Sony PCWA-A100 - Wireless Lan Access Point Getting Started
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Sony PCWA-A100 - Wireless Lan Access Point Getting Started

Sony PCWA-A100 - Wireless Lan Access Point Getting Started

Wireless lan access point
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Getting started
You can build a Wireless LAN environment that connects up to 49 computers (a maximum 16 is recommended) by connecting the Wireless
LAN Access Point PCWA-A100 (called the Access Point below) a computer in which the Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C100 is inserted.
While enabling the sharing of files between all computers connected over the same Wireless LAN, it is also possible for multiple of computers
within the same LAN system to connect to the Internet, if the Access Point is connected to a telephone line, an ISDN router, cable modem or to
an xDSL modem. Furthermore, you can build a Wireless LAN environment between computers that are installed with the Wireless LAN PC Card
without having to use the Access Point. (This is called peer-to-peer connection.)
Note
For best results in viewing this help file, use Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later. Some graphics may not display properly if you are using an
earlier version.
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  • Page 1 Getting started You can build a Wireless LAN environment that connects up to 49 computers (a maximum 16 is recommended) by connecting the Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A100 (called the Access Point below) a computer in which the Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C100 is inserted. While enabling the sharing of files between all computers connected over the same Wireless LAN, it is also possible for multiple of computers within the same LAN system to connect to the Internet, if the Access Point is connected to a telephone line, an ISDN router, cable modem or to an xDSL modem.
  • Page 2 Overview Wireless LAN Utilities The setup process Before making settings (Important precautions) Page 2...
  • Page 3 Wireless LAN Utilities There are four types of softw are in the Wireless LAN Utilities. They are described below . Wire le s s Pale tte This is the softw are that displays the status of communications betw een the computer mounted w ith the Wireless LAN PC Card and the Access Point. If there are multiple Access Points, you can use it to sw itch the Access Point connection.

  • Page 4: The Setup Process

    The setup process The setup process w ill vary depending on the w hether or not your Access Point and Wireless LAN PC Card have been used. Refer to the Wireless LAN PC Card Operating Instructions for details. Note Using an Access Point Setup Utility prior to version 2.0.1 to set to an Access Point w hose firmw are version is later than 3.7 and w ill result in abnormal operation. Before using your existing Access Point Setup Utility, confirm the Access Point Setup Utility version and the Access Point firmw are version to update them as necessary.
  • Page 5 Before making settings (Important precautions) Check the version When using a computer that has an Ethernet interface other than the Wireless LAN PC Card Privileges of Window s 2000 users Page 5...

  • Page 6: Check The Version

    Check the version Us ing an Acce s s Point Se tup Utility prior to vers ion 2.0.1 to se t to an Acces s Point w hos e firm w are ve rs ion is late r than 3.7 w ill re s ult in abnorm al ope ration.
  • Page 7 When using a computer that has an Ethernet interface other than the Wireless LAN PC Card When using the Wireless LAN PC Card, you must stop the use of Ethernet interfaces other than the Wireless LAN PC Card. When running the Window s 98 Second Edition ...
  • Page 8 Privileges of Windows 2000 users With Window s 2000, functions that can be performed depend on the user's privilege level. Privile ge Le ve l Function Administrators Installation of driver: Yes Installation of Wireless LAN Utilities: Yes Execution of Wireless LAN Utilities: Yes Pow er Users (Standard users) Installation of driver: Yes...

  • Page 9: Configuring The Access Point

    Configuring the Access Point Note Before configuring the Access Point, do the follow ing: Conne ct the Acce s s Point to a pow e r s ource . Refer to the Wireless LAN Access Point Operating Instructions for details. Ins e rt the Wire le s s LAN PC Card, and install the drive r and othe r s oftw are s upplie d w ith the Wire le s s LAN PC Card to your com pute r.

  • Page 10: Forgot Your Password

    Us e the Explore r to ope n the folde r to w hich the Acce s s Point Se tup Utility w as ins talle d (norm ally it is : C:\Program File s \Sony\Wire le s s LAN) on the com pute r to w hich the Acce s s Point Se tup Utility w as s e t.
  • Page 11 Page 11...

