Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Administration Utility Administrator Guide (ACAU), Release 2.0 - Chapter 1 - Overview [Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Client Adapters]

Table Of Contents

Overview

Introduction to ACAU

Products Supported

Obtaining ACAU Software

Installing ACAU for the First Time

Upgrading ACAU Software

Running ACAU

ACAU Configuration Tabs

File Drop-down Menu

Help Drop-down Menu

Configuration File

Security Considerations

Obtaining and Installing Wireless LAN Adapter Software

Removing ACAU Software

Uninstalling Wireless LAN Adapter Software

Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the Cisco Aironet Client Administration Utility (ACAU) used by administrators to create configuration files and administrative overrides to control the installation of the utilities, driver, and profiles for the CB21AG PC-Cardbus and PI21AG PCI adapters installed in PCs running Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating system.

The following topic are covered in this chapter:

•Introduction to ACAU

•Obtaining ACAU Software

•Installing ACAU for the First Time

•Upgrading ACAU Software

•Obtaining and Installing Wireless LAN Adapter Software

•Removing ACAU Software

•Uninstalling Wireless LAN Adapter Software

Introduction to ACAU

ACAU is a utility used by administrators to configure administrative overrides and create profiles for users who install CB21AG and PI21AG wireless client adapters in PCs running Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems. The overrides and profiles are stored in configuration files that are loaded into the Aironet Desktop Utility (ADU) Install Wizard, hereafter called the Install Wizard. Once a user installs the drivers and ADU for their client adapter, the Install Wizard uses the instructions in the configuration file to preconfigure ADU user settings and load one or more user profiles.

Using ACAU, an administrator can perform the following operations:

•Determine and configure the setup options for the ADU software

•Set ADU user functions

•Create preconfigured user profiles for a user or group of users

Products Supported

Caution Cisco Aironet CB21AG and PI21AG client adapter software is incompatible with other Cisco Aironet client adapter software. The Aironet Desktop Utility (ADU) must be used with CB21AG and PI21AG cards, and the Aironet Client Utility (ACU) must be used with all other Cisco Aironet client adapters.

The ACAU supports the following products:

•PC-Cardbus card (model number: AIR-CB21AG)
An IEEE 802.11a/b/g-compliant 2.4- and 5-GHz 54-Mbps client adapter card radio with a Cardbus interface that can be inserted into any device equipped with an external 32-bit Cardbus slot. See Figure 1-1).

Figure 1-1 PC-Cardbus Card

•PCI card (model number: AIR-PI21AG)
An IEEE 802.11a/b/g-compliant 2.4- and 5-GHz 54-Mbps client adapter card radio module that can be inserted into any device equipped with an empty PCI expansion slot. See Figure 1-2)

Figure 1-2 PCI Card

Obtaining ACAU Software

To obtain the latest ACAU software from the Cisco Web site, follow these steps:

Step 1 Use your web browser to go to the Cisco Software Center at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-wireless.shtml

Step 2 Select Option #2: Aironet Wireless Software Display Tables.

Step 3 Select Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Client Adapters.

Step 4 Scroll down to the Windows System Administration Tool and select Aironet Client Administration Utility (ACAU) 802.11A/B/G (CB21AG and PI21AG). The Software Download page appears.

Step 5 Click ACAU-v2xx.exe. The Software Download Encryption Authorization Form appears.

Step 6 Complete the encryption authorization form and click Submit. The Software License Agreement page appears.

Step 7 If you agree with the terms of the agreement, click Accept. Otherwise, click Decline to cancel the download. The Software Download page appears.

Step 8 Click ACAU-v2xxx.exe.

Step 9 Save the file to a folder you specify.

Installing ACAU for the First Time

This section describes a typical installation process when you are installing the ACAU on your PC for the first time. If you are upgrading to a new version or reinstalling the same version, the installation windows give you additional installation choices.

Follow the steps below to install ACAU on your PC for the first time:

Step 1 On the Windows taskbar Click Start > Run. The Run window appears.

