Linksys WPC55AG, User Manual

Page 1: ...A Division of Cisco Systems Inc Model No WPC55AG EU LA UK User Guide WIRELESS Wireless A G Dual Band Notebook Adapter 5 802 11g 802 11a Dual Band GHz 2 4 GHz ...

Page 2: ...eading this guide In addition to these symbols there are definitions for technical terms that are presented like this Also each figure diagram screenshot or other image is provided with a figure number and description like this Figure numbers and descriptions can also be found in the List of Figures section in the Table of Contents WPC55AG EU LA UK_V1 2 UG 50117NC JL This exclamation point means t...

Page 3: ...tebook Adapter 17 Inserting the Adapter into Your Notebook 17 Chapter 6 Using the Wireless Network Monitor 18 Accessing the Wireless Network Monitor 18 Using the Wireless Network Monitor 19 Link Information 19 Site Survey 22 Profiles 23 Creating a New Profile 24 Appendix A Troubleshooting 33 Common Problems and Solutions 33 Frequently Asked Questions 34 Appendix B Wireless Security 38 Security Pre...

Page 4: ...less Security RADIUS Using EAP TLS Screen 14 Figure 4 12 Setup Wizard s Wireless Security RADIUS Using PEAP Screen 14 Figure 4 13 Setup Wizard s Wireless Security LEAP Screen 15 Figure 4 14 Setup Wizard s Check Settings Screen 15 Figure 4 15 Digital Signature Not Found Screen 16 Figure 4 16 Setup Wizard s Congratulations Screen 16 Figure 5 1 Insert the Adapter into Your Notebook 17 Figure 5 2 Digi...

Page 5: ... Profile 27 Figure 6 20 Wireless Security WEP for New Profile 27 Figure 6 21 Wireless Security WPA Personal for New Profile 28 Figure 6 22 Wireless Security WPA Enterprise Using EAP TLS for New Profile 29 Figure 6 23 Wireless Security WPA Enterprise Using EAP PEAP for New Profile 29 Figure 6 24 Wireless Security RADIUS Using EAP TLS for New Profile 30 Figure 6 25 Wireless Security RADIUS Using PEA...

Page 6: ...offices they can also be fun PCs equipped with wireless cards and adapters can communicate without cumbersome cables By sharing the same wireless settings within their transmission radius they form a wireless network The included Setup Wizard walks you through configuring the Adapter to your wireless network settings step by step Use the instructions in this Guide to help you set up the Adapter us...

Page 7: ...tebook Adapter This chapter shows you how to connect the Adapter to your PC Chapter 6 Using the Wireless Network Monitor This chapter explains how to use the Adapter s Wireless Network Monitor Appendix A Troubleshooting This appendix describes some potential problems and solutions as well as frequently asked questions regarding installation and use of the Adapter Appendix B Wireless Security This ...

Page 8: ...ireless A G Notebook Adapter Appendix G Regulatory Information This appendix supplies the Adapter s regulatory information Appendix H Contact Information This appendix provides contact information for a variety of Linksys resources including Technical Support ...

Page 9: ...se a feasible radio channel and optimum access point position Proper access point positioning combined with a clear radio signal will greatly enhance performance Network Layout Dual Band Wireless A G products offer the most flexibility because they can connect to 802 11a networks or they can connect to networks with 802 11g and or 802 11b devices depending on the settings you configure on the dual...

Page 10: ...eless network network ports on access points and wireless routers can be connected to any of Linksys s switches or routers With these and many other Linksys products your networking options are limitless Go to the Linksys website at www linksys com international for more information about products that work with the Dual Band Wireless A G Notebook Adapter ...

Page 11: ... Band Wireless A G Notebook Adapter The LED Indicators The Adapter s LEDs indicate the status of the Adapter s power and wireless connection Power Green The Power LED lights up when the Adapter is powered on Link Green The Link LED lights up when the Adapter has an active wireless connection It will flash when data is transmitted or received Figure 3 1 Front Panel ...

Page 12: ...r If it does not click the Start button and choose Run In the field that appears enter D setup exe if D is the letter of your CD ROM drive On the Welcome screen you have the following choices Install Click the Install button to begin the software installation process User Guide Click the User Guide button to open the PDF file of this User Guide Exit Click the Exit button to exit the Setup Wizard 1...

Page 13: ...se a network mode Click the Infrastructure Mode radio button if you want your wireless computers to network with computers on your wired network using a wireless access point Click the Ad Hoc Mode radio button if you want multiple wireless computers to network directly with each other In the SSID field enter the SSID of your wireless network The SSID must be identical for all devices in the networ...

