NETGEAR WGR614v11 User Manual

N150 Wireless Router Model WGR614v11

User Manual

350 East Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA

October 2010 202-10737-01 v1.0

N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

into any language in any form or by any means without the written permission of NETGEAR, Inc.

Technical Support

Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. To register your product, get the latest product updates, or get support online, visit us at http://support.netgear.com.

Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR Phone (Other Countries): See Support information card.

Trademarks

NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, ReadyNAS, ProSafe, Smart Wizard, Auto Uplink, X-RAID2, and NeoTV are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.

Statement of Conditions

To improve internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur due to the use, or application of, the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein.

Revision History

Publication Part Number Version Publish Date Comments

202-10737-01 v1.0 October 2010

2 |

Contents

Chapter 1 Configuring Basic Connectivity

Chapter 2 Safeguarding Your Network

Using the Setup Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Logging In To Your Wireless Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Selecting a Language for Your Screen Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Configuring Your Internet Settings Using the Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . .11

Viewing and Configuring Basic Internet Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Your Internet Connection Does Not Require a Login. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Your Internet Connection Does Require a Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Setting Up and Testing Basic Wireless Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Recording Basic Wireless Settings Setup Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Changing Wireless Security Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Viewing Basic Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Configuring WEP Wireless Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Configuring WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK Wireless Security . . . . . . . . . .28

Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Using Push 'N' Connect (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Push Button Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Security PIN Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Configuring the WPS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Connecting Additional Wireless Client Devices after WPS Setup . . . . .35

Restricting Wireless Access by MAC Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Changing the Administrator Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Backing Up Your Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Understanding Your Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Chapter 3 Restricting Access From Your Network

Content Filtering Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Blocking Access to Internet Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Blocking Access to Internet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Blocking Services by IP Address Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Scheduling Blocking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Viewing Logs of Web Access or Attempted Web Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Configuring E-mail Alert and Web Access Log Notifications . . . . . . . . . . .45

Setting the Time Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

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Chapter 4 Customizing Your Network Settings

Using the LAN IP Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Configuring a Device Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Configuring LAN TCP/IP Setup Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Using the Router as a DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Using Address Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Using a Dynamic DNS Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Configuring the WAN Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Disabling the SPI Firewall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Setting Up a Default DMZ Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Responding to a Ping on the Internet (WAN) Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Setting the MTU Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Configuring NAT Filtering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Configuring Static Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Chapter 5 Fine-Tuning Your Network

Allowing Inbound Connections to Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

How Your Computer Accesses a Remote Computer through Your Router59

How Port Triggering Changes the Communication Process . . . . . . . . .60

How Port Forwarding Changes the Communication Process . . . . . . . .61

How Port Forwarding Differs from Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Configuring Port Forwarding to Local Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Adding a Custom Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Editing or Deleting a Port Forwarding Entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Configuring Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Using Universal Plug and Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Optimizing Wireless Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Changing the MTU Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Overview of Home and Small Office Networking Technologies. . . . . . . . .71

Assessing Your Speed Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Chapter 6 Using Network Monitoring Tools

Viewing Wireless Router Status Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Viewing a List of Attached Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Managing the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Backing Up and Restoring the Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Erasing the Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Updating the Router Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Checking for New Firmware in the Router Upgrade Screen . . . . . . . . .81

Updating Manually to New Router Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Enabling Remote Management Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Traffic Meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Chapter 7 Troubleshooting

Quick Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

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N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

Troubleshooting Basic Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Checking the Internet Service Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Obtaining an Internet IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Troubleshooting PPPoE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Troubleshooting Internet Browsing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Troubleshooting Your Network Using the Ping Utility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Testing the LAN Path to Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Testing the Path from Your Computer to a Remote Device . . . . . . . . . .95

Problems with Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Problems with Wireless Adapter Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Restoring the Default Configuration and Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Appendix A Technical Specifications

Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Default Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

Index

Contents | 5

1. Configuring Basic Connectivity

This chapter describes the settings for your Internet connection and your wireless local area network (LAN) connection. When you perform the initial configuration of your wireless router using the Resource CD as described in the NETGEAR Wireless Router Setup Manual, these settings are specified automatically for you. This chapter provides further details about these connectivity settings, as well as instructions on how to log in to the router for further configuration.

