Soma Networks SOMAport, Setup Manual

Page 1: ...SOMAport Setup Guide Release 2 0 Part 003776A revision 04 TM ...

Page 2: ...eign patents A list of third party software used in the production of or included in this product as well as any available documentation for such software can be obtained at www somanetworks com thirdparty html This product contains intellectual property which is provided to you subject to the enclosed Enduser License Agreement EULA Your rights and obligations are defined in this EULA which you mu...

Page 3: ...reless air interface technology and is not licensed to you to be used for any other purpose 2 RESTRICTIONS Except as reasonably required to use the Product strictly in accordance with the License and this Agreement you may not copy any Software Licensee shall not and shall not allow any third party to I decompile disassemble or otherwise reverse engineer or attempt to reconstruct or discover any s...

Page 4: ...Agreement are not assignable or transferable by you without the prior written consent of SOMA Any attempt by you to do so shall be void and void this License Any notice report approval or consent required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing If any provision of this Agreement shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable or invalid that provision shall be limit...

Page 5: ...upplied to your home consult your product dealer or local power company Grounding or polarization The plug for the power cord on the SOMAport fits into the power outlet only one way If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet contact your electrician to replace your outlet To prevent electric shock do not use this plug with an extension cord or outlet unless you can fully insert the...

Page 6: ... by the product manufacturer can prevent fire electric shock or other hazards Conditions requiring service Unplug the SOMAport from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions The power supply or cord is damaged Liquid has been spilled on the SOMAport or it has been exposed to water An object has fallen into the SOMAport The SOMAport does not f...

Page 7: ...e equipment off and on you can try to correct the interference by Relocating the SOMAport Increasing the distance between the SOMAport and the device experiencing the interference Connecting the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the SOMAport is connected A T T EN T I O N Changes or modifications not expressly approved by SOMA Networks for compliance could void the us...

Page 8: ...8 SOMAport Setup Guide ...

Page 9: ... the power supply and powering on the SOMAport 26 Connecting a computer via Ethernet 28 Connecting a computer via USB 30 Connecting multiple computers to the SOMAport 33 Connecting telephones to the SOMAport 35 Activating service 39 Changing Ethernet Network Settings 40 Changing network settings in Windows 95 41 Changing network settings in Windows 98 and ME 44 Changing network settings in Windows...

Page 10: ...ooting and Getting Help 63 Finding problem causes 64 The signal is weak 66 There is a fault condition 68 The SOMAport is not getting power 69 There is no connection between the SOMAport and your computer or hub 70 The computer uses an old dial up connection to connect to the Internet 74 Internet Explorer LAN settings are incorrect 76 Index 77 ...

Page 11: ...er gives an overview of the SOMAport and shows the layout of the front and back panels Contents Overview 12 The front panel 14 The back panel 15 Antennas 17 Connection options for telephones 19 Chapter0INTRODUCTION ...

Page 12: ...er a wireless connection and the telephone company which provides telephone service over a land line connection it is possible that your telephone company is also your wireless service provider Internet service The SOMAport provides a high speed Internet connection that is much faster than a regular dial up modem You can also be connected to the Internet and use the telephone at the same time Inte...

Page 13: ...ll liquid inside the SOMAport unplug it and call your wireless service provider Other documents Once you have installed the SOMAport using this guide you may need to refer to one or more of the following documents SAU Installation Guide This document is shipped with the optional SOMAport Accessory Unit SAU It describes how to install the SAU outdoors ground it and connect it to the SOMAport Servic...

Page 14: ...wing functions See the chapter SOMAport Lights on page 57 for information about reading the lights 00076 Status Light Signal Strength Indicator Lights Light Description Status The top light is the status light It indicates whether or not the SOMAport is receiving power and functioning normally Signal Strength Indicator The group of four lights below the status light report on the strength of the r...

Page 15: ...scription SAU connector This is the connector to which the optional SOMA Networks SOMAport Accessory Unit SAU attaches A TT EN TIO N The SAU connector should be connected to the SOMA Networks SAU only as control voltages and signals are present at this connector Other manufacturers antennas should never be connected to the SAU connector as they will provide no improvement to reception and will res...

