Sony PCWA-DE80 - Wireless Lan Router Troubleshooting Manual

Wireless LAN Converter
(2.4 GHz/5 GHz IEEE 802.11a/b/g)

Troubleshooting Guide

This document provides solutions to common problems
encountered with the Wireless LAN Converter.
Please refer to this guide before contacting Sony
Customer Information Services.
PCWA-DE80
© 2004 Sony Corporation Printed in Japan
Contents
• Cannot connect to the access point. ........................................................
• Cannot establish a connection even after using the
Quick Setup switch. .................................................................................
• When starting the Converter Setup Utility, the message
"Converter not detected. Do you want to see Online Help?" or
"Failed to scan the Wireless Converter. Make sure the network cable is plugged in
to the Ethernet port and the Wireless Converter is turned on.
Do you want to see Online Help?" appears. ............................................
• When starting the Converter Setup Utility, the message
"Failed to open Converter Setup Page. Do you want to see
Online Help?" appears. ............................................................................
• When starting the Converter Setup Utility,
the "IP Address Setup" dialog box appears. ............................................
• Cannot display the Wireless LAN Converter Setup Page with
the Converter Setup Utility. ......................................................................
• On the Wireless LAN Converter Setup Page, the Encryption
(WEP) key text box cannot be used. ........................................................
• The Status indicator is slowly flashing white, but communication
with the access point is not possible. .......................................................
• Unable to connect after the access point settings
are changed. ............................................................................................
• Unable to connect after the access control
(MAC address filtering) of the access point is enabled. ...........................
• Cannot create a peer-to-peer network. ....................................................
• Cannot communicate with a device other than the computer
used for setup ..........................................................................................
• Forgot settings or want to reset. ..............................................................
• What are the factory default settings? .....................................................
• What are the Wireless LAN Converter functions
and how can I make advanced settings? .................................................
• Computer firewall function and browser proxy settings ...........................
The Troubleshooting Guide of the Converter Setup Utility is also part of Help. To display Help, click
"Start", point to "Programs" (when using the Windows XP operating system, select "All Programs"),
point to "Wireless LAN", and then "Converter Setup Help".
Instructions for using the Wireless LAN Converter Setup Page can be found in Help that appears when
clicking .
4-680-297-11(1)
Case 1 Cannot connect to the access point.
Are your access point security settings configured to "WPA" or
"IEEE 802.1X"?
If this is the case, the Wireless LAN Converter cannot connect to the access point. Change your access
point security settings to "WEP" or "WPA-PSK".
Case 2 Cannot establish a connection even after using
the Quick Setup switch.
1 Is your access point Quick Setup switch setting set to
"Disable"?
If this is the case, change this setting to "Enable" in the access point Setup Page.
2 Are your access point security settings configured to "WPA"
or "IEEE 802.1X"?
If this is the case, the Wireless LAN Converter cannot connect to the access point. Change your
access point security settings to "WEP" or "WPA-PSK".
Case 3 When starting the Converter Setup Utility, the
message "Converter not detected. Do you want to
see Online Help?" or "Failed to scan the Wireless
Converter. Make sure the network cable is
plugged in to the Ethernet port and the Wireless
Converter is turned on. Do you want to see Online
Help?" appears.
1 Is the Wireless LAN Converter connected correctly to the
computer?
Check the connections between the Wireless LAN Converter and computer, the Wireless Unit and
Power Unit, and the Power Unit and power outlet.
To power
outlet
Power cord
Wireless Unit
z
Hints
Case 1
• When power is supplied to the Wireless LAN Converter, the Status indicator is lit or flashing. However, if
the indicator is set to OFF in the Wireless LAN Converter Setup Page, the indicator only operates in special
Case 2 cases.