  • Page 12: Setting Common Parameters

    Setting common parameters Specify the common parameters required for building a w ireless LAN (Local Area Netw ork). This dialog box includes the follow ing parameters. When you are done, go to Setting mode-dependent parameters. Channel Number Select a channel number (1 through 11) from the drop-dow n menu. Note Assign a unique channel to each Access Point.
  • Page 13 Setting mode-dependent parameters Select a destination to specify the connection mode you w ant to use, then specify parameters specific to the connection mode of your choice. Select a destination from Connection Mode and click NEXT. The w indow that appears depends on your selection. Phone Select this option to connect the Access Point to the telephone line.
  • Page 14 Setting up dial-up connection Selecting Phone for Connection Mode in Setting mode-dependent parameters displays the Enter Phone Connection Parameters dialog box. Notes  In the Phone mode, the Access Point serves as the DHCP server for both Ethernet and w ireless netw orks. ...
  • Page 15 Notes If Automatic Connection is checked, an intentional connection attempt may be made depending on the computer settings. The dial-up connection takes some time to be established, which may cause a time-out message depending on your e-mail or browser application. If a time-out message appears, try sending/receiving mail or reloading the Web page again. Note that automatic disconnection may not work due to unexpected packets sent from the Internet.
  • Page 16 The link test between the Access Point and the client is performed using your new configuration. Click FINISH when the message "Link established with Access Point" is displayed. The Custom Setup Utility closes. Note If an error message appears, open the Custom Access Point Setup Utility and check the configuration. Page 16...
  • Page 17 Setting up cable connection Selecting Cable Modem for Connection Mode in Setting mode-dependent parameters displays the Setup of Cable Modem Connection Mode dialog box. Hints  The Access Point acts as a NAT router w hen Cable Modem is selected for Connection Mode. ...
  • Page 18 DHCP Client ID (Required by some ISPs) With some cable operators, an identifier called a DHCP Client ID w ill be requested upon IP address acquisition by the client. In these cases, type the ID specified from the cable operator. You may enter up to 63 alphanumeric characters including symbols. Hint When you directly connect your computer to a cable modem, enter the DHCP Client ID in the Computer name text box of the Window s Netw ork dialog box.
  • Page 19 Setting up LAN connection Selecting LAN for Connection Mode in Setting mode-dependent parameters displays the Setup of LAN Connection Mode dialog box. Hints  The Access Point acts as a bridge w hen LAN is selected for Connection Mode.  Select this mode w hen connecting the Access Point to a DSL modem if your DSL provider does not use PPPoE for connection.
  • Page 20 Whe n the Wire le s s Acce s s Point Se tup - Finis h Scre e n appe ars , w ait about 30 s e conds . Note The link test is disabled for 30 seconds after the configuration is uploaded because the Access Point is automatically restarted. You may start the link test w hen the Pow er indicator on the Access Point turns green.
  • Page 21 Setting up local connection Selecting Local Only for Connection Mode in Setting mode-dependent parameters displays the Setup of Local-Only Mode dialog box. Notes  In the Local mode, the Access Point serves as the DHCP server for both Ethernet and w ireless netw orks. ...
  • Page 22 Click UPLOAD. The configuration you have made is registered in the Access Point. Note If an error message appears, re-enter the correct data. Whe n the Wire le s s Acce s s Point Se tup - Finis h Scre e n appe ars , w ait about 30 s e conds . Note The link test is disabled for 30 seconds after the configuration is uploaded because the Access Point is automatically restarted.
  • Page 23 When the Access Point is isolated from the network If for some reason the Access Point IP address becomes temporarily disabled and is isolated from the netw ork, communications betw een the Access Point and the client are ensured by the computer allocating a temporary IP address. This w ill restore the Access Point function. This function is used under the follow ing conditions.
  • Page 24 Hint Any remaining steps uses the same ones as for normal use of the Custom Access Point Setup Utility. Here, w e w ill explain using and example of connecting to the LAN (w ithout a DHCP server) and selecting the LAN connection mode to enable sharing of files and the printer. You can select the Cable Modem connection mode.
  • Page 25 Click UPLOAD. The configuration you have made is registered in the Access Point. Note If an error message appears, re-enter the correct data. Whe n the Wire le s s Acce s s Point Se tup - Finis h Scre e n appe ars , w ait about 30 s e conds . Note The link test is disabled for 30 seconds after the configuration is uploaded because the Access Point is automatically restarted.

  • Page 26: Additional Information

    Additional information Troubleshooting Helpful Information (Technical Tips) Glossary Trademarks Page 26...

  • Page 27: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting Connection cables Phone mode LAN mode Cable Modem mode Changing the status of your connection (Cautions w hen changing the mode) Encryption Key Setup passw ord Drivers Peer to Peer mode General connections w ith the Access Point General overview of the Wireless Palette Internet service providers Other information Page 27...

  • Page 28: Connection Cables

    Connection cables Can I connect w ith the 100BASE-TX HUB? Because the Access Point Ethernet port is a 10BASE-T, use either the 10BASE-T hub or the 100BASE-TX that is compatible to 10BASE/100BASE auto-recognition. What type of Ethe rne t cable s hould I us e to conne ct to the HUB? Use a straight Ethernet cable w hen connecting the Access Point to the HUB.

