Operating Instructions2.4GHzWireless LAN PC CardPCWA-C150SA-B6H-100-11(1)© 2002 Sony Corporation

10UnpackingYour Wireless LAN PC Card comes with the following items.• Wireless LAN PC Card• CD-ROM (Setup disc)• Read This First• Quick Start Guide• T

11Getting startedInstalling the softwareBefore installing the software:• Configure and connect the Access Point.• Quit all Windows programs.NoteIn Win

124 Check that the displayed folder is the one where you want toinstall the software, and click “Next”.The Select Program Folder dialog box appears.z

13Getting startedInstalling the driver softwareNoteBefore installing the driver software, install the supplied utility software. For details oninstal

14Windows Me1 Insert the supplied CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.NoteIf your computer has two PC card slots and your CD-ROM drive must be connectedthrou

15Getting started7 Click “Next” to begin driver installation.Wait for installation to complete. The Add/Edit Configuration Profiledialog box appears w

163 Click “Next”.4 Confirm that “Search for a suitable driver for my device” isselected, and click “Next”.5 Select Specify a location, and click “Next

17Getting startedWindows XPNoteIn Windows XP, only users with administrator privileges can install drivers. If you havelogged on to Windows XP with a

185 Select the folder that contains the driver and click “OK”.• When installing from the supplied CD-ROM in a CD-ROMdrive connected to the computer:Se

19Getting started6 Double-click “Sony PCWA-C150 Wireless PC Card”.The Sony PCWA-C150 Wireless PC Card Properties dialog boxappears.NoteThe Wireless LA

2WARNINGTo prevent fire or shock hazard, do notexpose the unit to rain or moisture.Owner’s RecordThe model and serial numbers are located on theback o

208 Click “OK”.You are returned to the System Properties dialog box.9 Click “OK”.You are returned to Control Panel.10Double-click the PC Card (PCMCIA)

21Getting startedWindows 2000:1 From the “Start” menu, point to “Settings”, then click “ControlPanel”.Control Panel appears.2 Double-click the System

22NoteThe Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs:• “Sony PCWA-C150 Wireless PC Card” is represented in the Device Manage

23Getting startedWindows XP:1 From the “start” menu, click “Control Panel”.Control Panel appears.2 Double-click “System”.The System Properties dialog

24NoteThe Wireless LAN PC Card is not working properly if the following occurs:• “Sony PCWA-C150 Wireless PC Card” is represented in the Device Manage

25Getting startedInserting the Wireless LAN PC CardThis section explains how to insert the Wireless LAN PC Card into yourcomputer and how to remove it

26Notes• If your computer has two PC card slots, insert the Wireless LAN PC Card into the topslot. If the card is inserted into the bottom slot, the a

27Getting startedTo remove the Wireless LAN PC Card1 Close any running software that uses the wireless LAN forexample, Client Manager.2 Stop the Wirel

28Uninstalling the software and driverUninstalling the softwareWindows Me1 From the “Start” menu, point to “Settings”, and click “ControlPanel”.Contro

29Getting startedWindows 2000In Windows 2000 operating system, only users with administratorprivileges can uninstall software. If you have logged on t

3Safety InformationWARNING• Opening the unit, for whatever reason, couldlead to damage that is not covered by thewarranty.• Do not use this equipment

30Windows XPNoteIn Windows XP operating system, only users with administrator privileges can uninstallsoftware. If you have logged on to Windows XP wi

31Getting startedWindows Me:1 From the “Start” menu, point to “Settings”, and click “ControlPanel”.Control Panel appears.2 Double-click the “System” i

32Windows 2000:NoteLog on to Windows 2000 as Administrator.1 From the “Start” menu, point to “Settings”, and click “ControlPanel”.Control Panel appear

33Getting startedWindows XP:NoteLog on to Windows XP using an account with computer administrator privileges.1 From the “Start” menu, click “Control P

34Setting up the connection environmentWindows Me or Windows 2000Establishing communication with the Access PointThis section describes how to configu

35Software setup2 From the “Actions” menu, select “Add/Edit ConfigurationProfile”.The Add/Edit Configuration Profile dialog box appears.3 Click “Add”.

