User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point NETGEAR, Inc.
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Contents Chapter 1 Introduction About the Wireless Access Point .............................................................1 System Requirements ..............................................................................3 What’s In the Box? ...................................................................................4 Hardware Description ..............................................................................
Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter introduces the NETGEAR Model WAB102 802.11a+b Wireless Access Point. Minimal prerequisites for installation are presented in “System Requirements“ on page 3. About the Wireless Access Point Congratulations on your purchase of NETGEAR's WAB102 802.11 a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point, which gives you the ultimate in office mobility. This high-speed wireless device simultaneously supports both IEEE 802.11a and 802.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Benefits • • • • Ultimate mobility – One Access point provides both 802.11a (5 GHz) and 802.11b (2.4 GHz) wireless networks. Blazing fast speeds – Up to 54 Mbps, and up to 108 Mbps in turbo mode for models shipped in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Dual band capability protects your existing 802.11b wireless network investment while installing a new 802.11a network.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point System Requirements Before installing the WAB102, make sure your system meets these requirements: • A 10/100 Mbps Local Area Network device such as a hub or switch. Note: The WAB102 should be connected to a router, switch or hub installed as shown in the figure below. • • • • • The Category 5 UTP straight through Ethernet cable with RJ-45 connector included in this package or one like it. A 100-240 V, 50-60 HZ AC power source.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point What’s In the Box? The product package should contain the following items: • • • • • • WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Power adapter and cord (5Vdc, 3.8A) WAB102 User's Guide (this guide) Straight through Category 5 Ethernet cable - 25 feet Support Information Card Warranty and Registration card Please contact your reseller or customer support in your area if there are any wrong, missing, or damaged parts.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 802.11a+b Standards-based Wireless Networking The WAB102 Wireless Access Point provides a bridge between Ethernet wired LANs and both 802.11a and 802.11b compatible wireless LAN networks. It provides connectivity between Ethernet wired networks and radio-equipped wireless notebook systems, desktop systems, print servers, and other devices. The WAB102 802.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAB102 Wireless Access Point Front Panel The WAB102 Dual Band Wireless Access Point provides these status LEDs. Power Ethernet 802.11a WLAN 802.11b WLAN The following table explains the LED indicators: LED DESCRIPTION Power Off On Blink Ethernet Indicates self test, loading software, or system fault (if continues). Note: This LED may blink for a minute before going on steady.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAB102 Wireless Access Point Rear Panel Power Socket Restore to Factory Default Switch Ethernet Port Power Adapter Cable Holder Power Socket This socket connects to the WAB102 power adapter. Warning: Use only the power adapter that came with the WAB102.
Chapter 2 Setting Up Basic Wireless Connectivity This chapter describes how to set up your WAB102 802.11 a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point for wireless connectivity on your Local Area Network (LAN). This basic configuration will enable computers with 802.11a or 802.11b compliant wireless adapters to do such things as connect to the Internet, or access printers and files on your LAN.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point What You Will Need Before You Begin You need to prepare these three things before you can establish a connection through your wireless access point: • A location for the WAB102 that conforms to the placement and range guidelines below. • The wireless access point connected to your LAN through a device such as a hub, switch, router, or Cable/DSL gateway. • One or more computers with properly configured 802.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Cabling Requirements The WAB102 dual band AP connects to your LAN via twisted-pair Category 5 Ethernet cable with RJ-45 connectors. Note: The power adapter and cord shipped with the WAB102 limits the distance from an AC outlet. To overcome this, consider using NETGEAR’s POE101 Power Over Ethernet Adapter with a Category 5 Ethernet cable like the one included with your WAB102.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Note: We suggest you first install the WAB102 with the default settings. Optionally, you can then customize your settings and enable encryption if it is required. 1. Position and mount the WAB102 Dual Band Wireless Access Point. The best location is elevated, such as wall mounted or on the top of a cubicle, at the center of your wireless coverage area, and within line of sight of all the mobile devices.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 5. Verify the installation was successful. The Power light should be lit. It might take a few seconds after the power is applied to the access point for the power light to appear. The Ethernet Link light should be on. If the connection is a 100 Mbps connection, the light is green. If it is a 10 Mbps connection, the light is amber.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Default Factory Settings When you first receive your WAB102, the default factory settings will automatically be set, as shown below. You can restore these defaults with the Factory Default Restore switch on the rear panel — see “WAB102 Wireless Access Point Rear Panel“ on page 7.