EZ-Stream Universal 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless CardBus Adapter User Guide The easy way to make all your network connections 38 Tesla Irvine, CA 92618 Phone: (949) 679-8000 October 2003 Revision Number: US F1.
Copyright Information furnished by SMC Networks, Inc. (SMC) is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by SMC for its use, nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of SMC. SMC reserves the right to change specifications at any time without notice. Copyright © 2003 by SMC Networks, Inc.
COMPLIANCES Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement 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.
COMPLIANCES EC Conformance Declaration - Class B SMC contact for these products in Europe is: SMC Networks Europe, Edificio Conata II, Calle Fructuós Gelabert 6-8, 2o, 4a, 08970 - Sant Joan Despí, Barcelona, Spain.
COMPLIANCES Safety Compliance Wichtige Sicherheitshinweise (Germany) 1. Bitte lesen Sie diese Hinweise sorgfältig durch. 2. Heben Sie diese Anleitung für den späteren Gebrauch auf. 3. Vor jedem Reinigen ist das Gerät vom Stromnetz zu trennen. Verwenden Sie keine Flüssigoder Aerosolreiniger. Am besten eignet sich ein angefeuchtetes Tuch zur Reinigung. 4. Die Netzanschlu ßsteckdose soll nahe dem Gerät angebracht und leicht zugänglich sein. 5. Das Gerät ist vor Feuchtigkeit zu schützen. 6.
COMPLIANCES 14. Wenn folgende Situationen auftreten ist das Gerät vom Stromnetz zu trennen und von einer qualifizierten Servicestelle zu überprüfen: a. Netzkabel oder Netzstecker sind beschädigt. b. Flüssigkeit ist in das Gerät eingedrungen. c. Das Gerät war Feuchtigkeit ausgesetzt. d. Wenn das Gerät nicht der Bedienungsanleitung entsprechend funktioniert oder Sie mit Hilfe dieser Anleitung keine Verbesserung erzielen. e. Das Gerät ist gefallen und/oder das Gehäuse ist beschädigt. f.
TABLE OF CONTENTS EZ-Stream™ Universal 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless CardBus Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hardware Description . . . . . . . . .
TABLE OF CONTENTS Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Adapter Installation Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Network Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 SMC Networks EZ-Stream Wireless CardBus Adapter Maximum Distance Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EZ-Stream™ Universal 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless CardBus Adapter SMC’s EZ-Stream Universal 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless CardBus Adapter (SMC2336W-AG) is a triple-band wireless network adapter that supports up to 108 Mbps data rate, and seamlessly integrates with existing Ethernet networks to support applications such as mobile users or temporary conferences.
EZ-Stream™ Universal 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless CardBus Adapter • Seamless connectivity to wired Ethernet LANs augments existing networks quickly and easily • Supports Complementary Code Keying (CCK) for 802.
System Requirements • Access to databases for mobile workers Doctors, nurses, retailers, office workers who need access to databases while being mobile in a hospital, retail store, office, campus etc • SOHO (Small Office Home Office) users SOHO users who need quick and easy installation of a small mobile computer network • Wireless Multimedia Systems Provides OFDM high-bandwidth for wireless multimedia applications for users such as video communication systems System Requirements Before you install th
EZ-Stream™ Universal 2.4GHz/5GHz Wireless CardBus Adapter Package Contents The EZ-Stream Universal Wireless CardBus Adapter package includes: • 1 Wireless CardBus Adapter (SMC2336W-AG) • 1 EZ Installation Wizard and Documentation CD • 1 Quick Installation Guide Please register this product and upgrade the product warranty at www.smc.com Please inform your dealer if there are any incorrect, missing or damaged parts.
Hardware Description The SMC2336W-AG Adapter provides 54 Mbps connections. It is fully compliant with the specification of the IEEE 802.11a,b,g standards. It can be installed in any notebook running Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP, with a CardBus type II or type III slot. LEDs The two status LED indicators of the SMC2336W-AG are described in the following figure and table. LINK ACT LED Status Description Link On (Green) Indicates a valid connection.
Hardware Installation Warning: Network cards are sensitive to static electricity. To protect the card, avoid touching its electrical components, and touch the ground often to equalize the static charges, before handling the card. 1. Find an available type II or type III CardBus slot in your laptop. 2. With the Adapter’s 68-pin connector facing the CardBus slot, and the “EZ-Stream” label facing up, slide the card completely into the slot as shown below.
