User Manual
Table Of Contents
- Contents
- Chapter 1 About This Manual
- Chapter 2 Introduction
- About the NETGEAR ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point WG302
- Key Features
- AutoCell-The Self-Organizing Wireless Network
- 802.11g Standards-based Wireless Networking
- Autosensing Ethernet Connections with Auto Uplink
- Compatible and Related NETGEAR Products
- System Requirements
- What’s In the Box?
- Hardware Description
- Front Panel
- Rear Panel
- Chapter 3 Basic Installation and Configuration
- Wireless Equipment Placement and Range Guidelines
- Cabling Requirements
- Default Factory Settings
- Understanding WG302 Wireless Security Options
- Installing the WG302 Wireless Access Point
- Logging in to the WG302 Using Its Default IP Address
- Basic IP Settings
- Wireless Settings
- Security Profiles
- Before You Change the SSID and WEP Settings
- Setting up and Testing Basic Wireless Connectivity
- Configuring the Radius Server Settings
- Configuring Network Authentication
- Entering WEP Data Encryption Keys
- Restricting Wireless Access by MAC Address
- Chapter 4 Management
- Remote Management
- Using the Secure Telnet Interface
- How to Use the CLI via the Console Port
- CLI Commands
- SNMP Remote Management
- Viewing the Activity Log
- Viewing General Information
- Viewing Statistics
- Viewing the Available Wireless Station List
- Upgrading the Wireless Access Point Firmware
- Configuration File Management
- Backing up and Restoring the Configuration
- Erasing the Configuration
- Using the Reset Button to Restore Factory Default Settings
- Changing the Administrator Password
- AutoCell Rogue AP Detection
- AutoCell Rogue Station Detection
- Chapter 5 Advanced Configuration
- Understanding Advanced IP Settings for Wireless Clients
- Configuring Advanced Wireless LAN Settings
- AutoCell Overview
- AutoCell Configuration Options
- Auto RF Management
- Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) Setup
- Hotspot Settings
- Configuring Wireless LAN Parameters
- Wireless Bridging and Repeating
- Point-to-Point Bridge Configuration
- Multi-Point Bridge Configuration
- Repeater with Wireless Client Association
- Configuring NAT
- Configuring QoS Queues
- Setting up Guest Access
- Chapter 6 Troubleshooting
- No lights are lit on the access point.
- The Wireless LAN activity light does not light up.
- The LAN light is not lit.
- I cannot access the Internet or the LAN with a wireless capable computer.
- I cannot connect to the WG302 to configure it.
- When I enter a URL or IP address I get a timeout error.
- Using the Reset Button to Restore Factory Default Settings
- Appendix B Wireless Networking Basics
- Wireless Networking Overview
- Infrastructure Mode
- Ad Hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup)
- Network Name: Extended Service Set Identification (ESSID)
- Authentication and WEP Data Encryption
- 802.11 Authentication
- Open System Authentication
- Shared Key Authentication
- Overview of WEP Parameters
- Key Size
- WEP Configuration Options
- Wireless Channels
- WPA and WPA2 Wireless Security
- How Does WPA Compare to WEP?
- How Does WPA Compare to WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i)?
- What are the Key Features of WPA and WPA2 Security?
- Is WPA/WPA2 Perfect?
- Product Support for WPA/WPA2
- Appendix C Command Line Reference
Wireless Networking Basics B-1
v0.1, December 2005
Appendix B
Wireless Networking Basics
This chapter provides an overview of Wireless networking.
Wireless Networking Overview
The WG302 Wireless Access Point conforms to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b and 802.11g standards for wireless LANs (WLANs).
On an 802.11b or g wireless link, data is encoded using direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS)
technology and is transmitted in the unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.5GHz. The maximum data rate
for the 802.11b wireless link is 11 Mbps, but it will automatically back down from 11 Mbps to 5.5,
2, and 1 Mbps when the radio signal is weak or when interference is detected. The 802.11g auto
rate sensing rates are 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps.
The 802.11 standard is also called Wireless Ethernet or Wi-Fi by the Wireless Ethernet
Compatibility Alliance (WECA, see http://www.wi-fi.net), an industry standard group promoting
interoperability among 802.11 devices. The 802.11 standard offers two methods for configuring a
wireless network - ad hoc and infrastructure.
Infrastructure Mode
With a wireless Access Point, you can operate the wireless LAN in the infrastructure mode. This
mode provides wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed range or
area of coverage, interacting with wireless nodes via an antenna.
In the infrastructure mode, the wireless access point converts airwave data into wired Ethernet
data, acting as a bridge between the wired LAN and wireless clients. Connecting multiple Access
Points via a wired Ethernet backbone can further extend the wireless network coverage. As a
mobile computing device moves out of the range of one access point, it moves into the range of
another. As a result, wireless clients can freely roam from one Access Point domain to another and
still maintain seamless network connection.