User's Manual
37
Frequently Asked Questions
36
Troubleshooting
This section provides solutions to common problems that may arise during the installation
and operation of the Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PCCard. If you are having problems, refer to
the section below to find an answer. Please contact Actiontec’s technical support for further
assistance.
1. My computer does not recognize the Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PC Card.
Make sure the CardBus card is properly inserted into a 32 bit CardBus slot. If windows
does not detect the hardware upon insertion of the card, the system could have a previ-
ous Actiontec NDISdriver installed. Remove the old driver and try again.
2. The Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PC Card does not work properly after the driver is
installed.
Re-insert the CardBus card into the slot. A beep should be heard if the adapter is prop-
erly inserted. Go to the Device Manager and make sure the Actiontec 802.11a Wireless
PCCard adapter exists under the network adapters device node. If you see the yellow
exclamation then there are conflicting resources. In this case, make sure the computer
system has a free IRQ and make sure you have installed the proper driver. Uninstall the
driver, restart the system, and repeat the driver installation steps if necessary.
3. Stations cannot associate in AdHoc mode
Make sure the same service set identifier is specified for all stations that need to join the
same AdHoc network. Set up one station to establish a BSSand wait briefly before set-
ting up other stations. This prevents several stations from trying to establish a BSSat the
same time, which can result in multiple singular BSSs being established, rather than a sin-
gle BSS with multiple stations associated to it.
4. The station cannot access the internet in the Infrastructure configuration.
Make sure the station is associated and joined with the AP(Access Point). If Wired
Equivalent Privacy (WEP)security is enabled on the AP, the station must have the prop-
er WEPkeys specified. Also make sure TCP/IP properties are correctly configured.
Troubleshooting
1. How fast can Iaccess my network?
The Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PCCard supports all IEEE 802.11a data rates of 6, 9,
12, 24, 36, 48, and 54Mbps.
2. What is the range for network access, and how reliable is the connection?
It is recommended that operations occur within 300 feet of a station. The throughput
received ranges based on how far your system is from a station. Based on tests, the relia-
bility of 802.11a is such that it delivers 2 to 5 times the performance at the same range as
its predecessor 802.11b.
3. Can Ioperate an 802.11b network in the same area or vicinity?
Networks based on the IEEE 802.11b standard can coexist with networks based on the
Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PCCard because each network operates in its own frequency
band. IEEE802..11b operates at 2.4 GHz while IEEE 802.11a operates at 5.0GHz
4. Can Iperform realtime multimedia functions QOS?
Yes, the Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PCCard supports Quality of Service for realtime
multimedia applications. This allows multiple video, audio, voice, data, and telephony
applications to coexist on the same radio channel. The Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PC
Card is compatible with CableLabs CQoS, Microsoft GQoS and IEEE 802.1 p/q
Quality of Service.
5. Can Ishare my network resources, such as printers and drives?
The Actiontec 802.11a Networking PCCard is a fully functional networking device, it
allows ICS(Internet connection sharing), printer sharing, and drive sharing. Please refer
to section VConfiguring and File and Print Sharing for further help.
6. Will my Network be affected by my Cordless phone or Microwave Oven? No. The
Actiontec 802.11a Wireless PCCard operates at a radio frequency of 5.0GHz, most
microwaves operate around the 2.4 GHz range and most handsets at 900MHz to 2.4
GHz, therefore enough of a spectral separation is allowed for the operation of IEEE
802.11a networks.
Frequently Asked Questions