Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

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Connecting the Router to the Internet

202-10072-01, March 2005

2.

For security reasons, the router has its own user name and password. When prompted, enter

admin

for the router user name and

password

for the router password, both in lower case

letters. To change the password, see

“Changing the Administrator Password” on page 6-9

.

Note:

The router user name and password are not the same as any user name or password you

may use to log in to your Internet connection.

Once you have entered your user name and password, your Web browser should find the

WPN824 router and display the home page as shown in

“Login result: WPN824 home page”

on page 3-7

.

3.

Click

Setup Wizard

on the upper left of the main menu.

4.

Click

Next

to proceed. Input your ISP settings, as needed.

5.

At the end of the Setup Wizard, click the

Test

button to verify your Internet connection. If you

have trouble connecting to the Internet, use the Troubleshooting Tips

“Troubleshooting Tips”

on page 3-4

to correct basic problems, or refer to

Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting

.”

NETGEAR Product Registration, Support, and Documentation

Register your product at

. Registration is required before you

can use our telephone support service.

Product updates and Web support are always available by going to:

.

Documentation is available on the CD and at

.

When the wireless router is connected to the Internet, click the Knowledge Base or the

Documentation link under the Web Support menu to view support information or the

documentation for the wireless router.

Wireless Configuration

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Chapter 4

Wireless Configuration

This chapter describes how to configure the wireless features of your WPN824 router. In planning

your wireless network, you should consider the level of security required. You should also select

the physical placement of your firewall in order to maximize the network speed. For further

information on wireless networking, refer to

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 firewall. The latency, data throughput performance, and

notebook power consumption of wireless adapters also vary depending on your configuration

choices.

For best results, place your firewall:

•

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 and

WPA-PSK \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

.”

Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

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Wireless Configuration

202-10072-01, March 2005

When used on a metallic surface, MIMO units must be oriented vertically to ensure proper

operation:

Figure 4-1:

Vertical orientation required on metallic surfaces

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 WPN824 router provides highly effective security features which are

covered in detail in this chapter. Deploy the security features appropriate to your needs.

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.

Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

Wireless Configuration

4-3

202-10072-01, March 2005

Figure 4-2:

WPN824 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 WPN824. 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.

•

WPA-PSK.

Wi-Fi Protected Access, Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK) data encryption provides

strong data security. WPA-PSK will block eavesdropping. Because this is a new standard,

wireless device driver and software availability may be limited.

•

Turn Off the Wired LAN.

If you disable the wireless LAN, wireless devices cannot

communicate with the router at all. You might choose to turn off the wireless the LAN when

you are away and the others in the household all use wired connections.

Wireless Data

Security Options

Range: up to 300 foot radius

1) Open system: easy but no security

2) MAC access list: no data security

3) WEP: security but some performance impact

4) WPA-PSK: very strong security

WPN824

Reference Manual for the RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

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Wireless Configuration

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Understanding Wireless Settings

To configure the Wireless settings of your firewall, click the Wireless link in the main menu of the

browser interface. The Wireless Settings menu will appear, as shown below.

Figure 4-3:

Wireless Settings menu

•

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 this SSID for that network.

The WPN824 default SSID is:

NETGEAR

.

•

Region.

This field identifies the region where the WPN824 can be used. It may not be legal to

operate the wireless features of the wireless router in a region other than one of those

identified in this field.

Note

: The region selection feature may not be available in all countries.

•

Channel.

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 access point. For more information on the wireless channel frequencies please refer to

“Wireless Channels” on page D-7

.