Linksys WCG200 User Manual

Wireless-G Cable
Gateway

Use this guide to install the following product:

WCG200

User Guide

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Linksys is a registered trademark or
trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other coun­tries. Copyright © 2003 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Other brands and prod­uct names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

FCC STATEMENT
This product has been tested and complies with the specifications for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide rea­sonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equip­ment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used according to the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communi­cations. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which is found by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment or devices

• Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver's

• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for assistance

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled
environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance
20cm between the radiator and your body.

INDUSTRY CANADA (CANADA)
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
The use of this device in a system operating either partially or completely outdoors may
require the user to obtain a license for the system according to the Canadian regulations.

EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY (EUROPE)
Linksys declares that the Wireless-G Cable Gateway conforms to the specifications list­ed below, following the provisions of the European R&TTE directive 1999/5/EC:

• EN 301 489-1, 301 489-17 General EMC requirements for Radio equipment.

• EN 609 50 Safety

• EN 300-328-1, EN 300-328-2 Technical requirements for Radio equipment.
Caution: This equipment is intended to be used in all EU and EFTA countries. Outdoor
use may be restricted to certain frequencies and/or may require a license for operation.
Contact local Authority for procedure to follow.

Note: Combinations of power levels and antennas resulting in a radiated power level of
above 100 mW equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) are considered as not com­pliant with the above mentioned directive and are not allowed for use within the European
community and countries that have adopted the European R&TTE directive 1999/5/EC.

For more details on legal combinations of power levels and antennas, contact Linksys
Corporate Compliance.

• Linksys vakuuttaa täten että Wireless-G Cable Gateway conforms to the tyyppinen
laite on direktiivin 1999/5/EY oleellisten vaatimusten ja sitä koskevien näiden direkti­ivien muiden ehtojen mukainen.

• Linksys Group déclare la Wireless-G Cable Gateway conforms to the est conforme
aux conditions essentielles et aux dispositions relatives à la directive 1999/5/EC.

• Belgique:

Dans le cas d'une utilisation privée, à l'extérieur d'un bâtiment, au-dessus d'un
espace public, aucun enregistrement n'est nécessaire pour une distance de moins de
300m. Pour une distance supérieure à 300m un enregistrement auprès de l'IBPT est
requise. Pour une utilisation publique à l'extérieur de bâtiments, une licence de l'IBPT
est requise. Pour les enregistrements et licences, veuillez contacter l'IBPT.

• France:

2.4 GHz Bande : les canaux 10, 11, 12, 13 (2457, 2462, 2467, et 2472 MHz respec­tivement) sont complétement libres d'utilisation en France (en utilisation intérieur).
Pour ce qui est des autres canaux, ils peuvent être soumis à autorisation selon le
départment. L'utilisation en extérieur est soumis à autorisation préalable et très
restreint.

Vous pouvez contacter l'Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications
(http://www.art-telecom.fr) pour de plus amples renseignements.

UG-WCG200-31021B-BW

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

The Linksys Cable Gateway 1
Features 1
An Introduction to LANs and WANs 2
IP Addresses 2
Network Setup Overview 4

Chapter 2: Getting to Know the Cable Gateway 5

The Cable Gateway’s Back Panel Ports 5
The Reset Button 6
Rebooting the Cable Gateway 6
The Cable Gateway’s Front Panel LEDs 6
The USB Icon 8
USB Cabling 8

Chapter 3: Connecting the Cable Gateway 9

Overview 9
Ethernet Port Connection 9
USB Port Connection 11
Installing the USB Driver for Windows 98 13
Installing the USB Driver for Windows Millenium 15
Installing the USB Driver for Windows 2000 17
Installing the USB Driver for Windows XP 20

Chapter 4: Configuring the PCs 22

Overview 22
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me 22
Windows 2000 24
Windows XP 26

Chapter 5: Using the Cable Gateway’s
Web-based Utility 28

Assessing the Web-Based Utility 28
The Setup Tab 29
The Wireless Tab 31
The Security Tabs 38
The Access Restriction Tabs 40
The Applications & Gaming Tabs 44
The Administration Tabs 48
The Status Tabs 57

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

D

Chapter 1: Introduction

The Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway is the all-in-one solution for Internet connectivity in
your home. The Cable Modem function gives you a blazing fast connection to the Internet,
far faster than a dial-up, and without tying up your phone line.

