Netgear WNA1000M Owner's Manual

N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

User Manual

350 East Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA

June 2011 202-10791-01 v1.0

N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

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N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

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, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to change without notice. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered 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 Description

202-10791-01 v1.0 June 2011 Preliminary publication.

| 3

Chapter 1 Getting Started

What You Need Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Installation with Custom Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

First, Install the WNA1000M Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Then, Install Your Wireless-N USB Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Using the Smart Wizard to Connect to a Wireless Network . . . . . . . . . 10

Wireless Network and Internet Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

WNA1000M Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Smart Wizard Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Wireless-N USB Adapter LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Upgrading the Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Removing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 2 Network Connections and Wireless Security

Using the Smart Wizard After Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Disabling the Windows Zero Configuration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Viewing Wireless Networks in Your Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Joining a Network without WPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Using Push 'N' Connect to Join a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Creating Profiles to Connect to Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Wireless Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Setting Up WPA2-PSK or WPA-PSK Wireless Security . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Setting Up WEP Encryption Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Viewing Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Viewing the About Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Advanced Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Working with Ad Hoc Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Creating an Ad Hoc Mode Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Starting a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Network Connection. . . . . 27

Chapter 3 Wireless Network Performance

Optimizing Wireless Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Optimizing Your Network Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Networking Technology and Connection Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Assessing Your Network Speed Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Table of Contents | 4

N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Ad Hoc Mode Is Not Working Correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Windows XP Occasional Connection Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Appendix A Technical Specifications and Factory Default Settings

Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Appendix B Related Documents Appendix C Notification of Compliance

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1. Getting Started

This chapter describes how to install your wireless-N USB adapter with custom setup and how to connect to a wireless network. For help with express installation, see the N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M Installation Guide.

What You Need Before You Begin

Make sure your computer meets the system requirements. You should also know the name of the wireless network you want to join and its wireless security settings (if used).

• PC with a Pentium

The maximum speed of a USB v2.0 port is 480 Mbps. If your computer has a USB v1.1 port, the wireless-N USB adapter is limited to the port’s maximum speed of 14 Mbps.

• A CD drive.

• 5 Mbytes of free hard disk space.

• Vista, Windows XP Home, or Windows XP Professional. Some versions of Windows ask

for the original Windows operating system installation files to complete the installation of the WNA1000M software.

300 MHz or higher compatible processor with a USB 2.0 or 1.1 port.

Note: Windows XP users must install SP2 or install the KB822603 hot fix

(update), which fixes the USB 2.0 host controller driver. Go to the following link to install the hot fix:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang= en&FamilyID=733dd867-56a0-4956-b7fe-e85b688b7f86

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N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

Installation with Custom Setup

Note: For help with Express installation, see the N150 Wireless Micro USB

Adapter WNA1000M Installation Guide.

First, Install the WNA1000M Software

1. Insert the Resource CD in your computer’s CD drive. If the CD main screen does not

display, browse the files on the CD and double-click Autorun.exe.

2. Click Setup. The Software Update Check screen displays.

3. If you are connected to the Internet, click Check for Updates. If not, click Install from CD.

4. Accept the license agreement. Then select Custom and click Next on the Setup Type

screen.

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5. When prompted, browse to select the destination folder for your wireless adapter software,

and click Next.

6. Select one of the following methods to configure and manage your wireless network:

• Smart Wizard. Manage your wireless networks with the NETGEAR Smart Wizard.

- Automatically. Let the Smart Wizard configure the settings for your wireless-N

USB adapter.

- Manual. Specify the settings for your wireless-N USB adapter in the Settings

screen.

• Windows Utility. Connect to and manage your wireless networks using only the

Windows configuration utility.

Then, Install Your Wireless-N USB Adapter

You are prompted to insert your adapter:

1. Insert the adapter into a USB port on your computer.

Note: For best results, put the wireless adapter at least 4 feet (1 meter)

away from your router.

Chapter 1: Getting Started | 9

N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

2. Click Next. The Smart Wizard software detects the adapter.

3. Follow the onscreen prompts to install the driver and complete the installation.

How you connect to a network depends on what you selected during custom installation.

• If you installed the Smart Wizard with automatic configuration, see the following

section, Using the Smart Wizard to Connect to a Wireless Network.”

• If you installed the Smart Wizard with manual configuration, the Settings tab displays.

See Viewing Wireless Networks in Your Area on page 17.

