Planet WNL-U556M User Manual
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Planet WNL-U556M User Manual

300mbps 802.11n micro-size wireless usb adapter
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  • Page 1 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte...

  • Page 2: Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement

    WNL-U556M Copyright Copyright  2015 by PLANET Technology Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of PLANET.

  • Page 3: Ce Mark Warning

    Do not dispose of WEEE as unsorted municipal waste; instead, collect them separately. Revision User’s Manual of PLANET 300Mbps 802.11n Micro-size Wireless USB Adapter Model: WNL-U556M Rev: EM-WNLU556M_v2.0 (May, 2015) Part No. 2081-E23190-001...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    3.2.1 Windows XP - Use Windows Zero Configuration........... 28 3.2.2 Windows 7 - Use Windows 7 WLAN AutoConfig ........... 32 Chapter 4. PLANET USB WIRELESS LAN UTILITY................35 Connection Profile Management ..................35 4.1.1 Add a new profile ....................36 4.1.2...
  • Page 5 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Wireless Transmission Statistics ..................57 Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) ..................58 Appendix: Specifications........................60 Appendix: Troubleshooting....................... 62 Appendix: Glossary..........................63 Appendix: FAQ............................ 68...

  • Page 6: Chapter 1. Product Introduction

    300Mbps 802.11n high-speed wireless transmission. The ultra mini-size, compact design of the WNL-U556M is convenient to carry for all mobile users. The adapter does not need to be removed from a laptop anymore whether it is in use or at idle. It is just like a part of the...
  • Page 7 WNL-U556M High-speed 802.11n Wireless Experience The WNL-U556M offers a reliable and cost-effective wireless extension solution. It adopts IEEE 802.11n technology and is backward compatible with IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g. The WNL-U556M supports USB 2.0 interface that integrates with one transmit channel and one concurrent receive...
  • Page 8 WNL-U556M operation mode between Station mode and Access Point mode. When the WNL-U556M is in the Access Point mode, it turns to a Wi-Fi Hotspot. The Wi-Fi supported devices, such as iPhone, Android, Symbian, Windows Phone, iPod...

  • Page 9: Product Features

    Internet wirelessly via the WNL-U556M. Easy Installation Wizard The WNL-U556M provides an easy installation wizard in 35 languages. It guides users step by step to easily complete the product installation through the whole process.

  • Page 10: Hardware Description

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 1.4 Hardware Description .4 Hardware Description   Case Outlook Case Outlook  LED Definition There is an LED equipped on the wireless adapter. When the data is transmitting, the LED will flash. LED Indicator...

  • Page 11: Chapter 2. Installation

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Chapter 2. INSTALLATION 2.1 Microsoft Windows Driver Installation Before installing the driver and utility of wireless adapter, do not insert the device into the USB port of your computer. 1. If you have ever installed other wireless adapters before, please uninstall the existing drivers and utilities first.
  • Page 12 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 3. Click the “Next” button to start installing the driver and utility. If the screen below appears during installation, please click the “Continue Anyway” button to continue. Step 4. After the software has been installed successfully, choose “Yes, I want to restart my computer now.”...
  • Page 13 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 5. After restarting the computer, insert the wireless USB adapter into an empty USB port of your computer. Never force to insert the adapter if you feel it gets stuck. Flip the adapter over and try again.
  • Page 14 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 6. The following window will pop up. Choose “No, not this time” and click the “Next” button to continue. Step 7. Choose “Install the software automatically (Recommended)”, and click the “Next” button to install the driver.
  • Page 15 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M If the screen below appears during installation, please click the “Continue Anyway” button to continue. Step 8. Once the installation is finished, click the “Finish” button. After the driver of wireless adapter has been installed successfully, you’ll see another message pop-up at the lower-right corner of the screen.
  • Page 16 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Left-clicking the new icon will launch PLANET 11n USB Wireless LAN Utility, and right-clicking the icon will show the quick menu of configuration utility. This icon also uses different colors to show the status of wireless connection: Wireless connection is established;...

