ASUSTeK Computer WL127 Wireless Lan Card User Manual WL127 p65

ASUSTeK Computer Inc Wireless Lan Card WL127 p65

User Manual

® WL-127Wireless Fidelity CardInstallation GuideFirst EditionJune 2003
2 ASUS WL-127 CardNo part of this documentation, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by thepurchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).ASUS PROVIDES THIS DOCUMENTATION “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESSFOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BELIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FORLOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVENIF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR INTHIS DOCUMENTATION OR PRODUCT.Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modificationof alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.Products and corporate names appearing in this documentation may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of theirrespective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.For documentation updates, visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com.tw.The specifications and information contained in this documentation are furnished for informational use only, and are subject tochange at any time without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ASUS. ASUS assumes no responsibility orliability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this documentation, including the products and the software describedin it.Copyright © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
ASUS WL-127 Card 3WL-127 specifications summary*Standard IEEE 802.11bTechnology Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)Data Transfer Rate 11Mbps (with automatic fallback to 5.5, 2 and 1Mbps)Host Interface ASUS proprietary WL-127 interfaceNetwork Types Supports Infrastructure and Ad Hoc networksFrequency Band 2.4 GHz ~ 2.5 GHzSecurity 64-bit/128-bit configurable WEP encryptionAccess Point Software access point function supports up to 31 terminals(Windows® XP only)Operating Distance Indoors: 100 ft (30 m) @ 11MbpsOutdoors: 1000 ft (300 m) @ 11MbpsSupported OS Windows® 98SE/ME/2000/XPAntenna Stand-alone dipole antenna*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
4 ASUS WL-127 Card2. Package contentsCheck the following items in your ASUS WL-127 package. Contact your retailer if any item isdamaged or missing.ASUS WL-127 cardASUS WL-127 dipole antennaInstallation guideSupport CD1. Welcome!Thank you for buying the ASUS WL-127 Card! The WL-127 card is a wireless networkinterface card for ASUS motherboards with the proprietary Wi-Fi slot. This card conforms tothe IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless local area network (WLAN) assuring you of seamlessintegration to any wireless network. The WL-127 card is sure to keep you ahead in the worldof wireless computing.
ASUS WL-127 Card 53. FeaturesThe WL-127 card is an easy-to-use wireless solution for desktop PCs. Compliant with theIEEE 802.11b standard, the WL-127 card gives you freedom to connect to a wireless networkand the Internet without wires and cables. Employing the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum(DSSS) technology, the WL-127 card is capable of transmitting and receiving signals throughradio waves on the 2.4 GHz band.Check out other WL-127 card advantages.•Reliable data transfer rates of up to 11Mbps with automatic fallback to 5.5, 2, and 1Mbps•Secure data transmission via Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption•Operating distance of up to 100 ft (30 m) indoors and 1000 ft (300m) outdoors•Easy installation and full management software support•Software access point function supports up to 31 terminals (on Windows® XP only)•Supports infrastructure (WL-127 to access point) and ad-hoc (WL-127 to anotherWi-Fi device) network types•Windows® 98SE/ME/2000/XP compatible
6 ASUS WL-127 Card4. Card installationIMPORTANT! Before installing the WL-127 card, make sure that your system meetsthe following requirements.4.1 System requirements•ASUS motherboard with Wi-Fi slot (P4C800/P4C800 Deluxe/P4P800/P4P800 Deluxe/P4P8X/P4S800/P4S800D/P4V800/P4V800D/P4R800-V/A7N8X-E)*•Intel® Pentium™ 4 system•Minimum 64MB system memory•Windows® 98 SE/2000/ME/XP operating system•CD-ROM drive for software and drivers installationNOTE. Visit the ASUS website for an updated list of motherboards with WiFi slot.
ASUS WL-127 Card 74.2 Hardware installationFollow these steps to install the WL-127 card in your system.CAUTION! Before handling the card, touch a bare metal portion of your PC todischarge static electricity from your body. Wear a wrist strap grounded to the PCchassis when handling the card.IMPORTANT! The PCI5 and the Wi-Fi slot may not be used simultaneously oncertain motherboards. Check your motherboard documentation for this limitation.1. Make sure that the PC is turned off. Unplug the power cord from the electrical socket.2. Remove the PC cover.3. Locate the Wi-Fi slot. Refer to your motherboard documentation for the Wi-Fi slotlocation.4. Remove the rear panel bracket opposite the Wi-Fi slot. Keep the screw for later use.5. Carefully insert the card into the Wi-Fi slot. To prevent incorrect orientation, one pin ofthe WL-127 connector is removed to match the covered hole on the Wi-Fi slot.6. Secure the card with the screw that you removed earlier.7. Replace the PC cover and plug in the power cord.
