SparkLAN Communications WL685Z 802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter User Manual
SparkLAN Communications, Inc. 802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter
Manual
WLAN Compact USB Adapter
USER’S GUIDE
VERSION 1.2
2005/01/21
© All rights reserved.
All trade names are registered trademarks of respective manufacturers listed.
This manual may not be copied in any media or form without the written consent of original maker.
Information To User ..................................................…….. i
1. Introduction .........................................................….. 1
2. Wireless LAN Basics ................................................……..3
3. IP ADDRESS ..........................................................……..4
4. Install Driver/Utility ...............................................……..5
5. Wireless Network Configuration ................................……… 7
5.1 General Connection Setting ................................….. 8
5.2 WEP Encryption Key Setting ...............................……. 9
5.3 WPA Encryption Setting ....................................…….10
5.4 Profile ..........................................................…..11
5.5 Advanced Setting ............................................…….12
5.6 System Information .........................................…….13
6. Technical Specifications ...........................................…..14
7. Troubleshooting ....................................................…….15
8. Glossary ..............................................................…..16
INFORMATION TO USER
Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with 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 of the following measures:
* Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
* Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
* Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
* Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved
by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to
operate this equipment.
FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an
uncontrolled environment. End users must follow the specific operating
instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance.
This device and its antenna must not be co-located or operating in conjunction
with any other antenna or transmitter.
Your device contains a low power transmitter. When device is transmitted it
sends out Radio Frequency (RF) signal. Use only with supplied antenna.
Unauthorized antenna, modification, or attachments could damage the
transmitter and may violate FCC regulations.
i
802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter is limited in Ch1~Ch11 by specified
firmware controlled in U.S.A.
REGULATORY INFORMATION
802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter must be installed and used in strict
accordance with the instructions. This device complies with the following radio
frequency and safety standards.
USA - Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Europe- R&TTE Compliance Statement
This equipment complies with all the requirements of DIRECTIVE 1999/5/CE OF
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL of March 9, 1999 on radio
equipment and telecommunication terminal Equipment and the mutual
recognition of their conformity (R&TTE).
For the evaluation regarding this Directive, the following standards were applied:
EN 300 328 V1.2.1
EN 301 489-1 V1.4.1, EN 301 489-17 V1.2.1
EN 60950-1
ii
The channel identifiers, channel center frequencies, and regulatory domains of
each 22-MHz-wide channel are shown in following Table.
Regulatory Domains
Channel
Identifier
Center
Frequency
(MHZ) Japan ETSI
North
America
Israel France Mexico
1 2412 ˇ ˇ ˇ
2 2417 ˇ ˇ ˇ
3 2422 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
4 2427 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
5 2432 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
6 2437 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
7 2442 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
8 2447 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
9 2452 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
10 2457 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
11 2462 ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
12 2467 ˇ ˇ ˇ
13 2472 ˇ ˇ ˇ
14 2484 ˇ
Iii
Thank you for your purchase of the 802.11g WLAN Compact USB
Adapter. Featuring wireless technology, this wireless networking solution has
been designed for both large and small businesses, and it is scalable
so that you can easily add more users and new network features
depending on your business scale.
FEATURES
Support Microsoft Windows 98SE, Me, 2000 and XP.
Operating distance of up to 300 meters in free space.
54/48/36/24/18/12/11/9/6/5.5/2/1 Mbps selectable Data Rate.
Support USB 2.0 interface.
64-bit, 128-bit or 256-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy); WPA
(Wi-Fi Protected Access),WPA2
2.400GHz ~ 2.4835GHz unlicensed ISM Frequency Band.
Modulation Method :
IEEE 802.11b : DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum).
IEEE 802.11g : OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing).
Easy operation and setting up.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows System : Windows 98SE, Me, 2000 or XP.
PCs must have a device driver installed. It allows you to communicate
with 802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter.
1
BEFORE YOU START
1. Confirm Box Contents
CONNECTING YOUR WLAN Compact USB ADAPTER TO PC
Quick Start Guide
Connect your WLAN Compact USB Adapter to your PC.
