3Com OfficeConnect 3CRWE254G72, User Manual

Page 1: ...User Guide OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter http www 3com com Published December 2003 User Guide Version 1 0 Part No DUA 0025 4AAA01 ...

Page 2: ...tact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND If you are a United States government agency then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense Software is delivered as Commercial Computer Software as defined in D...

Page 3: ... 23 4 Advanced Properties Tab 24 4 1 Configuration Profile 26 4 2 Fragmentation Threshold 26 4 3 Long Retry Limit and Short Retry Limit 26 4 4 Nitro Mode 26 4 5 Power Save Mode 27 4 6 RTS Threshold 27 5 Using Wireless Zero Configuration for Managing the Adapter 28 A Obtaining Support for your Product 33 A 1 Register Your Product to Gain Service Benefits 33 A 2 Purchase Value Added Services 33 A 3 ...

Page 4: ... 3 Manufacturer s Declaration of Conformity 45 D 4 Industry Canada Notice Applicable for use within Canada 46 D 5 Avis de conformité à la réglementation d Industrie Canada 46 D 6 Industry Canada IC Emissions Compliance Statement 46 D 7 Avis de conformité à la réglementation d Industrie Canada 46 D 8 Safety Notice 46 D 9 European Community CE Notice 47 ...

Page 5: ...11g USB Adapter please read this manual carefully before using the adapter 1 1 Features With the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter you can Establish a wireless connection without the hassles and cost of cabling Operate in either Ad hoc or Infrastructure mode Utilize up to 128 bit WEP encryption Enjoy high speed data transfer rate up to 54 Mbps Employ automatic data rate switching which o...

Page 6: ...1 4 Your 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Insert the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter into the USB port of your computer or laptop You may twist or rotate your 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter to best meet your network connectivity and space needs The adapter is shown in Figure 1 Figure 1 3Com Office Connect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Note USB port version 2 0 is req...

Page 7: ... installation for Windows XP is shown 2 1 Installation Procedures To install the adapter please read and follow the instructions below 1 Plug your 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter into a USB 2 0 port on your machine 2 Once your system detects the device the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box appears Select the Advanced option and click Next to proceed See Figure 2 Figure 2 Found New H...

Page 8: ...h for the best driver in these locations Check Include this location in the search and use the Browse button to find the location of your CD ROM drive See Figure 3 Figure 3 Found New Hardware Wizard Dialog Box Search and Installation Options ...

Page 9: ...gure 4 Figure 4 Browse For Folder Dialog Box 6 Click Next and the system will start to copy the drivers found See Figure 5 Figure 5 Found New Hardware Wizard Dialog Box Search and Installation Options 7 Windows may notify you that the driver has not passed Windows Logo testing ...

Page 10: ...3V10 Your OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB has been tested to work with the operating systems listed in Chapter 1 Select Continue Anyway to proceed with the installation See Figure 6 Figure 6 Hardware Installation Dialog Box ...

Page 11: ...Installation 7 M101703V10 8 Click Finish to complete the driver installation This completes the driver installation See Figure 7 Figure 7 Found New Hardware Wizard Dialog Box Finish Screen ...

Page 12: ...ow install the utility program for the USB adapter Double click the My Computer icon and double click the CD ROM drive icon The utility program installs automatically See Figure 8 Figure 8 My Computer Dialog Box Double click the CD ROM icon ...

Page 13: ...of the software installation the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Utility icon appears in the system tray See Figure 10 Figure 10 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Utility Icon 12 Double click the icon to launch the application and open the 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager dialog box to configure your adapter For more details about 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager please refer to ...

Page 14: ... Configuration tool refer to Chapter 5 To use the 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager under Windows XP you need to disable the default settings of your Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration utility Follow the procedure below 1 Right click the 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager to Exit from the program Do this before you try to access Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration See Figure 11 and Figure 12 Figur...

Page 15: ... M101703V10 2 Right click the Network Connections icon in the task bar to open the Wireless Network Connection Status dialog box Select Properties See Figure 13 Figure 13 Wireless Network Connection Status Dialog Box ...

