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Using the TrueMobile Utilities:
Dell� TrueMobile� 1100 Series 11Mbps
Wireless LAN Adapter User's Guide
Using the TrueMobile
Diagnostics • TrueMobile
Diagnostics Commands Menu •
Options
Menu • Using
Edit Properties • Using
the Site Survey Active Mode Feature
• Using the
TrueMobile SignalMeter Utility •
Using the
TrueMobile WEPKey Utility
Using the TrueMobile Diagnostics
TrueMobile Diagnostics is used to perform
user-level diagnostics on your Dell TrueMobile 1100 Series
Wireless Card.
To install the TrueMobile Diagnostics,
TrueMobile SignalMeter, and the TrueMobile WEPKey utility, See
Configuring
System Settings
TrueMobile Diagnostics
Commands Menu
The Commands Menu includes:
- Select Card
- Load New Firmware
- Edit Properties
- Statistics
- Status
- Link Test
- Site Survey
- Radio Off/On
- Exit
Select Card
This allows another installed Dell
TrueMobile LAN Adapter Card to be chosen. The property screens
will change to reflect the parameters specific to each card
type.
Load New Firmware
The firmware is contained in the card’s
flash memory. Flash memory allows for easy updating of the firmware
as necessary.
Upgrading Firmware
The TrueMobile Diagnostics program is used to
load new firmware.
To load new firmware:
1. Make sure the PC Card is up and
running.
2. Select Commands.
3. Select Load New Firmware.
4. Select Look In....Use the drop down button
to select the appropriate path and image file.
5. Select Open. This will flash the card with
the selected image.
Edit Properties
TrueMobile Diagnostics allows you to change the
configuration parameters of your currently installed Dell
TrueMobile LAN 1100 Series Wireless LAN Adapter. See
“Using Edit
Properties” for details on this
command.
Statistics
The Statistics screen shows the current
statistics from the PC Card. Statistics are updated at the rate
specified by the Screen Update Timer. Clear the current statistics by
clicking on Reset. Exit the Statistics screen by clicking on
OK, or by clicking on the X in the upper right hand
corner of the dialog box.
Status
The Status screen shows the current status from
the PC Card. Status is updated at the rate specified by the Screen
Update Timer. Exit the Status screen by clicking on OK, or by
clicking on the X in the upper right hand corner of the dialog
box.
Link Test
You can use TrueMobile Diagnostics to assess
the performance of RF links. TCP/IP protocol must be installed on
your system to run this link test. See the Windows 95/98/NT/2000 Help
for more information on installing and setting up TCP/IP. An IP
address must also be configured for the Access Point.
1. From the Link Test command menu, enter the
following parameters:
- IP address of Aironet Access
Point:
This parameter specifies the IP address of the Access Point with
which you want to test the RF link. Set this value before running
the link test.
- Number of Packets:
This parameter specifies the number of packets the link test will
attempt to send. The display will show the number of packets of
the specified size that are successfully transmitted and received.
This parameter is ignored if Continuous Link Test is
selected.
- Packet Size:
This parameter specifies the size of the data packet to be sent to
the Dell Access Point. Be aware that the TCP/IP stack that comes
with Windows 95 will fragment packets greater than 512 bytes.
Therefore, the number of packets transmitted will not match the
number of packets received (even if none are lost) if the packet
size is greater than 512 bytes.
- Continuous Link Test:
Selecting this item causes the link test to run continuously until
Stop, OK, or Cancel is selected. The Number of Packets parameter
is ignored if Continuous Link Test is selected.
2. Once the parameters have been entered, click
on the Start button at the bottom of the dialog box to start the link
test. When the link test is running, necessary statistics will be
displayed and updated periodically.
3. To stop the link test, click on Stop, OK, or
Cancel at the bottom of the dialog box. Once the link test has sent
the number of packets specified, the Stop button will toggle back to
a Start button.
Performing a Link Test Through
Telnet
You can perform a link test outside the
TrueMobile Diagnostics Utility through a telnet session. Follow these
steps:
1. Install the drivers.
2. Configure the drivers for network
operation.
3. Ensure unique IP assignments of
mobile/portable PC Card devices and Access Point.
4. Set up an Access Point for the intended
operation (set fragmentation thresholds, RTS thresholds,
etc.)
5. Start the operating system on the mobile
station.
6. Configure the adapter.
7. Make sure the mobile station is associated
to the Access Point.
8. Start a telnet session on the mobile station
to the Access Point. Depending on the system in use, the telnet
application may have logging and note taking capability. If so,
enable these modes.
9. Navigate through the Access Point menu to
the link test option. See the appropriate Access Section. 2: Using
the TrueMobile Diagnostics Utilities Point Technical Reference Manual
for more information.
10. Set up the test options to accurately model
the system.
11. Set the test for continuous operation with
a 1-second delay.
12. Begin traversing the area around the Access
Point to determine its coverage. If logging and notes are not
possible with the telnet application, maintain a manual
log.
The telnet session packets are interspersed
with test packets which may increase the round-trip time for some
frames. The link test will show progress changes as the test is being
conducted.
The first-time delivery success rate for the
packet may not be important for transaction-based systems, and can
result in a slightly larger range. Using longer packets can provide
some degree of safety margin in the range estimate.
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NOTE: Roundtrip time will
be affected by the telnet session maintenance.
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Site Survey
To perform a meaningful site survey, you need
to conduct a test that will accurately model the intended use of the
system. It is important to perform a site survey using equipment
which is similar to the equipment that will be
implemented.
Common survey items include:
- Transmit power
- Antenna type(s)
- Antenna location(s)
- Packet (fragment) size
- Interference
You should always conduct a site survey with
all variables set to the operational values. You should also try to
perform the survey during the time the RF link will generally be
functioning with all other systems and noise sources operational. For
efficiency, you should execute the site survey application entirely
from the mobile station.
The link test tool helps determine the RF
network coverage. The results of the link test will help eliminate
low RF signal level areas that can result in loss of connection
between the PC Card and the Aironet Access Point.
It is important to remember the information
being displayed is from the Access Point’s viewpoint. Therefore,
packets sent are from the Access Point to the PC Card client. Packets
received are from the PC Card to the Access Point. Signal quality is
an estimate of the signal strength recorded at the time of packet
reception by the radio.
The Overall Link Quality rating on the Site
Survey window indicates the ability of the Dell TrueMobile LAN
Wireless LAN Adapter to successfully communicate with an Access
Point. Ratings are Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor. The rating is
derived from the Current Signal Strength and Current Signal
Quality.
- Excellent: Both values are greater than
75%
- Good: Both values are greater than 40%, but
one or both are less than 75%
- Fair: Both values are greater than 20% but
one or both are less than 40%
- Poor: One or both values are less than
20%
Radio Off/On
Radio Off/On allows you to selectively turn off
or on the power to the radio. Turning the radio off prevents all RF
energy from being transmitted by the PC Card.
Exit
Closes all windows and exits TrueMobile
Diagnostics.
Options Menu
The Options Menu includes:
Preferences
The TrueMobile Diagnostics Preferences allow
you to customize various parameters that control the operation of
TrueMobile Diagnostics. For example, you can set the rate at which
the values are updated in the status and statistics screens via the
Screen Update Timer. You can also set the Save Properties Options,
which controls what is done with changes to the current
settings.
Screen Update Timer
The Screen Update Timer controls how often the
statistics and status screens are updated. The screen can be updated
in one second increments, from once a second to once every 60
seconds. The default is once every five seconds. You can use either
the edit box or the slider to change this value.
Status Bar Options
Use the Status Bar Options to include seconds
on the clock display on the TrueMobile Diagnostics main
screen.
Using Edit Properties
The Edit Properties screen, which you access
from the Commands menu, includes four “pages,” which you
select by clicking the tabs at the top of the window:
- System Parameters
- Network Parameters
- RF Network Parameters
- Advanced (Infrastructure or Ad
Hoc)
Each sub-screen is described below.
