Sony PCWA-C500 Operating Instructions Manual

Sony PCWA-C500 Operating Instructions Manual

5ghz wireless lan pc card
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4-657-719-11(1)
Operating Instructions
5GHz
Wireless LAN PC Card
PCWA-C500
© 2002 Sony Corporation

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Summary of Contents for Sony PCWA-C500

  • Page 1 4-657-719-11(1) Operating Instructions 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 © 2002 Sony Corporation...
  • Page 2 The model and serial numbers are located on the back of the unit. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. PCWA-C500 Serial No.______________...
  • Page 3 • In no event will SONY be liable for any financial damage or loss of profits, including claims made by third parties, arising out of the use of the software supplied with this product.
  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Table of contents Overview ... 5 What you can do with your Wireless LAN PC Card ... 5 System requirements ... 9 About manuals and Help files ... 10 Accessing Online Help ... 10 Getting started Unpacking ... 11 Supplied software and Wireless LAN PC Card driver ...
  • Page 5: Overview

    Overview What you can do with your Wireless LAN PC Card The 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 is a wireless network card in a PC card format. You can use the Wireless LAN PC Card to construct a wireless LAN environment for connecting multiple computers. With the Wireless LAN PC Card, you can connect to another computer that has a Wireless LAN PC Card (Peer to Peer Network connection mode), or you can connect to a network through an optional wireless network access...
  • Page 6 With Windows XP: Available networks...
  • Page 7 Accessing the Internet from various places in the house (with Access Point Network connection mode) Access Point Network connection mode allows you to construct a wireless network based on an Access Point (optional). By using a computer with a Wireless LAN PC Card, you can communicate with the Access Point, and share files with other computers via the Access Point.
  • Page 8 High bit rate movie streaming playback (with Peer to Peer Nework connection mode) Peer to Peer Network connection mode allows computers equipped with Wireless LAN PC Cards to communicate directly, without using a Wireless LAN Access Point. With this connection mode, users can share files directly from one computer to another.
  • Page 9: System Requirements

    Display: High-color (16-bit color) or greater, 800 480 resolution or greater Notes • Sony cannot assure trouble-free operation for all computers satisfying the specified system requirements. • Except for Sony VAIO personal computers upgraded with the regular Windows XP upgrade service package provided by Sony, Sony cannot assure trouble-free operation in environments using upgraded operating systems.
  • Page 10: About Manuals And Help Files

    About manuals and Help files The following manuals and Help file are provided with this product. 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 Quick Start Guide for Microsoft Windows 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 Quick Start Guide for Microsoft Windows These two Quick Start Guides contain instructions for installing the Wireless LAN PC Card, Wireless LAN PC Card driver, and the Wireless Panel utility software provided.
  • Page 11: Unpacking

    Unpacking Your Wireless LAN PC Card comes with the following items: • Wireless LAN PC Card • PC card case • CD-ROM (Setup disc) • Operating Instructions • Quick Start Guide for Windows Me and Windows 2000 Users • Quick Start Guide for Windows XP Users •...
  • Page 12: Indicators

    Indicators 1 POWER indicator 2 NETWORK indicator Indicator modes POWER Blinking rapidly Blinking slowly in unison Alternating slow blinking NETWORK Description Communication in progress (The rate of flashing changes with the amount of data flow.) Standby (Data transfer is possible, however no data is being sent or received.) Connection not established (There is no problem with the Wireless...
  • Page 13: Inserting The Wireless Lan Pc Card

    Inserting the Wireless LAN PC Card If you are inserting the 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 for the first time, see Quick Start Guide for details. This section explains how to insert and remove the Wireless LAN PC Card from your computer.
  • Page 14: Notice For Users Who Have A Computer With An Upper And A Lower Pc Card Slot

