Harmony Harmony 802.
Copyright © 2001 Proxim, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA. All rights reserved. Covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents: 5,231,634; 5,875,179; 6,006,090. This user’s guide and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form by any means without the written permission of Proxim, Incorporated.
iii Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction .................................................................................. 1 The Harmony Family ....................................................................................... 2 The Product Package ..................................................................................... 3 System Requirements .................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2 - Installation ..............................
iv Chapter 6 - Troubleshooting .......................................................................... 37 How to Obtain Help with Your LAN Installation ............................................. 37 Common Installation Problems .................................................................... 38 PCI Card Not Listed in Device Manager ................................................... 38 802.11a PCI Card Not Installed Properly ..................................................
1 Chapter 1 Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the Harmony 8150 802.11a PCI Card. The Harmony 8150 802.11a PCI Card is a long range, high performance, wireless LAN adapter card that complies with the IEEE 802.11a standard. In addition, the PCI Card supports 2XTM mode, which provides data rates of up to 108 Mbps. The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card supports Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE). Computers with the Harmony 802.
Introduction 2 The Harmony Family The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card Model 8150 is a member of a product family that provides a complete wireless networking solution. • The Harmony Access Point Controller Model 7560 centralizes the management, security, and filtering capabilities of a wireless LAN. The Access Point (AP) Controller communicates with Harmony Access Points over the Ethernet network to provide wireless network access for mobile clients.
Introduction 3 The Product Package Each Harmony 802.11a PCI Card Model 8150 comes with the following: • One 802.11a PCI Card with two integral antennas (one antenna has a longer cable than the other) • One Harmony 802.11a PCI Card Installation CD-ROM containing Proxim software and utilities and this user’s guide in Portable Document Format (PDF) • One Harmony 8150 802.
Introduction 4 System Requirements To begin using the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card, you must have the following minimum requirements: • A computer that meets the following specifications: • Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), or Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) installed • PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect) expansion slot • At least 64 MB of memory • A 300 MHz processor or higher • At least one other IEEE 802.
5 Chapter 2 Installation This chapter describes how to install the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card and software in a computer running Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), or Windows 98 Second Edition (SE). Pre-installation Considerations Review the following pre-installation considerations before installing the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card. Regulatory Warnings FCC Guidelines It is the responsibility of the installer and users of the Harmony 802.
Installation 6 Windows ME and Windows 98 SE Installation CD Requirement Before beginning the installation of the 802.11a PCI Card, confirm that you have a Windows 98 SE or Windows ME installation CD available (depending on the computer’s operating system). Windows 98/ME users may be prompted to insert a Windows CD during the installation. You should not need a Windows CD when installing an 802.11a PCI Card in a Windows 2000 computer.
Installation 7 Hardware Installation Follow these steps to install the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card in a computer’s PCI slot: 1. Turn off your computer and unplug its power cord from the wall outlet for safety purposes. 2. Remove the computer cover. 3. Locate an unused PCI slot and refer to your PC’s manual for instructions on how to remove the plate that covers the slot (if applicable). 4. Align the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card over the empty slot. 5.
Installation 8 Software Installation Windows ME/98 SE Installation Steps The first time you turn on the computer after inserting the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card, the Add New Hardware Wizard will appear automatically, as shown in the following examples.
Installation 9 Windows 98 SE users should see this screen: Follow these steps to install the Harmony 802.11a software in a computer running Windows Millennium Edition (ME) or Windows 98 Second Edition (SE): 1. Insert the Harmony Installation CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Windows 98 SE users: Click Next to continue. 3. Select Automatic search for a better driver (Recommended) (Windows ME) or Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended) (Windows 98 SE) and click Next. 4.
Installation 10 Windows 2000 Installation Steps The first time you turn on the computer after inserting the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card, the Add New Hardware Wizard will appear automatically, as shown in the following example. Follow these steps to install the Harmony 802.11a software in a computer running Windows 2000: 1. Insert the Harmony Installation CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. 2. Click Next to continue. 3. Select Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended) and click Next. 4.
Installation 11 Harmony Utility Installation Steps Follow these steps to install the Harmony Utility: Note: Install the Harmony Utility after you have installed the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card in a Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, or Windows 2000 computer. 1. Turn on the computer and logon to Windows, if applicable. 2. Insert the Harmony Installation CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. 3. Run SETUP.EXE from the Harmony Installation CD to launch the Harmony Utility Setup program, shown in the following example.
