Rosewill Wireless 300 Mbps PCI-Express Wi-Fi Adapter User Manual

Rosewill Wireless 300 Mbps PCI-Express Wi-Fi Adapter User Manual

RNX-N250PCEv2

Copyright & Trademarks

Specifications are subject to change without notice. is a registered trademark of Rosewill Inc. Other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

No part of the specifications may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative such as translation, transformation, or adaptation without permission from Rosewill Inc. Copyright © 2018 Rosewill Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.rosewill.com

FCC Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

Note: The manufacturer is not responsible for any radio or TV interference caused by unauthorized modifications to this equipment. Such modifications could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement:

This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. End users must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. This equipment has been SAR-evaluated for use in hand. SAR measurements are based on a 5 mm spacing from the body and that compliance is achieved at that distance.

This is a Class B product. In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

National Restrictions

This device is intended for home and office use in all EU countries (and other countries following the EU directive 1999/5/EC) without any limitation except for the countries mentioned below:

Note: Please do not use the product outdoors in France.

Canadian Compliance Statement

This device complies with Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1.  This device may not cause interference.
2. This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

This device has been designed to operate with the antennas listed below, and having a maximum gain of 5 dBi. Antennas not included in this list or having a gain greater than 5 dBi are strictly prohibited for use with this device. The required antenna impedance is 50 ohms. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) is not more than that permitted for successful communication.

Industry Canada Statement

Complies with the Canadian ICES-003 Class B specifications.

This device complies with RSS 210 of Industry Canada. This Class B device meets all the requirements of the Canadian interference-causing equipment regulations.

Safety Information

• When product has power button, the power button is one of the ways to shut off the product; when there is no power button, the only way to completely shut off power is to disconnect the product or the power adapter from the power source.
• Do not disassemble the product nor make repairs yourself. You run the risk of electric shock and voiding the limited warranty. If you need service, please contact us.
• Avoid water and wet locations.

This product can be used in the following countries:

Package Contents

Please verify that all package contents below are available.

• 1 x RNX-N250PCEv2 Wireless 300 Mbps PCI-Express Wi-Fi Adapter
• 2 x 5 dBi Antennas
• 1 x Low-Profile Bracket
• 1 x Quick Installation Guide
• 1 x Resource CD (includes Driver/Utility/User Manual)

Make sure that the above items are within the package. If any of the above items are damaged or
missing, please contact your distributor.
Note:
The ‘adapter’ mentioned in this User Manual refers to RNX-N250PCEv2 Wireless PCI-Express Wi-Fi Adapter.

SECTION 1: Product Overview

1.1 Introduction

The adapter is an 802.11n client device designed to deliver a high-speed wireless performance
for your desktop. With a faster wireless connection, you can get a better internet experience, such as downloading, gaming, and video streaming.

The adapter provides high-speed wireless connection with other wireless clients. The incredible
speed makes it ideal for handling multiple data streams at the same time, which ensures your
network remains stable and smooth. It is also compatible with all IEEE 802.11b and IEEE
802.11g products.

The adapter supports WEP, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK and WPA/WPA2 encryption to prevent
outside intrusion and protect your personal information from being exposed.

With unmatched wireless performance, reception, and security protection, the RNXN250PCEv2
is the best choice for easily adding or upgrading wireless connectivity to your desktop computer.

1.2 Features

• Supports 2.4 GHz frequency band
• Supports IEEE 802.11n
• Seamlessly compatible with 802.11b/g products
• Supports 64/128 WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES)
• Supports Windows XP (32/64-bit), Windows 7 (32/64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit), Windows 10 (32/64-bit)
• Supports Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure mode (available for Windows XP & Windows 7 users)

1.3 LED Status

SECTION 2: Installation

Please install the PCI-Express adapter into your computer before installing the Driver and Utility
software from the Resource CD.

2.1 Hardware Installation

1. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord from the computer.

2. Remove the metal slot cover on the back of the PC. Keep the screws. Turn to your computer manufacturer for instructions, if needed.

3. Insert the PCI-Express adapter into the PCI-Express slot. Make sure that all of its pins have
   touched the slot’s contacts. Once the adapter has been firmly inserted, screw its fastening tab. Then close your PC case.

4. Insert the power cable back into the computer and turn on your computer.

Note:

When the hardware has been successfully installed on your computer, you may be prompted by
the Found New Hardware Wizard (Figure 2-1). Please click “Cancel”, then follow the Software
Installation steps to install Driver and Utility for your adapter.

Figure 2-1 Found New Hardware Wizard in Windows XP

2.2 Software Installation

The adapter’s Setup Wizard will guide you through the installation procedures for Windows XP,
Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The procedures in different systems are similar;
therefore we have presented the procedures in Windows 10 as an example.

