belkin.com

Belkin Corporation

501 West Walnut Street

Compton ??? CA ??? 90220 ??? USA

Tel: 310.898.1100

Fax: 310.898.1111

Belkin Components, Ltd.

Express Business Park

Shipton Way ??? Rushden ??? NN10 6GL

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1933 35 2000

Fax: +44 (0) 1933 31 2000

Belkin Components B.V.

Starparc Building ??? Boeing Avenue 333 1119 PH Schiphol-Rijk ??? The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 20 654 7300

Fax: +31 (0) 20 654 7349

Belkin Components, Ltd.

7 Bowen Crescent ??? West Gosford

NSW 2250 ??? Australia

Tel: +61 (0) 2 4372 8600

Fax: +61 (0) 2 4372 8603

Belkin Tech Support

US: 310.898.1100 ext. 2263 800.223.5546 ext. 2263 Europe: 00 800 223 55 460 Australia: 1800 666 040

P73851-B

Wireless Notebook

Network Card

Connect your laptop to a wireless network

User Manual

?? 2002 Belkin Corporation. All rights reserved. All trade names are registered trademarks of respective manufacturers listed.

F5D6020 ver. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Using the Belkin Wireless LAN Monitor Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The Status Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Statistics Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

The Site Survey Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Encryption Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The Advanced Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Using Profile Manager Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Operating in Ad-Hoc Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Belkin Wireless Notebook Network Card (the Card). Now you can take advantage of this great new technology and gain the freedom you need around the home or office without using cables. The Wireless Notebook Network Card works like a conventional network card, but without the wires. The easy installation and setup will have you networking wirelessly in minutes. Please be sure to read through this manual completely to be sure that you are getting the most out of your Wireless Notebook Network Card.

Features

The Card complies with the IEEE 802.11b standard in order to communicate with other 802.11b-compliant wireless devices.

???2.4GHz ISM (Industrial, Science, and Medical) band operation

???Integrated, easy-to-use profile manager for storing multiple wireless network settings for work, school, home, or any other setup

???Wireless interface compliance with the IEEE 802.11b standard

???PCMCIA Interface, for operation in virtually any notebook computer

???64- or 128-bit Wireless (WEP) Encryption

???Wireless access to networked resources

???Support for both infrastructure and ad-hoc (peer-to-peer) networking modes

???Data rate of up to 11Mbps

Supports 11, 5.5, 2 or 1Mbps rates (auto-rollback)

???Easy installation and use

???Integrated external antenna

???LED indicators

INTRODUCTION

Applications and Advantages

???Wireless roaming with a laptop around the home or office

Offers the freedom of networking???without cables.

???Difficult-to-wire environments

Enables networking in buildings with solid or finished walls, or open areas where wiring is difficult to install.

???Frequently changing environments

Adapts easily in offices or environments that frequently rearrange or change locations.

???Temporary LANs for special projects or peak time

Sets up temporary networks such as at trade shows, exhibitions, and construction sites, which need networks on a short-term basis, also companies who need additional workstations for a peak activity period.

???SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) networking needs

Provides the easy and quick small network installation SOHO users need.

System Requirements

???PC-compatible laptop with one available PCMCIA slot

???Windows?? 98, 2000, Me, or XP

Package Contents

???Belkin Wireless Notebook Network Card

???Quick Installation Guide

???Installation Software CD

???User Manual

INTRODUCTION

Knowing your Belkin Wireless Notebook Network Card

b

c

(a)Power LED: When the Card receives power, this light will be on.

(b)Link LED: When the Card has a link to a wireless network, the light will be solid. When not linked to a wireless network, the light will slowly flash.

(c)Card Connector: This is the side of the Card that fits into the PCMCIA slot of your laptop.

(d)Antenna: Integrated external antenna.

INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE CARD

Installing your Card is done in three easy steps:

1.Install the software FIRST. If you plug your Card into your laptop before you install the software, it will not work until you install the software.

2.Plug the Card into your laptop.

3.Let your Windows operating system finish installing the Card.

NOTE: INSTALL THE SOFTWARE FIRST BEFORE YOU INSTALL THE CARD

INTO YOUR NOTEBOOK.

Software and Driver Installation

1.Insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2.The Belkin Wireless Notebook Network Card Setup Utility screen will automatically appear. If it does not appear within 15-20 seconds, then select your CD-ROM drive and double-click on the folder named ???Files???. Next double-click on the icon named ???F5D6020_UTILITY.exe???.

3.In the menu window, drag your mouse over the ???Install??? button then select ???Click here??? to start the software installation program.

INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE CARD

4.The installer will start. Click on or select ???Easy??? to continue to the next step. If you are using Windows XP, it is recommended that you use the Belkin Wireless Notebook Network Card Utility to manage the Card???s wireless settings. If you want to use Windows XP to manage the Card, check ???Use the Windows XP Wireless Network Connection Utility???. Instructions on how to use the Windows XP Connection Utility are available from Microsoft. Click ???Next??? to continue.

5.After the software installation is finished, the message ???You can plug in your WLAN adapter now??? will appear.

6.Insert the Card, label side UP, into your computer???s PCMCIA slot firmly until it stops. The two lights on the side will turn on when it is inserted properly.

INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE CARD

7.After connecting your Card, Windows will detect that new hardware has been installed. Depending on which version of Windows you are using, a window similar to the one pictured below will appear. Select the option that will automatically install the software.

8.If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you may see a screen similar to the one below. This does not mean there is a problem. Select ???Continue Anyway???.

INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE CARD

9.If you are using Windows 98 or Me, you will be asked to restart your computer. Select ???Restart???. If you are using Windows 2000 or XP, you will see a window similar to the one below. Click ???Finish???.

10.When the installation is complete, the Belkin PCMCIA WLAN Monitor icon will appear on your desktop. To open the Monitor Utility, double-click on this icon.

11.A small icon in your system tray (bottom right corner of most screens) will appear. This is your shortcut to the Belkin WLAN Monitor. It also indicates the status of your connection.

Blue: Connected to a wireless network.

Red: No connection to a wireless network.

INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE CARD

Connecting to Your Wireless Network

If you already have a wireless router or an access point in your home or office, the Card will automatically attempt to connect to your wireless network. In most cases, the Card will be able to connect to your network automatically. If your wireless network is using encryption, you will need to set the encryption settings of your Card to match that of your wireless network. For information about configuring your Card, see the next section in this manual.

Uninstalling the Software and Drivers

If you need to remove the software and drivers for any reason, you can easily accomplish this in one of two ways. You can insert the software CD and click on the ???Install??? option in the menu, or you can go to the Windows Control Panel and select the ???Add/Remove Programs??? option. The Belkin wizard will walk you through the removal process.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

When you launch the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility (the Utility), you will be presented with the screen below. The following small icon will also be present in your system tray.

The Utility can be set to always be on top of everything else on your desktop when it is open. This setting can be changed if you right-click on the icon in your system tray.

Place a check mark next to ???Always on top??? to keep the utility on top all of the time. Remove the check mark to set the window to move to the back when you select another window. You can close the Utility screen without shutting the Utility down by clicking Exit (l). Double-clicking on the icon in the system tray will open the window.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

The Status Tab

a b c d e f g h

i

l

j k

(a) Profile Name

The first thing you will notice is the ???Profile Name???. Initially this will say ???default??? and be grayed out until you have set up a profile. Also, the Profile Manager Mode (k) will be ???OFF???. Using Profiles allows you to save configurations for different wireless networks. For instance, if you use your Card at your place of work and also at your home, your wireless network settings may be different for each location. Profiles let you store settings for each location and name them for easy identification. The ???default??? profile will contain the initial configuration setting when you install the Card. To learn how to use Profiles, see the section of this manual called ???Using Profile Manager Mode???.

(b) Operating Mode

Shows the current wireless mode the Card is operating in. There are two operating modes: ???Infrastructure??? and ???802.11 Ad-Hoc???. Infrastructure is the most common mode to operate in and is the factory default setting. Use Infrastructure mode when connecting your PC to a wireless access point or to a wireless router. Ad-Hoc mode is used to connect two or more computers

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

together without the use of an access point or wireless router. To change the mode, click the down-facing arrow next to the Operating Mode field. Select the mode you wish to use, then click ???Apply???. For more information about operating in Ad-Hoc mode, see ???Operating in Ad-Hoc Mode???.