  • Page 29: Phone Mode

    Phone mode Whe n I launch m y brow s e r or e-m ail application, the Dial-up Conne ction dialog box appe ars and I cannot conne ct to the Inte rne t. You need to change the Internet connection settings. Follow the steps below .

  • Page 30: Lan Mode

    LAN mode Cannot conne ct to the Inte rne t First, connect the ISDN Router and the PCWA-A100 Access Point, then connect the pow er supply. I cannot com m unicate w ith the Acce s s Point afte r changing to the LAN m ode . Possibly, acquisition of the IP address failed.
  • Page 31 Ente r the te m porary IP addre s s to be allocate d as s igne d to the Acce s s Point. Allocate As s ign a s uitable IP addre s s w ith the s am e s ubne t as the clie nt. The screen below show s an example w here the client IP address is 123.234.213.100 (255.255.255.0).
  • Page 32 Note Alw ays delete the "*****" in the Encryption Key text box and reset it. Se le ct the Static IP Addre s s che ck box and s e t the fixe d IP addres s . Consult w ith your netw ork administrator regarding the IP address to set. Click NEXT.
  • Page 33 addresses expires. How ever, they are unable to acquire IP addresses because the DHCP server is not found, so communication is not possible. When this occurs, temporarily reestablish communication by temporarily assigning an IP address to the Access Point, using the same netw ork segment as for PCs on the netw ork.
  • Page 34 Cable Modem mode I cannot connect to the Inte rne t w ith m y cable m ode m . Depending on the details of the agreement w ith your contracted cable operator, there are cases in w hich only one client can be connected to one cable modem.
  • Page 35 Changing the status of your connection (Cautions when changing the mode) Before connecting to another netw ork that has a configuration different from one established for the Access Point, consult w ith your netw ork administrator and give careful consideration to functions such as the Access Point DHCP server function. We recommend using either the LAN mode or the Cable Modem mode.
  • Page 36 In this case, the Access Point functions as a bridge betw een the Wireless side and the Ethernet side. Therefore, it is possible to share files and printers w ithin the Wireless netw ork as w ell as sharing files and printers betw een the Ethernet and Wireless sides and for the Ethernet and Wireless sides to access each other.

  • Page 37: Encryption Key

    Encryption Key I forgot the Encryption Ke y. There are tw o w ays to remedy this. Set to the Softw are Reset mode and reset.  Use the CD-ROM accessory Access Point Firmw are Upgrade Utility to return the Access Point to its ex-factory setting. ...
  • Page 38 The Encryption Key, in its ex-factory setting, is last five digits of the Access Point ID. Refer to the Access Point Firmw are Upgrade Utility Help file for details on returning to the ex-factory settings of the Access Point. Notes Other clients connected to this Access Point cannot connect to the Access Point if the Wireless connection settings, such as the Encryption Key, ...

  • Page 39: Setup Password

    Setup password I forgot the Acce s s Point Se tup Utility pas s w ord. Use the follow ing operations. Pre s s the re s e t s w itch on the bottom the Acce s s Point for approxim ate ly one s e cond w hile the pow e r to the Acce s s Point is The Encryption Key w ill be disabled for approximately five minutes and the passw ord for the Access Point Setup Utility w ill also be disabled.
  • Page 40 Drivers I cannot add the TCP/IP protocol e ve n if the drive r is ins talle d. In many cases w ith this kind of trouble, w e have found that there are many other netw ork drivers installed. In many cases, this problem can be solved by deleting unused or infrequently used netw ork drivers.

  • Page 41: Peer To Peer Mode

    Type "ipconfig /all". Che ck the IP addres s of inte rface s othe r than Sony PCWA-C100 Wire le s s PC Card. Ve rify that no IP addre s s in the range of 169.254.0.0 to 169.254.255.255 is as s igne d.
  • Page 42 General connections with the Access Point Sudde nly, I can't conne ct w ith the Acce s s Point. The follow ing causes can be considered. Access Point failure or the pow er is unplugged.  Confirm w hether or not the pow er supply is connected. ...
  • Page 43 Se le ct Run from the Start m e nu and type "w inipcfg". Click OK. Se le ct Sony PCWA-C100 Wire le s s Card. Click Re le as e . Click Re ne w , the n che ck if the re -obtaine d IP addres s is s uitable for your netw ork e nvironm e nt.
  • Page 44 General overview of the Wireless Palette The nam e of the s am e Acce s s Point dis playe d on the Wire le s s Pale tte varie s de pe nding on the com pute r. The Wireless Palette displays the nickname that each user assigned w hen registering the Access Point using the Wireless Palette. Therefore, the nickname of a single Access Point varies depending on the user.

