Proxim Harmony 802.11a Network Adapter 802.11a User's Guide

HarmonyHarmony 802.11a Network AdapterUser's Guide

Introduction 10System RequirementsTo begin using a Harmony 802.11a network adapter, you must have the following minimum requirements:• A computer that

Introduction 11Overview of Country-Specific FeaturesThis user’s guide provides information on how to install and use the Harmony 802.11a CardBus Card

12Chapter 2InstallationThis chapter describes how to install a Harmony 802.11a network adapter and software in a computer running Windows XP, Windows

Installation 13High power radars are allocated as primary users of the 5.25 to 5.35 GHz and 5.65 to 5.85 GHz band. These radar stations can cause int

Installation 14Windows NT Laptops Require a Plug-and-Play UtilityA Windows NT laptop must have a third-party Plug-and-Play utility installed in order

Installation 15Installation InstructionsRefer to the set of instructions that correspond to your computer’s operating system.Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XPTh

Installation 166. Enter a name for the utility’s Program Manager group and click Next.7. Cl i ck Next to install the utility.8. Click Finish to view

Installation 17• Secure the card’s metal bracket to the computer following the directions pro-vided in your PC’s manual and replace the computer cove

Installation 18Windows NTFollow these steps to install a Harmony 802.11a network adapter in a computer running Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 6 or later

Installation 1910. Click Install when prompted by the Harmony Device Setup screen, shown below.Note: Proxim recommends that you let the installation w

2Copyright© 2002 Proxim Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA. Covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents: 5,231,634; 5,875,179; 6,006,090. This user

Installation 2012. Click OK to save the TCP/IP settings.13. Click No when prompted to restart the computer.14. Click OK to close the Harmony Device Se

Installation 21Related Topics• See Chapter 4 beginning on page 27 for a discussion of the 802.11a configuration parameters.• Refer to Chapter 5 beginn

Installation 22Upgrading to Version 1.4If you already have an earlier version of the Harmony 802.11a software installed, follow these steps to upgrade

23Chapter 3 Wireless TopologiesHarmony wireless products look and operate similar to Ethernet products. The only difference is that a radio replaces

Wireless Topologies 24InfrastructureMany companies have an existing Ethernet or wired LAN infrastructure and want to be able to extend that capability

Wireless Topologies 25Roaming Between Multiple APs For larger environments, Harmony 802.11a client devices may roam from one Harmony 802.11a Access Po

Wireless Topologies 26As the mobile client seamlessly switches from cell to cell, its network connectivity is preserved. The user can move freely bet

27Chapter 4 Configuration ParametersThis chapter provides information on the 802.11a wireless standard and describes the Harmony 802.11a configuration

Configuration Parameters 28802.11a Software ParametersThe following configuration parameters are available for a Harmony 802.11a network adapter. Ref

Configuration Parameters 29Power Saving ModeThe Harmony 802.11a network adapters support optional power management to conserve battery life. Power Sa

3Declaration of ConformityDéclaration de ConformitéKonformitätserklärungThe Manufacturer: Proxim Europe B.V.Le Constructeur:Der Hersteller:Address: Pr

Configuration Parameters 30Channel802.11a devices spread a radio signal over a range of frequencies. The IEEE 802.11a specification allocates the ava

Configuration Parameters 31For Singapore:An 802.11a network adapter can use one of four Channels: Channel 36 (5.18 GHz), Channel 40 (5.20 GHz), Channe

Configuration Parameters 32RTS/CTSThe 802.11a standard supports optional RTS/CTS communication based on packet size. By default, RTS/CTS communicatio

Configuration Parameters 33WEP KeysAn 802.11a device with WEP enabled uses a WEP Key to encrypt and decrypt information. A user must manually enter t

Configuration Parameters 34Harmony Security Protocol Guidelines• If you want to use the Harmony Security Protocol on your network, you must enable the

Configuration Parameters 35The Harmony Utility does not include configuration settings for 802.1x. To enable 802.1x support and configure 802.1x sett

36Chapter 5 Harmony UtilityProxim provides a software utility that simplifies the management and configuration of a Harmony 802.11a network adapter.

Harmony Utility 37Right-click the icon to view configuration options for the Status Monitor:•Select Run 802.11a Configuration Utility from the drop-do

Harmony Utility 38• Send Signal Strength: The Signal bar displays the signal strength for the last acknowledgment (ACK) received by the adapter. Sign

Harmony Utility 39• Receive Signal Strength: The Signal bar displays the signal strength for the last packet received by the adapter. Signal strength

4For Indoor Use OnlyThese products are for indoor use only.Uniquement pour usage d'intérieur.Somente para uso interno.Solamente para el uso inter

Harmony Utility 40Edit the configuration parameters as necessary and click Apply to save your changes. To change the operating Channel, Send Rate, RT

Harmony Utility 41Note to Windows XP UsersWindows XP provides built-in support for wireless networks. Windows XP’s wireless network management featur

