using features like “Files

and Printer Sharing” as supported by the Microsoft Network Neighborhood. You can

use this type of wireless Peer-to-Peer networks while mobile, or in Small Office/Home

Office (SOHO) environments. As long as the stations are within range of one another, this

is the easiest and least expensive way to set up a wireless network.

Infrastructure network

With the High-Rate Wireless LAN Access Point, you can connect to a corporate LAN

infrastructure to have wireless access to all network facilities.

LAN infrastructures can be stand-alone wireless LANs or wireless network infrastructures

connected to an existing Ethernet network

Installing the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card

Note: If you intend to use the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card in a High-Rate Wireless

LAN Access Point, see the User’s Guide that was shipped with the access point, or

download it from the IBM High-Rate Wireless LAN Web site at

http://www.ibm.com/pc/downloads

Perform the installation in two steps:

1. Install the Client Manager software

2. Install the device drivers

Installing the Client Manager software

The High-Rate Wireless LAN Client Manager can be used to monitor the quality of your

network connection.

To install the Client Manager software, do the following:

1. Insert the High-Rate Wireless LAN software CD into the CD-ROM drive of your

computer. If Autorun is enabled on your computer, the Wireless Networking Client

Software window opens.

Note: If you downloaded the software from the web, please refer to the installation

instructions found on the Web site.

2. Click Install Client Manager; then follow the on-screen instructions.

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide 1-3

Note: If Autorun is not enabled on your computer, you can start Client Manager by

running the .EXE file located in the root directory of the High-Rate Wireless

LAN software CD; then following the on-screen instructions.

For instructions on how to use Client Manager, see “Using Client Manager” on page 1-12.

Installing the device drivers

This section provides instructions on installing the device drivers for your High-Rate

Wireless LAN PC Card in Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows

2000.

Note: Keep the Microsoft Windows installation CDs or software diskettes close at hand.

If your computer came with a factory-installed Windows operating system, these

files will be stored as .CAB files on the hard disk drive of your computer.

Installing a High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card requires the same level of expertise that

you need to install any other type of standard Ethernet network adapter card. This manual

assumes that you have a working knowledge of standard Microsoft Windows operating

systems and of installing network adapter cards.

Note: If your computer uses the CardWizard program for PC Card configuration, you

must install the latest version of CardWizard on your computer. The latest version

can be downloaded from the IBM Web site at

http://www.ibm.com/pc/downloads

Depending on your operating system and the configuration of your computer, the

installation of the device drivers will consist of:

1. Installing the device drivers

2. Selecting the Miniport device driver

Note: You will need to perform this procedure only if Windows did not

automatically detect the right High-Rate Wireless LAN Miniport device

drivers.

3. Network installation

Note: You will need to perform this procedure only if this is the very first time that

networking support is installed on your computer.

Installing the device drivers in Windows 95 and Windows 98

The Windows 95 and Windows 98 operating systems support Plug and Play operation for

PC Cards. When you insert the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card into your computer,

these operating systems automatically detect the card and enable the High-Rate Wireless

LAN Miniport device driver, or prompt you to install the device driver, when the operating

system cannot find the required device driver. This typically occurs the first time you

insert the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card into your computer.

When the High-Rate Wireless LAN Miniport device driver is installed, you can remove

and reinsert the card whenever you want, that is, you can "Hot Swap" the card.

1-4 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

To install the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card in Windows 95 or Windows 98, do the

following:

1. Insert the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card into your computer.

2. Turn on your computer.

3. Insert the High-Rate Wireless LAN software CD into the CD-ROM drive of your

computer. Windows automatically detects your PC Card, and the New Hardware

Found Wizard window opens.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

5. When you are prompted to locate the device driver installation files, select the High-

Rate Wireless LAN CD that comes with your PC Card kit, or select another source if

you downloaded the most recent device drivers from the IBM High-Rate Wireless

LAN Web site. Windows installs the device drivers.

Note: When Windows completes the installation of the device drivers, the Add/Edit

Configuration Profile window opens. In most cases, the Windows 95 or

Windows 98 operating system automatically finds the correct device drivers. If

you are prompted to select the device drivers from a list of device drivers,

continue with “Selecting the Miniport device driver” on page 1-6.

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide 1-5

6. Continue with “Setting basic parameters” on page 1-8 to complete the installation of

your High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card.

Note: In some occasions, your operating system might not detect the new hardware. This

might happen when:

•

The notebook computer into which you want to install the High-Rate Wireless

LAN PC Card is a brand-new “out-of-the-box” computer, where the Windows

95 or Windows 98 operating system was factory-installed.

