Netgear N 900 Manual

							NETGEAR genie Basic Settings21
 N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500
Attached Devices
You can view all computers or devices that are currently connected to your network here. 
From the Basic Home screen, select 
Attached Devices to display the following screen:
Wired devices are connected to the router wi th Ethernet cables. Wireless devices have 
joined the wireless network. 
• # (number). Th e order 

in which the device joined the network.
• IP Address . The
  IP address that the router assigned to this device when it joined the 
network. Note that this number can change if a device is disconnected and rejoins the 
network.
• MAC Address . The
  unique MAC address for each device does not change. The MAC 
address is typically shown on the product label.
• Device Name . If the device 
 name is known, it is shown here. 
You can click  Refre
 sh to update this screen. 
						

							NETGEAR genie Basic Settings22
N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500 
Parental Controls
The first time you select Parental Controls from the Basic Home screen, you are 
automatically directed to the Internet, where you can learn more about Live Parental Controls 
or download the application. The following screen displays:
ReadySHARE USB Storage
You can view information about a USB storage de
vice that is connected to the router’s USB 
port here. From the Basic Home screen, select  ReadySHARE to display the USB Storage 
(Basic Settings) screen: 
						

							NETGEAR genie Basic Settings23
 N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500
This screen displays the following:
•
Network/Devic
 e Name. The default is \
eadyshare. This is the name used to access the 
USB device connected to the router.
• A
vailable Network Folders . The folders on the USB device.
Share Name . If 
 only one device is connected, the default share name is USB_Storage. 
You can click the name shown, or you can type it  in the address field of your web browser. 
If Not Shared is shown, the default share has been deleted, and no other share for the 
root folder exists. Click th e link to change this setting.
Read/Write Access . Sho
 ws the permissions and access  controls on the network folder: 
All – no password (the default) allows all us ers to access the network folder. The user 
name (account name) for All – no password is guest. The password for  admin is the 
same one that you use to log in to the router. By default, it is  password.
Folder Name. 
 Full path used by the network folder. 
Volume Name . V
 olume name from the storage device (either USB drive or HDD).
Total/Free Space. Shows the current u
 tilization of the storage device.
• Edit . Click the
  Edit  button to edit the Available Network Folders settings.
• Safely Remove a USB D
 evice. Click to safely remove the USB device attached to your 
router.
You can click  Re
 fresh to update this screen.
For more information about USB storage, see  Chapter 5, USB Storage.
Basic Wireless Settings
The Wireless Settings screen lets you view  or configure the wireless network setup.
The N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router co mes with
  preset security. This means that 
the Wi-Fi network name (SSID), network key (p assword), and security option (encryption 
protocol) are preset in the factory. You can find the preset SSID and password on the bottom 
of the unit. 
Note: The preset SSID and password are uniquely generated for every 
device to protect and maximize your wireless security.
To view or change basic wireless settings:
NETGEAR recommends that you do not change your preset security settings . If you do 
d
 ecide to change your preset security settings, ma ke a note of the new settings and store it in 
a safe place where you can easily find it. 
						

							NETGEAR genie Basic Settings24
N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500 
If you use a wireless computer to change the wireless network name (SSID) or other wireless 
security settings, you are disconnected when y
ou click Apply. To avoid this problem, use a 
computer with a wired connection to access the router.
1. On the Basic Home screen, select  W
 ireless to display the Wireless Settings screen.
You can scroll down to view the 5 GHz wireless network settings. The screen sections, 
settings, and procedures are explained in the following sections.
2. Make any changes tha t

 are needed, and click Apply to save your settings.
3. Set up and test your  wireless devices and computers 
 to make sure that they can connect 
wirelessly. If they do not, check the following:
• Is your wireless de vice or computer conne

cted to your network or another wireless 
network in your area? Some wireless devic es automatically connect to the first open 
network (without wireless security) that they discover.
• Does your wireless de
 vice or computer show up on the Attached Devices screen? If it 
does, then it is connected to the network.
• If you are n o
 t sure what the network name (SSI D) or password is, look on the label on 
the bottom of your router.
Wireless Settings Screen Fields
Region Selection
The location where the router is used. Select from the countries in the list. Note that in the 
United States, the region is fixed to United States and is not changeable. 
						

