Pre-N Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter
WNL-U550
User Manual
Version: 1.00
Date: January 2007
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exposure limits, human proximity to the antenna shall not be less than 20 cm (8 inches)
during normal operation.
R&TTE Compliance Statement
This equipment complies with all the requirements of DIRECTIVE 1999/5/CE OF THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and
telecommunication terminal Equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (R&TTE)
The R&TTE Directive repeals and replaces in the directive 98/13/EEC (Telecommunications
Terminal Equipment and Satellite Earth Station Equipment) As of April 8,2000.
Safety
This equipment is designed with the utmost care for the safety of those who install and use
it. However, special attention must be paid to the dangers of electric shock and static
electricity when working with electrical equipment. All guidelines of this and of the computer
manufacture must therefore be allowed at all times to ensure the safe use of the
equipment.
WEEE regulation
To avoid the potential effects on the environment and human health as a result of
the presence of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, end
users of electrical and electronic equipment should understand the meaning of the
crossed-out wheeled bin symbol. Do not dispose of WEEE as unsorted municipal
waste and have to collect such WEEE separately.
Revision
User’s Manual for PLANET Pre-N Wireless USB2.0 Adapter
Model: WNL-U550
Rev: 1.0 (January. 2007)
Part No. EM-WNLU550
II
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TABBLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Introduction.................................................................................2
1.1 Features............................................................................................................2
1.3 Package Contents.............................................................................................4
1.6 PLANET WNL-U550......................................................................................5
2.1 Configuration Utility & Driver Installation.....................................................6
3.2 Site Survey.....................................................................................................14
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Chapter 1 Introduction
WNL-U550 is a USB2.0 wireless adapter that can operate in either Ad-Hoc mode (Point to
Point/Point to Multipoint without an Access Point) or Infrastructure mode (Point to Point/Point to
Multipoint with an Access Point). Uses 2.4GHz frequency band; it is backward environment base
on your Existing wireless network. With the latest innovative Pre-N technology integrated, the
maximum date rate of WNL-U550 is up to 300Mbps which almost three times of standard G.
Featuring smart antenna technology, the Pre-N design helps combat distortion and interference
so the Network Card can send its date streams greater distances, more reliably.
The WNL-U550 supports both 64/128-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA/WPA2
(Wi-Fi Protected Access) for securing wireless network connections. The driver and utility
supports most popular operating systems: Windows 2000 Professional/XP SP2. With advanced
features and high performance capability, the WNL-U550 is an excellent choice for constructing a
wide range of wireless solutions.
1.1 Features
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2.4GHz ISM band, unlicensed operation
Compliant with IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft 1.0)
USB 2.0 A-type standard, compatible with USB 1.1
Pre-N provides up to 300Mbps data rate
Support 64/128-bit WEP and WAP/WAP2 high-level security mechanisms
Support Ad-Hoc / Infrastructure mode
Plug-and-Play installation
Support of most popular operating systems including Windows 2000 /XP
General Application
WNL-U550 offers a fast, reliable, cost-effective solution for wireless access to the various
network scenarios:
1. Remote access to corporate network for information
E-mail, file transfer and terminal service.
2. Difficult-to-wire environments
Historical or old buildings, public occasions, venues and open area where it is difficult
to wire.
3. Frequently changing environments
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Factories, Retailers, and Offices that frequently change locations and rearrange the
workplace
4. Temporary network access
Events, exhibitions, construction sites or some important occasions that require
temporary network access.
5. Access to database for mobile workers
Doctors, nurses, retailers, white-collar workers who need access to database while
roaming in the hospital, retail store or office.
6. SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) users
SOHO users who are in need of easy-to-install and wide coverage networking.
1.2 Specification
USB2.0 A-type connector
Interface
Compliant with IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
(draft 1.0)
Standards Conformance
Pre-N: Up to 300Mbps
802.11g: 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6Mbps with auto-rate fall
back
Data Rate
802.11b: 11, 5.5, 2 and 1Mbps with auto-rate fall back
Infrastructure Mode, Ad-Hoc Mode
64/128 WEP
Working Mode
802.1x
WPA-PSK(TKIP/AES)
Security
WPA2-PSK(TKIP/AES)
WPA-RADIUS
WPA2-RADIUS
802.11b: DSSS, CCK, QPSK, BPSK
802.11g: OFDM
RF Modulation
Channels
802.11n: 64QAM, 16QAM, QPSK, BPSK
2.412~2.462GHz(FCC, Canada)/11 Channels
2.412~2.4835GHz(Japan, TELEC)/14 Channels
2.412~2.472GHz(Euro ETSI)/13 Channels
CSMA / CA + ACK (Half-Duplex)
16.5dBm (max.)
