RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual NETGEAR, Inc.
© 2008 by NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved. Technical Support and Documentation Please refer to the support information card that shipped with your product. When you register your product at http://www.netgear.com/register, we can provide you with faster expert technical support and timely notices of product and software upgrades. NETGEAR, INC. Support Information Phone: 1-888-NETGEAR, for US & Canada only. For other countries, see your Support information card. E-mail: support@netgear.
Voluntary Control Council for Interference (VCCI) Statement This equipment is in the Class B category (information equipment to be used in a residential area or an adjacent area thereto) and conforms to the standards set by the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Data Processing Equipment and Electronic Office Machines aimed at preventing radio interference in such residential areas. When used near a radio or TV receiver, it may become the cause of radio interference.
Italiano [Italian] Con la presente NETGEAR Inc. dichiara che questo Radiolan è conforme ai requisiti essenziali ed alle altre disposizioni pertinenti stabilite dalla direttiva 1999/5/CE. Latviski [Latvian] Ar šo NETGEAR Inc. deklarē, ka Radiolan atbilst Direktīvas 1999/5/EK būtiskajām prasībām un citiem ar to saistītajiem noteikumiem. Lietuvių [Lithuanian] Šiuo NETGEAR Inc. deklaruoja, kad šis Radiolan atitinka esminius reikalavimus ir kitas 1999/5/EB Direktyvos nuostatas.
FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance of 20 cm between the radiator and your body. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. FCC Declaration Of Conformity We NETGEAR, Inc.
Product and Publication Details Model Number: WPN824EXT Publication Date: April 2008 Product Family: Wireless Range Extender Product Name: RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT Home or Business Product: Home Language: English Publication Part Number: 202-10310-02 Publication Version Number: 1.0 vi v1.
Contents About This Manual Conventions, Formats, and Scope ....................................................................................ix How to Use This Manual ................................................................................................... x How to Print This Manual .................................................................................................. x Revision History .................................................................................................
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Wireless Settings ............................................................................................................3-3 Wireless Extender Status ...............................................................................................3-3 Attached Devices ............................................................................................................3-7 Backup Settings ..............................................................
About This Manual The NETGEAR® RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual provides information for configuring the features of the RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT beyond initial configuration settings. Initial configuration instructions can be found in the setup manual, the Wireless Range Extender Manual. You should have basic to intermediate computer and Internet skills.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Danger: This is a safety warning. Failure to take heed of this notice might result in personal injury or death. • Scope. This manual is written for the WiFi Range Extender according to these specifications: Product Version RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT Manual Publication Date April 2008 For more information about network, Internet, firewall, and VPN technologies, see the links to the NETGEAR website in Appendix B, “Related Documents.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • Printing from PDF. Your computer must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed for you to view and print PDF files. The Acrobat Reader is available on the Adobe website at http://www.adobe.com. – Printing a PDF chapter. Use the PDF of This Chapter link at the top left of any page. – • Click the PDF of This Chapter link at the top left of any page in the chapter you want to print.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual xii About This Manual v1.
Chapter 1 Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the NETGEAR® RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT. The WiFi range extender provides connection for multiple computers to the Internet through an external broadband access device (such as a gateway/router). Key Features Note: For first-time installation and basic troubleshooting of your WiFi range extender, refer to the NETGEAR RangeMax WiFi Range Extender Setup Manual.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual For example, if you carry your laptop from the family room to the bedroom, RangeMax automatically senses the change and selects from multiple 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 percent compatible with your existing 802.11b/g products (for example, 802.11b, 802.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Wireless Repeater Capability The WiFi range extender is configurable as a base or repeater station in order to extend range. This allows you to use it with wireless access points (APs) to build large bridged wireless networks. For more information, see “Wireless Repeating Function” on page 4-1. Quality of Service (QoS) Built-in Quality of Service (QoS) ensures prioritization of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and gaming traffic.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Note: Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance degradation or inability to wirelessly connect to the WiFi range extender. For complete range and performance specifications, see Appendix A, “Technical Specifications.” For best results, place your WiFi range extender: • Near the center of the area in which your computers will operate.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Logging In Note: For first-time installation and basic troubleshooting of your WiFi range extender, refer to the setup manual, the NETGEAR RangeMax WiFi Range Extender Setup Manual. To access the extender using its login name and password: 1. Type http://www.mywifiext.net or http://www.mywifiext.com in the address field of your browser, and then press Enter. A login window similar to the one shown in Figure 1-2 displays. Figure 1-2 2.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Using Automatic Firmware Update upon Login The Checking for Firmware Updates screen appears when you log in in unless you previously cleared the Check for Updated Firmware Upon Log-in check box. For information about checking for new firmware through the main menu, see “Firmware Update” on page 3-11. Figure 1-3 1. Allow the update feature to check for firmware updates more recent than the firmware currently installed in your WiFi range extender.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual The update feature automatically installs the most recent firmware. Warning: Do not try to go online, turn off the extender, shut down the computer, or do anything else to the extender until the extender finishes downloading! Figure 1-5 The thank you window also displays. Figure 1-6 If no new firmware is available, the following message appears. Figure 1-7 Introduction 1-7 v1.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual About the WiFi Range Extender Main Menu When you log in to the WiFi range extender, the main menu displays. Figure 1-8 To find information about the selections on the main menu, see the following topics in this manual: Table 1-1.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Table 1-1.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 1-10 Introduction v1.
