NETGEAR WNR500 User Manual

202-10962-01
December 2011
v1.0

NETGEAR, Inc.
350 E. Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 USA

N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500
User Manual

ii

v1.0, December 2011

©2011 by NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Registration, Support, and Documentation

Register your product at http://www.netgear.com/register. Registration is required before you can use our telephone
support service. Product updates and Web support are always available at http://www.netgear.com/support.

Setup documentation is available on the support website and on the documentation website. When the wireless router is
connected to the Internet, click the Knowledge Base or the Documentation link under Web Support on the main menu to
view support information.

Trademarks

NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks 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

In the interest of improving 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.

Certificate of the Manufacturer/Importer

It is hereby certified that the N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500 has been suppressed in accordance with the
conditions set out in the BMPT-AmtsblVfg 243/1991 and Vfg 46/1992. The operation of some equipment (for example,
test transmitters) in accordance with the regulations may, however, be subject to certain restrictions. Please refer to the
notes in the operating instructions.

Federal Office for Telecommunications Approvals has been notified of the placing of this equipment on the market
and has been granted the right to test the series for compliance with the regulations.

Bestätigung des Herstellers/Importeurs

Es wird hiermit bestätigt, daß das N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500 gemäß der im BMPT-AmtsblVfg 243/1991
und Vfg 46/1992 aufgeführten Bestimmungen entstört ist. Das vorschriftsmäßige Betreiben einiger Geräte (z.B.
Testsender) kann jedoch gewissen Beschränkungen unterliegen. Lesen Sie dazu bitte die Anmerkungen in der
Betriebsanleitung.

Das Bundesamt für Zulassungen in der Telekommunikation wurde davon unterrichtet, daß dieses Gerät auf den Markt
gebracht wurde und es ist berechtigt, die Serie auf die Erfüllung der Vorschriften hin zu überprüfen.

Regulatory Compliance Information

This section includes user requirements for operating this product in accordance with National laws for usage of radio
spectrum and operation of radio devices. Failure of the end-user to comply with the applicable requirements may result
in unlawful operation and adverse action against the end-user by the applicable National regulatory authority.

NOTE: This product's firmware limits operation to only the channels allowed in a particular Region or Country.

Therefore, all options described in this user's guide may not be available in your version of the product.

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iii

Europe – EU Declaration of Conformity

Marking by the above symbol indicates compliance with the Essential Requirements of the R&TTE Directive of the
European Union (1999/5/EC). This equipment meets the following conformance standards:

EN300 328 (2.4Ghz), EN301 489-17, EN301 893 (5Ghz), EN60950-1

For complete DoC please visit the NETGEAR EU Declarations of Conformity website at:

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11621/

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iv

EDOC in Languages of the European Community

Cesky [Czech] NETGEAR Inc. tímto prohlašuje, že tento Radiolan je ve shode se základními

požadavky a dalšími príslušnými ustanoveními smernice 1999/5/ES.

Dansk [Danish] Undertegnede NETGEAR Inc. erklærer herved, at følgende udstyr Radiolan

overholder de væsentlige krav og øvrige relevante krav i direktiv 1999/5/EF.

Deutsch [German] Hiermit erklärt NETGEAR Inc., dass sich das Gerät Radiolan in

Übereinstimmung mit den grundlegenden Anforderungen und den übrigen
einschlägigen Bestimmungen der Richtlinie 1999/5/EG befindet.

Eesti [Estonian] Käesolevaga kinnitab NETGEAR Inc. seadme Radiolan vastavust direktiivi

1999/5/EÜ põhinõuetele ja nimetatud direktiivist tulenevatele teistele
asjakohastele sätetele.

English Hereby, NETGEAR Inc., declares that this Radiolan is in compliance with the

essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC.

Español [Spanish] Por medio de la presente NETGEAR Inc. declara que el Radiolan cumple con

los requisitos esenciales y cualesquiera otras disposiciones aplicables o
exigibles de la Directiva 1999/5/CE.

Ελληνική [Greek] ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΑ NETGEAR Inc. ΔΗΛΩΝΕΙ ΟΤΙ Radiolan

ΣΥΜΜΟΡΦΩΝΕΤΑΙ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΙΣ ΟΥΣΙΩΔΕΙΣ ΑΠΑΙΤΗΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΣ ΛΟΙΠΕΣ
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΕΣ ΔΙΑΤΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΔΗΓΙΑΣ 1999/5/ΕΚ.

Français [French] Par la présente NETGEAR Inc. déclare que l'appareil Radiolan est conforme

aux exigences essentielles et aux autres dispositions pertinentes de la directive
1999/5/CE.

Italiano [Italian] Con la presente NETGEAR Inc. dichiara che questo Radiolan è conforme ai

requisiti essenziali ed alle altre disposizioni pertinenti stabilite dalla direttiva
1999/5/CE.

Latviski [Latvian] Ar šo NETGEAR Inc. deklarē, ka Radiolan atbilst Direktīvas 1999/5/EK

būtiskajām prasībām un citiem ar to saistītajiem noteikumiem.

Lietuvių [Lithuanian] Šiuo NETGEAR Inc. deklaruoja, kad šis Radiolan atitinka esminius reikalavimus

ir kitas 1999/5/EB Direktyvos nuostatas.

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This device is a 2.4 GHz wideband transmission system (transceiver), intended for use in all EU member states and
EFTA countries, except in France and Italy where restrictive use applies.

In Italy the end-user should apply for a license at the national spectrum authorities in order to obtain authorization to use
the device for setting up outdoor radio links and/or for supplying public access to telecommunications and/or network
services.

This device may not be used for setting up outdoor radio links in France and in some areas the RF output power may be
limited to 10 mW EIRP in the frequency range of 2454 – 2483.5 MHz. For detailed information the end-user should
contact the national spectrum authority in France.

Nederlands [Dutch] Hierbij verklaart NETGEAR Inc. dat het toestel Radiolan in overeenstemming is

met de essentiële eisen en de andere relevante bepalingen van richtlijn 1999/5/
EG.

Malti [Maltese] Hawnhekk, NETGEAR Inc., jiddikjara li dan Radiolan jikkonforma mal-htigijiet

essenzjali u ma provvedimenti ohrajn relevanti li hemm fid-Dirrettiva 1999/5/EC.

Magyar [Hungarian] Alulírott, NETGEAR Inc. nyilatkozom, hogy a Radiolan megfelel a vonatkozó

alapvetõ követelményeknek és az 1999/5/EC irányelv egyéb elõírásainak.

Polski [Polish] Niniejszym NETGEAR Inc. oświadcza, że Radiolan jest zgodny z zasadniczymi

wymogami oraz pozostałymi stosownymi postanowieniami Dyrektywy 1999/5/
EC.

Português [Portuguese] NETGEAR Inc. declara que este Radiolan está conforme com os requisitos

essenciais e outras disposições da Directiva 1999/5/CE.

Slovensko [Slovenian] NETGEAR Inc. izjavlja, da je ta Radiolan v skladu z bistvenimi zahtevami in

ostalimi relevantnimi določili direktive 1999/5/ES.

Slovensky [Slovak] NETGEAR Inc. týmto vyhlasuje, že Radiolan spĺňa základné požiadavky a

všetky príslušné ustanovenia Smernice 1999/5/ES.

Suomi [Finnish] NETGEAR Inc. vakuuttaa täten että Radiolan tyyppinen laite on direktiivin 1999/

5/EY oleellisten vaatimusten ja sitä koskevien direktiivin muiden ehtojen
mukainen.

Svenska [Swedish] Härmed intygar NETGEAR Inc. att denna Radiolan står I överensstämmelse

med de väsentliga egenskapskrav och övriga relevanta bestämmelser som
framgår av direktiv 1999/5/EG.

Íslenska [Icelandic] Hér með lýsir NETGEAR Inc. yfir því að Radiolan er í samræmi við grunnkröfur

og aðrar kröfur, sem gerðar eru í tilskipun 1999/5/EC.

Norsk [Norwegian] NETGEAR Inc. erklærer herved at utstyret Radiolan er i samsvar med de

grunnleggende krav og øvrige relevante krav i direktiv 1999/5/EF.

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FCC Requirements for Operation in the United States

FCC Information to User

This product does not contain any user serviceable components and is to be used with approved antennas only. Any
product changes or modifications will invalidate all applicable regulatory certifications and approvals

FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure

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

This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

FCC Declaration of Conformity

We, NETGEAR, Inc., 350 East Plumeria Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95134, declare under our sole responsibility that the
model MS2110 TBD complies with Part 15 Subpart B of FCC CFR47 Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:

• This device may not cause harmful interference, and

• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

FCC Radio Frequency Interference Warnings & Instructions

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits 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 uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with 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 can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following methods:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an electrical outlet on a circuit different from that which the radio receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

FCC Caution

• Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate this equipment.

• This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.

• For product available in the USA market, only channel 1~11 can be operated. Selection of other channels is not
possible.

• This device and its antenna(s) must not be co-located or operation in conjunction with any other antenna or
transmitter.

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vii

Canadian Department of Communications Radio Interference Regulations

This digital apparatus (TBD) does not exceed the Class B limits for radio-noise emissions from digital apparatus as set
out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

Voluntary Control Council for Interference (VCCI) Statement

This equipment is in the Class B category (information equipment to be used in a residential area or an adjacent area
thereto) and conforms to the standards set by the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Data Processing
Equipment and Electronic Office Machines aimed at preventing radio interference in such residential areas.

When used near a radio or TV receiver, it may become the cause of radio interference. Read instructions for correct
handling.