Page 16: ...work Connection Properties Dialog Box 4 Click OK The Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration is now disabled You can now monitor and configure the adapter via 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager For more information on the 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager please refer to Chapter 3 Configuration Utility If you wish to use the Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration refer to Chapter 5 Using Wireless Zero Con...

Page 17: ...is icon current link quality information is provided The color of the icon varies with the current state of your network connection The following conditions are indicated Excellent Link Quality Radio Off Right clicking the 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager icon in the system tray opens the following menu see Figure 15 Default Use this command to connect to the default network Show Use this command to...

Page 18: ...so launch this dialog box by clicking Start on the taskbar and choosing All Programs from the menu and then selecting 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Utility from the submenu of 3Com Wireless Utility The following five tabs are contained in the utility program see Figure 16 Configuration Link information IP information Site survey Version information Figure 16 3Com USB Wireless Card Ma...

Page 19: ...apter Click the down arrow at the right of this item to view all available profiles for your adapter You may set new values for the selected profile Select New to create a new profile All profiles must contain the following information SSID This identifier must be identical to the network SSID Transmit Rate This sets the data transmission rate this is automatically set to auto Operating Mode This ...

Page 20: ...ensure the best available rate is used 3 2 1 4 Channel This is the radio channel used by wireless devices within the network for communication This command is only available while you are operating in the Ad hoc mode Specify the operating radio frequency channel from the pull down menu if you are the creator of the wireless network If you are joining an existing network you do not need to select t...

Page 21: ...is option to allow all stations within the same networking community to communicate without any data encryption 64 bit or 128 bit These two key lengths are offered Select the preferred level of security The same WEP key is required for communication with the chosen access point If you have enabled encryption you must select a Key Type from the drop down menu Also select one Default Key to use for ...

Page 22: ...erate encryption keys in the Key fields After you have finished configuring the Encryption features remember to click Apply changes to initiate the new settings Press Save to save all changes 3 2 1 10 Tx Power A WLAN device normally operates in one of the following modes transmit receive or sleep Adjust the transmit power level to maximize the goodput in the WLAN while minimizing the transmit powe...

Page 23: ... the MAC Address of the current associated entry If you are in Infrastructure mode this is a connected access point If you are in Ad hoc mode this is a computer in the peer to peer network 3 2 2 2 Channel This field shows the current wireless network channel being used 3 2 2 3 Current Tx Rate This field shows the current connection transmission rate Note If you are in Infrastructure mode the chann...

Page 24: ...ll vary according to usage and connection quality 3 2 2 6 Link Quality The Link Quality graph shows the percentage of successfully transmitted or received signal data for the associated access point beacon within a limited period A high percentage indicates a good link 3 2 2 7 Signal Strength The Signal Strength graph shows the received baseband processor signal strength from the associated access...

Page 25: ...ger Dialog Box IP Information Tab The following fields are available IP Address This field shows the IP address of the USB adapter IP Netmask This field shows the mask used to define the IP address sub network Host Name This field shows the host computer name The USB adapter is inserted into the host computer Gateway This field shows the gateway IP address of the USB adapter DHCP Server This field...

Page 26: ...he following information for each wireless network Network name SSID Base Station Network ID Channel Encryption Signal Strength and Network Type See Figure 20 Figure 20 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager Dialog Box Site Survey Tab To make a direct association with any site on the list double click on the intended entry The Configuration tab displays You may change your settings to make a connection wi...

Page 27: ...SB Adapter Driver version This field shows the current version and release date of the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter driver Application version This field shows the current version and release date of the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter utility program See Figure 21 Figure 21 3Com USB Wireless Card Manager Dialog Box Version Information Tab ...

Page 28: ...00 If you are using Windows 2000 consult your operating system documentation or your system administrator for instructions on accessing the Windows Device Manager 1 Right click the My Computer desktop icon and choose Properties from the menu 2 Choose the Hardware tab and click Device Manager 3 Expand Network adapters and find 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Right click the item and cho...