Important Notice:

In order to install the driver successfully, please uninstall other Wi-Fi drivers before installing
the RNX-N250PCEv2 driver. Installing two or more Wi-Fi adapter drivers in one PC may cause
conflicts between the drivers and cause the Wi-Fi adapter to fail to work. You can find the
installed Wi-Fi adapter drivers and uninstall from the Control Panel -> Install and Uninstall
Software.

If the PC has an integrated Wi-Fi adapter, turn it off before installing the RNX- N250PCEv2
driver. Otherwise, the system will not show which Wi-Fi adapter is working and it may cause
conflicts between the adapters.

Follow the steps below to install the RNX-N250PCEv2 driver on your Windows PC:

1. Insert the Resource CD into your CD-ROM drive; AutoRun window will pop up (Figure 2-2).
   Please select Windows or Windows XP according to your current operating system.
   If AutoRun does not work, browse the CD, open the folder and double-click “Setup.exe” to
   begin.  

2. The Install Shield Wizard will pop up (Figure 2-3) and start installing the driver automatically. This process may take 1-3 minutes (Figure 2-4). Do not click the “Cancel” button, otherwise the installation will stop.               

3. After the Wireless LAN driver is installed successfully, you must restart your computer. Select “Yes” and click “ Finish” (Figure 2-5).                   

4. After restarting the computer, the (Wi-Fi icon) will appear at the bottom right side of yoursystem tray. To connect to a network, please refer to SECTION 3: Connect to a Wireless Network.    

SECTION 3: Connect to a Wireless Network

With both the hardware and software successfully installed into your computer, you can quickly
connect to a wireless network using one of the following methods.

3.1 To Connect Using WPS

WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) function allows you to add a new wireless device to an existing
network quickly. By this method, you can connect to your network quickly on the condition that
your router or access point supports WPS (or QSS, as is called by some products).

If your wireless router supports WPS or QSS (Quick Security Setup), you can establish a wireless connection between wireless card and router using either Push Button Configuration (PBC) method or PIN method.

3.2 To Connect Using Windows Built-In Wireless Utility

Windows users may use the built-in wireless utility to connect to a wireless network.

3.2.1 In Windows XP

Windows XP users may use the built-in wireless utility. Follow the steps below:

1. Right-click on the utility icon in your system tray (lower-right corner). Select Switch to
   Windows wireless configuration tool (Figure 3-1).             Figure 3-1

2. Right-click on the wireless computer icon in your system tray (lower-right corner). Select View Available Wireless Networks (Figure 3-2).                                                            Figure 3-2

3. The utility will display any available wireless networks in your area. Click on a network (displayed using the SSID) and click the Connect button.

4. If the network is security-enabled, you will be prompted to enter the key as shown below (Figure 3-3). If not, you will connect to the network directly without entering a key.

Figure 3-3

3.2.2 In Windows 7
Windows 7 users may use the built-in wireless utility. Follow the steps below:

1. Click the wireless icon in your system tray (lower-right corner). The utility will display any available wireless networks in your area. Highlight the wireless network (displayed using the SSID) to be connected and then click Connect.
2. If the network you selected is encrypted, enter the same security key or passphrase that is on your router. Or push the WPS/QSS button on the router or access point. You will be prompted to push the button on the window if WPS function is supported (Figure 3-4). If the network is not secured, the connection will be established without entering a key.

Figure 3-4

3. When “Connected” appears behind the SSID, you have successfully connected to the target network.

3.2.3 In Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 users may use the built-in wireless utility. Follow the steps below:

1. Click the icon at the bottom of your screen and a network list will appear at the
right side of your screen. Select your target network, then click Connect (Figure 3-9).

Figure 3-10

Note:

You can also push the WPS/QSS button on your router as suggested; “You can also connect by pushing the button on the router”. Then click Next to continue.

3. When “Connected” appears behind the SSID (Figure 3-11), you have successfully connected to the target network.

Figure 3-11

Note:

If the adapter is connected to the network for the first time, you will be asked whether to connect to devices (Figure 3-12). Please select “Yes” or “No” according to your internet
environment.

Figure 3-12

3.2.4 In Windows 10
Windows 10 users may use the built-in wireless utility. Follow the steps below:

1. Click the icon at the bottom of your screen and a network list will appear at the right side of your screen. Select your target network, then click Connect (Figure 3-13).

Figure 3-13

2. If the network is unencrypted, you will directly connect to it.
If the network is encrypted, enter the password (network security key) and then click Next to continue (Figure 3-14).

Figure 3-14

Note:

You can also push the WPS/QSS button on your router as suggested; “You can also connect by pushing the button on the router”. Then click Next to continue..

3. When “Connected” appears behind the SSID (Figure 3-15), you have successfully connected to the target network.

Figure 3-15

SECTION 4: Utility Configuration

Note: Wireless LAN Utility is only available on Windows XP & Windows 7.

The wireless adapter provides two modes: Station Mode and Access Point Mode. The default is Station Mode under Windows XP & Windows 7.

In station mode, you can connect wirelessly to your Wireless Router/AP to connect to the internet. In Access Point Mode, the wireless adapter acts as a wireless access point which can share internet connection with others (Access Point Mode requires Wired Connection).

4.1 General

The General tab displays current basic wireless connection information (Figure 4-1).

General Information

• Status: Wireless Network Associated, Ad-Hoc Mode or Not Associated.
• Speed: The data Tx rate and Rx rate of the current connection.
• Type: The type of current wireless connection, Infrastructures or Ad-Hoc.
• Encryption: Current encryption.
• SSID: The unique name of the wireless network to which the wireless adapter is connecting.
• Signal Strength: The signal quality of the current connection.
• Link Quality: The link quality of the current wireless connection.

Network Address

• MAC Address: The MAC address of the adapter.
• IP Address: The IP address of the adapter.
• Subnet Mask: The Subnet Mask of the adapter.
• Default Gateway: The Default Gateway address of the adapter.

Others

• Show Tray Icon: Show USB Wireless LAN Utility icon in the windows taskbar notification area.
• Disable Adapter: Disable the wireless adapter.
• Radio Off: Turn off the radio of the wireless adapter.

4.2 Profile

Using the Profile tab, you can Add, Remove, Edit, Duplicate, and Set Default profiles (Figure 4-2).

Figure 4-2

4.2.1 Add

• Create a new Infrastructure mode profile

If you want your wireless computers to communicate with other computers on your wired
network via a wireless access point, click the Add button to create a new Infrastructure
profile.

Figure 4-3

When the Network Info dialog box appears (Figure 4-3), enter a name for the new profile. Enter the Network SSID. Choose the Network Authentication Mode and Data encryption from the drop-down menu and import the network key. Then click OK.

• Create a new Ad-Hoc mode profile

If you want your wireless computers to communicate with each other directly, click the Add button to create a new Ad-Hoc profile. Then, check option (Figure 4-4) below:

Select the correct operating channel for your network from the Channel drop- down menu.

Figure 4-5

Choose the Network Authentication Mode and Data encryption from the drop-down menu and import the network key (Figure 4-5). Then click OK. You have successfully created a profile.

4.2.2 Remove

Select a profile and click Remove to delete this profile (Figure 4-6).

Figure 4-6

4.2.3 Edit

Select a profile and click Edit to make changes to this profile (Figure 4-7).

Figure 4-7

Figure 4-8

Modify profile information (Figure 4-8).

4.2.4 Duplicate

Select a profile you want to copy and click Duplicate (Figure 4-9).

Figure 4-9

Input new profile name in the popup window (Figure 4-10).

Figure 4-10

4.2.5 Set Default

When you want to set one profile as a default wireless connection, select the profile and click Set Default (Figure 4-11). The wireless adapter will use this profile to connect to the wireless network automatically when detected.

Figure 4-11

4.3 Available Network
The Available Network tab displays a list of Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc networks for available
wireless connection (Figure 4-12).

Figure 4-12

Double-click the network you want to connect.

Figure 4-13

Choose the Authentication and Encryption modes in the drop-down box (Figure 4-13). If the
wireless network uses a Passphrase, enter the Passphrase in the Passphrase field. If the wireless network uses a WEP key, enter the WEP key in the Key field. Click the OK button to complete the network connection.

4.4 Wi-Fi Protected Setup

Figure 4-14

4.4.1 Method 1: PIN Input Config (PIN)

1. Input the wireless NIC’s PIN Code into AP and click Start PIN on the AP- Router WPS
config page (Figure 4-15).

Figure 4-15

2. Click Pin Input Config (PIN) (Figure 4-16).

Figure 4-16

3. Select one WPS AP which you want to connect to and click Select (Figure 4-17).

Figure 4-17

4. Please wait when the PIN Method Window pop-up appears; the secure connection between AP and wireless NIC will be established automatically (Figure 4-18).

Figure 4-18

4.4.2 Method 2: Push Button Config (PBC)

1. Click Push Button Config (PBC) on Wi-Fi Protected Setup page (Figure 4-19).

Figure 4-19

2. Click Start PBC on the AP-Router WPS config page (Figure 4-20).

Figure 4-20

3. Please wait when the PBC method window pop-up appears; the secure connection between AP and wireless NIC will be established automatically (Figure 4-21).

Figure 4-21

Note:
If there is more than one AP on the PBC mode, there will be a session overlap.
Please use Method 1: PIN Input Config (PIN) or wait a while before pushing the button again.

Appendix A: Specifications

• Only 2.412 to 2.462 GHz is allowed to be used in the USA, which means only channel 1 to 11
  is available for American users to choose.

