LINKSYS WCG200-CC User Manual
Wireless-G Cable
Gateway
Use this guide to install the following product:
WCG200-CC
User Guide
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
The Wireless-G Cable Gateway 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 USB Icon 7
USB Cabling 7
The Cable Gateway’s Front Panel LEDs 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 12
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 98 and Me 22
Windows 2000 24
Windows XP 26
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 Wireless-G Cable Gateway 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 device
• Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver’s
• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for assistance
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
SAFETY NOTICES
• Caution: To reduce the risk of fire, use only No.26 AWG or larger telecommunication
line cord.
• Do not use this product near water, for example, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool.
• Avoid using this product (other than a cordless type) during an electrical storm.
There may be a remote risk of electric shock from lightning.
WCG200-CC-UG-30904NC-BW
Chapter 1: Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your Wireless-G Cable Gateway. This allin-one device has a built-in cable modem, router, and switch, which will enable
you to get connected to your high-speed Internet service through its USB,
wired, or wireless connections.
Let’s take a look at what each function can help you do:
• The Cable Modem connects you to your the high-speed Internet connection.
• Connect your computer to the Cable Gateway via USB, or use the built-in
4-port 10/100 Ethernet Switch and share files, printers, and play head-tohead games. Connect four PCs directly, or connect to more hubs and
switches to create as big a network as you need.
• The Wireless capability allows you to connect PCs, game consoles, and
other devices to your home network without running cables through the
house.
• The Cable Gateway's Router function ties it all together and lets your
whole network share one high-speed Internet connection. You can share
Internet access with up to five computers.
• The Cable Gateway has an advanced firewall to help protect your data and
privacy by keeping Internet intruders and attackers out. Wireless transmissions can be protected by powerful data encryption.
1
The Wireless-G Cable Gateway
Appendix A: Troubleshooting 28
Common Problems and Solutions 28
Frequently Asked Questions 29
Appendix E: Glossary 33
Appendix F: Specifications 41
Environmental 42
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 office, 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 f irst 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.
An Introduction to LANs and WANs
IP Addresses
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 the power adapter is con-
nected.
Reset Press this button if you need to restore the Cable
Gateway to its factory default settings.
USB This is where you can use a USB cable to connect
to the Cable Gateway.
Ports 1-4 These four ports are where network devices, such as
PCs, print servers, and remote hard drives are connected to your local area network (LAN).
Cable The Cable port is where the coaxial Cable line is
connected.
The Cable Gateway’s Back Panel Ports
Figure 2-1
This user guide covers information about your home network.
• Chapter 2: Getting to Know the Cable Gateway
This chapter instructs you on the Cable Gateway’s ports, connections, LEDs,
and buttons.
• Chapter 3: Connecting the CableGateway
This chapter instructs you on how to connect the Cable line to the 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.
Even though a technician probably established your initial connection, you may
need the information provided in this user guide for reference or troubleshooting. After the PC(s) are configured to access the Internet through the Gateway,
you can alter the Gateway’s settings further (refer to the Comcast Home
Networking Getting Started Guide.) For example, you can adjust security features and other settings to enable online gaming, run Internet servers, configure a wireless LAN, and more.
4
Network Setup Overview
Notebook with
Wireless Adapter
Wireless-G
Cable Gateway
LAN
PC with
Ethernet Adapter
WAN
Figure 1-1
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. One end of the USB cable is
connected to the Cable Gateway and the other end is connected 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.
7
The USB Icon
Figure 2-2
USB Cabling
Figure 2-3
6
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. 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
8 9
Chapter 3: Connecting the Cable Gateway
With the Cable Gateway, you can use a standard Ethernet connection or connect via USB. To connect via an Ethernet connection continue with the
Ethernet Cable Connection section. To connect via a 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 Comcast 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 your Ethernet
adapter’s user guide for more information.
Figure 3-1
Figure 3-2
Overview
Ethernet Port Connection
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 2-4
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 Comcast 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 USB Driver
section for your PC’s operating system. Make sure to return to step 7 in this
section after you install the driver.
7. Contact Comcast to activate your account. They 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, Comcast should be able to activate your account.
Go to “Chapter 4: Configuring the PCs.”
1110
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 Comcast to activate your account. They 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, Comcast 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 Comcast with your
MAC Address to activate your account.
Important: Make sure to contact Comcast with your
MAC Address to activate your account.
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