NETGEAR Network Card MA 101 User Manual

 
CONTENTS  
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
BENEFITS ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
FEATURES ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
RELATED NETGEAR PRODUCTS ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
CHAPTER 2: WIRELESS NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
WIRELESS NETWORK CONFIGURATIONꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
SERVICE SET IDENTIFICATION (SS ID)ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
AUTHENTICATION AND WEP ENCRYPTIONꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
WIRELESS CHANNEL SELECTION ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
CHAPTER 3: HARDWARE INSTALLATION ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
PACKAGE CONTENTSꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
HARDWARE DESCRIPTIONꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
INSTALLING WIRELESS USB ADAPTER ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
CHAPTER 4: DRIVER INSTALLATIONꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
WINDOWS 98 DRIVER SOFTWARE ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
WINDOWS MILLENNIUM DRIVER SOFTWARE ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
WINDOWS 2000 DRIVER SOFTWAREꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
WINDOWS XP DRIVER SOFTWARE ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢀ  
CHAPTER 5: WIRELESS LAN CONFIGURATIONꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
ADAPTER PROPERTIES CONFIGURATION ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢁꢉꢀ  
WLAN CONFIGURATION UTILITY ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ ꢁꢃꢀ  
APPENDIX A: HARDWARE SPECIFICATION ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
iii  
 
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION  
The MA101 802.11b Wireless USB adapter enables you to effortlessly network avoiding the hassles of  
Ethernet wiring. It is designed for computers running Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, or Millennium. Its  
auto-sensing capability allows packet transfer at 11Mbps for maximum throughput, or speed reduction to  
the lower 1Mbps speed for distance or working in a noisy environment.  
Benefits  
#" Quickly networks your employees without the time or expense of Ethernet cabling.  
#" Networks from any location in and around the home or office.  
#" Gives you constant access to corporate resources, e-mail and the intranet.  
#" Supports the vast majority of PCs and notebooks with USB interface.  
Features  
The key features of the MA101 Wireless USB adapter are:  
#" Reliable IEEE 802.11b standard-based wireless technology.  
#" 11Mbps high rate speed. Wireless nodes negotiate to operate in the optimal data transfer rate. In a  
noisy environment or when the distance between the wireless nodes is far, the wireless nodes  
automatically fall back to operate at the lower transfer rate of two or one Megabit per second.  
#" Highest level of data encryption using128-bit Shared Key data encryption method. Lower level of  
data encryption or no data encryption is available to simplify your network setup or to improve data  
transfer rate.  
#" Supports multiple operating system platform including Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 2000,  
Windows Millennium and XP.  
Related NETGEAR products  
#" MA401 802.11b Wireless PC Card  
#" ME102 802.11b Wireless Access Point  
#" MA301 802.11b Wireless PCI adapter  
#" MR314 802.11b Wireless Cable/DSL Router  
1
 
CHAPTER 2: WIRELESS NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS  
Wireless Network Configuration  
Ad-hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup)  
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard for wireless LANs (WLANs),  
802.11, offers two methods for configuring a wireless network — ad hoc and infrastructure. In an ad hoc  
network, computers are brought together as needed; thus, there is no structure or fixed points to the  
network — each node can generally communicate with any other node. There is no access point involved  
in this configuration. It enables you to quickly set up a small wireless workgroup and allows workgroup  
members to exchange data or share printers as supported by Microsoft Networking in the various  
Windows operating systems. Some vendors also refer to ad hoc networking as Peer-to-Peer group  
networking.  
In this configuration, network packets are directly sent and received by the intended transmitting and  
receiving stations. As long as the stations are within range of one another, this is the easiest and least  
expansive way to set up a wireless network.  
To set up an ad hoc workgroup operating with standard protocols, do the following:  
#" Set all stations to connect in Ad-hoc mode (or Peer-to-Peer workgroup mode).  
#" Set all stations to use the same network name (or SS ID).  
#" Set all stations to use no WEP encryption key or an identical WEP encryption key.  
#" Set all stations to use the same wireless channel for communication.  
Infrastructure Mode  
With a wireless access point, you can put the wireless LAN into the infrastructure mode. It provides  
wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed range or area of coverage,  
interacting with a wireless nodes via an antenna.  
In the infrastructure mode, the wireless access point converts airwave data into wired Ethernet data,  
acting as a bridge between the wired LAN and wireless clients. Connecting multiple access points via a  
wired Ethernet backbone can further extend the wireless network coverage. As a mobile computing device  
moves out of the range of one access point, it moves into the range of another. As a result, wireless clients  
can freely roam from one Access Point domain to another and still maintain seamless network connection.  
To set up an infrastructure network operating with standard protocols, do the following:  
#" Set all wireless stations to connect in infrastructure mode  
#" Set all stations to use the same network name (or SS ID).  
#" Set all wireless access point to use the same network name ( or ESS ID).  
#" Set all stations to use no WEP encryption key or an identical WEP encryption key.  
#" Set up wireless channels used by individual access point. (It is not necessary to set channels on the  
stations as the stations will automatically scan through all channels for the nearest access point.)  
2
 