Media Access Protocol
Transmit Power
LNK/ACT
LED Indicators
Windows 2000 / XP
Operating Systems
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Environmental & Mechanical Characteristics
13 x 40 x 97 mm
5V
Dimensions (D x W x H)
Power
FCC Class B,CE
0~55 degrees C
-20~80 degrees C
Certifications
Operating Temp
Storage Temp
Management
Humidity
Built-in utility or Windows XP Zero Configuration utility
0~90%, Non-Condensing
1.3 Package Contents
Before installation, please check the items of your package. The package should include the
following items:
1 x WNL-U550
1 x Driver and User’s manual CD
1 x Quick Installation Guide
If any of the above items is missing, contact your supplier as soon as possible.
1.4 Minimum System Requirements
Before installation, please check the following requirements with your equipment.
Pentium Based (above) IBM-compatible PC system with one vacancy USB2.0/1.1 port
CD-ROM drive
Windows 2000/XP or above
At least 10MBytes of free disk space for utility and driver installation
1.5 Installation Considerations
Beware of the walls and ceilings. Each wall or ceiling can reduce your wireless cover range form
3-90 feet. Properly position your Access Points, Residential Gateways, and computers so that
the number of walls or ceilings residing between Access Points and clients is minimized.
Building materials make a difference – A solid metal door or aluminum studs may have a
negative effect on signal coverage range. Try to properly position Access Points and computers
with wireless adapters so that there would be less obstacles existing between them.
Keep your wireless LAN devices away from microwaves, cordless phones and child incubators.
It is likely that the latter will cause interferences to the operation of your wireless LAN devices.
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Chapter 2 Installation Procedure
Before you proceed with the installation, it is necessary that you have enough information about
the Wireless USB Adapter. Follow the procedure described below in this chapter to install the
USB adapter under Windows 2000 Professional / XP SP2.
2.1 Configuration Utility & Driver Installation
The following installation operates under Window XP. The procedure also applies to Windows
2000.
Note 1: If you had ever installed the other Wireless Cards before, please uninstall the
existed drivers and utilities first.
Note 2: Please install the configuration utility before insert WNL-U550 into the USB
port of the computer.
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Insert the bundled CD into the CD-ROM driver.
The Wizard should run automatically. Once completed, a welcome menu screen will appear.
Click the “WNL-U550 Utility” hyperlink in the WNL-U550 filed to initiate the installation
procedure. You will see the below InstallShield Wizard dialog box. Please select the desired
installation language on the screen and click “Next” to continue.
Note: If the welcome screen does not appear, click “Start” at the taskbar. Then, select “Run”
and type “D:\Utility\WNL-U550\setup.exe”, where “D” is your CD-ROM drive.
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The “Welcome to the InstallShield Wizard for WNL-U550” will display on the screen and
click “Next” to continue.
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Please select your Country Domain and click “Next” to continue.
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Please click “Next” to continue.
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If your operation system is Windows XP, the below window will pop up. Please
select “Continue Anyway” to continue.
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The program will start installing the WNL-U550 drivers and utility automatically. You
will see the below pop-up screen and please inserting WNL-U550 into the USB port
on your computer now.
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Windows will detect the new driver and show you the “Found New Hardware
Wizard”, please select “No, not this time” and click “Next” to continue.
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Please choose “Install the software automatically (Recommended)”. Then click
“Next” to continue.
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When this screen appear to inform you that the USB adapter has not passed
Windows Logo testing (WHQL). Click “Continue Anyway” to proceed.
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Please click “Continue Anyway” to continue.
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Please click “Finish” to complete the driver installation.
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A screen will appear to inform you that you most restart your computer. Click “Yes”
to restart your computer now.
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Chapter 3 Configuration Utility
The Configuration Utility is a powerful application that helps you configure the WNL-U550 and
monitor the link status and statistics during the communication process.
When the WNL-U550 is installed, the configuration utility will be displayed automatically. This
card will auto connect to wireless device which has better signal strength and no wireless
security setting
If the Configuration Utility does not appear, you can double-click the
on your
system desktop start it. Another way to start the Configuration Utility is to click on Start >
Programs > PLANET > WNL-U550 > WNL-U550 Configuration Utility.