    If your computer is already turned on when you insert the Wireless LAN PC card, the driver installation wizard starts automatically. Refer to the Quick Start Guide for details on driver installation. To remove the Wireless LAN PC Card: Close any software that is using the Wireless LAN. Stop PC Card Services on the taskbar or in Control Panel.
  • Page 15: About The Software Provided

    About the software provided The CD-ROM provided contains the following software: 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card driver This software is required for 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500 operation. Wireless Panel Wireless Panel is a utility software that displays the status of wireless communications.
  • Page 16 Note The Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs: • The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter is represented in the Device Manager list by a yellow question mark or exclamation point. c Click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter, and click Remove to uninstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.
  • Page 17 If the message “This device is working properly” is not displayed, the Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly. In this case, repeat steps 1 to 5, and click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. Then click Remove to uninstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.
  • Page 18 Click the Device Manager tab, then double-click Network adapters. Double-click the network card you want to disable. Click the General tab, then select the Disable in this hardware profile check box. Windows 2000: From the Start menu, point to Settings, then select Control Panel.
  • Page 19 Note The Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs: • The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter is represented in the Device Manager list by a yellow question mark or exclamation point. c Right-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter, and click Remove to uninstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.
  • Page 20 PC Card is not working properly. In this case, repeat steps 1 to 5, and right-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. Then click Remove to delete the Wireless LAN PC Card driver. Next, restart the computer, and reinstall the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.
  • Page 21 Click the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager. The Device Manager window appears. From the View menu, select Devices by type. Double-click Network adapters. Double-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter Properties dialog box appears.
  • Page 22 Note The Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs: • The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter is represented in the Device Manager list by a yellow question mark or exclamation point. c Right-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter, and click Uninstall to delete the Wireless LAN PC Card driver.
  • Page 23: Uninstalling The Wireless Lan Pc Card Driver

    When using a computer that has an Ethernet interface other than a Wireless LAN PC Card, it is recommended that you disable the Ethernet interface to avoid any unexpected difficulties. After completing all of the above steps, perform the following steps. From the start menu, point to Connect To, then select Show all connections.
  • Page 24 Click the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager. The Device Manager window appears. From the View menu, select Devices by type. Double-click Network adapters, then double-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter Properties dialog box appears.
  • Page 25 Click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall. The Confirm Device Removal dialog box appears. Click OK. You are returned to the Device Manager window. Click to close the Device Manager window. You are returned to the System Properties dialog box. Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.
  • Page 26: Removing The Wireless Panel

    Double-click Network adapters, then double-click Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter. The Sony 802.11a Wireless LAN Adapter Properties dialog box appears. Click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall. The Confirm Device Removal dialog box appears. Click OK. You are returned to the Device Manager window.
  • Page 27 Click 5GHz Wireless LAN, then click Add/Remove. The Confirm File Deletion dialog box appears. Click OK. The program is removed, and the Maintenance Complete dialog box appears. Note If the ReadOnly File Detected dialog box appears, click Yes to delete the file. Click Finish.
  • Page 28 Click Finish. Note If the Shared File Detected dialog box appears, it is recommended that you click No and keep shared files. Windows XP: Notes • Log on to Windows XP using an account with computer administrator privileges. • Close all programs before removing the Wireless Panel. From the start menu, select Control Panel.
  • Page 29: Wireless Lan Connection