Step 2 Browse to the location where you downloaded the software.

Step 3 Click Setup.exe.

Step 4 Click Open. The Run window reappears showing the path you specified in Step 2.

Step 5 Click OK. The ACAU - InstallShield Wizard window appears (Figure 1-3).

Figure 1-3 ACAU - InstallShield Wizard Window

Step 6 Click click Next. The next installation window appears showing you the default location to which the ACAU will be installed (Figure 1-4).

Figure 1-4 ACAU installation location Window

Note If you want to change the default location, click Change and browse to the location of your choice, select it, and click Next.

Step 7 Click Next to accept the default location and begin the installation process.

Step 8 When the ACAU is installed, the Installation Wizard Complete window appears (Figure 1-5).

Figure 1-5 Installation Wizard Complete Window

Step 9 Click Finish. The installation is complete.

Upgrading ACAU Software

Follow these steps to upgrade your ACAU software to release 2.X.

Step 1 Make sure the client adapter is inserted in your computer.

Note If your client adapter is not inserted, the upgrade silently fails.

Step 2 On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Run. The Run window appears.

Step 3 Browse to the location where you downloaded the software.

Step 4 Click Setup.exe.

Step 5 Click Open. The Run window reappears showing the path you specified in Step 3.

Step 6 Click OK. The Preparing Setup window appears followed by the Previous Installation Detected window.

Figure 1-6 Previous Installation Detected Window

Step 7 Perform one of the following:

•If you want to upgrade your ACAU software using new installation settings, you must first uninstall the existing ACAU software from your computer. Follow these steps to do so:

a. Choose Remove all installed components and click Next.

b. Click Yes to confirm your decision.

c. After ACAU has been uninstalled, click Finish.

d. Follow the instructions in the "Installing ACAU for the First Time" section to install the new ACAU software.

•If you want to upgrade your ACAU software using the installation settings that were selected during the last installation, follow these steps:

a. Choose Reinstall all installed components and click Next.

b. When the upgrade finishes, the Maintenance Complete window appears. If the window contains an option to restart your computer, choose that option.

c. Click Finish and allow your computer to restart if it begins the reboot process.

Running ACAU

When you install ACAU, the installation routine places an Aironet Client Administration Utility icon on your Windows desktop. Double clicking the icon starts the utility. When you start ACAU, a graphical user interface appears (see Figure 1-7) that allows you to easily select and configure global and profile management settings. The ACAU uses two window tabs and drop-down menus.

Figure 1-7 ACAU Main Window

ACAU Configuration Tabs

The main ACAU window provides two configuration tabs (see Figure 1-7):

•Global Settings—Enables you to specify how the Install Wizard processes the ADU software installation. It contains four categories:

–Setup Settings—Settings that affect how the ADU and drivers are installed on a user's PC.

–User Setting—Settings that specify user rights and privileges

–Profile Settings—Settings that control how profiles are managed on the user's PC.

–ASTU Settings—Settings that determine the options that appear in the Aironet System Tray Utility (ASTU) pop-up menu.

•Profile Management—Enables you to specify configuration parameters for profiles you create that the Install Wizard uses when users install the drivers and utilities on their PCs. The Profile Management section can also be used to modify, import, and export profiles.

File Drop-down Menu

The ACAU File drop-down menu provides the following selections:

•New—Opens a new ACAU configuration file for a specified client adapter.

•Open—Finds and opens an existing ACAU configuration file.

•Save—Saves the ACAU configuration file to the default directory and continues.

•Save as—Saves the ACAU configuration file to a filename and location you specify and continues.

•Read from Registry—Imports existing profiles from your computer's Windows registry.

•Exit—Closes and exits the ACAU program.

Help Drop-down Menu

The ACAU Help drop-down menu option provides the following selections:

•Contents—Provides help information on ACAU options and settings.

•About—Provides the ACAU version number.

Context-sensitive help is not available in the ACAU.