Connect your computer to the Wireless-G Cable Gateway via USB, or take advantage of the
built-in 4-port 10/100 Ethernet Switch to jump start your home network. You can share f iles,
printers, hard drive space and other resources, or play head-to-head PC games. Connect four
PCs directly, or daisy-chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you
need. The built-in Wireless-G Access Point allows up to 32 wireless devices to connect to your
network at a blazing 54Mbps, without running cables through the house. It's also compatible
with Wireless-B devices, at 11Mbps. The Gateway's Router function ties it all together and
lets your whole network share that high-speed Internet connection.
To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G Cable Gateway features an advanced firewall
to keep Internet intruders and attackers out. Wireless transmissions can be protected by pow­erful data encryption. Safeguard your family with Parental Control features like Internet
Access Time Limits and Key Word Blocking. Conf iguration is a snap with any
web browser.

With the Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway at the heart of your home network, you're con­nected to the future.

• High-speed DOCSIS 2.0-ready Cable Modem gives you a fast, "Always On"
connection to the Internet

• Connect via USB, or use the built-in Router and 4-port Switch to jump start
your Ethernet network and share the Internet throughout your household

• Built-in Wireless-G (802.11g) Access Point also lets you connect without run­ning wires

• Advanced firewall and security features protect your PCs, your data, and your
family

• Supports VPN Pass-Through for IPSec and PPTP Protocols

• Internal 4-Port Switch Dramatically Speeds Up Your Network

• DHCP Server Capability to Assign IP Addresses Automatically

1

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

The Linksys Cable Gateway

Features

F

Appendix A: Troubleshooting 54

Common Problems and Solutions 54
Frequently Asked Questions 55

Appendix B: Configuring Wireless Security in
Windows XP 59

Appendix C: Installing the TCP/IP Protocol 65

Appendix D: Finding the MAC Address and
IP Address for Your Ethernet Adapter 67

Appendix E: Glossary 71

Appendix F: Specifications 82

Environmental 83

Appendix G: Warranty Information 84

Appendix H: Contact Information 85

Dynamic IP Addresses

A dynamic IP address is automatically assigned to a device on the network,
such as PCs and print servers. These IP addresses are called “dynamic”
because they are only temporarily assigned to the PC or device. After a certain
time period, they expire and may change. If a PC logs onto the network (or the
Internet) and its dynamic IP address has expired, the DHCP server will assign
it a new dynamic IP address.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Servers

DHCP frees you from having to assign IP addresses manually every time a new
user is added to your network. PCs and other network devices using dynamic
IP addressing are assigned a new IP address by a DHCP server. The PC or net-
work device obtaining an IP address is called the DHCP client. By default, the
Cable Gateway’s WAN setting is DHCP client.

A DHCP server can either be a designated PC on the network or another net­work device, such as the Cable Gateway. By default, the Cable Gateway acts as
a DHCP server for your local network. If you already have a DHCP server run­ning on your network, you must disable that DHCP server or the Cable
Gateway’s DHCP’s feature. If you run more than one DHCP server on your
network, you will experience network errors, such as conflicting IP addresses.

Note: Since the Cable Gateway is a device that connects two networks, it
needs two IP addresses—one for the LAN side, and one for the WAN side.
In this User Guide, you’ll see references to the “WAN IP address” and the
“LAN IP address.”

Since the Cable Gateway has firewall security, the only IP address on your
network that can be seen from the Internet is the Cable Gateway’s WAN IP
address.