							NETGEAR genie Basic Settings25
 N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500
Wireless Network 
2.4 GHz b/g/n and 5.0 GHz a/n
The b/g/n and a/n notation references the 802.11 standards of conformance. For instance, 
the 2.4 b/g/n conforms to 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n at 2.4 GHz radio frequency.
Enable Wireless Isolation. I
f this check bo

x is selected, then wireless clients (computers or 
wireless devices) that join the network can use the Internet, but cannot access each other or 
access Ethernet devices on the network.
Enable SSID Broadcast.  This set

ting allows the router to broadcast its SSID so wireless 
stations can see this wireless name (SSID) in their scanned network lists. This check box is 
selected by default. To turn off the SSID broadcast, clear the Allow Broadcast of Name 
(SSID)  check box, and click  Apply.
Name (SSID). The SSID is also known as the wireless  network n
 ame. Enter a 32-character 
(maximum) name in this field. This field is case-sensitive. The default SSID is randomly 
generated, and NETGEAR strongly recommends that you do not change this.
Channel . This setting is the 

wireless channel used by the gateway. Enter a value from 1 
through 13. (For products in the North America market, only Channels 1 through 11 can be 
operated.) Do not change the channel unless  you experience interference (shown by lost 
connections or slow data transfers). If this  happens, experiment with different channels to 
see which is the best. 
Mode . Up to 217  

Mbps is the default and allows 802.11n and 802.11g wireless devices to join 
the network. g & b  supports up to 54 Mbps. The 450 Mbps setting allows 802.11n devices to 
connect at this speed.
Security Options Settings
The Security Options section of the Wireless Settings screen lets you change the security 
option and passphrase. Please note that  NETGEAR recommends that you not change the 
security option or passphrase,  but if you want to change these settings, this section 
explains how.  Do not disable security .
Change WPA Security Option and Passphrase
1.Under Security Options, select the WPA option you want.
2.In the Passphrase field that displays when you select a WPA security option, enter the 
network key (passphrase) that you want to use. It is a text string from 8 to 63 characters. 
						

							NETGEAR genie Basic Settings26
N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500 
Guest Networks
Adding a guest network allows visitors at your home to use the Internet without giving them 
your wireless security key. You can add a guest network to each wireless network: 2.4 GHz 
b/g/n and 5.0 GHz a/n. 
To set up a guest network:
1.
Select  Basic >  Guest Network  to display the fo
 llowing screen:
2.For a 5 GHz network, scroll down to view  that section of the Guest Network screen.
3. Select any of the following wireless se ttings:
Enable Gues
 t Network. When th
 is check box is selected, the guest network is enabled, 
and guests can connect to your network using the SSID of this profile.
Enable Wireless Isolation . If this check b

ox is selected, then wireless clients (computers 
or wireless devices) that join the network can use the Internet, but cannot access each 
other or access Ethernet devices on the network.
Enable SSID Broadcast. If th is check bo
 x is selected, the wireless access point 
broadcasts its name (SSID) to all wireless stations. Stations with no SSID can adopt the 
correct SSID for connections to this access point.
Allow guest to access My Local Network . If this 
 check box is selected, any user who 
connects to this SSID has access to your local network, not just Internet access.
4. Give the guest net work 

a name.
The guest network name is case-sensitive and can be  up to
  32 characters. You then 
manually configure the wireless devices in your network to use the guest network name in 
addition to the main nonguest SSID. 
5. Select a se curity option
  from the list. The security options are described in  Guest Network 
Wireless Security Options  on page 27
 .
6. Click  Apply  to save  your selections. 
						

