Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

Connecting the Router to the Internet

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How to Manually Configure Your Internet Connection

You can manually configure your router using the menu below, or you can allow the Setup Wizard

to determine your configuration as described in the previous section.

Figure 3-11:

Browser-based configuration Basic Settings menus

You can manually configure the router using the Basic Settings menu shown in

Figure 3-11

using

these steps:

ISP

Does

Not

Require Login

ISP

Does

Require Login

Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

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1.

Click the Basic Settings link on the Setup menu.

2.

If your Internet connection does not require a login, click No at the top of the Basic Settings

menu and fill in the settings according to the instructions below. If your Internet connection

does require a login, click Yes, and skip to step 3.

a.

Enter your Account Name (may also be called Host Name) and Domain Name.

These parameters may be necessary to access your ISP’s services such as mail or news

servers.

b.

Internet IP Address:

If your ISP has assigned you a permanent, fixed (static) IP address for your computer,

select “Use static IP address”. Enter the IP address that your ISP assigned. Also enter the

netmask and the Gateway IP address. The Gateway is the ISP’s router to which your router

will connect.

c.

Domain Name Server (DNS) Address:

If you know that your ISP does not automatically transmit DNS addresses to the router

during login, select “Use these DNS servers” and enter the IP address of your ISP’s

Primary DNS Server. If a Secondary DNS Server address is available, enter it also.

Note:

If you enter an address here, restart the computers on your network so that these

settings take effect.

d.

Gateway’s MAC Address:

This section determines the Ethernet MAC address that will be used by the router on the

Internet port. Some ISPs will register the Ethernet MAC address of the network interface

card in your computer when your account is first opened. They will then only accept

traffic from the MAC address of that computer. This feature allows your router to

masquerade as that computer by “cloning” its MAC address.

To change the MAC address, select “Use this Computer’s MAC address.” The router will

then capture and use the MAC address of the computer that you are now using. You must

be using the one computer that is allowed by the ISP. Or, select “Use this MAC address”

and enter it.

e.

Click Apply to save your settings.

3.

If your Internet connection does require a login, fill in the settings according to the instructions

below. Select Yes if you normally must launch a login program such as Enternet or WinPOET

in order to access the Internet.

Note:

After you finish setting up your router, you will no longer need to launch the ISP’s login

program on your computer in order to access the Internet. When you start an Internet

application, your router will automatically log you in.

Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Media Router WGT634U

Connecting the Router to the Internet

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a.

Select your Internet service provider from the drop-down list.

Figure 3-12:

Basic Settings ISP list

b.

The screen will change according to the ISP settings requirements of the ISP you select.

c.

Fill in the parameters for your ISP according to the Wizard-detected procedures starting on

page 3-3

.

d.

Click Apply to save your settings.

Wireless Configuration

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Chapter 4

Wireless Configuration

This chapter describes how to configure the wireless features of your WGT634U Wireless Media

Router. In planning your wireless network, you should consider the level of security required. You

should also select the physical placement of your router in order to maximize the network speed.

For further information on wireless networking, refer to in

Appendix D, “Wireless Networking

Basics”

.

Observe Performance, Placement, and Range Guidelines

The operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly based on the

physical placement of the wireless router. The latency, data throughput performance, and notebook

power consumption of wireless adapters also vary depending on your configuration choices.

For best results, place your router:

•

Near the center of the area in which your computers will operate

•

In an elevated location such as a high shelf where the wirelessly connected computers have

line-of-sight access (even if through walls)

•

Away from sources of interference, such as computers, microwaves, and 2.4 GHz cordless

phones

•

Away from large metal surfaces

The time it takes to establish a wireless connection can vary depending on both your security

settings and placement. WEP connections can take slightly longer to establish. Also, WEP

encryption can consume more battery power on a notebook computer.

Note:

Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance

degradation or inability to wirelessly connect to the router. For complete range/

performance specifications, please see

Appendix A, “Technical Specifications”

.

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Wireless Configuration

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Implement Appropriate Wireless Security

Unlike wired network data, your wireless data transmissions can be received well beyond your

walls by anyone with a compatible adapter. For this reason, use the security features of your

wireless equipment. The WGT634U Wireless Media Router provides highly effective security

features which are covered in detail in this chapter. Deploy the security features appropriate to

your needs.

Figure 4-1:

WGT634U wireless data security options

There are several ways you can enhance the security of your wireless network.

•

Restrict Access Based on MAC Address.

You can restrict access to only trusted computers

so that unknown computers cannot wirelessly connect to the WGT634U. MAC address

filtering adds an obstacle against unwanted access to your network, but the data broadcast over

the wireless link is fully exposed.

•

Turn Off the Broadcast of the Wireless Network Name SSID.

If you disable broadcast of

the SSID, only devices that have the correct SSID can connect. This nullifies the wireless

network ‘discovery’ feature of some products such as Windows XP, but the data is still fully

exposed to a determined snoop using specialized test equipment like wireless sniffers.

•

WEP.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption provides data security. WEP Shared

Key authentication and WEP data encryption will block all but the most determined

eavesdropper.

Note:

Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11b/g wireless networks at

ranges of up to 300 feet. Such distances can allow for others outside of your

immediate area to access your network.

Wireless Data

Security Options

Range: Up to 300 Foot Radius

WGT634U