Appendix B: Glossary

• 802.11b – The 802.11b standard specifies a wireless product networking at 11 Mbps using
  direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology and operating in the unlicensed radio
  spectrum at 2.4 GHz and WEP encryption for security. 802.11b networks are also referred to as Wi-Fi networks.

• 802.11g – Specification for wireless networking at 54 Mbps using direct-sequence spreadspectrum (DSSS) technology, using OFDM modulation and operating in the unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.4 GHz. Backward compatible with IEEE 802.11b devices and WEP encryption for security.

• 802.11n – Builds upon previous 802.11 standards by adding MIMO (multiple-input multipleoutput). MIMO uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas to allow for increased data throughput via spatial multiplexing and increased range by exploiting the spatial diversity, perhaps through coding schemes like Alamouti coding. The Enhanced Wireless Consortium (EWC) was formed to help accelerate the IEEE 802.11n development process and promote a technology specification for interoperability of next-generation wireless local area networking (WLAN) products.

• Ad-Hoc Network – An ad-hoc network is a group of computers, each with a Wireless Adapter, connected as an independent 802.11 wireless LAN. Ad-hoc wireless computers
  operate on a peer-to-peer basis, communicating directly with each other without the use of an access point. Ad-hoc mode is also referred to as an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) or as peer- to-peer mode, and is useful at a departmental scale or SOHO operation.

• DSSS (Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum) – DSSS generates a redundant bit pattern for all data transmitted. This bit pattern is called a chip (or chipping code). Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during transmission, statistical techniques embedded in the receiver can recover the original data without the need of retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSS appears as low power wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most narrowband receivers. However, to an intended receiver (i.e. another wireless LAN endpoint), the DSSS signal is recognized as the only valid signal, and interference is inherently rejected (ignored).

• FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) – FHSS continuously changes (hops) the carrier frequency of a conventional carrier several times per second according to a
  pseudo-random set of channels. Because a fixed frequency is not used, and only the transmitter and receiver know the hop patterns, interception of FHSS, is extremely difficult.

• Infrastructure Network – An infrastructure network is a group of computers or other devices, each with a Wireless Adapter, connected as an 802.11 wireless LAN. In infrastructure mode, the wireless devices communicate with each other and to a wired network by first going through an access point. An infrastructure wireless network connected to a wired network is referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS). A set of two or more BSS in a single network is referred to as an Extended Service Set (ESS). Infrastructure mode is useful at a corporation scale, or when it is necessary to connect the wired and wireless networks.

• SSID (Service Set Identification) – A thirty-two character (maximum) alphanumeric key
  identifying a wireless local area network. For the wireless devices in a network to communicate with each other, all devices must be configured with the same SSID. This is typically the configuration parameter for a wireless PC card. It corresponds to the ESSID in the wireless Access Point and to the wireless network name. See also Wireless Network Name and ESSID.

• WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) – A data privacy mechanism based on a 64 or 128-bit or
  152-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard. To gain access to a
  WEP network, you must know the key. The key is a string of characters that you create. When using WEP, you must determine the level of encryption. The type of encryption determines the key length. 128-bit encryption requires a longer key than 64-bit encryption. Keys are defined by entering in a string in HEX (hexadecimal – using characters 0-9, A-F) or ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange – alphanumeric characters) format. ASCII format is provided so you can enter a string that is easier to remember.
  The ASCII string is converted to HEX for use over the network. Four keys can be defined so that you can change keys easily.

• Wi-Fi – A trade name for the 802.11b wireless networking standard, given by the Wireless
  Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA; see http://www.wi-fi.net), an industry standards group promoting interoperability among 802.11b devices.

• WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) – A group of computers and associated devices
  communicating with each other wirelessly, which network serving users are limited in a local
  area.

• WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) – A wireless security protocol using TKIP (Temporal Key
  Integrity Protocol) encryption, which can be used in conjunction with a RADIUS server.

FAQ

This section provides solutions to problems that may occur during the installation and operation
of the Wireless PCI-Express Wi-Fi Adapter.

1. I cannot communicate with the other computers linked via Ethernet in the Infrastructure configuration.

• Make sure that the PC to which the adapter is associated is powered on.
• 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.

2. What should I do when the computer with the Adapter installed is unable to connect to
the wireless network and/or the Internet?

• Check that the LED indicators for the broadband modem are indicating normal activity.
  If not, there may be a problem with the broadband connection.

• 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.

• Check that the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS settings are correctly entered
  for the network.

• In Infrastructure mode, make sure the same Service Set Identifier (SSID) is specified on the
  settings for the wireless clients and access points.

• 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.

• 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.

Technical Support Information

techsupport@rosewill.com 1-800-575-9885

Thank you for purchasing a quality Rosewill product.
Please register your product at www.rosewill.com for complete warranty information and support for your product.

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References

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