Note: NETGEAR recommends using the Smart Wizard™ on the

Resource CD for initial configuration, as described in the NETGEAR Wireless Router Setup Manual.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Using the Setup Manual on page 7

• Logging In To Your Wireless Router on page 7

• Selecting a Language for Your Screen Display on page 10

• Configuring Your Internet Settings Using the Setup Wizard on page 11

• Viewing and Configuring Basic Internet Settings on page 12

• Setting Up and Testing Basic Wireless Connectivity on page 17

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N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

Using the Setup Manual

For first-time installation of your wireless router, refer to the NETGEAR Wireless Router Setup Manual. The Setup Manual explains how to launch the NETGEAR Smart Wizard on

the Resource CD to step you through the procedure to connect your router, modem, and computers. The Smart Wizard will assist you in configuring your wireless settings and enabling wireless security for your network. After initial configuration using the Setup Manual, you can use the information in this User Manual to configure additional features of your wireless router.

For installation instructions in a language other than English, refer to the language options on the Resource CD.

Logging In To Your Wireless Router

When the wireless router is connected to your network, you can access and configure the router using your browser. The Default Access login information is printed on the bottom label of your router.

To access the router:

1. Connect to the wireless router by typing http://www.routerlogin.net in the address field

of your browser, and then press Enter. A login window displays

Figure 1.

Tip: You can connect to the wireless router by typing either of these URLs in

the address field of your browser, and then pressing Enter:

• http://www.routerlogin.net

• http://www.routerlogin.com

If these URLs do not work, you must type the IP address of the router, for example,

http://192.168.1.1.

2. Enter admin for the router user name and your password (or the default, password).

Chapter 1. Configuring Basic Connectivity | 7

N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

Note: The router user name and password are not the same as any other

user name or password you might use to log in to your Internet connection.

- The Checking for Firmware Updates screen appears unless you previously cleared

the Check for Updated Firmware Upon Log-in check box.

Figure 2.

This message displays if the router discovers that new firmware is available. (If no new firmware is available, the router will proceed to the router status screen.)

Figure 3.

- To automatically update to the new firmware, click Yes to allow the router to download

and install the new firmware file from NETGEAR.

WARNING!

When uploading firmware to the WGR614v11 router, do not interrupt the Web browser by closing the window, clicking a link, or loading a new page. If the browser is interrupted, it could corrupt the firmware.

The update process typically takes about 1 minute. When the upload is complete, your router automatically restarts.

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3. If there is no new firmware, the login will take you to the Router Status screen displayed

here.

Figure 4.

If the wireless router is connected to the Internet, you can select Knowledge Base or Documentation under Web Support in the main menu to view support information or the

documentation for the wireless router. If you do not click Logout, the wireless router will wait for 5 minutes after no activity

before it automatically logs you out.

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Selecting a Language for Your Screen Display

Using the Select Language drop-down menu, located in the upper right corner of the Router Manager screen, you can display the router manager screens in any of languages shown in Figure 1-5:

Figure 5.

The language is set to English by default. The default language is always stored in memory. When you select a language other than the default, that language as well as English is stored in memory. The additional language stored is the most recently selected. For example, if you select Deutsch, German and English will be stored. If you next select Chinese, Chinese and English will be stored.

To specify a language to be used on your router manager screens:

1. Expand the list and select the language you want.

2. Click Apply.

The language you select is then downloaded and displayed in the language selection box, and your screen display will be in the selected language.

Note: You can select from the entire list of supported languages only when

the router is connected to the Internet. When the router is not connected to the Internet, you can select one of the stored languages only.

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Configuring Your Internet Settings Using the Setup Wizard

You can manually configure your Internet connection using the Basic Settings screen, or you can allow the Setup Wizard to determine your Internet Service Provider (ISP) configuration.

The Setup Wizard searches your Internet connection for servers and protocols to determine your ISP configuration.

To use the Setup Wizard to assist with configuration or to verify the Internet connection settings:

1. Select Setup Wizard from the top of the main menu.

2. Click Next to proceed. Enter your ISP settings, as needed.

3. At the end of the Setup Wizard, click Test to verify your Internet connection. If you have

trouble connecting to the Internet, see

Chapter 7.”

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N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

Viewing and Configuring Basic Internet Settings

Settings related to your Internet service are specified in the Basic Settings screen. Select Basic Settings under Setup in the main menu.

The content you see in the Basic Settings screen depends on whether your ISP requires that you log in with a user name and password for Internet access.

