;******************************************************************************
;Help.txt - help file
;
;Update history:
;01/10/94 MLO: created.
;01/10/94 JLE: added 1st draft of help text
;01/23/94 JLE: updated for personal netware
;02/11/94 JLE: added help for utilities
;02/16/94 JLE: security id left blank sets to default
;02/24/94 JLE: added directed site survey info
;03/02/94 JLE: help now matches Rev A of the manual
;06/17/94 MLO: updated help to reflect v1.9 changes
;06/20/94 JLE: added snoop, master search
;07/28/94 JLE: changed button names for Power Management, reworded for roaming
;11/03/94 JLE: rev'd for 2.3 changes
;04/18/95 MLO: updated for build utility compatibility
;06/22/95 MLO: merged ISA, PCMCIA, OEM helps
;07/07/95 JLE: rev'd for 3.02
;09/13/95 JLE: rev'd for 3.05
;09/18/95 JLE: changed descriptions on 3 new params
;09/19/95 JLE: made marketing's changes
;07/08/96 JLE: rev'd for Win95
;07/16/96 WPW: removed the print help
;Format: 
;Semicolon in column 1 indicates comment
;HELPXXXX defines beginning of help section and terminates prior section
;Text should be limited to approximately 70 characters across.
;******************************************************************************
;
HELPMAIN
This main menu lists the node address, ROM version, and country code
of the RangeLAN2 card in this computer.  The country code is the number 
following the "/."  The country code for the United States is 0.  All RangeLAN2
cards must have matching country codes in order to communicate.

The node address and name of the Master to which this card is synchronized is 
also listed.

There are several buttons that you may choose from this screen.

If you use the Roaming feature of the RangeLAN2 family, you may be
interested in knowing which Master stations are within range.   
Master stations within range are displayed along with their Domain,
Channel, Subchannel, and Master Name.  You will only be able to roam to
RangeLAN2/Access Points set as Master stations that are on the same
domain as the RangeLAN2 card.  To view all the Masters on the
same Security ID, choose the <Masters> button.

If you want to see the activity in the frequency band in which
RangeLAN2 operates, you may want to "snoop" this band.
Choose the <Snoop> button to perform this function.

Performing a site survey may help you decide where to place your
Master station.  Choose the <Site Survey> button to read the Link 
Quality and Signal Strengths of the other RangeLAN2 products 
on the network.

<Configuration> allows you to change the parameters for this 
computer.  It will allow you to change hardware, driver, and 
security settings.

HELPMSTR
All Master stations within range with the same Security ID as 
the surveying machine are displayed.
Choose to search all Domains or only one specific Domain.

To synchronize to a Master, select its node address.

Then press the <Use Domain> button to reconfigure this unit to 
synchronize to that Master.

Press the <Test Link> button to check the quality of the link to that 
Master.

Press the <View Cell> button to view the link with the Master and
the other Stations synchronized to that same Master.

HELPCONFIG
RangeLAN2 requires one machine on the network be set up as the 
Master station.  This machine will set the spread spectrum frequency 
hopping sequence the other machines will follow.  

When there is no Master station present, a station configured as 
an Alternate Master station will become the Master for that session.

In most cases, you will use the default Station Type setting.  However,
you may have reasons to change the default setting.  Here are some
criteria to use in determining how to set Station Type:

1. In every wireless RangeLAN2 network, at most one station must
   act as the Master Station.  If you need to set up additional 
   Master   stations, they should be configured as Alternate Master 
   stations so that there is only one true Master station on the 
   network.

2. The Master station must be within range of the other wireless 
   stations on the network.

3. In general, the RangeLAN2/Access Points are configured as 
   Master stations.  This configuration allows for roaming 
   capabilities of the clients.

4. If there is no RangeLAN2/Access Point on the network, the 
   RangeLAN2/ISA card in the server of a client-server network
   is usually configured as Master.  In a peer-to-peer network,
   one Master and at least one Alternate Master should be configured.
   The Alternate Master will take over Master functions in the 
   event that the Master station is unavailable.  Without a 
   RangeLAN2/Access Point, the clients will be unable to 
   perform roaming capabilities.

