NETGEAR WG602 User Manual

User's Guide

54 Mbps Wireless Access Point

WG602

You can refer to the Support information card for the telephone number of customer support
in your area. You should keep the Support information card, along with the original packing
materials, and use the packing materials to repack the WG602 54 Mbps Wireless Access Point
if you need to return it for repair.

To qualify for product updates and product warranty registrations, we encourage you to register
on the NETGEAR’s web page at:

http://www.NETGEAR.com.

System Requirements

Before installing the WG602, your system should meet the following requirements:

• A Cable/DSL Router with multiple 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Ports or a 10/100 Mbps Local
Area Network device such as a hub or switch.

Note: The WG602 will need to be connected to a router, switch, or hub as shown in the
picture below.

• A Category 5 UTP straight-through Ethernet cable with the RJ-45 connector (included in
this package or one similar to it).

• An A/C power outlet (100-240 V, 50-60 HZ).

• A Web browser for configuration, such as Microsoft®Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, or

Netscape Navigator®4.78 or a later version.

• One computer with TCP/IP protocol installed.

• Other 802.11b or 802.11g-compliant devices, such as the NETGEAR WAB501 Dual

Band Wireless PC Card or WG511 54 Mbps Wireless PC Card.

32-bit CardBus WG511

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Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the NETGEAR WG602 54 Mbps Wireless Access Point. The
NETGEAR WG602 Wireless Access Point connects to all existing 802.11b wireless networks
and supports new clients based on the forthcoming ultra-fast 802.11g standard at 54 Mbps all
in the same 2.4 GHz radio frequency range.

Package Contents

This package should contain:

• WG602 Wireless Access Point

• Power adapter and cord (12VDC, 1.2A)

• NETGEAR’s WG602 Resource CD

• WG602 User's Guide

• Straight-through Category 5 Ethernet cable—5 feet (1.52 m)

• Support information card

• Warranty card

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Model WG602 Resource CD,
User's guide, Support
information card,
Warranty card

WG602 54 Mbps Wireless

Stand

Access Point

Power adapter

Category 5
100 Mbps
Ethernet cable

+

12 VDC 1.2A

WG602 54 Mbps
Wireless Access Point

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Cable/DSL
Router

WG511 54 Mbps
Wireless PC Card in a
Notebook computer

Cable or DSL modem

Power Socket

This socket connects to the WG602 power adapter.
Warning: Use only the power adapter that came with the WG602.

Reset and Restore to Factory Settings Button

The Reset and Restore to Factory Settings button located between the Ethernet RJ-45
connector and the Power socket reboots the WG602 or restores the WG602 to the factory
default settings. Press and hold the Restore to Factory Default button for 5 seconds to clear any
user-defined settings.

RJ-45 Ethernet Port

Use the WG602 Ethernet RJ-45 port to connect to an Ethernet LAN through a device such as
a hub, switch, or router.

Placement and Range Guidelines

Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11 wireless networks at a maximum range of 500 feet
(152.4 m) for 802.11b devices. However, the operating distance or range of your wireless
connection can vary significantly, based on the physical placement of the wireless access point.

For best results, identify a location for your wireless access point according to these guidelines:

• Away from potential sources of interference, such as PCs, large metal surfaces, microwaves,
and 2.4 GHz cordless phones.

• In an elevated location such as a high shelf that is near the center of the wireless coverage
area for all mobile devices.

Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance degradation or inability
to wirelessly connect to the wireless access point.

Default Factory Settings

When you first receive your WG602, the default factory settings will automatically be set, as
shown in the chart on the next page.

You can restore these defaults with the Factory Default Settings button on the rear panel; see
WG602 Wireless Access Point Rear Panel on page 3.

WG602 Wireless Access Point Front Panel

The WG602 Wireless Access Point provides these status lights: Power, Ethernet, and Wireless.

This chart demonstrates the variety of LED indicator settings:

WG602 Wireless Access Point Rear Panel

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Light Status Description

Power

Off No Powe r
On Power On

Ethernet
(Link/Activity)

Off Indicates no Ethernet link detected

Green On 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet link

Green Blink Data traffic on the 100 Mbps LAN

Amber On 10 Mbps Ethernet link

Amber Blink Data traffic on the 10 Mbps LAN

Wireless
(Link/Activity)

Off No wireless link

Green Blink Wireless Data traffic

Power

Ethernet Wireless

Power
Socket

Reset &
Restore Button

RJ-45 Ethernet
Port

Install the WG602 54 Mbps Wireless Access Point

Please follow these steps to successfully install the WG602 Wireless Access Point.
Note: We suggest you first install the WG602 with the default settings. Optionally, you can

then customize your settings and enable encryption if it is required.