Your Internet Connection Does Not Require a Login

If no login is required by your ISP, the following settings appear in the Basic Settings screen.

No login required

Figure 6.

• Account Name (might also be called Host Name). The account name is provided to the

ISP during a DHCP request from your router. In most cases, this setting is not required, but some ISPs require it for access to ISP services such as mail or news servers.

• Domain Name. The domain name is provided by your router to computers on your LAN

when the computers request DHCP settings from your router. In most cases, this settings is not required.

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• Internet IP Address. Determines how your router obtains an IP address for Internet

access.

- If your ISP assigns an IP address dynamically (by DHCP), select Get Dynamically

From ISP.

- If your ISP has assigned you a permanent, fixed (static) IP address for your computer,

select Use Static IP Address. Enter the IP address that your ISP assigned. Also, enter the subnet mask and the gateway IP address. The gateway is the ISP’s router to which your router will connect.

• Domain Name Server (DNS) Address. If you know that your ISP does not automatically

transmit DNS addresses to the router during login, select Use These DNS Servers, and enter the IP address of your ISP’s primary DNS server. If a secondary DNS server address is available, enter it also.

Note: If you enter or change a DNS address, restart the computers on

your network so that these settings take effect.

• Router MAC Address. This section determines the Ethernet MAC address that the

router will use on the Internet port. Typically, you would leave Use Default Address selected. However, some ISPs (especially cable modem providers) register the Ethernet MAC address of the network interface card in your computer when your account is first opened. They then accept only traffic from the MAC address of that computer. This feature allows your router to masquerade as that computer by “cloning” or “spoofing” its MAC address.

To change the MAC address, select one of the following methods:

- Select Use Computer MAC Address. The router will then capture and use the MAC

address of the computer that you are now using. You must be using the one computer that is allowed by the ISP.

- Select Use This MAC Address, and enter it here.

Chapter 1. Configuring Basic Connectivity | 13

N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

Your Internet Connection Does Require a Login

If a login is required by your ISP, the following settings appear in the Basic Settings screen:

Figure 7.

• Does Your Internet Connection Require A Login? If you usually must use a login

program such as WinPOET to access the Internet, your Internet connection requires a login. After you select Yes, the Basic Settings screen displays.

Note: After you finish setting up your router, you will no longer need to

launch the ISP’s login program on your computer to access the Internet. When you start an Internet application, your router will automatically log you in.

• Internet Service Provider. This drop-down list contains a few ISPs that need special

protocols for connection. Not all ISPs are listed here. The ones on this list have special requirements. The list includes:

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Figure 8.

- PPTP (Point to Point Tunneling Protocol), used primarily in Austrian DSL services

- Telstra Bigpond, an Australian residential cable modem service

Note: The Telstra Bigpond setting is only for older cable modem service

accounts still requiring a Bigpond login utility. Telstra has discontinued this type of account. Those with Telstra DSL accounts and newer cable modem accounts should select No for Does Your Internet Connection Require a Login.

- Other, which selects PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet), the protocol used

by most DSL services worldwide.

• Login and Password. This is the user name and password provided by your ISP. This

name and password are used to log in to the ISP server.

- Service Name. If your connection is capable of connecting to multiple Internet

services, this setting specifies which service to use.

- Connection Mode. This drop-down list selects when the router will connect to and

disconnect from the Internet. The list includes:

Figure 9.

• Always On. The router logs in to the Internet immediately after booting and never

disconnects.

• Dial on Demand. The router logs in only when outgoing traffic is present and logs

out after the idle time-out.

• Manually Connect. The router logs in or logs out only when the user clicks

Connect or Disconnect in the Router Status screen.

- Idle Timeout. Your Internet connection is logged out if there is no data transfer during

the specified time interval.

• Domain Name Server (DNS) Address. If you know that your ISP does not automatically

transmit DNS addresses to the router during login, select Use These DNS Servers, and

Chapter 1. Configuring Basic Connectivity | 15

N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

enter the IP address of your ISP’s primary DNS server. If a secondary DNS server address is available, enter it also.

Note: If you enter or change a DNS address, restart the computers on

your network so that these settings take effect.

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Setting Up and Testing Basic Wireless Connectivity

Follow these instructions to set up and test basic wireless connectivity. Once you have established basic wireless connectivity, you can enable security settings appropriate to your needs.