5. You will achieve better performance by configuring the fewest 
   number of machines possible as Masters or Alternate Masters.

Master Name is an optional parameter of up to 11 characters
which specifies an alphanumeric name to simplify the 
identification of each acting Master in your network.  You may not have 
spaces in the name.  Master Name only applies to machines configured 
as Master or Alternate Master.

Each Master can select one of 15 Channels to establish 
communications with Stations.  Each Channel number sets a 
unique frequency hopping sequence allowing for multiple subnetworks 
with higher data rate transmission capability in the same air space.  
You may think of the Channel as a pipe.  In order to communicate, 
radios must be on the same Channel and there must be one (and only one) 
Master that provides the timing for that Channel.  

There are 15 independent Channels designated 1 through 15 with 1 
being the default setting.  This means that there are 15 different 
sequences of frequency hops.  Each Channel is at a different frequency 
at a different time.  For networks with multiple Masters (like in a 
roaming environment), set each Master to a different channel for 
optimum performance.  All Stations will use the same channel as the 
Master they are synchronized to.

The Subchannel is a software code that is appended to each radio packet.  
It does not affect the frequency hopping sequence like a Channel does.  
Use a Subchannel if you need more than 15 Masters in the same coverage 
area and, therefore, all the Channels are used.

For example, you can use Channel 1, Subchannel 1 for Network A and 
Channel 1, Subchannel 2 for Network B.  The two networks will not 
communicate with one another.  They are, however, still sharing the 
1.6 Mbps pipe since they are both using Channel 1.

The Subchannels are designated 1 through 15 with 1 being the default 
setting.

In order to establish communications, all Station Types require the 
same Domain number.  Radios on different Domains cannot communicate with 
each other.  The Domain is a software filter which does not affect the 
actual radio frequency or the frequency hop sequence.

You may want to set everyone on your network to the same Domain.  
For larger wireless networks, use the Domain to establish roaming 
subnetworks throughout your building.  For example, the Engineering 
Department may use Domain 2 and the Sales Department may use Domain 5.  
Then engineers can only roam within the geographical area mapped out 
by RangeLAN2/Access Points with a Domain setting of 2.

The Domain is a number between 0 and 15 with 0 being the default setting.

The MAC Optimize parameter helps improve throughput
for small networks.  If you have 8 or fewer wireless nodes
communicating with a RangeLAN2/Access Point at the same time,
set this parameter to Light.  (You can have more than 8 nodes
synchronized to a RangeLAN2/Access Point but only 8
or fewer communicating at the same time for the Light parameter
setting.)  In networks with more than 8 concurrent wireless users,
set the parameter to Normal.  The MAC Optimize parameter is only set 
on Masters or Alternate Masters when they are the acting Master.

The Roam Config parameter allows you to determine how quickly
stations will roam from one RangeLAN2/Access Point to
another.  In areas with many RangeLAN2/Access Points that
provide heavy overlapping coverage, set this parameter to Fast
to  maintain high throughput for each of the wireless nodes.

In most networks, set the Roam Config parameter to Normal.  
Wireless node throughput will not change noticeably, and an
overabundance of RangeLAN2/Access Points is not required.

If the wireless coverage area provided by RangeLAN2/Access Points
is sparse, set the Roam Config parameter to Slow.  Wireless
node will not roam under they are nearly out of range of the
RangeLAN2/Access Point to which they are synchronized, and
throughput will change as units' range changes.

To conserve battery life, the RangeLAN2 card has an inactivity
doze mode.  You can choose the amount of time before 
Idle Shutdown (when the card has 
not sent or received data over the network) after which the doze mode 
is automatically engaged.  Once the card is dozing, it can be awakened 
by a Master station attempting to send data to it.  If this machine is
acting as the Master station, setting the Idle Shutdown time will 
have no effect.  The time before sleeping is calculated by adding
the Idle Shutdown minutes and seconds and rounding to the 
nearest second.

