User's Manual

SSID control: The SSID is a name that a wireless device uses to indicate which WLAN it is on
or wants to join. It is case-sensitive, can be up to 32 characters long, and can contain letters,
numbers, and symbols. All devices on a WLAN must have exactly the same SSID setting.
Other terms often used for SSID are Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID), domain ID, net
ID, network name, extended network ID, and wireless network (or domain) name. The set of
devices that an SSID identifies is sometimes called a communication domain or wireless
domain.
Transmission Rate control: The adapter can transmit at many different bit rates (measured in
megabits per second, or Mbps), and it can automatically adjust its speed according to link
quality, signal strength, and the capabilities of whatever device it is exchanging signals with.
The default setting of the
Transmission Rate control is Auto.
There is rarely a need to change the setting of this control. The benefits of a fixed, low speed
(greater range) or a fixed, high speed (smaller range for greater security) can be obtained only
if all the devices on the WLAN are set the same way. A setting of
Auto offers the best
combination of throughput, range, and resistance to interference.
A speed of 22 Mbps can be used only on connections to devices from the same product
family as your adapter. Even if the
Transmission Rate control is set to 22 Mbps, the adapter
will not use a higher speed than the device at the other end of the link can handle.
Network Mode control: This control can be set to Infrastructure or 802.11 Ad-hoc. The default
setting is
Infrastructure. To establish and maintain a wireless connection, the adapter must
be set to the same mode as all the other devices on the WLAN.
A WLAN with a connection to a wired network (such as the Internet) is certain to be working
in infrastructure mode. An ad-hoc WLAN is usually a temporary, “on-the-spot” arrangement
among a group of people who need to connect only with each other and do not need the
resources of a wired network.
Some controls in the
Configuration panel are disabled or enabled according to which
network mode is selected. Infrastructure mode requires automatic channel switching. Packet
length standards must be observed in 802.11 ad-hoc mode, ruling out the use of 4X mode.
When you select high-speed ad-hoc mode, it is assumed that you want to use the highest
possible speed.
22