1. Select Wireless Settings under Setup in the main menu of the WGR614v11 router.

Figure 10.

2. As appropriate, select the region in which the wireless interface will operate.

Note: In North America, you will not be able to change the region setting.

3. For the wireless network name (SSID), use the default name, or choose a suitable

descriptive name. In the Name (SSID) field, you can enter a value of up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The default SSID is NETGEAR.

The SSID is case-sensitive; NETGEAR is not the same as nETgear. Also, the SSID of any wireless access adapters must match the SSID you specify in the WGR614v11 router. If they do not match, you will not get a wireless connection to the WGR614v11 router.

4. For the remaining settings, accept the defaults.

• The default channel is Auto.

It should not be necessary to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems with another nearby wireless router or access point. Select a channel that is not being used by any other wireless networks within several hundred feet of your router. For more information about the wireless channel frequencies, click the link to the online document Wireless Networking Basics in Appendix A.

• The default mode of Up to 150Mbps. The options are:

Chapter 1. Configuring Basic Connectivity | 17

N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

- Up to 54 Mbps – Legacy Mode – Maximum speed of up to 54 Mbps for b/g

networks.

- Up to 65 Mbps – Neighbor Friendly Mode – Will not interfere with neighboring

wireless networks.

- Up to 150 Mbps – Performance Mode – Maximum Wireless-N speed up to 150

Mbps.

• The default Security Options is None.

5. Click Apply to save your changes.

Note: If you are configuring the router from a wireless computer and you

change the router’s SSID, channel, or security settings, you will lose your wireless connection when you click Apply. You must then change the wireless settings of your computer to match the router’s new settings.

6. Select Wireless Settings under Advanced in the main menu of the WGR614v11 router.

Figure 11.

7. Make sure that the Enable Wireless Router Radio, Enable SSID Broadcast, and Enable

WMM check boxes are selected.

8. Click Setup Access List.

9. Make sure that the Turn Access Control On check box is not selected.

10. Configure and test your wireless computer for wireless connectivity.

Program the wireless adapter of your computer to have the same SSID and channel that you specified in the router, and disable encryption. Check that your computer has a wireless link and can obtain an IP address by DHCP from the router.

Once your computer has basic wireless connectivity to the router, you can configure the advanced wireless security functions of the computer and router (for more information about security and these settings, see Chapter 2 ”).

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2. Safeguarding Your Network

The N150 Wireless Router Model WGR614v11 provides highly effective security features, which are covered in detail in this chapter.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security on page 20

• Recording Basic Wireless Settings Setup Information on page 24

• Changing Wireless Security Settings on page 25

• Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings on page 29

• Using Push 'N' Connect (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) on page 31

• Restricting Wireless Access by MAC Address on page 36

• Changing the Administrator Password on page 38

• Backing Up Your Configuration on page 38

• Understanding Your Firewall on page 39

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Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security

Unlike wired networks, wireless networks allow anyone with a compatible adapter to receive your wireless data transmissions well beyond your walls. Operating an unsecured wireless network creates an opportunity for outsiders to eavesdrop on your network traffic or to enter your network to access your computers and files. Indoors, computers can connect over wireless networks at ranges of up to 300 feet. Such distances can allow for others outside your immediate area to access your network. Use the security features of your wireless equipment that are appropriate to your needs.

The time it takes to establish a wireless connection can vary depending on both your security settings and router placement.

Stronger security methods can entail a cost in terms of throughput, latency, battery consumption, and equipment compatibility. In choosing an appropriate security level, you can also consider the effort compared to the reward for a hacker to break into your network. As a minimum, however, NETGEAR recommends using WEP with Shared Key authentication. Do not run an unsecured wireless network unless it is your intention to provide free Internet access for the public.

WEP connections can take slightly longer to establish. Also, WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA2-PSK encryption can consume more battery power on a notebook computer, and can cause significant performance degradation with a slow computer.

Note: NETGEAR recommends that you change the administration

password of your router. Default passwords are well known, and an intruder can use your administrator access to read or disable your security settings. For information about how to change the administrator password, see on page 38.

Changing the Administrator Password

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Wireless data security options

Range: up to 300 foot radius

WGR614

Note: Use these with other features that enhance security (Table 2

Figure 1.

1) Open system: easy but no security

2) MAC access list: no data security

To configure the wireless network, you can:

• Manually specify your SSID and your wireless security settings. The WGR614v11

router provides two screens for configuring the wireless settings:

- Wireless Settings. You access these under Setup in the main menu (see Viewing

Basic Wireless Settings on page 25).

- Advanced Wireless Settings. You access these under Advanced in the main menu

(see Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings on page 29).

• Use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to automatically set the SSID and implement

WPA/WPA2 security on both the router and the client device. If the clients in your

network are WPS capable, you can use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to automatically set the SSID and implement WPA/WPA2 security on both the router and the client device (see Using Push 'N' Connect (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) on page 31).

Basic security options are listed in order of increasing effectiveness in Table 1. Other features that affect security are listed in Table 2 on page 22. For more details on wireless security methods, click the link to the online document Wireless Networking Basics in Appendix A.

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Table 1. Wireless Security Options

Security Type Description None. No wireless security. Recommended only for

troubleshooting wireless connectivity. Do not run an unsecured wireless network unless it is your intention to provide free Internet access for the public.

WEP. Wired Equivalent Privacy. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption

provides moderate data security. WEP Shared Key authentication and WEP data encryption can be defeated by a determined eavesdropper using publicly available tools.

For more information, see Configuring WEP Wireless

Security on page 27.

WPA-PSK (TKIP). WPA-PSK standard encryption with TKIP encryption type.

WPA2-PSK (AES). Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2 with Pre-Shared Key; WPA2-PSK standard encryption with the AES encryption type.

WPA-PSK (TKIP) + WPA2-PSK (AES). Mixed mode.

For more information, see Configuring WPA-PSK

and WPA2-PSK Wireless Security on page 28.

Table 2. Other Features That Enhance Security

Security Type Description

Disable the wireless router radio. If you disable the wireless router radio, wireless

devices cannot communicate with the router at all. You might disable this when you are away or when other users of your network all use wired connections.

For more information, see Viewing Advanced

Wireless Settings on page 29.

Turn off the broadcast of the wireless network name SSID.

If you disable the broadcast of the SSID, only devices that know the correct SSID can connect. This nullifies the wireless network discovery feature of some products such as Windows XP, but your data is still fully exposed to an intruder using available wireless eavesdropping tools.

For more information, see Viewing Advanced

Wireless Settings on page 29.

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Table 2. Other Features That Enhance Security

Security Type Description Restrict access based on MAC address. You can restrict access to only trusted computers so

that unknown computers cannot wirelessly connect to the WGR614v11 router. MAC address filtering adds an obstacle against unwanted access to your network by the general public, but the data broadcast over the wireless link is fully exposed. This data includes your trusted MAC addresses, which can be read and impersonated by a hacker.

For more information, see Restricting Wireless

Access by MAC Address on page 36.

Modify your firewall’s rules. By default, the firewall allows any outbound traffic

and prohibits any inbound traffic except for responses to your outbound traffic. However, you can modify the firewall’s rules.

For more information, see Understanding Your

Firewall on page 39.

Use the Push 'N' Connect feature (Wi-Fi Protected Setup).

Wi-Fi Protected Setup provides easy setup by means of a push button. Older wireless adapters and devices might not support this. Check whether devices are WPS enabled.

For more information, see Using Push 'N' Connect

(Wi-Fi Protected Setup) on page 31.

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Recording Basic Wireless Settings Setup Information

Before and after customizing your wireless settings, print this section, and record the following information. If you are working with an existing wireless network, the person who set up or is responsible for the network can provide this information. Otherwise, you must choose the settings for your wireless network. Either way, record the settings for your wireless network in the spaces provided. Store this information in a safe place.

• Wireless Network Name (SSID). ______________________________ The SSID

identifies the wireless network. You can use up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The SSID is case-sensitive. The SSID in the wireless adapter card must match the SSID of the wireless router. In some configuration utilities (such as in Windows XP), the term “wireless network name” is used instead of SSID.

• If WEP Authentication is used, circle one: Shared Key or Auto.

Note: If you select Shared Key, the other devices in the network will not

connect unless they are also set to Shared Key and are configured with the correct key.

- WEP Encryption Key Size. Choose one: 64-bit or 128-bit. Again, the encryption key

size must be the same for the wireless adapters and the wireless router.