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Basic Configuration The WAB102 802.11 a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point can be configured remotely from Microsoft Internet Explorer browser version 5.0 or above, or Netscape Navigator web browser version 4.78 or above on your computer. Note: For up-to-date details on WAB102 configuration visit www.netgear.com. 1. Determine the name of your access point.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point For advanced users: To access the built-in Web Server home page on the WAB102, we suggest that you have a DHCP server on the Ethernet Network. If there is no accessible DHCP server, the WAB102 Access Point will default to the IP address of 192.168.0.226 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. You will need to configure the IP address of the computer to be within the same subnet for the initial configuration.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 1. Click on the Setup link on the AP Setup menu. 2. Specify your configuration settings. When you are done, click Apply and then the Reboot button for the changes to take effect. Please refer to the tables on the following pages for descriptions of these items: • • • For LAN parameters, see “TCP/IP Configuration Parameters“ on page 17. For 5GHz parameters, see “802.11a Wireless LAN Configuration Parameters“ on page 18. For 2.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point TCP/IP Configuration Parameters CONFIGURATION Access Point Name DESCRIPTION The unique name represents the access point. The default Access Point Name is located on the bottom label of WAB102. You may modify the default name with a unique name up to 15 characters long. Default: netgearxxxxxx, where xxxxxxx represents the last 6 digits of the WAB102 MAC address. IP Address Specifies the IP address of the access point. Default: 192.168.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 802.11a Wireless LAN Configuration Parameters CONFIGURATION SSID (Service Set ID) DESCRIPTION Enter a 32-character (maximum) service set ID in this field; the characters are case sensitive. When in infrastructure mode, this field defines the service set ID (SSID). The SSID assigned to the wireless node is required to match the access point SSID in order for the wireless node to communicate with the access point.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 802.11b Wireless LAN Configuration Parameters CONFIGURATION SSID (Service Set ID) DESCRIPTION Enter a 32-character (maximum) service set ID in this field; the characters are case sensitive. When in infrastructure mode, this field defines the service set ID (SSID). The SSID assigned to the wireless node is required to match the access point SSID in order for the wireless node to communicate with the access point.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Change Password 1. To change the current password, choose the Password option from the AP Setup menu in the WAB102 Web Server home page. The default password is "1234." 2. Change your password. Click Apply for the new password to take effect. Note: Take note of your new password, otherwise you will not be able to access the Access Point setup.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Security Configuration To prevent unauthorized wireless stations from accessing data transmitted over the network, the Security screen of the AP Setup offers use of an authentication protocol as well as data encryption, known as WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). For a step-by-step treatment of security setup, see “Enabling Basic Wireless Access Security Features“ on page 34. 1. Use a browser to connect to the WAB102. 2.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 4. Set Up 802.11a Encryption Security as Needed For 802.11a, you can set up to four Encryption Keys, each of which can have a different encryption level: 64-bit, 128-bit, or 152-bit. The default setting indicates which key is used for encrypting transmissions by the access point. Other devices in the network must have the same key value entered for this encryption key to allow them to receive these transmissions.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 802.11a Wireless LAN Security Parameters CONFIGURATION Authentication Type DESCRIPTION Specifies the Authentication type used: Open System or Shared Key. If "Shared Key" is selected, you need to enable the WEP and enter at least one shared key. Default: Open System WEP Enable or Disable the Wired Equivalent Privacy. Default: Disable Default Key Specifies the preferred key entry from 1 to 4.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 802.11b Wireless LAN Security Parameters CONFIGURATION Authentication Type DESCRIPTION Specifies the Authentication type used: Open System or Shared Key. If "Shared Key" is selected, you need to enable the WEP and enter at least one shared key. Default: Open System WEP Enable or Disable the Wired Equivalent Privacy. Default: Disable Default Key Specifies the preferred key entry from 1 to 4.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Access Control The Access Control window lets you block or allow the network access privilege of the specified stations through the WAB102 Dual Band Wireless Access Point. This provides an additional layer of security. Follow these steps: 1. Choose the Access Control option from the AP Setup menu in the WAB102 Web Server home page. Click Allow or Block to enable MAC address filtering. Click Disable to disable Access Control feature. 2.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Access Control Configuration Parameters CONFIGURATION Access Control DESCRIPTION Specifies the options of the MAC Access Control List: Disable, Allow, or Block. Default: Disable MAC Address Specifies the MAC address for the station to be included in the Access Control List. Access Control List Displays the current MAC Address Control List entries. The maximum number of MAC Address entries is 100.