Reference Manual for the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point

About This Manual

1-v

August 2003

Chapter 1

About This Manual

Congratulations on your purchase of the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point. The

ME103 provides connection for multiple personal computers to the Internet through an external

broadband access device (such as a cable modem or DSL modem).

Audience

This reference manual assumes that the reader has basic to intermediate computer and Internet

skills. However, basic computer network, Internet, firewall, and VPN technologies tutorial

information is provided in the Appendices, on the

Resource CD for the ME103 ProSafe Wireless

Access Point

, and on the Netgear website.

Scope

This manual is written for the ME103 Access Point according to these specifications:

Table 1-1.

Manual Specifications

Product Version

ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point

Product Final Assembly Number

Firmware Version Number

Version 3.0 Release 16

Manual Part Number

Manual Publication Date

August 2003

Note:

Product updates are available on the NETGEAR web site at

www.netgear.com/support/main.asp

. Documentation updates are available on the

NETGEAR, Inc. web site at

www.netgear.com/docs

.

Reference Manual for the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point

1-vi

About This Manual

August 2003

Typographical Conventions

This guide uses the following typographical conventions:

Special Message Formats

This guide uses the following formats to highlight special messages:

Table 1.

Typographical conventions

italics

Emphasis.

bold times roman

User input.

[Enter]

Named keys in text are shown enclosed in square brackets. The notation [Enter]

is used for the Enter key and the Return key.

S

MALL

C

APS

DOS file and directory names.

Note:

This format is used to highlight information of importance or special interest.

Reference Manual for the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point

About This Manual

1-vii

August 2003

How to Use the HTML Version of this Manual

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Figure 1-1:

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Reference Manual for the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point

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About This Manual

August 2003

How to Print this Manual

To print this manual you man choose one of the following several options, according to your

needs.

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A “How To” Sequence of Steps in the HTML View

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Introduction

2-1

August 2003

Chapter 2

Introduction

This chapter introduces the NETGEAR ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point. Minimal

prerequisites for installation are presented in

“System Requirements” on page 2-5

.

About the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point

The ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point

is the basic building block of a wireless LAN

infrastructure. It provides connectivity between Ethernet wired networks and radio-equipped

wireless notebook systems, desktop systems, print servers, and other devices.

The ME103 provides wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed

range or area of coverage, interacting with a wireless network interface card (NIC) via an antenna.

Typically, an individual in-building access point provides a maximum connectivity area with about

a 300 foot radius.

The ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point can support a small group

of users in a range of several hundred feet. Most access points are rated between 30-70 users

simultaneously.

The ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point acts as a bridge between the wired LAN and

wireless clients. Connecting multiple ME103 Access Points via a wired Ethernet backbone can

further lengthen the wireless network coverage. As a mobile computing device moves out of the

range of one access point, it moves into the range of another. As a result, wireless clients can freely

roam from one Access Point to another and still maintain seamless connection to the network.

The auto-sensing capability of the ME103 802.11b ProSafe Wireless Access Point allows packet

transmission at up to 11Mbps, or at reduced speeds to compensate for distance or electromagnetic

noise interference.