- Data Encryption (WEP) Keys. There are two methods for creating WEP data

encryption keys. Whichever method you use, record the key values in the spaces provided.

• Passphrase Method. ______________________________ These characters

are case-sensitive. Enter a word or group of printable characters and click Generate. Not all wireless devices support the passphrase method.

• Manual Method. These values are not case-sensitive. For 64-bit WEP, enter 10

hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0–9, a–f, or A–F). For 128-bit WEP, enter 26

hexadecimal digits.

Key 1: ___________________________________ Key 2: ___________________________________ Key 3: ___________________________________ Key 4: ___________________________________

• If WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK authentication is used:

- Passphrase. ______________________________ These characters are

case-sensitive. Enter a word or group of printable characters. When you use WPA-PSK, the other devices in the network will not connect unless they are also set to WPA-PSK and are configured with the correct passphrase. Similarly, when you use WPA2-PSK, the other devices in the network will not connect unless they are also set to WPA2-PSK and are configured with the correct passphrase.

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Changing Wireless Security Settings

This section describes the wireless settings that you can view and configure in the Wireless Settings screen, which you access under Setup in the main menu.

Viewing Basic Wireless Settings

To specify the wireless security settings of your router:

1. Log in to the router as described in Logging In To Your Wireless Router on page 7.

2. Select Wireless Settings under Setup in the main menu. The Wireless Settings screen

displays.

Figure 2.

The available settings in this screen are:

• Name (SSID). The SSID is also known as the wireless network name. Enter a value of up

to 32 alphanumeric characters. When more than one wireless network is active, different wireless network names provide a way to separate the traffic. For a wireless device to participate in a particular wireless network, it must be configured with the SSID for that network. The WGR614v11 default SSID is NETGEAR. You can disable this broadcast as described in Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings on page 29.

• Region. This field identifies the region where the WGR614v11 router can be used. It

might not be legal to operate the wireless features of the wireless router in a region other than one of those identified in this field.

Note: The region selection feature might not be available in all countries.

• Channel. This field determines which operating frequency is used. It should not be

necessary to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems with another nearby wireless network. The wireless router uses channel bonding technology

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N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

to extend the bandwidth for data transmission. For more information about the wireless channel frequencies, see the online document that you can access from

Wireless

Networking Basics in Appendix A.

• Mode. The default mode is Up to 150Mbps.

Note: The maximum wireless signal rate is derived from the IEEE

Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate.

The Mode options are:

- Up to 54 Mbps - Legacy Mode with maximum speed of up to 54 Mbps for b/g

networks.

- Up to 65 Mbps - Neighbor Friendly Mode - Will not interfere with neighboring wireless

networks.

- Up to 150 Mbps - Performance Mode - Maximum Nx speeds up to 150 Mbps. Using

channel expansion to achieve the 150 Mbps data rate, the WGR614v11 will use the channel you selected as the primary channel and expand to the secondary channel (primary channel +4 or –4) to achieve a 40 MHz frame-by-frame bandwidth. The WGR614v11 will detect channel usage and will disable frame-by-frame expansion if the expansion would result in interference with the data transmission of other access points or clients.

• Security Options. The selection of wireless security options can significantly affect your

network performance. The time it takes to establish a wireless connection can vary depending on both your security settings and router placement.

Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security

on page 20. A full explanation of wireless security standards is available in the online document that you can access from Wireless Networking Basics in Appendix A.

3. Click Apply to save your settings.

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Configuring WEP Wireless Security

WEP Shared Key authentication and WEP data encryption can be defeated by a determined eavesdropper using publicly available tools.

WEP offers the following options:

• Automatic. With the Automatic option, the router will try both Open System and Shared

Key authentication. Normally this setting is suitable. If it fails, select Open System or Shared Key. You can also refer to your wireless adapter’s documentation to see what method to use.

• Open System. With Open System authentication and 64 or 128 bit WEP data encryption,

the WGR614v11 router does perform data encryption but does not perform any authentication. Anyone can join the network. This setting provides very little practical wireless security.

• Shared Key. With Shared Key authentication, a wireless device must know the WEP key

to join the network. Select the encryption strength (64 or 128 bit data encryption). Manually enter the key values, or enter a word or group of printable characters in the Passphrase field. Manually entered keys are not case-sensitive, but passphrase characters are case-sensitive.

