NETGEAR RangeMax™ Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNR3500v2 User Manual

Using Network Monitoring Tools

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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.

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 WNR3500v2 support page on the NETGEAR website at

.

Figure 4-3

Warning:

When uploading software to the WNR3500v2 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.

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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.

Viewing Wireless Router Status Information

To view router status and usage information:

1.

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

Router Status

. The

Router Status screen displays.

Warning:

When uploading software to the WNR3500v2 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.

NETGEAR RangeMax™ Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNR3500v2 User Manual

Using Network Monitoring Tools

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Table 4-1

describes the router status fields.

Figure 4-4

Table 4-1. Wireless Router Status Fields

Field

Description

Hardware Version

The router model.

Firmware Version

The version of the current software installed in the router. This will

change if you upgrade your router.

Internet Port

These settings apply to the Internet (WAN) port of the router.

MAC Address

The Media Access Control address. This is the unique physical

address being used by the Internet (WAN) port of the router.

IP Address

The IP address being used by the Internet (WAN) port of the router. If

no address is shown, or is 0.0.0.0, the router cannot connect to the

Internet.

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DHCP

If set to None, the router is configured to use a fixed IP address on

the WAN. If set to DHCP Client, the router is configured to obtain an

IP address dynamically from the ISP.

IP Subnet Mask

The IP subnet mask being used by the Internet (WAN) port of the

router. For an explanation of subnet masks and subnet addressing,

click the link to the online document

“TCP/IP Networking Basics” in

Appendix B

.

Domain Name Server

The Domain Name Server addresses being used by the router. A

Domain Name Server translates human-language URLs such as

www.netgear.com into IP addresses.

LAN Port

These settings apply to the Ethernet (LAN) port of the router.

MAC Address

The Media Access Control address. This is the unique physical

address being used by the LAN port of the router.

IP Address

The IP address being used by the Ethernet (LAN) port of the router.

The default is 192.168.1.1.

DHCP

Identifies whether the router’s built-in DHCP server is active for the

LAN-attached devices.

IP Subnet Mask

The IP subnet mask being used by the Ethernet (LAN) port of the

router. The default is 255.255.255.0.

Wireless Port

These settings apply to the wireless port of the router.

Name (SSID)

The wireless network name (SSID) being used by the wireless port of

the router. The default is NETGEAR.

Region

The geographic region where the router is being used. It might be

illegal to use the wireless features of the router in some parts of the

world.

Channel

Identifies the channel of the wireless port being used. Click the link to

the online document

“Wireless Networking Basics” in Appendix B

for

the frequencies used on each channel. In

Up to 300 Mbps

mode,

there are two channels: a primary channel (P) and a secondary

channel (S).

Mode

Indicates the wireless communication mode:

•

Up to 54 Mbps

•

Up to 145 Mbps

•

Up to 300 Mbps

Wireless AP

Indicates whether the radio feature of the router is enabled. If not

enabled, the Wireless LED on the front panel is off.

Broadcast Name

Indicates whether the router is broadcasting its SSID.

Table 4-1. Wireless Router Status Fields (continued)

Field

Description

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2.

Click

Connection Status

to display the connection status.

Table 4-2

describes the connection status settings.

Click the

Close Window

button to close the Connection Status screen.

Figure 4-5

Table 4-2. Connection Status Settings

Item

Description

IP Address

The IP address that is assigned to the router.

Subnet Mask

The subnet mask that is assigned to the router.

Default Gateway

The IP address for the default gateway that the router communicates with.

DNS Server

The IP address of the Domain Name Service server that provides translation of

network names to IP addresses.