Service Set Identification (SS ID)  
The Service Set Identification (SS ID) is a thirty-two alphanumeric character (maximum) string  
identifying the wireless local area network. Some vendors refer to the SS ID as network name. For  
stations to communicate with each other, all stations must be configured with the same SS ID.  
A wireless LAN consisting of nodes operating in ad hoc configuration without an access point is called a  
Basic Service Set (BSS). All nodes in a BSS must use the same Basic Service Set ID (BSS ID).  
In an infrastructure configuration with access points, multiple BSS can be configured to form an Extended  
Service Set (ESS). In this configuration, the access points are configured with the same Extended Service  
Set ID (ESS ID). Wireless clients configured with the same ESS ID can freely roam from one Access  
Point domain to another and still maintain seamless connection to the network  
Authentication and WEP Encryption  
The absence of a physical connection between nodes makes the wireless links vulnerable to information  
theft. To provide certain level of security, IEEE 802.11 standard has defined two types of authentication  
methods, Open System and Shared Key. Open System authentication is a null algorithm. Shared Key  
authentication is an algorithm where both the transmitting node and the receiving node share an  
authentication key to perform a checksum on the original message. By default, IEEE 802.11 wireless  
devices operate in an open system network.  
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption is utilized when the wireless nodes or access points are  
configured to operate in Shared Key authentication mode. There are two shared key methods implemented  
in most commercially available products, forty-bit WEP data encryption and 128-bit WEP data  
encryption.  
The forty-bit WEP data encryption method, allows for a five-character (forty-bit) input. Additionally, 24  
factory-set bits are added to the forty-bit input to generate a 64-bit encryption key. (The 24 factory-set  
bits are not user configurable.) This encryption key will be used to encrypt/decrypt all data transmitted via  
the wireless interface. Some vendors may refer to the forty-bit WEP data encryption as 64-bit WEP data  
encryption since the actual encryption key used in the encryption process is 64 bits wide.  
The 128-bit WEP data encryption method consists of 104 configurable bits. Similar to the forty-bit WEP  
data encryption method, the remaining 24 bits are factory set and not user configurable. Some vendors  
allow passphrases to be entered instead of the cryptic hexadecimal characters to ease encryption key entry.  
3
 
Wireless Channel Selection  
IEEE 802.11 wireless nodes communicate with each other using radio frequency signals in the ISM  
(Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) band between 2.4Ghz and 2.5Ghz. Neighboring channels are 5Mhz  
apart. However, due to spread spectrum effect of the signals, a node sending signals using a particular  
channel will utilize frequency spectrum12.5Mhz above and below the center channel frequency. As a  
result, two separate wireless networks using neighboring channels (for example, channel 1 and channel 2)  
in the same general vicinity will interfere with each other. Applying two channels that allow the maximum  
channel separation will decrease the amount of channel cross-talk, and provide a noticeable performance  
increase over networks with minimal channel separationꢀꢁ  
Channel  
Center Frequency  
2412Mhz  
2417Mhz  
2422Mhz  
2427Mhz  
2432Mhz  
2437Mhz  
2442Mhz  
2447Mhz  
2452Mhz  
2457Mhz  
2462Mhz  
2467Mhz  
2472Mhz  
Frequency Spread  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10  
11  
12  
13  
2399.5Mhz – 2424.5Mhz  
2404.5Mhz – 2429.5Mhz  
2409.5Mhz –2434.5Mhz  
2414.5Mhz –2439.5Mhz  
2419.5Mhz – 2444.5Mhz  
2424.5Mhz –2449.5Mhz  
2429.5Mhz –2454.5Mhz  
2434.5Mhz – 2459.5Mhz  
2439.5Mhz –2464.5Mhz  
2444.5Mhz –2469.5Mhz  
2449.5Mhz – 2474.5Mhz  
2454.5Mhz – 2479.5Mhz  
2459.5Mhz – 2484.5Mhz  
Note: The available channels supported by the wireless products in various countries are  
different.  
The preferred channel separation between the channels in neighboring wireless networks is 25 MHz (5  
channels). This means that you can apply up to three different channels within your wireless network.  
There are only 11 usable wireless channels in the United States. It is recommended that you start using  
channel 1 and grow to use channel 6, and 11 when necessary.  
4
 