Driver and Utility Installation The EZ Installation Wizard and Documentation CD that comes with the package contains all the software drivers for the SMC2336W-AG Adapter. Any new or updated drivers can be downloaded from the SMC web site at www.smc.com. Also, check the SMC web site for additional online support. For Windows 98SE/Me/2000 You may find that the screen shots here do not exactly match your version of Windows. This is because these steps and screen shots were created from Windows 2000.
Driver and Utility Installation 1. Insert the EZ Installation Wizard CD into your CD-ROM drive and click Install Driver/Utility. Then the Choose Setup Language window will appear. Select the desired language from the drop-down menu and click OK. 2. The InstallShield Wizard window then appears. There are 2 ways to install the driver and utility software. Click Easy to continue with the Easy installation. 8 • If you select the Easy option, proceed directly to step 5.
For Windows 98SE/Me/2000 3. Select the operation mode for your adapter, and click Next. Note: Infrastructure mode is a network connection involving one or more access points. AdHoc mode is for connections between different adapters, without any access points. See “Network Configuration and Planning” on page 32 for details.
Driver and Utility Installation 4. Enter the SSID and Channel of the network that your adapter is connecting to, and click Next. Note: See “Wireless Card Manager” on page 18 for more information. 5. When this message appears, insert your SMC2336W-AG adapter into your laptop.
For Windows 98SE/Me/2000 6. After the software utility has been installed, click Finish to continue the driver installation. 7. Windows OS will automatically detect the new hardware.
Driver and Utility Installation 8. The Installation Wizard starts installing drivers into your hard drive. You will see a screen as shown below. Though the driver software is fully compatible with Windows 2000, it has not yet been digitally signed by Microsoft. Click Yes to continue the installation. When the installation is completed, the quick-launch icon will appear on the desktop.
For Windows XP For Windows XP 1. Insert the EZ Installation Wizard CD into your CD-ROM drive and click Install Driver/Utility. Then the Choose Setup Language window will appear. Select the desired language from the drop-down menu and click OK. 2. The InstallShield Wizard window then appears. There are 2 ways to install the driver and utility software. Click Next to continue with the Easy installation. • If you select the Easy option, proceed directly to step 5.
Driver and Utility Installation 3. Select the operation mode for your adapter, and click Next. Note: Infrastructure mode is a network connection involving one or more access points. AdHoc mode is for connections between different adapters, without any access points. See “Network Configuration and Planning” on page 32 for details.
For Windows XP 4. Enter the SSID and Channel of the network that your adapter is connecting to, and click Next. Note: See “Wireless Card Manager” on page 18 for more information. 5. When this message appears, insert your SMC2336W-AG adapter into your laptop. 6. Windows OS will automatically detect the new hardware.
Driver and Utility Installation 7. The Installation Wizard starts installing drivers into your hard drive. You will see a screen as shown below. Though the driver software is fully compatible with Windows XP, it has not yet been Logo tested by Microsoft. Click Continue Anyway to proceed with the installation.
For Windows XP 8. After the software driver and utility have been installed, click Finish to complete the installation. When the installation is completed, the SMC Wireless Card Manager will start up for configuration. The quick-launch icon will also appear on the desktop.
Wireless Card Manager To communicate with other wireless 802.11a, 11b, or 11g devices, you need to configure the SMC2336W-AG Adapter first. Double-click the icon on the desktop to launch the Wireless Card Manager, or you can access it from the right bottom corner of the Start menu. Note that the screen shots were taken from Windows XP and will not look exactly the same in all operating systems.
Wireless Card Manager Configuration Go to Configuration tab to set parameters for the SMC2336W-AG adapter. Select Profile – You can specify a profile name for a specific configuration of parameters. New – To set up a new profile, click New. Save – To save a new profile after configuring the settings, click Save. Delete – To delete a profile, select the profile from the drop down menu in the Select Profile field, then click Delete.
Wireless Card Manager Common SSID – Input an SSID for the wireless network to which you want to connect. To roam among multiple access points with different BSSIDs, set the SSID to ANY to allow connection to any access point. (Default: ANY) Operating Mode – Set the adapter’s operating mode to 802.11 AdHoc for a network enviroment that does not have an access point, or to Infrastructure for connections with an access point. Transmit Rate – Indicates the data transmission rate.
