Wireless Help

NOTE: To satisfy regulatory compliance requirements in your area the region must be set correctly.

Placement of the Router to Optimize Wireless Connectivity

The operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly based on the physical placement of the Router. For best results, place your Router:

Note: Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance degradation or inability to wirelessly connect to the Router.


Wireless Network

Name (SSID)

Enter a value of up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The same Name (SSID) must be used by all wireless devices in your network. The default SSID is NETGEAR, but NETGEAR strongly recommends that you change your wireless network Name (SSID). This value is also case-sensitive. For example, NETGEAR is not the same as NETGEAr.

Region

Select your region from the drop-down list. It may not be legal to operate the Router in a region other than in the regions shown here. If your country or region is not listed, please check with your local government agency or check our website for more information on which channels to use.

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.

Mode

Select the desired wireless mode. The options are:

The default is "Up to 270 Mbps", which allows all 11b and 11g wireless stations. The NETGEAR WN511B runs at 126 Mbps or 270 Mbps when accessing this router.


Wireless Access Point

Enable Wireless Access Point

The Wireless Access Point of this Router can be enabled or disabled to allow wireless access. The wireless icon on the front of the Router will also display the current status of the Wireless Access Point to let you know if it is disabled or enabled.

If Enabled, wireless stations will be able to access the Internet.
If Disabled, wireless stations will not be able to access the Internet.

Allow Broadcast of Name (SSID)

If Enabled, the SSID will broadcast its name to all Wireless Stations. Stations which have no SSID (or a "null" value) can then adopt the correct SSID for connections to this Access Point.

Wireless Isolation

If Enabled, the Wireless Stations will be hidden from each other, and will not be able to communicate with each other. For normal situations, this setting should be left at the default value of Disabled.


Wireless Station Access List

By default, any wireless PC that is configured with the correct SSID will be allowed access to your wireless network. For increased security, you can restrict access to the wireless network to only allow specific PCs based on their MAC addresses. From the Wireless Settings menu, click the Setup Access List button to display the Wireless Station Access List menu.


Security Options


WEP Security Encryption

Authentication Type

Normally this can be left at the default value of "Automatic." If that fails, select the appropriate value - "Open System". Check your wireless card's documentation to see what method to use.

Encryption Strength

Select the WEP Encryption level:

WEP Key

You can manually or automatically program the four data encryption keys. These values must be identical on all PCs and Access Points in your network.

Automatic Key Generation (Passphrase)

Enter a word or group of printable characters in the Passphrase box and click the Generate button to automatically configure the WEP Key(s). If encryption strength is set to 64 bit, then each of the four key boxes will automatically be populated with key values. If encryption strength is set to 128 bit, then only the selected WEP key box will automatically be populated with key values.

Manual Entry Mode

Select which of the four keys will be used and enter the matching WEP key information for your network in the selected key box.

For 64 bit WEP - Enter ten hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, A-F).

For 128 bit WEP - Enter twenty-six hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, A-F).

Be sure to click Apply to save your settings in this menu.


WPA-PSK Security Encryption

Network Key

For WPA-PSK, you need to enter the Network Key here. The Key must be from 8 to 63 ASCII characters. Your Wireless Stations must use the same key.


WPA-802.1x Security Encryption

Radius Server Name/IP Address

Enter the name or IP address of the Radius Server on your LAN.

Radius Port

Enther the port number which is used for connections to your Radius Server.

Shared Key

Enter the shared key, as configured on your Radius server, for the "client" login for this device.


To Save Or Cancel Changes

Click Apply to have your changes take effect.
Click Cancel to return to the previous unsaved settings.