Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point WG102

Introduction

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Rear Panel

Figure 2-2: WG102 rear panel

Viewed from left to right, the back of the WG102 provides the following:

•

Detachable Antenna

The WG102 provides one detachable antenna.

•

Ground

The WG102 provides a connector of grounding the unit.

•

Restore to Factory Defaults RESET Button

The restore to default button located between the Ethernet RJ-45 connector and the power

socket restores the WG102 to the factory default settings.

•

RJ-45 Ethernet LAN/POE Port

Use the WG102 Ethernet RJ-45 port to connect to an Ethernet LAN through a device such as a

hub, switch, router, or Power Over Ethernet (POE) switch.

•

Power Socket

This socket connects to the WG102

12V DC, 1 A

power adapter.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point WG102

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Introduction

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Basic Installation and Configuration

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Chapter 3

Basic Installation and Configuration

This chapter describes how to set up your NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access

Point for wireless connectivity to your LAN. This basic configuration will enable computers with

802.11b or 802.11g wireless adapters to do such things as connect to the Internet, or access printers

and files on your LAN.

You need to prepare these three things before you can establish a connection through your wireless

access point:

•

A location for the WG102 that conforms to the

Observing Placement and Range Guidelines

below.

•

The wireless access point connected to your LAN through a device such as a hub, switch,

router, or Cable/DSL gateway.

•

One or more computers with properly configured 802.11b or 802.11g wireless adapters.

Observing Placement and Range Guidelines

The operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly based on the

physical placement of the wireless access point. The latency, data throughput performance, and

notebook power consumption of wireless adapters also vary depending on your configuration

choices.

Note:

Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11g wireless networks at ranges

of several hundred feet or more.

This distance can allow for others outside your area

to access your network. It is important to take appropriate steps to secure your network

from unauthorized access. The WG102 Access Point provides highly effective security

features which are covered in detail in

Appendix , “Understanding WEP/WPA Security

Options”

. Deploy the security features appropriate to your needs.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point WG102

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Basic Installation and Configuration

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For best results, place your wireless access point:

•

Near the center of the area in which your PCs will operate.

•

In an elevated location such as a high shelf where the wirelessly connected PCs have

line-of-sight access (even if through walls).

•

Away from sources of interference, such as PCs, microwaves, and 2.4 GHz cordless phones.

•

Away from large metal surfaces.

•

Putting the antenna in a vertical position provides best side-to-side coverage. Putting the

antenna in a horizontal position provides best up-and-down coverage.

•

If using multiple access points, it is better if adjacent access points use different

radio frequency

Channels to reduce interference. The recommended Channel spacing between adjacent access

points is 5 Channels (for example, use Channels 1 and 6, or 6 and 11).

The time it takes to establish a wireless connection can vary depending on both your security

settings and placement. WEP connections can take slightly longer to establish. Also, WEP

encryption can consume more battery power on a notebook computer.

Cabling Requirements

The WG102 Access Point connects to your LAN via twisted-pair Category 5 Ethernet cable with

RJ-45 connectors.

Note:

Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance

degradation or inability to wirelessly connect to the WG102. For complete performance

specifications, see

Appendix A, “Specifications”

.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point WG102

Basic Installation and Configuration

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Default Factory Settings

When you first receive your WG102, the default factory settings will be set as shown below. You

can restore these defaults with the Factory Default Restore switch on the rear panel — see

“WG102 front panel” on page 2-6

.

FEATURE

FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS

User Name (case sensitive)

admin

Password (case sensitive)

password

Operating Mode

Access Point

Access Point Name

netgearxxxxxx where xxxxxx are the last six digits of

the wireless access point's MAC address

Built-in DHCP client

DHCP client disabled, it uses the default IP address

IP Configuration

IP Address: 192.168.0.229

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 0.0.0.0

Network Name (SSID)

NETGEAR

Broadcast Network Name (SSID)

Enabled

802.11g Radio Frequency Channel

Auto

WEP/WPA

Disabled

AutoCell RF Management

AutoCell Enhanced RF Security

Enabled

Disabled

Restricting connectivity based on MAC Access

Control List

Disabled

Time Zone

GMT

Time Zone Adjust for Daylight Saving TIme

Disabled

SNMP

Disabled