•

A previous installation of the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card was aborted

before it was finished.

Installing the device drivers in Windows NT

Note: If networking is not installed, you are prompted whether you want it installed.

Click Yes; then follow the on-screen instructions. Continue with the installation of

the device drivers.

To install the device drivers in Window NT, do the following:

1. Install Client Manager using the instructions in “Installing the Client Manager

software” on page 1-3.

2. Insert the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card into your computer. The CardWizard

window opens.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions. When prompted for the location of the device

drivers, select X:\Drivers\Win_NT, where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM

drive.

4. When Windows completes the device driver installation, continue with “Setting basic

parameters” on page 1-8.

Installing the device drivers in Windows 2000

To install the device drivers in Windows 2000, do the following:

1. Install Client Manager using the instructions in “Installing the Client Manager

software” on page 1-3.

2. Insert the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card into your computer; then follow the on-

screen instructions. The New Hardware Found Wizard window opens.

3. The Digital Signature Not Found window might open, depending on your version of

Windows 2000. Click Yes to continue.

4. Windows 2000 completes completes the installation of the device drivers. Continue

with “Setting basic parameters” on page 1-8.

Selecting the Miniport device driver

If your Windows operating system automatically detected your hardware, you are

prompted to select a device driver from a list or to install the device driver from a diskette

provided by the hardware manufacturer. If the correct device drivers are automatically

found, go to “Setting basic parameters” on page 1-8.

To select the miniport device driver, do the following:

1. In the Select Network Adapter window, click Have Disk.

2. Be sure that the High-Rate Wireless LAN Software CD is inserted into your

computer; then click OK.

1-6 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Note: If you are prompted to identify the location of files, type the correct drive letter

and directory; then click OK.

Windows starts to copy files from your installation disks or CD and the High-Rate

Wireless LAN software CD.

•

Windows system files are usually on the Windows installation CD.

If your computer comes with the Windows operating system factory-installed, choose

the directory that contains the Windows setup files (.CAB files).

•

When you are prompted to identify the High-Rate Wireless LAN device driver files

(typically file names starting with the characters wv*.*), specify the drive and

directory that contains your High-Rate Wireless LAN software:

— If you are installing from the High-Rate Wireless LAN CD, the directory is

X:\Drivers (where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive).

Note: There is a separate directory for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT,

and Windows 2000.

— If you are installing files that you downloaded from the Internet,

select the disk drive or directory where you saved the downloaded files.

Note: If you previously installed a PC Card on your computer, most of these

files are already available on your hard disk drive. If you do not have the

Windows installation CD available, try replacing the proposed path in the

Copy Files From window with: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM or

C:\WINDOWS.

Network installation

If this is the first time that networking support is installed onto your computer, you will be

prompted to enter a computer and workgroup name. These names will be used to identify

your computer on the Microsoft Network Neighborhood. After you enter a computer and

workgroup name, do the following:

1. Click OK.

2. In the Computer Name field, type a unique name for your computer. You can type

any name you like.

3. In the Workgroup field, type a unique name for your workgroup. You can type any

name you like.

4. (Optional) Provide a description of the computer in the Computer Description field.

For more information about setting your Microsoft Network Neighborhood properties,

consult your Windows documentation or the Windows online help information.

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide 1-7

Setting basic parameters

After installing the device drivers, the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window opens. In

the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window, you can specify one or more network

connection profiles to enable you to dynamically switch your preferred network

connection.

Note: If you are using Windows 2000, the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window might

not open automatically. If it does not, do the following:

1. Click Start → Settings → Control Panel.

2. Double-click Wireless Networking. The Add/Edit Configuration Profile

window opens.

For example, you can set up different profiles for:

•

Office: To connect to a company network through an Access Point. see “Basic

settings for existing networks” on page 1-8.

•

Workgroup Computing: To share files in small Peer-to-Peer workgroups without an

Access Point. see “Basic settings for Peer-to-Peer workgroups” on page 1-9.

For more information about the different types of networks, see “Configuring the High-

Rate Wireless LAN network” on page 1-3.

To connect to a High-Rate Wireless LAN network, do the following:

1. Assign a name to the network connection profile.

2. From the menu, select how you want to connect to the wireless network.

3. Click Edit Profile to view or modify the parameters that apply to your network.

For first-time installations, set up the default profile using only basic settings. See “Basic

settings for existing networks” on page 1-8.

When you have completed and validated the installation of your PC Card, you can add

additional profiles or edit the existing ones.

For help, press F1 or click Help.