Page 14: ...ode the Ad Hoc Mode Settings screen will appear Select the correct operating channel for your wireless network The channel you choose should match the channel set on the other devices in your wireless network If you are unsure about which channel to use keep the default setting Auto Click the Next button Click the Back button to change any settings Figure 4 5 Setup Wizard s Ad Hoc Mode Settings Sc...

Page 15: ...e previous screen If you don t want to use encryption select Disabled and then click the Next button Proceed to Step 8 Figure 4 6 Setup Wizard s Wireless Security Screen encryption encoding data transmitted in a network radius remote authentication dial in user service a protocol that uses an authentication server to control network access wep wired equivalent privacy a method of encrypting networ...

Page 16: ...y on those products WEP Key The WEP key you enter must match the WEP key of your wireless network For 64 bit encryption enter exactly 10 hexadecimal characters For 128 bit encryption enter exactly 26 hexadecimal characters For 152 bit encryption enter exactly 32 hexadecimal characters Valid hexadecimal characters are 0 to 9 and A to F For Advanced Users TX Key The default transmit key number is 1 ...

Page 17: ...se that is 8 63 characters in length Encryption Select the type of algorithm you want to use TKIP or AES from the Encryption drop down menu Passphrase Enter a Passphrase also called a pre shared key of 8 63 characters in the Passphrase field The longer and more complex your Passphrase is the more secure your network will be Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the prev...

Page 18: ...icate keep the default setting Trust Any Select the type of encryption TKIP or AES from the Encryption drop down menu Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previous screen PEAP If you selected PEAP enter the login name of your wireless network in the Login Name field Enter the password of your wireless network in the Password field Enter the name of the authenticati...

Page 19: ... to use any certificate keep the default setting Trust Any Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previous screen PEAP If you selected PEAP enter the login name of your wireless network in the Login Name field Enter the password of your wireless network in the Password field Enter the name of the authentication server in the Server Name field this is optional From th...

Page 20: ...hentication Password Enter the password used for authentication Confirm Enter the password again Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previous screen 8 The Setup Wizard will ask you to review your settings before it starts to install files Click the Next button if you are satisfied with your settings or click the Back button to change any settings Figure 4 13 Setup...

Page 21: ... signature was not found The Adapter s software has been tested and found to work successfully with Windows 2000 Click the Yes button to continue 10 After the software has been successfully installed the Congratulations screen will appear Click the Exit button Proceed to Chapter 5 Connecting the Dual Band Wireless A G Notebook Adapter Figure 4 16 Setup Wizard s Congratulations Screen Figure 4 15 D...

Page 22: ...ur computer If Windows asks you for the original Windows CD ROM insert the CD ROM and direct Windows to its correct location e g D Windows 2000 users When Windows 2000 begins installing the Adapter s driver a Digital Signature Not Found screen may appear indicating that a digital signature was not found This driver has been tested and found to work properly with Windows 2000 Click the Yes button t...

Page 23: ...ndows XP Wireless Configuration Windows XP only If your computer is running Windows XP then this choice will be available If you want to use Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration to control the Adapter instead of using the Wireless Network Monitor then select Use Windows XP Wireless Configuration If you want to switch back to the Wireless Network Monitor right click the Wireless Network Monitor i...

Page 24: ...o perform configuration changes or create connection profiles click the Profiles tab Link Information The Link Information screen displays network mode signal strength and link quality information about the current connection It also provides a button to click for additional status information Ad Hoc Mode or Infrastructure Mode The screen indicates whether the Adapter is currently working in ad ho...

Page 25: ...Authentication This is your wireless network s authentication method IP Address The IP Address of the Adapter is displayed here Subnet Mask The Subnet Mask of the Adapter is shown here Default Gateway The Default Gateway address of the Adapter is displayed here DNS This is the DNS address of the Adapter DHCP Client This displays the Adapter s status as a DHCP client MAC The MAC address of the wire...

Page 26: ...the Refresh Statistics button was last pressed Noise Level This shows the level of background noise affecting the wireless signal A lower reading translates into a higher quality signal Signal Strength This is the intensity of the wireless signal received by the Adapter Up Time This indicates the length of the most recent connection to a wireless network Total Up Time This indicates the cumulative...

Page 27: ...less security feature is displayed here MAC The MAC address of the wireless network s access point is displayed here Refresh Click the Refresh button to perform a new search for wireless devices Connect To connect to one of the networks on the list select the wireless network and click the Connect button If the network has encryption enabled then you will see a new screen appear If the network has...

Page 28: ...y feature is displayed here Authentication The authentication setting for the network is shown here Connect To connect to a wireless network using a specific profile select the profile and click the Connect button New Click the New button to create a new profile See the next section Creating a New Profile for detailed instructions Edit Select the profile you want to change and then click the Edit ...