CHAPTER 3: Hardware Installation  
Package Contents  
The product package should contain:  
#" Model MA101 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter  
#" USB cable  
#" MA101 Wireless USB Adapter Resource CD  
#" Installation Guide  
#" Support Information Card  
Call your reseller or customer support in your area if there are any wrong, missing, or damaged parts.  
Refer to the Support Information Card for the telephone number of customer support in your area. Keep  
the Support Information Card, along with the original packing materials. Use the packing materials to  
repack the Model MA101 Wireless USB Adapter if you need to return it for repair.  
To qualify for product updates and product warranty registrations, register online on the NETGEAR Web  
page at: ꢀꢁꢁꢂꢃꢄꢄꢅꢅꢅꢆꢇ ꢈꢉ ꢊꢋꢆꢌꢍꢎ.  
Hardware Description  
The USB interface of the MA101 USB adapter allows the adapter to be connected with any USB Rev 1.0  
compliant system by the USB cable. The USB LED on the MA101 card indicates the system status for  
operation. The Wireless Link/Activity LED on the MA101 card indicates the wireless link condition of the  
station with another wireless node or the associated access point.  
Installing Wireless USB Adapter  
Connect the MA101 802.11b wireless USB adapter with the PC or the notebook using the included USB  
cable.  
5
 
CHAPTER 4: Driver Installation  
Windows 98 Driver Software  
Installing Driver Software  
To install the NETGEAR MA101 Wireless USB Adapter LAN driver for the first time in Windows 98:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
Follow the procedure described in the hardware installation chapter to install the MA101 Wireless  
USB Adapter.  
Upon connection, Windows 98 automatically detects the existence of the MA101 Wireless USB  
Adapter. An Add New Hardware Wizard window opens. Click on Next” to continue.  
In the next Add new Hardware Wizard window, select Search for the best driver for your device  
(Recommended).” Click on Next.  
The next Add New Hardware Wizard window opens prompting for the location of the driver. Insert  
the MA101 USB adapter Resource CD into the CD-ROM drive. Click to select the CD-ROM drive.  
Click on Next.  
5.  
In the next window, Windows indicates that a Windows driver file is found and is ready to install the  
best driver for this device. Click on Next.  
6.  
7.  
.
Click on Finish” when informed that the driver installation is complete.  
Click on Yes” when asked if you want to reboot the system.  
The MA101 Wireless USB Adapter driver is now installed into your Windows 98 system.  
Verifying Driver Installation  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
From the Windows 98 desktop, double-click on My Computer.  
Double-click on Control Panel. Double-click on the System icon.  
Click on the Device Manager folder tab.  
Double-click on Network Adapter. There should be no yellow exclamation mark or red cross-sign on  
the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter selection.  
5.  
Double-click on the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter. The Device Status windows should indicate that  
the MA101 USB adapter is working properly.  
The installation of the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter driver in Windows 98 is now completed. Proceed to  
configuring the wireless parameters.  
Note: It is recommended that you install the included configuration utility for the MA101 adapter  
configuration. The utility installation procedure is shown in the Wireless LAN configuration chapter.  
6
 
