Driver types and client support

Windows Operating Systems
Figure shows the various Windows OS environments that can support Aironet drivers. The Aironet Windows driver disk includes drivers for all Windows 95 and 98 versions, as well as Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows CE 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x. Additionally, the driver is included on the Windows Install CD for Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

Because all reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors are not alike, it is necessary to develop a separate compiled version of the driver on a per-processor basis. Also, because of the nature of Windows CE, it is necessary to develop a separate driver for each version. Finally, not all CE devices adhere to the PCMCIA standards because of their limited size and cost-cutting construction. This means that even with the correct driver for the processor and CE release, it still may not work. A machine will not work if the card in the system displays the message "unknown card inserted". It should display the message "network card inserted". Typically, this happens because the vendor does not follow the PC CARD 2.1 specifications fully, resulting in incompatibility issues.

Non-Windows Operating Systems
Cisco Aironet offers support for Linux and Macintosh, as shown in Figure . The Cisco Aironet Linux driver is for use with any version of Linux using kernel versions 2.2.x or 2.4.x. The Cisco Aironet Macintosh driver is for use with Macintosh PowerBooks and PowerMacs using Mac OS 9.x or Mac OS X 10.1. The driver is not for use with Macintosh notebooks that have a built-in wireless card.

Downloading Wireless Software from Cisco Connection Online (CCO)
All of the available drivers, utilities, and firmware can be downloaded from Cisco Connection Online (CCO). To gain access to these materials a CCO username and password is required. To get a valid CCO username and password requires a smartnet maintenance account.

From the main Cisco page (www.cisco.com), select Products and Services from the drop-down menu. Click on WLAN Products, and then on Aironet WLAN Client Adapters. Next, click on Software Center, on the left, and on Software Center, again. Select Wireless Software and then Option 2: Aironet Wireless Software Display Tables. This is shown in Figure . Option 1 allows the downloading of bundled drivers, for example, all Windows drivers.

The latest updates to all Cisco Aironet firmware and software are available through this link.

Lab Activity

Lab Exercise: Install a WLAN Adapter Card

Students will install the WLAN adapter card in a PC that uses the Windows operating system.