1. Position the WG602 Wireless Access Point.
Adjust your access point antenna to provide maximum signal strength for your wireless devices.

Note: If you are planning to mount your WG602 on a wall or in a remote location, we
suggest you configure and verify your WG602’s operations first.

2. Connect the Ethernet cable.
Use the category 5 Ethernet cable included in this package to connect the Ethernet port on

the rear panel of the WG602 Wireless Access Point to a LAN port on your cable/DSL
router or an Ethernet hub or switch.

Note on cabling requirements: The WG602 Wireless Access Point should connect to
your LAN via a twisted-pair Category 5 Ethernet cable with RJ-45 connectors.

3. Connect the power cable.
Connect the power cord of the WG602 power adapter to the 12V DC power socket on

the rear panel of the access point. Then, plug the power adapter into an A/C power outlet.

4. Configure the wireless adapter settings.
To access settings page of the WG602, you need to configure one of your 802.11b or

802.11g compliant wireless adapters to use the WG602 factory default settings as follows:

Wireless Network Name (SSID): NETGEAR
Network Mode: Infrastructure
WEP: Disabled or Off

5. Verify the installation was successful.
The Power light should be lit and the Ethernet Link light should be on. If the connection is

a 100 Mbps connection, the light is green. If it is a 10 Mbps connection, the light is
amber. The Ethernet connection light also flashes to indicate data is moving over the
Ethernet connection to the switch, router, or hub.

The Wireless Link light should be on and blinking. A fast blink indicates that the access
point is receiving or transmitting wireless data.

After you install the WG602 Access Point, you may customize any of the settings to better
meet your networking needs. Turn to Configuring your WG602 54 Mbps Wireless Access Point on
page 7 for more information.

Note: The characters are case sensitive. An access point always functions in infrastructure
mode. The SSID for any wireless device communicating with the access point must match the
SSID configured in the access point.

Installing the WG602 54 Mbps Wireless
Access Point

These are the basic instructions to successfully setup and configure your WG602 Wireless
Access Point. Estimated setup time is 10 to 15 minutes.

•

Install the WG602 Wireless Access Point.

• Configure the Access Point. Refer to Configuring your WG602 54 Mbps Wireless Access
Point on page 7.

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Feature Default Factory Setttings

User Name admin
Password password

Access Point Name

netgearxxxxxx where xxxxxx are the last six digits of the

AP's MAC address
AP IP Address 192.168.0.227 of DHCP is disabled
AP Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Wireless Network Name (SSID) NETGEAR
11 g/b RF Channel 11
WEP Disabled
Authentication Type Open System

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Note: There is no space required between “netgear” and the 6 digits of the access point name.

Once you have entered your access point name, your web browser should automatically
find the WG602 Access Point and display the WG602 home page, as shown above.

You may access the WG602 information page by specifying either the IP address or the
WG602 Access Point name.

For advanced users: To access the WG602 Web Server home page on the WG602 Access
Point, we suggest that you have a DHCP server on the Ethernet Network. If there is no
accessible DHCP server, the WG602 Access Point will default to the IP address of

192.168.0.227 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. You will need to configure the IP
address of the computer to be within the same subnet for the initial configuration.

Please refer to Troubleshooting on page 22 if you cannot connect to the WG602 Web Server.

4. Click Setup options to configure the WG602 Access Point and proceed to the next
section, Login to the Access Point Setup.

6. Verify wireless connectivity to your network.
Using a computer with an 802.11b or 802.11g compliant wireless adapter, browse internet

or check file access on your network. If everything is functioning properly, then you have
successfully installed the WG602 Wireless Access Point.

Having problems? If you experience any difficulties while trying to install the WG602
Wireless Access Point, please refer to Troubleshooting on page 22 for more information.

Note about increasing security: Refer to Protecting Your Wireless Network on page 18 for
more information.

Want to customize configuration settings? For information on WG602 settings, see
Configuring your WG602 54 Mbps Wireless Access Point below.

Configuring Your WG602 54 Mbps
Wireless Access Point

The WG602 Wireless Access Point can be configured remotely from Microsoft Internet
Explorer browser version 5.0 or above, or Netscape Navigator web browser version 4.78 or
above on your computer.

1. Determine the name of your access point.
To find the name of your access point, refer to the labels on the bottom of the access

point. The access point name should be similar to this, netgear10d4b5.

2. Open your web browser. (For example, this may be Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator.)

3. At the top of the window, in the Address or Location box, type the name of your access
point and press enter. (You do not need to type the prefix “www” or “http://.”)

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