							NETGEAR genie Basic Settings27
 N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500
Guest Network Wireless Security Options
A security option is the type of security pr
otocol applied to your wireless network. The 
security protocol in force encrypts data transm issions and ensures that only trusted devices 
receive authorization to connect to your network. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) has several 
options including pre-shared key (PSK) encryption. 
This section presents an overview of the secu rity o
 ptions and provides guidance on when to 
use which option. Note that it is also possible to set up a guest network without wireless 
security. NETGEAR does  not recommend this.
WPA Encryption
WPA encryption is built into all hardware that  has the Wi-Fi-certified seal. This seal means 
the product is authorized by the Wi-Fi Alliance ( http://www.wi-fi.org/) because it complies with 
the worldwide single standard for high-speed wireless local area networking. 
WPA uses a passphrase to perform authentication and generate the initial data encryption 
keys. Then it dynamically varies the encrypti on key

. WPA-PSK uses Temporal Key Integrity 
Protocol (TKIP) data encryption, implements most of the IEEE 802.11i standard, and is 
designed to work with all wireless network interface cards, but not all wireless access points. 
It is superseded by WPA2-PSK.
WPA2-PSK is stronger than WPA-PSK. It is adver tised t
 o be theoretically indecipherable due 
to the greater degree of randomness in encryption keys that it generates. WPA2-PSK gets 
higher speed because it  is usually implemented through ha rdware, while WPA-PSK is usually 
implemented through software. WPA2-PSK uses  a passphrase to authenticate and generate 
the initial data encryption keys. Then it dynamically varies the encryption key. 
WPS-PSK + WPA2-PSK Mixed Mode can provide br oader support f
 or all wireless clients. 
WPA2-PSK clients get higher speed and security , and WPA-PSK clients get decent speed 
and security. The product documentation for your  wireless adapter and WPA client software 
should have instructions about  configuring their WPA settings. 
						

							28
4
4.   NETGEAR genie Advanced Home
Specifying custom settings
This chapter explains the features available from the NETGEAR genie Advanced Home screen, 
shown in the following figure:
This screen is also 
displayed through the 
Administration menu.
This chapter contains the following sections:•Setup Wizard 
• WPS Wizard 
• Setup Menu 
• WAN Setup 
• LAN Setup 
• Quality of Service (QoS) Setup 
Some selections on the Advanced Home  screen 
are described in se
 parate chapters:
• USB S torage .
  See Chapter 5, USB Storage .
• Security . See Chapt
 er 7, Security.
• Adm inistration . See Chapte
 r 8, Administration.
• Adv anced Setup . See Cha
 pter 9, Advanced Settings. 
						

							NETGEAR genie Advanced Home29
 N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500
Setup Wizard
The NETGEAR genie installation process is launched the first time you set up the router. 
After setting up the router the first time, if you want to perform this task again, you can run 
Setup Wizard from the Advanced tab of the NETGEAR genie.
1.
Select  Setup W

izard to display the following screen: 
2.Select either  Ye s or No, I want to configure the router myself . If you select No, you are 
taken to the Internet Setup screen (see Internet Setup on  p
age 19). 
3. If you s elected Yes, click Next . The follo
 wing screen displays:
The Setup Wizard searches your Internet connection for servers and protocols to 
determine your ISP configuration. The following screen displays: 
						

							NETGEAR genie Advanced Home30
N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500 
WPS Wizard
The WPS Wizard helps you add a WPS-capable cli
ent device (a wireless device or computer) 
to your network. On the client device you need to either press its WPS button or locate its 
WPS PIN.
To use the WPS Wizard:
1. Select  Advance d > WPS 
 Wizard.
2. Click  Next. 
 The following screen lets you select the method for adding the WPS client (a 
wireless device or computer).
 
You can use either the push button or PIN method. 
3. Select either  Push Button or PIN Number . 
• To use the push button method, either click the  WPS b
 utton on this screen, or press 
the  WPS  button located on the side of the router. Within 2 minutes, go to the wireless 
client and press its  WPS button to join the network without entering a password.
• T
o use the PIN method, select the  PIN Number ra
 dio button, enter the client security 
PIN, and click  Next.