About This Manual

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July 2005 v3.0

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 WG302 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 ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302

Manual Publication Date

July 2005

Note:

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

.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302

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About This Manual

July 2005 v3.0

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.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302

About This Manual

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July 2005 v3.0

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.

Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302

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About This Manual

July 2005 v3.0

Introduction

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July 2005 v3.0

Chapter 2

Introduction

This chapter introduces the NETGEAR NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g

WG302. Minimal prerequisites for installation are presented in

“System Requirements” on

page 2-5

.

About the NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g

WG302

The NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302

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 WG302 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 ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302 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 NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302 acts as a bridge between the

wired LAN and wireless clients. Connecting multiple WG302 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 ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302

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

electromagnetic interference.