TP Link Technologies WN51XGV2 54M Wireless Cardbus Adapter User Manual
TP-Link Technologies Co., Ltd. 54M Wireless Cardbus Adapter
User Manual
COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS
Specifications are subject to change without notice. is a registered
trademark of TP-LINK Technologies Co., Ltd. Other brands and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
No part of the specifications may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to
make any derivative such as translation, transformation, or adaptation without permission
from TP-LINK Technologies Co., Ltd. Copyright © 2006 TP-LINK Technologies Co., Ltd.
All rights reserved.
FCC 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 or more of the following
measures:
¾ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
¾ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
¾ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
¾ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference.
(2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement:
This equipment complies with FCC RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an
uncontrolled environment. This device and its antenna must not be co-located or
operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
“To comply with FCC RF exposure compliance requirements, the antenna used for this
transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 20 cm from all
persons and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or
transmitter”.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement (TL-WN510G) :
This device has been tested for compliance with FCC RF Exposure
(SAR) limits in the typical laptop computer configuration and this device can be
used in substantially similar laptop computers with side mounted PCMCIA slots. This
device cannot be used with handheld PDAs (personal digital assistants) or other portable
host devices. This device and its antenna must not be co-located or operated in
conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
CE Declaration of Conformity
For the following equipment: TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G
Is herewith confirmed to comply with the requirements set out in the Council Directive on
the Approximation of the Laws of the Member States relating to Electromagnetic
Compatibility (89/336/EEC), Low-voltage Directive (73/23/EEC) and the Amendment
Directive (93/68/EEC), the procedures given in European Council Directive 99/5/EC and
89/3360EEC.
The equipment was passed. The test was performed according to the following European
standards:
¾ EN 300 328 V.1.4.1 (2003)
¾ EN 301 489-1 V.1.4.1 (2002) / EN 301 489-17 V.1.2.1 (2002)
¾ EN 60950-1: 2001
European standards dictate maximum radiated transmit power of 100mW EIRP and
frequency range 2.400-2.4835GHz; In France, the equipment must be restricted to the
2.4465-2.4835GHz frequency range and must be restricted to indoor use.
Package Contents............................................................................................................. 1
Chapter 1: Introduction...................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Overview of the product ....................................................................................... 2
1.2 Features............................................................................................................... 2
1.3 LED Status........................................................................................................... 3
1.3.1 TL-WN510G LED Indications..................................................................... 3
1.3.2 TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G LED Indications................................................ 3
Chapter 2: Installation Guide............................................................................................. 4
2.1 Hardware Installation ........................................................................................... 4
2.1.1 TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G Hardware Installation ....................................... 4
2.1.2 TL-WN510G Hardware Installation ............................................................ 4
2.2 Software Installation............................................................................................. 4
2.2.1 Overview.................................................................................................... 4
2.2.2 Software Installation for Windows 2000 ..................................................... 4
Chapter 3: Configuration................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Current Status...................................................................................................... 9
3.2 Profile Management............................................................................................11
3.2.1 Add or Modify a Configuration Profile........................................................11
3.2.2 Remove a profile...................................................................................... 14
3.2.3 Switch another Profile.............................................................................. 14
3.2.4 Import a Profile ........................................................................................ 14
3.2.5 Export a Profile ........................................................................................ 15
3.2.6 Scan Available Networks ......................................................................... 15
3.2.7 Auto Profile Selection Management......................................................... 16
3.3 Diagnostics ........................................................................................................ 17
3.3.1 Check Driver Information ......................................................................... 17
3.3.2 Check Receive and Transmit Statistical Information ................................ 18
Appendix A: Specifications.............................................................................................. 19
Appendix B: Glossary...................................................................................................... 20
Appendix C: Contact Information .................................................................................... 22
TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G 54M Wireless Adapter User Guide
Package Contents
The following contents should be found in your box:
¾ One TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G Wireless Adapter
¾ Quick Installation Guide
¾ One Resource CD for TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G, including:
• TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility (TWCU) and Drivers
• User Guide
• Other Helpful Information
Note: If any of the listed contents are damaged or missing, please contact the retailer
from whom you purchased the TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G Wireless Adapter
for assistance.
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TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G 54M Wireless Adapter User Guide
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Overview of the product
The TP-LINK 54M Wireless Adapter TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G gives you the
flexibility to install your PC or notebook PC in the most convenient location available,
without the cost of running network cables.