Page 29: ...utton Click the Cancel button to return to the Profiles screen without entering a name 3 The Wireless Network screen will appear Select 5GHz or 2 4GHz if you will connect to 802 11a or 802 11g networks Select 5GHz only if you will only connect to 802 11a networks Select 2 4GHz only if you will only connect to 802 11g networks Click the Next button Figure 6 13 Create a New Profile Figure 6 14 Enter...

Page 30: ...r wired network s Subnet Mask Default Gateway Enter the IP address of your network s Gateway here DNS 1 and DNS 2 Enter the DNS address of your wired Ethernet network here 5 The Wireless Mode screen shows a choice of two wireless modes Click the Infrastructure Mode radio button if you want your wireless computers to communicate with computers on your wired network via a wireless access point Click...

Page 31: ... Ad Hoc Mode Settings screen will appear Select the correct operating channel for your wireless network The channel you choose should match the channel set on the other devices in your wireless network If you are unsure about which channel to use keep the default setting Auto Click the Next button Click the Back button to change any settings Figure 6 18 Ad Hoc Mode Settings for New Profile ...

Page 32: ...numeric characters This passphrase must match the passphrase of your other wireless network devices and is compatible with Linksys wireless products only If you have any non Linksys wireless products enter the WEP key manually on those products WEP Key The WEP key you enter must match the WEP key of your wireless network For 64 bit encryption enter exactly 10 hexadecimal characters For 128 bit enc...

Page 33: ... that is 8 63 characters in length Encryption Select the type of algorithm you want to use TKIP or AES from the Encryption drop down menu Passphrase Enter a Passphrase also called a pre shared key of 8 63 characters in the Passphrase field The longer and more complex your Passphrase is the more secure your network will be Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previo...

Page 34: ...keep the default setting Trust Any Select the type of encryption TKIP or AES from the Encryption drop down menu Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previous screen PEAP If you selected PEAP enter the login name of your wireless network in the Login Name field Enter the password of your wireless network in the Password field Enter the name of the authentication ser...

Page 35: ...use any certificate keep the default setting Trust Any Click the Next button to continue or the Back button to return to the previous screen PEAP If you selected PEAP enter the login name of your wireless network in the Login Name field Enter the password of your wireless network in the Password field Enter the name of the authentication server in the Server Name field this is optional From the Ce...

Page 36: ... Enter the password used for authentication Confirm Enter the password again Click the Next button to continue or click the Back button to return to the previous screen 9 The Confirm New Settings screen will appear next and show the new settings To save the new settings click the Save button To edit the new settings click the Back button To exit the Wireless Network Monitor click Exit Figure 6 26 ...

Page 37: ...ns screen will appear next Click Connect to Network to implement the new settings immediately and return to the Link Information screen Click Return to Profiles Screen to keep the current settings active and return to the Profiles screen You have successfully created a connection profile Figure 6 28 Congratulations for New Profile ...

Page 38: ...l Band Wireless A G Notebook Adapter does not work properly Follow the steps below until the problem is solved Reinsert the Adapter into the notebook s CardBus slot Click Start and select Settings Click Control Panel Double click System Click the Hardware tab Click the Device Manager button You will find the Dual Band Wireless A G Notebook Adapter if it is installed successfully If not remove the ...

Page 39: ...f 5GHz What is the IEEE 802 11b standard It is one of the IEEE standards for wireless networks The 802 11b standard allows wireless networking hardware from different manufacturers to communicate provided that the hardware complies with the 802 11b standard The 802 11b standard states a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps and an operating frequency of 2 4GHz What is the IEEE 802 11g standard It i...

Page 40: ...k is configured to communicate with a wired network through a wireless access point What is roaming Roaming is the ability of a portable computer to communicate continuously while it and its user are moving freely throughout an area greater than that covered by a single access point Before using the roaming function the user must make sure that the workstation is set to the same channel number use...

Page 41: ...ows 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 What is DSSS What is FHSS And what are their differences Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum FHSS uses a narrowband carrie...

Page 42: ...dard For more information refer to Appendix B Wireless Security What is WPA WPA is Wi Fi Protected Access a wireless security protocol that can be used in conjunction with a RADIUS server For more information refer to Appendix B Wireless Security What is RADIUS RADIUS is Remote Authentication Dial In User Service which uses an authentication server to control network access For more information re...

Page 43: ...mance 7 Change the WEP encryption keys periodically To ensure network security steps one through five should be followed at least Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks Wireless networks are easy to find Hackers know that in order to join a wireless network wireless networking products first listen for beacon messages These messages can be easily decrypted and contain much of the network s info...