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3.1 Status Information
The menu options available from the system tray icon are:
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Restore – This will display the main screen.
Radio Off – The wireless adapter is not associated with the network when the radio is off.
Exit – Terminate the connection to the WNL-U550.
Connection is established. The number of green bar indicates signal strength.
All red bars are mean that no connection.
WNL-U550 is unplugged.
3.2 Site Survey
This screen is displayed when the WNL-U550 utility start.
Select this check box to display ad-hoc (computer-to-computer) networks.
Display PC to
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PC (Ad-Hoc)
Select this check box to display 802.11b (infrastructure) network.
Display 802.11b
Access Point
Display 802.11a
Access Point
Display 802.11g
Access Point
Network Name
MAC Address
Select this check box to display 802.11a (infrastructure) network. This
function is disable now.
Select this check box to display 802.11g (infrastructure) network.
Available wireless networks are listed.
This is the MAC address of the Access Point (or Wireless station, if the
network is an Ad-hoc network).
Data encryption and authentication methods used on the wireless network
The channel used by the Wireless network.
Security
CH.
This is displayed as percentage (0~100%)
Signal
The Wireless band used by this Wireless network.
This will indicate “Infrastructure” (displayed device is an Access Point) or
“Ad-hoc”. (displayed device is a Wireless station)
Click this button to rescan for all Wireless networks.
Click the desired network to which you want to connect, and then click
connect
Frequency
Network Type
Rescan
Connect
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3.3 Profile Manager
This screen is accessed by clicking the Profile Manager tab on the main screen.
Enter or select a suitable name for this profile. Each profile must
have a unique name.
Profile Name
If the desired wireless network is currently available, you can select
its SSID. Otherwise, type in the SSID of the desired wireless
network.
Network Name (SSID)
On the resulting sub-screen, enter the required data for the
advanced settings.
Advanced Setting
Network Type
Select the desired option:
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Infrastructure – This operation mode requires the presence of
an 802.11 Access Point. All communication is done via the
Access Point or Router.
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Ad-Hoc – Select this mode if you want to connect to another
wireless station in the Wireless LAN network without through
an Access Point or Router.
Select the desired wireless mode to which you want to connect.
Wireless Mode
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Select the channel you would like to use.
Prefer Channel
This setting has to be consistent with the wireless network that the
device intends to connect. You must select the option to match the
wireless LAN you wish to join. The available option are:
Authentication Mode
Open System – No authentication is needed among the wireless
network.
Shared Key – Only wireless devices using a shared key (WEP Key
identified) are allowed to connecting each other.
Auto Switch – This is another WEP system; it will select either
Open System or Shared Key as required.
802.1x – You can also enable IEEE 802.1x setting to use the
authentication server or certification server to authenticate client
users.
WPA-PSK –PSK means “Pre-sharked Key”. It is a special mode
designed for home and small business users who do not have
access to network authentication servers. In this mode, known as
Pre-Shared Key, the user manually enters the starting password in
their access point or gateway, as well as in each wireless stations in
the network. WPA-PSK takes over automatically from that point,
keeping unauthorized users that don't have the matching password
from joining the network, while encrypting the data traveling
between authorized devices
WPA2-PSK –This is a further development of WPA-PSK, and offers
even greater security. WPA2-PSK is also for home and small
business. The difference between WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK is that
WPA2-PSK provides data encryption via the AES. In contrast,
WPA-PSK uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
WPA Radius - This version of WAP require a Radius server on your
LAN to provide the client authentication according to the 802.1x
standard. Data transmissions are encrypted using the WPA
standard.
WPA2 Radius – This version of WAP2 require a Radius server on
your LAN to provide the client authentication according to the
802.1x standard. Data transmissions are encrypted using the WPA2
standard.
The available options depend on authentication method selected
above. The possible option are:
Encryption Method
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Security Off – Disable the encryption mode.
WEP – Enable the WEP Data Encryption. When the item is
selected, you have to continue setting the WEP Encryption keys.
TKIP – TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) changes the
temporal key every 10,000 packets (a packet is a kind of message
transmitted over a network.) This insures much greater security
than the standard WEP security.
AES – AES has been developed to ensure the highest degree of
security and authenticity for digital information and it is the most
advanced solution defined by IEEE 802.11i for the security in the
wireless network.