Windows Me Driver Software  
Installing Driver Software  
To install the NETGEAR MA101 Wireless USB Adapter LAN driver for the first time in Windows Me:  
1.  
Follow the procedure described in the hardware installation chapter to install the MA101 Wireless  
USB Adapter.  
2.  
Upon connection, Windows Me automatically detects the existence of the MA101 USB Adapter. An  
Add New Hardware Wizard window opens and indicates that new hardware has been found. Insert  
the MA101 USB adapter Resource CD into the CD-ROM drive. Make sure that Automatic search  
for a better driver (Recommended)” is selected. Click on Next” to continue.  
Windows Me looks into the floppy disk drive and the CD-ROM drive for the appropriate driver.  
Windows Me automatically installs the appropriate driver from the CD for the MA101 USB Adapter.  
Click on Finish”.  
3.  
4.  
Click on Yes” when asked if you want to reboot the system.  
The MA101 Wireless USB Adapter driver is now installed into your Windows Me system.  
Verifying Driver Installation  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
From the Windows Me desktop, double-click on My Computer.  
Double-click on Control Panel. Double-click on the System icon.  
Click on the Device Manager folder tab.  
Double-click on Network Adapter. There should be no yellow exclamation mark or red cross-sign on  
the NETGEAR MA101 Wireless USB Adapter selection.  
5.  
Double-click on the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter. The Device Status windows should indicate that  
the MA101 USB adapter is working properly.  
The installation of the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter driver in Windows Millennium is now completed.  
Proceed to configuring the wireless parameters.  
Note: It is recommended that you install the included configuration utility for the MA101 adapter  
configuration. The utility installation procedure is shown in the Wireless LAN configuration chapter.  
7
 
Windows 2000 Driver Software  
Installing Driver Software  
1.  
2.  
Follow the procedure described in the hardware installation chapter to install the MA101 Wireless  
USB Adapter.  
Upon connection, Windows 2000 automatically detects the existence of the MA101 Wireless USB  
Adapter. A Found New Hardware Wizard window opens and indicates that new hardware has been  
found. Click on Next.  
3.  
4.  
In the next Found New Hardware Wizard window, click to select Search for a suitable driver for  
my device (recommended). Click on Next” to continue.  
The next Found New Hardware Wizard window opens prompting for the location of the driver.  
Insert the MA101 USB adapter Resource CD into the CD-ROM drive. Select CD-ROM drive” and  
click on Next.  
5.  
6.  
Click on Yes” to continue when Windows indicates that the Digital Signature is not found.  
Windows indicates that the software for the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter is now installed. Click  
on Finish”.  
Verifying Driver Installation  
1. From the Windows 2000 desktop, double-click on My Computer.  
2. Double-click on Control Panel. Double-click on the System icon.  
3. Click on the Hardware folder tab. Double-click on the Device Manager button.  
4. Double-click on Network Adapter. There should be no yellow exclamation mark or red cross-sign on  
the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter selection.  
5. Double-click on the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter. The Device Status windows should indicate that  
the MA101 USB adapter is working properly.  
The installation of the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter driver in Windows 2000 is now completed. Proceed  
to configuring the wireless parameters.  
Note: It is recommended that you install the included configuration utility for the MA101 adapter  
configuration. The utility installation procedure is shown in the Wireless LAN configuration chapter.  
8
 
Windows XP Driver Software  
Installing Driver Software  
1. Follow the procedure described in the hardware installation chapter to install the MA101 Wireless  
USB Adapter.  
2. Upon connection, Windows XP automatically detects the existence of the MA101 USB Adapter.  
An Add New Hardware Wizard window opens and indicates that new hardware has been found.  
Insert the MA101 USB Adapter Resource CD into the CD-ROM drive. Make sure that Install the  
software automatically (Recommended)” is selected. Click on Next” to continue.  
3. Click on Continue Anyway” to continue when Windows indicates that the Digital Signature is not  
found.  
4. Windows XP looks into the floppy disk drive and the CD-ROM drive for the appropriate driver.  
Windows XP automatically installs the appropriate driver from the CD for the MA101 USB  
Adapter. Click on Finish”.  
Verifying Driver Installation  
1. From the Windows XP desktop, double-click on My Computer.  
2. Double-click on Control Panel. Double-click on the System icon.  
3. Click on the Hardware folder tab. Click on the Device Manager button.  
4. Double-click on Network Adapter. There should be no yellow exclamation mark or red cross-sign  
on the NETGEAR MA101 Wireless USB Adapter selection.  
5. Double-click on the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter. The Device Status windows should indicate  
that the USB Adapter is working properly.  
The installation of the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter driver in Windows XP is now completed. Proceed  
to configuring the wireless parameters.  
Note: It is recommended that you install the included configuration utility for the MA101 adapter  
configuration. The utility installation procedure is shown in the Wireless LAN configuration chapter.  
9
 