Page 16: ...ernet lights are located on this port They indicate the status of the Ethernet connection See Ethernet status lights on page 61 Telephone jacks These jacks connect telephones to the SOMAport Power jack The power supply plugs into this jack Part Description Cable Type Description Ethernet If your computer has an Ethernet card use the Ethernet cable to connect your computer to the SOMAport Ethernet ...

Page 17: ...service provider s nearest tower the construction of the building the surrounding terrain and the placement of the SOMAport can potentially affect the strength of the signal The SAU The SOMAport internal antenna provides good reception in most situations However in rare cases the internal antenna is unable to acquire a sufficiently strong signal The SOMAport supports an optional device the SOMApor...

Page 18: ...AU can be connected to the SOMAport Connecting other manufacturers antennas or products to the SAU connector will provide no improvement to reception and will result in irreparable damage to the SOMAport or to the device connected to it rendering it inoperative ...

Page 19: ...hone directly to the SOMAport by plugging it into one of the telephone jacks on the back of the SOMAport Use your in building telephone wiring to connect telephones to the SOMAport Direct connections You can use this method if the telephone and computer devices in your home or office are near each other and the SOMAport can be placed close enough to allow direct connections to all of them as shown...

Page 20: ... office to connect your telephones to the SOMAport To connect telephones to the SOMAport using the telephone wiring in your home or office you connect the SOMAport and each telephone to a wall phone jack If you decide to use your in building wiring do not use wires that are in use for phone service from the local telephone company You can test if your home wiring is active by connecting a telephon...

Page 21: ...hapter describes how to connect computer and telephone equipment to the SOMAport Contents Installing the SOMAport and Connecting Equipment 22 Changing Ethernet Network Settings 40 Chapter0INSTALLING THE SOMAPORT ...

Page 22: ...te full service Contents An overview of the installation 23 Unpacking the SOMAport 24 Choosing the best location for the SOMAport 25 Connecting the power supply and powering on the SOMAport 26 Connecting a computer via Ethernet 28 Connecting a computer via USB 30 Connecting multiple computers to the SOMAport 33 Connecting telephones to the SOMAport 35 Activating service 39 ...

Page 23: ...t the power supply to the SOMAport and plug in the SOMAport to power it on Connecting the power supply and powering on the SOMAport on page 26 5 Connect your computer to the SOMAport You can use Ethernet or if your computer does not have an Ethernet card USB You can also connect multiple computers to the SOMAport using an Ethernet hub or switch Connecting a computer via Ethernet on page 28 or Conn...

Page 24: ...ort Unpack the SOMAport from its box and make sure you have all the pieces shown below 00083 SOMAport Setup Guide SOMAport SOMAport Documentation and USB Drivers CD SOMAport Quick Setup Card Power Supply USB Cable Ethernet Straight Through Cable ...

Page 25: ...as multiple floors place the SOMAport on one of the upper floors if possible Avoid putting it in the basement Place the SOMAport higher up in a room For example putting it on a desk or a shelf will give you a stronger signal than if you place it on the floor Place the SOMAport on a surface such as a desk rather than in a cupboard or under a table Place the SOMAport near a window rather than on the...

Page 26: ... a radio channel To install the power supply and power on the SOMAport 1 Insert the connector on the power cord that is attached to the power supply into the power jack on the back of the SOMAport 2 Insert the socket end of the power cord into the power supply s receptacle WA RN I N G Use only the power supply and power cord that came with the SOMAport Using another power supply may damage your eq...

Page 27: ... up to five minutes to start acquire a radio signal and connect to the network Watch the status light on the front panel of the SOMAport for the following sequence of lights Amber the SOMAport is performing a diagnostic test Flashing amber the SOMAport has passed the diagnostic test and is connecting to the service provider s network Green the SOMAport is connected to the service provider s networ...

Page 28: ... USB on page 30 for more information N O TE If your operating system is Windows 95 Mac OS or Linux 2 4 you must use Ethernet You cannot use USB To connect a computer to the Ethernet port on the SOMAport N O TE To connect multiple computers to the SOMAport see Connecting multiple computers to the SOMAport on page 33 1 Insert one end of the straight through Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port on t...

Page 29: ...ailable in your area and you are connecting a telephone to the SOMAport go to Connecting telephones to the SOMAport on page 35 If telephone service is not available in your area or you are not connecting a telephone to the SOMAport go to Activating service on page 39 ...