Page 29: ...alue for each property shown in the Property column is displayed to the right in the Value menu Use the drop down menu to change the value settings for any property To change a numeric value click in the Value field and enter the desired value Choosing Not Present from the drop down menu disables the selected property The following sections describe the available properties ...

Page 30: ... operation in the widest range of 802 11 environments WiFi Spec This profile is for adapter operation in environments that conform to WiFi standards 4 2 Fragmentation Threshold The Fragmentation Threshold property defines the size in bytes that a packet is split into for transmission You may enter a value from 256 to 2346 in increments of 2 even numbers only for the fragmentation threshold This pr...

Page 31: ...tting places the adapter in continuous access mode This is the default setting Dynamic This setting provides a fast power saving mode that provides the best combination of performance and power usage Maximum This setting allows for the greatest power saving 4 6 RTS Threshold The RTS Threshold property defines the packet size in bytes for transmissions governed by the RTS CTS transaction You may en...

Page 32: ... Zero Configuration tool to manage your system so that it works with WPA Compliant AP you must download a WPA supplicant and install it first Then configure your network as discussed in the following steps 1 Go to Start menu Control Panel and open Network Connections Right click on Wireless Network Connection and select Properties See Figure 24 Figure 24 Network Connections Window ...

Page 33: ...M101703V10 2 Go to the Wireless Networks tab and check the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings checkbox See Figure 25 Figure 25 Wireless Connection Properties Window 3 Select the network that you want to connect and click Configure Step 2 Step 3 ...

Page 34: ...t the parameters for the selected network in the Wireless network key section See Figure 26 Figure 26 Wireless Network Properties Window Wireless Network Key If the wireless network that you are connecting to uses authentication and encryption then you should set the adapter with the same settings to ensure a successful connection ...

Page 35: ... for Managing the Adapter 31 M101703V10 5 In the Network Authentication field select WPA PSK In the Data Encryption field select TKIP See Figure 27 Figure 27 Wireless Network Properties Window Network Authentication and Data Encryption ...

Page 36: ...twork Authentication there is a shared key between the client adapter and the Access Point When WPA PSK is selected you should choose TKIP for data encryption A combination of WPA PSK and TKIP provides the best security protection for your wireless network This combination uses a passphrase or a shared secret that must be set in the Access Point and your adapter Note WPA is designed for the enterp...

Page 37: ...jects More information on 3Com Extended Warranty and Professional Services is available at http www 3com com Contact your authorized 3Com reseller or 3Com for additional product and support information A 3 Troubleshoot Online You will find support tools posted on the 3Com web site at http www 3com com 3Com Knowledgebase helps you troubleshoot 3Com products This query based interactive tool is loca...

Page 38: ...fits you must first register your product at http eSupport 3com com When you contact 3Com for assistance please have the following information ready Product model name part number and serial number A list of system hardware and software including revision level Diagnostic error messages Details about recent configuration changes if applicable To send a product directly to 3Com for repair you must ...

Page 39: ...land 001 800 611 2000 You can also obtain support in this region using the following e mail apr_technical_support 3com com Or request a repair authorization number RMA by fax using this number 65 543 6348 Country Telephone Number Country Telephone Number Europe Middle East and Africa Telephone Technical Support and Repair 1 of 2 From anywhere in these regions call 44 0 1442 435529 From the followi...

Page 40: ...2 Martinique 571 657 0888 Belize 52 5 201 0010 Mexico 01 800 849CARE Bermuda 1 800 998 2112 Nicaragua AT T 800 998 2112 Bonaire 1 800 998 2112 Panama AT T 800 998 2112 Brazil 0800 13 3COM Paraguay 54 11 4894 1888 Cayman 1 800 998 2112 Peru AT T 800 998 2112 You can also obtain support in this region using the following Spanish speakers enter the URL http lat 3com com lat support form html Portugue...