CHAPTER 5: Wireless LAN Configuration  
Adapter Properties Configuration  
Device Properties Page  
When running Windows 98 or Me  
Wireless parameters for the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter can be modified from the Network control  
window.  
1.  
2.  
3.  
From the Windows desktop, right-click on the Network Neighborhood icon. When a pop-up menu  
opens, move to select the Properties selection.  
The Network window opens. Click on the NETGEAR MA101 Wireless USB Adapter” selection in  
the component window. Click on the Properties” button.  
A window pops up displaying three folder tabs. Click on the Advanced folder tab. The property  
screen opens displaying a number of configurable parameters. These parameters are shown in the  
Wireless LAN Configuration Chapter.  
When running Windows 2000 or XP  
Configuring the network adapter properties for Windows 2000 or XP is different from all other Windows  
operating systems.  
1.  
2.  
3.  
From the Windows desktop, right-click on My Computer. Click on the Hardware” folder tab.  
Click on Device Manager.  
In the Device Manager window, double-click on Network adapters” to show all network adapters.  
Double-click on NETGEAR MA101 Wireless USB Adapter.  
The NETGEAR MA101 Wireless USB Adapter Properties window opens. Click on the Advanced  
folder tab. The list of configurable parameters is shown.  
10  
 
Device Properties Modification  
Table 5-1. Device Properties Parameters  
General Specifications  
Model MA101 Wireless USB Adapter  
Network Type  
Configurable between 802.11 ad hoc and infrastructure modes. In  
802.11 ad hoc mode, the wireless nodes form their own local network  
where the end nodes communicate peer-to-peer without an access point.  
In infrastructure mode, the wireless searches all available wireless  
channels to associate with an access point. The default value for Network  
Type is Infrastructure.  
SSID  
Enter a 32-character (maximum) service set ID in this field. The  
characters are case sensitive. When the wireless node is operating in ad  
hoc mode, this field operates as the basic service set ID (BSS ID). All  
wireless nodes in the same network should use the same BSS ID.  
When in infrastructure mode, this field defines the extended service set  
ID (ESS ID). The ESS ID assigned to the wireless node is required to  
match the access point ESS ID for the wireless node to communicate  
with the access point. The default SS ID is Wireless.  
Channel  
Only valid in ad-hoc mode, this field defines the wireless channel to use.  
In infrastructure mode, the wireless node automatically searches through  
all available wireless channels for an access point to be associated with.  
It is not necessary to select the wireless channel when operating in  
infrastructure mode. The default wireless channel is 6.  
Use WEP  
Set the data encryption level for the wireless node. The data encryption  
level must be the same between all wireless nodes and access points in the  
same network. The possible values for the data encryption level are  
Disable, 64 bits and 128 bits. 64-bit data encryption is also called 40-bit  
data encryption by some vendors. For more explanation on data  
encryption, please refer to the wireless network fundamental chapter at  
the beginning of this reference guide.  
Setting the data encryption level to Disable is to not use any encryption;  
this is also called Open System data encryption. Setting the data  
encryption level to 64-bit configures the wireless node to use the 40-bit  
(also called 64-bit) Shared Key data encryption method. 128-bit  
encryption is another possible Shared Key data encryption method.  
Preamble Mode  
A long transmit preamble allows the receiver to lock into the received bit  
patterns more easily. A short transmit preamble provides better  
performance. The default value is Long Tx Preamble.  
11  
 
Table 5-1. Device Properties Parameters (continued)  
General Specifications  
Fragment Threshold  
Model MA101 Wireless USB Adapter  
This is the packet length used for fragmentation. Packets larger  
than the size programmed in this field will be fragmented. The  
Fragment Threshold value must be larger than RTS Threshold  
value. The default value for Fragment Threshold is 2346.  
RTS Threshold  
The packet size that the wireless node uses to determine if it should  
use the CSMA/CD mechanism or the CSMA/CA mechanism for  
packet transmission. With the CSMA/CD transmission  
mechanism, the transmitting station sends out the actual packet as  
soon as it has waited for the silence period. With the CSMA/CA  
transmission mechanism, the transmitting station sends out a RTS  
packet to the receiving station, waits for the receiving station to  
send back a CTS packet before sending the actual packet data.  
Power save mode  
Power saving mode. This enables the wireless node to control its  
wireless power consumption. The default setting for Power Save  
mode is Disabled.  
12  
 