  • Page 45: Internet Service Providers

    Internet service providers I w ant to connect to anothe r Inte rne t s e rvice provide r. Use one of the Access Point Setup Utilities to register another Internet service provider. I w ant to s w itch betw e e n tw o Inte rne t s e rvice provide rs . You can register multiple providers using the Wireless Palette.

  • Page 46: Other Information

    Other information Unde r w hat circum s tance s do I nee d to change the w ire le s s channe l that the Acce s s Point us e s ? If the communication rate is very slow , there may be another active Access Point, an active third-party w ireless access point, or an active w ireless station nearby, causing radio interference.
  • Page 47 The PCWA-C100 Wireless LAN PC Card can handle roaming. Because the Access Point is for the home, it does not have a roaming function. When there are multiple Access Points, you can sw itch them using the Wireless Palette. Is it pos s ible for s e curity protection and filte ring of a M AC addre s s ? No, these are not supported.
  • Page 48 Helpful information (Technical tips) Each connection mode function Encryption Key (WEP Key) Setup passw ord Communication channels Reset mode and Softw are Reset mode Compatibility w ith other company products Page 48...
  • Page 49 Each connection mode function Functions of the Phone mode Functions of the Cable Modem mode Functions of the LAN mode Functions of the Local Only mode Page 49...
  • Page 50 Functions of the Phone mode The V.90 modem, Ethernet, and Wireless external interfaces of the Access Point can all be used.  V.90 m ode m : PPP Clie nt When dial-up connecting, it automatically acquires the IP addresses from each ISP. Manual settings are not possible. Ethe rne t / Wire le s s : DHCP Se rve r ...

  • Page 51: Sharing Files And Printers

    Functions of the Cable Modem mode This is the default connection mode for the Access Point. The Access Point's Ethernet and Wireless interfaces are enabled, but the V.90 modem is disabled.  Ethe rne t: DHCP Client/Static IP Se tting You can select either to automatically acquire the interface IP (DHCP client) or set to the static setting using the Custom Access Point Setup Utility.
  • Page 52 Functions of the LAN mode This is the default connection mode for the Access Point. The Access Point's Ethernet and Wireless interfaces are enabled, but the V.90 modem is disabled.  Ethe rne t: DHCP clie nt/Static IP se tting You can either set to automatically acquire the interface IP address (DHCP client) or the static setting using the Custom Access Point Setup Utility.
  • Page 53 Apply a che ck m ark for the fixe d IP addres s and s e t the IP addre s s , s ubne t m as k and de fault router to the appropriate s e ttings on that LAN.
  • Page 54 Functions of the Local Only mode This is the default connection mode for the Access Point. The Access Point's Ethernet and Wireless interfaces are enabled, but the V.90 modem is disabled.  Ethe rne t/Wirele s s : DHCP s e rve r The Access Point becomes the DHCP server on the Ethernet and Wireless netw ork.
  • Page 55 Encryption Key (WEP Key) Systems exist w ith the capability to retrieve IDs from this Wireless Access Point and similar products made by other companies. If you leave the Encryption Key (WEP Key) at the factory setting, individuals near the customer w ho has such a system can easily obtain the customer's Encryption Key from the Access Point ID.
  • Page 56 Setup password Setup passw ord is the passw ord needed to be typed to start the Access Point Setup Utilities. "Public" is input as the initial value at the time of ex-factory, but you can change that using the Custom Access Point Setup Utility. Therefore, w e strongly recommend that the administrator change the passw ord.

  • Page 57: Communication Channels

    Communication channels If the baud rate is extremely slow , it is possible that this system's Access Point or another company's w ireless access point or a w ireless station is operating nearby. In that case, it is possible that the electric w aves are interfering w ith each other. You can sw itch channels to reduce the amount of interference and improve the baud rate.

  • Page 58: Reset Mode

    Reset mode and Software Reset mode The reset mode and the Softw are Reset mode are used w hen you cannot make changes to the Access Point for some reason. It is not necessary to use them under normal conditions. Reset mode ...
  • Page 59 Compatibility with other company products Are the re cards from othe r m anufacture rs that have conne ction e xpe rie nce w ith an Acce s s Point? At this point in time, w e do not know . Basically, it is possible to connect if the card conforms to IEEE802.11b.
  • Page 60 Glossary Channel number Frequency used for w ireless communications. Wireless communications are available only among client computers and Access Points that use the same channel. Client Computer on a w ireless LAN. It may be called a client computer as w ell. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) A system that automatically assigns an IP address to computers.
  • Page 61 Trademarks Program Copyright 2000 Sony Corporation, Copyright 2000 Lucent Technologies, Copyright 1998 by Carnegie Mellon University CMU DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL CMU BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

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