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Using Intel(R) PROSet Profiles: PRO/Wireless LAN Mini PCI Adapter User's Guide

Using Intel(R) PROSet Wireless Profiles

Setting up Windows Network Profiles

A profile is a saved group of network settings. Profiles are displayed in the Profile List in the wireless client manager General page. Profiles can be arranged in order of network connection priority. You can connect to one network using the first profile in the Profile List, then automatically connect to another network using the next profile. This allows you to stay connected while roaming freely from one wireless network to another. Although you can assign multiple profiles to a single network, you can only use one profile per connection. To add a new profile, use the Profile Wizard sequence of dialogs to configure the profile contents. The following example uses all of the Profile Wizard dialogs. Some settings may not be required for all profiles.

Refer to the following to setup profile connection preferences:

Profile Connection Preferences

To access the profile connection preference option:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the Advanced button.
  3. Under the Auto-connection heading, click the one of the following options:
  • Connect to available networks using profiles only (Default setting): Use the profiles in the Profile List to connect to any available network.
  • Connect to any available network if no matching profile is found: Connect to any available network without using a profile from the Profile List.

  • Connect to any network based on profiles only (Cisco Mode): Connect to any available network using profiles enabled for Cisco CCX mode.

  1. Click OK to save the setting and return to the previous dialog.

Creating a New Profile

To add a new profile, use the Profile Wizard sequence of dialogs to configure the profile contents. The following example uses all of the Profile Wizard dialogs, although some of the settings may not be required.

To create a new profile and connect to a network:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the Add button. The General Settings dialog displays.
NOTE: If this is the first time you have created a profile, click the profile named Default in the Profile List, click the Edit button and rename the default profile in the Profile Name field on the General page.

General Settings

  1. Enter a profile name in the Profile Name field.
  2. Enter the network SSID, in the Network Name (SSID) field.
  3. Click Infrastructure or Ad hoc for the operating mode.
  4. Click Password protect this profile to set a password for the profile.
  5. The Mandatory AP option is only used if Infrastructure mode is selected. Use this option to connect to a specific access point. Click the Mandatory AP button, enter the Ethernet address for the access point. Click OK to save the setting and return to the General Settings page.
  6. Click the Enable Cisco Client eXtentions option to enable CKIP data encryption. 
  7. Check Enable Auto-Import to allow this profile to be imported. Refer to Automatic Profile Distribution for more information.
  8. Click Next.

Security Settings

  1. Select Open or Shared in the Network Authentication options. Open, does not use any authentication method. Shared uses the WEP key as the authentication method.
  2. Select either None, WEP  or CKIP (if Enable Cisco Client eXtentions is enabled on the General Settings page) for the data encryption. 
  3. If WEP is selected, select either 64 or 128-bit for the Encryption Level.
  4. Select the key index 1, 2, 3 or 4.
  5. Enter the required pass phrase or hex key.
  6. Click the 802.1x Enabled checkbox to enable the 802.1x security option.
  7. Select MD5 as the 802.1x Authentication Type.
  8. Click the Configure button to open the MD5 Setting dialog. Enter the user name and password of the user you have created on the authentication server. The user name and password do not have to be the same as name and password of your current Windows user login. 
  9. Click Close to save the settings. 
  10. If the Password Protection checkbox was checked on the General settings page, then
    click Next to display the Password page. 

Password Protection Settings

  1. Click the Password protect this profile checkbox.
  2. Enter a password in the Password field.
  3. Reenter the same password in the Confirm New Password field.
  4. Click the Back button to change or verify the settings or click Finish when you have completed the profile settings and return to the Networks page.

Connect to the Network

  1. Click the new profile name shown in the Profile List. Use the up and down arrows to position the priority of the new profile in the priority list.
  2. Click the Advanced button to set the network connection preferences.
  3. Click the Connect button to connect to the network.
    4.
  4. Click OK to close the Intel(R) PROSet dialog.

Importing and Exporting Profiles  

NOTE: A password protected profile can be imported and exported, however, before editing the profile, the password must be entered. Refer to Setting a Profile Password for more information.

To import profiles:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the Advanced button.
  3. Click the Import/Export button.
  4. Click the Import button.
  5. Locate the profile to import on your hard disk or enter the profile name in the File name field. The profile extension is .profile.
  6. Click the Import to import the profile into the Profile List.
  7. Click OK three times to return to the Networks page.
    8.
  8. Click OK to close the Intel(R) PROSet dialog.

