Netgear orporated 12400222 UserMan

Connect the Access Point to Your Computer

A

B

B

LAN port

Console port

Power connector

Configure the LAN and Wireless Access Settings

Installation Guide

ProSAFE® Single Band 802.11n Wireless Access Point WN203

Follow the instructions in this installation guide to set up your ProSAFE® Single
Band 802.11n Wireless Access Point WN203. For information about advanced
configuration options, see the reference manual.

Note: In this installation guide, the Wireless Access Point WN203 is referred to as

the access point.

Package Contents

Unpack the box and verify the contents:

• Wireless Access Point WN203

• Straight-through Category 5 Ethernet cable

• Power adapter and cord (12V, 1A)

• Stand

• Installation guide

Set Up the Access Point

Setting up the access point consists of three short procedures:

• Connect the access point to your computer.

• Configure the LAN and wireless access settings.

• Test wireless connectivity.

Estimated total time for these procedures: 10 minutes.

Tip: Before you mount the access point in a high location, first set up and

test the access point to verify wireless network connectivity.

1. Prepare a computer with an Ethernet adapter:

a. If this computer is already part of your network, record its TCP/IP

configuration settings.

b. Configure the

computer with a static
IP address of

192.168.0.210 and a
subnet mask of

255.255.255.0.

2. Insert an Ethernet cable

in the Ethernet port of
the computer (point A in
the illustration).

3. Securely insert the other

end of the cable into the
Ethernet LAN port on the
back panel of the access
point (point B in the
illustration).

4. Connect the power

adapter to the access
point and plug the power
adapter into a power
outlet.

5. Verify the following:

• Power LED. The Power LED is green.

If the Power LED is off, check the connections, and check if the
power outlet is controlled by a wall switch that is turned off.

• Test LED . The Test LED blinks amber at startup and turns off after

about 1 minute.

• LAN LED. The LAN LED indicates LAN speeds: green for

1000 Mbps, amber for 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps. If no link is detected,
the LAN LED is off.

• WLAN LED. The WLAN LED is blue, indicating that the wireless LAN

(WLAN) is ready.

1. On the computer that is connected to the access point, enter

http://192.168.0.100 in the address field of a browser.

A login window displays.

2. Enter admin for the user name and

password for the password, both in

lowercase letters.

The web management interface of the
access point displays. The menu lets
you navigate to the various screens.

3. Select Configuration > System > Basic > General from the menu.

a. In the Access Point Name field, enter a unique name or leave the default

name.

b. From the Country/Region drop-down list, select the country where the

access point is installed.

c. Click Apply.

4. Select Configuration > IP > IP Settings from the menu.

By default, the access point has a static IP address of 192.168.0.100 with a
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, and the DHCP client is disabled.

a. Configure the IP settings for your LAN.

b. Click Apply.

Tip: If you configure the access point as a DHCP client, reserve an

IP address on the DHCP server in your network by binding the
access point’s MAC address to the IP address that is issued by
the DHCP server. The next time that you log in to the access
point, you need to use the reserved IP address.

5. Select Configuration > Security > Profile Settings from the menu.

a. Configure one or more security profiles for your wireless network.

b. After configuring each security profile, click Apply.

Note: By default, the wireless radio is on and the default wireless mode is ng (that

is, 802.11ng).

Note: The online help and the reference manual provide more information about the

configuration options.

Test Wireless Connectivity

Troubleshooting Tips

Problem Cause Possible Solution

Using a computer or another wireless device, verify that you can establish a
wireless connection to the access point.

Now that you have finished the setup, you are ready to deploy the access point in
your network. You can reconfigure the computer that you used to configure the
access point back to its original TCP/IP settings.

Deploy the Access Point

1. Disconnect the access point and position it where you plan to deploy it.

The best location is elevated such as wall or ceiling mounted, at the center of
your wireless coverage area, and within line of sight of all wireless devices.

2. Connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet LAN port on your access point to

a LAN port on your router, switch, or hub.

3. Connect the power adapter to the access point and plug the power adapter

into a power outlet.

The Power and LAN LEDs should light.

Tip: The access point supports Power over Ethernet (PoE). If you have

a switch that provides PoE, you do not need to use the power adapter to
power the access point. This can be especially convenient when the
access point is installed in a high location far from a power outlet.

4. Using a computer or another wireless device, verify the following:

• You can establish a wireless connection to the access point.

• You can connect to the Internet through a browser.

• You can access files and printers on your network.

NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to
change without notice. © NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.

For indoor use only. Valid in all EU member states, EFTA states, and Switzerland.

April 2013

NETGEAR, Inc.

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 USA

This section provides some tips for correcting simple problems that you might
encounter. For more troubleshooting information, see the troubleshooting chapter in
the reference manual.

Problem Cause Possible Solution

No LEDs are lit
on the access
point.

The LAN LED
is off.

The WLAN
LED is off.

You cannot
configure the
access point
from a browser.

The access point
has no power.

There is a
hardware
connection
problem.

The wireless
connection does
not work.

Multiple causes. • Make sure that the access point is correctly

• Make sure that the power cord is connected to the
access point and plugged in to a working power
outlet or power strip.

• Make sure that you are using the correct NETGEAR
power adapter supplied with your access point.

• If the access point is using PoE, make sure that the
PoE switch is providing power to the access point.

• Make sure that the cable connectors are securely
plugged in to the access point and to the network
device (hub, [PoE] switch, or router).

• Make sure that the network device is turned on.

• If the WLAN LED stays off, disconnect the power
adapter from its power source and then plug it in
again.

• Log in to the access point and verify that the radio or
radios are turned on.

• Contact NETGEAR if the WLAN LED remains off.

installed, it is powered on, and the LAN connections
are good. Check that the LAN LED is lit to verify that
the Ethernet connection is good.

• Ensure that your computer is using an IP address in
the range of the access point. The access point
default IP address is 192.168.0.100, and the default
subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.

• Quit the browser, clear the cache, delete the
cookies, and launch the browser again.

You cannot
access the
Internet or the
LAN from a
wireless
device.

There is a
configuration
problem.

• You might not have restarted the wireless device to
let the TCP/IP changes take effect. Restart the
computer.

• Make sure that the SSID and wireless security
settings of the wireless device are the same as
those of the access point.

• The wireless device might not have the correct
TCP/IP settings to communicate with the network.
Restart the wireless device and check that TCP/IP is
set up correctly for that network. In Windows, the
usual setting for Network Properties is to obtain an
IP address automatically.

• The access point default values might not work with
your network. Check the access point default
configuration against the configuration of other
devices in your network.

For information about changing the default values of
the access point, see the reference manual.

Support

Thank you for selecting NETGEAR products.

After installing your device, locate the serial number on the label of your product and
use it to register your product at https://my.netgear.com.

You must register your product before you can use NETGEAR telephone support.
NETGEAR recommends registering your product through the NETGEAR website.
For product updates and web support, visit http://support.netgear.com .

NETGEAR recommends that you use only the official NETGEAR support
resources.

You can get the user manual online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or
through a link in the product’s user interface.

For the current EU Declaration of Conformity, visit

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