WLAN Configuration Utility  
A wireless LAN configuration utility program is provided to give you information on your wireless  
network such as signal quality and link conditions, and to let you modify the various configurable  
wireless parameters.  
WLAN Configuration Utility Installation  
When running Windows 95/B or NT 4.0  
1. Insert the MA101 USB adapter Resource CD into the CD-ROM drive. Windows will Auto-setup  
the utility.  
2. The InstallShields Wizard opens. Click on Next” to continue.  
3. Click Yes” on the Software License Agreement window to accept the agreement.  
4. Click on Browse” to change the destination location where the wireless LAN configuration  
utility is installed. Otherwise, click on Next” to continue.  
5. Modify the Program Folders” field, if desired. Click on Next” to continue. InstallShields  
starts copying files into your system.  
6. And click on Finish” to complete the installation.  
.
System Tray Applications  
Note: The SysTray (System Tray) resides on one end of the taskbar in the Microsoft Windows desktop.  
It displays interface icons for memory-resident applications that execute in the background continuously,  
such as the clock, speaker volume, and virus detection.  
The wireless LAN configuration utility installation for the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter adds a status  
reporting and configuration utility icon in the SysTray. Once you have completed the installation, the  
Windows SysTray should show the following icon in different colors. This icon indicates different status  
condition depending on the operating mode of the MA101 Wireless USB Adapter.  
Icon color  
Ad-hoc mode  
Infrastructure mode  
Red  
The wireless adapter is not able to link to any  
access point or the link between the wireless  
adapter and the access point is lost.  
Blue  
The wireless adapter is ready to  
communicate or has successfully  
The wireless adapter has established good  
communication with an access point and the  
signal quality is strong.  
communicated  
wireless node.  
with  
another  
13  
 
WLAN Parameter Modification  
Double-clicking on the wireless SysTray icon activates the wireless LAN configuration utility for the  
MA101 Wireless USB adapter. You can click on any of the folder tab in the Wireless LAN configuration  
utility window to modify the operational parameters.  
.
Status  
Network type  
Configurable between 802.11 ad-hoc and infrastructure modes. In 802.11 ad  
hoc mode, the wireless nodes form their own local network where the end nodes  
communicate peer-to-peer without an access point. In infrastructure mode, the  
wireless searches all available wireless channels to associate with an access  
point.  
Channel  
SSID  
Only valid in ad-hoc mode, this field defines the wireless channel to use. In  
infrastructure mode, the wireless node automatically searches through all  
available wireless channels for an access point to be associated with. It is not  
necessary to select the wireless channel when operating in infrastructure mode.  
Enter a 32-character (maximum) service set ID in this field. The characters  
are case sensitive. When the wireless node is operating in ad hoc mode, this  
field operates as the basic service set ID (BSS ID). All wireless nodes in the  
same network should use the same BSS ID.  
When in infrastructure mode, this field defines the extended service set ID (ESS  
ID). The ESS ID assigned to the wireless node is required to match the access  
point ESS ID for the wireless node to communicate with the access point.  
Tx Rate  
The Tx Rate field allows you to define the data transfer rate. The default value  
is Fully Automatic. In this case, the best transfer rate is negotiated between  
the wireless node and the device it is communicating with. This could be  
another wireless node or an access point. Other possible values for this field are  
1Mbps, 2Mbps, 5.5Mbps, and 11Mbps.  
ꢊꢋꢌꢍꢋꢎꢎꢏꢐꢑꢑ  
ꢒꢓꢐꢍꢊꢋꢌꢍꢋꢎꢎꢏꢐꢑꢑꢔꢕꢐꢖꢎꢍꢑꢓꢗꢘꢑꢍꢙꢓꢐꢍꢊꢋꢌꢍꢋꢎꢎꢏꢐꢑꢑꢍꢗꢔꢍꢙꢓꢐꢍꢊꢋꢁꢉꢁꢍꢚꢛꢜꢍꢝꢎꢝ ꢙꢐꢏꢀ  
Status  
This field show the MAC address of the associated access point when the MA101  
Wireless USB adapter is configured in infrastructure mode,  
Signal Strength  
Link Quality  
Signal Strength indicates the signal strength of the radio frequency signal  
received by the wireless node.  
Link Quality indicates how well that the wireless node is communicating with the  
associated access point or another wireless node.  
Statistics  
Statistics  
The Statistics screen shows the number of successfully Transmitted and  
Received packets. The packets are divided into Data, Mgmt and Rejected  
packets.  
14  
 