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v1.0, November 2011

Contents

Chapter 1 Configuring Basic Connectivity

Logging In To Your Wireless Router ..............................................................................1-1

Selecting a Language for Your Screen Display ..............................................................1-4

Configuring Your Internet Settings Using the Setup Wizard ...........................................1-6

Viewing and Configuring Basic Internet Settings ............................................................1-6

Your Internet Connection Does Not Require a Login ...............................................1-7

Your Internet Connection Does Require a Login .....................................................1-9

Setting Up and Testing Wireless-N 150 Connectivity ...................................................1-11

Chapter 2 Safeguarding Your Network

Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security ........................................................................2-1

Recording Wireless-N 150 Settings Setup Information ..................................................2-5

Changing Wireless Security Settings .............................................................................2-6

Viewing Wireless-N 150 Settings .............................................................................2-6

Configuring WEP Wireless Security .........................................................................2-9

Configuring WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK Wireless Security ....................................2-10

Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings ...........................................................................2-12

Configuring WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) .....................................................2-13

Security PIN Entry ..................................................................................................2-15

Configuring the WPS Settings ................................................................................2-16

Connecting Additional Wireless Client Devices after WPS Setup ..........................2-17

Restricting Wireless Access by MAC Address .............................................................2-18

Changing the Administrator Password .........................................................................2-20

Adding Guest Networks ................................................................................................2-21

Backing Up Your Configuration ....................................................................................2-23

Understanding Your Firewall ........................................................................................2-23

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Chapter 3 Restricting Access From Your Network

Content Filtering Overview .............................................................................................3-1

Blocking Access to Internet Sites ...................................................................................3-1

Blocking Access to Internet Services .............................................................................3-3

Blocking Services by IP Address Range ..................................................................3-5

Scheduling Blocking .......................................................................................................3-5

Viewing Logs of Web Access or Attempted Web Access ...............................................3-6

Configuring E-mail Alert and Web Access Log Notifications ..........................................3-7

Chapter 4 Customizing Your Network Settings

Using the LAN IP Setup Options ....................................................................................4-1

Configuring a Device Name .....................................................................................4-2

Configuring LAN TCP/IP Setup Parameters ............................................................4-2

Using the Router as a DHCP Server ........................................................................4-3

Using Address Reservation ......................................................................................4-4

Using a Dynamic DNS Service .......................................................................................4-5

Configuring the WAN Setup Options ..............................................................................4-7

Disabling Port Scan and DOS Protection .................................................................4-8

Setting Up a Default DMZ Server .............................................................................4-8

Responding to a Ping on the Internet (WAN) Port ...................................................4-8

Setting the MTU Size ...............................................................................................4-9

Disabling IGMP Proxying .........................................................................................4-9

Disabling SIP ALG ...................................................................................................4-9

Enabling IPv6 Pass-Through ...................................................................................4-9

Configuring NAT Filtering .........................................................................................4-9

Configuring Static Routes .............................................................................................4-10

Wireless Repeating Function ........................................................................................4-12

Configuring the Wireless Basic Station. .................................................................4-12

Configuring the Repeater .......................................................................................4-15

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Chapter 5 Fine-Tuning Your Network

Allowing Inbound Connections to Your Network ............................................................5-1

How Your Computer Accesses a Remote Computer through Your Router .............5-2

How Port Triggering Changes the Communication Process ....................................5-3

How Port Forwarding Changes the Communication Process ..................................5-5

How Port Forwarding Differs from Port Triggering ...................................................5-6

Configuring Port Forwarding to Local Servers ................................................................5-6

Adding a Custom Service .........................................................................................5-7

Editing or Deleting a Port Forwarding Entry .............................................................5-8

Configuring Port Triggering ............................................................................................5-9

Using Universal Plug and Play .....................................................................................5-12

Optimizing Wireless Performance ................................................................................5-14

Changing the MTU Size ...............................................................................................5-15

Quality of Service .........................................................................................................5-16

Using WMM QoS for Wireless Multimedia Applications .........................................5-16

Configuring QoS for Internet Access ......................................................................5-17

Overview of Home and Small Office Networking Technologies ...................................5-22

Assessing Your Speed Requirements ...................................................................5-23

Chapter 6 Using Network Monitoring Tools

Viewing Wireless Router Status Information ..................................................................6-2

Viewing a List of Attached Devices ................................................................................6-7

Managing the Configuration File .....................................................................................6-7

Backing Up and Restoring the Configuration ...........................................................6-8

Erasing the Configuration .........................................................................................6-8

Updating the Router Firmware .......................................................................................6-9

Checking for New Firmware in the Router Upgrade Screen ....................................6-9

Updating Manually to New Router Firmware .........................................................6-11

Enabling Remote Management Access .......................................................................6-12

Traffic Meter .................................................................................................................6-13

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Chapter 7 Troubleshooting

Quick Tips .......................................................................................................................7-1

Troubleshooting Basic Functions ...................................................................................7-2

Login Problems ...............................................................................................................7-3

Checking the Internet Service Connection .....................................................................7-4

Obtaining an Internet IP Address .............................................................................7-5

Troubleshooting PPPoE ...........................................................................................7-5

Troubleshooting Internet Browsing ..........................................................................7-6

Troubleshooting Your Network Using the Ping Utility .....................................................7-7

Testing the LAN Path to Your Router .......................................................................7-7

Testing the Path from Your Computer to a Remote Device .....................................7-8

Problems with Date and Time ........................................................................................7-9

Problems with Wireless Adapter Connections ................................................................7-9

Restoring the Default Configuration and Password ......................................................7-10

Appendix A Technical Specifications

Default Configuration Settings ....................................................................................... A-1

General Specifications ................................................................................................... A-3

Appendix B Related Documents

Index

1-1

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Chapter 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,
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.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• “Logging In To Your Wireless Router” on page 1-1

• “Configuring Your Internet Settings Using the Setup Wizard” on page 1-6

• “Viewing and Configuring Basic Internet Settings” on page 1-6

• “Setting Up and Testing Wireless-N 150 Connectivity” on page 1-11

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:

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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.

2. Enter admin for the router user name and your password (or the default, password). For
information about how to change the password, see “Changing the Administrator Password”

on page 2-15.

Figure 1-1

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://www.192.168.1.1.

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.

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– The Checking for Firmware Updates screen appears unless you previously cleared the

Check for Updated Firmware Upon Log-in check box.

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.)

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

and install the new firmware file from NETGEAR.

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

3. If there is no new firmware, the login will take you to the Basic Settings screen displayed here.

Figure 1-2

Figure 1-3

Warning: When uploading firmware to the WNR500 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.

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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.

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 1-4

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Figure 1-5

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, do the following:

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

2. Click Apply.

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

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, “Troubleshooting.”

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.

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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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.

• 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 setting is not
required.

• 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.

Figure 1-6

No login required

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– 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.

• 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.

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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Your Internet Connection Does Require a Login

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

• Does Your Internet Connection Require A Login? If you usually 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.

Figure 1-7

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.

Login required

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• 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:

– PPTP (Point to Point Tunneling Protocol), used primarily in Austrian DSL services.
– PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet), the protocol used by most DSL services

worldwide.

– L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol), used in Russian DSL services.

• 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:

• 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.

Figure 1-8

Figure 1-9

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v1.0, November 2011

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

Setting Up and Testing Wireless-N 150 Connectivity

Follow these instructions to set up and test Wireless-N 150 connectivity. Once you have
established Wireless-N 150 connectivity, you can enable security settings appropriate to your
needs.

1. Select Wireless Settings under Setup in the main menu of the WNR500 router.

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

so that these settings take effect.

Figure 1-10

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

3. For Wireless Network, check either of the following:

• Enable SSID Broadcast. If checked, the SSID will be broadcast in this channel. This

check box is selected by default. 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 Wireless Isolation. If checked, the wireless client under SSID can only access the

Internet, and cannot access other wireless clients, including clients under the same SSID,
Ethernet clients, or clients associated with this device. The wireless client cannot be
accessed by any other clients either.

4. 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.

5. 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 B.

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

– 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.

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

Note: 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
WNR500 router. If they do not match, you will not get a wireless connection to
the WNR500 router.

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• The default Security Options is None.

6. Click Apply to save your changes.

7. Select Wireless Settings under Advanced in the main menu of the WNR500 router.

8. Make sure that the Enable Wireless Router Radio check box is selected.

9. Click Setup Access List.

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

11. 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 Wireless-N 150 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, “Safeguarding Your Network ”).

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.

Figure 1-11

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2-1

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Chapter 2

Safeguarding Your Network

The N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500 provides highly effective security features, which are
covered in detail in this chapter.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• “Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security”

• “Recording Wireless-N 150 Settings Setup Information” on page 2-5

• “Changing Wireless Security Settings” on page 2-6

• “Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings” on page 2-12

• “Configuring WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13

• “Restricting Wireless Access by MAC Address” on page 2-18

• “Changing the Administrator Password” on page 2-20

• “Adding Guest Networks” on page 2-21

• “Backing Up Your Configuration” on page 2-23

• “Understanding Your Firewall” on page 2-23

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.

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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.

To configure the wireless network, you can:

• Manually specify your SSID and your wireless security settings. The WNR500 router
provides two screens for configuring the wireless settings:

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

Wireless-N 150 Settings” on page 2-6).

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 “Changing the Administrator

Password” on page 2-20.

Figure 2-1

WNR500

1) Open system: easy but no security

2) MAC access list: no data security

3) WEP: security but some performance
impact

4) WPA-PSK: strong security

5) WPA2-PSK: very strong security

Wireless data

security options

Range: up to 300 foot radius

Note: Use these with other features that enhance security (Table 2-2 on page 2-4).

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– Advanced Wireless Settings. You access these under Advanced in the main menu (see

“Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings” on page 2-12).

• 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 “Configuring

WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13).

Basic security options are listed in order of increasing effectiveness in Table 2-1. Other features
that affect security are listed in Table 2-2 on page 2-4. For more details on wireless security
methods, click the link to the online document “Wireless Networking Basics” in Appendix B.

Table 2-1. 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 2-9.

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.

Wi-Fi Protected Access with Pre-Shared Key (WPA­PSK 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.
For more information, see “Configuring WPA-PSK

and WPA2-PSK Wireless Security” on page 2-10.

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Table 2-2. 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 2-12.

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 2-12.

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

that unknown computers cannot wirelessly connect
to the WNR500 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 2-18.

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 2-23.

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 “Configuring WPS

Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13.

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Recording Wireless-N 150 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.

• 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.

– 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:

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.

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– 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.

Use the procedures described in the following sections to specify the WNR500 router. Store this
information in a safe place.

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 Wireless-N 150 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 1-1.

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

The available settings in this screen are:

• Enable SSID Broadcast. If checked, the SSID will be broadcast in this channel.

• Enable Wireless Isolation. If checked, the wireless client under SSID can only access the

Internet, and cannot access other wireless clients, including clients under the same SSID,
Ethernet clients, or clients associated with this device.

• 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
WNR500 default SSID is NETGEAR. You can disable this broadcast as described in

“Viewing Advanced Wireless Settings” on page 2-12.

Figure 2-2

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• Region. This field identifies the region where the WNR500 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.

• 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 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 B.

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

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 WNR500 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 WNR500 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.

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

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.

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WEP connections can take slightly longer to establish. Also, WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA2­PSK encryption can consume more battery power on a notebook computer, and can cause
significant performance degradation with a slow computer. Instructions for configuring the
security options can be found in “Choosing Appropriate Wireless Security” on page 2-1. A full
explanation of wireless security standards is available in the online document that you can
access from “Wireless Networking Basics” in Appendix B.

3. Click Apply to save your settings.

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
WNR500 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:

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

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

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.

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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 “Configuring WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13.

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.

Figure 2-3

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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.

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.

3. In the Passphrase field, enter a word or group of 8–63 printable characters. The passphrase is
case-sensitive.

4. Click Apply to save your settings.

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.

Figure 2-4

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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 1-1.