  • Page 17: Mac Os X 10.X Driver Installation

    WNL-U556M 2.2 MAC OS X 10.x Driver Installation The WNL-U556M supports MAC OS X 10.4 / 10.5 / 10.6 / 10.7. To install in MAC OS X operation system, please follow the instructions below to install the USB Wireless Adapter: Step 1.
  • Page 18 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 4. Select a language and click “Continue”. Step 5. Click “Agree” and then click “Continue”. -18-...
  • Page 19 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 6. Click “Install”. Step 7. Enter your Username and Password of the System. Then, click “OK”.
  • Page 20 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 8. The window pops up the notice to remind you that computer will restart after finishing the installing. Please click “Continue Installation”. Step 9. When the installation is successful, click “Restart”to restart your computer.
  • Page 21 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 11. Go to the administrator’s folder. Click “Applications”. Then, click “Wireless Network Utility”. Step 12. Click “Available Network”. Choose the AP you would like to connect to. Then, click “Add to Profile”. -21-...
  • Page 22 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 13. Select the encryption type of the AP that you want to connect to and fill in encryption key. Click “OK” to finish the installation and configuration of the wireless adapter! -22-...

  • Page 23: Linux Driver Installation

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 2.3 Linux Driver Installation The WNL-U556M supports the following Linux platforms: Linux Kernel 2.6.18~2.6.38   Linux Kernel 3.8.2 To install in Linux operating system, please refer to the README text file in the Linux_Driver folder included in the bundled CD.

  • Page 24: Chapter 3. Connecting To Wireless Network

    (comes with Windows operating system). 3.1 PLANET 11n USB Wireless LAN Utility Please follow the instructions below to connect the wireless access point via PLANET 11n USB Wireless LAN Utility. Step 1. Left-click the PLANET Wireless Utility icon located at the lower-right corner of the screen and configuration menu will appear: Step 2.
  • Page 25 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 3. When the access point you’re looking for is on the list, left-click it and then double-click it or click “Add to Profile”. Step 4. If a password (Network Key) is required to access the wireless access point, please input it in the “Network key”...
  • Page 26 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M SSID is not hidden and grayed out. If SSID is hidden, you have to input the correct SSID yourself.  Computer-to-computer Check this box if you wish to connect to another computer / (ad-hoc) Network network device by the ad-hoc method.

  • Page 27: Windows Zero Configuration

    Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 have a built-in wireless network configuration utility called as “Windows Zero Configuration” (WZC). You can also use WZC to configure your wireless network parameter: Step 1. Right-click PLANET Wireless Utility icon and click “Open Config Utility”. -27-...

  • Page 28: Windows Xp - Use Windows Zero Configuration

    Check the “Windows Zero Config” box. Step 3. A dialog appears indicating that you’ve been already switched to Windows Zero Config mode. To return to use PLANET wireless utility, uncheck the “Windows Zero Config” box. 3.2.1 Windows XP - Use Windows Zero Configuration Step 4.
  • Page 29 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 5. Double-click “Network and Internet Connections”. -29-...
  • Page 30 Step 6. Right-click “Wireless Network Connection” (It may have a number as suffix if you have more than one wireless network adapter. Please make sure you right-click the PLANET Wireless LAN 802.11n USB Network Adapter) and then select “View Available Wireless Networks”.
  • Page 31 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 8. If the access point is protected by encryption, you have to input its network key or passphrase here. It must match the encryption setting on the access point. If the access point you selected does not use encryption, you’ll not be prompted for network key or passphrase.

  • Page 32: Windows 7 - Use Windows 7 Wlan Autoconfig

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 3.2.2 Windows 7 - Use Windows 7 WLAN AutoConfig WLAN AutoConfig service is built-in in Windows 7 that can be used to detect and connect to wireless network. This built-in wireless network connection tool is similar to wireless zero configuration tool in Windows XP.
  • Page 33 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M If you will be connecting to this Wireless Router in the future, check [Connect automatically]. Step 4: Enter the network security key of the wireless access point. (1) The Connect to a Network box will appear...
  • Page 34 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 5: Check if “Connected” is displayed...

  • Page 35: Chapter 4. Planet Usb Wireless Lan Utility

    To manage profiles, right-click the PLANET wireless utility icon located at the lower-right corner of the screen and then click “Open Config Utility”.

  • Page 36: Add A New Profile

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 4.1.1 Add a new profile You can set up the connection parameters for the specific wireless access point in advance. If you want to create a new profile, click the “Add” button. You’ll be prompted to input connection parameters for the wireless access point you wish to connect...
  • Page 37 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Required parameters are as follows: Object Description  Profile Name You can give a name to this profile, so you can remember its purpose easily. It can be any phrase to help you remember.