Page 41: ...nican Republic AT T 800 998 2112 Virgin Islands 57 1 657 0888 US and Canada Telephone Technical Support and Repair 1 800 876 3266 Country Telephone Number Country Telephone Number Latin America Telephone Technical Support and Repair 2 of 2 You can also obtain support in this region using the following Spanish speakers enter the URL http lat 3com com lat support form html Portuguese speakers enter ...

Page 42: ...rom the menu 2 In the System Properties dialog box click the Hardware Device tab and then choose the Device Manager button 3 Expand Network adapters and find 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Right click the item and choose Properties 4 Go to the General tab and look at the description in the Device Status pane to view the current USB adapter status If an error message is shown you must ...

Page 43: ...nnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter driver and the utility 1 Right click the My Computer icon and choose Properties from the opened menu 2 In the System Properties dialog box click the Hardware tab and then choose the Device Manager button 3 Expand Network adapters and find the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Right click the item and choose Uninstall from the menu See Figure 2 Figure 2 Devi...

Page 44: ...Message Box 5 Click Start on the taskbar and choose Control Panel from the Settings menu 6 Select Add or Remove Programs 7 Find the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter Utility program and click the Change Remove button See Figure 4 Figure 4 Add or Remove Programs Dialog Box 8 Follow the on screen instructions to complete the removal of the program ...

Page 45: ...adapter and see if the installation was successful If you see a yel low exclamation mark beside the item please follow the steps below to reinstall the drivers 4 Uninstall the software and hardware drivers from your PC See Section B 2 Unin stall the Driver and Utility 5 Restart your computer and repeat the installation procedures as described in Chapter 2 Installation 6 Open the Device Manager win...

Page 46: ...erating Voltage 5 0 V 5 Data Rate 1Mpbs 2Mbps 5 5Mbps 6Mbps 9Mbps 11Mbps 12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps Transmit Power 802 11bP17dBm 802 11g 6 9MbpsP17dBm 12 18MbpsP15dBm 24MbpsP14dBm 36MbpsP14dBm 48MbpsP12dBm 54MbpsP12dBm Receive Sensitivity 802 11b 8 FER 1MbpsO 91dBm 8 FER 2MbpsO 88dBm 8 FER 5 5MbpsO 85dBm 8 FER 11MbpsO 83dBm 802 11g 10 PER 6MbpsO 88dBm 10 PER 9MbpsO 87dBm 10 PER 12Mb...

Page 47: ...a Media Access Control RF activity Supplied Driver CSMA CA with ACK Warranty 1 year Temperature Range 0 65 C Operating Humidity Max 95 Non condensing Operating Range Open Space up to 400 meters Indoors up to 100 meters The transmission speed varies in the surrounding environ ment Product Name 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g USB Adapter ...

Page 48: ...re 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 equipm...

Page 49: ... USA Declares that the Product Date April 30 2003 Brand Name 3Com Corporation Model Number 3CRWE254G72 Equipment Type 802 11g Wireless USB Adapter Complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 this device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operatio...

Page 50: ...licence cet appareil doit être utilisé à l intérieur seulement et devrait êtra placé loin des fenêtres afin de fournir un écran de blindage maximal L installateur du présent matériel radio doit s assurer que l antenne est située ou pointée de manière à ce que cette derniére n émette pas de champs radioélectriques supérieurs aux limites spécifiées par Santé Canada pour le grand public condulter le ...

Page 51: ...ion equipment operating in the 2 4GHz ISM band and using spread spectrum modulation techniques ETN 301 489 17 V 1 1 1 09 2000 Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters ERM ElectroMagnetic Compatibility EMC standard for radio equipment and services Part 17 Specific conditions for Wideband data and HIP ERLAN equipment EN 60950 Safety of information technology equipment including elect...

Page 52: ...Regulatory Compliance Information 48 M101703V10 ...

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Page 54: ...es visit our World Wide Web site at www 3com com All specifications are subject to change without notice Copyright 2003 3Com Corporation All rights reserved 3Com and OfficeConnect are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective companies DUA 0025 4AAA01 Rev 01 ...