Before Using The Wireless Lan; Wireless Lan Modes Using This Device - Fujitsu Lifebook N6210 User Manual

N6210.book Page 86 Wednesday, May 18, 2005 10:24 AM
L i f e B o o k N S e r i e s U s e r ' s G u i d e

Before Using the Wireless LAN

This manual describes the procedures required to prop-
erly setup and configure the optional integrated Wireless
LAN Mini-PCI device (referred to as "WLAN device" in
the rest of the manual). Before using the WLAN device,
read this manual carefully to ensure it's correct opera-
tion. Keep this manual in a safe place for future refer-
ence.
Wireless LAN Devices Covered by this Document
This document is applicable to systems containing the
Intel PRO/Wireless WM3B2915ABG Network Connec-
tions (802.11a+b/g)
Characteristics of the WLAN Device
The WLAN device is a Mini-PCI card attached to the
■
main board of the mobile computer.
The WLAN device operates in license-free RF bands,
■
eliminating the need to procure an FCC operating
license. The WLAN operates in the 2.4GHz Industrial,
Scientific, and Medical (ISM) RF band and the lower,
middle, and upper bands of the 5GHz Unlicensed
National Information Infrastructure (UNII) bands.
The Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG WLAN device is
■
capable of three operating modes, IEEE802.11a,
IEEE802.11b and IEEE802.11g.
Encoding of data is modulated using Direct Sequence
■
Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Complementary Code
Keying (CCK) when the WLAN device is operating in
IEEE 802.11b mode and Orthogonal Frequency Divi-
sion Multiplexing (OFDM) when operating in
IEEE802.11a or IEEE802.11g mode.
The WLAN device is Wi-Fi certified and operates at
■
the maximum data transfer rate of 54 Mbps in
IEEE802.11a or IEEE802.11g mode and 11 Mbps in
IEEE802.11b mode.
The maximum communication range indoors is
■
approximately 80 feet (25 meters). However, that
range will increase or decrease depending on factors
Figure A-1. Ad Hoc Mode Network
86
such as number of walls, reflective material, or inter-
ference from external RF sources.
The WLAN device supports the following encryption
■
methods - WEP, TKIP, CKIP, and AES encryption.

WIRELESS LAN MODES USING THIS DEVICE

Ad Hoc Mode
(See Figure A-1) "Ad Hoc Mode" refers to a wireless
network where wireless network connectivity between
multiple computers is established without a central
network device, typically known as Access Point(s).
Connectivity is accomplished using only client devices in
a peer-to-peer fashion. That is why Ad Hoc networks are
also known as peer-to-peer networks. Ad Hoc networks
are an easy and inexpensive method for establishing
network connectivity between multiple computers.
Ad Hoc mode requires that the SSID (service set identi-
fier), network authentication, and encryption key
settings are identically configured on all computers in
the Ad Hoc network.
Access Point (Infrastructure) Mode
(See Figure A-2) Infrastructure mode refers to a wireless
network in which devices communicate with wireless or
wired network devices by communicating through an
Access Point. In infrastructure mode, wireless devices
can communicate with each other or with a wired
network. Corporate wireless networks operate in infra-
structure mode because they require access to the wired
LAN in order to access computers, devices, and services
such as file servers, printers, and databases.
How to Handle This Device
The WLAN device comes pre-installed in your mobile
computer. Under normal circumstances, it should not be
necessary for you to remove or re-install it. The Oper-
ating System that your mobile computer comes with has
been pre-configured to support the WLAN device.