Netgear Router WGR614 V5 User Manual

							Wireless Configuration 4-1
June 2004 202-10036-01
Chapter 4 
Wireless Configuration
This chapter describes how to configure the wireless features of your WGR614 v5 router. In 
planning your wireless network, you should consider the level of security required. You should 
also select the physical placement of your firewall in order to maximize the network speed. For 
further information on wireless networking, refer to Appendix D, “Wireless Networking Basics.
Observe Performance, Placement, and Range Guidelines
The operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly based on the 
physical placement of the wireless firewall. The latency, data throughput performance, and 
notebook power consumption of wireless adapters also vary depending on your configuration 
choices.
For best results, place your firewall:
• Near the center of the area in which your computers will operate.
• In an elevated location such as a high shelf where the wirelessly connected computers have 
line-of-sight access (even if through walls).
• Away from sources of interference, such as computers, microwaves, and 2.4 GHz cordless 
phones.
• Away from large metal surfaces.
The time it takes to establish a wireless connection can vary depending on both your security 
settings and placement. WEP connections can take slightly longer to establish. Also, WEP 
encryption can consume more battery power on a notebook computer.
Note: Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance 
degradation or inability to wirelessly connect to the router. For complete range/
performance specifications, please see Appendix A, “Technical Specifications.” 
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
4-2 Wireless Configuration
June 2004 202-10036-01
Implement Appropriate Wireless Security 
Unlike wired network data, your wireless data transmissions can be received well beyond your 
walls by anyone with a compatible adapter. For this reason, use the security features of your 
wireless equipment. The WGR614 v5 router provides highly effective security features which are 
covered in detail in this chapter. Deploy the security features appropriate to your needs.
Figure 4-1:  WGR614 v5 wireless data security options
There are several ways you can enhance the security of your wireless network.
•Restrict Access Based on MAC address. You can restrict access to only trusted computers so 
that unknown computers cannot wirelessly connect to the WGR614 v5. MAC address filtering 
adds an obstacle against unwanted access to your network, but the data broadcast over the 
wireless link is fully exposed. 
•Turn Off the Broadcast of the Wireless Network Name SSID. If you disable broadcast of 
the SSID, only devices that have the correct SSID can connect. This nullifies the wireless 
network ‘discovery’ feature of some products such as Windows XP, but the data is still fully 
exposed to a determined snoop using specialized test equipment like wireless sniffers.
•WEP. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption provides data security. WEP Shared 
Key authentication and WEP data encryption will block all but the most determined 
eavesdropper. 
Note: Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11b/g wireless networks at ranges of up 
to 300 feet. Such distances can allow for others outside of your immediate area to access 
your network.
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							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
Wireless Configuration 4-3
June 2004 202-10036-01
•WPA-PSK. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) data encryption provides strong data security. 
WPA-PSK will block eavesdropping. Because this is a new standard, wireless device driver 
and software availability may be limited. 
•Turn Off the Wired LAN. If you disable the wireless LAN, wireless devices cannot 
communicate with the router at all. You might choose to turn off the wireless the LAN when 
you are away and the others in the household all use wired connections.
Understanding Wireless Settings
To configure the Wireless settings of your firewall, click the Wireless link in the main menu of the 
browser interface. The Wireless Settings menu will appear, as shown below.
Figure 4-2:  Wireless Settings menu
•Name (SSID). The SSID is also known as the wireless network name. Enter a value of up to 
32 alphanumeric characters. In a setting where there is more than one wireless network, 
different wireless network names provide a means for separating the traffic. Any device you 
want to participate in a particular wireless network will need to use this SSID for that network. 
The WGR614 v5 default SSID is: NETGEAR.
•Region. This field identifies the region where the WGR614 v5 can be used. It may not be legal 
to operate the wireless features of the wireless router in a region other than one of those 
identified in this field. 
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
4-4 Wireless Configuration
June 2004 202-10036-01
•Channel. This field determines which operating frequency will be used. It should not be 
necessary to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems with another 
nearby access point. For more information on the wireless channel frequencies please refer to 
“Wireless Channels” on page D-2.
•Mode. This field determines which data communications protocol will be used. You can select 
“g only,” “b only,” or “g and b.” “g only” dedicates the WGR614 v5 to communicating with 
the higher bandwidth 802.11g wireless devices exclusively. “b only” dedicates the WGR614 
v5 to communicating with the higher bandwidth 802.11b wireless devices exclusively. The “g 
and b” mode provides backward compatibility with the slower 802.11b wireless devices while 
still enabling 802.11g communications. 
•Security Options. These options are the wireless security features you can enable. The table 
below identifies the various basic wireless security options. A full explanation of these 
standards is available in Appendix D, “Wireless Networking Basics.”
Table 4-1. Basic Wireless Security Options
Field Description
Automatic
No wireless security.
WEPWEP offers the following options:
• Open System
With Open Network Authentication and 64- or 128-bit WEP Data Encryption, the WGR614 
v5 does perform 64- or 128-bit data encryption but does not perform any authentication. 
• Shared Key
Shared Key authentication encrypts the SSID and data.
Choose the Encryption Strength (64- or 128-bit data encryption). Manually enter the key 
values or enter a word or group of printable characters in the Passphrase box. Manually 
entered keys are case sensitive but passphrase characters are not case sensitive. 
Note: Not all wireless adapter configuration utilities support passphrase key generation.
•Auto
 WPA-PSKWPA-Pre-shared Key does perform authentication, uses 128-bit data encryption and 
dynamically changes the encryption keys making it nearly impossible to circumvent.
Enter a word or group of printable characters in the Password Phrase box. These characters 
are case sensitive.
Note: Not all wireless adapter configuration utilities support WPA. Furthermore, client software 
is required on the client. Windows XP and Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 do include the 
client software that supports WPA. Nevertheless, the wireless adapter hardware and driver 
must also support WPA. 
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
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To configure the advanced wireless settings of your firewall, click the Wireless Setup link in the 
Advanced section of the main menu of the browser interface. The Wireless Settings menu will 
appear, as shown below.
Figure 4-3:  Advanced Wireless Settings menu
•Allow Broadcast of Name (SSID). If you disable broadcast of the SSID, only devices that 
have the correct SSID can connect. Disabling SSID broadcast nullifies the wireless network 
‘discovery’ feature of some products such as Windows XP.
•Enable Wireless Access Point. If you disable the wireless access point, wireless devices 
cannot connect to the WGR614 v5. 
•Wireless Card Access List. When the Trusted PCs Only radio button is selected, the 
WGR614 v5 checks the MAC address of the wireless station and only allows connections to 
computers identified on the trusted computers list.  
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
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Information to Gather Before Changing Basic Wireless Settings
Before customizing your wireless settings, print this form and record the following information. If 
you are working with an existing wireless network, the person who set up or is responsible for the 
network will be able to provide this information. Otherwise, you will choose the settings for your 
wireless network. Either way, record the settings for your wireless network in the spaces below.
•Wireless Network Name (SSID): ______________________________
 The SSID, identifies 
the wireless network. You can use up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The SSID is case 
sensitive. The SSID in the wireless adapter card must match the SSID of the wireless router. In 
some configuration utilities (such as in Windows XP), the term “wireless network name” is 
used instead of SSID. 
•If WEP Authentication is Used. Circle one: Open System, Shared Key, or Auto. 
Note: If you select Shared Key, the other devices in the network will not connect unless they 
are set to Shared Key as well and are configured with the correct key.
–WEP Encryption key size. Choose one: 64-bit or 128-bit. Again, the encryption key size 
must be the same for the wireless adapters and the wireless router.
–Data Encryption (WEP) Keys. There are two methods for creating WEP data encryption 
keys. Whichever method you use, record the key values in the spaces below.
•Passphrase method. ______________________________
 These characters are case 
sensitive. Enter a word or group of printable characters and click the Generate Keys 
button. Not all wireless devices support the passphrase method.
•Manual method. These values are not case sensitive. For 64-bit WEP, enter 10 hex 
digits (any combination of 0-9 or a-f). For 128-bit WEP, enter 26 hex digits.
Key 1: ___________________________________
 
Key 2: ___________________________________
 
Key 3: ___________________________________
 
Key 4: ___________________________________
 
•If WPA-PSK Authentication is Used. 
–Passphrase: ______________________________
 These characters are case sensitive. 
Enter a word or group of printable characters. When you use WPA-PSK, the other devices 
in the network will not connect unless they are set to WPA-PSK as well and are configured 
with the correct Passphrase. 
Use the procedures described in the following sections to configure the WGR614 v5. Store this 
information in a safe place. 
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
Wireless Configuration 4-7
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Default Factory Settings
When you first receive your WGR614 v5, the default factory settings are shown below. You can 
restore these defaults with the Factory Default Restore button on the rear panel. After you install 
the WGR614 v5 router, use the procedures below to customize any of the settings to better meet 
your networking needs.
How to Set Up and Test Basic Wireless Connectivity
Follow the instructions below to set up and test basic wireless connectivity. Once you have 
established basic wireless connectivity, you can enable security settings appropriate to your needs.
1.Log in to the WGR614 v5 firewall at its default LAN address of http://www.routerlogin.net 
with its default user name of admin and default password of password, or using whatever 
LAN address and password you have set up.
FEATUREDEFAULT FACTORY SETTINGS
Wireless Access PointEnabled
Wireless Access List (MAC Filtering)All wireless stations allowed
SSID broadcast Enabled
SSID NETGEAR
11b/g RF Channel11
Modeg and b
Authentication TypeOpen System
WEPDisabled
Note: If you use a wireless computer to configure WPA settings, you will be 
disconnected when you click Apply. Reconfigure your wireless adapter to match the 
new settings or access the wireless router from a wired computer to make any further 
changes. 
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
4-8 Wireless Configuration
June 2004 202-10036-01 2.
Click Wireless Settings in the main menu of the WGR614 v5 firewall.
Figure 4-4:  Wireless Settings menu
3.
Choose a suitable descriptive name for the wireless network name (SSID). In the SSID box, 
enter a value of up to 32 alphanumeric characters. The default SSID is NETGEAR.
Note: The SSID is case sensitive; NETGEAR is not the same as nETgear. Also, the SSID of 
any wireless access adapters must match the SSID you configure in the 54 Mbps Wireless 
Router WGR614 v5. If they do not match, you will not get a wireless connection to the 
WGR614 v5.
4.Set the Region. Select the region in which the wireless interface will operate. 
5.Set the Channel. The default channel is 11.
This field determines which operating frequency will be used. It should not be necessary to 
change the wireless channel unless you notice interference problems with another nearby 
wireless router or access point. Select a channel that is not being used by any other wireless 
networks within several hundred feet of your firewall. For more information on the wireless 
channel frequencies please refer to “Wireless Channels” on page D-2. 
6.For initial configuration and test, leave the Wireless Card Access List set to “Everyone” and 
the Encryption Strength set to “Disabled.” 
7.Click Apply to save your changes. 
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
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Configure and test your computers for wireless connectivity.
Program the wireless adapter of your computers to have the same SSID and channel that you 
configured in the router. Check that they have a wireless link and are able to obtain an IP 
address by DHCP from the firewall.
Wa r n in g : The Network Name (SSID) is case sensitive. If NETGEAR is the Network Name 
(SSID) in your wireless router, you must enter NETGEAR in your computers wireless 
settings. Typing nETgear will not work.
Once your computers have basic wireless connectivity to the firewall, you can configure the 
advanced wireless security functions of the firewall.
How to Configure WEP
To configure WEP data encryption, follow these steps:
1.Log in to the WGR614 v5 firewall at its default LAN address of http://www.routerlogin.net 
with its default user name of admin and default password of password, or using whatever 
LAN address and password you have set up.
2.Click Wireless Settings in the main menu of the WGR614 v5 firewall. 
3.From the Security Options menu, select WEP. The WEP options display.
Note: If you are configuring the firewall from a wireless computer and you change the 
firewall’s SSID, channel, or security settings, you will lose your wireless connection 
when you click on Apply. You must then change the wireless settings of your computer 
to match the firewall’s new settings.
Note: If you use a wireless computer configure WEP settings, you will be disconnected 
when you click on Apply. You must then either configure your wireless adapter to match 
the wireless router WEP settings or access the wireless router from a wired computer to 
make any further changes. 
						

							Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
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Select the Authentication Type and Encryptions strength from the drop-down lists.
Figure 4-5. Wireless Settings encryption menu
5.
You can manually or automatically program the four data encryption keys. These values must 
be identical on all computers and Access Points in your network.
• Automatic - Enter a word or group of printable characters in the Passphrase box and click 
the Generate button. The passphrase is case sensitive; NETGEAR is not the same as 
nETgear. The four key boxes will be automatically populated with key values.
• Manual - Enter ten hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, or A-F). These entries 
are not case sensitive; AA is the same as aa. 
Select which of the four keys will be active.
Please refer to “WEP Wireless Security” on page D-4 for a full explanation of each of these 
options, as defined by the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication standard.
6.Click Apply to save your settings.