  • Page 38: Remove An Existing Profile

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M setting of access point, and input it in the box; if you select “PASSPHRASE”, you also need to select the length of the key. The passphrase must be identical with the setting of wireless access point you wish to connect to.

  • Page 39: Edit An Existing Profile

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 4.1.3 Edit an existing profile If you have added a profile before, and now you wish to change the settings of the profile, you can use this function. Please select the profile from the list first and then click the “Edit” button. The contents of the selected profile will appear.
  • Page 40 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M -40-...

  • Page 41: Make A Copy Of Existing Profile

    If you wish to use a specific profile as the default wireless connection, you can select the profile in the list, and click “Set Default”. The selected profile will become default selection and PLANET wireless utility will attempt to connect to the selected access point.
  • Page 42 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M -42-...

  • Page 43: General Information, Status, And Network Statistics

    WNL-U556M 4.2 General Information, Status, and Network Statistics PLANET wireless utility provides the detailed information about the wireless connection you’re using. 4.2.1 General Information If you want to know the general information of the access point you’re connecting to, click the “General”...

  • Page 44: Network Transmission Statistics

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 4.2.3 Network Transmission Statistics To view the statistical data of wireless adapter, click the “Statistics” label, and the statistics of wireless connection will be displayed: All connection-related statistics are displayed here. You can click the “Reset” button to reset the statistics of all items back to 0.

  • Page 45: Miscellaneous Settings

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 4.3 Miscellaneous Settings There are some other functions provided by PLANET wireless utility, and you can access these functions from the bottom of configuration window: The descriptions of the function are listed as follows:...

  • Page 46: Wi-Fi Protected Setup (Wps)

    PLANET Wireless LAN Utility supports two WPS methods: “Pin Input Config (PIN)” and “Push Button Config (PBC)”. Please follow the instructions below to establish the secure connection between WPS-supported wireless access point and PLANET wireless adapter.
  • Page 47 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 4. Please click the “Push Button Config (PBC)” button. Then a message window will appear: Step 5. After tabbing the Push Button Config button, press the physical button on your wireless access point or virtual button on the WPS configuration page.

  • Page 48: Pin Input Config (Pin)

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 6. After activating the WPS function of wireless access point, the secure connection between wireless adapter and the WPS-supported access point will be established automatically. 4.4.2 Pin Input Config (PIN) Step 4. Please click the “Pin Input Config (PIN)” button: You’ll be prompted to select an access point you wish to connect to.
  • Page 49 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 5. If you select “Yes”, a list of all WPS-supported APs nearby will be displayed. You can click the “Refresh” button to rescan. Click an access point you want to connect to and click the “Select”...
  • Page 50 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Step 7. Please input this number into the configuration of the access point within 2 minutes, and the secure connection between wireless adapter and the WPS-supported access point will be established automatically. To stop this procedure before connection is established, click the “Cancel” button.

  • Page 51: Chapter 5. Soft Access Point Mode

    WNL-U556M Chapter 5. SOFT ACCESS POINT MODE Besides being a wireless client of other wireless access points, PLANET wireless adapter can also act as a wireless service provider. You can switch the operation mode of wireless adapter to “Access Point” mode to simulate the function of a real wireless access point by software. And all other computers and Wi-Fi supported devices can connect to your computer wirelessly, even share your internet connection service.

  • Page 52: Switch Between Access Point Mode And Station Mode

    Please follow the instructions below to switch to Access Point mode: Step 1. Right-click PLANET wireless utility icon and click “Open Config Utility”. Step 2. Select “Mode(M)” and then click “Access Point”. It requires a few seconds to switch mode.
  • Page 53 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M After the mode switch is complete, the window of general information about software access point will appear, including SSID, IP address of the Soft AP and connected wireless clients. lso the wireless LAN Utility icon in you system tray (lower-right corner) can be changed to another icon.

  • Page 54: Configure Ssid And Channel

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 5.1.1 Configure SSID and Channel To configure software Access Point, click the “Config” button, and the “Wireless Network Properties” will be displayed. Please note that the Ad-Hoc mode is not available when the wireless adapter is in the Access Point mode.

  • Page 55: Soft Access Point Security

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 5.1.2 Soft Access Point Security To set up security options for Soft Access Point, configure “Wireless Network Security” as follows: The setup items about wireless security are listed below: Object Description Select the network authentication mode from the dropdown menu.