Note: All devices in the network should use the same encryption
method to ensure the communication.
Enable this check box and enter a word or group of printable
characters in the Passphrase box, select the desired encryption to
automatically configure the WEP Key.
Create with
Passphrase
Enable this check box and select the desired key in the drop down
list. Then enter the key values you wish to use and select the
desired encryption. Other stations must have matching key values.
Enter Key Manually
The WEP keys are used to encrypt data transmitted in the wireless
network. There are two types of key length: 64Bits and 128Bits.
Fill the text box by following the rules below.
64Bits – Input 10-digit Hex values (in the “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9”
range) as the encryption keys. For example: “0123456aef“.
128Bits – Input 26-digit Hex values (in the “A-F”, “a-f” and “0-9”
range) as the encryption keys. For example:
“01234567890123456789abcdef“.
The WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK can be from 8 to 64 characters and can
be letters or numbers. This same key must be used on all of the
wireless stations in the network. Data is encrypted using a 256Bit
key derived from this key.
Passphraes
Confirm
For WAP-PSK and WAP2-PSK modes, re-enter the value in this
filed.
The EAP authentication protocols this device has supported are
included as follows. This setting has to be consistent with the
wireless APs or Routers that the card intends to connect.
For WPA Radius and WPA2 Radius modes, select the desired
option in the drop-down list.
802.1x Authentication
Protocol
EAP/TLS (User Certificate) –EAP/TLS is the most secure of the
EAP protocols but not easy to use. It requires that digital certificates
be exchanged in the authentication phase. The server presents a
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certificate to the client. After validating the server’s certificate, the
client presents a client certificate to the server for validation.
PEAP - PEAP is similar and easier than TLS in that they specify a
stand-alone authentication protocol be used within an encrypted
tunnel.
LEAP - LEAP is a pre-EAP, Cisco-proprietary protocol, with many of
the features of EAP protocols. Cisco controls the ability of other
vendors to implement this protocol, so it should be selected for use
only when limited vendor choice for client, access-point, and server
products is not a concern. When you have set up LEAP
authentication, you have to enter the user name and password of
your computer.
For WPA Radius and WAP2 Radius modes, click this button to open
Configure WPA Radius
a sub-windows where you can enter details of this Radius server.
To add a profile
1.
2.
3.
On the Profile Manager tab, complete the settings on this screen.
Verify that the settings you configured are correct.
Click Save Profile.
To export profile
1.
2.
On the Profile Manager tab, click Export Profile. The Save As dialog box appears.
Type a name for the profile that you are saving, and then verify that the file name extension
is set to “.cfg”.
Click Save
3.
To import profile
1.
2.
On the Profile Manager tab, click Import Profile. The Open dialog box appears.
Select the profile set that you want to import.
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3. Click Open
User Manual
To delete a profile
1.
2.
On the Profile Manager tab, select the profile that you want to delete.
Click Delete Profile.
To edit a profile
1.
2.
3.
On the Profile Manager tab, select the profile that you want to edit.
Change the profile settings as necessary.
Click Save Profile.
To enable a profile
1.
2.
In the list of available profiles, click the profile that you want to edit.
Click Apply Profile.
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3.4 Advanced Setting
Once you have created a profile, as described above, the Advanced Settings tab will be available
on the Profile Manager screen.
Enable this check box if you don’t want to modify the settings in
this screen.
Do not change settings
Preamble (2.4GHz)
Select the desired channel width. The preamble defines the Auto
of the CRC block of communication among wireless devices. This
option is only active in the Ad-Hoc network.
Use this to manually set the speed, if desired. This default is
“Auto”. There are several options including
Transmit Rate
Auto/1/2/5.5/6/9/12/18/24/36/48/54Mbps and MSC 0~15 for you to
select. When the “Auto” is selected, the device will choose the
most suitable transmission rate automatically. The higher data
rate you designated in the network, the shorter distance is allowed
between the device and wireless stations.
The value defines the maximum size of packets; any packet size
larger that the value will be fragmented. If you have decreased
this value and experience high packet error rates, you can
Fragment Threshold
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increase it again, but it will likely decrease overall network
performance. Select a setting within a range of 256 to 2346 bytes.
Minor change is recommended.
The default value is 2346. In some case, you may be able to
improve performance by adjusting this value.
RTS / CTS(Request To Send / Clear To Send) is the mechanism
used by the 802.11 wireless networking protocol to reduce frame
collisions introduced by the hidden terminal problem and exposed
node problem.
RTS/CTS Threshold
RTS / CTS packet size threshold is 0 ~ 2346. Typically, sending
RTS frames is turned off by default (threshold ≧ 2346). If the
packet size the node wants to transmit is larger than the threshold,
the RTS / CTS handshake gets triggered. If the packet size is
equal to or less than threshold the data frame gets sent
immediately
The default value is 2346. In some case, you may be able to
improve performance by adjusting this value.
802.11n
Enable this if you want to use the 802.11n network.
Select the desired channel width.
Enable 802.11n Network
Channel Width
Guard Interval
Use this to manually set the interval, if desired. The default is
“Auto”.
Select the desired channel.
Extension Channel
Antenna Selection
Select the desired option. The default is set to “Auto”.
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3.5 Network Status
This screen displays the status of the current wireless link. Clicking the Network Status tab will
display a screen like the following.
Link information
It will indicate the current link status.
Current Status
Network SSID
Network BSSID
Network Type
Security Mode
TX/RX Speed
Internet Protocol
DHCP Option
It shows the SSID or network name of the selected wireless network.
It shows the MAC address of the access point.
This will indicate “Infrastructure” or “Ad-hoc”.
It shows the wireless security that the wireless network is using.
It shows the current wireless connection speed.
It shows if the IP address was automatically obtained from a DHCP
server.
It shows the current IP address on the wireless interface.
Subnet mask for the current IP address.
IP Address
Subnet Mask
Default Gateway
Gateway IP address associated with the current IP address.
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It shows the IP address of the DHCP server.
DHCP Server
Channel Performance
Channel
It graphically presents the transmission (TX) rate and Receiving (RX)
rate over time.
Performance
Signal
It graphically presents the signal strength.
Signal
3.6 About
This screen displays details of the traffic sent or received on the current wireless network.
This tab shows the following in information:
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Regional Domain
Firmware Version
Driver Version
MAC Address
PLANET DLL Version
PLANET Utility Version
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Appendix A: Troubleshooting
This chapter provides solutions to problems that may occur during the installation and operation
of the PLANET WNL-U550. Read the descriptions below to solve your problems.
Q. The PLANET WNL-U550 does not work properly.
A:
1. Reinsert the PLANET WNL-U550 into your PC’s USB port.
2. Right click on My Computer and select Properties. Select the device manager and click on the
Network Adapter. You will find the Adapter if it is installed successfully. If you see the yellow
exclamation mark, the resources are conflicting. You will see the status of the Adapter. If there
is a yellow question mark, please check the following:
3. Make sure that your PC has a free IRQ (Interrupt Request, a hardware interrupt on a PC.)
4. Make sure that you have inserted the right adapter and installed the proper driver. If the
Adapter does not function after attempting the above steps, remove the adapter and do the
following:
5. Uninstall the driver software from your PC.
6. Restart your PC and repeat the hardware and software installation as specified in this User
Guide.
Q. I cannot communicate with the other computers linked via Ethernet in the
Infrastructure configuration.
A:
1. Make sure that the PC to which the Adapter is associated is powered on.
2. Make sure that your Adapter is configured on the same channel and with the same security
options as with the other computers in the Infrastructure configuration.
Q.What should I do when the computer with the Adapter installed is unable to connect to
the wireless network and/or the Internet?
A:
1. Check that the LED indicators for the broadband modem are indicating normal activity. If not,
there may be a problem with the broadband connection.
2. Check that the LED indicators on the wireless router are functioning properly. If not, check that
the AC power and Ethernet cables are firmly connected.
3. Check that the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS settings are correctly entered for
the network.
4. In Infrastructure mode, make sure the same Service Set Identifier (SSID) is specified on the
settings for the wireless clients and access points.
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5. In Ad-Hoc mode, both wireless clients will need to have the same SSID. Please note that it
might be necessary to set up one client to establish a BSS (Basic Service Set) and wait briefly
before setting up other clients. This prevents several clients from trying to establish a BSS at
the same time, which can result in multiple singular BSSs being established, rather than a
single BSS with multiple clients associated to it.
6. Check that the Network Connection for the wireless client is configured properly.
If Security is enabled, make sure that the correct encryption keys are entered on both the
Adapter and the access point.
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