Basic settings for existing networks: If you selected Connect to an Access Point in

the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window, you only need to set the Network Name

parameters. To set the Network Name parameters, do the following:

1. In the Network Name field, define the name of the wireless network that you want to

connect to. You can name the network anything you like.

•

To connect to any High-Rate Wireless LAN network near your computer, you

can leave the Network Name field blank, or enter ANY in the Network Name

field.

Note: When your Network Name field is set to ANY, your computer attempts to

establish a radio connection with any High-Rate Wireless LAN network

that provides good communications quality.

•

To connect to only one specific wireless network, type the network name that

applies to your network. Consult your LAN administrator for the the name that

applies to your network.

1-8 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Note: The Network Name can be any alphanumeric string up to 32 characters,

and in the range of a to z, A to Z, and 0 to 9. The network name is case-

sensitive. For more information on network names, press F1 or click

Help.

2. Click OK to confirm the network name and return to the Add/Edit Configuration

Profile window.

3. Click OK again to continue the installation. Go to “Completing the installation” on

page 1-9.

In the High-Rate Wireless LAN Edit Configuration window, you can also change other

parameters (Encryption, Advanced, Admin, and Adapter parameters). These parameters

are described in the online help file of the device drivers. Consult your LAN

Administrator for the parameter settings that apply to your network environment.

Basic settings for Peer-to-Peer workgroups: If you selected to connect to a Peer-to-

Peer workgroup in the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window, you only need to set the

Network Name parameters. To set the Network Name parameters, do the following:

1. In the Network Name field, define the name of the wireless network that you want to

connect to. You can name the network anything you like.

•

The Network Name can be any alphanumeric string up to 32 characters, and in

the range of a to z, A to Z, and 0 to 9. The network name is case-sensitive. For

more information on network names, press F1 or click Help.

•

If there is already a Peer-to-Peer group with this name available your computer

automatically connects to this workgroup.

If there is not a Peer-to-Peer workgroup with this name, your computer

automatically starts one with this name.

2. Click OK to confirm the network name and return to the Add/Edit Configuration

Profile window.

3. Click OK again to continue the installation. Go to the next section.

Completing the installation

To complete the installation of the network, do the following:

1. When you have finished setting the basic parameters, click OK to close the Add/Edit

Configuration window. Windows completes building the device driver configuration

database, and copies files from your CD-ROM or diskette to the hard disk drive of

your computer.

2. If the Windows operating system prompts you to identify the location of the

Windows files, specify the drive and directory of the Windows Installation CD or

diskettes.

3. When Windows completes the copying of files, click OK to restart your computer.

After you have restarted your computer, the Windows operating system detects the High-

Rate Wireless LAN PC Card.

Windows loads the High-Rate Wireless LAN Miniport device driver; then opens a

window prompting you to enter a user name and password. The password you enter here

will be the one used to log into the Microsoft Network Neighborhood.

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide 1-9

Verifying installation: You can use one of the following methods to verify whether the

installation of the device drivers was successful:

•

Verify that the PC Card icon is in the taskbar.

Check the LEDs on your PC Card.

— If the green power LED is a steady green, the PC Card is active

— If the green Transmit/Receive LED is flickering green, data is being transferred

by the PC Card.

To check the quality of the network connection, you can install the High-Rate Wireless

LAN Client Manager using instructions in “Installing the Client Manager software” on

page 1-3.

Note: Some older Windows 95 versions do not automatically install the necessary TCP/IP

protocol, and you cannot connect to the network. If this is the case, see you

Windows documentation to install the correct TCP/IP protocols.

Setting advanced parameters

Although your High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card works fine in most network

environment with the basic parameters, you might want to investigate the advanced

parameters options as displayed on the Edit Configuration window for the High-Rate

Wireless LAN PC Card.

Note: Consult your LAN Administrator for information about whether these parameters

are appropriate for your setting.

Using and maintaining the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card

This section provides instructions on using and maintaining your High-Rate Wireless

LAN PC Card.

Radio antennas

The built-in radio and antennas of your High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card perform best in

an open environment with as few obstacles as possible. To achieve the maximum range

for wireless communications do not cover the card with objects such as books or thick

stacks of paper.

If you are using the card inside a desktop computer, you might need to purchase the

optional Range Extender Antenna.

1-10 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Removing the PC Card

If you do not need the wireless connectivity of your High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card,

you can remove the PC Card from its slot.

Attention: If you remove the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card from your computer, you

will lose your connection to the network. Before removing the PC Card, be sure that you

have closed all files and network applications.