Page 30: ...ub a USB hub cannot be used to attach multiple computers to a SOMAport To determine if the USB port is set up properly 1 Open the Control Panel In Windows 98 and 2000 and ME choose Start Settings Control Panel In Windows XP choose Start Control Panel 2 Double click the System icon 3 Open the Device Manager In Windows 98 and ME click the Device Manager tab In Windows 2000 or XP click the Hardware t...

Page 31: ...ou do not have a USB Host Controller card installed in your PC You cannot use USB unless you purchase a USB Host Controller card To connect a computer to the USB port on the SOMAport 1 Insert the SOMAport Documentation and USB Drivers CD into the CD ROM drive on the computer The SOMAport Documentation window opens 2 Plug the square connector on the USB cable into the USB port on the back of the SO...

Page 32: ...service is available in your area and you are connecting a telephone to the SOMAport go to Connecting telephones to the SOMAport on page 35 If telephone service is not available in your area or you are not connecting a telephone to the SOMAport go to Activating service on page 39 Windows Version Selections Windows 98 When prompted for the type of search select Search for the best driver for your d...

Page 33: ...s to have Internet access through the Ethernet port on the SOMAport The following procedure describes how to connect multiple computers via an Ethernet hub or switch To connect multiple computers to the SOMAport 1 Insert one end of the straight through Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port at the back of the SOMAport 2 Insert the other end of the cable into an uplink port on your hub or switch N O...

Page 34: ...lable in your area and you are connecting a telephone to the SOMAport go to Connecting telephones to the SOMAport on page 35 If telephone service is not available in your area or you are not connecting a telephone to the SOMAport go to Activating service on page 39 ...

Page 35: ...lex adapter into the line 1 jack and then connect both telephones to the adapter You cannot use the line 2 jack See To connect two telephones to the SOMAport when you have one telephone line on page 38 Two You can use either telephone jack If you connect a two line telephone to the line 1 jack line 1 will be on the line 1 button on your telephone and line 2 will be on the line 2 button If you conn...

Page 36: ... TE To connect a two line telephone to the SOMAport your telephone service must include two telephone lines To connect a single telephone to the SOMAport Insert the free end of the telephone cable into the right line 1 jack 00265 ...

Page 37: ...es to the SOMAport when you have two telephone lines 1 Connect the cable of the telephone you want serviced by line 1 to the right line 1 jack 2 Connect the cable of the telephone you want serviced by line 2 to the left line 2 jack 00437 Line 2 Line 1 ...

Page 38: ...e adapter To test your telephone connection Pick up the receiver and listen for a dial tone If you hear a dial tone the SOMAport has finished starting and is connected to your service provider s network You may have to activate full service if your service provider hasn t done so already See Activating service on page 39 If you hear a series of tones the SOMAport is still starting Hang up and list...

Page 39: ...e it is connected to the powered on SOMAport 2 Launch a Web browser 3 Direct your browser to a known valid Internet address such as www web com If the page opens full service has already been activated and you can begin using your SOMAport for Internet service If you are redirected to your service provider s Web page you are in restricted mode and you must complete the sign up procedure on the Web...

Page 40: ...es that your computer automatically obtains an IP address from your service provider so that it can connect to the Internet Contents Changing network settings in Windows 95 41 Changing network settings in Windows 98 and ME 44 Changing network settings in Windows 2000 47 Changing network settings in Windows XP 50 Changing network settings in Mac OS 8 and 9 53 Changing network settings in Mac OS X 5...

Page 41: ... manually change the network settings See To change network settings in Windows 95 on page 42 To run the Internet Connection Wizard in Windows 95 1 Choose Start Programs Accessories Internet Tools Get on the Internet The Get Connected window opens N O TE If your version of Windows 95 does not have this option follow the procedure To change network settings in Windows 95 on page 42 2 Click Next The...

Page 42: ...sted go to step 4 4 Install TCP IP i Click Add The Select Network Component Type window opens ii Select Protocol from the list iii Click Add The Select Network Protocol window opens iv Select Microsoft from the Manufacturers list v Select TCP IP from the Network Protocols list vi Click OK vii Insert the Windows 95 CD or reboot the computer if prompted to do so viii If the PC reboots repeat steps 1...