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

screen displays

The available settings in this screen are:

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

cannot connect to the WNR500 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.

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

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

Figure 2-5

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• Transmit Power Control. There are four different settings for transmit power control:

100% (the default), 75%, 50%, and 25%.

• WPS Settings. For information about these settings, see the section, “Configuring WPS

Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13.

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

Access by MAC Address” on page 2-18.

.

Configuring WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)

If your wireless clients support Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), you can use this feature to configure
the router’s network name (SSID) and security settings and, at the same time, connect a wireless
client securely and easily to the router. Look for the symbol on your client device. WPS
automatically configures the network name (SSID) and wireless security settings for the router (if
the router is in its default state) and broadcasts these settings to the wireless client.

When you add wireless clients, whether or not they are WPS enabled, the added devices must
share the same network name (SSID) and security passphrase. For more information, see

“Connecting Additional Wireless Client Devices after WPS Setup” on page 2-17.

To connect to a wireless client that supports WPS, do the following:

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

2. Select Add WPS Client in the main menu, and click Next.

Note: If you choose to use WPS, the only security methods supported are WPA-PSK and

WPA2-PSK. WEP security is not supported by WPS.

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3. Select the Push Button setup method.

4. Click the button in the Add WPS Client screen. The Connecting to New Wireless Client

screen displays.

The green light on the WNR500 router begins to blink in a regular pattern. While the
button light is blinking, you have 2 minutes to enable WPS on the device you are trying to
connect to the router.

5. In the wireless client, follow its specific networking instructions to enable WPS, to allow it to
connect to the router.

The WNR500 router’s green light ceases blinking and remains on when one of these
conditions occurs:

• The router and the client establish a wireless connection.

• The 2-minute window period expires for establishing a WPS connection. If the connection

is not established, no WPS security settings will be specified in the WNR500 router.

Figure 2-6

Figure 2-7

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Security PIN Entry

There are two ways to enable a wireless client to join a network using a PIN: using the router’s
security PIN or using the wireless client’s security PIN.

Using the Router’s Security PIN

1. Obtain your router’s security PIN from the rear panel of the router or from the Advanced
Wireless Settings screen.

2. On the wireless client, follow its specific networking instructions to enter the router’s security
PIN and to establish a wireless connection with the router.

Using the Wireless Client’s Security PIN

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

2. Select Add WPS Client in the main menu, and click Next.

3. Select the PIN Number setup method.

4. On the wireless client, obtain its security PIN, or follow its specific networking instructions to

generate a client security PIN.

5. In the Add WPS Client screen of the WNR500 router, enter the client security PIN in the
Enter Client’s PIN field.

Figure 2-8

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6. Click Next. The following screen displays, and the Smart Wizard initiates the wireless
connection:

Configuring the WPS Settings

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

2. Select Advanced Wireless Settings under Advanced in the main menu REPLACE PIC.

These options are available under WPS Settings:

• Router’s PIN. The PIN is displayed so that you can use it to configure the router through

WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). It is also displayed on the router’s label.

• Enable WPS. ADD DESCRIPTION.

• Disable Router’s PIN. If the router’s PIN is disabled, you cannot configure the router’s

wireless settings with WPS. However, if your settings are already configured, you can still
add WPS-enabled wireless clients. The router might disable the PIN if it detects
suspicious attempts to break into your wireless settings; this can happen if the check box is
selected. You can enable the PIN by clearing the check box and clicking Apply.

Figure 2-9

Figure 2-10

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• Keep Existing Wireless Settings. This check box is automatically selected after WPS is

enabled to prevent unwanted settings changes, and is also selected if you have already
specified wireless security settings or your SSID without using WPS. When this check
box is not selected, adding a new wireless client using the Add WPS Client screen (see

“Configuring WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13) changes the router’s

SSID and security passphrase. You might need to clear it if you are using certain
registrars, such as for a Windows Vista PC, to configure the router through WPS.

Connecting Additional Wireless Client Devices after WPS Setup

You can add WPS-enabled and non-WPS-enabled client devices.

Adding Additional WPS-Enabled Clients

To add an additional wireless client device that is WPS enabled:

1. Follow the procedures in “Configuring WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13
or “Security PIN Entry” on page 2-15.

2. For information about how to view a list of all devices connected to your router (including
wireless and Ethernet-connected), see “Viewing a List of Attached Devices” on page 6-7.

Adding Additional Non-WPS-Enabled Clients

If you are connecting a combination of WPS-enabled clients and clients that are not WPS enabled,
you cannot use the WPS setup procedures to add clients that are not WPS enabled.

To connect both non-WPS-enabled and WPS-enabled clients to the WNR500 router:

1. Configure the settings of the WNR500 router (shown in the Wireless Settings screen) for
WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK security, and record that information. See “Configuring WPA-PSK

and WPA2-PSK Wireless Security” on page 2-10.

When you change security settings, all existing connected wireless clients that do not share
those settings are disassociated and disconnected from the router.

Note: Your wireless settings do not change when you add an additional WPS-enabled

client unless you have cleared the Keep Existing Wireless Settings check box (in
the Wireless Settings screen). If you do clear the check box, a new SSID and a
passphrase are generated, and all existing connected wireless clients are
disassociated and disconnected from the router.

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2. For the non-WPS-enabled devices that you wish to connect, open the networking utility, and
follow the utility’s instructions to enter security settings.

3. For the WPS-enabled devices that you wish to connect, follow the procedures in “Configuring

WPS Security (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)” on page 2-13.

The WNR500 router automatically preserves the settings you configured in step 1 so all clients
share the same security settings (for more information, see “Configuring the WPS Settings” on

page 2-16).

4. For information about how to view a list of all devices connected to your router (including
wireless and Ethernet connected), see “Viewing a List of Attached Devices” on page 6-7.

Restricting Wireless Access by MAC Address

When a Wireless Card Access List is configured and enabled, the router checks the MAC address
of any wireless device attempting a connection and allows only connections to computers
identified on the trusted computers list.

The Wireless Card Access List displays a list of wireless computers that you allow to connect to
the router based on their MAC addresses. These wireless computers must also have the correct
SSID and wireless security settings to access the wireless router.

The MAC address is a network device’s unique 12-character physical address, containing the
hexadecimal characters 0–9, a–f, or A–F only, and separated by colons (for example,
00:09:AB:CD:EF:01). It can usually be found on the bottom of the wireless card or network
interface device. If you do not have access to the physical label, you can display the MAC address
using the network configuration utilities of the computer. In WindowsXP, for example, typing the

ipconfig/all command in an MSDOS command prompt window displays the MAC address as

Physical Address. You might also find the MAC addresses in the router’s Attached Devices
screen.

To restrict access based on MAC addresses:

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

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2. In the Advanced Wireless Settings screen, click Setup Access List to display the Wireless
Card Access List.

3. Click Add to add a wireless device to the wireless access control list. The Wireless Card
Access Setup screen opens and displays a list of currently active wireless cards and their
Ethernet MAC addresses.

4. If the computer you want appears in the Available Wireless Cards list, you can select the radio
button of that computer to capture its MAC address; otherwise, you can manually enter a name
and the MAC address of the authorized computer. You can usually find the MAC address on
the bottom of the wireless device.

Figure 2-11

Figure 2-12

Tip: You can copy and paste the MAC addresses from the router’s Attached Devices

screen into the MAC Address field of this screen. To do this, configure each
wireless computer to obtain a wireless link to the router. The computer should
then appear in the Attached Devices screen.

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5. Click Add to add this wireless device to the Wireless Card Access List. The screen changes
back to the list screen.

6. Repeat step 3 through step 5 for each additional device you want to add to the list.

7. Select the Turn Access Control On check box.

8. Click Apply to save your Wireless Card Access List settings.

Now, only devices on this list can wirelessly connect to the WNR500 router.

Changing the Administrator Password

The default password for the router’s Web Configuration Manager is password. NETGEAR
recommends that you change this password to a more secure password.

Note: When configuring the router from a wireless computer whose MAC address is

not in the Trusted PC list, if you select Turn Access Control On, you lose
your wireless connection when you click Apply. You must then access the
wireless router from a wired computer or from a wireless computer that is on
the access control list to make any further changes.

Warning: MAC address filtering adds an obstacle against unwanted access to your

network by the general public. However, because your trusted MAC
addresses appear in your wireless transmissions, an intruder can read them
and impersonate them. Do not rely on MAC address filtering alone to
secure your network.

Tip: Before changing the router password, back up your configuration settings with the

default password of password. If you save the settings with a new password, and
then you later forget the new password, you will have to reset the router back to the
factory defaults, and log in using the default password of password. This means you
will have to re-enter all the router configuration settings. For information about how
to back up your settings, see “Backing Up and Restoring the Configuration” on

page 6-8.

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To change the administrator password:

1. On the main menu, under Maintenance, select Set Password to display the Set Password
screen.

2. To change the password, first enter the old password, then enter the new password twice.

3. Click Apply.

Adding Guest Networks

Adding a guest network allows visitors at your home to use the Internet without having to know
your wireless security key.

To add a guest network, do the following:

Figure 2-13

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1. Select Guest Network from the Setup menu. The Guest Network Settings screen appears

2. Select any of the following Wireless settings:

– Enable Guest Network – When this check box is selected, the guest network is enabled,

and guests can connect to your network using the SSID of this profile.

– Enable SSID Broadcast – If selected, the Wireless Access Point broadcasts its name

(SSID) to all Wireless Stations. Stations can adopt the correct SSID for connections to this
Access Point.

– Allow Guest to access MY Local Network – If selected any user who connects to this

SSID can access local networks associated with the router like users in the primary SSID.

3. Give the wireless network a name.
The name is case-sensitive and can be up to 32 characters. The same name must be assigned to

all wireless devices in your network. NETGEAR recommends that you change the name to a
different value.

4. Select a Security option from the list.

5. Click Apply to save your selections.

Figure 2-14

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Backing Up Your Configuration

The configuration settings of the WNR500 router are stored within the router in a configuration
file. You can back up (save) this file and retrieve it later. NETGEAR recommends that you save
your configuration file after you complete the configuration. If the router fails or becomes
corrupted, or an administrator password is lost, you can easily re-create your configuration by
restoring the configuration file.

For instructions on saving and restoring your configuration file, see “Managing the Configuration

File” on page 6-7.

Understanding Your Firewall

Your N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500 contains a true firewall to protect your network from
attacks and intrusions. A firewall is a device that protects one network from another while
allowing communication between the two. Using a process called Stateful Packet Inspection, the
firewall analyzes all inbound and outbound traffic to determine whether or not it will be allowed to
pass through.

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 to achieve the
following behavior:

• Blocking sites. Block access from your network to certain Web locations based on Web
addresses and Web address keywords. This feature is described in “Blocking Access to

Internet Sites” on page 3-1.