    • To start the wizard at any time other than immediately after installation of the Wireless Panel, double-click “InitSetup.exe” in the folder where you installed the Wireless Panel. (The default location is “C:\Program Files\Sony\5GHz Wireless LAN”.) Setting up the 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500...
  • Page 30 Select the Use Easy Setup Wizard check box, and click Next. The Connection mode panel appears. Select Access Point Network, and click Next. The Network Setup panel appears. Configure Nickname, Network, and WEP. Items to be configured: • Nickname This is the nickname for the network. You can enter up to 20 ASCII characters (alphanumeric characters, and may include symbols) for the Nickname.
  • Page 31 • Network Name The Network Name is an ID used to identify wireless networks, and is also referred to as the “SSID”. When connecting to a 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500 that is set to the factory default settings, enter the factory default Network Name for Access Point that is printed on the ID label at the rear of the device.
  • Page 32 [ASCII/Hex] This is the format for entering the password (WEP key) required when connecting to networks where WEP is enabled. You can select ASCII (alphanumeric characters, and may include symbols) or Hex (hexadecimal notation). [Length] This is the length (bit length) for the WEP key (password) required when connecting to networks where WEP is enabled.
  • Page 33 Confirm your settings, then click Next. The Connected with access point panel appears when communication with the Access Point is established. (It may take some time before a connection is established.) Note If an error message is displayed, the settings are not correct. Read the error message carefully, and click Back to correct the settings.
  • Page 34 Notes • If your web browser is configured to use a web proxy server, set the web browser proxy setting so that the browser does not use a proxy server for the Access Point IP address. (The factory default Access Point IP address is 192.168.11.1.) •...
  • Page 35 Change the computer settings to match those you set for the Access Point. Click Next. The settings that you selected are displayed. Confirm your settings, then click Next. Communication with the Access Point is established. Hint Refer to the Windows Help or your Windows documentation for information on sharing files and printers over networks.
  • Page 36 When all of the items are set, click Next. The settings that you have made are displayed. Confirm your settings, then click Next. Your settings are saved. This may take several minutes. When the Completing the Wireless Connection Easy Setup Wizard panel appears, click Finish.
  • Page 37: Windows Xp

    Windows XP Note Before configuring the Wireless LAN PC Card Perform the following steps to confirm that the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box is selected. This option is selected as the default setting. 1 From the Start menu, select Control Panel, then double-click Network Connections.
  • Page 38 Note Refer to the Wireless Panel Online Help on how to register additional networks. From Available Networks list in Connect to Wireless Network, click the network that you want to connect to. Hint Network Names of Access Points within communication range are listed in Available Networks.
  • Page 39 Click Connect. Communication with the Access Point is established. If you are not going to change the Access Point settings, this completes all the necessary settings. If you want to change the Access Point settings, follow the instructions below. Note To use Access Point to connect to the Internet, you must change the Access Point factory default settings.
  • Page 40 Set up the Access Point following the onscreen instructions. Hint To use the online help, click the question mark icon on the page. WARNING If you change the Network Name (SSID) or WEP settings for the Access Point, communication between the Access Point and the computer will be lost because the Access Point and computer settings do not match.
  • Page 41 When the computer is connected to a wireless network: Double-click the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar to display the Wireless Panel and click Network List to display the Network Connections window. Then, right-click “Wireless Connection ” (where the asterisk represents a number. This number varies according to conditions) and select View Available Wireless Networks from the shortcut menu.
  • Page 42 Click the Wireless Networks tab.
  • Page 43 Click Add. The Wireless Network Properties dialog box appears. Enter a Network name (SSID) for this network (up to 32 characters, and may include symbols). The Network name is an ID used to identify wireless networks, and is also referred to as the “SSID”. When connecting to a Peer to Peer network, enter the same name for all computers connected to that network.
  • Page 44 Select the Data Encryption (WEP enabled( check box, and clear the The key is provided for me automatically check box. Note WEP is a function designed to prevent unauthorized access to your network data. When the Data Encryption (WEP enabled) check box is not selected, data is not encrypted.
  • Page 45: Viewing Communication Status

    Viewing communication status Viewing the signal reception level You can check the level of the signal you are receiving using the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar. Communication status indicator icons for the Access Point: Received Signal Level indicator Excellent Good Intermediate...
  • Page 46: Viewing Detailed Network Information

    Viewing detailed network information You can use the Wireless Panel utility to view detailed information about the network your computer is connected to. Double-click the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar. The Wireless Panel main screen appears, indicating the status of the network that your computer is connected to.
  • Page 47: Using Wireless Panel