Page 43: ...ider s Web site go to step 7 7 Enter a valid Internet address such as www web com in the Address field and press Enter If the Web com Web page opens full service has already been activated and you can begin using your SOMAport for Internet service If your service provider s Web page opens activate full service by following the sign up procedure that is provided on the Web site If your computer att...

Page 44: ...tings in Windows 98 and ME on page 45 To run the Internet Connection Wizard in Windows 98 and ME 1 Start the Internet Connection Wizard In Windows 98 the wizard is in one of the following locations depending on the version of Windows 98 Start Programs Accessories Internet Explorer Connection Wizard Start Programs Accessories Internet Tools Internet Connection Wizard Start Programs Accessories Comm...

Page 45: ... Click the Network icon The Network window opens to the Configuration tab 3 Select TCP IP If multiple TCP IP connections are listed select the one that contains Ethernet NIC or 10 100 MB in its name Go to step 5 If TCP IP is not listed go to step 4 4 Install TCP IP i Click Add The Select Network Component Type window opens ii Select Protocol from the list iii Click Add The Select Network Protocol ...

Page 46: ...tically opens to your service provider s Web site full service has already been activated If your browser does not automatically open to your service provider s Web site go to step 7 7 Enter a valid Internet address such as www web com in the Address field and press Enter If the Web com Web page opens full service has already been activated and you can begin using your SOMAport for Internet servic...

Page 47: ...ork settings See To change network settings in Windows 2000 on page 48 To run the Internet Connection Wizard in Windows 2000 1 Choose Start Programs Accessories Communications Internet Connection Wizard The Welcome to the Internet Connection Wizard window opens 2 Enable the I want to set up my Internet connection manually or I want to connect through a local area network LAN radio button and click...

Page 48: ...en return to this procedure The Local Area Connection Status window opens 3 Click Properties The Local Area Connection Properties window opens 4 Select Internet Protocol TCP IP and then go to step 6 N O TE If Internet Protocol TCP IP is not listed go to step 5 5 Install TCP IP i Click Install The Select Network Component Type window opens ii Select Protocol from the list iii Click Add The Select N...

Page 49: ... has already been activated If your browser does not automatically open to your service provider s Web site go to step 8 8 Enter a valid Internet address such as www web com in the Address field and press Enter If the Web com Web page opens full service has already been activated and you can begin using your SOMAport for Internet service If your service provider s Web page opens activate full serv...

Page 50: ... a dial up connection the Internet Connection Wizard will not work and you must manually change the network settings See To change network settings in Windows XP on page 51 To run the Internet Connection Wizard in Windows XP 1 Choose Start Programs Accessories Communications New Connection Wizard The Welcome to the New Connection Wizard opens 2 Click Next The Network Connection Type window opens 3...

Page 51: ... 4 Select Internet Protocol TCP IP and then go to step 6 N O TE If Internet Protocol TCP IP is not listed go to step 5 5 Install TCP IP i Click Install The Select Network Component Type window opens ii Select Protocol from the list iii Click Add The Select Network Protocol window opens iv Select Internet Protocol TCP IP v Click OK vi Insert the Windows XP CD or reboot the computer if prompted to d...

Page 52: ... your service provider s Web site go to step 8 8 Enter a valid Internet address such as www web com in the Address field and press Enter If the Web com Web page opens full service has already been activated and you can begin using your SOMAport for Internet service If your service provider s Web page opens activate full service by following the sign up procedure that is provided on the Web site If...

Page 53: ...anges you are prompted to save the changes 5 Restart your computer 6 Check your Internet connection by launching a Web browser on the computer connected to the SOMAport If your browser automatically opens to your service provider s Web site full service has already been activated If your browser does not automatically open to your service provider s Web site go to step 7 7 Enter a valid Internet a...

Page 54: ...onnection by launching a Web browser on the computer connected to the SOMAport If your browser automatically opens to your service provider s Web site full service has already been activated If your browser does not automatically open to your service provider s Web site go to step 9 9 Enter a valid Internet address such as www web com in the Address field and press Enter If the Web com Web page op...

Page 55: ...valid IP address See the DHCP mini HOWTO for information about configuring Linux to use DHCP available from The Linux Documentation Project at http www tldp org 5 Restart your computer 6 Check your Internet connection by launching a Web browser on the computer connected to the SOMAport If your browser automatically opens to your service provider s Web site full service has already been activated I...