System Parameters
System parameters include:
- Client Name
- SSID
- Network Type (Infrastructure or Ad
Hoc)
- Constant Awake Mode (CAM)
- Power Save Mode
- Fast Power Save Mode
- Maximum Power Save Mode
Client Name
The station name is displayed in the table of connected devices on
the Access Point. It provides a logical name to determine which
machines are connected without having to memorize every MAC address.
The name can be up to 16 characters.
SSID
The Service Set Identifier (SSID) controls access to a given wireless
network. This value MUST match the SSID of any/all Access Points that
you want to communicate with. If the value does not match, access to
the system is not granted. The SSID can be up to 32 characters (case
sensitive).
Network type (Infrastructure Mode)
This mode is used to set up a connection to a wired network, such as
Ethernet or Token Ring. This mode requires an Access Point to gain
access to the wired network.
Network type (Ad Hoc Mode)
This mode is used to set up a small, temporary network between two or
more computers. For example, you might set up an ad hoc network
between computers in a conference room so users can share information
in a meeting.
Constant Awake Mode (CAM)
Constant Awake Mode is the normal mode for desktop machines or other
machines where power consumption is not an issue. It keeps the radio
powered up continuously so there is little latency for responding to
messages. This mode is recommended for devices where high
availability is desired.
Power Save Mode
Power Save Mode is recommended for devices where power consumption is
a major concern, such as small battery powered devices. If the client
node is powered from an AC line, PSP should not be used. Power Save
Mode causes the Access Point to buffer incoming messages. The Dell
TrueMobile 1100 Series Wireless LAN Adapter must wake up
periodically and poll the Access Point to see if there are any
buffered messages waiting. The PC Card can request each message and
then go back to sleep.
Fast Power Save Mode
Fast Power Save Mode (Fast PSP Mode) switches between PSP and CAM
based on network traffic. When retrieving a high number of packets,
Fast PSP Mode will switch to CAM to retrieve the packets. Once the
packets are retrieved, it switches back to PSP.
Maximum Power Save Mode
Maximum Power Save Mode (Max PSP Mode) can only be used in
conjunction with PSP or Fast PSP Modes.This mode allows the Dell
TrueMobile 1100 Series Wireless LAN Adapter to conserve the
most power while still maintaining an infrastructure connection.
Using Max PSP Mode conserves power but will reduce
throughput.
RF Network Parameters
RF Network Parameters include:
- Fragment Threshold: This parameter
defines a threshold above which the RF packet will be split up or
fragmented. If a packet is fragmented or transmission of part of
it is interfered with, only the portion that was unsuccessful
would need to be re-sent. The throughput will generally be lower
for fragmented packets since the fixed packet overhead consumes a
higher portion of the RF bandwidth.
- Data Retries: This parameter defines
the number of times a packet will be re-sent if the initial
transmission is unsuccessful. If the network protocol
automatically retries itself, set this to a small value. A
“bad” packet status will be sent up the protocol stack
more quickly so the application can retransmit the
packet.
- Data Rate: This parameter determines
the data rate used to transfer all management frames by the client
device when associated within a given Basic Service Set (BSS).
When operating in Infrastructure Mode, this parameter should be
set to correspond to the Access Point setting. When operating in
Ad Hoc Mode, all stations should have the same setting.
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Model
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Allowable
Selections
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1100 Series
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Auto Rate Selection, 1 Mbps Only, 2
Mbps Only, 5.5 Mbps Only, or 11 Mbps Only
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- Authentication type: This parameter
controls the validation of the WEP Key. Shared Key Authentication
validates that the client is using the same WEP Key as the Access
Point. The Access Point sends a known, unencrypted “challenge
packet” to the client. The client then encrypts the challenge
packet and sends it back to the Access Point. The Access Point
then attempts to decrypt the encrypted challenge packet, and sends
an Authentication response packet indicating the success or
failure of the decryption back to the client. Open Authentication
does not check for a matching WEP Key. The Shared Key selection is
not available if the client’s WEP Key is not set.