Wireless Card Manager Note: The available channel settings are limited by local regulations which determine the number of channels that are available. • FCC: 11 channels • MKK: 14 channels Power Save – allows you to enable the power saving mode for reducing power loading. Supported Wireless Type – Click on the checkbox for using availabe operation types on your network. Security Clicking on Security icon to enable the wireless security function of the SMC2336W-AG.
Wireless Card Manager The WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) mechanism implemented in the SMC2336W-AG Adapter is based on the RC4 encryption algorithm. The encryption keys are provided to ensure data confidentiality. WEP security protects your wireless LAN against eavesdropping and unauthorized access by intruders. If WEP is in use, all clients on the same network must use the same WEP key settings in order to communicate with each other. Use Passphrase – Check this box to auto-generate keys for encryption.
Wireless Card Manager Or 1. Select 128-bit or 64-bit in the Encryption field. 2. In the Key type field, select ASCII or Hex. 3. In the Default Key field, select one key as the default key that you want to use for encryption. 4. Manually type in a string of characters in the corresponding Key number field that you selected in step 3. 5. Click Apply changes to allow the settings to take effect.
Wireless Card Manager • ASCII Per-User Key 1. Choose the Key Length. 2. Select the ASCII as the Key Type and the Per-User key as the Default Key. 3. Type in a string of characters in the Per-User field. 4. Click Apply changes to allow the settings to take effect.
Wireless Card Manager Advance RTS Threshold – Set the RTS (Request to Send) frame length. If the packet size is smaller than the preset RTS threshold size, the RTS/CTS mechanism will NOT be enabled. (Default: disabled) Fragmentation Threshold – The Fragmentation Threshold can be set between 256 and 2,346. If the packet size is smaller than the preset Fragment size, the packet will not be segmented.
Wireless Card Manager Link information The Link information screen displays information on the current wireless network that you are connected to. SSID – The service set identification for the wireless network that the adapter is connected to. Asssociated BSS ID – The MAC address of the access point to which the adapter is connected in an infrastructure network. In an ad hoc network, the BSS ID is a random number generated by the first adapter that communicates with other clients in the network.
Wireless Card Manager Current Rx Rate – The data receiving rate. Encryption – Shows the security status of the connection. Wireless Type – Shows the connection type. Throughput Rx Fragments – The number of received fragments. Tx Fragments – The number of transmitted fragments. Signal Strength – Shows the strength of the connection between the adapter and the access point.
Wireless Card Manager IP Information This screen displays IP information for your notebook. Now that you have configured your adapter to connect to a wireless network, your adapter needs to obtain new network settings. By releasing old IP settings and renewing them with settings from the access point, you will also verify that you have configured your adapter correctly. To release network settings click on Release button, then click on Renew to get a new IP settings.
Wireless Card Manager incoming/outgoing – Shows the traffic activity of the wireless connection. Site Survey Site Survey scans and displays all wireless devices within range. You can choose one of them to connect to by double-clicking on an entry. Network Type – This shows the operating mode of the listed wireless devices. SSID – Service Set ID. See “Configuration” on page 19 for details. Type – Shows the wireless network is operating in 802.11a, 11b, or 11g.
Wireless Card Manager Signal – This shows the signal strength from the adapter to the listed access points. Channel – The radio channel on which the access point operates. See “Link information” on page 26 for details. Scroll right to see more information of the Site browse screen. BSSID – Basic Service Set ID. See “Link information” on page 26 for details.
Wireless Card Manager Version Information This screen shows information on the current version of the driver and Card Manager. You can download the latest firmware from the SMC web site at www.smc.com.
Network Configuration and Planning SMC’s EZ-Stream Wireless Solution supports a stand-alone wireless network configuration, as well as an integrated configuration with 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LANs.
Network Topologies Infrastructure Wireless LANs The SMC (802.11a/11b/11g) access points can also provide wireless workstations with access to a wired LAN. An integrated wired and wireless LAN is called an infrastructure configuration. A Basic Service Set (BSS) consists of a group of wireless PC users, and an access point that is directly connected to the wired LAN.
Network Configuration and Planning Setting the Communication Domain Stationary Wireless PCs The Basic Service Set (BSS) is the communication domain for each access point. For wireless PCs that do not need to support roaming, set the domain identifier (SSID) for the wireless card to the SSID of the access point you want to connect to. Check with your administrator for the SSID of the access point you should connect to.
Setting the Communication Domain Before setting up an ESS for roaming, you need to choose a clear radio channel and a suitable location for the access points for optimum performance.