Installation 12 The Harmony Utility’s Status Monitor icon will appear in Windows System Tray, as shown below. The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card is now ready for use. Use the Harmony Utility (described in Chapter 5) to configure the card and determine if it is communicating with other 802.11a devices. If you have one or more 802.11a Access Points, configure the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card’s Network Mode setting to Infrastructure. If your network consists of only 802.
13 Chapter 3 Wireless Topologies Harmony wireless products look and operate similar to Ethernet products. The only difference is that a radio replaces the wire between various nodes. This means that all of your existing applications that operate over Ethernet will work with Harmony without any special wireless networking software. The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card supports several network topologies, which are described in this chapter.
Wireless Topologies 14 Infrastructure Many companies have an existing Ethernet or wired LAN infrastructure and want to be able to extend that capability to wireless nodes. This is accomplished by installing a Harmony Access Point Controller and one or more Harmony 802.11a Access Points on the Ethernet network. The Harmony Access Point Controller and 802.11a Access Points work together to provide wireless clients with access to network resources.
Wireless Topologies 15 Roaming Between Multiple APs For larger environments, a Harmony 802.11a client devices may roam from one Harmony 802.11a Access Point to another while maintaining the same network connection. The 802.11a Access Points establish coverage areas or cells similar in concept to those of a cellular phone network. The mobile clients will connect to any 802.11a Access Point that is within range. Figure 3 Roaming Each Harmony 802.
Wireless Topologies 16 As the mobile client seamlessly switches from cell to cell, its network connectivity is preserved. The user can move freely between the Harmony 802.11a Access Points in the network. When the roaming client leaves the transmission range of one 802.11a Access Point, the software automatically polls the other 802.11a Access Point(s) in the same Extended Service Set (ESS) to continue the network connection.
17 Chapter 4 Configuration Parameters This chapter provides information on the 802.11a wireless standard and describes the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card’s configuration parameters. The IEEE 802.11a Specification In 1997, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) adopted the 802.11 standard for wireless devices operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
Configuration Parameters 18 802.11a Software Parameters The following configuration parameters are available for the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card. Refer to Chapter 5 for instructions on how to change these configuration settings using the Harmony Utility. Network Mode Network Mode configures the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card to operate in either Ad Hoc mode or Infrastructure mode. This parameter’s default setting varies based on the driver version installed. When set to Ad Hoc, all Harmony 802.
Configuration Parameters 19 Power Saving Mode The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card supports optional power management to conserve battery life. Power Saving Mode is only available if the PCI Card is operating in Infrastructure mode. When Power Saving Mode is set to Normal or Maximum, the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card enters a “doze” mode where the card becomes inactive and only wakes up periodically to receive control messages from the Access Point.
Configuration Parameters 20 Channel 802.11a devices spread a radio signal over a range of frequencies. The IEEE 802.11a specification allocates the available frequencies in the 5 GHz band into a series of operating Channels that are identified by a Channel number and a center carrier frequency. A PCI Card configured for Infrastructure mode receives a Channel assignment from its Access Point. You cannot configure the Channel for a PCI Card configured for Infrastructure mode.
Configuration Parameters 21 RTS/CTS The 802.11a standard supports optional RTS/CTS communication based on packet size. By default, RTS/CTS communication is disabled. Without RTS/CTS, a sending radio listens to see if another radio is already using the medium before transmitting a data packet. If the medium is free, the sending radio transmits its packets. However, there is no guarantee that another radio is not transmitting a packet at the same time, causing a collision.
Configuration Parameters 22 WEP Key An 802.11a device with WEP enabled uses a WEP Key to encrypt and decrypt information. If the WEP Keys do not match on two radios, no data communication will take place between these devices. The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card can support up to four WEP Keys (all four Keys must have the same Key Size). The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card can decrypt information that was encrypted with any of its four WEP Keys. A Harmony 802.
23 Chapter 5 Harmony Utility The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card includes a software utility that simplifies the management and configuration of a PCI Card. Chapter 2 describes how to install the utility. This chapter describes how to use the Harmony Utility after it has been installed. Status Monitor Icon After you have installed the Harmony Utility, the Status Monitor icon will appear in Windows System Tray. If the Harmony 802.