Chapter 2 Implementing 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 WiFi range extender provides highly effective security features, which are covered in detail in this chapter. Enhancing the Security of Your Network Deploy the security features appropriate to your needs.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • 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.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • Manual method. These values are not case-sensitive. For 64-bit WEP, enter 10 hex digits (any combination of 0–9 or a–f). For 128-bit WEP, enter 26 hex digits. Key 1: ___________________________________ Key 2: ___________________________________ Key 3: ___________________________________ Key 4: ___________________________________ • If WPA-PSK authentication is used. – Passphrase. ______________________________ These characters are case-sensitive.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 2. Select Wireless Settings in the main menu of the WiFi range extender. The Wireless Settings screen displays. Figure 2-2 3. Choose a suitable descriptive name for the wireless network name (SSID). In the Wireless Network Name (SSID) field, enter a value of up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The default SSID is NETGEAR_EXT. Note: The SSID is case-sensitive; NETGEAR is not the same as nETgear.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 6. Set the operating mode. Select the wireless operating mode you want. The default is Auto 108 Mbps. You can change this to b only, g only, or 802.11b/g mixed. 7. For initial configuration and test, leave the security setting as set when you installed the WiFi range extender.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Table 2-1. Wireless Security Options Security Type Description None No wireless security. Recommended only for troubleshooting wireless connectivity. WEP. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) .WEP offers the following options: • Open System With Open Network authentication and 64 or 128 bit WEP data encryption, the WPN824EXT does perform data encryption but does not perform any authentication. Anyone can join the network.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Configuring Advanced Wireless Settings To configure the advanced wireless settings of your WiFi range extender: 1. Select Wireless Settings under Advanced on the main menu. The Advanced Wireless Settings screen displays. Figure 2-3 2. Enable or fill in the following fields, as appropriate: • Enable Wireless Extender Radio. If selected, attached wireless clients will be able to access the Internet.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • Fragmentation Length (256–2346). The maximum packet size used for fragmentation. Packets larger than the size entered in this field will be fragmented. The Fragment Threshold value must be larger than the RTS Threshold value. For best performance, leave this at the default setting (2346). • Disable Advanced 108Mbps Features.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 4. Use the Add, Edit, and Delete buttons to add wireless computers to the list. The Wireless Card Entry screen displays. Figure 2-5 . Note: If Turn Access Control On is enabled and the Access Control List is blank, then no wireless computers can connect to your wireless network. Do one of the following: • If a wireless computer appears in the Available Wireless Cards list, you can capture its MAC address and add it to your list.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 2-10 Implementing Appropriate Wireless Security v1.
