Installing Your Wireless LAN PCI Adapter

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN PCI Adapter. This user guide will assist you with the installation procedures for the PCI Adapter.

Your package should contain the 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN PCI Adapter and the Installation CD. The Installations CD contains the following items:

•Drivers and Configuration Utility program used to manage the 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN PCI Adapter and to establish a wireless connection with your LAN

•README.TXT file with updated information about your Wireless LAN PCI Adapter

•This Wireless LAN PCI Adapter User Guide

•3Com Connection Assistant

•Adobe Acrobat Reader

Wireless LAN Basics

Wireless LAN (Local Area Networks) systems offer a great number of advantages over a traditional, wired system. Wireless LANs (WLANs) are more flexible, easier to setup and manage and often more cost effective than their wired equivalents.

Using radio frequency (RF) technology, WLANs transmit and receive data over the air, minimizing the need for wired connections. Thus, WLANs combine data connectivity with user mobility, and, through simplified configuration, enable movable LANs.

With wireless LANs, users can access shared information without looking for a place to plug in and network managers can set up or augment networks without installing or moving wires. Wireless LANs offer the following productivity, convenience and cost advantages over traditional wired networks: