Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302
3-14
Basic Installation and Configuration
July 2005 v3.0
•
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 value of up to 32 alphanumeric characters. 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.
The WG302 default SSID is:
NETGEAR
.
–
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.
Note
: The AutoCell feature enhances the roaming, interference, and channel selection of
an extended wireless network.
•
Broadcast Wireless Network Name (SSID).
This field lets you turn off the SSID broadcast.
If you turn off the SSID broadcast, only stations that know the SSID will connect. Disabling
SSID broadcast somewhat hampers the wireless network ‘discovery’ feature of some products.
The default is to enable SSID broadcast.
•
Operating Mode
. Select the desired wireless operating mode. The options are:
–
Auto (11g/b) – Both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless stations can be used. This is the default.
–
11g Only - Only 802.11g wireless stations can be used. This is required for 108 Mbps data
rate operation.
Note:
Broadcast Wireless Network Name (SSID) is automatically turned off when you
select the AutoCell Enhanced RF Security option in the advanced wireless settings page.