(c) Channel

Shows the current channel the Card is operating on. When operating in Infrastructure mode, the channel is set automatically by the access point or wireless router that the Card is connected to. You cannot change the channels in Infrastructure mode. In Ad-Hoc mode, the channel can be set manually. For more information about operating in Ad-Hoc mode, see ???Operating in Ad-Hoc Mode???.

(d) SSID

The SSID is the wireless network name. This field shows the current SSID with which the Card is associated. The default (factory) setting is ???ANY???, which will cause the Card to automatically look for any wireless network in the area. To connect to a specific wireless network, you can manually enter the SSID of the known wireless network. Note that the SSID is case-sensitive, so, capital letters do make a difference. To change the SSID, click in the SSID field, type the SSID you want, then click ???Apply???.

(e) TxRate

Displays the current rate of data transmission. There are five Tx rates possible:

Fixed 11Mbps???Always transmit and receive at 11Mbps data rate regardless of signal quality.

Fixed 5.5Mbps???Always transmit and receive at 5.5Mbps data rate regardless of signal quality.

Fixed 2Mbps???Always transmit and receive at 2Mbps data rate regardless of signal quality.

Fixed 1Mbps???Always transmit and receive at 1Mbps data rate regardless of signal quality.

Auto???Adjust speed according to signal strength. This mode is the recommended setting. It will decrease the amount of transmit and receive errors by reducing the speed of transmission in favor of receiving error-free data. Note that data being sent at Fixed 11Mbps with low signal quality will not necessarily get the data to the computer faster. This is because when errors occur, the data must be resent. When the signal quality is low, the chances for errors to occur at high speeds are greatly increased. Sending the data at lower speeds when the signal quality is poor will reduce the chances of errors, and thus data will get to the computer in the shortest possible time.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

(f) MAC Address

Shows the MAC address of the Wireless Notebook Network Card.

(g) Status

Displays the BSSID (in hexadecimal) of the access point with which the Card is associated. If you are connected to a network, the word ???Associated??? followed by a series of numbers (the MAC address of the access point) will be displayed. If the Card is scanning for a network, you will see the

word ???Scanning???.

(h) Signal Strength

Displays the strength of the wireless signal from 0 to 100%. The closer to 100%, the better the signal strength is. The closer you are to a wireless router or access point, the stronger the signal should be.

(i) Link Quality

Displays the quality of the wireless signal from 0 to 100%. The closer to 100%, the better the link quality is. Link quality differs from signal strength by measuring the actual quality of the signal. It is possible to have low signal strength and high link quality.

(j) Activate Profile Manager Mode

See the section called ???Using Profile Manager Mode???.

(l) Exit Button

Click ???Exit??? to close the Wireless LAN Monitor Utility. To access the utility again, double-click on the ??? ??? icon in the bottom right corner of

your screen.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

The Statistics Tab

a

The ???Statistics??? tab shows you how much data has been sent and received and if any errors occurred. Click ???Reset??? (a) to start at zero. This screen is mostly for diagnostics. Note that the number of unsuccessful data and management frames is recorded. A large number of unsuccessful frames may indicate that there is a problem or interference in your area.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

The Site Survey Tab

Clicking on the ???Site Survey??? tab will display a list of all available access points in your area. The following information about each is displayed:

g

(a)BSSID???The MAC address of the access point.

(b)SSID???The Service Set Identifier (wireless network name) of the access point.

(c)Signal???The signal strength of the related access point. This is a ???snapshot??? of the signal strength at the time of the site survey. Pressing the ???Re-Scan??? (g) button may get a different result.

(d)Channel???The current operating channel of the access point.

(e)Encryption???Will display ???No??? when encryption is disabled, ???64-bit??? when 64-bit encryption is enabled, and ???128-bit??? when 128-bit encryption is enabled.

(f)BSS???Displays the mode that the access point is operating in: Infrastructure or Ad-Hoc.

TIP-> Double-clicking on the BSSID of an access point will make the Card join that particular network. To check the area for more access points, click ???Re-Scan???.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

The Encryption Tab

The ???Encryption??? tab is used to set up the wireless encryption settings.