• Blocking services. Block the use of certain Internet services by specific computers on your
network. This feature is described in “Blocking Access to Internet Services” on page 3-3.

• Scheduled blocking. Block sites and services according to a daily schedule. This feature is
described in “Scheduling Blocking” on page 3-5.

Tip: Before saving your configuration file, change the administrator password to the

default, password. Then change it again after you have saved the configuration file.
If you save the file with a new password, and then you later forget the new
password, you will have to reset the router back to the factory defaults and log in
using the default password of password. This means you will have to re-enter all the
router configuration settings.

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• Allow inbound access to your server. To allow inbound access to resources on your local
network (for example, a Web server or remote desktop program), you can open the needed
services by configuring port forwarding as described in “Allowing Inbound Connections to

Your Network” on page 5-1.

• Allow certain games and applications to function correctly. Some games and applications
need to allow additional inbound traffic in order to function. Port triggering can dynamically
allow additional service connections, as described in “Configuring Port Triggering” on

page 5-9. Another feature to solve application conflicts with the firewall is Universal Plug and

Play (UPnP), described in “Using Universal Plug and Play” on page 5-12.

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Chapter 3

Restricting Access From Your Network

This chapter describes how to use the content filtering and reporting features of the N-150 2-Port
Wireless Router WNR500 to protect your network.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• “Content Filtering Overview”

• “Blocking Access to Internet Sites”

• “Blocking Access to Internet Services” on page 3-3

• “Scheduling Blocking” on page 3-5

• “Viewing Logs of Web Access or Attempted Web Access” on page 3-6

• “Configuring E-mail Alert and Web Access Log Notifications” on page 3-7

Content Filtering Overview

The N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500 provides you with Web content filtering options, plus
browser activity reporting and instant alerts through e-mail. Parents and network administrators
can establish restricted access policies based on time of day, Web addresses, and Web address
keywords. You can also block Internet access by applications and services, such as chat rooms or
games.

Blocking Access to Internet Sites

The WNR500 router allows you to restrict access based on Web addresses and Web address
keywords. Up to 255 entries are supported in the Keyword list.

Keyword application examples:

• If the keyword XXX is specified, the URL www.zzzyyqq.com/xxx.html is blocked.

• If the keyword .com is specified, only websites with other domain suffixes (such as .edu, .org,
or .gov) can be viewed.

To block access to Internet sites:

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1. Select Block Sites under Content Filtering in the main menu. The Block Sites screen displays.

2. Enable keyword blocking by selecting either Per Schedule or Always.

To block by schedule, be sure to specify a time period in the Schedule screen. For information
about scheduling, see “Scheduling Blocking” on page 3-5.

Block all access to Internet browsing during a scheduled period by entering a dot (.) as the
keyword, and then set a schedule in the Schedule screen.

3. Add a keyword or domain by entering it in the keyword field and clicking Add Keyword. The
keyword or domain name then appears the Block sites containing these keywords or domain
names list.

Delete a keyword or domain name by selecting it from the list and clicking Delete Keyword.

4. You can specify one trusted user, which is a computer that is exempt from blocking and
logging. Specify a trusted user by entering that computer’s IP address in the Trusted IP
Address fields.

Since the trusted user is identified by IP address, you should configure that computer with a
fixed IP address.

5. Click Apply to save all your settings in the Block Sites screen.

Figure 3-1

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Blocking Access to Internet Services

The WNR500 router allows you to block the use of certain Internet services by computers on your
network. This is called service blocking or port filtering. Services are functions performed by
server computers at the request of client computers. For example, Web servers serve Web pages,
time servers serve time and date information, and game hosts serve data about other players’
moves. When a computer on your network sends a request for service to a server computer on the
Internet, the requested service is identified by a service or port number. This number appears as the
destination port number in the transmitted IP packets. For example, a packet that is sent with
destination port number 80 is an HTTP (Web server) request.

To block access to Internet services:

1. Select Block Services under Content Filtering in the main menu. The Block Services screen
displays.

2. Enable service blocking by selecting either Per Schedule or Always, and then click Apply.
To block by schedule, be sure to specify a time period in the Schedule screen. For information

about scheduling, see “Scheduling Blocking” on page 3-5.

Figure 3-2

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3. Specify a service for blocking by clicking Add. The Block Services Setup screen displays.

4. From the Service Type list, select the application or service to be allowed or blocked. The list

already displays several common services, but you are not limited to these choices. To add any
additional services or applications that do not already appear, select User Defined. To define a
service, first you must determine which port number or range of numbers is used by the
application. The service port numbers for many common protocols are defined by the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) and published in RFC1700, “Assigned Numbers.” Service
numbers for other applications are typically chosen from the range 1024 to 65535 by the
authors of the application. You can often determine port number information by contacting the
publisher of the application, by asking user groups or newsgroups, or by searching.

– Enter the starting port and ending port numbers. If the application uses a single port

number, enter that number in both fields.

– If you know that the application uses either TCP or UDP, select the appropriate protocol. If

you are not sure, select Both.

5. Select the radio button for the IP address configuration you want to block, and then enter the
IP addresses in the appropriate fields.

6. Click Add to enable your Block Services Setup selections.

Figure 3-3

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Blocking Services by IP Address Range

In the Filter Services For area, you can block the specified service for a single computer, a range of
computers (having consecutive IP addresses), or all computers on your network.

Scheduling Blocking

The WNR500 router allows you to specify when blocking is enforced.
To schedule blocking:

1. Select Schedule under Content Filtering in the main menu. The Schedule screen displays.

2. Configure the schedule for blocking keywords and services.
a. Days to Block. Select days on which you want to apply blocking by selecting the

appropriate check boxes. Select Every Day to select the check boxes for all days. Click
Apply.

Figure 3-4

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b. Time of Day to Block. Select a start and end time in 24-hour format. Select All Day for

24-hour blocking. Click Apply.

c. Time Zone. To verify and set the time zone:

– Time Zone. To select your local time zone, use the drop-down list. This setting is

used for the blocking schedule and for time-stamping log entries.

– Automatically Adjust for Daylight Savings Time. If your region supports daylight

savings time, select this check box. The router will automatically adjust the time at the
start and end of the daylight savings time period.

3. Click Apply to save your settings.

Viewing Logs of Web Access or Attempted Web Access

The log is a detailed record of the websites you have accessed or attempted to access. Up to
128 entries are stored in the log. Log entries appear only when keyword blocking is enabled and no
log entries are made for the trusted user.

Select Logs under Content Filtering in the main menu. The Logs screen displays.

Figure 3-5

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Table 3-1 describes the log entries.

To refresh the log screen, click the Refresh button.
To clear the log entries, click the Clear Log button.
To e-mail the log immediately, click the Send Log button.

Configuring E-mail Alert and Web Access Log Notifications

To receive logs and alerts by e-mail, you must provide your e-mail account information.
To configure e-mail alert and web access log notifications:

Table 3-1. Log Entry Descriptions

Field Description

Date and time The date and time the log entry was recorded.
Source IP The IP address of the initiating device for this log entry.
Target address The name or IP address of the website or newsgroup

visited or to which access was attempted.

Action Whether the access was blocked or allowed.

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1. Select E-mail under Content Filtering in the main menu. The E-mail screen displays.

2. To receive e-mail logs and alerts from the router, select the Turn E-mail Notification On

check box.
a. Enter the name of your ISP’s outgoing (SMTP) mail server (such as mail.myISP.com) in

the Your Outgoing Mail Server field. You might be able to find this information in the
configuration screen of your e-mail program. If you leave this field blank, log and alert
messages will not be sent by e-mail.

b. Enter the e-mail address to which logs and alerts are sent in the Send To This E-mail

Address field. This e-mail address will also be used as the From address. If you leave this

field blank, log and alert messages will not be sent by e-mail.

3. If your e-mail server requires authentication, select the Your Mail Server requires
authentication check box.

a. Enter your user name for the e-mail server in the User Name field.
b. Enter your password for the e-mail server in the Password field.

4. You can specify that logs are automatically sent by e-mail with these options:

• Send alert immediately. Select this check box for immediate notification of attempted

access to a blocked site or service.

Figure 3-6

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• Send Logs According to this Schedule. Specifies how often to send the logs: Hourly,

Daily, Weekly, or When Log Is Full.
– Day. Specifies which day of the week to send the log. Relevant when the log is sent

weekly or daily.

– Time. Specifies the time of day to send the log. Relevant when the log is sent daily or

weekly.

If you select the Weekly, Daily, or Hourly option and the log fills up before the specified
period, the log is automatically e-mailed to the specified e-mail address. After the log is sent,
the log is cleared from the router’s memory. If the router cannot e-mail the log file, the log
buffer might fill up. In this case, the router overwrites the log and discards its contents.

5. Click Apply to save your settings.

So that the log entries are correctly time-stamped and sent at the correct time, be sure to set the
time as described in the next section.

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Chapter 4

Customizing Your Network Settings

This chapter describes how to configure advanced networking features of the
N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500, including LAN, WAN, and routing settings.

It contains the following sections:

• “Using the LAN IP Setup Options”

• “Using a Dynamic DNS Service” on page 4-5

• “Configuring the WAN Setup Options” on page 4-7

• “Configuring Static Routes” on page 4-10

• “Wireless Repeating Function” on page 4-12

Using the LAN IP Setup Options

The LAN Setup screen allows configuration of LAN IP services such as Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Routing Information Protocol (RIP).

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To configure LAN IP settings, select LAN Setup under Advanced in the main menu. The LAN
Setup screen displays.

Configuring a Device Name

The device name is a user-friendly name for the router. This name is shown in the Network on
Windows Vista and the Network Explorer on all Windows systems. The Device Name field
cannot be blank. The default name is WNR500.

Configuring LAN TCP/IP Setup Parameters

These are advanced settings that you might configure if you are a network administrator and your
network contains multiple routers. The router is shipped preconfigured to use private IP addresses
on the LAN side and to act as a DHCP server (see “Using the Router as a DHCP Server” on

page 4-3).

Figure 4-1

Note: If you change the LAN IP address of the router while connected through the

browser, you will be disconnected. You must then open a new connection to the
new IP address and log in again.

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The router’s default LAN IP configuration is:

• LAN IP address. 192.168.1.1

• Subnet mask. 255.255.255.0

These addresses are part of the designated private address range for use in private networks and
should be suitable for most applications. If your network has a requirement to use a different IP
addressing scheme, you can make those changes in this screen.

The LAN IP settings are:

• IP Address. The LAN IP address of the router.

• IP Subnet Mask. The LAN subnet mask of the router. Combined with the IP address, the IP
subnet mask allows a device to know which other addresses are local to it, and which must be
reached through a gateway or router.