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Advanced Setup To setup your advanced wireless LAN settings, complete the following: 1. Choose the Advanced Setup option from the AP Setup menu on the WAB102 Web Server home page. 2. Specify your wireless configuration settings. When you are done, click Apply and then the Reboot button for the changes to take effect.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 802.11a Advanced Wireless LAN Configuration Parameters CONFIGURATION Transmit Power DESCRIPTION Transmit signal strength of the WAB102. The options are 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5% and Lowest. Decreases the transmit power if more than one AP is co-located using the same channel frequency. Default:100% Beacon Interval Specifies the Beacon Interval value. Enter a value in between 20 to 1000.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point 802.11b Advanced Wireless LAN Configuration Parameters CONFIGURATION DESCRIPTION RTS Threshold The packet size that the wireless node uses to determine if it should use the CSMA/CD mechanism or the CSMA/CA mechanism for packet transmission. With the CSMA/CD transmission mechanism, the transmitting station sends out the actual packet as soon as it has waited for the silence period.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Restore Factory Default To restore factory default settings, complete the following: 1. Choose the Restore Factory Default option from the AP Setup menu on the WAB102 Web Server home page. 2. Select the Yes option. 3. Click Apply and then the Reboot button for the changes to take effect.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point AP Status Station List The Station List window displays the assigned ID, MAC address, current Channel used, and the current state of the access point and all the stations that are currently part of its Basic Service Set (BBS).
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point About This window displays the Firmware Version, Regulatory Domain, and the MAC Address of the WAB102.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.
Chapter 3 Protecting Your Wireless Network The absence of a physical connection between nodes makes wireless links vulnerable to information theft. This chapter describes how to use the basic security features of the WAB102 802.11 a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point to protect your network. Although your network traffic may already be encrypted, the security steps described here are easy to take.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Change the Password From the Windows desktop, follow the instructions given in “Change Password“ on page 20 to go to the Password window. Your password may be an alphanumeric string of up to 12 characters. To record your security settings, consider photocopying this page and the following two, and then writing your security settings into them and securing the copy.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point • Authentication The authentication setting, “Open System” or “Shared Key,” is unrelated to encryption of transmissions. The two bands may have use different authentication settings. Choose “Shared Key” for more security. 802.11a SSID, circle one: Open System or Shared Key 802.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Change the SSID Follow the steps below: 1. From the Windows desktop, follow the instructions given in “Basic Configuration“ on page 14 to go to the Setup window. 2. To change the SSID, enter a new SSID. Note: The characters are case sensitive. An access point always functions in infrastructure mode. The SSID for any wireless device communicating with the access point must match the SSID configured in the access point. 3.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Configure WEP Encryption Follow the steps below to perform this procedure. 1. From the Windows desktop, follow the instructions given in “Basic Configuration“ on page 14 to go to the Security window. 2. Authentication Type may be set as “Open System” or “Shared Key” without affecting encryption. Use “Shared Key” for added security. 3. Set the keys for both the 802.11a and 802.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Restrict Wireless Activity by MAC Address Each device on Ethernet and wireless LAN networks have a media access control (MAC) address, which is a a unique 48-bit number assigned to each device by the manufacturer. A highly secure way of protecting unauthorized access to your wireless network is to restrict access to only those devices whose MAC addresses you specify.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.
Chapter 4 Troubleshooting This chapter gives information about troubleshooting your WAB102 802.11 a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point. After each problem description, instructions are provided to help you diagnose and solve the problem. For the common problems listed, go to the section indicated. • Is the wireless access point on? • Have I connected the wireless access point correctly? Go to “Install the WAB102 Wireless Access Point“ on page 10.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point • Make sure the power adapter is connected to a functioning power outlet. If it is in a power strip, make sure the power strip is turned on. If it is plugged directly into the wall, verify that it is not a switched outlet. • Make sure you are using the correct NETGEAR power adapter supplied with your access point. One or both of the wireless activity lights do not light up The access point’s antennae are not working.
User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.
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User’s Guide for the WAB102 802.11a+b Dual Band Wireless Access Point Modifications made to the product, unless expressly approved by NETGEAR, Inc., could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
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