Install driver.
GETTING TO KNOW WIRELESS LAN USB ADAPTER
LED
LED turns on when POWER is applied to the 802.11g WLAN Compact USB
Adapter.
LED is blinking when PC is sending data through 802.11g WLAN Compact
USB Adapter.
2
Wireless LAN network defined by IEEE 802.11b/g standard committee
could be configured as :
Ad Hoc wireless LAN, or
Infrastructure wireless LAN.
Ad Hoc network is a group of PCs installed with wireless LAN cards, this
group of PCs is called a BSS (Basic Service Set). PCs in this group can use
their wireless LAN cards to communicate with each other, but can not
connect to the Internet.
Ad Hoc Wireless Network Infrastructure Wireless Network
The most obvious difference between Infrastructure wireless network
and Ad Hoc wireless network is that the PCs in Infrastructure wireless
network can access the resource in the Internet through Access Point.
Depending on your requirement, you can easily set up your PC’s
network to be a “Ad Hoc” or “Infrastructure” wireless network. Generally
speaking, if in your network, there is an Access Point in it, we recommend
you to set your network as an “Infrastructure”, so it can connect to
the Internet.
3
To use the 802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter with a computing device, the
802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter must be equipped with an USB 1.1 or 2.0
Interface. All drivers and supporting software for the 802.11g WLAN Compact USB
Adapter must be installed and configured first.
Ask your system administrator for the following information, which you
may need to provide during driver installation :
Your Wireless Client Name.
Your Wireless SSID.
Your computer’s unique client name and workgroup name.
For your network account, your user name and password.
Your IP address, gateway address, and subnet mask if you’re not
using a DHCP server.
Any computer on a network is identified by a unique network address.
There are two methods to assign a network address to a computer on a
TCP/IP network :
Static IP addressing.
Dynamic IP addressing (DHCP).
In network with static IP addressing, the network administrator manually
assigns an IP address to each computer. Once a static IP address is
assigned, a computer uses the same IP address every time it reboots and
logs on to the network. You may manually change the IP address in the
Network Properties dialog box. Network using static IP address is easy to
set up and do not require additional network management software.
In network with dynamic IP addressing, a DHCP server in the network
dynamically assigns IP addresses to all clients every time they log on to
the network. Network using dynamic IP address requires setting up and
running a DHCP Server.
4
The installation & driver CD will automatically activate the autorun
installation program after you insert the disk into your CD drive.
Step 1 :
Insert the installation & driver
DC into your CD-ROM.
Step 2 :
Click Next to continue.
Step 3 :
Click Next to install at the
designated
folder. Or, click “Browse”
to select different folder.
5
Step 4 :
Start copying files until it
finishes the installation.
Step 5 :
Click Finish to complete
installation.
Step 6 :
After finished install driver and utility on your system, plug the 802.11g WLAN
Compact USB Adapter into the USB port of your PC. Windows XP/2000 will
automatically detect the802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter.
6
WLAN USB Adapter uses its own management software. All functions
controlled by users are provided by this application. When you insert the
WLAN USB Adapter into the USB port of your PC, a new icon should
appear in the Windows System Tray automatically.
If the icon is in red, it means that WLAN USB Adapter configuration is
invalid or incomplete. Double click on that icon and the configuration
window will pop up as shown below. It shows the SSID of available
network. Once a network is chosen, the signal strength and link quality
are displayed.
The Link Quality and Signal Strength bar chart is only active when the
node is in Infrastructure Mode. The bar graph displays the quality and
strength of the link between the node and its Access Point. Link Quality
is a measurement of receiving and transmitting performances over the
radio.
Tx/Rx Frame displays the instantaneous wireless Transmit and Receive
throughput in bytes per second. These values are updated every two
seconds.
The Configuration Tool contains
several fields where operating
parameters of the driver can be
viewed or changed. Changes to
any of the parameters in this
panel can be applied to the driver
without a need to restart the
computer.