• RIP Direction. RIP allows a router to exchange routing information with other routers. The
RIP Direction selection controls how the router sends and receives RIP packets. Both is the
default.

– When set to Both or In Only, the router incorporates the RIP information that it receives.
– When set to Both or Out Only, the router broadcasts its routing table periodically.

• RIP Version. This controls the format and the broadcasting method of the RIP packets sent by
the router. (It recognizes both formats when receiving.) The default setting is Disabled.

– RIP-1 is universally supported. RIP-1 is usually adequate unless you have an unusual

network setup.

– RIP-2B carries more information than RIP-1 and uses subnet broadcasting.
– RIP-2M carries more information than RIP-1 and uses multicasting.

Using the Router as a DHCP Server

By default, the router functions as a DHCP server, allowing it to assign IP, DNS server, and default
gateway addresses to all computers connected to the router’s LAN. The assigned default gateway
address is the LAN address of the router. The router assigns IP addresses to the attached computers
from a pool of addresses specified in this screen. Each pool address is tested before it is assigned to
avoid duplicate addresses on the LAN.

Note: For most applications, the default DHCP and TCP/IP settings of the router are

satisfactory. Click the link to the online document “TCP/IP Networking Basics” in

Appendix B for an explanation of DHCP and information about how to assign IP

addresses for your network.

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To specify a pool of IP addresses to be assigned, set the starting IP address and ending IP address.
These addresses should be part of the same IP address subnet as the router’s LAN IP address.
Using the default addressing scheme, you should define a range between 192.168.1.2 and

192.168.1.254, although you might wish to save part of the range for devices with fixed addresses.

The router delivers the following parameters to any LAN device that requests DHCP:

• An IP address from the range you have defined

• Subnet mask

• Gateway IP address (the router’s LAN IP address)

• Primary DNS server (if you entered a primary DNS address in the Basic Settings screen;
otherwise, the router’s LAN IP address)

• Secondary DNS server (if you entered a secondary DNS address in the Basic Settings screen)

To use another device on your network as the DHCP server, or to manually specify the network
settings of all of your computers, clear the Use Router as DHCP Server check box. Otherwise,
leave it selected. If this service is not selected and no other DHCP server is available on your
network, you need to set your computers’ IP addresses manually or they will not be able to access
the router.

Using Address Reservation

When you specify a reserved IP address for a computer on the LAN, that computer always
receives the same IP address each time it accesses the router’s DHCP server. Reserved IP
addresses should be assigned to computers or servers that require permanent IP settings.

To reserve an IP address:

1. Click Add.

2. In the IP Address field, enter the IP address to assign to the computer or server. (Choose an IP
address from the router’s LAN subnet, such as 192.168.1.x.)

Figure 4-2

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3. Enter the MAC address of the computer or server.

4. Click Apply to enter the reserved address into the table.

To edit or delete a reserved address entry:

1. Click the button next to the reserved address you want to edit or delete.

2. Click Edit or Delete.

Using a Dynamic DNS Service

If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) gave you a permanently assigned IP address, you can
register a domain name and have that name linked with your IP address by public Domain Name
Servers (DNS). However, if your Internet account uses a dynamically assigned IP address, you do
not know in advance what your IP address will be, and the address can change frequently. In this
case, you can use a commercial Dynamic DNS service, which allows you to register your domain
to their IP address, and forwards traffic directed at your domain to your frequently changing IP
address.

Your router contains a client that can connect to the Dynamic DNS service provided by
DynDNS.org. You must first visit their website at www.dyndns.org and obtain an account and host
name, which you specify in the router. Then, whenever your ISP-assigned IP address changes,
your router automatically contacts the Dynamic DNS service provider, logs in to your account, and
registers your new IP address. If your host name is hostname, for example, you can reach your
router at hostname.dyndns.org.

Tip: If the computer is already present on your network, you can copy its MAC

address from the Attached Devices screen and paste it here.

Note: The reserved address is not assigned until the next time the computer contacts

the router’s DHCP server. Reboot the computer or access its IP configuration
and force a DHCP release and renew.

Note: If your ISP assigns a private WAN IP address (such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x), the

Dynamic DNS service will not work because private addresses are not routed on
the Internet.

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Select Dynamic DNS under Advanced in the main menu. The Dynamic DNS screen displays.

To configure for a Dynamic DNS service:

1. Register for an account with one of the Dynamic DNS service providers whose names appear
in the Service Provider list. For example, for DynDNS.org, select www.dynDNS.org.

2. Select the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box.

3. Select the name of your Dynamic DNS service provider.

4. Enter the host name (or domain name) that your Dynamic DNS service provider gave you.

5. Enter the user name for your Dynamic DNS account. This is the name that you use to log in to

your account, not your host name.

6. Enter the password (or key) for your Dynamic DNS account.

7. If your Dynamic DNS provider allows the use of wildcards in resolving your URL, you can

select the Use Wildcards check box to activate this feature.
For example, the wildcard feature causes *.yourhost.dyndns.org to be aliased to the same IP
address as yourhost.dyndns.org.

8. Click Apply to save your configuration.

Figure 4-3

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Configuring the WAN Setup Options

The WAN Setup options let you do the following:

• Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection.

• Configure a DMZ (demilitarized zone) server.

• Enable the wireless router to respond to a ping on the WAN (Internet) port.

• Disable IGMP Proxying – The IGMP Proxying function lets a LAN PC receive the multicast
traffic is interested in from the Internet. You can click this check box to disable the function if
you do not need it.

• Change the Maximum Transmit Unit (MTU) size.

• Disable DIP ALG – Some SIP applications have their own way to work around the NAT
firewall issue, and the SIP ALG would conflict with those solutions. In most cases, you do not
have to disable the SIP ALG. However, if your SIP applications cannot work with the router,
you can disable the SIP ALG and try the applications again. Click the check box to disable SIP
ALG.

• Enable IPv6 Pass-Through – IPv6 pass-through is disabled by default. If you have IPv6
capable devices in your configuration and would like to use IPv6 instead of IPv4, you can
click this check box to enable IPv6 Pass)-Through.

Select WAN Setup under Advanced in the main menu. The WAN Setup screen displays.

Figure 4-4

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Disabling Port Scan and DOS Protection

The Port Scan and DOS Protection feature protects your network and computers against attacks
and intrusions. A stateful packet firewall carefully inspects incoming traffic packets, looking for
known exploits such as malformed, oversized, or out-of-sequence packets. The Port Scan and Dos
Protection feature should be disabled only in special circumstances, such as when you are
troubleshooting application issues.

Setting Up a Default DMZ Server

The default DMZ server feature is helpful when you are using some online games and
videoconferencing applications that are incompatible with Network Address Translation (NAT).
The router is programmed to recognize some of these applications and to work correctly with
them, but there are other applications that might not function well. In some cases, one local
computer can run the application correctly if that computer’s IP address is entered as the default
DMZ server.

Incoming traffic from the Internet is usually discarded by the router unless the traffic is a response
to one of your local computers or a service that you have configured in the Port Forwarding/Port
Triggering screen. Instead of discarding this traffic, you can have it forwarded to one computer on
your network. This computer is called the default DMZ server.

The WAN Setup screen lets you configure a default DMZ server.
To assign a computer or server to be a default DMZ server:

1. Select the Default DMZ Server check box.

2. In the Default DMZ Server fields, enter the IP address for that computer or server.

3. Click Apply.

Responding to a Ping on the Internet (WAN) Port

If you want the router to respond to a ping from the Internet, select the Respond to Ping on
Internet Port check box. This should be used only as a diagnostic tool, since it allows your router

to be discovered by Internet scanners. Do not select this check box unless you have a specific
reason to do so, such as when troubleshooting your connection.

Warning: DMZ servers pose a security risk. A computer designated as the default DMZ

server loses much of the protection of the firewall, and is exposed to exploits
from the Internet. If compromised, the DMZ server computer can be used to
attack other computers on your network.

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Setting the MTU Size

The normal MTU value for most Ethernet networks is 1500 bytes, 1492 bytes for PPPoE
connections, or 1450 for PPTP connections. For some ISPs, you might need to reduce the MTU
size, but this is rarely required and should not be done unless you are sure it is necessary for your
ISP connection. For more information, see “Changing the MTU Size” on page 5-15.

To change the MTU size:

1. In the MTU Size field, enter a new size between 64 and 1500.

2. Click Apply to save the new configuration.

Disabling IGMP Proxying

The IGMP Proxying function lets a LAN PC receive the multicast traffic it is interested in from the
Internet. If you do not need this function, you can click the Disable IGMP Proxying check box to
disable this function.

Disabling SIP ALG

Some SIP applications have their own way to work around the NAT firewall issue, and the SIP
ALG would conflict with those solutions. In most cases, you do not have to disable the SIP ALG.
However, if your SIP applications cannot work with the router, you can disable the SIP ALG and
try the applications again. To disable SIP ALG, click the Disable SIP ALG check box.

Enabling IPv6 Pass-Through

IPv6 pass-through is disabled by default. If you have IPv6-capable devices in your configuration
and would like to use those devices instead of IPv4, you can click the Enable IPv6 Pass-Through
check box to enable the IPv6 Pass-Through function.

Configuring NAT Filtering

Network Address Translation (NAT) determines how the router processes inbound traffic. Secured
NAT provides a secured firewall to protect the computers on the LAN from attacks from the
Internet, but might prevent some Internet games, point-to-point applications, or multimedia
applications from functioning. Open NAT provides a much less secured firewall, but allows almost
all Internet applications to function. For more information about NAT, see “How Your Computer

Accesses a Remote Computer through Your Router” on page 5-2.

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To change the NAT option:

1. In the NAT Filtering area, select either the Secured or the Open radio button.

2. Click Apply to save the new configuration.

Configuring Static Routes

Static routes provide additional routing information to your router. Under usual circumstances, the
router has adequate routing information after it has been configured for Internet access, and you do
not need to configure additional static routes. You must configure static routes only for unusual
cases such as multiple routers or multiple IP subnets located on your network.

As an example of when a static route is needed, consider the following case:

• Your primary Internet access is through a cable modem to an ISP.

• You have an ISDN router on your home network for connecting to the company where you are
employed. This router’s address on your LAN is 192.168.1.100.

• Your company’s network address is 134.177.0.0.

When you first configured your router, two implicit static routes were created. A default route was
created with your ISP as the gateway, and a second static route was created to your local network
for all 192.168.1.x addresses. With this configuration, if you attempt to access a device on the

134.177.0.0 network, your router forwards your request to the ISP. The ISP forwards your request

to the company where you are employed, and the request is likely to be denied by the company’s
firewall.

In this case you must define a static route, telling your router that 134.177.0.0 should be accessed
through the ISDN router at 192.168.1.100.

