user manual

Wireless Cable Modem Gateway CGD24G User Manual
Wireless Configuration 2-5
v1.1, May 2009
Table 2-1. Wireless Settings
Settings Description
Wireless Network Name (SSID) The SSID is also known as the wireless network name.
Enter a 32-character (maximum) name in this field. The
characters are case sensitive.
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 wireless network must use the SSID.
Channel The wireless channel used by the gateway. The default is
channel 11.
You should not need to change the wireless channel
unless you experience interference (shown by lost
connections and/or slow data transfers). Should this
happen, you may need to experiment with different
channels to see which is the best.
Wireless Access
Point
Enable Wireless Access
Point
On by default, you can also turn off the wireless radio to
disable access through this device. This can be helpful
for configuration, network tuning, or troubleshooting
activities.
Allow Broadcast Name
(SSID)
On by default, the gateway broadcasts its SSID, allowing
wireless stations which have a “null” (blank) SSID to
adopt the correct SSID. The default SSID is NETGEAR.
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. For this reason NETGEAR
recommends that you also enable wireless security.
Wireless Card
Access List
Turn Access Control On Access control is disabled by default so that any
computer that is configured with the correct SSID can
connect. For information about access control, see
“Turning on Access Control to Restrict Access by MAC
Address” on page 2-19.
Security Options Disable Wireless security is disabled by default. After the
gateway is connected to the Internet, NETGEAR strongly
recommends that you implement wireless security.