• To use a Windows utility, see your Windows documentation or the NETGEAR

application note at

http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/winzerocfg/index.htm.

Using the Smart Wizard to Connect to a Wireless Network

After the software is installed, you are prompted to connect to a wireless network.

1. One of the following screens displays:

WPS network

• WPS network: A network in your area supports Push 'N' Connect (also called WPS).

Click Next, and follow the prompts to push the WPS button on your adapter and on your router. Then connect without entering a password.

• No WPS networks: Select a wireless network from the list and click Next. To connect

to a secure network, you must enter its passphrase or network key.

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No WPS networks

N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

2. The adapter connects to the network, which can take a minute or two. Your settings are

saved in a profile, which you can name:

3. Click Finish, and the Smart Wizard Settings screen displays.

The icon appears in the system tray and on the desktop so you can open the Smart Wizard to make changes or connect to a different wireless network.

Wireless Network and Internet Connections

The Smart Wizard and wireless-N USB adapter provide several ways to check the status of your connection to a wireless network and to the Internet:

• WNA1000M icon. After you install the WNA1000M software, the icon appears on the

desktop and in the right on the Windows task bar. It is color coded to show the status of the connection.

• Smart Wizard status bar. Clicking on the system tray icon opens the Smart Wizard. The

status bar at the bottom of the screen shows details about your wireless and Internet connection. See Smart Wizard Status Bar.

• Adapter LED status lights. The LED on the wireless-N USB adapter shows the network

connection. Solid indicates a connection. The LED blinks when the wireless-N USB adapter is looking for a network association and when it is sending or receiving data. See

Wireless-N USB Adapter LED on page 14.

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N150 Wireless Micro USB Adapter WNA1000M

WNA1000M Icon

This icon is on the desktop and in the Windows system tray. The system tray is on one end of the task bar in the Microsoft Windows desktop. The icon color shows the wireless connection.

Color Meaning Recommended Action

Red The wireless-N USB adapter is not

connected to a wireless network.

Yellow The wireless-N USB adapter has a

weak wireless connection.

Green The wireless connection is good. No action is required

Check your configuration, or try moving to a location where the wireless signal quality is better.

Move to a better location, such as closer to the wireless access point. Also, look for interference such as from a

2.4 GHz cordless phone or large metal surface.

Smart Wizard Status Bar

For more information, you can view the Smart Wizard status bar. Click the icon to open the Smart Wizard status bar. The Smart Wizard Settings tab displays. The status bar is located at the bottom of the Settings tab.

Security

Wireless network

Channel

Throughput

Signal strength

Join a Network

Connection status

The following table describes how to interpret the Smart Wizard status bar.

Understanding the Status Bar

Wireless network Identifies which wireless network you have joined.

Security

• A closed lock indicates that security is enabled.

• An open lock indicates an open network without wireless security.

Channel The wireless channel used by the network. If many wireless networks in

your area use the same channel, they can interfere with one another.

Throughput

• To optimize wireless throughput, connect to a network with a

high-speed router or access point and a high-speed Internet connection.See

Chapter 3.

• If your computer has a USB v1.1 port, the wireless-N USB adapter is

limited to that port’s maximum speed, which is 14 Mbps.

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Understanding the Status Bar (Continued)

Signal strength More dots indicates a stronger signal. Usually, you experience higher

throughput when the signal is strongest.

Join a Network Click Join a Network to open the Connection Wizard.

Connection status

The status of your network connection.

• Connected to Internet. The wireless Internet connection is OK.

• Connected to Router. The wireless connection to the router is OK, but

the router is not connected to the Internet.

169.254.x.x or ___.___.___.___. The wireless connection to the router is OK, but there is a problem with the router. See the online help or

Chapter 4.

The connection status is useful in isolating a problem. For example, if you are connected to a router, but not to the Internet, check the router’s Internet connection.

Internet Connection and Smart Wizard Configuration

You can turn off the Internet notification feature on the Status bar. Right-click the system tray icon to view the Enable Internet Connected Notification check mark. If you clear the checkmark, only the IP address is shown.

Windows XP

In Microsoft Windows 7 and Vista, there is one more option. If you clear the Enable NETGEAR Smart Wizard check mark, the NETGEAR Smart Wizard is disabled, and you must set up the wireless adapter with auto-configuration.

Windows 7 and Vista

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