32

Simply put, a router is a network device that connects two networks together.

The Cable Gateway has a built-in router that connects your Local Area

Network (LAN), which is the group of PCs in your home or off ice, to the
Wide Area Network (WAN), which is the Internet. The Cable Gateway

processes and regulates the data that travels between these two networks.

Think of the Cable Gateway as a network device with two sides: the first side is
made up of your private Local Area Network (LAN) of PCs. The other, public
side, is the Internet, or the Wide Area Network (WAN), outside of your home or
office.

The Cable Gateway’s firewall protects your network of PCs so users on the pub­lic, Internet side cannot “see” your PCs. This is how your local network
remains private. The Cable Gateway protects your network by inspecting the
first packet coming in through the WAN port before delivery to the final desti­nation in the local network. The Cable Gateway inspects Internet port services
like the web server, ftp server, or other Internet applications, and, if allowed,
will forward the packet to the appropriate PC on the LAN side.

What’s an IP Address?

IP stands for Internet Protocol. Every device on an IP-based network, including
PCs, print servers, and routers, requires an IP address to identify its “location,”
or address, on the network. This applies to both the WAN and LAN connections.
There are two ways of assigning an IP address to your network devices.

Static IP Addresses

A static IP address is a fixed IP address that you assign manually to a PC or
other device on the network. Since a static IP address remains valid until you
disable it, static IP addressing ensures that the device assigned it will always
have that same IP address until you change it. Static IP addresses are com­monly used with network devices such as server PCs or print servers.

An Introduction to LANs and WANs

IP Addresses

Note: Even if you assign a static IP address to a PC, other PCs can
still use DHCP’s dynamic IP addressing, as long as the static IP
address is not within the DHCP range of the LAN IP Address.

If the Cable Gateway’s DHCP feature fails to provide a dynamic IP
address, refer to “Appendix A: Troubleshooting.”

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

5

Chapter 2: Getting to Know the
Cable Gateway

The Cable Gateway’s ports are located on the back panel of the Cable Gateway,
as shown in Figure 2-1.

On/Off Switch This switch is used for turning the Cable Gateway

on and off.

Power The Power port is where you will connect the power

adapter.

Reset Press this button to restore the Cable Gateway to it

factory default settings.

USB This is where you can use a USB cable to connect a

Windows-based to the Cable Gateway.

Ports 1-4 These four ports are used to connect network

devices, such as PCs, print servers, and remote hard
drives to your local area network (LAN).

Cable The Cable port is where you will connect your coax-

ial Cable line.

The Cable Gateway’s Back Panel Ports

Figure 2-1

This user guide covers the basic steps for setting up a network with the Cable
Gateway. After going through the Chapter 2: Getting to Know the Cable
Gateway, proceed through the following chapters:

• Chapter 3: Connecting the Cable Gateway
This chapter instructs you on how to connect the coaxial Cable line to the
Cable Gateway and connect the PC(s) to the Cable Gateway.

• Chapter 4: Configuring the PCs
This chapter instructs you on how to configure your PC(s) for a DHCP con­nection, if the network settings are not already set to DHCP.

• Chapter 5: Using the Cable Gateway’s Web-based Utility
This chapter explains how to configure the Cable Gateway for wireless net­working using your web browser and the Cable Gateway’s web-based utility.

When you’re finished with the basic steps, you are ready to connect to the
Internet through your new network. An example of such a network is shown in
Figure 1-1.

4

Network Setup Overview

Notebook with

Ethernet Adapter

Wireless-G

Cable Gateway

LAN

PC with

Ethernet Adapter

WAN

Figure 1-1

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

76

Power Green or red. The Green Power LED is solid when the

Cable Gateway is powered on. If the LED lights up red,
there is an error.

Internet - Cable Green. The Green LED will go through a series of

flashes as the Cable Gateway goes through its startup
and registration process. It will remain solid when
registration is complete and the Cable Gateway is
operational.