- Modulation: This parameter
determines the type of radio modulation that the Wireles LAN
Adapter uses at the 5.5 Mbps and 11 Mbps data rates. Older
versions of firmware use MOK modulation, while newer firmware
versions use the IEEE 802.11 Standard CCK modulation. The
modulation that the PC4800 uses must match the modulation of the
Access Point (in an Infrastructure Mode configuration) or other
Wireless LAN Adapters (in an Ad Hoc Mode configuration).
Otherwise, the radio will not communicate with the other
devices.
- Use Short Radio Headers: Select this
checkbox to use short radio headers when transmitting. Short radio
headers improve throughput performance. Long radio headers ensure
compatibility with all models of Wireless LAN adapters. The Dell
TrueMobile 1100 Series Wireless LAN Adapter supports short
and long radio headers.
- Channel: Use this parameter to
select the radio channel the PC card will use. Channel 6 (2437
MHz) is the default setting.
- Transmit Power: Use this parameter
to set the transmit power of the card to 1 mW, 5 mW, 20 mW, 50
mW,or 100 mW.
- Allow Association To Mixed Cells:
Select this check-box to allow the PCI/ISA Wireless LAN Adapter to
communicate with mixed cells. A mixed cell is a radio network in
which some devices use WEP and some do not.
- Enable WEP: Select this checkbox to
enable WEP (Wired Equivalency Protocol). The checkbox will be
inaccessible (grayed-out) until you set a WEP key using the
WEPKey
utility.
Advanced
(Infrastructure)
The following parameters are contained in
both the Infrastructure and Ad Hoc Modes:
- Antenna Mode
- Specified Access Point
- RTS Threshold
- RTS Retry Limit
Antenna Mode
The Dell TrueMobile 1100 Series
Wireless LAN Adapter has an integrated, permanently attached
antenna, and is always set to Diversity mode.
For the Dell TrueMobile 1100 Series
Wireless LAN Adapter, three options are available for the type of
antenna you have connected to the 1100 Series card:
- Antenna Diversity: This allows
the LM Card to use the stronger signal from the two antenna
ports. Diversity can help the radio maintain the RF connection
in areas of interference. Due to the nature of how RF signals
are affected by the surroundings, one antenna may be in an RF
“null” where the signal is very weak, but the other
antenna (even though it is only a small distance away) may have
a stronger signal strength. The PC Card would automatically
select the antenna that has the highest signal strength.
Antenna Diversity is the recommended setting for the standard
antenna.
- Right Antenna Only (J1): Choose
this option if the antenna you are using is connected to the
right antenna port. The LM Card will not attempt to communicate
using the left antenna port since no antenna is connected to
it.
- Left Antenna Only (J2): Choose
this option if the antenna you are using is connected to the
left antenna port. This tells the LM Card not to attempt to
communicate using the right antenna port since no antenna is
connected to it.
Specified Access Point
This parameter is the MAC address of the
preferred Access Point you want to associate with. It is important
to note that if you specify the Access Point, you MAY associate to
another Access Point if the Specified Access Point is not found.
If you roam out of range, you will probably associate with another
Access Point. Setting a Specified Access Point will slow down the
roaming process. Thus, for normal operation for the majority of
users, leave this field blank.
RTS Threshold
This parameter controls what size data
packet the low level RF protocol issues to an RTS packet. There
are several trade-offs to consider when setting this parameter.
Setting this parameter to a small value causes RTS packets to be
sent more often, consuming more of the available bandwidth,
therefore reducing the apparent throughput of other network
packets. However, the more often RTS packets are sent, the quicker
the system can recover from interference or collisions. Refer to
the IEEE 802.11 Standard for more information on the RTS/CTS
mechanism.
RTS Retry Limit
This parameter controls the number of times
the PC Card will re-send the RTS packet if it does not receive a
CTS from the previously sent RTS packet. Setting this to a large
value will decrease the available bandwidth whenever interference
is encountered, but will make the system more immune to
interference and collisions. Refer to the IEEE 802.11 Standard for
more information on the RTS/CTS mechanism.