To configure WEP data encryption:

Note: If you use a wireless computer to configure WEP settings, you will

be disconnected when you click Apply. You must then either configure your wireless adapter to match the wireless router WEP settings or access the wireless router from a wired computer to make any further changes. Not all wireless adapter configuration utilities support passphrase key generation.

1. Select Wireless Settings under Setup in the main menu.

2. In the Security Options section, select WEP. The WEP options display.

Figure 3.

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3. Select the authentication type and encryption strength.

4. You can manually or automatically program the four data encryption keys. These values

must be identical on all computers and access points in your network.

• Automatic. In the Passphrase field, enter a word or group of printable characters,

and click Generate. The passphrase is case-sensitive. For example, NETGEAR is not the same as nETgear. The four key fields are automatically populated with key values.

• Manual. Enter 10 hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0–9, a–f, or A–F). These entries are not

case-sensitive. For example, AA is the same as aa. Select which of the four keys to activate.

5. Click Apply to save your settings.

Configuring WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK Wireless Security

Wi-Fi Protected Access with Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK) data encryption provides extremely strong data security, very effectively blocking eavesdropping. Because WPA and WPA2 are relatively new standards, older wireless adapters and devices might not support them. Check whether newer drivers are available from the manufacturer. Also, you might be able to use the Push 'N' Connect feature to configure this type of security if it is supported by your wireless clients. See page 31.

Using Push 'N' Connect (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) on

WPA–Pre-Shared Key does perform authentication. WPA-PSK uses TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) data encryption, and WPA2-PSK uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) data encryption. Both methods dynamically change the encryption keys making them nearly impossible to circumvent.

Mixed mode allows clients using either WPA-PSK (TKIP) or WPA2-PSK (AES). This provides the most reliable security, and is easiest to implement, but it might not be compatible with older adapters.

Note: Not all wireless adapters support WPA. Furthermore, client software

is also required. Windows XP with Service Pack 2 does include WPA support. Nevertheless, the wireless adapter hardware and driver must also support WPA. For instructions on configuring wireless computers or PDAs (personal digital assistants) for WPA-PSK security, consult the documentation for the product you are using.

To configure WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, or WPA-PSK+WPA2-PSK:

1. Select Wireless Settings under Setup in the main menu. The Wireless Settings screen

displays.

2. Select one of the WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK options for the security type. The third option

(WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WP2-PSK [AES]) is the most flexible, since it allows clients using either WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK.

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3. In the Passphrase field, enter a word or group of 8–63 printable characters. The

passphrase is case-sensitive.

Figure 4.

4. Click Apply to save your settings.

Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings

This section describes the wireless settings that you can view and specify in the Advanced Wireless Settings screen, which you access under Advanced in the main menu.

To configure the advanced wireless security settings of your router:

1. Log in to the router as described in Logging In To Your Wireless Router on page 7.

2. Select Wireless Settings under Advanced in the main menu. The advanced Wireless

Settings screen displays

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Figure 5.

N150 Wireless Router WGR614v11 User Manual

The available settings in this screen are:

• Enable Wireless Router Radio. If you disable the wireless router radio, wireless

devices cannot connect to the WGR614v11 router. If you will not be using your wireless network for a period of time, you can clear this check box and disable all wireless connectivity.

• Enable SSID Broadcast. Clear this check box to disable broadcast of the SSID, so

that only devices that know the correct SSID can connect. Disabling SSID broadcast nullifies the wireless network discovery feature of some products such as Windows XP.

• Enable WMM. Clear this check box to disable WMM. WMM (Wireless Multimedia), a

subset of the 802.11e standard, allows wireless traffic to have a range of priorities, depending on the kind of data. Time-dependent information, like video or audio, will have a higher priority than normal traffic. For WMM to function correctly, Wireless clients must also support WMM.

• Fragmentation Threshold, CTS/RTS Threshold, and Preamble Mode. The

Fragmentation Threshold, CTS/RTS Threshold, and Preamble Mode options are reserved for wireless testing and advanced configuration only. Do not change these settings.

• WPS Settings. For information about these settings, see the section, Using Push 'N'

Connect (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) on page 31.

• Wireless Card Access List. For information about this list, see Restricting Wireless

Access by MAC Address on page 36.

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NETGEAR WGR614v11 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual