Wireless-N 150 Router WNR1000v2 User Manual

Configuring Basic Connectivity

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v1.0, November 2009

2.

As appropriate, select the region in which the wireless interface will operate.

3.

For the wireless network name (SSID), use the default name, or choose a suitable descriptive

name. In the

Name (SSID)

field, you can enter a value of up to 32 alphanumeric characters.

The default SSID is NETGEAR.

4.

For the remaining settings, accept the defaults.

•

The default channel is

Auto

.

It should not be necessary to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference

problems with another nearby wireless router or access point. Select a channel that is not

being used by any other wireless networks within several hundred feet of your router. For

more information about the wireless channel frequencies, click the link to the online

document

“Wireless Networking Basics” in Appendix B

.

•

The default mode of

Up to 150Mbps

. The options are:

–

Up to 54 Mbps – Legacy Mode – Maximum speed of up to 54 Mbps for b/g networks.

–

Up to 65 Mbps – Neighbor Friendly Mode – Will not interfere with neighboring

wireless networks.

–

Up to 150 Mbps – Performance Mode – Maximum Wireless-N speed up to 150 Mbps.

•

The default Security Options is

None

.

5.

Click

Apply

to save your changes.

Note:

In North America, you will not be able to change the region setting.

Note:

The SSID is case-sensitive; NETGEAR is not the same as nETgear. Also, the

SSID of any wireless access adapters must match the SSID you specify in the

WNR1000v2 router. If they do not match, you will not get a wireless

connection to the WNR1000v2 router.

Note:

If you are configuring the router from a wireless computer and you change the

router’s SSID, channel, or security settings, you will lose your wireless

connection when you click

Apply

. You must then change the wireless settings

of your computer to match the router’s new settings.

Wireless-N 150 Router WNR1000v2 User Manual

Configuring Basic Connectivity

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v1.0, November 2009

6.

Select

Wireless Settings

under Advanced in the main menu of the WNR1000v2 router.

7.

Make sure that the

Enable Wireless Router Radio,

Enable SSID Broadcast,

and

Enable

WMM

check boxes are selected.

8.

Click

Setup Access List

.

9.

Make sure that the

Turn Access Control On

check box is

not

selected.

10.

Configure and test your wireless computer for wireless connectivity.

Program the wireless adapter of your computer to have the same SSID and channel that you

specified in the router, and disable encryption. Check that your computer has a wireless link

and can obtain an IP address by DHCP from the router.

Once your computer has basic wireless connectivity to the router, you can configure the advanced

wireless security functions of the computer and router (for more information about security and

these settings, see

Chapter 2, “Safeguarding Your Network

”).

Figure 1-11

2-1

v1.0, November 2009

Chapter 2

Safeguarding Your Network

The Wireless-N 150 Router Model WNR1000v2

provides highly effective security features,

which are covered in detail in this chapter.

This chapter includes the following sections:

•

“Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security

”

•

“Recording Basic Wireless Settings Setup Information” on page 2-5

•

“Changing Wireless Security Settings” on page 2-6

•

“Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings” on page 2-11

•

“Using Push 'N' Connect (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13

•

“Restricting Wireless Access by MAC Address” on page 2-18

•

“Changing the Administrator Password” on page 2-20

•

“Backing Up Your Configuration” on page 2-21

•

“Understanding Your Firewall” on page 2-22

Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security

Unlike wired networks, wireless networks allow anyone with a compatible adapter to receive your

wireless data transmissions well beyond your walls. Operating an unsecured wireless network

creates an opportunity for outsiders to eavesdrop on your network traffic or to enter your network

to access your computers and files. Indoors, computers can connect over wireless networks at

ranges of up to 300 feet. Such distances can allow for others outside your immediate area to access

your network. Use the security features of your wireless equipment that are appropriate to your

needs.

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

settings and router placement.

Stronger security methods can entail a cost in terms of throughput, latency, battery consumption,

and equipment compatibility. In choosing an appropriate security level, you can also consider the

effort compared to the reward for a hacker to break into your network. As a minimum, however,

NETGEAR recommends using WEP with Shared Key authentication. Do not run an unsecured

wireless network unless it is your intention to provide free Internet access for the public.

Wireless-N 150 Router WNR1000v2 User Manual

Safeguarding Your Network

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WEP connections can take slightly longer to establish. Also, WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA2-PSK

encryption can consume more battery power on a notebook computer, and can cause significant

performance degradation with a slow computer.

To configure the wireless network, you can:

•

Manually specify your SSID and your wireless security settings

. The WNR1000v2 router

provides two screens for configuring the wireless settings:

–

Wireless Settings

. You access these under Setup in the main menu (see

“Viewing Basic

Wireless Settings” on page 2-6

).

–

Advanced Wireless Settings

. You access these under Advanced in the main menu (see

“Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings” on page 2-11

).

Note:

NETGEAR recommends that you change the administration password of your

router. Default passwords are well known, and an intruder can use your

administrator access to read or disable your security settings. For information

about how to change the administrator password, see

“Changing the Administrator

Password” on page 2-20

.

Figure 2-1

WNR1000v2

1) Open system: easy but no security

2) MAC access list: no data security

3) WEP: security but some performance

impact

4) WPA-PSK: strong security

5) WPA2-PSK: very strong security

Wireless data

security options

Range: up to 300 foot radius

Note:

Use these with other features that enhance security (

Table 2-2 on page 2-4

).

Wireless-N 150 Router WNR1000v2 User Manual

Safeguarding Your Network

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v1.0, November 2009

•

Use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to automatically set the SSID and implement WPA/

WPA2 security on both the router and the client device

. If the clients in your network are

WPS capable, you can use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to automatically set the SSID and

implement WPA/WPA2 security on both the router and the client device (see

“Using Push 'N'

Connect (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13

).

Basic security options are listed in order of increasing effectiveness in

Table 2-1

. Other features

that affect security are listed in

Table 2-2 on page 2-4

. For more details on wireless security

methods, click the link to the online document

“Wireless Networking Basics” in Appendix B

.

Table 2-1.

Wireless Security Options

Security Type

Description

None

.

No wireless security. Recommended only for

troubleshooting wireless connectivity. Do not run an

unsecured wireless network unless it is your

intention to provide free Internet access for the

public.

WEP

. Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption

provides moderate data security. WEP Shared Key

authentication and WEP data encryption can be

defeated by a determined eavesdropper using

publicly available tools.

For more information, see

“Configuring WEP

Wireless Security” on page 2-8

.

WPA-PSK (TKIP)

. WPA-PSK standard encryption

with TKIP encryption type.

WPA2-PSK (AES)

. Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2

with Pre-Shared Key; WPA2-PSK standard

encryption with the AES encryption type.

WPA-PSK (TKIP) + WPA2-PSK (AES)

. Mixed mode.

Wi-Fi Protected Access with Pre-Shared Key (WPA-

PSK and WPA2-PSK) data encryption provides

extremely strong data security, very effectively

blocking eavesdropping. Because WPA and WPA2

are relatively new standards, older wireless adapters

and devices might not support them.

For more information, see

“Configuring WPA-PSK

and WPA2-PSK Wireless Security” on page 2-10

.