Current Network Information
displays the current network
configuration. If you want to
change network configuration, click “More Setting”.
7
5.1 GENERAL CONNECTION SETTING
In this panel, you can modify the
general network connection setting,
enable/disable the WEP, load/
modify profile and other setting.
Through this control panel, you will
be able to access the corporate
wireless LAN or hot spots such as
hotel, airport, and conference hall.
Click “Change” to start input of
settings. The settings include :
SSID.
Network Type.
Transmit Rate.
Encryption.
Authentication Mode.
When settings are input, click
“Apply” to confirm changes of
them.
8
5.2 WEP ENCRYPTION KEY SETTING
You may want an additional measure
of security on your wireless
network, which can be achieved by
using WEP (Wired Equivalent
Privacy) encryption. WEP encrypts
each frame transmitted from the
radio using one of the Keys entered
in this panel.
When an encrypted frame is received
it will only be accepted if it
decrypts correctly. This will only
happen if the receiver has the same
WEP Key used by the transmitter.
The default state in Encryption Setting is WEP disabled. Check “Enable
WEP” to enable the encryption.
For more WEP key setting, Click
“WEP Encryption Key Setting”.
Three authentication modes are
available: Open System, Shared Key
and Auto. The Open System uses
default key to authenticate the
station and Access Point. Once both
parties are authenticated, the
station is allowed to send and receive
data from the network.
However, the data are not encrypted.
In Shared Key system, the station and Access Point are authenticated
each other. The data frame is also encrypted by the WEP key.
In Auto Mode, the Access Point takes control of network security setting
and station will follow the setting required from AP.
Click the “close box” at the upper right hand corner to return to Configuration
Tool.
9
5.3 WPA ENCRYPTION SETTING
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is a
security technology for wireless
networks. WPA improves on the
authentication and encryption features
of WEP (Wired Equivalent
Privacy).
To improve data encryption, WPA
utilizes its Temporal Key Integrity
Protocol (TKIP). TKIP provides important
data encryption enhancements
including a per-packet key
mixing function, a message integrity
check (MIC, named Michael), an
extended initialization vector (IV)
with sequencing rules, and a rekeying
mechanism.
WPA Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK) is a
simplified but still powerful form of
WPA most suitable for home Wi-Fi
networking. To use WPA-PSK, a
person sets a static key or
“passphrase” as with WEP. But,
using TKIP, WPA-PSK automatically
changes the keys at a preset time
interval, making it much more
difficult for hackers to find and
exploit them.
The pre-shared key is consisting of
alpha-numeric characters including
punctuation and spaces between 8
and 63 characters long.Wireless
clients are only required to enter
the pre-shared key.If the pre-shared keys match, secure wireless
communications can begin to take place.
For more WPA setting, Click “WPA Encryption Setting”
10
5.4 PROFILE
Each profile represents specific settings of the WLAN USB adapter. You can set
the settings for each profile. Next time when you want to change the
WLAN USB adapter settings, you can just select the profile you want to use.
11
5.5 ADVANCED SETTING
Click “Advanced Setting” to select power consumption setting that has 3
different modes. In this panel, you can select different user interface
and country roaming.
It also allows you to set the threshold of fragmentation and RTS/CTS.
12
5.6 SYSTEM INFORMATION
Click “Information” and the pop-up window will show the Driver Version,
Utility Version, MAC address of this USB adapter and so on.
