Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG302

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Advanced Configuration

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Configuring Wireless LAN Parameters

The default advanced wireless LAN parameter settings usually work well. If you want the AP to

operate in Super-A/G mode, use this feature.

Figure 5-5: Advanced Wireless Settings screen

The wireless LAN parameters are as follows:

•

Enable Super-A/G Mode

: Enable Super-A/G mode may increase the overall wireless

performance. The default is disable.

•

RTS Threshold

: Request to Send Threshold. The packet size that is used to determine if it

should use the CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection)

mechanism or the CSMA/CA mechanism for packet transmission. With the CSMA/CD

transmission mechanism, the transmitting station sends out the actual packet as soon as it has

waited for the silence period. With the CSMA/CA transmission mechanism, the transmitting

station sends out an RTS packet to the receiving station, and waits for the receiving station to

send back a CTS (Clear to Send) packet before sending the actual packet data. The default is

2346.

•

Fragmentation Length

: This is the maximum packet size used for fragmentation. Packets

larger than the size programmed in this field will be fragmented. The Fragment Threshold

value must be larger than the RTS Threshold value. The default is 2346.

•

Beacon Interval

: The Beacon Interval. Specifies the interval time between 20ms and 1000ms

for each beacon transmission. The default is 100.

•

DTIM Interval

: The Delivery Traffic Indication Message. Specifies the data beacon rate

between 1 and 255. The default is 1.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG302

Advanced Configuration

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Enabling Wireless Bridging and Repeating

The WAG302 ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point lets you build large bridged wireless

networks.

Figure 5-6:

Advanced Wireless Settings Access Point Mode settings (11a and 11b/g)

Select the desired Access Point mode for your environment:

•

Wireless Point-to-Point Bridge

: In this mode, the WAG302 will communicate ONLY with

another Bridge-mode Wireless Station. You must enter the MAC address (physical address) of

the other Bridge-mode Wireless Station in the field provided. WEP can (and should) be used to

protect this communication.

Advanced Access Point Settings 11a menu

Advanced Access Point Settings 11b/g menu

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG302

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Advanced Configuration

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•

Wireless Point-to-Multi-Point Bridge

: Select this only if this WAG302 is the "Master" for a

group of Bridge-mode Wireless Stations. The other Bridge-mode Wireless Stations must be set

to Point-to-Point Bridge mode, using this WAG302's MAC address. They then send all traffic

to this "Master", rather than communicate directly with each other. WEP can (and should) be

used to protect this traffic.

•

Repeater

: If selected, this AP will operate as a Repeater only, and send all traffic to the remote

AP. If selected, you must enter the MAC address (physical address) of the remote AP.

How to Configure a WAG302 as a Point-to-Point Bridge

Figure 5-7:

Point-to-Point Bridge

1.

Configure the WAG302 (AP1) on LAN Segment 1 in Point-to-Point Bridge mode.

2.

Configure the WAG302 (AP2) on LAN Segment 2 in Point-to-Point Bridge mode.

AP1 must have AP2’s MAC address in its Remote MAC Address field and AP2 must have

AP1’s MAC address in its Remote MAC Address field.

3.

Configure and verify the following parameters for both access points:

•

Verify that the LAN network configuration of the WAG302 Access Points both are

configured to operate in the same LAN network address range as the LAN devices

•

Both use the same ESSID, Channel, authentication mode, if any, and security settings if

security is in use.

LAN

Segment 1

Router

AP in

Point-to-Point

Bridge Mode

AP in

Point-to-Point

Bridge Mode

LAN

Segment 2

Hub or Switch

AP1

AP2

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG302

Advanced Configuration

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4.

Verify connectivity across the LAN 1 and LAN 2.

A computer on either LAN segment should be able to connect to the Internet or share files and

printers of any other PCs or servers connected to LAN Segment 1 or LAN Segment 2.

How to Configure Multi-Point Wireless Bridging

Figure 5-8:

Multi-Point bridging

1.

Configure the Operating Mode of the WAG302 Access Points.

•

WAG302 (AP1) on LAN Segment 1 in Point-to-Point Bridge mode with the Remote MAC

Address of AP2.

•

Because it is in the central location, configure WAG302 (AP2) on LAN Segment 2 in

Point-to-Multi-Point Bridge mode. The MAC addresses of the adjacent APs are required

in AP2.

•

Configure the WAG302 (AP3) on LAN 3 in Point-to-Point Bridge mode with the Remote

MAC Address of AP2.

2.

Verify the following parameters for all access points:

•

Verify that the LAN network configuration the WAG302 Access Points are configured to

operate in the same LAN network address range as the LAN devices

•

Only one AP is configured in Point-to-Multi-Point Bridge mode, and all the others are in

Point-to-Point Bridge mode.

'Master' AP in

Point-to-Multi-Point

Bridge Mode

LAN

Segment 1

192.168.0.1

Router

AP in

Point-to-Point

Bridge Mode

Hub or Switch

LAN

Segment 3

AP in

Point-to-Point

Bridge Mode

LAN

Segment 2

Hub or Switch

AP1

AP3

AP2

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG302

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Advanced Configuration

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•

All APs must be on the same LAN. That is, all the APs LAN IP address must be in the

same network.

•

If using DHCP, all WAG302 Access Points should be set to “Obtain an IP address

automatically (DHCP Client)” in the IP Address Source portion of the Basic IP Settings

menu.

•

All WAG302 Access Points use the same SSID, Channel, authentication mode, if any, and

encryption in use.

•

All Point-to-Point APs must have AP2’s MAC address in its Remote AP MAC address

field.

3.

Verify connectivity across the LANs.

•

A computer on any LAN segment should be able to connect to the Internet or share files

and printers with any other PCs or servers connected to any of the three LAN segments.

•

Wireless stations will not be able to connect to the WAG302 Access Points in the

illustration above. If you require wireless stations to access any lan segment, you can

additional WAG302 Access Points configured in Wireless Access Point mode to any LAN

segment.

Note

: You can extend this multi-point bridging by adding additional WAG302s configured in

Point-to-Point mode for each additional LAN segment. Furthermore, you can extend the range of

the wireless network with NETGEAR wireless antenna accessories.