User's Manual

Wireless Configuration 6-1
Chapter 6
Wireless Configuration
This chapter describes how to configure the wireless features of your DG824M Wireless ADSL
Modem Gateway.
Considerations For A Wireless Network
In planning your wireless network, you should consider the level of security required. You should
also select the physical placement of your router in order to maximize the network speed. For
further information on wireless networking, refer to
“Wireless Networking” in Appendix B,
“Network, Routing, Firewall, and Wireless Basics.”
Security
Unlike wired network data, your wireless data transmissions can extend beyond your walls and
can be received by anyone with a compatible adapter. For this reason, NETGEAR strongly
recommends that you make use of the security features of your wireless equipment. As a minimum
security precaution, you should change the SSID setting of all devices on your network from the
factory setting to a unique password. Restricting access by MAC address filtering adds another
obstacle against unwanted hosts joining your network. To hinder a determined eavesdropper, you
should enable Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption. However, there may be a
significant degradation of the data throughput on the wireless link when WEP is enabled.
Placement and Range
The operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly based on the
physical placement of the wireless router.
Note: Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance degradation or
inability to wirelessly connect to the router.
FVM318.book Page 1 Wednesday, September 18, 2002 5:20 PM