User's Manual

1-1
v1.0, August 2006
Chapter 1
Basic Setup
The NETGEAR Next 300 Mbps Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter WN121T lets you connect a PC
computer to wireless networks. It is designed for PC computers running Microsoft Windows. For
information about product features and compatible NETGEAR products, please see the
NETGEAR website at
http://www.netgear.com.
This chapter describes how to install your Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter and set up basic wireless
connectivity on your Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). Advanced wireless network set up is
covered in
Chapter 2, “Network Connections and Wireless Security”.
A Road Map for “How to Get There From Here”
Wireless technology has removed one of the barriers to networking—running wires. Wireless
technology also adds issues such as range, interference, signal quality, and security to the picture.
The table below shows how to complete common tasks with a network: connecting to a wireless
network, using security, connecting to the Internet, exchanging files with other computers, and
using printers in the combined wireless and wired network.
Table 1-1. A Road Map for How to Get There From Here ...
If I Want to... ? What Do I Do? What Is Needed? How Do I?
Connect to a
wireless
network
1. Get the wireless
network name (SSID)
and, if used, the
wireless security
settings.
2. Set up the Wireless
USB 2.0 Adapter with
the settings from
Step 1.
1. A wireless network
2. A computer within the
operating range of the
wireless network.
For set up, see
“Installation
Instructions” on page 1-6
and
follow the instructions.
For wireless network range,
see “Observe Wireless
Location and Range
Guidelines” on page 1-5
.
For wireless networking, see
the Web link to
“Wireless
Communications:” in
Appendix B
.