There are two ways to set up the encryption settings of your card: ???Create with Passphrase??? or ???Manual Entry???. Select ???64-bit??? from the drop-down menu. You will notice when using 64-bit encryption, there are four keys labeled ???Key 1??? through ???Key 4???. Only one key can be used at a time. For ease of use, the software can generate keys using a passphrase that you enter. This passphrase can be easily distributed to other wireless-equipped computer users in your network. For instance, creating a key using the passphrase ???Passphrase??? generates four keys in 64-bit encryption mode and one key in 128-bit encryption mode. In this scenario, a user of a laptop needs only to enter the passphrase and the key number into the computer???s wireless management software to be able to communicate while using encryption. All computers on the network must use the same encryption rate, passphrase, and key. The passphrase can be changed as often as desired.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

Setting 64-Bit or 128-Bit Encryption Using a Passphrase (Easiest) 1. Select ???64-bit??? or ???128-bit??? from the drop-down menu (a).

a

2. Select ???Create with Passphrase??? (b).

b

c

3.Enter a passphrase and click ???Generate??? (c). Clicking ???Generate??? will generate four keys (d) if you choose 64-bit or one key if you choose 128-bit. The keys are obscured for security reasons so they cannot be read by another person.

d

4.You can now select which 64-bit key you want to use from the ???Default Key ID??? drop-down menu. Leave this set to ???1??? unless you have a specific reason to use another key. Click ???Apply??? for the changes to be saved.

Encryption is now enabled. Each wireless-equipped computer (client) that needs to communicate on the wireless network must be set to the same encryption settings (rate, passphrase, and key).

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

Setting 64-Bit or 128-Bit Manually Using an Alphanumeric Keyword (Advanced)

1.Select ???64-bit??? or ???128-bit??? encryption from the drop-down menu.

2.Select ???Manual Entry??? then ???Alphanumeric: 5 characters??? if using 64-bit

or ???Alphanumeric: 12 characters??? if using 128-bit. Enter up to four keys.

3.Select the key that you want to use.

4.Click ???Apply???.

Encryption is now enabled. Each wireless-equipped computer (client) that needs to communicate on the wireless network must be set to the same encryption settings (rate, passphrase, and key).

Setting 64-Bit or 128-Bit Manually Using a Hexadecimal Key (Advanced)

1.Select ???64-bit??? or ???128-bit??? from the drop-down menu.

2.Select ???Manual Entry??? then ???Hexadecimal: 10 characters (0-9,A-F)??? if using

64-bit or ???Hexadecimal: 26 characters (0-9,A-F)??? if using 128-bit. Enter up to four keys.

3.Select the key that you want to use.

4.Click ???Apply???.

Encryption is now enabled. Each wireless-equipped computer (client) that needs to communicate on the wireless network must be set to the same encryption settings (rate, passphrase, and key).

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

The Advanced Tab

The settings on the ???Advanced??? tab should be left as is unless there is a specific reason to change them.

a

b

c

(a) Preamble Type

The preamble is a signal used to synchronize the timing between the wireless network card and the access point. Some older wireless equipment may not be able to work if this setting is set to ???Short???. Leaving this setting to ???Auto??? is the most effective way to ensure the Card will connect to any wireless network available.

(b) Fragmentation Threshold and RTS/CTS Threshold

These settings should be left at their default settings. If you are experiencing many data errors, you can change these settings, however, network performance will likely decrease.

(c) Power Save

Enabling ???Power Save??? will help reduce battery consumption on a laptop by turning the Card OFF after each data set is sent or received to or from the network. Enabling this mode will decrease performance of the Card, but may greatly enhance your battery life. Use this feature only if necessary.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

Using Profile Manager Mode

Using Profiles allows you to save configurations for different wireless networks. For instance, if you use your Card at your place of work and also at your home, your wireless network settings may be different for each location. Profiles let you store settings for each location and name them for easy identification. You can quickly change from one profile to another profile without having to remember the particular settings of a certain network.

After you first install the Card, the Profile Manager mode will be turned OFF. If you want to use the Profile Manager, you will need to turn it on and set

up a profile.

d

b

c

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

Creating a Profile

Before you can use the Profile Manager, you need to create a profile. Follow these steps to create a profile.

1.If not already, turn ON the Profile Manager mode by pressing the ???Activate Profile Manager Mode??? button. (c).

2.The ???Profile Name??? field (a) will become active. Click inside of the

Profile Name field and type in the name you want to call the profile, such as ???Home???.

3.At this point, you now need to set the rest of the parameters for the network that you will be connecting to. Set the Operating Mode, Encryption settings, Network Type, SSID, etc. When you have finished making these settings, click ???Apply??? (b).

