Reference Manual for the RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834

About This Manual

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v1.0, November 2005

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Reference Manual for the RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834

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About This Manual

v1.0, November 2005

Introduction

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v1.0, November 2005

Chapter 2

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the NETGEAR

®

RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834.

The WPNT834 router provides connection for multiple computers to the Internet through an

external broadband access device (such as a cable modem or DSL modem) that is normally

intended for use by a single computer. This chapter describes the features of the NETGEAR

RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834.

Key Features

The RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834 with 4-port switch connects your local area

network (LAN) to the Internet through an external access device such as a cable modem or DSL

modem.

The WPNT834 router provides you with multiple Web content filtering options, plus browsing

activity reporting and instant alerts via e-mail. Parents and network administrators can establish

restricted access policies based on time-of-day, Web site addresses and address keywords, and

share high-speed cable/DSL Internet access for up to 253 computers. In addition to the Network

Address Translation (NAT) feature, the built-in firewall protects you from hackers.

With minimum setup, you can install and use the router within minutes.

The WPNT834 router provides the following features:

•

RangeMax™ Multi-In, Multi-Out (MIMO) technology

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802.11g wireless networking, with the ability to operate in 802.11g-only, 802.11-turbo-g-only,

or 802.11b+g modes

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Easy, Web-based setup for installation and management

•

Content Filtering and Site Blocking Security

Note:

This manual provides information on the complete features as of the date of

publication. Earlier versions of this product may not have all the features presented

in this manual. Go to

http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/WPNT834.asp

to find

product firmware updates for your WPNT834.

Reference Manual for the RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834

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Introduction

v1.0, November 2005

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Built in 4-port 10/100 Mbps Switch

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Ethernet connection to a wide area network (WAN) device, such as a cable modem or DSL

modem

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Extensive Protocol Support

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Login capability

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Front panel LEDs for easy monitoring of status and activity

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Flash memory for firmware upgrades

RangeMax™ Multi-In, Multi-Out (MIMO) Technology

NETGEAR’s RangeMax Multi-In, Multi-Out (MIMO) technology provides ten times more

coverage than standard 802.11g alone by eliminating “dead spots” in your area of coverage. Your

whole house or office suite now becomes a “hot spot” without requiring any range extenders,

repeaters, or external antennas. RangeMax maintains your high speed throughout your home, not

just when you are close to your router.

RangeMax is an advanced Smart MIMO (Multi-In, Multi-Out) technology that uses three external

antennas. RangeMax constantly surveys your home environment for physical barriers and

interference and adjusts the wireless signal to compensate for these performance blockers.

For example, if you carry your laptop from the family room to the bedroom, RangeMax

automatically senses the change and selects from over 100 possible antenna configurations to

deliver you the fastest, clearest connection so that everyone can enjoy consistently high-speed

connections, everywhere in your house with no drop-outs and no dead spots.

RangeMax is also 100% compatible with your existing 802.11b/g products (i.e., 802.11b, 802.11g,

Centrino, and SuperG™ wireless clients) and boosts their range and speed by up to 50%.

802.11g Wireless Networking

The WPNT834 router includes an 802.11g wireless access point, providing continuous, high-speed

240 Mbps access between your wireless and Ethernet devices. The access point provides:

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802.11g wireless networking at up to 240 Mbps.

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802.11g wireless networking, with the ability to operate in 802.11g-only, 802.11b-only, or

802.11g and b modes, providing backwards compatibility with 802.11b devices or dedicating

the wireless network to the higher bandwidth 802.11g devices.

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64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption security.

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WEP keys can be generated manually or by passphrase.

Reference Manual for the RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834

Introduction

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v1.0, November 2005

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WPA-PSK support. Support for Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) data encryption which

provides strong data encryption and authentication based on a pre-shared key.

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Wireless access can be restricted by MAC address.

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Wireless network name broadcast can be turned off so that only devices that have the network

name (SSID) can connect.

A Powerful, True Firewall with Content Filtering

Unlike simple Internet sharing NAT routers, the WPNT834 is a true firewall, using stateful packet

inspection to defend against hacker attacks. Its firewall features include:

•

Denial of Service (DoS) protection.

Automatically detects and thwarts DoS attacks such as Ping of Death, SYN Flood, LAND

Attack, and IP Spoofing.

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Blocks unwanted traffic from the Internet to your LAN.

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Blocks access from your LAN to Internet locations or services that you specify as off-limits.

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Logs security incidents.

The WPNT834 will log security events such as blocked incoming traffic, port scans, attacks,

and administrator logins. You can configure the router to E-mail the log to you at specified

intervals. You can also configure the router to send immediate alert messages to your E-mail

address or E-mail pager whenever a significant event occurs.

•

Keyword screening.

The WPNT834 prevents objectionable content from reaching your computers. The router

allows you to control access to Internet content by screening for keywords within Web

addresses. You can configure the router to log and report attempts to access objectionable

Internet sites.

Security

The WPNT834 router is equipped with several features designed to maintain security, as described

in this section.

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Computers Hidden by NAT.

NAT opens a temporary path to the Internet for requests originating from the local network.

Requests originating from outside the LAN are discarded, preventing users outside the LAN

from finding and directly accessing the computers on the LAN.