Page 56: ...56 SOMAport Setup Guide ...

Page 57: ...u can recognize the operating status of the SOMAport the strength of the radio signal the Ethernet status and which antenna the SOMAport is using Contents Status light 58 Signal strength indicator lights 59 Ethernet status lights 61 SAU light 62 Chapter0SOMAPORT LIGHTS ...

Page 58: ... can be in one of the following states 00093 Status Light State Description Off The SOMAport is not plugged in See The SOMAport is not getting power on page 69 Amber The SOMAport is performing a diagnostic test If the light does not start flashing after five minutes the test has failed See There is a fault condition on page 68 Flashing amber The diagnostic test passed and the SOMAport is connectin...

Page 59: ...that make up the signal strength indicator remain off until a radio channel has been acquired When one or more of the lights is solidly lit the SOMAport has locked in a radio signal and is ready to use The more lights that are lit the stronger the signal For example when all four lights are lit the signal is optimized If only one light is lit the signal is weak however the SOMAport can still opera...

Page 60: ...akes a long time to open a Web page You cannot get onto the Internet at all These problems may be temporary and due to interference or a temporary physical obstruction near your building If performance problems persist and the signal strength lights indicate a weak signal see The signal is weak on page 66 for information about the steps you can take to optimize the signal If you cannot improve the...

Page 61: ... an Ethernet device a computer or a hub on its Ethernet port 00097 Link Light Green Data Transmit Light Amber Link Light Description Off The SOMAport is not connected to an Ethernet device See There is no connection between the SOMAport and your computer or hub on page 70 On The SOMAport is connected to an Ethernet device Data Transmit Light Description Off The SOMAport is not actively transmittin...

Page 62: ...s whether or not a SOMA Networks SAU is attached to the SAU connector If the SOMAport detects an SAU it uses it otherwise the SOMAport uses the internal antenna SAU light states This light indicates which antenna is being used 00438 SAU Light State Description Off The SOMAport is using the internal antenna Green The SOMAport is using the SAU ...

Page 63: ...nts Finding problem causes 64 The signal is weak 66 There is a fault condition 68 The SOMAport is not getting power 69 There is no connection between the SOMAport and your computer or hub 70 The computer uses an old dial up connection to connect to the Internet 74 Internet Explorer LAN settings are incorrect 76 Chapter0TROUBLESHOOTING AND GETTING HELP ...

Page 64: ... a fault condition during startup There is no connection between the computer and the SOMAport You are using Internet Explorer and the LAN settings are not properly configured The signal is weak Reboot your computer Unplug the SOMAport and plug it back in again See The SOMAport is not getting power on page 69 See There is a fault condition on page 68 See There is no connection between the SOMAport...

Page 65: ...tones not a regular dial tone the SOMAport has not finished booting Cable connections are not secure The telephone s telephone cable is inserted into the SOMAport s Ethernet port The telephone is broken The SOMAport experienced a fault condition during startup The SOMAport is not receiving power The signal is weak You have connected the SOMAport to your in building telephone wiring however the lin...

Page 66: ...esting one appliance at a time i Turn off the appliance ii While the appliance is off check the signal strength indicator to see if the signal improves If there is an improvement reposition either the appliance or the SOMAport so that they are farther apart If there is no improvement turn the appliance back on and try another appliance 3 If you cannot improve reception in the SOMAport s current lo...

Page 67: ... and Getting Help Your SOMAport is located at the extreme outer limit of an area covered by the transmitting tower If you have a persistent signal reception problem contact your wireless service provider to order an SAU ...

Page 68: ...t is powered on In this situation you must restart the SOMAport To restart the SOMAport 1 Unplug the SOMAport and leave it off for at least 10 seconds 2 Plug the SOMAport back in Wait until the status light on the front panel is green an indication that the SOMAport is receiving a radio signal If the status light still indicates a problem call your wireless service provider ...

Page 69: ...the SOMAport is plugged in 2 Make sure the power cord that connects the power supply to the wall outlet is securely connected to the power supply and the wall outlet 3 Make sure the power cord that connects the power supply to the SOMAport is securely connected to the power jack on the back of the SOMAport 4 Make sure the wall receptacle is working by plugging in an appliance that you know works 5...