Harmony Utility 42SecurityClick the Security tab to configure the adapter’s security settings. From within this screen, you can enable WEP for Authen

Harmony Utility 434. 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 an

Harmony Utility 44In the following example, Key 3 is the Default Key.A Harmony 802.11a network adapter can decrypt information that was encrypted with

Harmony Utility 45To create the text file, use a text program such as Microsoft Notepad or WordPad. The text file should have a “.txt” extension. Th

Harmony Utility 463. Click Apply or OK to save the new security settings.4. Log off Windows or restart the computer.5. Log on to Windows when prompted

Harmony Utility 47The Windows 98/ME logon prompt is shown below.Note: The Harmony logon prompt will not appear if your Windows User Name and Password

Harmony Utility 488. If desired, click Change Password (Windows XP/2000 Professional) or Options... (Windows 98/ME) to modify your Harmony user accoun

Harmony Utility 49802.1xThe Harmony Utility does not include configuration settings for 802.1x. To enable 802.1x support, you need to use a client ut

5Table of Co n ten tsChapter 1 - Introduction ... 7The Harmony Family

Harmony Utility 507. Click the Authentication tab.8. Configure the 802.1x settings. Contact your network administrator or refer to Windows XP’s on-li

Harmony Utility 51Network Traffic StatisticsClick the Statistics tab to view information about the number of packets sent and received by the adapter,

Harmony Utility 52The advanced Statistics screen displays the following additional statistics:Send• Send Rate: This field reports the adapter’s curren

Harmony Utility 53• Last ACK RSSI: This statistic reports the RSSI (Received Signal Strength) for the last acknowledgment (ACK) received by the ada

Harmony Utility 54802.11a NetworksClick the 802.11a Networks tab to view the list of Access Points or Ad Hoc stations within range of the adapter. I

Harmony Utility 55If you want the adapter to associate with one of the detected Access Points or join the same Ad Hoc network as one of the detected A

Harmony Utility 56Click one of the Channels in the Channel RSSI Map to determine if any 802.11a devices are transmitting at that frequency. A selecte

Harmony Utility 57In addition, the utility displays the current success rate in the Instantaneous Success field and the average success rate (since th

58Chapter 6TroubleshootingThe Harmony 802.11a network adapters are designed to be very easy to install and operate. However, if you experience any di

Troubleshooting 59Windows 98/ME/2000/XP TroubleshootingAdapter Inserted Before Running the Installation ProgramIf you inserted the Harmony 802.11a net

6Chapter 5 - Harmony Utility ... 36Status Monitor Icon ...

Troubleshooting 607. Attach the cabled antenna to the antenna base and place the antenna on top of your desk, computer, or monitor.8. Turn on the comp

Troubleshooting 61If a yellow exclamation point (“!”) appears next to the Harmony 802.11a adapter’s Device Manager entry, then the adapter is not work

Troubleshooting 62Windows NTFollow these steps to configure a Harmony 802.11a adapter’s networking protocols in a Windows NT computer:1. Open the Cont

Troubleshooting 63Windows 98/ME computers:• C:\WINDOWS\INF\NETPR11A.INF• C:\WINDOWS\INF\OTHER\PROXIM,INC.NETPR11A.INF• C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\

Troubleshooting 64The Harmony 802.11a CardBus Card includes two integral omnidirectional antennas. Note that the coverage footprint of the CardBus Ca

Troubleshooting 65Common Technical Support QuestionsThis section discusses some of the most common problems using a Harmony 802.11a network adapter an

Troubleshooting 66How do I determine where to install 802.11a Access Points to ensure that users can access the wireless network from anywhere in my f

Troubleshooting 67My Harmony User Name and Password are synchronized with my Windows User Name and Password so the Harmony logon prompt does not appea

68Appendix A Technical SpecificationsThe following technical specification is for reference purposes only. Actual product’s performance and complianc

69Roaming...Seamless among 802.11a compliant accesspoints, including across subnets via HarmonyAP ControllerRa

7Chapter 1IntroductionCongratulations on your purchase of a Harmony 802.11a network adapter. These products are high performance wireless LAN adapter

70ParametersParameter Range DefaultNetwork Mode Ad Hoc*, Infrastructure InfrastructurePower Saving(Infrastructure only)Off, Normal, Maximum Off2X Mode

71Appendix BTechnical Support and TrainingIf you are having a problem using a Harmony 802.11a network adapter and cannot resolve it with the informati

72IndexAACK Errors ... 53Ad Hoc...

73Domain Controller ... 45Duplicate Frames...

74KKey Size... 42, 70LLast ACK RSSI ...

75ProtocolConfiguration... 61–62PROX11A.SYS...

76Throughput... 65Topologies...

Introduction 8The Harmony FamilyThe Harmony network adapters are members of a product family that provides a complete wireless networking solution.•Th

Introduction 9The Product PackageThe items included with each Harmony 802.11a network adapter are listed below. If any of these items are missing or