• When the Wireless LAN Converter is connected to a computer or other device, the LINK/ACT indicator
flashes. For details about the location of the LINK/ACT indicator, refer to the separate Read This First.
2 Is the Ethernet device inside the computer enabled?
Case 3
Check whether the Ethernet device inside the computer is enabled.
Windows Me models
Case 4 1
Right-click "My Computer" on your desktop, and click "Properties" on the shortcut
menu that appears.
Case 5
2
In the "System Properties" dialog box, click the "Device Manager" tab.
Case 6 3
Double-click "Network
adapters" to display a list of
adapters, and verify that the
Case 7
Ethernet adapter you are using
is enabled.
Case 8
z
Hint
Case 9
You can also display detailed
information by right-clicking your
adapter and clicking "Properties" on
Case 10
the shortcut menu that appears.
Case 11
Case 12
Case 13
Case 14
Case 15
Windows 2000, Windows XP models
Case 16
1
With the Windows 2000 operating system, click "Start", point to "Settings", and click
"Network and Dial-up Connections" to open the "Network and Dial-up Connections"
window.
With the Windows XP operating system, click "Start", and then click "Control Panel".
In "Control Panel", double-click "Network connections".
Power Unit
Ethernet cable
(not included)
2
Right-click the Wireless
Network Connection
icon to be connected
and click "Enable" if it is
available on the menu.
(The illustration shows
the Windows XP
operating system
window.)
3 If the computer connected to the Wireless LAN Converter is
running the Windows XP operating system, is the "Internet
Connection Firewall" function enabled?
If the "Internet Connection Firewall" function is enabled, communication may not be possible.
For details, see case 16.
4 When using virus scanning or network security software, is a
personal firewall function enabled?
For details, see case 16.
5 If the computer connected to the Wireless LAN Converter is
running the Windows XP operating system, is the Ethernet
interface set up to act as a network bridge?
Confirm that the Ethernet connection is not acting as a network bridge.
1
Click "Start", and then click "Control Panel".
2
In "Control Panel", click "Network and Internet Connections", and then click
"Network Connections".
z
Hint
If "Network and Internet Connections" does not appear, click "Switch to Category View" on the left.
3
Confirm that the Ethernet network connection is not acting as a network bridge.
4
If the Ethernet network
connection is configured as a
network bridge, right-click the
local area connection icon, and
click "Remove from Bridge".
z
Hint
If "Remove from Bridge" does not
appear on the shortcut menu, the
Ethernet connection is not acting as a
network bridge.
Case 4 When starting the Converter Setup Utility, the
message "Failed to open Converter Setup Page.
Do you want to see Online Help?" appears.
Did the "IP Address Setup"
screen appear?
If communication cannot be established with the
current IP address of the computer connected to the
Wireless LAN Converter and the IP address of the
Wireless LAN Converter, the following dialog box
appears.
If you click "Cancel" in this dialog box, the Wireless
LAN Converter Setup Page cannot be displayed.
1
Click "Start", point to "Programs"
(when using the Windows XP operating system, point to "All Programs"), point to
"Wireless LAN", and then click "Converter Setup" to restart the Converter Setup
Utility.
2
When the "IP Address Setup" dialog box appears, verify its contents, and then click
"Execute Setup".
The IP address of the Wireless LAN Converter is temporarily changed so that the computer
can open the Wireless LAN Converter Setup Page.
Note
If the computer connected to the Wireless LAN Converter is also connected to another network, make sure that the
new IP address does not duplicate the address of a device on that network.
z
Hint
When you turn off or restart the Wireless LAN Converter, the IP address reverts to its original setting.
• Sony, VAIO, , , and the Eco Info logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.
• Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
• In this document, Microsoft ® Windows ® Millennium Edition is referred to as Windows Me, Microsoft
Professional is referred to as Windows 2000, Microsoft ® Windows ® XP Home Edition and Microsoft
Professional are referred to as Windows XP.
• Netscape is registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation.
• All other names of systems, products and services are trademarks of their respective owners.
• In the document, the ™ or ® marks are not specified.
Printed on 100% recycled paper using VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)-free vegetable oil
based ink.
® Windows ® 2000
® Windows ® XP
Continued on next page