Cisco Linksys WPC12 WLAN Cardbus Card User Manual wpc11 ver3 0 user guide

Cisco-Linksys, LLC WLAN Cardbus Card wpc11 ver3 0 user guide

Contents

Manual Part 2

2• One Instant WirelessTM Network PC Card ver. 3.0• One Setup Utility CD-R OM (User Guide on CD)• Quick Installation insert and R egistration Card (not shown)• A 16-bit PCMCIA T ype II or T ype III slot• PCMCIA revisions 2.10 compliant card and socket services• Windows 95, 98, Millennium, NT, 2000, or X P • 600 K bytes of free disk space for utility and driver installationP a c k a g e C o nt e n tsS y s te m R e qu ire m e nt s Instant WirelessTMSeries1Chapter 1: IntroductionPut the “mobile” back into mobile computing! Whether you’ re at your desk orin the boardroom, the Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card allows you to shareprinters, files, and other resources anywhere within your L A N infrastructure,increasing your productivity and keeping you “in touch.” The Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card now has a new, higher-poweredantenna that provides a greater range than ever. The increased sensitivity helpsfilter out interference and “noise” to keep your signal clear. Improved errorcorrection in the chipset keeps you operating at higher transmission rates forlonger distances. And, since you only need one T ype II or III PCMCIA slot,you’ re free to use your other slots for additional accessories.R eady to run in Type I I or III PCMCIA -equipped notebook PCs runningWindows 95, 98, Millennium, NT, 2000, and X P, the Instant Wireless™Network PC Card ver. 3.0 is truly a “must-have” for all notebook PC users.•11 Mbps High-Speed Data T ransfer R ate•Compatible with V irtually All Major Network Operating Systems•Plug-and-Play Operation Provides Easy Setup•Integrated E qualizer R ecovers Weak Signals and E nhances Sensitivity•Sturdy Metal Design with Integrated A ntenna•Works with A ll Standard Internet A pplications•Interoperable with IE EE 802.11b (DSSS) 2.4GHz-Compliant E quipment•Clear Channel Assessment Increases Network Throughput•Hardware B uffer Chaining Provides High Performance W hile R eading andWriting B uffers•Capable of up to 128-B it WE P•Free T echnical Support—24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week for North A mericaOnly•1-Year L imited WarrantyF e a t u r e sT he I n s t a nt W ir e le s s T M N e tw or k P C C a r d v e r . 3 . 0Network PC Card Figure 1-1
43Chapter 3: Installing the Driversand Configuration Utility forWindows 95, 98, ME, and 2000Your new Linksys Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card ver. 3.0 comes with anautomated software installation procedure for Windows 95, 98, Millennium,and 2000. Windows NT or XP users should refer to the next section. Thisnew procedure automatically installs the drivers and Configuration Utilitybefore you insert the Card into your PC, so there’s no searching for the locationof drivers. Again, this step is taken before inserting the Card into your PC. 1. Before installing yourcard, insert the SetupUtility CD into yourCD-ROM drive. Unlessyou have deactivated theauto-run feature ofWindows, the screenshown in Figure 2-1should appear automati-cally. If this screen does not appear automatically, you can access the installationby clicking the Start button and choosing Run. In the drop-down box pro-vided, type D:\setup.exe (where D: is the letter of your CD-ROM drive).Alternately, double-click My Computer and double-click the CD-ROMdrive where the Setup Utility CD is located. Double-click the Setup.exe iconin the folder that appears.Before You StartRunning the Auto Driver InstallationNetwork PC Card Chapter 2: Planning Your WirelessNetworkAwireless LAN is exactly like a regular LAN, except that each computer in theLAN uses an Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card ver. 3.0 to connect to thenetwork through a wireless connection. Computers in a wireless LAN must beconfigured to share the same radio channel.The Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card ver. 3.0 provides LAN access forwireless workstations. An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called anInfrastructure configuration. A group of Instant Wireless™ Network PC Cardver. 3.0 users and an Access Point compose a Basic Service Set (BSS). EachPC equipped with an Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card ver. 3.0 in a BSS cantalk to any computer in a wired LAN infrastructure via the Access Point.An infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of an InstantWireless™ Network PC Card ver. 3.0 PC to a wired LAN, and doubles theeffective wireless transmission range for two PCs equipped with an InstantWireless™ Network PC Card ver. 3.0. Since the Access Point is able to for-ward data within its BSS, the effective transmission range in an infrastructureLAN is doubled.Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users. Morethan one BSS can be configured as an Extended Service Set (ESS). This con-tinuous network allows users to roam freely within an ESS. All PCs, equippedwith an Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card ver. 3.0, within one ESS must beconfigured with the same ESS ID.Before enabling an ESS with roaming capability, selecting a feasible radiochannel and optimum Access Point position is recommended. Proper AccessPoint positioning combined with a clear radio signal will greatly enhance per-formance.RoamingNetwork TopologyFigure 2-1Instant WirelessTMSeries

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