The adapter's auto-sensing capability allows high packet transfer rate of up to 54Mbps for
maximum throughput, or dynamic range shifting to lower speeds due to distance or
operating limitations in an environment with a lot of electromagnetic interference. It can
also interoperate with all 11Mbps wireless (802.11b) products. Your wireless
communications are protected by up to 152-bit WEP and WPA encryption for high security.
It adopts 2x to 3x eXtended RangeTM WLAN transmission technology so that
transmission distance is 2-3 times of traditional 11g/b solutions, up to 855.36m tested in
China. Transmission range is extended to 4-9 times.
1.2 Features
¾ Complies with IEEE802.11g, IEEE802.11b standards
¾ Adopts 2x to 3x eXtended RangeTM wireless LAN transmission technology
¾ Supports WPA/WPA2 data security, IEEE802.1x authentication, TKIP/AES encryption,
64/128/152-bit WEP encryption
¾ Supports 54/48/36/24/18/12/9/6Mbps or 11/5.5/3/2/1Mbps wireless LAN data transfer
rates
¾ Provides 32-bit PCI interface (TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G) or 32-bit CardBus interface
(TL-WN510G)
¾ Supports Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure modes
¾ Supports roaming between access points when configured in Infrastructure mode
¾ Ease to configure and provides monitoring information
¾ Supports Windows 98Se, Me, 2000, XP
¾ Internal Antenna (TL-WN510G)
¾ Detachable reverse SMA connector antenna (TL-WN551G)
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1.3 LED Status
1.3.1 TL-WN510G LED Indications
LED Indications Status Working Status
Status Green Intermittently
Activity Green Not lit The adapter is in an electricity saving status.
Status Green Lit
Activity Green Not lit The adapter is on wake up status.
Status Green Flashing
Alternately
Activity Green Flashing
Alternately
The adapter is trying to scan a networking
connection.
Status Green Intermittently
Activity Green Intermittently
The adapter is already connected but is not
transmitting or receiving data.
Status Green Flashing
Activity Green Flashing The adapter is transmitting or receiving data.
1.3.2 TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G LED Indications
LED Indications Status Working Status
Status Green Intermittently
The adapter is in an electricity saving status or
the adapter is already connected but is not
transmitting or receiving data.
Status Green Lit The adapter is on wake up status.
Status Green Flashing The adapter is transmitting and receiving data.
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Chapter 2: Installation Guide
2.1 Hardware Installation
2.1.1 TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G Hardware Installation
To install the adapter, follow these steps listed below:
1. Turn off your desktop PC and disconnect the power.
2. Open your PC case and locate an available PCI slot on the motherboard. Remove
the metal slot cover on the back of the PC. Check with your computer manufacturer
for instructions if needed.
3. Slide the PCI Adapter into the PCI slot. Make sure that all of its pins are touching the
slot's contacts. Once the adapter is firmly in place, secure its fastening tab to your
PC's chassis with a mounting screw. Then, close your PC case.
4. Reconnect your PC’s power and turn on your desktop PC.
2.1.2 TL-WN510G Hardware Installation
To install the adapter, follow these steps listed below:
1. Locate an available CardBus slot on your laptop.
2. With the connector pin end facing the CardBus slot and the label facing up, slide the
Adapter into the CardBus slot until it locks in place.
3. The Status LED should Intermittent flashing when the Adapter is installed correctly.
2.2 Software Installation
2.2.1 Overview
The Adapter’s Setup Wizard will guide you through the Installation procedure for Windows
98Se, Me, 2000, XP. The Setup Wizard will install the TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility
(TWCU) and drivers.
When you install the hardware before installing the software, the system will prompt
“Found New Hardware Wizard”, click Cancel, and run the Setup Wizard program on the
CD-ROM.
The Setup steps for Windows 98Se, Me, 2000 and XP are very similar. The following
setup steps are for Windows 2000.
2.2.2 Software Installation for Windows 2000
1. Insert the Resource CD into your CD-ROM drive, click Start and choose Run. In the
field that appears, enter F:\XXX\Setup.exe (if “F” is the letter of your CD-ROM drive;
XXX is the setup program path, which is labeled on the Resource CD), figure 2-1
should then appear.
2. You can click Cancel to end the installation on the Preparing Setup screen, figure 2-1.
Otherwise, the Setup Wizard will display a screen similar to that shown in figure 2-2
after a moment.
