Contents

xi

202-10064-02, June 2005

Chapter 6

Troubleshooting

No lights are lit on the access point.

...............................................................................

6-1

The Wireless LAN activity light does not light up.

...........................................................

6-2

The LAN light is not lit.

....................................................................................................

6-2

I cannot access the Internet or the LAN with a wireless capable computer.

.................

6-2

I cannot connect to the WG102 to configure it.

..............................................................

6-3

When I enter a URL or IP address I get a timeout error.

................................................

6-3

Using the Reset Button to Restore Factory Default Settings

..........................................

6-4

Appendix A

Specifications

Specifications for the WG102

........................................................................................

A-1

Appendix B

Wireless Networking Basics

Wireless Networking Overview

......................................................................................

B-1

Infrastructure Mode

.................................................................................................

B-1

Ad Hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup)

................................................................

B-2

Network Name: Extended Service Set Identification (ESSID)

................................

B-2

Authentication and WEP Data Encryption

.....................................................................

B-2

802.11 Authentication

..............................................................................................

B-3

Open System Authentication

...................................................................................

B-3

Shared Key Authentication

......................................................................................

B-4

Overview of WEP Parameters

................................................................................

B-5

Key Size

..................................................................................................................

B-6

WEP Configuration Options

....................................................................................

B-7

Wireless Channels

.........................................................................................................

B-7

WPA and WPA2 Wireless Security

................................................................................

B-8

How Does WPA Compare to WEP?

........................................................................

B-9

How Does WPA Compare to WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i)?

............................................

B-10

What are the Key Features of WPA and WPA2 Security?

....................................

B-10

WPA/WPA2 Authentication: Enterprise-level User

Authentication via 802.1x/EAP and RADIUS

..................................................

B-12

WPA/WPA2 Data Encryption Key Management

.............................................

B-14

Is WPA/WPA2 Perfect?

.........................................................................................

B-15

Product Support for WPA/WPA2

...........................................................................

B-16

Supporting a Mixture of WPA, WPA2, and WEP Wireless Clients is Discouraged B-16

202-10064-02, June 2005

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Contents

Changes to Wireless Access Points

...............................................................

B-17

Changes to Wireless Network Adapters

.........................................................

B-17

Changes to Wireless Client Programs

............................................................

B-18

Glossary

About This Manual

1-1

202-10064-02, June 2005

Chapter 1

About This Manual

This chapter describes the intended audience, scope, conventions, and formats of this manual.

Audience, Scope, Conventions, and Formats

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 and on the Netgear website.

This guide uses the following typographical conventions:

This guide uses the following formats to highlight special messages:

This manual is written for the WG102 Access Point according to these specifications:

Table 1-1.

Typographical Conventions

italics

Emphasis, books, CDs, URL names

bold

User input

fixed

Screen text, file and server names, extensions, commands, IP addresses

Note:

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

Table 1-2.

Manual Scope

Product Version

NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point

Manual Publication Date

June 2005

Note:

Product updates are available on the NETGEAR, Inc. Web site at

.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point WG102

1-2

About This Manual

202-10064-02, June 2005

How to Use This Manual

The HTML version of this manual includes the following:

•

Buttons,

and

, for browsing forwards or backwards through the manual one page

at a time

•

A

button that displays the table of contents and an

button. Double-click on a

link in the table of contents or index to navigate directly to where the topic is described in the

manual.

•

A

button to access the full NETGEAR, Inc. online knowledge base for the

product model.

•

Links to PDF versions of the full manual and individual chapters.

How to Print this Manual

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

•

Printing a Page in the HTML View

.

Each page in the HTML version of the manual is dedicated to a major topic. Use the

Print

button on the browser toolbar to print the page contents.

•

Printing a Chapter

.

Use the

PDF of This Chapter

link at the top left of any page.

–

Click the

PDF of This Chapter

link at the top right of any page in the chapter you want to

print. The PDF version of the chapter you were viewing opens in a browser window.

Note:

Your computer must have the free Adobe Acrobat reader installed in order to view

and print PDF files. The Acrobat reader is available on the Adobe Web site at

.

–

Click the print icon in the upper left of the window.

Tip

: If your printer supports printing two pages on a single sheet of paper, you can save

paper and printer ink by selecting this feature.

•

Printing the Full Manual

.

Use the

Complete PDF Manual

link at the top left of any page.

–

Click the

Complete PDF Manual

link at the top left of any page in the manual. The PDF

version of the complete manual opens in a browser window.

–

Click the print icon in the upper left of the window.

Tip

: If your printer supports printing two pages on a single sheet of paper, you can save

paper and printer ink by selecting this feature.

Introduction

2-1

202-10064-02, February 2005

Chapter 2

Introduction

This chapter introduces the NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point. Minimal

prerequisites for installation are presented in

“System Requirements” on page 2-4

.

About the NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless

Access Point

The NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g 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 WG102 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 NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point can support a

small group of users in a range of several hundred feet. Most access points are rated between 30-50

users simultaneously.

The NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point acts as a bridge between the

wired LAN and wireless clients. Connecting multiple WG102 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 NETGEAR WG102 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point

allows packet transmission at up to 108 Mbps, or at reduced speeds to compensate for distance or

electromagnetic interference.