Page 70: ...he Ethernet port USB connection There is no link light on the USB port If you are using USB to connect your computer or hub to the SOMAport and you suspect there is a problem with the physical connection follow the procedures documented here to find the cause of the problem If you want to verify whether or not there is a physical connection you can run the ipconfig command in Windows This command ...

Page 71: ...not exceed 5 meters 15 feet 3 If you are using a USB extension cable check to see if it is faulty by removing the USB extension and using a single USB cable between the SOMAport and the computer You may have to reposition the SOMAport to do this 4 Replace the USB cable You can replace the cable while the SOMAport is on 5 Try getting a connection using an Ethernet cable to see if there is a problem...

Page 72: ...ore it has completed its task you will have to reboot your computer before you can use your Internet service 6 Close the IP Configuration window To obtain a new IP address all other versions of Windows 1 Open the MS DOS Prompt window using one of the following methods In Windows 2000 choose Start Run Accessories Command Prompt In all other versions of Windows choose Start Programs MS DOS Prompt Th...

Page 73: ...68 1 1 4 Close the MS DOS Prompt or Command Prompt window To obtain a new IP address in Linux 1 Log in as root 2 Activate the Ethernet interface and obtain an IP address by typing ifup eth0 The following message is displayed Determining IP information for eth0 done This message may appear very quickly or it may take up to a few minutes depending on your system 3 Display the IP address for eth0 by ...

Page 74: ...rt Control Panel In all other versions of Windows Choose Start Settings Control Panel 2 Double click the Internet Options icon The Internet Properties window opens 3 Click the Connections tab 4 Enable the Never dial a connection checkbox 5 Click OK N O TE If you still cannot display a Web page check your browser to make sure it is in online mode To disable the automatic dial up connection in Mac O...

Page 75: ...omatic dial up connection in Mac OS X 1 Click the Apple icon and choose System Preferences 2 Click the Network icon 3 Click Show 4 Select Network Port Configurations from the pull down list 5 Disable the On checkbox for the dial up modem 6 Click Apply Now ...

Page 76: ...ever if this option has been disabled you will not be able to connect to the Internet To check Internet Explorer settings 1 Open Internet Explorer 2 Choose Tools Internet Options The Internet Options window opens 3 Click the Connections tab 4 Click LAN Settings The Local Area Network LAN Settings window opens 5 Make sure the Automatically detect settings checkbox is enabled 6 Click OK 7 Click OK o...

Page 77: ...o a SOMAport 19 using the Ethernet port 28 using the USB port 30 32 not connected with SOMAport 70 connecting an Ethernet hub to a SOMAport 33 computer equipment to a SOMAport 19 using the Ethernet port 28 using the USB port 30 32 multiple computers 33 power supply 26 27 telephone equipment to a SOMAport directly 19 through existing wiring 20 with one telephone line 36 38 See also connections conn...

Page 78: ...ccess problems and actions 64 66 access to LAN PCs 33 cannot connect to 64 connection to 12 Internet connection checking 42 45 48 system uses dial up connection 74 Internet Connection Wizard Windows 2000 47 Windows 95 41 Windows 98 and ME 44 Windows XP 50 Internet Explorer LAN settings 76 IP address obtaining automatically Linux 55 Mac OS 8 and 9 53 Mac OS X 54 Windows 2000 47 48 Windows 95 41 42 ...

Page 79: ... signal 66 problems from weak signal 60 reception quality improving 25 66 strength levels 59 restarting SOMAport 68 S safety instructions 5 SAU 17 connector 15 installation document 13 when required 66 SAU light states 62 separation distance warning 17 service providers 12 services 12 activating 39 documentation for 13 servicing See SOMAports signal strength indicator checking for a weak signal 66...

Page 80: ...B checking the cable 71 hubs 30 installing drivers 32 port 12 16 troubleshooting connection problems 70 when to use 28 V voice quality poor 65 W warnings attaching other devices to the SOMAport 15 18 during SOMAport operation 17 power supply 26 weak signal improving 60 Web pages See Internet Windows 2000 Internet Connection Wizard 47 network settings 48 Windows 95 Internet Connection Wizard 41 net...