Internet -Activity Green. This LED flashes when data is being sent or

received through the cable Gateway interface.

Ethernet-1-4 Green or red. Ethernet 1-4 LED serves multiple pur-

poses. If the LED is solid green, the Cable Gateway is
successfully connected to a device through the corre­sponding port (1, 2, 3, or 4). If the LED is flashing
green, the Cable Gateway is actively sending or receiv­ing data over that port. If the LED lights up red, there
is a collision.

USB Green or red. The LED is solid green when a PC is

connected to the Cable Gateway via USB, and drivers
are installed. If the LED flashes red, the cable is con­nected, but the driver isn’t loaded.

Wireless Green or red. The LED flashes green during wireless

activity. If the LED flashes red, there is an error con­dition.

Proceed to “Chapter 3: Connecting the Cable Gateway.”

The Cable Gateway’s Front Panel LEDs

Figure 2-2

Pressing the Reset Button and holding it in for a few seconds will clear all of
the Cable Gateway’s data and restore the factory defaults. This should be done
only if you are experiencing networking problems and have exhausted all of
the other troubleshooting options. By resetting the Cable Gateway, you run the
risk of creating conflicts between your PCs’ actual IP Addresses and what the
Cable Gateway thinks the IP Addresses of the PCs should be. You may be
forced to reboot each network PC.

The Reset Button

You should only reboot the Cable Gateway after all other troubleshooting
methods have been exhausted but before calling Linksys Technical Support.
There are two ways to reboot the Cable Gateway:

1) Turn the Cable Gateway’s power off for a few seconds and power it back on
again.

2) Unplug the Cable Gateway’s power adapter and plug it back in again.

Rebooting the Cable Gateway may cause conflicts with IP Addresses.

Rebooting the Cable Gateway

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

9

Chapter 3: Connecting the Cable
Gateway

You will connect the Cable Gateway to your Cable service’s coaxial cable line
and to the computers in your home or business. With the Cable Gateway, you
can use a standard Ethernet connection or connect via USB. For Ethernet con­nection continue with the Ethernet Cable Connection section. For USB con­nection, go to the next section, USB Cable Connection.

First, make sure that all the devices that you’ll be working with are powered
down, including your PCs and the Cable Gateway.

1. Connect the coaxial
cable that is provided
by your cable service
provider to the Cable
port that is on the
back of the Cable
Gateway, as shown in
Figure 3-1.

2. Connect one end of an Ethernet cable to your PC’s Ethernet adapter, as shown
in Figure 3-2.

Note: If your PC’s Ethernet adapter is not set up, please refer to the Ethernet
adapter’s user guide for more information.

Figure 3-1

Figure 3-2

The USB icon, shown in Figure 2-3, marks a USB port on a PC or device.

The Cable Gateway comes with one USB cable. Connect one end of the USB
cable to the Cable Gateway. Connect the other end to a computer’s USB port.

The picture shows two USB ports as they might appear on
your computer. Note the two USB icons marking the
ports.

8

The USB Icon

Figure 2-3

USB Cabling

Figure 5-2

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

Overview

Ethernet Port Connection

First, make sure that all the devices that you’ll be working with are powered
down, including your PCs and the Cable Gateway.

1. Connect the coaxial cable that is provided by your cable service provider to
the Cable port that is on the back of the Cable Gateway, as shown in Figure
3-4.

2. Connect one end of a USB cable to your PC’s USB port and connect the other
end of the USB cable to the USB port on the back of the Cable Gateway, as
shown in Figure 3-4.

3. Connect the power adapter to the Cable Gateway, as
shown in Figure 3-5. Plug the other end of the power
adapter into the electrical outlet, preferably a surge pro­tector.

4. Turn on the Cable Gateway. Then, turn on your PC.

5. During the boot up process, your computer should recognize the device and
ask for driver installation.

6. Next, you will need to install the USB Driver. Continue to the section for
your operating system. Return to step 7 after the driver installation.

7. Contact your Cable ISP to activate your account. Your Cable ISP will need

what is called a MAC Address for the cable modem capability of your Cable
Gateway in order to set up your account. The 12-digit MAC address is print­ed on a bar code label on the bottom of the Cable Gateway. Once you have
given them this number, your ISP should be able to activate your account.

Go

to “Chapter 4: Configuring the PCs.”

11

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

10

3. Connect the other end of the cable to one of the LAN ports on the back of the
Cable Gateway, as shown in Figure 3-3.

Make sure there is an Ethernet cable connected from the Cable Gateway to every
PC that you want on your local network. If you are connecting more than four
PCs to the Cable Gateway via Ethernet, you will also need to connect a hub or
switch to the Cable Gateway.

4. Connect the power adapter to the Cable Gateway,
as shown in Figure 3-4. Plug the other end of the
power adapter into the electrical outlet, preferably
a surge protector.

5. Turn on the Cable Gateway.

6. Contact your Cable ISP to activate your account. Your Cable ISP will need
what is called a MAC Address for the cable modem capability of your Cable
Gateway in order to set up your account. The 12-digit modem MAC
address is printed on a bar code label on the bottom of the Cable Gateway.
Once you have given them this number, your Cable ISP should be able to
activate your account.

7. Then, turn on the first PC that you want to use to configure the Cable
Gateway.

Go to “Chapter 4: Configuring the PCs.”

Figure 3-3

Figure 3-4

USB Port Connection

Figure 3-4

Figure 3-5

Important: Make sure to contact your ISP with your
MAC Address to activate your account.

Important: Make sure to contact your ISP with your
MAC Address to activate your account.

3. Select CD-ROM drive as the only location where Windows will search
for the driver software and click the Next button.

4. Windows will notify you that it has identified the appropriate driver and is

ready to install it. Click the Next button.

13

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

1. When the Add New Hardware Wizard window appears, insert the Setup CD
into your CD-ROM drive and click Next.

2. Select Search for the best driver for your device and click the Next but-
ton.

12

Installing the USB Driver for Windows 98

Figure 3-1

Figure 3-2

Figure 3-3

Figure 3-4

1. Start up your PC in Windows Millennium. Windows will detect new hard­ware connected to your PC.

2. Insert the Setup CD into your CD-ROM drive. When Windows asks you
for the location of the best driver, select Automatic search for a better
driver (Recommended) and click the Next button.

3. Windows will begin installing the driver for the modem. At this point, the
installation may require files from your Windows Millennium CD-ROM. If
prompted, insert your Windows Millennium CD-ROM into your CD-ROM
drive and enter d:\win9x in the box that appears (where “d” is the letter of
your CD-ROM drive). If you were not supplied with a Windows CD-ROM,
your Windows files may have been placed on your hard drive by your com­puter manufacturer. While the location of these files may vary,

15

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

5. Windows will begin installing the driver for the modem. At this point, the
installation may require files from your Windows 98 CD-ROM. If prompt­ed, insert your Windows 98 CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive and enter
d:\win98 in the box that appears (where “d” is the letter of your CD-ROM
drive). If you were not supplied with a Windows 98 CD-ROM, your
Windows files may have been placed on your hard drive by your computer
manufacturer. While the location of these files may vary, many manufac­turers use c:\windows\options\cabs as the path. Try entering this path into
the box. If no files are found, check your computer’s documentation or con­tact your computer manufacturer for more information.

6. After Windows has completed installing this driver, click Finish.

7. When asked if you want to restart your PC, remove all diskettes and CD­ROMs from the PC and click Ye s . If Windows does not ask you to restart
your PC, click the Start button, choose Shut Down, choose Restart, then
click Ye s .

The Windows 98 driver installation is complete. Return to the section on

the USB Port Connection to finish the setup.

14

Figure 3-5

Installing the USB Driver for Windows Millennium

Figure 3-6

Figure 3-7

1. Start up your PC. Windows will notify you that it has detected new hard­ware. Insert the Setup CD into the CD-ROM drive.

2. When the Found New Hardware Wizard screen appears to confirm that
the USB Modem has been identified by your PC, make sure the Setup CD
is in the CD-ROM drive and click Next.

17

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

many manufacturers use c:\windows\options\install as the path. Try
entering this path into the box. If no files are found, check your comput­er’s documentation or contact your computer manufacturer for more infor­mation.

4. When Windows finishes installing the driver, click Finish.

5. When asked if you want to restart your PC, remove all diskettes and CD­ROMs from the PC and click Ye s . If Windows does not ask you to restart
your PC, click the Start button, choose Shut Down, choose Restart, then
click Ye s .

The Windows Millennium driver installation is complete. Return to the

section on the USB Port Connection to finish the setup.

16

Figure 3-8

Figure 3-9

Installing the USB Driver for Windows 2000

Figure 3-10

Figure 3-11

5. Windows will notify you that it has located the appropriate driver and is
ready to install it. Click the Next button.

6. When Windows has completed installing the driver, click Finish.

The Windows 2000 driver installation is complete. Return to the section

on the USB Port Connection to finish the setup.

19

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

3. Select Search for a suitable driver for my device and click the Next but-
ton.

4. Windows will now search for the driver software. Select only CD-ROM
drives and click the Next button.

18

Figure 3-12

Figure 3-13

Figure 3-14

Figure 3-15

3. Windows will now search for the driver software. Click the Next button.

4. When Windows has completed installing the driver, click Finish.

The Windows XP driver installation is complete. Return to the section

on the USB Port Connection to finish the setup.

21

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

1. Start up your PC. Windows will notify you that it has detected new hard­ware. Insert the Setup CD into the CD-ROM drive.

2. When the Found New Hardware Wizard screen appears to confirm that the
USB Modem has been identified by your PC, make sure that the Setup CD
is in the CD-ROM drive and click Next.

20

Installing the USB Driver for Windows XP

Figure 3-18

Figure 3-19

Figure 3-16

Figure 3-17

2. On the Configuration tab,
select the TCP/IP line for
the applicable Ethernet
adapter, as shown in Figure
4-1. Do not choose a
TCP/IP entry whose name
mentions DUN, PPPoE,
VPN, or AOL. If the word
TCP/IP appears by itself,
select that line. (If there is
no TCP/IP line listed, refer
to “Appendix C: Installing
the TCP/IP Protocol” or
your Ethernet adapter’s
documentation to install
TCP/IP now.) Click the
Properties button.

3. Click the IP Address
tab. Select Obtain an

IP address automati­cally, as shown in

Figure 4-2.

23

Wireless-G Cable Gateway

Chapter 4: Configuring the PCs

The instructions in this chapter will help you configure each of your comput­ers to be able to communicate with the Cable Gateway.

To do this, you need to configure your PC’s network settings to obtain an IP (or
TCP/IP) address automatically (called DHCP). Computers use IP addresses to
communicate with each other across a local network or the Internet.

You will need to know which operating system your computer is running, such
as Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, or XP. One way to find out which operating sys­tem you have is by clicking the Start button and selecting the Settings option.
Then, open the Control Panel, and double-click the System icon. The screen
that appears should display your operating system.

You may need to configure each computer you are connecting to the Cable
Gateway.

The next few pages show you, step by step, how to conf igure your network set­tings based on the type of Windows operating system you are using.

If your operating system is not referenced here, refer to your operating system’s
documentation.

Once you've configured your computers, continue to “Chapter 5: Using the
Cable Gateway’s Web-based Utility.”

1. Go to the Network screen. Do this by clicking the Start button, selecting

Settings and opening the Control Panel. From there, double-click the
Network icon.

22

Figure 4-2

Figure 4-1

Overview

Windows 95, 98, and Me