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Figure 2-1 TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility – Install Shield Wizard
3. To continue, click Next on the screen, figure 2-2. Click Cancel to end the Installation.
Figure 2-2 TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility Installation Program
4. The Setup Wizard will ask you to choose a Setup type in figure 2-3. It is
recommended that you select Install Client Utilities and Driver. Select Install
Driver Only to install driver only, select Make Driver Installation Diskette(s) to
make the diskette(s) as the installation driver. Select Install Client Utilities and
Driver and click Next to continue the Installation. Click Back to return to the previous
page, or click Cancel to end the Installation.
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Figure 2-3 Select the setup type.
5. Figure 2-4 should appear. Click Yes to continue the Installation, or click No to end the
Installation.
Figure 2-4 Question
6. Click Browse to change the destination location for the software in figure 2-5. Click
Next to continue the Installation. Click Back to return to the previous page, or click
Cancel to end the Installation.
Figure 2-5 Choose Destination Location
7. The Setup Wizard will ask you to create a new folder name or select one from the
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TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G 54M Wireless Adapter User Guide
Existing Folders list shown in figure 2-6. It is recommended that you keep the
default value. Click Next to continue the Installation. Click Back to return to the
previous page, or click Cancel to end the Installation.
Figure 2-6 Select a Program Folder
8. The Setup Wizard will notify you of how to proceed with the installation, shown in
figure 2-7. Click OK to continue the Installation.
Figure 2-7 Information prompt
9. While files are copying, you will see a warning box, shown in figure 2-8. Please select
YES to continue installation. Our drivers have been tested thoroughly, and are able to
work with the operating system.
Figure 2-8 Widows 2000 Warning Box
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Note: In Windows XP, the warning box is similar to that shown figure 2-8a, Please
select Continue Anyway to continue installation.
Figure 2-8a Windows XP Warning Box
10. After the files have been successfully copied, the screen in figure 2-9 will appear.
Click OK to reboot the system.
Figure 2-9 Finish
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Chapter 3: Configuration
TP-LINK Wireless Adapter TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G can be configured by
TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility (TWCU). This chapter describes how to configure your
TP-LINK Wireless Adapter for wireless connectivity on your Wireless Local Area Network
(WLAN) and use the data security encryption features.
After Installing the Adapter, the Adapter’s tray icon will appear in your system tray. It
appears at the bottom of the screen, and shows the signal strength using color and the
received signal strength indication (RSSI).
If the icon is gray, there is no connection.
If the icon is red, there is poor signal strength and the RSSI is less than 5dB.
If the icon is yellow, there is poor signal strength and the RSSI is between 5dB and
10dB.
If the icon is green, there is good signal strength and the RSSI is between 10dB
and 20dB.
If the icon is green, there is excellent signal strength and the RSSI is more than
20dB.
Double-click the icon and the TWCU utility will run. You can also run the utility by clicking
the Start>Program>TP-LINK>TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility. The TWCU utility provides a
complete and easy to use set of tools to:
¾ Display current status information
¾ Edit and add configuration profiles
¾ Display current diagnostics information
The section below introduces these above capabilities.
3.1 Current Status
The Current Status tab contains general information about the program and its operations.
The Current Status tab does not require any configurations.
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Figure 3-1 Current Status
The following table describes the items found on the Current Status screen.
¾ Profile Name - The name of current selected configuration profile. Set up the
configuration name on the General tab of Profile Management.
¾ Link Status - Shows whether the station is associated to the wireless network.
¾ Wireless Mode - Displays the wireless mode. Configure the wireless mode on the
Advanced tab of Profile Management.
¾ Network Type - The type of network and the station currently connected. The options
include:
• Infrastructure (access point)
• Ad Hoc
Configure the network type on the Advanced tab of Profile Management.
¾ IP Address - Displays the computer’s IP address.
¾ Current Channel - Shows the currently connected channel.
¾ Data Encryption - Displays the encryption type the driver is using. Configure the
encryption type on the Security tab of Profile Management.
¾ Server Based Authentication - Shows whether server based authentication is used.
¾ Signal Strength - Shows the strength of the signal.
Note: In the TWCU utility, access the General tab, Security tab and Advanced tab by
clicking New or Modify on the Profile Management tab.
Click Advanced to see advanced information about the program and its operations. For
more information, please refer to the help file of the utility.
Figure 3-2 Advance Status
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3.2 Profile Management
Click the Profile Management tab of the TWCU Utility and the Profile Management screen
will appear, figure 3-3. The Profile Management screen provides tools to:
¾ Add a profile
¾ Edit a profile
¾ Remove a profile
¾ Switch to another Profile
¾ Import a Profile
¾ Export a Profile
¾ Scan Available Networks
¾ Order profiles
Figure 3-3 Profile Management tab
3.2.1 Add or Modify a Configuration Profile
To add a new configuration profile, click New on the Profile Management tab. To modify a
configuration profile, select the configuration from the Profile list and click Modify.
The Profile Management dialog box will display a screen similar to that shown in Figure
3-4.
1. Edit the General tab
¾ Profile Name - Identifies the configuration profile. This name must be unique. Profile
names are not case-sensitive.
¾ Client Name - Identifies the client machine.
¾ Network Names (SSIDs) - The IEEE 802.11 wireless network name. This field has a
maximum limit of 32 characters.
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Figure 3-4 General Tab of Profile Management
2. Edit the Security tab
Edit the fields in the Security tab of Profile Management to configure the profile. To define
the security mode, select the radio button of the desired security mode.
¾ WPA/WPA2: Wi-Fi Protected Access
¾ WPA/WPA2 Passphrase: Wi-Fi Protected Access Passphrase
¾ 802.1x: Enables 802.1x security.
¾ Shared Key (Static WEP): Enables the use of shared keys that are defined on both
the access point and the station. To define shared encryption keys, choose the
Shared Key radio button and click Configure to fill in the Define Shared Keys
window.
None: No security (not recommended).
Note: If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to
Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that Allow Association to Mixed
Cells is checked on the Security Tab to allow association. To complete WEP encryption
configuration, you must select the 802.11 Authentication Mode as appropriate on the
Advanced tab of this Profile Management dialog.
Figure 3-5 Security tab of Profile Management
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Figure 3-6 Define Shared Keys
3. Edit the Advanced tab
¾ Power Save Mode -
• Maximum - Selects maximum mode to let the access point buffer incoming
messages for the wireless adapter. The adapter will detect the access point if
any messages are waiting periodically.
• Normal - In Normal mode, the adapter will be switched to maximum mode
automatically when no large packets are retrieved.
• Off - turns power saving off, thus powering up the wireless adapter continuously
for a short message response time.
¾ 802.11b Preamble: Specifies the preamble setting in 802.11b. The default setting is
Short & Long (access point mode), which allows both short and long headers in the
802.11b frames. The adapter can only use short radio headers if the access point
supports and uses them. Set to Long Only to override allowing short frames.
¾ Wireless Mode: Specifies 2.4 GHz 54 Mbps or 2.4 GHz 11 Mbps operation in an
access point network. The wireless adapter must match the wireless mode of the
access point with which it associates.
¾ Wireless Mode when Starting an Ad Hoc Network: Specifies 2.4 GHz 54/11 Mbps
to start an Ad Hoc network if no matching network name is found after scanning all
available modes. This mode also allows the selection of the channel the wireless
adapter uses. The channels available depend on the regulatory domain. If the
adapter finds no other ad hoc adapters, the channel that the adapter starts the ad hoc
network with will be selected automatically. The wireless adapter must match the
wireless mode and channel of the clients it associates.
¾ 802.11 Authentication Mode: Select which mode the wireless adapter uses to
authenticate to an access point:
• Automatic causes the adapter to attempt authentication using shared, but
switches it to open authentication if shared fails.
• Open System enables an adapter to attempt authentication regardless of its
WEP settings. It will only associate with the access point if the W EP keys on
both the adapter and the access point match.
• Shared-key only allows the adapter to associate with access points that have
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the same WEP key.
For infrastructure (access point) networks, click Preferred APs… to specify up to four
access points to the client adapter that attempts to be associated to the access points.
Figure 3-7 Advanced tab of Profile Management
3.2.2 Remove a profile
1. Go to the Profile Management tab.
2. Select the profile name to remove in the Profiles List.
3. Click Remove.
3.2.3 Switch another Profile
1. Go to the Profile Management tab.
2. Click on the profile name in the Profiles List.
3. Click Activate.
3.2.4 Import a Profile
1. From the Profile Management tab, click Import…. The Import Profile will then appear.
2. Browse to the directory where the profile is located.
3. Highlight the profile name.
4. Click Open, the imported profile will then appear in the Profiles List.
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Figure 3-8 Import Profile Dialog
3.2.5 Export a Profile
1. From the Profile Management tab, highlight the profile to export.
2. Click Export…, the Export Profile window will then appear.
3. Browse the directory to export the profile to.
4. Click Save. The profile should then be exported to the specified location.
Figure 3-9 Export Profile Dialog
3.2.6 Scan Available Networks
1. Click Scan on the Profile Management, the Available Infrastructure and Ad Hoc
Networks window will appear.