In this example:

• The Destination IP Address and IP Subnet Mask fields specify that this static route applies
to all 134.177.x.x addresses.

• The Gateway IP Address field specifies that all traffic for these addresses should be
forwarded to the ISDN router at 192.168.1.100.

•A Metric value of 1 will work since the ISDN router is on the LAN.

• Private is selected only as a precautionary security measure in case RIP is activated.

To add or edit a static route:

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1. Select Static Routes under Advanced in the main menu. The Static Routes screen displays.

2. Click Add to expand the Static Routes screen.

3. In the Route Name field, enter a name for this static route. (This is for identification purposes

only.)

4. Select the Private check box if you want to limit access to the LAN only. If Private is selected,
the static route is not reported in RIP.

5. Select the Active check box to make this route effective.

6. In the Destination IP Address field, enter the IP address of the final destination.

7. In the IP Subnet Mask field, enter the IP subnet mask for this destination.
If the destination is a single host, enter 255.255.255.255.

8. In the Gateway IP Address field, enter the gateway IP address, which must be a router on the

same LAN segment as the WNR500 router.

Figure 4-5

Figure 4-6

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9. In the Metric field, enter a number between 1 and 15 as the metric value.
This represents the number of routers between your network and the destination. Usually, a

setting of 2 or 3 works, but if this is a direct connection, set it to 1.

10. Click Apply to have the static route entered into the table.

Wireless Repeating Function

The wireless repeating function extends the wireless network through several APs, without
connection of the wired backbone network.

Configuring the Wireless Basic Station.

To configure a router as the wireless basic station:

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

Note: The repeating function cannot be used with Auto Channel. Change your channel

setting before you enable the wireless repeating function. The wireless basic
station and repeaters must use the same channel and encryption.

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2. Select Wireless Settings under Setup in the main menu. The Wireless Settings screen
displays. Set the SSID, channel, and wireless encryption information.

Figure 4-7

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3. Select Wireless Repeating Function under Advanced in the main menu. The Wireless
Repeater screen displays. Select the Enable Wireless Repeating Function check box and
select the Wireless Basic Station radio button.

The available settings in this screen are:

• Disable Wireless Clients Association. If checked, the wireless basic station does not transmit
any signals to clients that are directly connected to it.

• Repeater MAC Address 1/2/3/4. Enter the MAC address of the router that works as the
repeater for the wireless basic station.

4. Click Apply to save your settings.

Figure 4-8

Note: A wireless basic station can be configured with up to four repeaters.

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Configuring the Repeater

To configure a router as the repeater:

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

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

displays. Set the SSID, channel, and wireless encryption information.

Figure 4-9

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3. Select Wireless Repeating Function under Advanced in the main menu. The Wireless
Repeater screen displays. Select the Enable Wireless Repeating Function check box and
select the Wireless Basic Station radio button.

The available settings in this screen are:

• Disable Wireless Clients Association. If checked, the wireless basic station does not transmit
any signals to clients that are directly connected to it.

• Repeater IP Address: Set the repeater’s IP address to an IP address that is different from the
Wireless basic station and other repeaters to avoid IP address conflict. NETGEAR
recommends that you set the Ip addresses of the same network segment for the wireless
basic station and repeaters.

• Repeater MAC Address 1/2/3/4. Enter the MAC address of the router that works as the
repeater for the wireless basic station.

4. Click Apply to save your settings.

Figure 4-10

Note: A wireless basic station can be configured with up to four repeaters.

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Chapter 5

Fine-Tuning Your Network

This chapter describes how to modify the configuration of the N-150 2-Port Wireless Router
WNR500 to allow specific applications to access the Internet or to be accessed from the Internet,
and how to make adjustments to enhance your network’s performance.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• “Allowing Inbound Connections to Your Network”

• “Configuring Port Forwarding to Local Servers” on page 5-6

• “Configuring Port Triggering” on page 5-9

• “Using Universal Plug and Play” on page 5-12

• “Optimizing Wireless Performance” on page 5-14

• “Changing the MTU Size” on page 5-15

• “Quality of Service” on page 5-16

• “Overview of Home and Small Office Networking Technologies” on page 5-22

Allowing Inbound Connections to Your Network

By default, the WNR500 router blocks any inbound traffic from the Internet to your computers
except for replies to your outbound traffic. However, you might need to create exceptions to this
rule for the following purposes:

• To allow remote computers on the Internet to access a server on your local network.

• To allow certain applications and games to work correctly when their replies are not
recognized by your router.

Your router provides two features for creating these exceptions: port forwarding and port
triggering. This section explains how a normal outbound connection works, followed by two
examples explaining how port forwarding and port triggering operate and how they differ.

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How Your Computer Accesses a Remote Computer through Your
Router

When a computer on your network needs to access a computer on the Internet, your computer
sends your router a message containing source and destination address and process information.
Before forwarding your message to the remote computer, your router must modify the source
information and must create and track the communication session so that replies can be routed
back to your computer.

Here is an example of normal outbound traffic and the resulting inbound responses:

1. You open Internet Explorer, beginning a browser session on your computer. Invisible to you,
your operating system assigns a service number (port number) to every communication
process running on your computer. In this example, let’s say Windows assigns port number
5678 to this browser session.

2. You ask your browser to get a Web page from the Web server at www.example.com. Your
computer composes a Web page request message with the following address and
port information:

• The source address is your computer’s IP address.

• The source port number is 5678, the browser session.

• The destination address is the IP address of www.example.com, which your computer

finds by asking a DNS server.

• The destination port number is 80, the standard port number for a Web server process.
Your computer then sends this request message to your router.

3. Your router creates an entry in its internal session table describing this communication session
between your computer and the Web server at www.example.com. Before sending the Web
page request message to www.example.com, your router stores the original information and
then modifies the source information in the request message, performing Network Address
Translation (NAT):

• The source address is replaced with your router’s public IP address.

This is necessary because your computer uses a private IP address that is not globally
unique and cannot be used on the Internet.

• The source port number is changed to a number chosen by the router, such as 33333. This

is necessary because two computers could independently be using the same session
number.

Your router then sends this request message through the Internet to the Web server at
www.example.com.

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4. The Web server at www.example.com composes a return message with the requested Web
page data. The return message contains the following address and port information:

• The source address is the IP address of www.example.com.

• The source port number is 80, the standard port number for a Web server process.

• The destination address is the public IP address of your router.

• The destination port number is 33333.
The Web server then sends this reply message to your router.

5. Upon receiving the incoming message, your router checks its session table to determine
whether there is an active session for port number 33333. Finding an active session, the router
then modifies the message, restoring the original address information replaced by NAT. The
message now contains the following address and port information:

• The source address is the IP address of www.example.com.

• The source port number is 80, the standard port number for a Web server process.

• The destination address is your computer’s IP address.

• The destination port number is 5678, the browser session that made the initial request.
Your router then sends this reply message to your computer, which displays the Web page

from www.example.com.

6. When you finish your browser session, your router eventually senses a period of inactivity in
the communications. Your router then removes the session information from its session table,
and incoming traffic is no longer accepted on port number 33333.

How Port Triggering Changes the Communication Process

In the preceding example, requests are sent to a remote computer by your router from a particular
service port number, and replies from the remote computer to your router are directed to that port
number. If the remote server sends a reply back to a different port number, your router will not
recognize it and will discard it. However, some application servers (such as FTP and IRC servers)
send replies back to multiple port numbers. Using the port triggering function of your router, you
can tell the router to open additional incoming ports when a particular outgoing port originates
a session.

An example is Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Your computer connects to an IRC server at destination
port 6667. The IRC server not only responds to your originating source port, but also sends an
“identify” message to your computer on port 113. Using port triggering, you can tell the router,

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“When you initiate a session with destination port 6667, you must also allow incoming traffic on
port 113 to reach the originating computer.” Using steps similar to the preceding example, the
following sequence shows the effects of the port triggering rule you have defined:

1. You open an IRC client program, beginning a chat session on your computer.

2. Your IRC client composes a request message to an IRC server using a destination port number
of 6667, the standard port number for an IRC server process. Your computer then sends this
request message to your router.

3. Your router creates an entry in its internal session table describing this communication session
between your computer and the IRC server. Your router stores the original information,
performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on the source address and port, and sends this
request message through the Internet to the IRC server.

4. Noting your port triggering rule, and having observed the destination port number of 6667,
your router creates an additional session entry to send any incoming port 113 traffic to your
computer.

5. The IRC server sends a return message to your router using the NAT-assigned source port (as
in the previous example, let’s say port 33333) as the destination port. The IRC server also
sends an “identify” message to your router with destination port 113.

6. Upon receiving the incoming message to destination port 33333, your router checks its session
table to determine whether there is an active session for port number 33333. Finding an active
session, the router restores the original address information replaced by NAT and sends this
reply message to your computer.

7. Upon receiving the incoming message to destination port 113, your router checks its session
table and learns that there is an active session for port 113, associated with your computer. The
router replaces the message’s destination IP address with your computer’s IP address and
forwards the message to your computer.

8. When you finish your chat session, your router eventually senses a period of inactivity in the
communications. The router then removes the session information from its session table, and
incoming traffic is no longer accepted on port numbers 33333 or 113.

To configure port triggering, you need to know which inbound ports the application needs. Also,
you need to know the number of the outbound port that will trigger the opening of the inbound
ports. You can usually determine this information by contacting the publisher of the application, or
user groups or newsgroups.

Note: Only one computer at a time can use the triggered application.

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How Port Forwarding Changes the Communication Process

In both of the preceding examples, your computer initiates an application session with a server
computer on the Internet. However, you might need to allow a client computer on the Internet to
initiate a connection to a server computer on your network. Normally, your router ignores any
inbound traffic that is not a response to your own outbound traffic. You can configure exceptions
to this default rule by using the port forwarding feature.

A typical application of port forwarding can be shown by reversing the client-server relationship
from our previous Web server example. In this case, a remote computer’s browser needs to access
a Web server running on a computer in your local network. Using port forwarding, you can tell the
router, “When you receive incoming traffic on port 80 (the standard port number for a Web server
process), forward it to the local computer at 192.168.1.123.” The following sequence shows the
effects of the port forwarding rule you have defined:

1. The user of a remote computer opens Internet Explorer and requests a Web page from
www.example.com, which resolves to the public IP address of your router. The remote
computer composes a Web page request message with the following destination information:

• The destination address is the IP address of www.example.com, which is the address of

your router.

• The destination port number is 80, the standard port number for a Web server process.
The remote computer then sends this request message through the Internet to your router.

2. Your router receives the request message and looks in its rules table for any rules covering the
disposition of incoming port 80 traffic. Your port forwarding rule specifies that incoming port
80 traffic should be forwarded to local IP address 192.168.1.123. Therefore, your router
modifies the destination information in the request message:

The destination address is replaced with 192.168.1.123.
Your router then sends this request message to your local network.