Always disable the PC Card before removing the PC Card from the slot, so that the

Windows operating system:

•

Logs off from the network server

Disables the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card device driver

Disconnects power to the PC Card slot, which will extend battery life for notebook

computers

To stop using the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card, do the following:

1. Click the PC Card icon on the Windows taskbar.

2. Select Stop High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card.

3. Remove the PC Card when prompted.

Maintaining your PC Card

If you are not using the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card for wireless communications,

store it inside the transparent plastic casing that comes with your option package.

To clean the PC Card, gently wipe it with a soft (damp) cloth.

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide 1-11

Attention: To avoid damage to the PC Card, do not clean it with abrasive materials or

rinse it with liquids.

Viewing other computers in the network

To display the other High-Rate Wireless LAN stations in the network, do the following:

1. Double-click My Computer.

2. Double-click Network Neighborhood. This displays all of the stations in your

Microsoft Networking Group.

3. To display other workgroups in the network environment, double-click Entire

Network.

If you cannot find other High-Rate Wireless LAN-networked computers, you can verify

whether the other High-Rate Wireless LAN computers are:

•

Turned on and logged on to the network

Configured to operate with identical Microsoft Network Neighborhood settings

concerning:

— Networking Protocol

— Wireless Network Name

— Workgroup Name

To view or modify the Station Name or Workgroup of your computer, Do the following

1. Click Start → Settings → Control Panel .

2. Double-click Network.

3. Click the Identification tab. In the identification window, you can verify or change

the Station Name or Workgroup parameters.

Note: You must restart your computer so that changes to the network settings take effect.

To verify the radio connection with other stations refer to “Viewing and modifying PC

Card settings” on page 1-13.

Using Client Manager

If you installed the High-Rate Wireless LAN Client Manager as described in “Installing

the Client Manager software” on page 1-3, you can use the Client Manager to:

•

Verify the quality of your wireless connection to the network

View or modify the configuration settings of your wireless PC Card

The Client Manager starts automatically every time you turn on your computer. The

Client Manager icon is displayed in the Windows taskbar, and indicates that the

Client Manager program is running. To view a detailed status overview of your network,

click the Client Manager icon once with your left mouse button. For more options, use

the right mouse button to click the Client Manager icon.

1-12 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Viewing wireless link quality

You can use the Client Manager icon on the Windows taskbar to verify the link quality of

your network connection.

An overview of all possible icons is provided in the following table.

Icon

Description

Excellent radio connection

Color

Green

Good radio connection

Green

Yellow

Red

Marginal radio connection:

Move closer to the High-Rate Wireless LAN Access Point or

to the base station.

Poor radio connection:

Save your files and move closer to the access point or the

base station.

No radio connection:

Red

You have moved out of range of the network or the Client

Manager is looking for an initial connection.

Peer-to-Peer network connection

Blank

Viewing and modifying PC Card settings

If you want to view or modify High-Rate Wireless LAN parameters, do the following:

1. Use the right mouse button to click the Client Manager icon on the Windows

taskbar.

2. Select Configuration Profile.

3. Select Add/Edit Profile to add a new profile or to modify an existing profile, or

select One of the existing profiles (if available) to select a profile without viewing or

modifying the settings.

After selecting another profile, or modifying the existing one, the PC Card uses the

selected profile to connect to the wireless network.

Part 1: Installation and user’s guide 1-13

If your Client Manager icon is not visible, start the Client Manager program again by

doing the following:

1. Click Start → Programs → High-Rate Wireless LAN workgroup

2. Select Client Manager.

1-14 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Appendix A. Product specifications

This appendix provides the specifications for the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card.

Physical specifications

Form factor

PC Card Type-II Extended

Dimensions

(LxWxH)

117.8 x 53.95 x 8.7 mm (4.6 x 2.1 x .34 in.)

Weight

45 grams

Mode

Operation

Transit

Temperature

Humidity

0° to 50° C (32° to 50° F)

-20° to 70° C (-4° to 158° F)

95% maximum

15 to 95% (No condensation

allowed)

Storage

-10° to 60° C (14° to 140° F)

10 to 90% (No condensation

allowed)

Power characteristics

Doze mode

10 mA

Receive mode

Transit mode

Power supply

180 mA

280 mA

5 V

A-1

Networking characteristics

Compatibility

IEEE 802.11 Standard for Wirelesss LANs

(DSSS)

Network operating

system

Microsoft Windows

Host operating system

Windows 95: NDIS3 Miniport driver

Windows NT 4.0: NDIS4 Miniport driver

Windows 98 and Windows 2000: NDIS5

Miniport driver

Media access protocol

Data rate

CSMA/CA (collision avoidance) with

acknowledgement (ACK)

High: 11 MBps

Medium: 5.5 MBps

Low: 1 MBps

(High-Rate Wireless

LAN PC Cards use an

automatic Transmit Rate

Select mechanism)

Radio characteristics

Radio characteristics may vary according to:

•

The country where the product was purchased

The type of product that was purchased

Wireless communication is often subject to local radio regulations. Although High-Rate

Wireless LAN wireless networking products have been designed for operation in the

license-free 2.4 GHz band, local radio regulations might impose a number of limitations to

the use of wireless communication equipment.

Note: Refer to the flyer included in yourt option package for country-specific regulatory

information.

To comply with such regulations, High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Cards are marketed with

dedicated channel-sets, with a number of factory-programmed channels identified by the

following acronyms:

•

ETS: For countries that adhere to the regulations as defined by the European

Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

•

FCC: For countries that adhere to the regulations as defined by the US Federal

Communications Commission (FCC).

•

FR: For France

JP: For Japan

The acronym of the channel-set supported by your card is printed on a label on the back-

side of your High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card.

A-2 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

RF frequency band

2.4 GHz (2400 to 2500 MHz)

Number of selectable sub-

channels

North America (FCC): 11

Europe (ETS): 13

France (FR): 4

Japan (JP): 1

Other countries: FCC: 11

ETS: 13

Modulation technique

Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS)

•

CCK for high and medium tranmit

rates

•

DQPSK for standard transmit rate

DBPSK for low transmit rate

Spreading

11-chip Barker Squence

-5

Bit error rate (BER)

Nominal outout power

Better than 10

15 dBm

Wireless LAN Range

Range (100

bytes user

data) /

Medium

speed

5.5 MBps

Standard

speed

2 MBps

High speed

11 MBps

Low speed

1 MBps

transmit rate

Open office

envrionment

160 m

270 m

400 m

550 m

(525 ft.)

(886 ft.)

(1312 ft.)

(1805 ft.)

Semi-open

office

environment

50 m

70 m

90 m

115 m

(164 ft.)

(230 ft.)

(295 ft.)

(377 ft.)

Closed office

25 m

35 m

40 m

50 m

(82 ft.)

(115 ft.)

(131 ft.)

(165 ft.)

Receiver

sensitivity

-83 dBm

65 ns

-87 dBm

225 ns

-91 dBm

400 ns

-94 dBm

500 ns

Delay spread

(at FER of

<1%)

Appendix A. Product specifications A-3

In an open office environment, antennas can "see" each other. There are no physical

obstructions between them.

In a semi-open office environment, work space is divided by shoulder-height, hollow

wall elements. Antennas are at desktop level.

In a closed office environment, work space is separated by floor-to-ceiling brick walls.

The range of the wireless signal is related to the transmit rate of the wireless

communication. Communications at lower transmit rate may travel larger distances.

Note: The range values listed in the table are typical distances as measured at the IBM

High-Rate Wireless LAN laboratories. These values may vary according to the

actual radio conditions at the location where the High-Rate Wireless LAN product

will be installed.

•

The range of your wireless devices can be affected when the antennas are

placed near metal surfaces and solid high-density materials.

•

Range is also impacted due to obstacles in the signal path of the radio that may

either absorb or reflect the radio signal.

Supported frequesncy sub-bands

Subject to the radio regulations that apply in your country, your High-Rate Wireless LAN

PC Card may support a different set of 2.4 GHz channels. Consult your Authorized High-

Rate Wireless LAN reseller or IBM Sales office for information about the radio

regulations that apply in your country.

The following table lists the Hihg-Rate Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11 chanel sets in the 2400

to 2500 MHz range.

Channel ID

FCC

2412

ETSI

2112

n/a

2457

2412

2417

2422

2427

2432

2437

2442

2447

2452

2457

2417

2422

2427

2432

2437

2442

2447

2452

2457

2417

2422

2427

2432

2437

2442

2447

2452

2457

A-4 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Channel ID

FCC

2462

ETSI

2462

2467

2472

n/a

2462

2467

2472

2484

n/a

2467

2472

n/a

When installing High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Cards, the channel configuration is

managed as follows:

•

For wireless clients that operate in a High-Rate Wireless LAN Infrastructure, the

High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card automatically starts operation at the channel

identified by the access points. When roaming between different access points, the

station can dynamically switch to another channel if required.

•

For High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Cards installed into wireless clients that operate in

an Peer-to-Peer workgroup mode, the PC Card will use channel 10 by default.

When inserted into a access point, the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card will use the

factory-set default channel, unless the LAN Administrator selected a different

channel when configuring the access point device.

Appendix A. Product specifications A-5

A-6 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Appendix B. Troubleshooting

This section provides information on troubleshooting procedures.

Troubleshooting the LEDs

If you have difficulty using or installing your High-Rate Wireless LAN product, the error

may be due to various causes:

•

A component of the High-Rate Wireless LAN system is out of range, which prevents

the PC Card from establishing a wireless connection with the network.

•

There is a configuration mismatch, which prevents the PC Card from establishing a

wireless connection with the (correct) network.

•

Absence of or conflict with the High-Rate Wireless LAN device driver.

there is a problem or conflict with the PC Card slot, which prevents the PC Card from

receiving power.

•

There is a conflict with the High-Rate Wireless LAN hardware and another device.

The starting point to troubleshooting problems with your High-Rate Wireless LAN

PC Card is to look at the LED activity of the High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card. The

following table provides an overview of the various modes of operation and the associated

LED activity. The table also includes a number of troubleshooting hints, if required, that

may help you solve the problem.

Transmit

Receive LED

Power LED

Description/action

Continuous

green

Blinking

The PC Card is turned on, and is

sensing and transmitting data.

Continuous

green

Off

The PC Card is turned on; there is

no wireless activity.

Flicker

Power management mode: The PC

Card is turned on, but set to power-

saving mode to conserve battery

life. The card activates at regular

intervals to check for wireless data.

B-1

Transmit

Receive LED

Power LED

Description/action

Blink at 10-

second intervals

Blink at 10-

second intervals

The PC Card is working fine, but

did not establish a wireless

connection with the wireless

infrastructure.

•

Contact the LAN

administrator to verify the

Network Name assigned to

the wireless infrastructure.

Contact the LAN

administrator to verify the

correct values of the

encryption keys.

Contact the LAN

administrator to verify

whether the network

infrastructure has been

closed.

•

Change the configuration of

your PC Card to enter the

correct Network Name.

If there are no access points

available, change the

configuration of your PC

Card to run in Peer-to-Peer

mode.

If both LEDs are off, then the PC Card is not turned on and it cannot receive or transmit

data. This can be because:

•

There is no device driver installed

The card and device drivers are mismatched, preventing the device driver from

•

There is a device conflict, preventing the device drivers from loading

If both LEDs are off, take the following actions:

•

Verify if a device driver has been installed. If not, install the device driver.

Verify the device settings of the PC Card to determine the occurrence of a conflict

with another device. If there is a conflict, change the settings of the PC Card or the

conflicting device.

•

Verify the versions of the device driver and the PC Card software.

Consult the IBM High-Rate Wireless LAN Web site at

http://www.ibm.com/pc

to see if software upgrades are available.

B-2 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Troubleshooting the network connection

If you cannot connect to the network, verify that your network name is correct.The High-

Rate Wireless LAN Network Name is case-sensitive. When you enter this name, type the

name between quotation marks, for example, “My Wireless Network”. If you omit the

quotation marks, the driver will interpret the value as all upper-case, for example, MY

WIRELESS NETWORK. If your access points are configured with both lower- and

upper-case characters, the driver cannot establish a radio connection.

LEDs work but you can’t connect to the network

If you can not connect to the network while the LEDs indicate that the network is working

properly (Power LED is on, Transmit Receive LED blinks) the TCP/IP settings of your

network might not be properly set.

Changing the TCP/IP settings

To change the TCP/IP connections, consult your LAN administrator for the values of your

TCP/IP settings; then do the following:

1. Click Start → Settings → Control Panel

2. Double-click Network.

3. From the list of installed components, check if the TCP/IP -> High-Rate Wireless

LAN PC Card protocol is installed.

•

If the protocol is not yet installed, click Add; then select the TCP/IP protocol

from the list. Refer to your Windows documentation for more information.

•

If the protocol is installed, select the protocol and click Properties. Check if the

parameters match the settings provided by your LAN Administrator. Make

changes if necessary; then click OK.

4. When prompted, restart your computer.

Appendix B. Troubleshooting B-3

B-4 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Appendix C. Help and service information

This section contains information on how to obtain online and telephone technical

support.

Technical support

Technical support is available during the life of your product. Assistance can be obtained

through the Personal Computing Support Web site and the IBM Automated Fax System.

During the warranty period, assistance for replacement or exchange of defective

components is available. In addition, if your IBM option is installed in an IBM computer,

you might be entitled to service at your location. Your technical support representative can

help you determine the best alternative.

Technical support

IBM Personal Computing Support Web Site

IBM Automated Fax System

http://www.ibm.com/pc/support

1-800-426-3395

1-800-465-3299 (in Canada)

Marketing, installation, and configuration support through the HelpCenter will be

withdrawn or made available for a fee, at IBM’s discretion, 90 days after the option has

been withdrawn from marketing. Additional support offerings, including step-by-step

installa-tion assistance, are available for a nominal fee.

Telephone technical support

To assist the technical support representative, have available as much of the following

information as possible:

1. Option name

2. Option number

3. Proof of purchase

4. Computer manufacturer, model, serial number (if IBM), and manual

5. Exact wording of the error message (if any)

6. Description of the problem

7. Hardware and software configuration information for your system

If possible, be at your computer. Your technical support representative might want to walk

you through the problem during the call.

For the support telephone number and support hours by country, refer to the following

table or to the enclosed technical support insert. If the number is not provided, contact

your IBM reseller or IBM marketing representative. Response time may vary depending

on the number and nature of the calls received.

Support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Canada (Toronto only)

1-416-333-3344

C-1

Canada (all others)

U.S.A. / Puerto Rico

1-800-565-3344

1-800-772-2227

C-2 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Appendix D. Product warranties and notices

The following section provides product warranty information and legal notices.

Warranty Statements

The warranty statements consist of two parts: Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 varies by country.

Part 2 is the same for both statements. Be sure to read both the Part 1 that applies to your

country and Part 2.

•

United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada (Z125-4753-05 11/97) “IBM Statement of

Limited Warranty for United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada (Part 1 - General

Terms)”

Worldwide except Canada, Puerto Rico, Turkey, and United States (Z125-5697-

01 11/97) “IBM Statement of Warranty Worldwide except Canada, Puerto Rico,

Turkey, United States (Part 1 - General Terms)” on page D-4

Worldwide Country-Unique Terms“Part 2 - Worldwide Country-Unique Terms” on

page D-7

IBM Statement of Limited Warranty for United States, Puerto Rico,

and Canada (Part 1 - General Terms)

This Statement of Warranty includes Part 1 - General Terms and Part 2 - Country-unique

Terms. The terms of Part 2 may replace or modify those of Part 1. The warranties

provided by IBM in this Statement of Warranty apply only to Machines you purchase for

your use, and not for resale, from IBM or your reseller. The term "Machine" means an

IBM machine, its features, conversions, upgrades, elements, or accessories, or any

combination of them. The term "Machine" does not include any software programs,

whether pre-loaded with the Machine, installed subsequently or otherwise. Unless IBM

specifies otherwise, the following warranties apply only in the country where you acquire

the Machine. Nothing in this Statement of Warranty affects any statutory rights of

consumers that cannot be waived or limited by contract. If you have any questions, contact

IBM or your reseller.

The IBM Warranty for Machines

Machine - IBM High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card

Warranty period* - 3 Years

* Contact your place of purchase for warranty service information. Some IBM Machines are

eligible for on-site warranty service depending on the country where service is performed.

IBM warrants that each Machine 1) is free from defects in materials and workmanship and

2) conforms to IBM's Official Published Specifications. The warranty period for a

Machine is a specified, fixed period commencing on its Date of Installation. The date on

your sales receipt is the Date of Installation, unless IBM or your reseller informs you

otherwise.

During the warranty period IBM or your reseller, if approved by IBM to provide warranty

service, will provide repair and exchange service for the Machine, without charge, under

D-1

the type of service designated for the Machine and will manage and install engineering

changes that apply to the Machine.

If a Machine does not function as warranted during the warranty period, and IBM or your

reseller are unable to either 1) make it do so or 2) replace it with one that is at least

functionally equivalent, you may return it to your place of purchase and your money will

be refunded. The replacement may not be new, but will be in good working order.

Extent of Warranty

The warranty does not cover the repair or exchange of a Machine resulting from misuse,

accident, modification, unsuitable physical or operating environment, improper

maintenance by you, or failure caused by a product for which IBM is not responsible. The

warranty is voided by removal or alteration of Machine or parts identification labels.

THESE WARRANTIES ARE YOUR EXCLUSIVE WARRANTIES AND

REPLACE ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR

IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED

WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS

FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THESE WARRANTIES GIVE YOU SPECIFIC

LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY

FROM JURISDICTION TO JURISDICTION. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT

ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF EXPRESS OR IMPLIED

WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION MAY NOT

APPLY TO YOU. IN THAT EVENT, SUCH WARRANTIES ARE LIMITED IN

DURATION TO THE WARRANTY PERIOD. NO WARRANTIES APPLY AFTER

THAT PERIOD.