Troubleshooting Check the following troubleshooting items before contacting SMC technical support. Adapter Installation Problems If your notebook cannot find the SMC2336W-AG Adapter or the driver software does not install correctly, check the following: 36 • Make sure the adapter is securely seated in the CardBus slot. When you insert the wireless adapter into the notebook’s slot, your notebook should make a beeping sound, if the adapter is properly inserted.
Network Connection Problems Network Connection Problems If the Link LED on the SMC2336W-AG Adapter does not light, or if you cannot access any network resources from the notebook, check the following: • Make sure the correct software driver is installed for your operating system. If necessary, try reinstalling the driver. • Make sure the notebook and other network devices are receiving power. • The access point you want to connect to may be defective. Try using another access point.
Troubleshooting SMC Networks EZ-Stream Wireless CardBus Adapter Maximum Distance Table Important Notice Maximum distances posted below are actual tested distance thresholds. However, there are many variables such as barrier composition and construction, as well as local environmental interference that may impact your actual distances and cause you to experience distance thresholds far lower than those posted below.
Network Connection Problems 802.11b Wireless Distance Table Speed and Distance Ranges 11 Mbps 5.5 Mbps 2 Mbps 1 Mbps Outdoors2 300 m (984ft) 465 m (1525 ft) 500 m (1639 ft) 515 m (1689 ft) Indoors3 60 m (197 ft) 70 m (230 ft) 83 m (272 ft) 85 m (279 ft) 1 Environmental Condition 802.
Specifications General Specifications Functional Criteria Data Rate 802.11a: Normal Mode: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps per channel Turbo Mode: 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 72, 108 Mbps per channel 802.11b: 1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps 802.11g: 1, 2, 5.5, 11, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps Operating Range 802.11a: Up to 510m (1672 ft) 802.11b/g: Up to 515m (1689 ft) Radio Signal Signal Type Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) Modulation Techniques 802.
General Specifications Dimensions 118.6 x 54.0 x 4.85 mm (4.67 x 2.13 x 0.19 in.) Antenna Built-in antenna LED Indicators Activity (ACT), Network Link (LINK) Host Interface 32-bit CardBus interface Power Voltage 3.3 Volt + 5% Standards Conformance Wireless Standard: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.
Specifications Data Rate and Output Power Note: For 802.11b, CH1, CH13, and CH14 output power >16 dBm Standard 802.11a 802.11b 802.11g 42 Data Rate Output Power (dBm) 6 Mbps 16 9 Mbps 16 12 Mbps 16 18 Mbps 16 24 Mbps 16 36 Mbps 16 48 Mbps 16 54 Mbps 13 1 Mbps 17 2 Mbps 17 5.
General Specifications Typical Range and Receiver Sensitivity Note: 802.11a,g: Frame (1000 Bytes PDUs) Packet Error Rate <10%. 802.11b: Frame (1024 Bytes PDUs) Packet Error Rate <8% Standard 802.11a 802.11b 802.11g Data Rate Modulation Rate Receiver Sensitivity (dBm) 6 Mbps -85 9 Mbps -84 12 Mbps -83 18 Mbps -81 24 Mbps -78 36 Mbps -74 48 Mbps -69 54 Mbps -65 1 Mbps -88 2 Mbps -86 5.
Terminology Access Point – An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless networks. Ad Hoc – An ad hoc wireless LAN is a group of laptops or computers, each with LAN adapters, connected as an independent wireless network. Base Station – In mobile telecommunications, a base station is the central radio transmitter/receiver that maintains communications with the mobile radiotelephone sets within its range.
Terminology RTS Threshold – Transmitters contending for the medium may not be aware of each other. The RTS/CTS mechanism can solve this “Hidden Node Problem.” If the packet size is smaller than the preset RTS Threshold size, the RTS/CTS mechanism will NOT be enabled. WEP – “Wired Equivalent Privacy” is based on the use of 64-bit or 128-bit keys and the popular RC4 encryption algorithm for enhanced network security.
Terminology 46
FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT, CALL: From U.S.A. and Canada (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) (800) SMC-4-YOU; Phn: (949) 679-8000; Fax: (949) 679-1481 From Europe : Contact details can be found on www.smc-europe.com or www.smc.com INTERNET E-mail addresses: techsupport@smc.com european.techsupport@smc-europe.com Driver updates: http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?action=tech_support_drivers_downloads World Wide Web: http://www.smc.com http://www.smc-europe.com FOR LITERATURE OR ADVERTISING RESPONSE, CALL: U.S.A.