364 Enter an alphanumeric name for the profile in the “ProfileName” field (letters, numbers, and symbols are allowed).Verify that Access Point is sele

37Software setup7 Click “Next”.The Set Security window shown below appears.8 If Data Security (also called WEP or Encryption) is enabledat the Access

383. In the field “Key 1”, “Key 2”, “Key 3”, or “Key 4”, type theencryption key set at the Access Point.Notes• Type the number of characters or digits

39Software setup10Set Power Management to “Off (default power consumptionand high performance)” or “On (lower power consumptionand performance)”, and

4Program © 2002 Sony Corporation, CopyrightDocumentation © 2002 Sony CorporationSony, VAIO, the VAIO logo, Memory Stick,and the Memory Stick logo are

40Configuring communication settings for Peer-to-PeerMode1 Click the Client Manager icon on the taskbar.The Client Manager window appears.2 From the

41Software setup3 Click “Add”.The Edit Configuration dialog box appears.z TipTo edit an existing profile, click “Edit”.4 Enter a desired alphanumeric

427 Select the channel number from the “Channel Number”drop-down list.NoteWhen creating a new network, you can select any channel number.z TipWhen con

43Software setup3. Type the encryption key in the “Key” field.Notes• Type the number of characters or digits indicated below.Alphanumeric Characters H

4414With Windows Me, follow the procedure below to renew theIP address allocated to your Wireless LAN PC Card. (WithWindows 2000 this procedure is not

45Software setup• Check the Network Name (also called SSID) and the DataSecurity (also called WEP or Encryption) settings of the AccessPoint. For deta

463 If Data Security (also called WEP or Encryption) is enabledat the Access Point, type the encryption key in the “Networkkey field”.Notes• Input is

47Software setupChecking the communication statusChecking the wireless signal strengthThe communication status is shown by the Client Manager icon in

48Client Manager menusFile menuEnable Radio/Disable RadioEnables or disables wireless communication.Close WindowCloses the Client Manager window.Actio

49Software setupHelp menuContentsOpens the Client Manager Help.Version InfoDisplays the versions of Client Manager, Wireless LAN PC Card driver,Wirele

5OverviewWhat you can do with your Wireless LAN PC CardYou can build a wireless LAN using the Wireless LAN PC Card PCWA-C150S (subsequently referred t

50PrecautionsSafetyDo not drop or cause a mechanical shockto the 2.4 GHz Wireless LAN PC CardPCWA-C150S, as this may damage theunit.InstallationDo not

51Software setupSpecificationsProtocol supportTCP/IP compliantStandardIEEE 802.11b/IEEE 802.11Radio frequency2.4 GHzModulation methodDS-SS (IEEE 802.1

52❒ The Sony e-mail support serviceanswers your questions by electronicmail. Just send your question in an e-mail message and a customer servicerepres

53Additional informationGlossaryChannel numberThe frequency used for wirelesscommunications. Wirelesscommunications are possible only amongclient comp

54TroubleshootingIf you have difficulfy with your Wireless LAN PC Card, try the suggestionslisted below. If you still cannot resolve the problem, cont

55Additional informationSymptom Cause/RemedyForgot the encryptionkey.Transfer rate is 11Mbps, but MPEG2data does not transferwithout interruption.Comm

56Symptom Cause/RemedyCannot connect to thenetwork.An error messageindicating a conflictbetween networkcomponents isdisplayed.The Access Point and the

6Communication through Access Point (Infrastructure Mode) Direct communication between computers (Peer-to-Peer Mode)z TipFor details about peer-to-pee

❒ The Sony e-mail support service answers your questionsby electronic mail. Just send your question in an e-mail messageand a customer service represe

7About the supplied softwareThe Wireless LAN PC Card comes with the following software.Client ManagerClient Manager is utility software for displaying

8System requirementss Computer Hardware RequirementsCPU: MMX® Pentium® 233 MHz and aboveRAM: With Windows Me/Windows 2000: 64 MB or moreWith Windows X

9About this manualNoteWhen using an Access Point, first connect and configure the Access Point as explained inits documentation.This manual explains t