3. Your Web server at 192.168.1.123 receives the request and composes a return message with
the requested Web page data. Your Web server then sends this reply message to your router.

4. Your router performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on the source IP address, and sends
this request message through the Internet to the remote computer, which displays the Web
page from www.example.com.

To configure port forwarding, you need to know which inbound ports the application needs. You
usually can determine this information by contacting the publisher of the application or user
groups or newsgroups.

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How Port Forwarding Differs from Port Triggering

The following points summarize the differences between port forwarding and port triggering:

• Port triggering can be used by any computer on your network, although only one computer can
use it at a time.

• Port forwarding is configured for a single computer on your network.

• Port triggering does not need to know the computer’s IP address in advance. The IP address is
captured automatically.

• Port forwarding requires that you specify the computer’s IP address during configuration, and
the IP address must never change.

• Port triggering requires specific outbound traffic to open the inbound ports, and the triggered
ports are closed after a period of no activity.

• Port forwarding is always active and does not need to be triggered.

Configuring Port Forwarding to Local Servers

Using the port forwarding feature, you can allow certain types of incoming traffic to reach servers
on your local network. For example, you might make a local Web server, FTP server, or game
server visible and available to the Internet.

Use the Port Forwarding screen to configure the router to forward specific incoming protocols to
computers on your local network. In addition to servers for specific applications, you can also
specify a default DMZ server to which all other incoming protocols are forwarded. The DMZ
server is configured in the WAN Setup screen, as discussed in “Setting Up a Default DMZ Server”

on page 4-8.

Before starting, you need to determine which type of service, application, or game you will
provide, and the local IP address of the computer that will provide the service. Be sure the
computer’s IP address never changes.

Tip: To ensure that your server computer always has the same IP address, use the

reserved IP address feature of your WNR500 router. See “Using Address

Reservation” on page 4-4 for instructions on how to use reserved IP addresses.

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To configure port forwarding to a local server:

1. Select Port Forwarding/Port Triggering under Advanced in the main menu. The Port
Forwarding/Port Triggering screen displays.

2. From the Service Name list, select the service or game that you will host on your network.
If the service does not appear in the list, see the following section, “Adding a Custom

Service.”

3. In the corresponding Server IP Address fields, enter the last digit of the IP address of your
local computer that will provide this service.

4. To the right of Server IP Address, click Add. The service appears in the list in the screen.

Adding a Custom Service

To define a service, game, or application that does not appear in the Service Name list, you must
first determine which port number or range of numbers is used by the application. You can usually
determine this information by contacting the publisher of the application or user groups or
newsgroups. When you have the port number information, follow these steps:

1. Select Port Forwarding/Port Triggering under Advanced in the main menu.

Figure 5-1

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2. Click Add Service (see Figure 5-1 on page 5-7).The Ports–Custom Services screen displays.

3. In the Service Name field, enter a descriptive name.

4. In the Service Type field, select the protocol. If you are unsure, select TCP/UDP.

5. In the Starting Port field, enter the beginning port number.

• If the application uses only a single port, enter the same port number in the Ending Port

field.

• If the application uses a range of ports, enter the ending port number of the range in the

Ending Port field.

6. In the Server IP Address field, enter the IP address of your local computer that will provide

this service.

7. Click Apply. The service appears in the list in the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering screen.

Editing or Deleting a Port Forwarding Entry

To edit or delete a port forwarding entry:

1. In the table, select the button next to the service name.

Figure 5-2

Figure 5-3

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2. Click Edit Service or Delete Service to make changes.

3. Click Apply.

Application Example: Making a Local Web Server Public

If you host a Web server on your local network, you can use port forwarding to allow Web
requests from anyone on the Internet to reach your Web server.

To make a local Web server public:

1. Assign your Web server either a fixed IP address or a dynamic IP address using DHCP address
reservation, as explained in “Using Address Reservation” on page 4-4. In this example, your
router will always give your Web server an IP address of 192.168.1.33.

2. In the Port Forwarding screen, configure the router to forward the HTTP service to the local
address of your Web server at 192.168.1.33.
HTTP (port 80) is the standard protocol for Web servers.

3. (Optional) Register a host name with a Dynamic DNS service, and configure your router to
use the name as described in “Using a Dynamic DNS Service” on page 4-5.
To access your Web server from the Internet, a remote user must know the IP address that has
been assigned by your ISP. However, if you use a Dynamic DNS service, the remote user can
reach your server by a user-friendly Internet name, such as mynetgear.dyndns.org.

Configuring Port Triggering

Port triggering is a dynamic extension of port forwarding that is useful in these cases:

• More than one local computer needs port forwarding for the same application (but not
simultaneously).

• An application needs to open incoming ports that are different from the outgoing port.

When port triggering is enabled, the router monitors outbound traffic looking for a specified
outbound “trigger” port. When the router detects outbound traffic on that port, it remembers the IP
address of the local computer that sent the data. The router then temporarily opens the specified
incoming port or ports, and forwards incoming traffic on the triggered ports to the triggering
computer.

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While port forwarding creates a static mapping of a port number or range to a single local
computer, port triggering can dynamically open ports to any computer that needs them and can
close the ports when they are no longer needed.

To configure port triggering, you need to know which inbound ports the application needs. Also,
you need to know the number of the outbound port that will trigger the opening of the inbound
ports. You can usually determine this information by contacting the publisher of the application or
user groups or newsgroups.

To set up port triggering:

1. Select Port Forwarding/Port Triggering under Advanced in the main menu. The
Forwarding/Port Triggering screen displays (see Figure 5-1 on page 5-7).

2. Select the Port Triggering radio button. The port triggering information displays.

3. Clear the Disable Port Triggering check box.

Note: If you use applications such as multiplayer gaming, peer-to-peer connections, real-

time communications such as instant messaging, or remote assistance (a feature in
Windows XP), you should also enable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) according
to the instructions in “Using Universal Plug and Play” on page 5-12.

Figure 5-4

Note: If the Disable Port Triggering check box is selected after you configure port

triggering, port triggering is disabled. However, any port triggering
configuration information you added to the router is retained even though it is
not used.

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4. In the Port Triggering Timeout field, enter a value up to 9999 minutes. This value controls
the inactivity timer for the designated inbound ports. The inbound ports close when the
inactivity time expires. This is required because the router cannot be sure when the application
has terminated.

5. Click Add. the Port Triggering–Services screen displays.

6. In the Service Name field, enter a descriptive service name.

7. In the Service User field, select Any (the default) to allow this service to be used by any

computer on the Internet. Otherwise, select Single address, and enter the IP address of one
computer to restrict the service to a particular computer.

8. Select the service type, either TCP or UDP.

9. In the Triggering Port field, enter the number of the outbound traffic port that will cause the

inbound ports to be opened.

10. Enter the inbound connection port information in the Connection Type, Starting Port, and
Ending Port fields.

Figure 5-5

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11. Click Apply. The service appears in the Port Triggering Portmap table.

Using Universal Plug and Play

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) helps devices, such as Internet appliances and computers, to
access the network and connect to other devices as needed. UPnP devices can automatically
discover the services from other registered UPnP devices on the network.

To turn on Universal Plug and Play:

Figure 5-6

Note: If you use applications such as multiplayer gaming, peer-to-peer connections, real-

time communications such as instant messaging, or remote assistance (a feature in
Windows XP), you should enable UPnP.

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1. Select UPnP under Advanced the main menu. The UPnP screen displays.

2. The available settings and information displayed in this screen are:

• Turn UPnP On. UPnP can be enabled or disabled for automatic device configuration.

The default setting for UPnP is disabled. If this check box is not selected, the router does
not allow any device to automatically control the resources, such as port forwarding
(mapping) of the router.

• Advertisement Period. The advertisement period is how often the router broadcasts its

UPnP information. This value can range from 1 to 1440 minutes. The default period is 30
minutes. Shorter durations ensure that control points have current device status at the
expense of additional network traffic. Longer durations might compromise the freshness
of the device status but can significantly reduce network traffic.

• Advertisement Time To Live. The time to live for the advertisement is measured in hops

(steps) for each UPnP packet sent. The time to live hop count is the number of steps a
broadcast packet is allowed to propagate for each UPnP advertisement before it
disappears. The number of hops can range from 1 to 255. The default value for the
advertisement time to live is 4 hops, which should be fine for most home networks. If you
notice that some devices are not being updated or reached correctly, then it might be
necessary to increase this value.

• UPnP Portmap Table. The UPnP Portmap Table displays the IP address of each UPnP

device that is currently accessing the router and which ports (Internal and External) that
device has opened. The UPnP Portmap Table also displays what type of port is open and
whether that port is still active for each IP address.

3. Click Apply to save your settings.

Figure 5-7

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Optimizing Wireless Performance

The speed and operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly based
on the physical placement of the wireless router. You should choose a location for your router that
will maximize the network speed.

The following list describes how to optimize wireless router performance.

• Identify critical wireless links.
If your network has several wireless devices, decide which wireless devices need the highest
data rate, and locate the router near them. Many wireless products have automatic data-rate
fallback, which allows increased distances without loss of connectivity. This also means that
devices that are farther away might be slower. Therefore, the most critical links in your
network are those where the traffic is high and the distances are great. Optimize those first.

• Choose placement carefully.
For best results, place your router:

– Near the center of the area in which your computers will operate.
– In an elevated location such as a high shelf where the wirelessly connected computers

have line-of-sight access (even if through walls).
– Avoid obstacles to wireless signals.
– Keep wireless devices at least 2 feet from large metal fixtures such as file cabinets,

refrigerators, pipes, metal ceilings, reinforced concrete, and metal partitions.
– Keep away from large amounts of water such as fish tanks and water coolers.

• Reduce interference.

– Avoid windows unless communicating between buildings.
– Place wireless devices away from various electromagnetic noise sources, especially those

in the 2400–2500 MHz frequency band. Common noise-creating sources are:

• Computers and fax machines (no closer than 1 foot)

• Copying machines, elevators, and cell phones (no closer than 6 feet)

Note: Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance degradation

or inability to wirelessly connect to the router. For complete range and
performance specifications, click the link to the online document “Wireless

Networking Basics” in Appendix B.

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• Microwave ovens (no closer than 10 feet)

• Choose your settings.

– Use a scanning utility to determine what other wireless networks are operating nearby, and

choose an unused channel.
– Turn off SSID broadcast, and change the default SSID. Other nearby devices might

automatically try to connect to your network several times a second, which can cause

significant performance reduction.

• Use WMM to improve the performance of voice and video traffic over the wireless link.

Changing the MTU Size

The Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) is the largest data packet a network device transmits.
When one network device communicates across the Internet with another, the data packets travel
through many devices along the way. If any device in the data path has a lower MTU setting than
the other devices, the data packets must be split or “fragmented” to accommodate the one with the
smallest MTU.