Site Survey  
Mac Address  
SSID  
The Mac Address of the Access Point.  
The SSID of the Access Point.  
Signal  
The signal strength of the Access Point.  
The channel used by the Access Point.  
The encryption of the Access Point is enable or disable.  
Channel  
Encryption  
Encryption  
Encryption  
Set the data encryption level for the wireless node. The data encryption level  
must be the same between all wireless nodes and access points in the same  
network. The possible values for the data encryption level are Disable, 64  
bits and 128 bits. 64-bit data encryption is also called 40-bit data  
encryption by some vendors. For more explanation on data encryption,  
please refer to the wireless network fundamental chapter at the beginning of  
this reference guide.  
Setting the data encryption level to Disable is to not use any encryption; this  
is also called Open System data encryption. Setting the data encryption level  
to 64-bit configures the wireless node to use the 40-bit (also called 64-bit)  
Shared Key data encryption method. 128-bit encryption is another possible  
Shared Key data encryption method.  
Key # 1  
Key # 2  
Key # 3  
Key # 4  
The encryption key used to encrypt/decrypt wireless data. When set to 64-bit  
(also called 40-bit) data encryption mode, you may specify up to four  
different keys to encrypt wireless data. However, only one key is allowed in  
the 128-bit data encryption mode.  
Default Key  
When the encryption level is set to 64-bit (also called 40-bit by some other  
vendors) or 128-bit, the wireless LAN configuration utility allows you to  
specify up to four different keys to encrypt wireless data. The Default Tx  
field allows you to specify which one of the four keys to activate.  
Mode  
The Mandatory mode: Not only the WEP of your USB adapter will be used,  
but also any other station needs to use WEP encryption in order to establish  
a communication with your station.  
The Optional mode: Your USB adapter can communicate with every other  
station regardless if they use WEP or not.  
Authentication  
Type  
The Open System mode is for any USB adapter.  
The Share Key mode allows the USB adapter to use a shared secret key.  
15  
 
Advanced  
Preamble Mode  
The Long mode is set for 144 bits. The Short mode is set for 72 bits.  
Fragmentation  
Threshold  
This is the packet length used for fragmentation. Packets larger than the size  
programmed in this field will be fragmented. The Fragment Threshold value  
must be larger than RTS Threshold value. The default value for Fragment  
Threshold is 2346.  
RTS/CTS  
Threshold  
The packet size that the wireless node uses to determine if it should use the  
CSMA/CD mechanism or the CSMA/CA mechanism for packet transmission.  
With the CSMA/CD transmission mechanism, the transmitting station sends  
out the actual packet as soon as it has waited for the silence period. With  
the CSMA/CA transmission mechanism, the transmitting station sends out a  
RTS packet to the receiving station, waits for the receiving station to send  
back a CTS packet before sending the actual packet data.  
Version  
Version  
The Version screen shows the release information of the wireless LAN  
configuration utility software and the wireless nodes firmware.  
16  
 
APPENDIX A: HARDWARE SPECIFICATION  
General Specifications  
Radio Data Rate  
Frequency  
Model MA101 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter  
1, 2, 5.5, 11Mbps (Auto Rate Sensing)  
2.4Ghz to 2.5Ghz Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)  
Range  
outdoor environment  
indoor environment  
1Mbps - 1650 ft (503 m)  
2Mbps - 1320 ft (402 m)  
5.5Mbps - 1155 ft (352 m)  
11Mbps – 835 ft (255 m)  
1Mbps - 500 ft (152 m)  
2Mbps - 400 ft (122 m)  
5.5Mbps - 270 ft (82 m)  
11Mbps – 175 ft (53 m)  
Encryption  
40-bit (also called 64-bit) WEP data encryption  
128-bit WEP data encryption  
Maximum computers per  
network  
Limited by the amount of wireless network traffic generated by each  
node; typically 30 to 70 nodes.  
Bus interface  
Provided drivers  
Dimensions  
USB Rev 1.0 compatible.  
Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, Me, XP  
L: 4.2 in (107 mm)  
W: 3.4 in (87 mm)  
H: 0.95 in (24 mm)  
Weight  
67 g (2.2 oz)  
RF LED  
Wireless Link  
USB LED  
System status  
Environment Specifications  
Warranty  
Operating temperature: 0 to 55 degree C  
Limited 5-year warranty  
17  
 

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