Harmony Utility 24 Configuration Utility The Harmony Utility includes several tools for diagnostic and configuration purposes. Each of the Harmony Utility’s screen is described below. For additional information about the Harmony Utility, click Help on any screen to view on-line Help documentation. Association Information The Association Information screen, shown in the example below, displays information about the PCI Card’s connection with the 802.11a network.
Harmony Utility 25 • Station Address: This field displays the PCI Card’s physical address (also known as MAC address). This address is configured at the factory. • Channel (Freq): This field displays the current Channel and center frequency that the PCI Card is using. See “Channel” on page 20 for details. • Send Rate: This field reports the PCI Card’s current transmit rate. • Receive Rate: This field reports the data rate at which the PCI Card is currently receiving packets sent by another 802.
Harmony Utility 26 Station Configuration Click the Configuration tab to view the Station Configuration screen, shown below. Edit the configuration parameters as necessary and click Apply to save your changes. To change the operating Channel, Maximum Send Rate and RTS/CTS settings, click the button labeled Advanced Configuration to display these parameters, as shown in the example on the next page. The configuration parameters are described in Chapter 4 beginning on page 17.
Harmony Utility 27
Harmony Utility 28 Security Click the Security tab to view the WEP Configuration screen. From within this screen, you can enable WEP and configure the PCI Card’s WEP Keys. Follow these steps to enable WEP: 1. Place a check mark in the Enable WEP for Encryption box if you want the PCI Card to use WEP to encrypt data, as shown below. 2. Click Configure WEP Keys. 3. Select a Key Size from the drop-down menu (40 Bit, 128 Bit, or 152 Bit).
Harmony Utility 29 4. Enter one to four WEP Keys in the fields provided, as shown in the following example. 5. Use only hexadecimal digits (i.e., 0-9 and A-F). For 40-bit encryption, enter 10 digits for each Key; for 128-bit encryption, enter 26 digits for each Key; for 152-bit encryption, enter 32 digits for each Key. 6. To simplify WEP configuration on other 802.11a devices, click Write Keys to File... to save the WEP Keys you configured in Step #5 to a text file.
Harmony Utility 30 In the following example, Key 3 is the Default Key. The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card can decrypt information that was encrypted with any of its four WEP Keys but it will only use the Default Key to encrypt outgoing information. 9. Click Apply or OK to save the new WEP settings. 10. If you need to change a WEP Key at a later date, click Configure WEP Keys and enter one to four new WEP Keys.
Harmony Utility 31 Network Traffic Statistics Click the Statistics tab to view information about the number of packets sent and received by the PCI Card, as shown below. The default Statistics screen displays the following statistics: • Unicast Packets Sent: This statistic reports the number of packets transmitted by the PCI Card that were destined for a single network node.
Harmony Utility 32 The advanced Statistics screen displays the following additional statistics: • Unicast Bytes Sent: This statistic reports the total number of bytes contained in the unicast packets transmitted by the PCI Card. • Multicast Bytes Sent: This statistic reports the total number of bytes contained in the multicast packets transmitted by the PCI Card.
Harmony Utility 33 • Last ACK RSSI: This statistic reports the RSSI (Received Signal Strength) for the last acknowledgment (ACK) received by the PCI Card. RSSI is reported in decibels (dB) and typically ranges from 0 to 75. In general, an RSSI less than 15 indicates a weak signal and an RSSI greater than 30 indicates a strong signal. • ACK Errors: This statistic reports the number of unicast transmit attempts for which no acknowledgement (ACK) was received.
Harmony Utility 34 Link Quality When the PCI Card is in Infrastructure mode, click the Link Quality tab to view the list of Access Points within range of the PCI Card, as shown in the following example. You can perform a link quality test with any of the detected Access Points by clicking the Transmission Success Rate button.
Harmony Utility 35 Packet Transmission Success Rate When the PCI Card is configured for Infrastructure mode, select one of the detected Access Points in the Access Points screen and click Transmission Success Rate to determine the link quality between the PCI Card and the selected device. The PCI Card sends a series of packets to the selected Access Point and monitors the number of replies it receives.
Harmony Utility 36
37 Chapter 6 Troubleshooting The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card is designed to be very easy to install and operate. However, if you experience any difficulties, use the information in this chapter to help diagnose and solve the problem. If you still cannot resolve the problem, contact Proxim Technical Support as described in Appendix B, “How to Reach Technical Support.” How to Obtain Help with Your LAN Installation If you require assistance to install your LAN, Proxim can put you in touch with an 802.