8 ASUS WL-127 Card4.2.2 Antenna PlacementPlace the dipole antenna at an elevated location to maintain quality signal. Avoid placing theantenna under your table or in a close compartment.4.2.1 IndicatorsThe WL-127 card is equipped with a Data Transmission (Green AIR) and Network Link(Yellow LINK) LED indicators. Refer to the table below for LED indications.AIR LINK MeaningFast Blink ON Transmitting/receiving data and connected to the networkON ON No data activity but connected to the networkOFF OFF No power or not connected to the network9. Connect the dipole antenna twist-on connector to the antenna connector (male) of theWL-127 card.8. Turn on the computer.
ASUS WL-127 Card 94.3 Software installationFollow these steps to install the WL-127 card driver and the Control Center Utility.1. Turn on your computer.2. Insert the support CD into the CD-ROM drive.3. Click “Install ASUS WLAN Card Utilities/Driver” when the ASUS WL-127 installationwindow appears.4. Restart your computer after the devicedriver and the Control Center Utility areinstalled.NOTE. If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of thesupport CD and double click the Setup.exe file to run the CD.
10 ASUS WL-127 Card4.3.1 Other support CD contentsThe support CD also contains the following options.Uninstall ASUS WLAN Card Utilities. Click thisoption to uninstall the Control Center Utility fromyour system.Read/Install User Documentation. Click to viewthe installation and quick setup guides in PDFformat.Explore CD-ROM. Click this option to explore thesupport CD contents.Browse our Web Site. Click this option to visitthe ASUS website.Click EXIT to close the installation window.
ASUS WL-127 Card 114.4 Windows® XP Wireless OptionsThe first time that the Control Center Utility islaunched in Windows® XP, it will automatically showthe Wireless Options window. Select “Only useASUS utilities and disable XP wirelessfunction” to avail all WL-127 card features.Click OK.5. Using the Control Center UtilityThe Control Center Utility is a management software that launches applications and activatenetwork location settings. The Control Center Utility starts automatically when the systemboots and displays an icon in the Windows taskbar. The Control Center icon serves asapplication launcher, and indicator of signal quality and Internet connection (see nextsection).
12 ASUS WL-127 CardThe Control Center icon indicates the quality of link to the Access Point and whether or not thesystem is connected to the Internet. Refer to the table below for icon meanings.Infrastructure Network Mode (WL-127 to an Access Point)Excellent link quality and Excellent link quality but notconnected to the Internet connected to the InternetGood link quality and Good link quality but notconnected to the Internet connected to the InternetFair link quality and Fair link quality but notconnected to the Internet connected to the InternetPoor link quality but Poor link quality and notconnected to the Internet connected to the InternetNot linked but connected Not linked and notto the Internet connected to the InternetAd-Hoc Network Mode (WL-127 to other Wi-Fi device)LinkedNot LinkedConnected to the Internet
ASUS WL-127 Card 135.1 Control Center Right-Click MenuRight-clicking the Control Center icondisplays the right-click menu. The followingsections describe the right-click menu items.5.1.1 Wireless SettingsThe Wireless Settings is the main interfacethat allows users to control the ASUS WL-127. Use the Wireless Settings to view theoperational and connection status, or tomodify the WL-127 configuration.The Wireless Settings window is composedof the property window and tabbed propertysheets. Click the icons in the propertywindow to display their tabbed propertysheets.Property IWindowTabbed Property Sheets
14 ASUS WL-127 CardStatus - Status TabThe Status Tab provides general information onthe WL-127 card.Association State. This field displays theconnection status and MAC address of thenetwork where the system is connected.Service Set Identifier (SSID). This field displaysthe SSID of the network which the card isassociated or is intending to join. The SSID is agroup name shared by every member of awireless network. Only client PCs with the sameSSID are allowed to establish a connection.The MAC Address field displays the hardware address of a device connected to a network.The Current Channel field displays the radio channel that the card is currently tuned. Thechannel changes as WL-127 scans the available channels. See page 27 for channel information.The Current Data Rate field displays the data transfer rate between the WL-127 card andthe access point.
ASUS WL-127 Card 15The Radio State field displays the radio communication status. Click the Disable Radiobutton if you wish to disable radio communication with the access point.Rescan button - Click to allow WL-127 to scan available wireless networks and to connect tothe network with the best signal quality.Change SSID button - Click to change the SSID. Clicking this button opens the Config-Basicwindow. See page 17 for details.Search and Connect button - Click to view all wireless networks within the range of yoursystem. Clicking this button opens the Site Survey window. See page 21 for details.Status - Connection TabThe Connection Tab provides real-time informationon connection throughput, frame errors, signalstrength, link quality and overall connection qualityin graph representation.
16 ASUS WL-127 CardStatus - IP Config TabThe IP Config tab displays the current host andethernet adapter configurations. IP Configdisplays TCP/IP information including the IPaddress, subnet mask, default gateway, DNS andWindows Internet Naming Service (WINS)configurations.Use the IP Config Tab to verify your networksettings.IP ButtonsIP Release. Click to release the DHCP IPaddress for the WL-127 card.IP Renew. Click to renew the DHCP IP addressfor the WL-127 card.IP ButtonsNOTE. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allows a computer orcomputers on a network to be automatically assigned a single IP address from aDHCP server.
ASUS WL-127 Card 17Config - Basic TabThe Basic tab provides general information onnetwork types and other configurations.Network Type. Select which type of network youwish to use. Select Infrastructure mode toestablish a connection with an Access Point (AP).In this mode, your system can access wirelessLAN and wired LAN (Ethernet) via the AP. Selectthe Ad Hoc mode to communicate directly withother Wi-Fi devices within the WL-127 operatingrange.Network Name - Displays the network SSID. Thenetwork SSID is a string use to identify a wirelessLAN. Assign different SSIDs to segment the wireless LAN and increase network security. Setthe SSID to a null string to allow your station to connect to any available Access Point. Nullstring may not be used in Ad Hoc mode.Channel. In Infrastructure mode, WL-127 automatically selects the correct frequencychannel. In Ad Hoc mode, select a channel that is allowed for use in your country/region. Seepage 27 for channel information.
18 ASUS WL-127 CardData Rate. Select Fully Auto to allow WiFi-b to adjust to the most suitable connection. Youmay also fix data transfer rates to 11, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps.PS Mode. This field allows control of the WL-127 card power saving features. The CAM(Constantly Awake mode) is recommended for systems running on AC power.Others. Click the WEP or Advanced link to open the Encryption or Advanced property tabsheet.Config - EncryptionTabWireless data transmissions between your WL-127 and the AP are secured using the WiredEquivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption. Check theData encryption (WEP enabled) option to assignthe WEP keys.Check the Network Authentication (Shared Mode)option if you wish to use a network key toauthenticate a preferred wireless network.Unchecking this option allows the network tooperate on an Open System mode.
ASUS WL-127 Card 19Key Format allows you to set a hexadecimal digit or ASCII character WEP key.Key Length allows you to choose a 64-bit or a 128-bit WEP key. A 64-bit encryption contains10 hexadecimal digits or 5 ASCII characters. A 128-bit encryption contains 26 hexadecimaldigits or 13 ASCII characters.NOTE. 64-bit and 40-bit WEP keys use the same encryption method and caninteroperate on wireless networks. This lower level of WEP encryption uses a 40-bit(10 hexadecimal digits assigned by the user) secret key and a 24-bit InitializationVector assign by the WL-127. 104-bit and 128-bit WEPs uses the same encryptionmethod.Two ways to assign WEP keysManual Assignment. For a 64-bit encryption, enter 10 hexadecimal digits (0~9, a~f, A~F) ineach of the four WEP keys.Automatic Generation. Type a combination of up to 64 letters, numbers, or symbols in thePassphrase field. The Wireless Settings Utility uses an algorithm to generate four WEP keysbased on the typed combination.
20 ASUS WL-127 CardConfig - AdvancedThe Advanced tab displays the WL-127 cardadvance settings. It is recommended that you donot make any changes on these settings.NOTE. After assigning the WEP keys, Click APPLY to save and activate theencryption. Manually assigned encryptions are more secured than automaticallygenerated encryptions.
ASUS WL-127 Card 21Site SurveyThe Site Survey tab displays the availablenetworks within the range of the WL-127 card.The following network attributes are displayed:BSSID - The IEEE MAC address of the networkSSID - SSID (service set identifier) of thenetwork.CH - Direct sequence channel used by thenetwork.RSSI - Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)in dBm.Type - wireless network mode. AP indicates anInfrastructure network type. STA indicates anAd Hoc network type.WEP - shows whether a network has an enabled (On) or disabled (Off) WEP encryption.Select an available network and click Connect to establish connection. Click Search torescan available networks.
22 ASUS WL-127 CardAboutClick the About icon to view the software version,driver version, and copyright information.Link StateDisplays the current connection status of the WL-127 card to the AP or to other Wi-Fi device.
ASUS WL-127 Card 235.1.3 Configuring your system as an Access Point (AP)The Control Center Utility can configure your system as soft access point (AP). The WL-127soft AP function can support up to 31 wireless clients. Before configuring your system as softAP, make sure your system meets the following requirements:•Connection to the Internet (cable, DSL, satellite, etc) and wired LAN•Windows® XP operating system5.1.2 Help MenuThe Control Center Utility is equipped with aHelp menu to guide you in using andconfiguring the WL-127 card.Right-click the Control Center icon on thetaskbar, then select Help. Select the Helpmenu you wish to browse.
24 ASUS WL-127 CardSelect SoftAP Mode. Click OK.The Access Point icon replaces the Control Center icon inthe Windows® taskbar.Follow these instructions to configure your system as soft AP.Right-click the Control Center icon on the taskbar, then selectChange Mode in the pop-up menu. A Change Mode windowappears.IMPORTANT. Make sure that the network type of wireless clients is set toInfrastructure mode. Wireless clients must also have the same SSID with the softAP to establish connection.
ASUS WL-127 Card 255.1.4 PreferencesThe Preferences window allows you tocustomize the Control Center Utility settings.5.1.5 About Control CenterThe About Control Center menu displays thesoftware, drivers, and copyright information.
26 ASUS WL-127 Card5.2 Control Center Left-Click MenuLeft-clicking the Control Center icon displays theLeft-Click menu. The options are described below.Wireless Radio On – Turns the WL-127 radio ON.Wireless Radio Off – Turns the WL-127 radio OFF.Search & Connect – View available wireless networks within range.Wireless Option (Windows® XP only) – Sets your Windows® XP wireless networkingenvironment. See page 11 for details.
ASUS WL-127 Card 27Channel Center Channel CenterFrequency Frequency1 2.412 GHz 8 2.447 GHz2 2.417 GHz 9 2.452 GHz3 2.422 GHz 10 2.457 GHz4 2.427 GHz 11 2.462 GHz5 2.432 GHz 12 2.467 GHz6 2.437 GHz 13 2.472 GHz7 2.442 GHz 14 2.484 GHz6. Appendix6.1 ChannelsThe IEEE 802.11b standard for Wireless LAN allocated the 2.4 GHz frequency band into 14overlapping operating channels. Each channel corresponds to a different set of frequencies.The table below shows the center frequencies of each channel.IMPORTANT! If several WL-127 devices are operating in the same vicinity, thedistance between the center frequencies of channels used must be at least 25 MHzto avoid interference.
28 ASUS WL-127 CardNOTE. Channels 1,6 and 11 are independent and do not overlap each other. It isrecommended to tune your WL-127 card to these channels.The number of channels available for the WL-127 varies by country/region. Refer to the tablebelow to determine the number of channels available in your location.Country/Region Available ChannelsUnited States (FCC) and Canada (IC) Channels 1 to 11Europe (ETSI) except Spain and France Channels 1 to 13Spain Channels 10 and 11France Channels 10 to 13Japan (MKK) Channels 1 to 14
ASUS WL-127 Card 296.2 Safety InformationIn order to maintain compliance with the FCC RF exposure guidelines, this equipment shouldbe installed and operated with minimum distance [20cm] between the radiator and your body.Use only with supplied antenna. Unauthorized antenna, modification, or attachments coulddamage the transmitter and may violate FCC regulations.CAUTION! Any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manualcould void your authorization to use this device.MPE StatementYour device contains a low power transmitter. When device is transmitted it sends out RadioFrequency (RF) signal.Caution Statement of the FCC Radio Frequency ExposureThis Wireless LAN radio device has been evaluated under FCC Bulletin OET 65C and foundcompliant to the requirements as set forth in CFR 47 Sections 2.1091, and15.247(b)(4) addressing RF Exposure from radio frequency devices. The radiation outputpower of this Wireless LAN device is far below the FCC radio frequency exposure limits.Nevertheless, this device shall be used in such a manner that the potential for human contactduring normal operation is minimized. Use in a portable or body-worn configuration is strictly prohibited.
30 ASUS WL-127 Cardprohibited. When using this device, a certain separation distance between antenna and nearbypersons has to be kept to ensure RF exposure compliance. In order to comply with the RFexposure limits established in the ANSI C95.1 standards, the distance between the antennasand the user should not be less than [20cm].
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