A profile with the name you chose now exists in the Profile Manager. You can select this profile quickly and easily any time you need to use it.

Choosing a Profile

You can quickly and easily choose a profile any time you need it. There are two methods to do so.

Quick Pick

1. Right-click the Utility icon in the task bar.

2.Place your cursor over ???Profile???. A list of the profiles you have created will appear. Move the cursor over the profile that you want to use and left-click on the name. The profile you just selected will become active.

Choosing from the Utility

1.Make sure Profile Manager mode is on.

2.Click the down-facing arrow next to ???Profile Name???. A list of all of the profiles you have created will appear. Click on the name of the profile you want to use.

3.Click ???Apply???. The profile you just selected will become active.

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

Operating in Ad-Hoc Mode

Ad-Hoc mode is a peer-to-peer mode (computer-to-computer). To set two or more computers to communicate directly with each other, follow these steps:

a

1.Select ???Ad-Hoc??? from the ???Operating Mode??? box (a).

2.Enter the channel you want to use in the ???Channel??? box (b). You can choose any one of the available channels you wish.

3.In the SSID field (c), type in the name you want to use to identify the Ad-Hoc network. You can name this anything you want.

4.Click ???Apply??? to save the changes. When the Card is in Ad-Hoc mode, the ???Status??? box (d) will say ???Ready???.

NOTE: The Signal Strength and Link Quality indicators do not work in Ad-Hoc mode.

21

USING THE BELKIN WIRELESS LAN MONITOR UTILITY

d

5.Using these same settings, set the rest of the computers on your Ad-Hoc network to the same settings. When you have completed setup of the Ad-Hoc network, computers will network together normally as if wired together through a hub or switch.

TROUBLESHOOTING

You can find technical support information at networking.belkin.com or www.belkin.com through the tech support area. If you want to contact technical support by phone, please call 800-223-5546. Technical support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

INFORMATION

FCC Statement

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY WITH FCC RULES FOR

ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY

We, Belkin Corporation, of 501 West Walnut Street, Compton, CA 90220, declare under our sole responsibility that the product,

F5D6020

to which this declaration relates,

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 operation.

Caution: Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation.

The radiated output power of this device is far below the FCC radio frequency exposure limits. Nevertheless, the device shall be used in such manner that the potential for human contact normal operation is minimized.

When connecting an external antenna to the device, the antenna shall be placed in such a manner to minimize the potential for human contact during normal operation. In order to avoid the possibility of exceeding the FCC radio frequency exposure limits, human proximity to the antenna shall not be less than 20cm (8 inches) during normal operation.

Federal Communications Commission Notice

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. If not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, it may 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 and correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

???Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

???Increase the distance between the equipment and the receiver.

???Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

???Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Modifications

The FCC requires the user to be notified that any changes or modifications to this device that are not expressly approved by Belkin Components may void the users authority to operate the equipment.

INFORMATION

Canada- Industry Canada (IC)

The wireless radio of this device complies with RSS 139 & RSS 210 Industry Canada. This Class B digital complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil num??rique de la classe B conforme ?? la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Europe-European Union Notice

Radio products with the CE 0560 or CE alert marking comply

with the R&TTE Directive (1995/5/EC) issued by the Commission of the European Community.

Compliance with this directive implies conformity to the following European Norms (in brackets are the equivalent international standards).

??? EN 60950 (IEC60950) ??? Product Safety

???EN 300 328 Technical requirement for radio equipment

???ETS 300 826 General EMC requirements for radio equipment.

To determine the type of transmitter, check the identification label on your Belkin product.

Products with the CE marking comply with the EMC Directive (89/336/EEC) and the Low Voltage Directive (72/23/EEC) issued by the Commission of the European Community. Compliance with these directives implies

conformity to the following European Norms (in brackets are the equivalent international standards).

???EN 55022 (CISPR 22) ??? Electromagnetic Interference

???EN 55024 (IEC61000-4-2,3,4,5,6,8,11)- Electromagnetic Immunity

???EN 61000-3-2 (IEC610000-3-2) - Power Line Harmonics

???EN 61000-3-3 (IEC610000) ??? Power Line Flicker

???EN 60950 (IEC60950) ??? Product Safety

Products that contain the radio transmitter are labeled with CE 0560 or CE alert marking and may also carry the CE logo.