Advanced (Ad Hoc/IBSS)
In Ad Hoc Mode, you can also modify the
following parameters:
- Channel
- Beacon Period
- Wake Duration
Channel
This parameter specifies the channel
identifier the unit will use if it must start its own network. For
all other situations, the radio will scan for the proper
frequency.
Beacon Period
This parameter specifies the duration
between beacon packets that are used by IEEE 802.11 systems to
synchronize the “hops” (change to another frequency).
The beacon packet contains timing information and hop pattern
information that is broadcast over the airwaves. Any station that
can hear the beacon packet can then synchronize their internal
timer so that it can hop at the correct time. The default beacon
period is one-half of the dwell period so two beacons are
transmitted per hop dwell period (default is 100 Kµsec).
Refer to the IEEE 802.11 Standard for more information on the
timing and scanning mechanism.
Wake Duration
This parameter specifies the amount of time
per Hop Dwell Period that the adapter stays awake listening for
data packets. This is only used in Power Save Mode.
Using the Site Survey Active Mode
Feature
If your 1100 Series Wireless LAN Adapter
contains the latest firmware, and if you have the latest drivers
on your system, you can use the Site Survey Active Mode feature to
set up a customized link test.
When you select Site Survey from the
Commands menu and click the Setup button at the bottom of the
window, the Setup window appears. Each setting is described
below.
Destination MAC Address
This parameter specifies the Access Point
that will be involved in the test. The default is the MAC address
of the AP the Aironet Wireless LAN Adapter is currently associated
with.
Continuous Link Test
If you click this check box, the Active Mode
test will run repeatedly until you press the OK or Stop buttons on
the Site Survey page. (The test will loop repeatedly for the
number of packets you specify on the Number of Packets
setting.)
Destination is Another Aironet
Device
Click this check box if the Access Point you
named in the Destination MAC Address field is an Aironet Access
Point.
Number of Packets
This parameter sets the quantity of packets
that will be sent during the test.
Packet Size
This parameter sets the size of the packets
that will be sent during the test. You should use a packet size
that will be typical during normal use of the system.
Data Retries
This parameter sets the number of times a
transmission will be retried if an ACK is not returned by the
destination device. Click None for no retries, or Default Retries
for the firmware’s default value for retries.
Data Rates
This parameter sets the bit rate at which
packets will be transmitted. No rate shifting will occur during
the test.
Delay Between Packets
This parameter sets the delay (in
milliseconds) between successive transmissions.
Packet Tx Type
This parameter sets the packet type that
will be used during the test. If you select Unicast, the system
will expect an ACK back from the destination, and retries can
occur. If you select Multicast, no packet retries will occur
during the test.
Percent Success
Threshold
This parameter controls the red line on the
“Percent Successful” histogram. Percentages greater than
or equal to this value will show up as green bars, while
percentages below this value will show up as yellow bars on the
Percent Successful histogram.
When the Site Survey Active Mode is running,
this window appears:
Using the TrueMobile SignalMeter
Utility
The TrueMobile SignalMeter utility provides
a graphical display of:
- Signal Quality
- Signal Strength
TrueMobile SignalMeter determines the
performance of the RF link between a PC Card and an Access Point.
Any unit associated to an Access Point can run the TrueMobile
SignalMeter test.
Signal strength is displayed along the
vertical axis of the graphical display. Signal quality is
displayed along the horizontal axis. The combined result is
represented by a diagonal line. The Access Point associating with
the PC Card is indicated along the bottom of the display as well
as its MAC address.
Commands
The Commands pull-down menu includes the
following commands:
Select Card
Use Select Card if you have more than one
Wireless LAN Adapter installed on your computer. A window appears
that allows you to choose the card you want to examine with
TrueMobile SignalMeter.
Exit
Use Exit to close the TrueMobile SignalMeter
utility.
Options
The Options pull-down menu includes the
following options:
Preferences
When you select Preferences, this window
appears:
Four parameters are available on the
Preferences window:
- Screen Updates Per Minute: This
parameter sets the screen update frequency on the TrueMobile
SignalMeter main window. Type a value in the entry field or use
the slider bar to adjust the setting.
