Netgear Router WGT624 User Manual

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Verifying TCP/IP Properties for Windows XP, 2000, and NT4
To check your PC’s TCP/IP configuration:
1.On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button, and then click Run.
The Run window opens.
2.Ty p e  cmd and then click OK.
A command window opens
3.Ty p e  ipconfig /all 
Your IP Configuration information will be listed, and should match the values below if you are 
using the default TCP/IP settings that NETGEAR recommends for connecting through a 
router or gateway:
• The IP address is between 192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.254
• The subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 •The TCP/IP Properties dialog box now 
displays.
• Click the IP Address tab.
• Select the radio button marked Obtain an IP 
address from a DHCP server.
• Click OK.  This completes the configuration 
of TCP/IP in Windows NT.
Restart the PC.
Repeat these steps for each PC with this version 
of Windows on your network.  
						

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• The default gateway is 192.168.0.1
4.Ty p e  exit 
Configuring the Macintosh for TCP/IP Networking
Beginning with Macintosh Operating System 7, TCP/IP is already installed on the Macintosh. On 
each networked Macintosh, you will need to configure TCP/IP to use DHCP.
MacOS 8.6 or 9.x
1.From the Apple menu, select Control Panels, then TCP/IP.
The TCP/IP Control Panel opens:
2.From the “Connect via” box, select your Macintosh’s Ethernet interface.
3.From the “Configure” box, select Using DHCP Server.
You can leave the DHCP Client ID box empty.
4.Close the TCP/IP Control Panel.
5.Repeat this for each Macintosh on your network.
MacOS X
1.From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences, then Network. 
						

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2.If not already selected, select Built-in Ethernet in the Configure list.
3.If not already selected, Select Using DHCP in the TCP/IP tab.
4.Click Save.
Verifying TCP/IP Properties for Macintosh Computers
After your Macintosh is configured and has rebooted, you can check the TCP/IP configuration by 
returning to the TCP/IP Control Panel. From the Apple menu, select Control Panels, then TCP/IP.
The panel is updated to show your settings, which should match the values below if you are using 
the default TCP/IP settings that NETGEAR recommends:
• The IP Address is between 192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.254
• The Subnet mask is 255.255.255.0
• The Router address is 192.168.0.1
If you do not see these values, you may need to restart your Macintosh or you may need to switch 
the “Configure” setting to a different option, then back again to “Using DHCP Server”. 
						

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Verifying the Readiness of Your Internet Account
For broadband access to the Internet, you need to contract with an Internet service provider (ISP) 
for a single-user Internet access account using a cable modem or DSL modem. This modem must 
be a separate physical box (not a card) and must provide an Ethernet port intended for connection 
to a Network Interface Card (NIC) in a computer. Your firewall does not support a USB-connected 
broadband modem.
For a single-user Internet account, your ISP supplies TCP/IP configuration information for one 
computer. With a typical account, much of the configuration information is dynamically assigned 
when your PC is first booted up while connected to the ISP, and you will not need to know that 
dynamic information. 
In order to share the Internet connection among several computers, your firewall takes the place of 
the single PC, and you need to configure it with the TCP/IP information that the single PC would 
normally use. When the firewall’s Internet port is connected to the broadband modem, the firewall 
appears to be a single PC to the ISP. The firewall then allows the PCs on the local network to 
masquerade as the single PC to access the Internet through the broadband modem. The method 
used by the firewall to accomplish this is called Network Address Translation (NAT) or IP 
masquerading.
Are Login Protocols Used?
Some ISPs require a special login protocol, in which you must enter a login name and password in 
order to access the Internet. If you normally log in to your Internet account by running a program 
such as WinPOET or EnterNet, then your account uses PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE). 
When you configure your router, you will need to enter your login name and password in the 
router’s configuration menus. After your network and firewall are configured, the firewall will 
perform the login task when needed, and you will no longer need to run the login program from 
your PC. It is not necessary to uninstall the login program.
What Is Your Configuration Information?
More and more, ISPs are dynamically assigning configuration information. However, if your ISP 
does not dynamically assign configuration information but instead used fixed configurations, your 
ISP should have given you the following basic information for your account:  
						

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• An IP address and subnet mask
• A gateway IP address, which is the address of the ISP’s router
• One or more domain name server (DNS) IP addresses
• Host name and domain suffix
For example, your account’s full server names may look like this:
mail.xxx.yyy.com 
In this example, the domain suffix is 
xxx.yyy.com.
If any of these items are dynamically supplied by the ISP, your firewall automatically acquires 
them.
If an ISP technician configured your PC during the installation of the broadband modem, or if you 
configured it using instructions provided by your ISP, you need to copy the configuration 
information from your PC’s Network TCP/IP Properties window or Macintosh TCP/IP Control 
Panel before reconfiguring your PC for use with the firewall. These procedures are described next.
Obtaining ISP Configuration Information for Windows Computers
As mentioned above, you may need to collect configuration information from your PC so that you 
can use this information when you configure the WGT624 wireless router. Following this 
procedure is only necessary when your ISP does not dynamically supply the account information. 
To get the information you need to configure the firewall for Internet access:
1.On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2.Double-click the Network icon.
The Network window opens, which displays a list of installed components.
3.Select TCP/IP, and then click Properties.
The TCP/IP Properties dialog box opens.
4.Select the IP Address tab.
If an IP address and subnet mask are shown, write down the information. If an address is 
present, your account uses a fixed (static) IP address. If no address is present, your account 
uses a dynamically-assigned IP address. Click “Obtain an IP address automatically”.
5.Select the Gateway tab. 
						

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If an IP address appears under Installed Gateways, write down the address. This is the ISP’s 
gateway address. Select the address and then click Remove to remove the gateway address.
6.Select the DNS Configuration tab.
If any DNS server addresses are shown, write down the addresses. If any information appears 
in the Host or Domain information box, write it down. Click Disable DNS.
7.Click OK to save your changes and close the TCP/IP Properties dialog box.
You are returned to the Network window.
8.Click OK.
9.Reboot your PC at the prompt. You may also be prompted to insert your Windows CD.
Obtaining ISP Configuration Information for Macintosh 
Computers
As mentioned above, you may need to collect configuration information from your Macintosh so 
that you can use this information when you configure the WGT624 wireless router. Following this 
procedure is only necessary when your ISP does not dynamically supply the account information. 
To get the information you need to configure the firewall for Internet access:
1.From the Apple menu, select Control Panels, then TCP/IP.
The TCP/IP Control Panel opens, which displays a list of configuration settings. If the 
“Configure” setting is “Using DHCP Server”, your account uses a dynamically-assigned IP 
address. In this case, close the Control Panel and skip the rest of this section.
2.If an IP address and subnet mask are shown, write down the information. 
3.If an IP address appears under Router address, write down the address. This is the ISP’s 
gateway address.
4.If any Name Server addresses are shown, write down the addresses. These are your ISP’s DNS 
addresses.
5.If any information appears in the Search domains information box, write it down.
6.Change the “Configure” setting to “Using DHCP Server”.
7.Close the TCP/IP Control Panel. 
						

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Restarting the Network
Once you’ve set up your computers to work with the firewall, you must reset the network for the 
devices to be able to communicate correctly. Restart any computer that is connected to the firewall.
After configuring all of your computers for TCP/IP networking and restarting them, and 
connecting them to the local network of your WGT624 wireless router, you are ready to access and 
configure the firewall. 
						

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Appendix D
Wireless Networking Basics
This chapter provides an overview of Wireless networking.
Wireless Networking Overview
The WGT624 wireless router conforms to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 
(IEEE) 802.11 standard for wireless LANs (WLANs) and a product update will bring the WGT624 
into conformance to the 802.11g standard when it is ratified. On an 802.11b or g wireless link, data 
is encoded using direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology and is transmitted in the 
unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.5GHz. The maximum data rate for the wireless link is 11 Mbps, but 
it will automatically back down from 11 Mbps to 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps when the radio signal is weak 
or when interference is detected. The 802.11g auto rate sensing rates are 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 
36, 48, and 54 Mbps.
The 802.11 standard is also called Wireless Ethernet or Wi-Fi by the Wireless Ethernet 
Compatibility Alliance (WECA, see http://www.wi-fi.net), an industry standard group promoting 
interoperability among 802.11 devices. The 802.11 standard offers two methods for configuring a 
wireless network - ad hoc and infrastructure.
Infrastructure Mode
With a wireless Access Point, you can operate the wireless LAN in the infrastructure mode. This 
mode provides wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed range or 
area of coverage, interacting with wireless nodes via an antenna.  
						

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In the infrastructure mode, the wireless access point converts airwave data into wired Ethernet 
data, acting as a bridge between the wired LAN and wireless clients. Connecting multiple Access 
Points via a wired Ethernet backbone can further extend the wireless network coverage. As a 
mobile computing device moves out of the range of one access point, it moves into the range of 
another. As a result, wireless clients can freely roam from one Access Point domain to another and 
still maintain seamless network connection.
Ad Hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup)
In an ad hoc network, computers are brought together as needed; thus, there is no structure or fixed 
points to the network - each node can generally communicate with any other node. There is no 
Access Point involved in this configuration. This mode enables you to quickly set up a small 
wireless workgroup and allows workgroup members to exchange data or share printers as 
supported by Microsoft networking in the various Windows operating systems. Some vendors also 
refer to ad hoc networking as peer-to-peer group networking.
In this configuration, network packets are directly sent and received by the intended transmitting 
and receiving stations. As long as the stations are within range of one another, this is the easiest 
and least expensive way to set up a wireless network. 
Network Name: Extended Service Set Identification (ESSID)
The Extended Service Set Identification (ESSID) is one of two types of Service Set Identification 
(SSID). In an ad hoc wireless network with no access points, the Basic Service Set Identification 
(BSSID) is used. In an infrastructure wireless network that includes an access point, the ESSID is 
used, but may still be referred to as SSID.
An SSID is a thirty-two character (maximum) alphanumeric key identifying the name of the 
wireless local area network. Some vendors refer to the SSID as network name. For the wireless 
devices in a network to communicate with each other, all devices must be configured with the 
same SSID.