The best MTU setting for NETGEAR equipment is often just the default value, and changing the
value might fix one problem but cause another. Leave MTU unchanged unless one of these
situations occurs:

• You have problems connecting to your ISP, or other Internet service, and either the technical
support of the ISP or of NETGEAR recommends changing the MTU size. These might require
an MTU change:

– A secure Web site that will not open, or displays only part of a Web page
– Yahoo e-mail
– MSN
– America Online’s DSL service

• You use VPN and have severe performance problems.

• You used a program to optimize MTU for performance reasons, and now you have
connectivity or performance problems.

Note: An incorrect MTU setting can cause Internet communication problems such as the

inability to access certain Web sites, frames within Web sites, secure login pages,
or FTP or POP servers.

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If you suspect an MTU problem, a common solution is to change the MTU size to 1400. If you are
willing to experiment, you can gradually reduce the MTU size from the maximum value of 1500
until the problem goes away. Table 5-1 describes common MTU sizes and applications.

To change the MTU size:

1. In the main menu, under Advanced, select WAN Setup.

2. In the MTU Size field, enter a new size between 64 and 1500.

3. Click Apply to save the new configuration.

Quality of Service

Quality of Service (QoS) is an advanced feature that can be used to prioritize some types of traffic
ahead of others. The WNR500 router can provide QoS prioritization over the wireless link and on
the Internet connection.

Using WMM QoS for Wireless Multimedia Applications

The WNR500 router supports Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM QoS) to prioritize
wireless voice and video traffic over the wireless link. WMM QoS provides prioritization of
wireless data packets from different applications based on four access categories: voice, video,
best effort, and background. For an application to receive the benefits of WMM QoS, both it and

Table 5-1. Common MTU Sizes

MTU Application

1500 The largest Ethernet packet size and the default value. This is the typical setting for non-

PPPoE, non-VPN connections, and is the default value for NETGEAR routers, adapters,

and switches.
1492 Used in PPPoE environments.
1472 Maximum size to use for pinging. (Larger packets are fragmented.)
1468 Used in some DHCP environments.
1460 Usable by AOL if you do not have large e-mail attachments, for example.
1436 Used in PPTP environments or with VPN.
1400 Maximum size for AOL DSL.
576 Typical value to connect to dial-up ISPs.

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the client running that application must be WMM enabled. Legacy applications that do not support
WMM, and applications that do not require QoS, are assigned to the best effort category, which
receives a lower priority than voice and video.

Configuring QoS for Internet Access

To specify prioritization of traffic, you must create a policy for the type of traffic and add the
policy to the QoS Policy table in the QoS Setup screen.

To create a QoS policy:
From the main menu of the browser interface, under Advanced, select QoS Setup. The QoS Setup

screen displays:

WMM QoS is enabled by default. You can disable it by clearing the Enable WMM check box and
clicking Apply.

QoS for Applications and Online Gaming

To create a QoS policy for traffic for specific applications or online games:

1. From the main menu of the browser interface, under Advanced, select QoS Setup. The QoS

Setup screen displays, as shown in Figure 5-8.

Figure 5-8

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2. Click Setup QoS rule. The QoS - Priority Rules screen displays.

For convenience, the QoS Policy table lists many common applications and online games that
can benefit from QoS handling.

Figure 5-9

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3. Click Add Priority Rule. The QoS - Priority Rules screen displays.

4. In the Priority Category list, select either Applications or Online Gaming. In either case, a
list of predefined applications or games displays in the Applications drop-down list.

5. From the Applications list, you can select an existing item, or you can scroll to the bottom of
the list and select Add a New Application or Add a New Game.

a. If you chose to add a new entry, the screen expands as shown:

b. In the QoS Policy for field, enter a descriptive name for the new application or game.
c. Select the packet type, either TCP, UDP, or both (TCP/UDP), and specify the port

number or range of port numbers used by the application or game.

Figure 5-10

Figure 5-11

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6. From the Priority drop-down list, select the priority that this traffic should receive relative to
other applications and traffic when accessing the Internet. The options are Low, Normal, High,
and Highest.

7. Click Apply to save this rule to the QoS Policy list and return to the QoS Setup screen.

8. In the QoS Setup screen, select the Turn Internet Access QoS On check box.

9. Click Apply.

QoS for a Router LAN Port

To create a QoS policy for a device connected to one of the router’s LAN ports:

1. From the main menu, under Advanced, select QoS Setup. The QoS Setup screen displays, as
shown in Figure 5-8 on page 5-17.

2. Click Add Priority Rule.

3. From the Priority Category list, select Ethernet LAN Port. The QoS - Priority Rules screen

changes:

4. From the LAN port list, select the LAN port that will have a QoS policy.

5. From the Priority drop-down list, select the priority that this port’s traffic should receive

relative to other applications and traffic when accessing the Internet. The options are Low,
Normal, High, and Highest.

6. Click Apply to save this rule to the QoS Policy list and return to the QoS Setup screen.

7. In the QoS Setup screen, select the Turn Internet Access QoS On check box.

8. Click Apply.

Figure 5-12

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QoS for a MAC Address

To create a QoS policy for traffic from a specific MAC address:

1. From the main menu, under Advanced, select QoS Setup. The QoS Setup screen displays, as
shown in Figure 5-8 on page 5-17.

2. Click Add Priority Rule.

3. From the Priority Category list, select MAC Address. The QoS - Priority Rules screen

changes:

4. If the device to be prioritized appears in the MAC Device List, select it. The information from
the MAC Device List is used to populate the policy name, MAC Address, and Device Name
fields. If the device does not appear in the MAC Device List, click Refresh. If it still does not
appear, you must complete these fields manually.

5. From the Priority drop-down list, select the priority that this device’s traffic should receive
relative to other applications and traffic when accessing the Internet. The options are Low,
Normal, High, and Highest.

6. Click Apply to save this rule to the QoS Policy list and return to the QoS Setup screen.

7. In the QoS Setup screen, select the Turn Internet Access QoS On check box.

8. Click Apply.

Figure 5-13

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Editing or Deleting an Existing QoS Policy

To edit or delete an existing QoS policy:

1. From the main menu, under Advanced, select QoS Setup. The QoS Setup screen displays, as
shown in Figure 5-8 on page 5-17.

2. Select the radio button next to the QoS policy to be edited or deleted, and do one of the
following:

• Click Delete to remove the QoS policy.

• Click Edit to edit the QoS policy. Follow the instructions in the preceding sections to

change the policy settings.

3. Click Apply in the QoS Setup screen to save your changes.

Overview of Home and Small Office Networking
Technologies

Common connection types and their speed and security considerations are:

• Broadband Internet. Your Internet connection speed is determined by your modem type,
such as ADSL or cable modem, as well as the connection speed of the sites to which you
connect, and general Internet traffic. ADSL and cable modem connections are asymmetrical,
meaning they have a lower data rate to the Internet (upstream) than from the Internet
(downstream). Keep in mind that when you connect to another site that also has an
asymmetrical connection, the data rate between your sites is limited by each side’s upstream
data rate. A typical residential ADSL or cable modem connection provides a downstream
throughput of about 1 to 3 megabits per second (Mbps). Newer technologies such as ADSL2+
and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) will increase the connection speed to tens of Mbps.

• Wireless. Your N-150 2-Port Wireless Router WNR500 provides a wireless data throughput of
up to 150 Mbps. With the introduction of the newer WPA and WPA2 encryption and
authentication protocols, wireless security is extremely strong.

To get the best performance, use RangeMax NEXT adapters such as the WN511B for your
computers. Although the WNR500 router is compatible with older 802.11b and 802.11g
adapters, the use of these older wireless technologies in your network can result in lower
throughput overall (typically less than 10 Mbps for 802.11b and less than 40 Mbps for

802.11g). In addition, many older wireless products do not support the latest security
protocols, WPA and WPA2.

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• Powerline. For connecting rooms or floors that are blocked by obstructions or are distant
vertically, consider networking over your building’s AC wiring. NETGEAR’s Powerline HD
family of products delivers up to 200 Mbps to any outlet, while the older-generation XE
family of products delivers 14 Mbps or 85 Mbps. Data transmissions are encrypted for
security, and you can configure an individual network password to prevent neighbors from
connecting.

The Powerline HD family of products can coexist on the same network with older-generation
XE family products or HomePlug 1.0 products, but they are not interoperable with these older
products.

• Wired Ethernet. As gigabit-speed Ethernet ports (10/100/1000 Mbps) become common on
newer computers, wired Ethernet remains a good choice for speed, economy, and security.
Gigabit Ethernet can extend up to 100 meters with twisted-pair wiring of Cat 5e or better. A
wired connection is not susceptible to interference, and eavesdropping would require a
physical connection to your network.

Assessing Your Speed Requirements

Because your Internet connection is likely to operate at a much lower speed than your local
network, faster local networking technologies might not improve your Internet experience.
However, many emerging home applications require high data rates. For example:

• Streaming HD video requires 10 to 30 Mbps per stream. Because latency and packet loss can
disrupt your video, plan to provide at least twice the capacity you need.

• Streaming MP3 audio requires less than 1 Mbps per stream and does not strain most modern
networks. Like video, however, streaming audio is also sensitive to latency and packet loss, so
a congested network or a noisy link can cause problems.

Note: Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors,

including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and
network overhead, can lower actual data throughput rate.

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• Backing up computers over the network has become popular due to the availability of
inexpensive mass storage. Table 5-2 shows the time to transfer 1 gigabyte (1 GB) of data using
various networking technologies.

Table 5-2. Theoretical Transfer Time for 1 Gigabyte

Network Connection Theoretical Raw Transfer Time

Gigabit wired Ethernet 8 seconds
RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N 26 seconds
Powerline HD 40 seconds
100 Mbps wired Ethernet 80 seconds

802.11n wireless 45 seconds

802.11g wireless 150 seconds

802.11b wireless 700 seconds
10 Mbps wired Ethernet 800 seconds
Cable modem (3 Mbps) 2700 seconds
Analog modem (56 kbps) 144,000 seconds (40 hours)

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Chapter 6

Using Network Monitoring Tools

This chapter describes how to use the maintenance features of your N-150 2-Port Wireless Router
WNR500.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• “Viewing Wireless Router Status Information” on page 6-2

• “Viewing a List of Attached Devices” on page 6-7

• “Managing the Configuration File” in Chapter 6

• “Updating the Router Firmware” on page 6-9

• “Enabling Remote Management Access” on page 6-12

• “Traffic Meter” on page 6-13

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Viewing Wireless Router Status Information

To view router status and usage information:

1. Select Router Status under Maintenance in the main menu. The Router Status screen
displays.

Figure 6-1