Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

4-8

Wireless Configuration

April 2004, 202-10018-02

How to Set Up and Test Basic Wireless Connectivity

Follow the instructions below to set up and test basic wireless connectivity. Once you have

established basic wireless connectivity, you can enable security settings appropriate to your needs.

1.

Log in to the WGT634U router at its default LAN address of

with its default

user name of

admin

and default password of

password

, or using whatever LAN address and

password you have set up.

2.

Click the Wireless Settings link in the Settings section of the WGT634U router’s main menu.

Figure 4-4:

Wireless Settings menu

3.

Choose a suitable descriptive name for the wireless network name (SSID). In the SSID box,

enter a value of up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The default SSID is NETGEAR.

Note:

The SSID of any wireless access adapters must match the SSID you configure in the

108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U. If they do not match, you will not get a wireless

connection to the WGT634U.

4.

Set the Region. Select the region in which the wireless interface will operate.

5.

Select the Mode. The default is g and b. If your network cards are only capable of connecting

in 802.11b mode, you can change this value to b only. 802.11g wireless stations can still be

used if they can operate in 802.11b mode.

6.

Set the Channel. The default channel is 11.

This field determines which operating frequency will be used. It should not be necessary to

change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems with another nearby

wireless router or access point. Select a channel that is not being used by any other wireless

networks within several hundred feet of your router. For more information on the wireless

channel frequencies please refer to

“Wireless Channels” on page D-7

.

7.

For initial configuration and testing, leave the Security Options set to “Disable.” Also leave

the Wireless Card Access List set to “Everyone” on the Advanced Wireless Settings screen.

8.

Click Apply to save your changes.

Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

Wireless Configuration

4-9

April 2004, 202-10018-02

9.

Configure and test your computers for wireless connectivity.

Program the wireless adapter of your computers to have the same SSID that you configured in

the router. Check that they have a wireless link and are able to obtain an IP address by DHCP

from the router.

Once your computers have basic wireless connectivity to the router, then you can configure the

advanced wireless security functions of the router.

Understanding Advanced Wireless Settings

After you have configured your basic wireless settings, you can set up the advanced security

features and Wireless Card Access List.

1.

Under the Advanced Section of the main menu of the WGT634U router, click the Wireless

Settings link to display the Advanced Wireless Settings screen.

Figure 4-5:

Advanced Wireless Settings screen

Note:

If you are configuring the router from a wireless computer and you change the

router’s SSID, channel, or security settings, you will lose your wireless connection when

you click Apply. You must then change the wireless settings of your computer to match

the router’s new settings.

Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

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Wireless Configuration

April 2004, 202-10018-02

•

Enable Wireless Router Radio.

The wireless icon on the front of the router also displays the

current status of the Wireless Access Point to let you know if it is disabled or enabled. If

enabled, wireless stations will be able to access the WGT634U. If disabled, wireless stations

will not be able to access the WGT634U.

•

Allow Broadcast of Name (SSID).

If you disable broadcast of the SSID, only devices that

have the correct SSID can connect. Disabling SSID broadcast nullifies the wireless network

‘discovery’ feature of some products such as Windows XP.

Fragmentation Threshold, CTS/RTS Threshold, Preamble Mode — These settings are

reserved for wireless testing and advanced configuration only. Do not change these settings.

•

108 Mbps Settings

. If disabled, the Wireless Router will disable data compression, packet

bursting and large frame support.

•

Wireless Card Access List.

When the Trusted PCs Only radio button is selected, the

WGT634U checks the MAC address of the wireless station and only allows connections to

computers identified on the Trusted PCs list.

How to Restrict Wireless Access by MAC Address

To restrict access based on MAC Addresses, follow these steps:

1.

Log in to the WGT634U router at its default LAN address of

with its default

user name of

admin

and default password of

password

, or using whatever LAN address and

password you have set up.

2.

Under the Advanced section, click the Wireless Settings link in the main menu of the

WGT634U router.

Note:

When configuring the router from a wireless computer whose MAC address is

not in the Trusted PC list, if you select Turn Access Control On, you will lose your

wireless connection when you click Apply. You must then access the wireless router

from a wired computer or from a wireless computer which is on the access control list to

make any further changes.

Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

Wireless Configuration

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April 2004, 202-10018-02

3.

From the Wireless Settings menu, click the Setup Access List button to display the Wireless

Access menu shown below.

Figure 4-6:

Wireless Card Access List Setup

4.

Click Add to add a wireless device to the wireless access control list. The Available Wireless

Cards list displays.

5.

Select the Turn Access Control On check box.

6.

Then, either select from the list of available wireless cards the WGT634U has found in your

area, or enter the MAC address and device name for a device you plan to use. You can usually

find the MAC address printed on the wireless adapter.

Note:

You can copy and paste the MAC addresses from the Attached Devices menu into the

MAC Address box of this menu. To do this, configure each wireless computer to obtain a

wireless link to the router. The computer should then appear in the Attached Devices menu.

7.

Click Add to add this wireless device to the Wireless Card Access List. The screen changes

back to the list screen. Repeat these steps for each additional device you want to add to the list.

8.

Be sure to click Apply to save your wireless access control list settings.

Now, only devices on this list will be allowed to wirelessly connect to the WGT634U.

Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

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Wireless Configuration

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How to Configure WEP Encryption

To configure WEP data encryption, follow these steps:

1.

Log in to the WGT634U router at its default LAN address of

with its default

user name of

admin

and default password of

password

, or using whatever LAN address and

password you have set up.

2.

Click the Wireless Settings link in the Setup section of the main menu.

3.

Under Security Options, select WEP.

4.

From the Security Encryption menu drop-down list, select the WEP encryption strength you

will use.

Figure 4-7.

Wireless Settings encryption menu

5.

You can manually or automatically program the four data encryption keys. These values must

be identical on all computers and Access Points in your network.

•

Automatic — enter a word or group of printable characters in the Passphrase box and click

the Generate button. The four key boxes will be automatically populated with key values.

•

Manual — enter ten hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, or A-F)

Select which of the four keys will be active.

Please refer to

“Overview of WEP Parameters” on page D-5

for a full explanation of each of

these options, as defined by the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication standard.

6.

Click Apply to save your settings.

Note:

If you use a wireless computer to configure the WEP settings, you will be

disconnected when you click Apply. You must then either configure your wireless

adapter to match the wireless router WEP settings or access the wireless router from a

wired computer to make any further changes.