=================================================================== Agere Systems Inc. Winter 2002 WaveLAN Station firmware Update utility (WSU) WSU10810 =================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Software Description 2. System Requirements 3. New In This Release 4. Technical Support ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION 1.1 About this software The WaveLAN Station firmware Update utility (WSU) is a tool to update the firmware on your Agere Systems ORiNOCO or WaveLAN/IEEE Card. The WSU can function on any computer running the MS-Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP or Millennium Operating System, that has been equipped with an ORiNOCO or WaveLAN/IEEE Card. The ORiNOCO Card firmware makes the ORiNOCO products: * Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) certified by the Wireless Ethernet Compatiblity Alliance (WECA). * Interoperable with any other wireless LAN system based on Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) radio technology that complies with the IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.11b Standards on wireless LANs. * Backwards compatible with any other previously released product of the Agere Systems WaveLAN/IEEE product family. 1.2 Files The WSU comprises the following files: * WSU10771.EXE WSU * WSU.HLP WSU Help info * WSU.CNT WSU Help Contents * README.TXT this file 1.2 Versions WaveLAN Station firmware Update utility Variant 1 Version 4.50 contains: Primary Functions firmware Variant 1 Version 4.00 Station Functions firmware Variant 1 Version 8.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 2.1 Operating System The WSU can function on any computer running the MS-Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP or Millennium Operating System, that has been equipped with an ORiNOCO or WaveLAN/IEEE Card. 2.2 Free Disk Space The installation of the WSU requires a free disk space of approximately 500 KB. 2.3 Driver Version This WSU is only compatible with Windows Miniport Drivers of Release 6.1 (v 6.14) or higher. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. NEW IN THIS RELEASE 3.1 Station Functions firmware v 8.10 Winter 2002 Addition of the following functions/features: · Support for Cards with Ruby-based Radio. In addition to support for the previously developed RF Modems, the firmware now also supports the Ruby based RF Modems. · WEP Weak Key Avoidance. The key that is input to the WEP64 or 128 RC4 encryption algorithm consists of the secret key configured by the user (or via 802.1x) concatenated with the IV (Initialization Vector). The IV is determined by the transmitting station. By excluding certain IV values that would create so-called "weak keys", the weakness of WEP as described in "Weaknesses in the Key Scheduling Algorithm of RC4" by Scott Fluhrer, Itsik Mantin and Adi Shamir, and demonstrated through the AirSnort program, are avoided. Note that, as the IV is always determined by the transmitting station, there is no impact on interoperability. Stations/APs with weak key avoidance implemented can interoperate with stations/APs that do not have this. Of course, protection against this attack is provided only if all stations and APs implement this new scheme. · Encrypted Frames at 11 Mbit/s are now Fragmented. Frames to be transmitted encrypted at 11 Mbit/s are now fragmented into fragments of maximum 540 bytes. This is a workaround to reduce the performance impact on the AP when multiple stations are transmitting encrypted frames at 11 Mbit/s to the AP. Correction of the following problems: · The firmware did not pass through the WaveLAN-II Management Protocol frames for the APList protocol (WMP PDU-Types 2 and 3). Now it does. · In RF monitor mode a hang-up could occur due to received CF End or CF-End+CF-Ack frames. 3.2 Station Functions firmware v 7.52 Summer 2001 Addition of the following functions/features: · Tertiary firmware. The Station Functions firmware is now provided in two variants: * Variant 1, Secondary firmware; stored in the non-volatile memory (FlashROM) of the card, and during the initialization of the card copied to the volatile memory (RAM) for execution. This is loaded on the card during production and can be updated in the field (e.g. by means of the WSU). * Variant 2, Tertiary firmware; during the initialization of the card the host software (e.g. driver) downloads this firmware into the card's volatile memory (RAM) for execution. (The Secondary firmware in the card's FlashROM is then not updated and not used.) Both these variants provide the same functionality. · CF Awareness. CF (Contention Free) Awareness makes that our (client) stations are coexistent with systems that use the PCF (Point Coordination Function) mode of operation. This is an 802.11 requirement, and proposed (but probably not pursued) as an upcoming Wi-Fi requirement. · Enhanced Power Management. Enhanced Power Management (EPM) is now made available. EPM toggles the card between Power Management mode and Continuous Active mode, dependent on communications activity. When the card has not done a transmit or receive for a certain period, it will go into Power Management mode. · WEP IV starts at random value. The Initialization Vector (IV) for the WEP encryption now starts at a random value. This is considered more secure. · Basic Rate settings during IBSS mode. The Basic Rates are now also implemented in the IBSS (Peer-to- Peer) mode. 3.3 Station Functions firmware v 7.28 Spring 2001 The following functionality has been added: - Microwave Oven Robustness changed to use fragmentation. In order to keep frames short (in time) to get them transmitted during the transmit gaps of a (domestic) microwave oven, the MAC will fragment long frames. - Station adaptation of cell thresholds. The Station adapts itself to the settings of the Access Point it associates with. This applies to the following parameters: * Distance between APs, * RTS/CTS Medium Reservation, * Microwave Oven Robustness. These parameters are passed to the Station by the Access Point, and overrule the settings in the Station. Hence this feature functions only if the Access Point(s) support it. - Load balancing. This feature attempts to balance the load over the available overlapping cells. The Access Point maintains measurement of the load in its cell and provides that to the Stations. Stations use this information in their roaming decisions. The better the comms quality to potential Access Points, the bigger the impact of the load is. This feature functions only if the Access Points support it. The following problem has been solved: - The power LED is turned off when the radio's modem is disabled through the Disable Radio function. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Technical Support 4.1 Finding Information On the ORiNOCO Web Site you can find the most recent device drivers, firmware, software updates and user documentation. World Wide Web: HTTP://WWW.ORiNOCOWIRELESS.COM/ or FTP://FTP.ORiNOCOWIRELESS.COM/PUB 4.2 Contact Technical Support If you encounter problems when installing or using this product or have questions about our other Agere Systems ORiNOCO products, please contact your local Authorized ORiNOCO Reseller. You can find their address on the ORiNOCO website. Help us Helping you! When contacting Technical Support, please use the Problem Report (report.txt) and send it to us by Fax or E-Mail. A completed Problem Report Form that includes the details about your ORiNOCO product and its host environment will help us helping you to solve your problems. =================================================================== END OF FILE