- Display Icon in Systray when
Minimized: Select this checkbox to display a TrueMobile
SignalMeter icon at the bottom of your screen when TrueMobile
SignalMeter is minimized. The Icon type options allow you to
choose the information that appears when you hold your mouse
pointer on the icon.
- Display Tx and Rx Retry Rates:
Select this check-box to display Tx and Rx rates on the
TrueMobile SignalMeter main screen.
- Display History: Select this
checkbox to display the signal history on the TrueMobile
SignalMeter main screen. At each screen update, a black dot
appears for that status.
Using the TrueMobile WEPKey
Utility
This section briefly explains how to use the
Dell TrueMobile WEP-Key Utility to configure a WEP key on
the client card.
WEP Overview
WEP-40 and WEP-128 are optional IEEE 802.11
features that provide data confidentiality equivalent to the
confidentiality of a wired LAN that does not use cryptographic
techniques to enhance privacy. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
makes the wireless LAN link in a system only as secure as the
wired link.
As specified in the standard, WEP uses the
RC4 algorithm with a 40-bit key for WEP-40 and a 128-bit key for
WEP-128. When WEP is enabled, each station (client and Access
Point) has a key. The key scrambles the data before it is
transmitted over the airwaves. If a station receives a packet that
is not scrambled with the appropriate key, the station discards
the packet and never delivers it to the host.
Using TrueMobile WEPKey
Utility
1. Install the TrueMobile WEPKey Utility
(along with TrueMobile Diagnostics and TrueMobile SignalMeter)
from the Dell TrueMobile 1100 Series CD.
2. Click Start->Programs->Dell
TrueMobile->TrueMobile WEPKey Utility to start the
application.
The following login screen
appears:
Passwords are case sensitive, and can
contain up to 256 characters. The default password is Aironet
(upper-case A followed by lower-case ironet).
3. Enter the correct password and click OK.
The main screen appears:
The Commands pull-down menu provides options
that allow you to select a wireless adapter card, change the
password, and enter a WEP key.
To enable or disable WEP, set the WEP key
with the TrueMobile WEPKey utility, and then open TrueMobile
Diagnostics. At the TrueMobile Diagnostics main screen, select
Edit Properties from the Commands pull-down menu. Click the RF
Network tab. The Enable WEP checkbox is in the bottom left corner
of the window.
4. To change the default password, select
Change Password from the Commands pull-down menu. This screen
appears:
Passwords are case sensitive, and can
contain up to 256 characters. The default password is
Aironet (upper-case A followed by lower-case
ironet).
5. To enter a WEP Key, choose Enter WEP Key
from the Commands pull-down menu on the main screen. This screen
appears:
You can create up to four WEP Keys. Ten
characters are required for WEP-40 keys. Twenty-six characters are
required for WEP-128 keys.
Select the size of each key by clicking the
40 or 128 button beside each key entry field.
Click the Transmit Key button next to the
key you want to use.
A check appears in the Already Set box next
to existing keys. To protect key security, existing key codes do
not appear in the key entry fields. You can write over existing
keys, but you cannot edit them or delete them.
There are two types of WEP Keys: Temporary
and Persistent. You should choose Persistent if you want the card
to retain the WEP Key when you reboot the machine.
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NOTE: Entering a WEP
key does not enable WEP. To enable or disable WEP, set
the WEP key with the TrueMobile WEPKey Utility, and then
open TrueMobile Diagnostics. At the TrueMobile
Diagnostics main screen, select Edit Properties from the
Commands pull-down menu. Click the RF Network tab. The
Enable WEP checkbox is in the bottom left corner of the
window.
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Select Option Code from the Commands
pull-down menu. This screen appears:
Type the Option Code and click OK. You can
then set up WEP keys and use the TrueMobile Diagnostics utility to
enable WEP.
You can exit the TrueMobile WEPKey Utility
by selecting Exit from the Commands menu.
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