    Using Wireless Panel Wireless Panel is software for displaying the status of wireless communications. Normally, it runs in the background, displaying the status of your wireless connection as an icon on the taskbar. You can get more detailed connection information by displaying its main screen. When using an operating system other than Windows XP, Wireless Panel is also used to set up computers or switch between connection settings.
  • Page 48: Displaying The Main Screen Of The Wireless Panel

    Displaying the main screen of the Wireless Panel To display the main screen of the Wireless Panel, double-click the Received Signal Level indicator on the taskbar. The main screen of the Wireless Panel appears, displaying the status of the network that your computer is connected to. Hints •...
  • Page 49: Status Tab

    Status tab Wireless Status This area displays the communication status of the Wireless Panel. Nickname The Nickname of the network that computer is currently connected to. (Created by the user.) If the Nickname is longer than 13 characters, the first 12 characters are displayed and remaining characters are denoted by an ellipsis (...).
  • Page 50: Connection Mode

    Access Point’s internal configuration web server. When using the Peer to Peer Network connection mode, which does not use Access Point, this button cannot be used. Note The AP Setup button can only be used when you are using the Sony 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500.
  • Page 51 AP Scan tab Wireless Status Displays all networks operating within the communication range of your computer. Selected In this column, “>>>” indicates the currently selected Access Point. Nickname Nicknames for networks registered in the Wireless Panel. For networks not registered in Wireless Panel, this column is blank. Note Nickname is not displayed when you are using Windows XP.
  • Page 52 Indicates whether the data is encrypted or not. Displays the network channel that is currently being used by the network. Network List button / Network Registration button Windows Me/2000: Network List When none of the networks on the list is selected, this button appears as Network List.
  • Page 53 Access Point’s internal configuration web server. When using the Peer to Peer Network connection mode, which does not use an Access Point, this button cannot be used. Note The AP Setup button can only be used when you are using the Sony 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500.
  • Page 54 Signal Log tab Signal Log Displays the signal status and signal rate for signals as a graph. The red line indicates the data reception rate, the green line the transmission rate, and the blue line the signal level (strength). Wide Plot button / Narrow Plot button This button toggles between the Wide Plot and the Narrow Plot display modes.
  • Page 55: Precautions

    Precautions Safety Do not drop or cause a mechanical shock to the 5GHz Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C500, as this may damage the unit. Installation Do not expose the Wireless LAN PC Card to the following conditions: • Unstable surfaces •...
  • Page 56: Specifications

    The Sony e-mail support service answers your questions by electronic mail. Just send your question in an e- mail message and a customer service representative will reply. To send a question to Sony e-mail support, fill out the e-mail form at http://www.sony.com/ wirelesslansupport/...
  • Page 57: Glossary

    The Sony Customer Information Services Center offers information about your 5GHz Wireless LAN Access Point PCWA-A500, Wireless LAN PC Card, and other Sony products that work with your computer. To contact the Sony Customer Information Services Center, call 1-877-760-7669. Open 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
  • Page 58 LAN (Local Area Network) A network which is accessible only to its members, unlike the Internet which is open to an unlimited number of people. A LAN may be built for different purposes. For example, you can build an office LAN that is accessible only to members of the same department or a home LAN that is accessible only to family members.
  • Page 59: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting Read the Troubleshooting section of this guide before calling Sony Customer Information Services. If you still cannot resolve your issue after reading this section, call Sony Customer Information Services. Symptom My computer does not detect the Wireless LAN PC Card.
  • Page 60 Symptom I cannot remember the WEP Key. No communication is available even though my computer is located within 150 feet (50 m) of the Access Point, in direct line of sight. Cause/Remedy c When using an Access Point, reset the Access Point to its defaults.
  • Page 64 Just send your question in an e-mail message and a customer service representative will reply. To send a question to Sony e-mail support, fill out the e-mail form at http://www.sony.com/wirelesslansupport/ The Sony fax-back service provides you with answers to commonly asked questions.

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