Page 44: ...AC Addresses This makes it harder for a hacker to access your network with a random MAC Address WEP Encryption Wired Equivalent Privacy WEP is often looked upon as a cure all for wireless security concerns This is overstating WEP s ability Again this can only provide enough security to make a hacker s job more difficult There are several ways that WEP can be maximized 1 Use the highest level of en...

Page 45: ...along with a key shared between the device and the server Last enter a Group Key Renewal period which instructs the device how often it should change the encryption keys RADIUS WEP used in coordination with a RADIUS server This should only be used when a RADIUS server is connected to the Router or other device First enter the RADIUS server s IP Address and port number along with a key shared betwe...

Page 46: ...of instructions or protocol all PCs follow to communicate over a network This is true for wireless networks as well Your PCs will not be able to utilize wireless networking without having TCP IP enabled Windows Help provides complete instructions on enabling TCP IP Shared Resources If you wish to share printers folder or files over your network Windows Help provides complete instructions on utiliz...

Page 47: ...e of a wireless network Adapter A device that adds network functionality to your PC Ad hoc A group of wireless devices communicating directly with each other peer to peer without the use of an access point AES Advanced Encryption Standard A method that uses up to 256 bit key encryption to secure data Backbone The part of a network that connects most of the systems and networks together and handles...

Page 48: ...the hosting of a website FTP server or e mail server with a fixed domain name e g www xyz com and a dynamic IP address Default Gateway A device that forwards Internet traffic from your local area network DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol A networking protocol that allows administrators to assign temporary IP addresses to network computers by leasing an IP address to a user for a limited amo...

Page 49: ... on and retrieved from a common transmission medium Finger A program that tells you the name associated with an e mail address Firewall A set of related programs located at a network gateway server that protects the resources of a network from users from other networks Firmware The programming code that runs a networking device Fragmentation Breaking a packet into smaller units when transmitting o...

Page 50: ...AN The computers and networking products that make up your local network LEAP Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol A mutual authentication method that uses a username and password system MAC Media Access Control Address The unique address that a manufacturer assigns to each networking device Mbps MegaBits Per Second One million bits per second a unit of measurement for data transmission ...

Page 51: ... connection that provides authentication username and password in addition to data transport PPTP Point to Point Tunneling Protocol A VPN protocol that allows the Point to Point Protocol PPP to be tunneled through an IP network This protocol is also used as a type of broadband connection in Europe Preamble Part of the wireless signal that synchronizes network traffic RADIUS Remote Authentication D...

Page 52: ...e size of the network Switch 1 A data switch that connects computing devices to host computers allowing a large number of devices to share a limited number of ports 2 A device for making breaking or changing the connections in an electrical circuit TCP Transmission Control Protocol A network protocol for transmitting data that requires acknowledgement from the recipient of data sent TCP IP Transmi...

Page 53: ...urity measure to protect data as it leaves one network and goes to another over the Internet WAN Wide Area Network The Internet WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy A method of encrypting network data transmitted on a wireless network for greater security WINIPCFG A Windows 98 and Me utility that displays the IP address for a particular networking device WLAN Wireless Local Area Network A group of compute...

Page 54: ...ion 802 11a and 802 11g OFDM 802 11b CCK DQPSK DBPSK Security Features WPA LEAP WEP WEP Key Bits 64 128 152 Bits Warranty 3 Year Limited Dimensions 144 mm x 8 mm x 54 mm 5 67 x 0 31 x 2 13 Unit Weight 0 04 kg 1 48 oz Power 3 3V CardBus Powered Certifications FCC Wi Fi WHQL CE Operating Temp 0 55 C 32 131 F Storage Temp 20 85 C 4 185 F Operating Humidity 10 to 85 Non Condensing Storage Humidity 5 t...

Page 55: ...WARRANTY OF NON INFRINGEMENT ARE DISCLAIMED Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitation may not apply to You This warranty gives You specific legal rights and You may also have other rights which vary by jurisdiction This warranty does not apply if the Product a has been altered except by Linksys b has not been installed operated repair...

Page 56: ...re of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment or devices Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver s Consult a dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for assistance FCC Radiation Exposure Statement This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment This e...

Page 57: ... Caution To reduce the risk of fire use only No 26 AWG or larger telecommunication line cord Do not use this product near water for example in a wet basement or near a swimming pool Avoid using this product during an electrical storm There may be a remote risk of electric shock from lightning ...

Page 58: ...pe E mail Address Austria support at linksys com Belgium support be linksys com Denmark support dk linksys com France support fr linksys com Germany support de linksys com Italy support it linksys com Netherlands support nl linksys com Norway support no linksys com Portugal support pt linksys com Spain support es linksys com Sweden support se linksys com Switzerland support ch linksys com United K...