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

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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.

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

Basic Installation and Configuration

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July 2005 v3.0

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11b Only

- All 802.11b wireless stations can be used. 802.11g wireless stations can still be

used if they can operate in 802.11b mode.

•

Channel.

This field identifies which operating frequency will be used. It should not be

necessary to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems or setting up

the WG302 near another access point. See

“Wireless Channels” on page B-7

for more

information on wireless channels.

–

Access points use a fixed channel. You can select the channel used. This allows you to

choose a channel which provides the least interference and best performance. In the USA

and Canada, 11 channels are available.

Note

: Channel 6 is required for 108 Mbps data rate.

–

If using multiple access points, it is better if adjacent access points use different channels

to reduce interference. The recommended channel spacing between adjacent access points

is 5 channels (for example, use channels 1 and 6, or 6 and 11).

–

In “Infrastructure” mode, wireless stations normally scan all channels, looking for an

access point. If more than one access point can be used, the one with the strongest signal is

used. This can only happen when the various access points are using the same SSID.

•

Data Rate

. Shows the available transmit data rate of the wireless network. 108 Mbps is only

available when the operating mode is 802.11g only and the channel is 6. The default is Best.

•

Output Power

. Set the transmit signal strength of the access point. The options are full, half,

quarter, eighth, and min. Decrease the transmit power if more than one AP is colocated using

the same channel frequency. The default is Full.

Note:

Channel selection is automatically adjusted by AutoCell when the Auto RF

Management option is enabled. The default setting is for the AutoCell Auto RF

Management option to be enabled.

Note:

Output power is automatically adjusted by AutoCell when the Auto RF

Management option is enabled. The default setting is for the AutoCell Auto RF

Management option to be enabled.

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

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Basic Installation and Configuration

July 2005 v3.0

Understanding WEP/WPA Security Options

The table below identifies the various WEP/WPA security options. A full explanation of these

standards is available in

Appendix B, “Wireless Networking Basics”

.

Figure 3-9: Wireless Security Settings

The WEP/WPA settings are explained as follows:

•

Network Authentication

: Specifies the Authentication type used. The default is Open

System. Select the desired option:

–

Open System

: If selected, you have the option of using WEP encryption, or no

encryption.

–

Shared Key

: If selected, you must use WEP; at least one shared key must be entered.

–

Legacy 802.1x

: If selected, you must configure the Radius Server Settings Screen.

–

WPA-PSK

: If selected, you must use TKIP encryption, and enter the WPA passphrase

(Network key).

–

WPA with Radius

: If selected, you must configure the Radius Server Settings Screen.

–

WPA2-PSK

: WPA2 is a later version of WPA. Only select this if all clients support

WPA2. If selected, you must use AES encryption, and enter the WPA passphrase

(Network key).

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

Basic Installation and Configuration

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July 2005 v3.0

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WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK

: This selection allows clients to use either WPA (with TKIP)

or WPA2 (with AES). If selected, encryption must be TKIP + AES. The WPA passphrase

(Network key) must also be entered.

–

WPA2 with Radius

: WPA2 is a later version of WPA. Only select this if all clients

support WPA2. If selected, you must use AES encryption, and configure the Radius Server

Settings Screen.

–

WPA and WPA2 with Radius

: This selection allows clients to use either WPA (with

TKIP) or WPA2 (with AES). If selected, encryption must be TKIP + AES, and you must

also configure the Radius Server Settings Screen.

Note

: All options are available if using Access Point mode. In other modes (e.g. Repeater or

Bridge) some options may be unavailable.

•

Data Encryption

: Select the desired option. The available options depend on the Network

Authentication setting above (otherwise, the default is None). The supported options are:

–

None

: No encryption is used.

–

64 bits WEP

: Standard WEP encryption, using 40/64 bit encryption.

–

128 bits WEP

: Standard WEP encryption, using 104/128 bit encryption.

–

152 bits WEP

: Proprietary mode that will only work with other wireless devices that

support this mode.

–

TKIP

: This is the standard encryption method used with WPA.

–

AES

: This is the standard encryption method for WPA2. Some clients may support AES

with WPA, but this is not supported by this Access Point.

–

TKIP + AES

: This setting allows both WPA and WPA2 to be supported. Broadcast

packets use TKIP. For unicast (point-to-point) transmissions, WPA clients use TKIP, and

WPA2 clients use AES.

•

Passphrase

: To use the passphrase to generate the WEP keys, enter a passphrase and click

Generate Keys

. You can also enter the keys directly. These keys must match the other

wireless stations.

•

Key 1, Key 2, Key 3, Key 4

: If using WEP, select the key to be used as the default key. Data

transmissions are always encrypted using the default key. The other keys can only be used to

decrypt received data.

•

WPA Passphrase (Network Key)

: If using WPA-PSK, enter the passphrase here. All wireless

stations must use the same passphrase (network key). The network key must be from 8 to 63

characters in length.

•

Wireless Client Security Separation

: If enabled, the associated wireless clients will not be

able to communicate with each other. This feature is intended for hotspots and other public

access situations. The default is Disabled.

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

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Basic Installation and Configuration

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Before You Change the SSID and WEP Settings

For a new wireless network, print this form and fill in the parameters. For an existing wireless

network, get the settings from the person who set up or is responsible for the network. Be sure to

set the Regulatory Domain correctly as the first step. Store this information in a safe place.

•

SSID

:

The Service Set Identification (SSID) identifies the wireless local area network.

NETGEAR is the default WG302 SSID. However, you may customize it by using up to 32

alphanumeric characters. Write your customized SSID on the line below.

SSID: ___________________________________

Note:

The SSID in the wireless access point is the SSID you configure in the wireless adapter

card. All wireless nodes in the same network must be configured with the same SSID:

•

Authentication

Circle one: Open System or Shared Key. Choose “Shared Key” for more security.

Note:

If you select shared key, the other devices in the network will not connect unless they

are set to Shared Key and have the same keys in the same positions as those in the WG302.

•

WEP Encryption Keys

For all four 802.11b keys, choose the Key Size. Circle one: 64, 128, or 152 bits

Key 1: ___________________________________

Key 2: ___________________________________

Key 3: ___________________________________

Key 4: ___________________________________

•

WPA-PSK (Pre-Shared Key)

WPA2-PSK (Pre-Shared Key)

Record the WPA-PSK key:

Record the WPA2-PSK key:

Key: ________________________________

Key: _______________________________

•

WPA RADIUS Settings

For WPA, record the following settings for the primary and secondary RADIUS servers:

Server Name/IP Address: Primary _________________

Secondary __________________

Port: ___________________________________

Shared Secret: ___________________________________

•

WPA2 RADIUS Settings

For WPA2, record the following settings for the primary and secondary RADIUS servers:

Server Name/IP Address: Primary _________________

Secondary __________________

Port: ___________________________________

Shared Secret: ___________________________________

Use the procedures described in the following sections to configure the WG302.