Configuration File

When you create and save a profile and administrative overrides, ACAU creates a configuration file, ciscoadminconfig.dat, using the configuration options you selected. To operate, the ACAU configuration file must be placed in the folder where the Cisco Aironet Install Wizard (Setup.exe) was downloaded. When a user activates the install wizard program by clicking Setup.exe, the install wizard uses the ACAU-generated configuration file to specify the installation options and administrative overrides when it installs the device drivers and ADU.

Note You must save the ciscoadminconfig.dat file to the drive and directory in which the install wizard (setup.exe) resides. If the file is saved to any other location it is not processed by the install wizard.

Security Considerations

The ACAU configuration file is encrypted to protect sensitive security data such as SSID, WEP keys, and network security settings. Also, the client adapter profiles created by ACAU can be configured to support static WEP, LEAP, or PEAP network security options. However, it can be read by anyone who downloads ACAU, which is available on Cisco.com.

Obtaining and Installing Wireless LAN Adapter Software

The CB21AG and PI21AG wireless adapter software (drivers, firmware, and utilities) are not part of the ACAU software package and must be obtained separately. Refer to the Quick Start Guide: Cisco Aironet CB21AG and PI21AG Wireless LAN Adapters or the Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Installation and Configuration Guide for instructions on obtaining and installing the wireless adapter software.

Caution Cisco Aironet CB21AG and PI21AG client adapter software is incompatible with other Cisco Aironet client adapter software. The Aironet Desktop Utility (ADU) must be used with CB21AG and PI21AG cards, and the Aironet Client Utility (ACU) must be used with all other Cisco Aironet client adapters.

Removing ACAU Software

You can remove the ACAU software from your PC by opening the Windows control panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs.

Uninstalling Wireless LAN Adapter Software

You can uninstall the wireless LAN adapter software and drivers from your PC by opening the Windows control panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs. See the Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Installation and Configuration Guide for additional instructions on uninstalling the software.

	Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Administration Utility Administrator Guide (ACAU), Release 2.0
	Chapter 1 - Overview
Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Administration Utility Administrator Guide (ACAU), Release 2.0 Book in PDF Format Preface Chapter 1 - Overview Chapter 2 - Using the ACAU Chapter 3 - Global Settings Chapter 4 - Managing Profiles Appendix A - Declarations of Conformity and Regulatory Information Appendix B - Channels, Power Levels, and Antenna Gains Appendix C - Error Messages Glossary	Download this chapter Chapter 1 - Overview Feedback Table Of Contents Overview Introduction to ACAU Products Supported Obtaining ACAU Software Installing ACAU for the First Time Upgrading ACAU Software Running ACAU ACAU Configuration Tabs File Drop-down Menu Help Drop-down Menu Configuration File Security Considerations Obtaining and Installing Wireless LAN Adapter Software Removing ACAU Software Uninstalling Wireless LAN Adapter Software Overview This chapter provides an overview of the Cisco Aironet Client Administration Utility (ACAU) used by administrators to create configuration files and administrative overrides to control the installation of the utilities, driver, and profiles for the CB21AG PC-Cardbus and PI21AG PCI adapters installed in PCs running Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating system. The following topic are covered in this chapter: •Introduction to ACAU •Obtaining ACAU Software •Installing ACAU for the First Time •Upgrading ACAU Software •Obtaining and Installing Wireless LAN Adapter Software •Removing ACAU Software •Uninstalling Wireless LAN Adapter Software Introduction to ACAU ACAU is a utility used by administrators to configure administrative overrides and create profiles for users who install CB21AG and PI21AG wireless client adapters in PCs running Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems. The overrides and profiles are stored in configuration files that are loaded into the Aironet Desktop Utility (ADU) Install Wizard, hereafter called the Install Wizard. Once a user installs the drivers and ADU for their client adapter, the Install Wizard uses the instructions in the configuration file to preconfigure ADU user settings and load one or more user profiles. Using ACAU, an administrator can perform the following operations: •Determine and configure the setup options for the ADU software •Set ADU user functions •Create preconfigured user profiles for a user or group of users Products Supported Caution Cisco Aironet CB21AG and PI21AG client adapter software is incompatible with other Cisco Aironet client adapter software. The Aironet Desktop Utility (ADU) must be used with CB21AG and PI21AG cards, and the Aironet Client Utility (ACU) must be used with all other Cisco Aironet client adapters. The ACAU supports the following products: •PC-Cardbus card (model number: AIR-CB21AG) An IEEE 802.11a/b/g-compliant 2.4- and 5-GHz 54-Mbps client adapter card radio with a Cardbus interface that can be inserted into any device equipped with an external 32-bit Cardbus slot. See Figure 1-1). Figure 1-1 PC-Cardbus Card •PCI card (model number: AIR-PI21AG) An IEEE 802.11a/b/g-compliant 2.4- and 5-GHz 54-Mbps client adapter card radio module that can be inserted into any device equipped with an empty PCI expansion slot. See Figure 1-2) Figure 1-2 PCI Card Obtaining ACAU Software To obtain the latest ACAU software from the Cisco Web site, follow these steps: Step 1 Use your web browser to go to the Cisco Software Center at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-wireless.shtml Step 2 Select Option #2: Aironet Wireless Software Display Tables. Step 3 Select Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Client Adapters. Step 4 Scroll down to the Windows System Administration Tool and select Aironet Client Administration Utility (ACAU) 802.11A/B/G (CB21AG and PI21AG). The Software Download page appears. Step 5 Click ACAU-v2xx.exe. The Software Download Encryption Authorization Form appears. Step 6 Complete the encryption authorization form and click Submit. The Software License Agreement page appears. Step 7 If you agree with the terms of the agreement, click Accept. Otherwise, click Decline to cancel the download. The Software Download page appears. Step 8 Click ACAU-v2xxx.exe. Step 9 Save the file to a folder you specify. Installing ACAU for the First Time This section describes a typical installation process when you are installing the ACAU on your PC for the first time. If you are upgrading to a new version or reinstalling the same version, the installation windows give you additional installation choices. Follow the steps below to install ACAU on your PC for the first time: Step 1 On the Windows taskbar Click Start > Run. The Run window appears. Step 2 Browse to the location where you downloaded the software. Step 3 Click Setup.exe. Step 4 Click Open. The Run window reappears showing the path you specified in Step 2. Step 5 Click OK. The ACAU - InstallShield Wizard window appears (Figure 1-3). Figure 1-3 ACAU - InstallShield Wizard Window Step 6 Click click Next. The next installation window appears showing you the default location to which the ACAU will be installed (Figure 1-4). Figure 1-4 ACAU installation location Window Note If you want to change the default location, click Change and browse to the location of your choice, select it, and click Next. Step 7 Click Next to accept the default location and begin the installation process. Step 8 When the ACAU is installed, the Installation Wizard Complete window appears (Figure 1-5). Figure 1-5 Installation Wizard Complete Window Step 9 Click Finish. The installation is complete. Upgrading ACAU Software Follow these steps to upgrade your ACAU software to release 2.X. Step 1 Make sure the client adapter is inserted in your computer. Note If your client adapter is not inserted, the