2. Click Refresh to refresh the list at any time.
3. Highlight a network name and click Activate to connect an available network. If no
configuration profile exists for that network, the Profile Management window will open
the General tab. Fill in the Profile name and click OK to create the configuration
profile for that network.
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Figure 3-10 Scan Available Networks Dialog
3.2.7 Auto Profile Selection Management
The auto selection feature allows the wireless adapter to automatically select a profile
from the list of profiles and use it to connect to the network. To add a new profile into the
Auto Selected Profiles list, please follow these steps.
1. On the Profile Management tab, click Order Profiles….
2. The Auto Profiles Selection management window will appear, with a list of all created
profiles in the Available Profiles box.
3. Highlight the profiles to add to auto profile selection, and click Add. The profile will
appear in the Auto Selected Profiles box.
4. Highlight a profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box.
5. Click Move Up or Move Down as appropriate. Note: The first profile in the Auto
Selected Profiles box has highest priority, and the last profile has lowest priority.
6. Click OK.
7. Check the Auto Select Profiles checkbox on the Profile Management tab.
Note: When auto profile selection is enabled by checking Auto Select Profiles on the
Profile Management tab, the client adapter will scan for an available network. The profile
with the highest priority and the same SSID as one of the found networks will be used to
connect to the network. If the connection fails, the client adapter will try the next highest
priority profile that matches the SSID until an available network is found.
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Figure 3-11 Auto Profile Selection Management Dialog
3.3 Diagnostics
The Diagnostics tab of the TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility (TWCU) provides buttons
used to retrieve receiving and transmitting statistics. The Diagnostics tab does not require
any configuration.
The Diagnostics tab lists the following receive and transmit diagnostics for frames
received or transmitted by the wireless network adapter:
¾ Multicast frames transmitted and received
¾ Broadcast frames transmitted and received
¾ Unicast frames transmitted and received
¾ Total bytes transmitted and received
Figure 3-12 Diagnostics tab
3.3.1 Check Driver Information
The Adapter Information contains general information about the wireless network
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adapter and the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) driver. Access the adapter
information from the Diagnostics tab.
¾ Card Name - The name of the wireless network adapter.
¾ MAC Address - The MAC address of the wireless network adapter.
¾ Driver - The driver name and path of the wireless network adapter driver.
¾ Driver Version - The version of the wireless network adapter driver.
¾ Driver Date - The creation date of the wireless network adapter driver.
¾ Client Name - The name of the client computer.
3.3.2 Check Receive and Transmit Statistical Information
The Advanced Statistics show receiving and transmitting statistical information for the
following receive and transmit diagnostics for frames received by or transmitted to the
wireless network adapter.
Figure 3-13 Advanced Statistics
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Appendix A: Specifications
Normal
Interface TL-WN510G: 32-bit CardBus
TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G: 32-bit PCI
Standards IEEE802.11b; IEEE802.11g
Operating System Windows 98Se, Me, 2000, XP
Transmission
Distance
Indoor up to 100m, outdoor up to 300m (Standard transmission
distance, it is limited to the environment).
Indoor up to 200m, outdoor up to 830m (Adopt 2x to 3x eXtended
RangeTM WLAN transmission technology, it is limited to the
environment)
Radio Data Rate 54/48/36/24/18/12/9/6Mbps or 11/5.5/3/2/1Mbps
(Auto Rate Sensing)
Modulation 1M DBPSK; 2M DQPSK; 5.5M, 11M CCK; 6M, 9M, 12M, 18M,
24M, 36M, 48M, 54M OFDM;
Media Access
Protocol
CSMA/CA with ACK
Transmit Power 18dBm (Typical)
Data Security WPA/WPA2; 64/128/152-bit WEP; TKIP/AES
Frequency 2.4 ~ 2.4835GHz
Spread Spectrum Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
Power
Consumption
Typically 685mA in full Transmit (TX), 515mA in full Receive (RX)
Safety & Emissions FCC, CE
Environmental and Physical
Operating Temp. 0℃~40℃ (32℉~104℉)
Storage Temp. -40℃– 70℃ (-40℉~158℉)
Humidity 10% - 95% RH, Non-condensing
Dimensions
(W×D×H)
4.5×2.1×.2 in. (115×54×5 mm) (TL-WN510G)
5.2×4.8×.9 in. (133×121×22 mm) (TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G)
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Appendix B: Glossary
¾ 2x to 3x eXtended RangeTM WLAN Transmission Technology - The WLAN device
with 2x to 3x eXtended RangeTM WLAN transmission technology make its sensitivity
up to 105 dB, which gives users the ability to have robust, longer-range wireless
connections. With this range-enhancing technology, a 2x to 3x eXtended RangeTM
based client and access point can maintain a connection at as much as three times
the transmission distance of traditional 802.11b and 802.11g products, for a coverage
area that is up to nine times greater. A traditional 802.11b and 802.11g product
transmission distance is about 300m, A TP-LINK 2x to 3x eXtended RangeTM based
client and access point can maintain a connection transmission distance may be up
to 830m.