  • Page 56: Advanced Settings

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 5.2 Advanced Settings Click the “Advanced” label to set up advanced settings of software access point. If you don’t know the meaning and affects of these settings, please keep them as default. The setup items are listed below:...

  • Page 57: Wireless Transmission Statistics

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 5.3 Wireless Transmission Statistics Click the “Statistics” label and the data statistics about software access point will be displayed. Click the “Reset” button to reset the value of every item back to “0”. -57-...

  • Page 58: Internet Connection Sharing (Ics)

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) You can assign a network adapter on your computer as the path for all wireless clients to get connected to Internet. If you have only one network adapter (besides the software access point), you don’t have to select the network adapter here.
  • Page 59 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M If you have more than one network adapter, select the one you wish to be used as Internet gateway. For example, the 3G USB dongle is connected to the laptop for internet access. The other portable wireless devices can enjoy the internet surfing through the software AP and 3G connection sharing.

  • Page 60: Appendix: Specifications

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Appendix: Specifications Product 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless Micro-size USB Adapter Model WNL-U556M Hardware Specifications Interface USB 2.0, Type-A Antenna Type Internal Omni-directional PIFA Antenna Antenna Gain 2dBi Button WPS Push Button (PBC mode) to launch WPS connection...
  • Page 61 12 meters Certification CE, FCC Emission Environment Operating Temperature 0°C~40°C (32°F~104°F) Humidity 10% ~ 90%, non condensing  WNL-U556M (300Mbps 802.11n Wireless Micro-size USB adapter) Package Contents  Quick Installation Guide  CD (including driver, utility and user’s manual) -61-...

  • Page 62: Appendix: Troubleshooting

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Appendix: Troubleshooting Symptom : The LED is off. Make sure the PC Card is inserted properly. Otherwise, contact your Remedy : vendor. Symptom : The LED is always on, not blinking. Make sure that you have installed the driver from the attached CD.

  • Page 63: Appendix: Glossary

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Appendix: Glossary 1. IEEE 802.11 Standard The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standards subcommittee, which is formulating a standard for the industry. 2. Access Point An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless networks together.
  • Page 64 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 10. IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Infrastructure. An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration. Infrastructure is applicable to enterprise scale for wireless access to central database, or wireless 11.
  • Page 65 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 19. Transmit / Receive The wireless throughput in Bytes per second averaged over two seconds. 20. Wi-Fi Alliance The Wi-Fi Alliance is a nonprofit international association formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of wireless Local Area Network products based on IEEE 802.11 specification. The goal of the Wi-Fi Alliance’s members is to enhance the user experience through product interoperability.

  • Page 66: Preamble Type

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M overhead, so you'll want to keep this value as close to the maximum value as possible. 26. RTS (Request To Send) Threshold The RTS threshold is the packet size at which packet transmission is governed by the RTS/CTS transaction.
  • Page 67 300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M 32. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Security issues are a major concern for wireless LANs. AES is the U.S. government’s next-generation cryptography algorithm, which will replace DES and 3DES. -67-...

  • Page 68: Appendix: Faq

    300Mbps 802.11n Wireless USB Adapte WNL-U556M Appendix: FAQ What is WMM? Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM), a group of features for wireless networks that improve the user experience for audio, video and voice applications. WMM is based on a subset of the IEEE 802.11e WLAN QoS draft standard.

  • Page 69: Ec Declaration Of Conformity

    *Model Number WNL-U556M * Produced by: Manufacturer‘s Name : Planet Technology Corp. Manufacturer‘s Address: 10F., No.96, Minquan Rd., Xindian Dist., New Taipei City 231, Taiwan (R.O.C.) is herewith confirmed to comply with the requirements set out in the Council Directive on the 99/5/EC R&TTE,...
  • Page 70 ΤΙΣ ΟΥΣΙΩΔΕΙΣ ΑΠΑΙΤΗΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΣ ΛΟΙΠΕΣ disposições da Directiva 1999/5/CE. ΣΧΕΤΙΚΕΣ ΔΙΑΤΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΔΗΓΙΑΣ 1999/5/ΕΚ Por medio de la presente, PLANET Technology Español Slovensky Výrobca PLANET Technology Corporation, Corporation, declara que 802.11n Wireless USB týmto deklaruje, že táto 802.11n Wireless USB...

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