13
Product Name 802.11g WLAN Compact USB Adapter
Standard IEEE802.11b/g
Frequency Band 2.400GHz ~ 2.4835GHz unlicensed ISM
band
802.11b : QPSK/BPSK/CCK
Modulation method 802.11g : OFDM
Data Rate 54/48/36/24/18/12/11/9/6/5.5/2/1Mbps
Ad hoc
Operation mode Infrastructure (Access Points is needed)
Transmitter Output Power < 13.5 dBm
Operating at 11Mbps: @ –80dBm
Receive Sensitivity Operating at 54Mbps: @ –70dBm
Operating Range 30 to 200 m, depending on surrounding
environment
Antenna Chip antenna
Security
64-bit, 128-bit or 256-bit WEP (Wired
Equivalent Privacy); WPA (Wi-Fi Protected
Access), WPA2
I/O Interface USB 2.0/1.1
LED Link/Active
Operating system supported Windows 98Se, Me, 2000 and XP
Management Windows-based configuration utility and
status monitoring
Regulation FCC for North America
CE/ETSI for European
Dimension 92(L) x 30(W) x 13(H) mm
Weight 12 g
Operating Temperature 0 ~ 50 ℃
Storage Temperature -20 ~ 70 ℃
Humidity 5 ~ 90% (non-condensing)
14
Symptom :
The LED is off.
Remedy :
Make sure the PC Card is inserted properly. Otherwise contact your vendor.
Symptom :
The LED is always on not blinking.
Remedy :
Make sure that you have installed the driver from attached CD. Otherwise
contact your vendor.
Symptom :
The LED is blinking but the PC Card icon does not appear in your icon tray.
Remedy :
Make sure that you have installed the Utility from the attached CD.
Symptom :
The PC Card is linking, but can’t share files with others.
Remedy :
Make sure the file and printer sharing function is enabled. You can
enable the function by checking the icon of My Computer -> Control
Panel -> Network -> file and printer sharing -> I want to be able to give
others to access to my files.
Symptom :
Slow or poor performance.
Remedy :
Try to select another channel for the communicating group or move your
device closer to the Access Point.
15
IEEE 802.11 Standard
The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standards subcommittee, which is formulating
a standard for the industry.
Access Point
An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless
networks together.
Ad Hoc
An Ad Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers, each with a WLAN
adapter, connected as an independent wireless LAN. Ad Hoc wireless LAN
is applicable at a departmental scale for a branch or SOHO operation.
BSSID
A specific Ad Hoc LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Computers in a
BSS must be configured with the same BSSID.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - a method in which IP addresses are
assigned by server dynamically to clients on the network. DHCP is used for
Dynamic IP Addressing and requires a dedicated DHCP server on the
network.
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
This is the method the wireless cards use to transmit data over the frequency
spectrum. The other method is frequency hopping. Direct sequence
spreads the data over one frequency range (channel) while frequency
hopping jumps from one narrow frequency band to another many
times per second.
ESSID
An Infrastructure configuration could also support roaming capability for
mobile workers. More than one BSS can be configured as an Extended
Service Set (ESS). Users within an ESS could roam freely between BSSs
while served as a continuous connection to the network wireless stations
and Access Points within an ESS must be configured with the same ESSID
and the same radio channel.
16
Ethernet
Ethernet is a 10/100Mbps network that runs over dedicated home/office
wiring. Users must be wired to the network at all times to gain access.
Gateway
A gateway is a hardware and software device that connects two dissimilar
systems, such as a LAN and a mainframe. In Internet terminology, a gateway
is another name for a router. Generally a gateway is used as a funnel
for all traffic to the Internet.
IEEE
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Infrastructure
An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an Infrastructure
configuration. Infrastructure is applicable to enterprise scale for wireless
access to central database, or wireless application for mobile workers.
ISM Band
The FCC and their counterparts outside of the U.S. have set aside bandwidth
for unlicensed use in the so-called ISM (Industrial, Scientific and
Medical) band. Spectrum in the vicinity of 2.4 GHz, in particular, is being
made available worldwide. This presents a truly revolutionary opportunity
to place convenient high-speed wireless capabilities in the hands of users
around the globe.
Local Area Network (LAN)
A LAN is a group of computers, each equipped with the appropriate network
adapter card connected by cable/air, that share applications, data,
and peripherals. All connections are made via cable or wireless media,
but a LAN does not use telephone services. It typically spans a single
building or campus.
Network
A network is a system of computers that is connected. Data, files, and
messages can be transmitted over this network. Networks may be local or
wide area networks.