¾ 802.11b - The 802.11b standard specifies a wireless product networking at 11 Mbps
using direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology and operating in the
unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.4GHz, and WEP encryption for security. 802.11b
networks are also referred to as Wi-Fi networks.
¾ 802.11g - specification for wireless networking at 54 Mbps using direct-sequence
spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology, using OFDM modulation and operating in the
unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with IEEE 802.11b
devices, and WEP encryption for security.
¾ Ad-hoc Network - An ad-hoc network is a group of computers, each with a wireless
adapter, connected as an independent 802.11 wireless LAN. Ad-hoc wireless
computers operate on a peer-to-peer basis, communicating directly with each other
without the use of an access point. Ad-hoc mode is also referred to as an
Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) or as peer-to-peer mode, and is useful at a
departmental scale or SOHO operation.
¾ DSSS (Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum) - DSSS generates a redundant bit
pattern for all data transmitted. This bit pattern is called a chip (or chipping code).
Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during transmission, statistical
techniques embedded in the receiver can recover the original data without the need
for retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSS appears as low power
wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most narrowband receivers. However, to
an intended receiver (i.e. another wireless LAN endpoint), the DSSS signal is
recognized as the only valid signal, and interference is inherently rejected (ignored).
¾ FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) - FHSS continuously changes (hops)
the carrier frequency of a conventional carrier several times per second according to
a pseudo-random set of channels. Because a fixed frequency is not used, and only
the transmitter and receiver know the hop patterns, interception of FHSS is extremely
difficult.
¾ Infrastructure Network - An infrastructure network is a group of computers or other
devices, each with a wireless adapter, connected as an 802.11 wireless LAN. In
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TL-WN510G/TL-WN550G/TL-WN551G 54M Wireless Adapter User Guide
infrastructure mode, the wireless devices communicate with each other and to a
wired network by first going through an access point. An infrastructure wireless
network connected to a wired network is referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS). A
set of two or more BSS in a single network is referred to as an Extended Service Set
(ESS). Infrastructure mode is useful at a corporation scale, or when it is necessary to
connect the wired and wireless networks.
¾ Spread Spectrum - Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequency
technique developed by the military for use in reliable, secure, mission-critical
communications systems. It is designed to trade off bandwidth efficiency for reliability,
integrity, and security. In other words, more bandwidth is consumed than in the case
of narrowband transmission, but the trade off produces a signal that is, in effect,
louder and thus easier to detect, provided that the receiver knows the parameters of
the spread-spectrum signal being broadcast. If a receiver is not tuned to the right
frequency, a spread-spectrum signal looks like background noise. There are two
main alternatives, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Frequency
Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS).
¾ SSID - A Service Set Identification is a thirty-two character (maximum) alphanumeric
key identifying a wireless local area network. For the wireless devices in a network to
communicate with each other, all devices must be configured with the same SSID.
This is typically the configuration parameter for a wireless PC card. It corresponds to
the ESSID in the wireless Access Point and to the wireless network name. See also
Wireless Network Name and ESSID.
¾ WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) - A data privacy mechanism based on a 64-bit or
128-bit or 152-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard.
¾ Wi-Fi - A trade name for the 802.11b wireless networking standard, given by the
Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA, see http://www.wi-fi.net), an
industry standards group promoting interoperability among 802.11b devices.
¾ WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) - A group of computers and associated
devices communicate with each other wirelessly, which network serving users are
limited in a local area.
¾ WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) - A wireless security protocol use TKIP (Temporal
Key Integrity Protocol) encryption, which can be used in conjunction with a RADIUS
server.
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