Chapter 3 Setup and Maintenance This chapter describes the features you can configure or view under Setup and Maintenance in the main menu of your WiFi range extender. Basic Settings Warning: The WiFi range extender is already configured with the optimum settings. Incorrect settings might unexpectedly disable the WiFi range extender. Select Basic Settings under Setup in the main menu. The Basic Settings screen displays. Figure 3-1 • Internet IP Address.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • – To allow your ISP to assign an IP address for the WiFi range extender, select Get Dynamically From ISP Gateway. – To enter a permanent, fixed (static) IP address for the WiFi range extender, select Use Static IP Address, and enter the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. Domain Name Server (DNS) Address.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Wireless Settings Note: The Wireless Settings options are described in the context of configuring wireless security. See Chapter 2, “Implementing Appropriate Wireless Security” . Wireless Extender Status The Wireless Extender Status screen provides status and usage information. Select Wireless Extender Status under Maintenance in the main menu. The Wireless Extender Status screen displays. Figure 3-2 Setup and Maintenance 3-3 v1.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual This screen shows the following settings: Table 3-1. Wireless Range Extender Status Fields Field Description Firmware Version This is the version of the current software the extender is using. This will change if you upgrade your extender. Hardware Version This is the version of the physical device. IP Settings These are the current settings that you configured in the Basic Settings screen.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Table 3-1. Wireless Range Extender Status Fields (continued) Field Description Wireless AP Indicates whether the wireless interface is enabled. If not enabled, the Wireless status light on the front panel is off. Broadcast Name Indicates if the extender is broadcasting its SSID. Click Show Statistics to display performance statistics such as the number of packets sent and number of packets received for each port. The Statistics screen displays.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Table 3-2. Wireless Range Extender Statistics Fields (continued) Field Description Tx B/s The current transmission (outbound) bandwidth used on the Internet and local ports. Rx B/s The current reception (inbound) bandwidth used on the Internet and local ports. Up Time The amount of time since the extender was last restarted. Poll Interval Specifies the intervals at which the statistics are updated in this window. (Click Stop to freeze the display.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual This screen shows the following settings: Table 3-3. Wireless Range Extender Connection Status Fields Field Description IP Address The Internet IP address assigned to the extender. Subnet Mask The Internet Subnet Mask assigned to the extender. Default Gateway The Internet default gateway the extender communicates with. DHCP Server The IP address of the DHCP server that provided the IP configuration addresses.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Backup Settings The configuration settings of the RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT are stored within the extender in a configuration file. The Backup Settings screen allows you to back up (save) this file to your computer, restore it, or reset it to the factory default settings. Select Backup Settings under Maintenance in the main menu. The Backup Settings screen displays. Figure 3-6 The following options are available: • Restore, Backup.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • Erase. Sometimes you might want to restore the extender to original default settings. You can do so by using the Erase function, which restores all factory settings. After an erase, the extender’s user name is admin, the password is password, the LAN IP address is 192.168.1.250, and the extender's DHCP server is enabled. To erase the configuration, click the Erase button.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual : Tips: • An ideal, very secure password should contain no dictionary words from any language, and should be a mixture of letters (both upper- and lower-case), numbers, and symbols. Your password can be up to 30 characters. • Before changing the router password, use the router backup utility (see “Backup Settings” on page 3-8) to save your configuration settings.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual – If a new version is found, you are asked about upgrading. Click Yes to update your firmware. Warning: Do not turn off the extender, shut down the computer, or do anything else to the extender while the update is in progress, as indicated by the messages that display. – If no new firmware version is available, the message No New Firmware Version Available displays. • Check for New Version Upon Login.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual h. Click Browse and locate the unzipped firmware image that you downloaded to your PC (the file ends in .img or .chk). i. Once you have selected the file, click Upload to send the software to the extender. The upload process takes several minutes. When the software upload process is complete, the extender restarts.
Chapter 4 Advanced Settings and Features This chapter describes the features you can configure or view under Advanced in the main menu of your WiFi range extender. Advanced Wireless Settings Note: The Advanced Wireless Settings options are described in the context of configuring wireless security. See Chapter 2, “Implementing Appropriate Wireless Security.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Select Wireless Repeating Function under Advanced in the main menu. The Wireless Repeating Function screen displays. Figure 4-1 The RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT supports two modes of the Wireless Repeating function: • Both “Enable Wireless Repeating Function” and “Wireless Repeater” are selected. In Wireless Repeater mode, the WiFi range extender sends all traffic from its local wireless or wired computers to a remote AP.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • “Disable Wireless Client Association” not selected. In addition to performing wireless repeating with remote APs, the extender will act as an AP to connect local wireless computers. • “Disable Wireless Client Association” selected. The extender will communicate wirelessly only with other APs whose MAC addresses are listed in this screen. The extender will not accept local wireless connections.