The Wireless PCI Manager icon, in the system tray, shows the status of the wireless connection.
The colour of the icon indicates the status of your wireless network.
| System Tray Icon Colour | State of Wireless Connection | |
|---|---|---|
| Green | |
Wireless connection with good quality |
| Yellow | |
Wireless connection with fair or poor quality |
| Red | |
No wireless connection |
Double click the icon to open the Wireless PCI Manager.
The Wireless Configuration Manager is organized into five sections: Configuration, Link Information, IP Information, Site Survey, and Version Information.
Common to all sections is a button for turning the radio function of the Wireless PCI Adapter on or off.
If it states Turn Radio On, the wireless functionality of the Wireless PCI Adapter Adapter is disabled. Click the button to enable it.
If you make any changes to any of the settings on the Utility pages, click Apply in order for the changes to be implemented. Click Exit when you are finished viewing the information or making any changes.
Click the Configuration tab to create or edit a connection profile or to specify the connection settings of the Wireless PCI Adapter.
If you will be connecting to different wireless networks in different areas, you can create profiles so that you can easily switch between networks depending on your location or situation.
If you attempt to connect to a network that has security settings enabled, you will need to create a profile and supply the necessary information. Refer to your wireless router's or access point's documentation for instructions on how to locate the necessary security information.
You must have the following configuration information for your network before you make a wireless connection:
Infrastructure is typically used for home networks, business networks, and public hotspots when connecting to a wireless router or access point
Ad-Hoc is used for peer-to-peer network connections when connecting directly to another wireless adapter. The wireless devices in a specific Ad Hoc wireless LAN must use the same radio channel.
If the wireless device is broadcasting its network name, it will be displayed in the Network Name pull-down list.
If security is enabled on the network, you will also need the following
information:
You can create a new profile by clicking New next to the Select Profile line and then entering a Profile Name in the window that opens up. After creating a profile, you can select it at any time in the drop-down menu for Select Profile. If you have Default selected, the Wireless PCI Adapter will not use any specific configuration information when attempting to connect to a network. If you select a profile you created, you will only be able to connect to a network that has the same configuration information.
If you create a profile and supply some unique configuration information, click Save after you have changed the configuration settings. This will save the changes to the new profile.
If you want to remove a profile you have created, select it and then click Delete.
If you select a new profile, click Apply for the change to take effect.
If you make any changes to the configuration settings or select a new profile, click Apply for the new settings to take effect.
There are three areas within the Configuration tab where you can make changes to the settings: Common, Security, and Advanced.
Click the Common tab to select a network.
In this area you can select the Network Name of a detected network.
You will then need to specify the Operating Mode as either Infrastructure or Ad Hoc.
Infrastructure: Select this mode if you will be connecting to a wireless router or access point. Infrastructure mode provides additional features, such as power saving and extended range.
Ad hoc: Select this mode if you will be connecting to another wireless device without the use of a wireless router or access point.
For Transmit Rate, you can select the speed at which you want to connect to the wireless network. If you select auto, the Wireless PCI Adapter will connect at the highest possible speed for the chosen network.
Click the Security tab to view or change the security settings of the Wireless PCI Adapter.
The security area includes a button that states either Turn Security On or Turn Security Off.
For Authentication Type, you can select WEP or WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK.
WEP
WEP is an encryption scheme that is used to protect your wireless data communications. WEP uses a combination of 40/64-bit keys or 104/128-bit keys to provide access control to your network and encryption security for every data transmission. To decode a data transmission, each wireless client on the network must use an identical 64-bit or 128-bit.
If you select WEP, you need to select the Authentication Mode. You can select either Open or Shared.
You can set the Default Key to 1, 2, 3, or 4. If you enter multiple Keys, this will determine which one should be used. This is a simple way to switch between different networks that have the same configuration information except for the WEP key.
You also need to select the Key Type from one of the following: 40/64bit encryption, 40/64bit encryption (ASCII), 104/128bit encryption, or 104/128bit encryption (ASCII). Key Type options that are not ASCII, are Hexadecimal.
Instead of using keys, you can select Use Passphrase and enter a Passphrase that is shared between the wireless network or wireless device and the wireless PCI adapter. If you choose this option, the wireless network or wireless devices that you are connecting to must support this option and use the same passphrase.
When you are finished entering the information, click Apply.
WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK
If you select WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK, you will need to enter a Shared Secret Key (PSK). The Key should be between 8 and 63 characters long.
The use of keys with WPA is very similar to the use of keys with WEP. With WPA and WPA2, the key is only used once to start the process. Once communication is established, the key randomly changes. This provides a higher level of security.
Note: The key type that you select must be in use on the wireless network that you are trying to connect to. Non-matching authentication modes will keep you from being able to connect to a wireless network.
When you have entered the information, click Apply.
USRobotics recommends that you use the most secure settings available on your Wireless PCI Adapter.
USRobotics recommends that you don't change any of these settings unless directed to do so by a network administrator.
In the Advanced area, you can modify the following fields:
RTS Threshold is the packet size threshold at which a Request to Send (RTS) signal must be sent to the wireless receiving unit prior to the wireless sending unit opening communications. The default is 2347.
Fragment Threshold determines how large a fragment is that is being sent before it is broken into multiple fragments to increase throughput. The default is 2346.
Preamble Type defines the length of the CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) block for communication between the Wireless PCI Adapter and the wireless router or access point. This is used to detect data transmission errors. If your wireless network has a lot of traffic, you should select Short & Long.
Transmit Power determines the radio level output of the Wireless PCI Adapter. This determines the extent of the range that the Wireless PCI Adapter will emit a signal to and receive a signal from. If you want a smaller transmission range for security purposes and to reduce interference, select a lower level. If you want a larger transmission range, select a higher level.
When you are finished modifying these settings, click Apply.
