Reference Manual for the Model DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway

Connecting the Gateway to the Internet

2-19

b.

Internet IP Address:

If your ISP has assigned you a permanent, fixed (static) IP address for your PC, select

“Use static IP address”. Enter the IP address that your ISP assigned. Also enter the

netmask and the Gateway IP address. The Gateway is the ISP’s router to which your

gateway will connect.

c.

Domain Name Server (DNS) Address:

If you know that your ISP does not automatically transmit DNS addresses to the gateway

during login, select “Use these DNS servers” and enter the IP address of your ISP’s

Primary DNS Server. If a Secondary DNS Server address is available, enter it also.

A DNS server is a host on the Internet that translates Internet names (such as

www.netgear.com) to numeric IP addresses. Typically your ISP transfers the IP address of

one or two DNS servers to your gateway during login. If the ISP does not transfer an

address, you must obtain it from the ISP and enter it manually here. If you enter an address

here, you should reboot your PCs after configuring the gateway.

d.

Gateway’s MAC Address:

This section determines the Ethernet MAC address that will be used by the gateway on the

Internet port. Some ISPs will register the Ethernet MAC address of the network interface

card in your PC when your account is first opened. They will then only accept traffic from

the MAC address of that PC. This feature allows your gateway to masquerade as that PC

by “cloning” its MAC address.

To change the MAC address, select “Use this Computer’s MAC address.” The gateway

will then capture and use the MAC address of the PC that you are now using. You must be

using the one PC that is allowed by the ISP. Or, select “Use this MAC address” and enter

it.

4.

Click Apply to save your settings.

5.

Click on the Test button to test your Internet connection.

If the NETGEAR website does not appear within one minute, refer to

Chapter 7,

“Troubleshooting”

.

Reference Manual for the Model DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway

2-20

Connecting the Gateway to the Internet

Wireless Configuration

3-1

Chapter 3

Wireless Configuration

This chapter describes how to configure the wireless features of your DG824M Wireless ADSL

Modem Gateway.

Considerations For A Wireless Network

In planning your wireless network, you should consider the level of security required. You should

also select the physical placement of your gateway in order to maximize the network speed. For

further information on wireless networking, refer to

“Wireless Networking

” in

Appendix B,

“Network and Routing Basics

.”

Implement Appropriate Security

Unlike wired network data, your wireless data transmissions can extend beyond your walls and

can be received by anyone with a compatible adapter. For this reason, use the security features of

your wireless equipment. As a minimum precaution, change the SSID setting of all devices on

your network from the factory setting to a unique password. Restricting access by MAC address

filtering adds another obstacle against unwanted hosts joining your network. To hinder a

determined eavesdropper, you should enable Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption.

However, there may be a significant degradation of the data throughput on the wireless link when

WEP is enabled.

Observe Placement and Range Guidelines

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

physical placement of the wireless gateway.

Reference Manual for the Model DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway

3-2

Wireless Configuration

For best results, place your gateway:

•

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

•

In an elevated location such as a high shelf.

•

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

phones.

•

Away from large metal surfaces.

Wireless Settings

To configure the Wireless interface of your gateway, click the Wireless link in the main menu of

the browser interface. The Wireless Settings menu will appear, as shown below:

Figure 3-1:

Wireless Settings menu

In the Wireless Network section are the following parameters:

Note:

Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance

degradation or inability to wirelessly connect to the router.

Reference Manual for the Model DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway

Wireless Configuration

3-3

•

Identification

.

—

Regulatory Domain. This field displays the region of operation for which the wireless

interface is intended. It may not be legal to operate the gateway in a region other than the

region shown here.

—

Station Name. The gateway model number.

—

SSID (Service Set ID). This is also known as the wireless network name. Enter a value of

up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The same SSID must be assigned to all wireless devices

in your network. The default SSID is

Wireless

.

•

Options.

—

Channel No. This field determines which operating frequency will be used. It should not

be necessary to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems with

another nearby access point.

—

WEP Status. Identifies the WEP options configured.

•

Access Point.

—

All wireless stations. Any wireless station can connect.

—

Trusted PCs only. Only PCs with MAC address which you have specified can connect.

Procedure 3-1:

Configuring Basic Wireless Network Settings

1.

Choose an SSID for the gateway and all wireless PCs

Devices on an 802.11b wireless network all share the same network name, or Service Set

Identificatier (SSID). The first step in configuring your wireless network is to choose a secure

value for your wireless network’s SSID. In the SSID box, enter a value of up to 32

alphanumeric characters. This same SSID must be entered in the configuration of all PCs and

devices connecting to this wireless network.

The default SSID is Wireless.

2.

Set the Region of operation.

Select the geopgraphic region in which the wireless interface will operate. This setting

determines what radio frequencies will be available. It may not be legal to operate the gateway

in a region other than the region shown here.

Note:

The SSID of any wireless access adapters must match the SSID you configure in

the DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway. If they do not match, you will not get a

wireless connection to the DG824M.