Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG102

Basic Installation and Configuration

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v1.0, September 2005

•

You may enable the DHCP client to let the Access Point getting its TCP/IP

configuration from the DHCP server on your network.

•

DHCP Client

: The access point will get the IP address, subnet mask and the default

gateway settings automatically from the DHCP server if DHCP is enabled.

•

IP Address

: Type the IP address of your Access Point (factory default:

192.168.0.232).

•

IP Subnet Mask

: The Access Point will automatically calculate the subnet mask

based on the IP address that you assign. Otherwise, you can use 255.255.255.0 as the

subnet mask.

•

Default Gateway Address

: The Access Point will use this IP address default gateway

for any traffic beyond the local network.

•

DNS Server

: The Access Point will use this IP address as the Domain Name Server

used by stations on your LAN.

•

Time Zone

: You may select the appropriate local time zone for your Access Point

from a list of all available time zones. The default is GMT.

3.

Click the Wireless Settings11a link in the Setup section of the main menu to view the Wireless

Settings 11a menu.

Figure 3-5

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG102

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Basic Installation and Configuration

v1.0, September 2005

4.

Click the Wireless Settings 11b/g link in the Setup section of the main menu to view the

Wireless Settings 11b/g menu.

5.

Configure the wireless interface for wireless access. See the online help or the

Understanding

Basic Wireless Settings

topic of this Reference Manual for full instructions.

Now that you have finished the setup steps, you are ready to deploy the WAG102 in your

network. If needed, you can now reconfigure the computer you used in step 1 back to its

original TCP/IP settings.

6.

Deploy the WAG102 Access Point

a.

Disconnect the WAG102 and position it where you will deploy it. The best location is

elevated, such as wall mounted or on the top of a cubicle, at the center of your wireless

coverage area, and within line of sight of all the mobile devices.

b.

Lift the antenna on either side so that they are vertical.

Note:

Consult the antenna positioning and wireless mode configuration information in the

Chapter 5, “Advanced Configuration”

chapter of the Reference Manual.

Figure 3-6

Note:

You must set the Regulatory Domain. It may not be legal to operate the

wireless access point in a region other than one of those identified in this field.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG102

Basic Installation and Configuration

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v1.0, September 2005

c.

Connect an Ethernet cable from your WAG102 Access Point to a LAN port on your router,

switch, or hub.

d.

Connect the power adapter to the wireless access point and plug the power adapter in to a

power outlet. The PWR, LAN, and Wireless LAN lights and should light up.

7.

Verify Wireless Connectivity

Using a computer with an 802.11b or 802.11a/g wireless adapter with the correct wireless

settings needed to connect to the WAG102 (SSID, WEP/WPA, MAC ACL, etc.), verify

connectivity by using a browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer to browse the Internet,

or check for file and printer access on your network.

How to Log In to the WAG102 Using Its Default IP Address

192.168.0.232 is the default IP address of your access point. The WAG102 is set by default with

the DHCP client disabled.

1.

Open a Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.

2.

Connect to the WAG102 by entering its default address of 192.168.0.232 into your browser. A

login window appears.

3.

Enter

admin

for the user name and

password

for the password, both in lower case

letters.Click

OK

.

Note:

By default, WAG102 is set to with the DHCP client disabled. If your

network uses dynamic IP addresses, you will need to change this setting.

Note:

If you are unable to connect, see

Chapter 6, “Troubleshooting”

.”

Note:

The computer you are using to connect to the WAG102 should be configured with

an IP address that starts with 192.168.0.x and a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG102

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Once you have entered your access point name, your Web browser should automatically find the

WAG102 Access Point and display the home page, as shown in

Figure 3-3 on page 3-7

.

Understanding Basic Wireless Settings

Wireless Settings 11a

To configure the wireless settings of your wireless access point, click the Wireless Settings 11a

link in the Basic section of the main menu of the browser interface. The Wireless Settings 11a

menu will appear, as shown below.

The Wireless Settings 11a menu options are discussed below:

Figure 3-7

Figure 3-8

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG102

Basic Installation and Configuration

3-13

v1.0, September 2005

•

Turn Radio On

. On by default, you can also turn off the radio to disable access through this

device. This can be helpful for configuration, network tuning, or troubleshooting activities.

•

Wireless Network Name (SSID)

: The SSID is also known as the wireless network name.

Enter a 32-character (maximum) service set ID in this field; the characters are case sensitive.

The default is 802.11a only.

In a setting where there is more than one wireless network, different wireless network names

provide a means for separating the traffic. Any device you want to participate in a particular

wireless network will need to use the SSID.

When in infrastructure mode, this field defines the service set ID (SSID). The SSID assigned

to the wireless node is required to match the access point SSID in order for the wireless node

to communicate with the access point.

–

A group of Wireless Stations and a single access point, all using the same ID (SSID), form

a Basic Service Set (BSS).

–

Using the same SSID is essential. Devices with different SSIDs are unable to

communicate with each other. However, some access points allow connections from

wireless stations which have their SSID set to “any” or whose SSID is blank (null).

–

A group of wireless stations and multiple access points, all using the same ID (ESSID),

form an Extended Service Set (ESS).

–

Different access points within an ESS can use different channels. To reduce interference, it

is recommended that adjacent access points

should

use different channels.

–

As wireless stations physically move through the area covered by an ESS, they will

automatically change to the access point which has the least interference or best

performance. This capability is called roaming.

•

Broadcast Wireless Network Name (SSID)

: If set to Yes, the Wireless Access Point will

broadcast its SSID, allowing Wireless Stations that have a "null" (blank) SSID to adopt the

correct SSID. If set to No, the SSID is not broadcast. The default is NETGEAR_11a.

•

Operating Mode

: Select the desired wireless operating mode. The options are:

–

11a Only – Only 802.11a wireless stations can be used. This selection cannot be changed.

•

Channel/Frequency

: Select the channel you wish to use on your wireless LAN. The default is

Auto.

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

(shown by lost connections and/or slow data transfers). Should this happen, you may need to

experiment with different channels to see which is the best. See

“Wireless Communications:”

in Appendix B

for more information on wireless channels.