17
Protocol
A protocol is a standardized set of rules that specify how a conversation
is to take place, including the format, timing, sequencing and/ or error
checking.
Roaming
In an infrastructure network, this is when a wireless PC moves out of
range of the previously connected access point and connects to a newly
connected access point. Throughout the network environment where
access point is deployed, PCs can always be connected regardless of
where they are located or roam.
SSID
A Network ID unique to a network. Only clients and Access Points that
share the same SSID are able to communicate with each other. This string
is case-sensitive.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
Simple Network Management Protocol is the network management protocol
of TCP/IP. In SNMP, agents-which can be hardware as well as software-
monitor the activity in the various devices on the network and
report to the network console workstation. Control information about
each device is maintained in a structure known as a management information
block.
Static IP Addressing
A method of assigning IP addresses to clients on the network. In networks
with Static IP address, the network administrator manually assigns an IP
address to each computer. Once a Static IP address is assigned, a computer
uses the same IP address every time it reboots and logs on to the
network, unless it is manually changed.
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
The Temporal Key Integrity Protocol, pronounced tee-kip, is part of the
IEEE 802.11i encryption standard for wireless LANs. TKIP is the next
generation of WEP, the Wired Equivalency Protocol, which is used to
secure 802.11 wireless LANs. TKIP provides per-packet key mixing, a
message integrity check and a re-keying mechanism, thus fixing the
flaws of WEP.
18
Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
TCP/IP is the protocol suite developed by the Advanced Research
Projects Agency (ARPA). It is widely used in corporate Internet works,
because of its superior design for WANs. TCP governs how packet is
sequenced for transmission the network. The term “TCP/IP” is often
used generically to refer to the entire suite of related protocols.
Transmit / Receive
The wireless throughput in Bytes per second averaged over two seconds.
Wi-Fi Alliance
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a nonprofit international association formed in 1999
to certify interoperability of wireless Local Area Network products based
on IEEE 802.11 specification. The goal of the Wi-Fi Alliance’s members is
to enhance the user experience through product interoperability. The
organization is formerly known as WECA.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
The Wi-Fi Alliance put together WPA as a data encryption method for
802.11 wireless LANs. WPA is an industry-supported, pre-standard version
of 802.11i utilizing the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP),
which fixes the problems of WEP, including using dynamic keys.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
A WAN consists of multiple LANs that are tied together via telephone
services and / or fiber optic cabling. WANs may span a city, a state, a
country, or even the world.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
Now widely recognized as flawed, WEP was a data encryption method
used to protect the transmission between 802.11 wireless clients and
APs. However, it used the same key among all communicating devices.
WEP’s problems are well-known, including an insufficient key length and
no automated method for distributing the keys. WEP can be easily
cracked in a couple of hours with off-the-shelf tools.
19
Wireless LAN (WLAN)
A wireless LAN does not use cable to transmit signals, but rather uses
radio or infrared to transmit packets through the air. Radio Frequency
(RF) and infrared are the commonly used types of wireless transmission.
Most wireless LANs use spread spectrum technology. It offers limited
bandwidth, usually under 11Mbps, and users share the bandwidth with
other devices in the spectrum; however, users can operate a spread
spectrum device without licensing from the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
20
One Year Limited Warranty
This device is guaranteed against manufacturing defects for one full year
from the original date of purchase.
This warranty is valid at the time of purchase and is non-transferable.
This warranty must be presented to the service facility before any repair can
be made.
Sales slip or other authentic evidence is required to validate warranty.
Damage caused by accident, misuse, abuse, improper storage, and/or
uncertified repairs is not covered by this warranty.
All mail or transportation costs including insurance are at the expense
of the owner.
Do not send any product to service center for warranty without a RMA
(Return Merchandise Authorization) and proof of purchase. Ensure a
trackable method of delivery is used (keep tracking number).
Warranty is valid only in the country of purchase.
We assumes no liability that may result directly or indirectly from the use or
misuse of these products.
IMPORTANT
" This warranty will be voided if the device is tampered with, improperly
serviced, or the security seals are broken or removed"
21