To export profiles:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the Advanced button.
  3. Click the profiles to export from the export profile list.
  4. Click the Browse button and select a directory to save the profiles in. Click OK to return to the previous dialog.
  5. Click the Export button to start exporting the profiles.
  6. Click OK three times to return to the Networks page.
    7.
  7. Click OK to close the Intel(R) PROSet dialog.

Setting a Profile Password

To set a password for an existing profile:

  1. Select the profile from the Profile List in the Networks page, and click the Edit button.
  2. Click the Password tab.
  3. Click the check box next to "Password protect this profile" to enable profile password.
  4. Enter a ten character password in the Password field.
  5. Enter the new password again in the Confirm New Password field.
  6. Click OK to exit and return to the Networks page.

To password protect a new profile:

  1. From the Networks page, and click the Add button.

  2. Enter the required Profile name and network SSID information.

  3. Click the Password protect this profile check box on the General Settings dialog.

  4. Click Next and enter the security settings.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Click the Password protect this profile check box.

  7. Enter the password and confirm password information.

  8. Click Finish to save the profile settings and return to the Networks page.
     

Automatic Profile Distribution

The Enable Auto-Import feature allows a network administrator to distribute a profile automatically to computers connected to a network. The Enable Auto-Import box is located on the Profile Wizard dialogs. When the checkbox is checked the profile must be copied to a specific directory on the host computer, from there it can be distributed to multiple computers. Once the profile is received by the remote computer it will automatically be available for use from the Scan profile list. If an attempt is made to edit a distributed profile that is password protected, a password prompt will appear.

Automatically importing WLAN profiles is accomplished by monitoring the import folder on your hard disk for new profile files. Only profiles that have the Enable Auto-Import box checked on the Profile Wizard dialogs can be automatically imported. If a profile of the same name already exists in the Profile List, a dialog is displayed from which you can either reject the import, or accept in which case the existing profile will be replaced. All imported profiles will be placed at the bottom of the Profile List, and the profile file will be immediately deleted after the import whether the import was successful or not.

To import a profile into the profile list:

  1. Select a profile to be edited from the Profile List in the Networks page, and click the Edit button or click the Add button to create a new profile using the Profile Wizard.
  2. Check the Enable Auto-Import checkbox on the General page.
  3. Click OK (Edit a profile) or Finish (Add a profile) to save the settings.
  4. Export the profile from the profile list. Refer to Importing and Exporting Profiles for details.
  5. Copy the exported profile from its directory to the Programs Files\Intel\PROSet\Import directory. The profile is now ready to distribute to other computers.

Editing an Existing Profile

To edit an existing profile:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the Edit button. The General page displays.
  3. Click on the General, Security, and Password tabs to make the necessary changes for the network profile settings:
  4. Click OK on any of the pages to save all the settings and return to the Networks page.
  5. Click the new profile name shown in the Profile List. Use the up and down arrows to position the priority of new profile in the priority list.
  6. Click the Advanced button to set the network connection preferences.
  7. Click the Connect button to connect to the network.
    8.
  8. Click OK to close the Intel(R) PROSet dialog.

Deleting a Profile

To delete a profile:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the profile to be deleted from the Profile List.
  3. Click the Delete button.
  4. Click Yes to permanently delete the profile.
NOTE: You cannot delete all profiles from the profile list. There must always be one profile displayed in the list.

Connecting to a Network without a Profile

To connect to an available network without a profile:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the Scan button.
  3. Select the network profile name with <no profile> shown, and click the Connect button.
  4. Click the No, connect me directly without creating a profile option. Note, you can click Yes, create a profile for this network now to create a profile to be used later.
  5. Click OK to connect.

Connecting to a Network if a Blank SSID displays

If the wireless adapter receives a blank network name (SSID) from a stealth access point, both the blank SSID and <no profile> display in the available networks list. To associate with a stealth access point, a new profile must first be created before connection. After connection both the blank SSID and the associated SSID can be viewed in the available networks list.

To connect to an access point that transmits a blank network name (SSID) in the Available Networks list:

  1. From the General page, click the Networks tab.
  2. Click the Scan button.
  3. Select the network name with a blank SSID and <no profile> shown in the Available Networks list.
  4. Click the Connect button.
  5. Click the Yes, create a profile for this network now option.
  6. The Profile Wizard dialog displays. Enter a profile name and Network Name (SSID) and security settings if required. Click Finish to save the profile settings and return to the Networks page.
  7. Select the new profile from the profile list and click Connect.

Loading a Profile from the Task Tray

To load a profile from the Task Tray:

  1. Right-click Intel(R) PROSet icon in the task tray.
  2. Select the Intel PRO/Wireless adapter.
  3. Click Select Profile and select the profile to be launched.

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