Items Not Covered by Warranty

IBM does not warrant uninterrupted or error-free operation of a Machine.

Unless specified otherwise, IBM provides non-IBM machines WITHOUT

WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.

Any technical or other support provided for a Machine under warranty, such as assistance

via telephone with "how-to" questions and those regarding Machine set-up and

installation, will be provided WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.

Warranty Service

To obtain warranty service for the Machine, contact your reseller or IBM. In the United

States, call IBM at 1-800-565-3344. In Canada, call IBM at 1-800-565-3344. You may be

required to present proof of purchase.

IBM or your reseller provides certain types of repair and exchange service, either at your

location or at a service center, to keep Machines in, or restore them to, conformance with

their Specifications. IBM or your reseller will inform you of the available types of service

for a Machine based on its country of installation. IBM may repair the failing Machine or

exchange it at its discretion.

When warranty service involves the exchange of a Machine or part, the item IBM or your

reseller replaces becomes its property and the replacement becomes yours. You represent

that all removed items are genuine and unaltered. The replacement may not be new, but

will be in good working order and at least functionally equivalent to the item replaced.

The replacement assumes the warranty service status of the replaced item.

D-2 High-Rate Wireless LAN PC Card User’s Guide

Any feature, conversion, or upgrade IBM or your reseller services must be installed on a

Machine which is 1) for certain Machines, the designated, serial-numbered Machine and

2) at an engineering-change level compatible with the feature, conversion, or upgrade.

Many features, conversions, or upgrades involve the removal of parts and their return to

IBM. A part that replaces a removed part will assume the warranty service status of the

removed part.

Before IBM or your reseller exchanges a Machine or part, you agree to remove all

features, parts, options, alterations, and attachments not under warranty service.

You also agree to

1. ensure that the Machine is free of any legal obligations or restrictions that prevent its

exchange;

2. obtain authorization from the owner to have IBM or your reseller service a Machine

that you do not own; and

3. where applicable, before service is provided

a. follow the problem determination, problem analysis, and service request

procedures that IBM or your reseller provides,

b. secure all programs, data, and funds contained in a Machine,

c. provide IBM or your reseller with sufficient, free, and safe access to your

facilities to permit them to fulfill their obligations, and

d. inform IBM or your reseller of changes in a Machine’s location.

IBM is responsible for loss of, or damage to, your Machine while it is 1) in IBM’s

possession or 2) in transit in those cases where IBM is responsible for the transportation

charges.

Neither IBM nor your reseller is responsible for any of your confidential, proprietary or

personal information contained in a Machine which you return to IBM or your reseller for

any reason. You should remove all such information from the Machine prior to its return.

Production Status

Each IBM Machine is manufactured from new parts, or new and used parts. In some cases,

the Machine may not be new and may have been previously installed. Regardless of the

Machine’s production status, IBM’s appropriate warranty terms apply.

Limitation of Liability

Circumstances may arise where, because of a default on IBM’s part or other liability, you

are entitled to recover damages from IBM. In each such instance, regardless of the basis

on which you are entitled to claim damages from IBM (including fundamental breach,

negligence, misrepresentation, or other contract or tort claim), IBM is liable for no more

than

1. damages for bodily injury (including death) and damage to real property and tangible

personal property; and

2. the amount of any other actual direct damages, up to the greater of U.S. $100,000 (or

equivalent in local currency) or the charges (if recurring, 12 months’charges apply)

for the Machine that is the subject of the claim.

This limit also applies to IBM’s suppliers and your reseller. It is the maximum for

which IBM, its suppliers, and your reseller are collectively responsible.

Appendix D. Product warranties and notices D-3

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS IBM LIABLE FOR ANY OF THE

FOLLOWING: 1) THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS AGAINST YOU FOR DAMAGES

(OTHER THAN THOSE UNDER THE FIRST ITEM LISTED ABOVE); 2) LOSS

OF, OR DAMAGE TO, YOUR RECORDS OR DATA; OR 3) SPECIAL,

INCIDENTAL, OR INDIRECT DAMAGES OR FOR ANY ECONOMIC

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS OR SAVINGS),

EVEN IF IBM, ITS SUPPLIERS OR YOUR RESELLER IS INFORMED OF

THEIR POSSIBILITY. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE

EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL

DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY

TO YOU.

IBM Statement of Warranty Worldwide except Canada, Puerto Rico,

Turkey, United States (Part 1 - General Terms)