Troubleshooting 38 Common Installation Problems Chapter 2 describes how to install the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card in a computer running Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), and Windows 2000. This section provides some suggestions to resolve many of the common installation problems with the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card. PCI Card Not Listed in Device Manager Follow these steps if you have installed the 802.
Troubleshooting 39 5. Determine if the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card has been assigned an Interrupt Request or if it is having a resource conflict with another device that is already using the Interrupt Request (IRQ), I/O Base Address, or Memory Range for which the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card is configured. 6. If the PCI Card has not been assigned an IRQ, check the PCI configuration settings within the BIOS Setup screen to assign the 802.11a PCI Card available resources.
Troubleshooting 40 Configuring Networking Clients and Protocols The Harmony 802.11a PCI Card will bind to any existing networking components, such as Client for Microsoft Networks and the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Refer to the steps below that correspond to your computer’s operating system to configure the card’s networking components. Windows 2000 Follow these steps to configure the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card’s networking clients and protocols in a Windows 2000 computer: 1.
Troubleshooting 41 Uninstalling the 802.11a PCI Card Follow these steps if you need to uninstall the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card: 1. Right-click the Status Monitor and choose Remove Status Monitor From Task Bar. 2. Open the Control Panel and double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 3. Select Harmony 802.11a from the list of installed programs and click Add/Remove... (Windows 98/ME) or Change/Remove (Windows 2000). 4. Select Automatic from the list of uninstall options and click Next. 5.
Troubleshooting 42 Range Every environment is unique with different obstacles, barriers, materials, etc., and, therefore, it is difficult to determine the exact range that will be achieved without testing. Radio signals may reflect off of some obstacles or be absorbed by others depending on their construction. The IEEE 802.11a specification supports eight data rates: 54 Mbps, 48 Mbps, 36 Mbps, 24 Mbps, 18 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 9 Mbps, and 6 Mbps.
Troubleshooting 43 Common Technical Support Questions This section discusses some of the most common problems using the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card and offers possible solutions Symptom/Question Possible Solution/Answer My office has an existing 802.11b network. Is the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card compatible? No. 802.11a devices are not compatible with 802.11b devices. I want to install a Harmony 802.11a network in my office that has an existing 802.11b network. Will the 802.
Troubleshooting 44
45 Appendix A Technical Specifications The following technical specification is for reference purposes only. Actual product’s performance and compliance with local telecommunications regulations may vary from country to country. Proxim, Inc. will only ship products that are type approved in the destination country. Technical Specifications Bus Interface ...................................PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect) Data Rate ........................................
46 Parameters Parameter Range Default Network Mode Ad Hoc, Infrastructure Depends on driver version Power Saving (Infrastructure only) Off, Normal, Maximum Off 2X Mode Enabled, Disabled Disabled SSID Up to 32 characters Depends on driver version Channel (Ad Hoc only) In 802.
47 Appendix B How to Reach Technical Support If you are having a problem using the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card and cannot resolve it with the information in Chapter 6, gather the following information and contact Proxim Technical Support: • What kind of network are you using? • What were you doing when the error occurred? • What error message did you see? • Can you reproduce the problem? • What version of the Harmony 802.
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49 Index A ACK Errors ................................................................................... 33 Ad Hoc.................................................................... 12, 13, 18, 26, 46 Antenna ..................................................................................... 3, 7 AP Address .................................................................................. 34 Association Information ............................................................. 24–25 Association State .
50 Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum .................................................. 17 H Harmony 802.11a Access Point ......................................... 2, 14–16, 18, 34–35 802.11a PCI Card Antenna ......................................................................... 3, 7 Configuration Parameters ............................................... 18–22 Installation ................................................................... 5–12 Uninstall Instructions ..................................
51 N NETPR11A.INF ................................................................................ 41 Network Mode ............................................................... 12, 18, 26, 46 Network Traffic Statistics ............................................................. 31–33 Networking Client Configuration ......................................................................... 40 O Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) ...........................
52 Statistics. See Network Traffic Statistics Status Monitor ..................................................................... 12, 23, 41 System Requirements ....................................................................... 4 T TCP/IP ........................................................................................ 40 Technical Support.......................................................................... 47 Temperature Operating .......................................................