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual • If you are using DHCP, the Get Dynamically From ISP Gateway radio button in the Internet IP Address section of the Basic Settings screen should be selected for all AP devices in the IP Address Source portion. To set up the repeater configuration shown in Figure 4-2: 1. Configure the operating mode of AP1 (the WiFi range extender in Figure 4-2) as a wireless base station with the MAC addresses of AP2 and AP3 in the first two Repeater MAC Address fields.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual NTP Client The WiFi range extender uses the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to obtain the current time and date from one of several Network Time Servers on the Internet, using the NTP Client screen. Select NTP Client under Advanced in the main menu. The NTP Client screen displays. Figure 4-3 To localize the time for your log entries, you must specify your time zone: • Enable NTP client. The NTP client is enabled by default.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual QoS Setup QoS is an advanced feature that you can use to prioritize some types of traffic ahead of others. The WiFi range extender can provide QoS prioritization over the wireless link and on the Internet connection. To configure QoS, use the QoS Setup screen. Select QoS Setup under Advanced in the main menu. The QoS Setup screen displays: Figure 4-4 4-6 Advanced Settings and Features v1.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Using WMM QoS for Wireless Multimedia Applications The WiFi range extender supports Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM QoS) to prioritize wireless voice and video traffic over the wireless link. WMM QoS is a feature that provides prioritization of wireless data packets from different applications based on four access categories: voice, video, best effort, and background.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 2. Click Add Priority Rule. The QoS Priority Rules screen displays. Figure 4-5 3. In the Priority Category list, select either Applications or Online Gaming. In either case, a list of predefined applications or games appears in the Applications drop-down list. 4. From the Applications drop-down list, you can select an existing item, or you can scroll to the bottom of the list and select Add a New Application or Add a New Game. a.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 5. From the Priority drop-down list, select the priority that this traffic should receive relative to other applications and traffic when accessing the Internet. The options are Low, Normal, High, and Highest. 6. Click Apply to save this rule to the QoS Policy list and return to the QoS Setup screen. 7. In the QoS Setup screen, select the Turn Internet Access QoS On check box. 8. Click Apply.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual QoS for a MAC Address To create a QoS policy for traffic from a specific MAC address: 1. Open the QoS Setup screen, shown in Figure 4-4 on page 4-6. 2. Click Add Priority Rule. 3. From the Priority Category list, select MAC Address. The QoS Priority Rules screen changes: Figure 4-8 4. If the device to be prioritized appears in the MAC Device List, select it.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Editing or Deleting an Existing QoS Policy To edit or delete an existing QoS policy: 1. Open the QoS Setup screen, shown in Figure 4-4 on page 4-6. 2. Select the radio button next to the QoS policy to be edited or deleted. 3. Do either of the following: • Click Delete to remove the QoS policy. • Click Edit to edit the QoS policy. Follow the instructions in the preceding sections to change the policy settings. 4.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual 4-12 Advanced Settings and Features v1.
Appendix A Technical Specifications Default Configuration Settings This appendix provides factory default settings and technical specifications for the RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT. Table A-1. WiFi Range Extender Default Configuration Settings Feature Default Setting Smart Wizard Enabled Extender Login Extender Login URL http://www. mywifiext.net or http://www.mywifiext.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Table A-1. WiFi Range Extender Default Configuration Settings (continued) Feature Default Setting Wireless Wireless Communication Enabled SSID Name NETGEAR_EXT Security Disabled Broadcast SSID Enabled Transmission Speed Autoa Country/Region United States in the U.S., otherwise varies by region RF Channel Auto Operating Mode 802.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Table A-1. WiFi Range Extender Default Configuration Settings (continued) Feature Default Setting Electromagnetic Emissions Meets requirements of FCC Part 15 Class B VCCI Class B EN 55 022 (CISPR 22), Class B C-Tick N10947 Interface Specifications LAN 10BASE-T or 100BASE-Tx, RJ-45 Internet 10BASE-T or 100BASE-Tx, RJ-45 Wireless Maximum wireless signal rate complies with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Actual throughput will vary.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual Restoring the Default User Name and Password You can restore the factory default configuration settings to reset the extender’s user name to admin, the password to password, and the IP address to 192.168.1.250. This procedure erases your current configuration, including your wireless security settings, and restores the factory defaults. When you log in after resetting, the Smart Wizard configuration assistant prompts you to configure these settings.
Appendix B Related Documents This appendix provides links to reference documents you can use to gain a more complete understanding of the technologies used in your NETGEAR product. Document Link Windows XP and Vista Wireless http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/winzerocfg/index.htm Configuration Utilities TCP/IP Networking Basics http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/tcpip/index.htm Wireless Networking Basics http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/wireless/index.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual B-2 Related Documents v1.
Index Numerics 802.
RangeMax WiFi Range Extender WPN824EXT User Manual T applications, online gaming 4-7 editing, deleting a QoS policy 4-11 Internet access 4-7 LAN port priority rules 4-9 MAC address 4-10 router LAN port 4-9 setup 4-6 wireless multimedia applications 4-7 testing wireless connectivity 2-3 time zone 4-5 time-stamping 4-5 U updating firmware 1-3, 1-6, 3-11 R RangeMax™ Multi-In, Multi-Out (MIMO) Technology 1-1 reference documents B-1 W WEP data encryption 2-2, 2-6 wireless card access list 2-8 multimedia ap