If the Peer to Peer parameter box is checked, wireless clients
can communicate with one another.  If unchecked, the
wireless nodes will only communicate with the Master unit.
This results in a shorter synchronization time between the
wireless clients and the Master unit.  There are programs whose
timings are inappropriate for wireless networking, resulting
in the wireless nodes losing the network connection unless
this parameter box is unchecked.

A Technical Support Representative may ask for information from the 
<Get Settings> button.

As an added security measure, RangeLAN2 allows you to set a 
security ID for each RangeLAN2 card installed on a network.  ALL CARDS
MUST HAVE MATCHING SECURITY IDS IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE.  To change the
Security ID back to default settings, leave the Security ID field
blank and choose <OK>.

The <Use Defaults> button sets all the parameters to default settings.

;Site Survey Help
HELPSITE
There are five columns of data:

Node address lists the RangeLAN2 card's node address/serial number.
The Master is always listed first with its node address and
Master Name unless this unit is the acting Master.

The higher the Link Quality number from a particular node, the greater 
the link.  A Link Quality number of 0 indicates that the node is
no longer responding at all. This is the most important parameter to
watch to verify that you will be able to maintain a reliable 
wireless connection.

An asterisk in the Activity column indicates that the last packet
sent was answered.  The lack of an asterisk  means the receiving unit 
did not respond to the packet.

Received signal strength indicates how strong a signal was received
from a particular node.

If you check the Roaming Enabled box, you can roam about your environment,
and as you leave the range of one Master, the site survey will continue
as you seamlessly re-synchronize to another Master.

You can sort the listed units by order of arrival or by node address 
of the packets.  Additionally, the bottom of the screen shows how many 
units responded to this site survey, meaning how many are
within range and on the same Domain and Security ID as this unit.

You may check the link between this machine and other
displayed nodes by a click of the mouse on the icon to the left
of the node address.  If you choose to check the link with another
unit, it may decrease the performance of that unit.

HELPSDIR
For this node, you may vary the size of the packets that are being
transmitted, and then watch the changes in packets per second, bytes
per second, and received signal strength.

In general, you will want to maintain a packets per second number of
between 10 and 20 for usable throughput.  This number is affected by
the application and patience of the user community.  For example, if you 
were running a terminal emulation program that sent only small packets
of information infrequently, you may be able to use a smaller packets per
second number.  If the application required transmitting many large
packets like a graphics file transfer might, you may want to maintain
higher packets per second numbers.

The Transmit Packet Latency shows how long it took before a packet was
actually transmitted from the RangeLAN2.

The Total Seconds is a timer indicating how long the Directed Link has been
running.

The Average values represent the average of Packets per Second, Bytes
per Second, and Latency in milliseconds during the time listed in 
Total Seconds.

HELPMSTR
All Master stations within range of the surveying machine are displayed.
Choose to search all Domains or only one specific Domain.

To synchronize to a Master, select it by a click of the mouse
or tab until the Master is highlighted.

Then press the <Use Domain> button to reconfigure this unit to 
synchronize to that Master.  The configuration file will be also updated.

Press the <Test Link> button to check the quality of the link to that 
Master.

;Site Survey Snoop Help
HELPSNOP
Snoop is a "poor man's spectrum analyzer."  It displays activity
in the 2.4 GHz frequency range in which RangeLAN2 operates.

If there are no other RangeLAN2 products running in an area,
bars indicate potential sources of interference.  If there are
other RangeLAN2 products running in the area, you will see
the frequency hops.

To effectively use Snoop, set this machine as a Master and turn off
all other RangeLAN2 products in the area.  Then the bars
will not indicate traffic generated by RangeLAN2, only
true interference.

You have the option of running Snoop in slow, medium, and fast modes.
Slow mode will sample each frequency in the spectrum three hundred times.  
Medium mode will sample each frequency in the spectrum thirty times.
Fast mode will sample each frequency in the spectrum three times.

Each frequency in the spectrum will show a bar of color information.  If
there was any radio noise within the specific frequency you will see a blue
colored bar which represents the average strength of the radio noise
within the specific frequency, and a green colored bar which represents
the highest strength of the radio noise within the specific frequency.
If there are no colored bars for a specific frequency this means during
the sampling period there was no radio noise detected for that specific
frequency.
