Wireless-G Router WGR614v9 Reference Manual

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Using Network Monitoring Tools

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For each device, the table shows the IP address, NetBIOS host name or device name (if available),

and the Ethernet MAC address. To force the router to look for attached devices, click

Refresh

.

Managing the Configuration File

The configuration settings of the Wireless-G Router are stored within the router in a configuration

file. You can back up (save) this file to your computer, restore it, or reset it to the factory default

settings.

From the main menu of the browser interface, under Maintenance, select

Backup Settings

.

The following sections describe the three available options.

Backing Up and Restoring the Configuration

The Restore and Backup options in the Settings Backup screen let you save and retrieve a file

containing your router’s configuration settings.

To save your settings, click

Back Up

. Your browser extracts the configuration file from the router

and prompts you for a location on your computer to store the file. You can give the file a

meaningful name at this time, such as comcast.cfg.

Note:

If the router is rebooted, the table data is lost until the router rediscovers the

devices.

Figure 6-5

Tip:

Before saving your configuration file, change the administrator password to the

default,

password

. Then change it again after you have saved the configuration file.

If you forget the password, you will need to reset the configuration to factory

defaults.

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To restore your settings from a saved configuration file, enter the full path to the file on your

computer, or click

Browse

to browse to the file. When you have located it, click

Restore

to send

the file to the router. The router then reboots automatically.

Erasing the Configuration

Under some circumstances (for example, if you move the router to a different network or if you

have forgotten the password) you might want to erase the configuration and restore the factory

default settings. After an erase, the router’s username is

admin

, the password is

password

, the

LAN IP address is

192.168.1.1

(or

192.168.1.1

), and the router’s DHCP server is enabled.

To erase the configuration, click the

Erase

button in the Settings Backup screen.

To restore the factory default configuration settings when you do not know the login password or

IP address, you must use the restore factory settings button on the rear panel of the router (see

“Restoring the Default Configuration and Password” on page 7-13

).

Upgrading the Router Software

The routing software (also called firmware) of the Wireless-G Router is stored in flash memory,

and can be upgraded as NETGEAR releases new software. Your router can download and install

the new software, or you can download upgrade files from the NETGEAR website and manually

send the upgrade file to the router using your browser.

Warning:

Do not interrupt the reboot process.

Tip:

To ensure that you are always using the latest router firmware, enable the Firmware

Upgrade Assistant feature so that the router will automatically detect a new version

of the firmware on the Internet and alert you to its availability.

Wireless-G Router WGR614v9 Reference Manual

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The Checking for Firmware Updates screen appears at login unless you clear the

Check for

Updated Firmware Upon Log-in

check box.

A screen is also provided for upgrading the router. From the main menu of the browser interface,

under Maintenance, select

Router Upgrade

to display the Router Upgrade screen.

From this screen, you can check for new software versions by clicking the

Check

button. If a new

version is found, you can download and install it in one step. To enable the Smart Wizard to

automatically check for a new software version upon login, select the

Check for New Version

Upon Log-in

check box.

Alternatively, you can manually install an upgrade file stored on your computer.

Figure 6-6

Figure 6-7

Wireless-G Router WGR614v9 Reference Manual

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Upgrading Automatically to New Router Software

If you have selected

Check for New Version Upon Log-in

, your router alerts you to the new

software when you log in. Otherwise, you can click the

Check

button in the Router Upgrade

screen to search for new software.

If the router discovers a newer version of software, the message on the left displays when you log

in. If no new software is available, the message on the right displays.

To automatically upgrade to the new software, click

Yes

to allow the router to download and install

the new software file from NETGEAR.

When the upload is complete, your router automatically restarts. The upgrade process typically

takes about 1 minute. Read the new software release notes to determine whether you must

reconfigure the router after upgrading.

Tip:

Before upgrading the router software, use the router Settings Backup screen to save

your configuration settings. A router upgrade might cause the router settings to

revert to the factory defaults. If this happens, after completing the upgrade, you can

restore your settings from the backup.

Figure 6-8

Warning:

When uploading software to the Wireless-G Router,

do not

interrupt the Web

browser by closing the window, clicking a link, or loading a new page. If the

browser is interrupted, it could corrupt the software.

Wireless-G Router WGR614v9 Reference Manual

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Upgrading Manually to New Router Software

To manually select, download, and install new software to your router:

1.

Under Maintenance on the main menu, select

Router Status

. Note the version number of your

router firmware.

2.

Go to the WGR614v9 support page on the NETGEAR website at

.

3.

Check the most recent firmware version offered against the firmware version shown on your

Router Status screen.

4.

If the version on the NETGEAR website is more recent, download the file to your computer.

5.

Under Maintenance on the main menu, select

Router Upgrade

.

6.

Click

Browse

, and locate the firmware image that you downloaded to your PC (the file ends in

.img or .chk).

7.

Click

Upload

to send the firmware to the router.

When the upload is complete, your router automatically restarts. The upgrade process

typically takes about 1 minute. Read the new software release notes to determine whether you

must reconfigure the router after upgrading.

Warning:

When uploading software to the Wireless-G Router,

do not

interrupt the Web

browser by closing the window, clicking a link, or loading a new page. If the

browser is interrupted, it could corrupt the software.