upgrade silently fails. Step 2 On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Run. The Run window appears. Step 3 Browse to the location where you downloaded the software. Step 4 Click Setup.exe. Step 5 Click Open. The Run window reappears showing the path you specified in Step 3. Step 6 Click OK. The Preparing Setup window appears followed by the Previous Installation Detected window. Figure 1-6 Previous Installation Detected Window Step 7 Perform one of the following: •If you want to upgrade your ACAU software using new installation settings, you must first uninstall the existing ACAU software from your computer. Follow these steps to do so: a. Choose Remove all installed components and click Next. b. Click Yes to confirm your decision. c. After ACAU has been uninstalled, click Finish. d. Follow the instructions in the "Installing ACAU for the First Time" section to install the new ACAU software. •If you want to upgrade your ACAU software using the installation settings that were selected during the last installation, follow these steps: a. Choose Reinstall all installed components and click Next. b. When the upgrade finishes, the Maintenance Complete window appears. If the window contains an option to restart your computer, choose that option. c. Click Finish and allow your computer to restart if it begins the reboot process. Running ACAU When you install ACAU, the installation routine places an Aironet Client Administration Utility icon on your Windows desktop. Double clicking the icon starts the utility. When you start ACAU, a graphical user interface appears (see Figure 1-7) that allows you to easily select and configure global and profile management settings. The ACAU uses two window tabs and drop-down menus. Figure 1-7 ACAU Main Window ACAU Configuration Tabs The main ACAU window provides two configuration tabs (see Figure 1-7): •Global Settings—Enables you to specify how the Install Wizard processes the ADU software installation. It contains four categories: –Setup Settings—Settings that affect how the ADU and drivers are installed on a user's PC. –User Setting—Settings that specify user rights and privileges –Profile Settings—Settings that control how profiles are managed on the user's PC. –ASTU Settings—Settings that determine the options that appear in the Aironet System Tray Utility (ASTU) pop-up menu. •Profile Management—Enables you to specify configuration parameters for profiles you create that the Install Wizard uses when users install the drivers and utilities on their PCs. The Profile Management section can also be used to modify, import, and export profiles. File Drop-down Menu The ACAU File drop-down menu provides the following selections: •New—Opens a new ACAU configuration file for a specified client adapter. •Open—Finds and opens an existing ACAU configuration file. •Save—Saves the ACAU configuration file to the default directory and continues. •Save as—Saves the ACAU configuration file to a filename and location you specify and continues. •Read from Registry—Imports existing profiles from your computer's Windows registry. •Exit—Closes and exits the ACAU program. Help Drop-down Menu The ACAU Help drop-down menu option provides the following selections: •Contents—Provides help information on ACAU options and settings. •About—Provides the ACAU version number. Context-sensitive help is not available in the ACAU. Configuration File When you create and save a profile and administrative overrides, ACAU creates a configuration file, ciscoadminconfig.dat, using the configuration options you selected. To operate, the ACAU configuration file must be placed in the folder where the Cisco Aironet Install Wizard (Setup.exe) was downloaded. When a user activates the install wizard program by clicking Setup.exe, the install wizard uses the ACAU-generated configuration file to specify the installation options and administrative overrides when it installs the device drivers and ADU. Note You must save the ciscoadminconfig.dat file to the drive and directory in which the install wizard (setup.exe) resides. If the file is saved to any other location it is not processed by the install wizard. Security Considerations The ACAU configuration file is encrypted to protect sensitive security data such as SSID, WEP keys, and network security settings. Also, the client adapter profiles created by ACAU can be configured to support static WEP, LEAP, or PEAP network security options. However, it can be read by anyone who downloads ACAU, which is available on Cisco.com. Obtaining and Installing Wireless LAN Adapter Software The CB21AG and PI21AG wireless adapter software (drivers, firmware, and utilities) are not part of the ACAU software package and must be obtained separately. Refer to the Quick Start Guide: Cisco Aironet CB21AG and PI21AG Wireless LAN Adapters or the Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Installation and Configuration Guide for instructions on obtaining and installing the wireless adapter software. Caution Cisco Aironet CB21AG and PI21AG client adapter software is incompatible with other Cisco Aironet client adapter software. The Aironet Desktop Utility (ADU) must be used with CB21AG and PI21AG cards, and the Aironet Client Utility (ACU) must be used with all other Cisco Aironet client adapters. Removing ACAU Software You can remove the ACAU software from your PC by opening the Windows control panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs. Uninstalling Wireless LAN Adapter Software You can uninstall the wireless LAN adapter software and drivers from your PC by opening the Windows control panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs. See the Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Client Adapters (CB21AG and PI21AG) Installation and Configuration Guide for additional instructions on uninstalling the software.
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