Netgear Wireless N 150 Router Wnr612 User Guide

							  Chapter 6:  Fine-Tuning Your Network     | 
    71
Wireless-N 150 Router WNR612v2 User Manual 
•     Backing up computers over the network has become popular due to the avai\
lability of 
inexpensive mass storage. The following table shows the time to transfer\
 1 gigabyte of 
data using various networking technologies.
Table 7.  Theoretical Transfer Time for 1 Gigabyte  
Network ConnectionTheoretical Raw Transfer Time
Gigabit wired Ethernet 8 seconds
RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N 26 seconds
Powerline HD 40 seconds
100 Mbps wired Ethernet 80 seconds
802.11n wireless 45 seconds
802.11g wireless 150 seconds
802.11b wireless 700 seconds
10 Mbps wired Ethernet 800 seconds
Cable modem (3 Mbps) 2700 seconds
Analog modem (56 kbps) 144,000 seconds (40 hours) 
						

							  Chapter 7:  Troubleshooting      |     72
7.   Troubleshooting
7
This chapter provides information about troubleshooting your wireless ro\
uter. After each problem 
description, instructions are provided to help you diagnose and solve th\
e problem. As a first step, 
review the Quick Tips.
Tip:  NETGEAR provides helpful articles, documentation, and the latest 
software updates at http://www.netgear.com/support .
This chapter includes the following sections: •     Quick Tips on page  73
•     Troubleshooting Basic Functions  on page
  74
•     Login Problems  on page
  75
•     Checking the Internet Service Connection on page  75
•     Troubleshooting Your Network Using the Ping Utility on page  77
•     Problems with Date and Time on page  79
•     Problems with Wireless Adapter Connections on page  79
•     Restoring the Default Configuration and Password on page  80 
						

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Quick Tips
This section describes tips for troubleshooting some common problems:
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence.
1. Turn off and unplug the modem. 
2. Turn off the wireless router and computers.
3. Plug in the modem and turn it on. Wait 2 minutes.
4. Turn on the wireless router and wait 1 minute.
5. Turn on the computers. 
Make sure that the Ethernet cables are securely plugged in.
•     The Internet status light on the wireless router is on if the Ethernet cable connecting the 
wireless router and the modem is plugged in securely and the modem and wireless router 
are turned on. 
•     For each powered-on computer connected to the wireless router by an Ethernet cable, 
the corresponding numbered router LAN port light is on. 
Make sure that the wireless settings in the computer and router match exactly.
•     For a wirelessly connected computer, the wireless network name (SSID) and WEP or 
WPA security settings of the router and wireless computer must match exactly. 
•     If you have enabled the wireless router to restrict wireless access by MAC address, you 
must add the wireless computer’s MAC address to the router’s wireless card access list.
Make sure that the network settings of the computer are correct.
•     LAN connected computers must be configured to obtain an IP address automatically 
using DHCP. For more information, see the links in 
Appendix B.
•     Some cable modem services require you to use the MAC address of the computer 
registered on the account. If so, in the Router MAC Address section of the Basic Settings 
menu, select Use this Computer’s MAC Address. Click Apply to save your settings. 
Restart the network in the correct sequence. 
Check the Power/Test light to verify correct router operation.
If the Power/Test light blinks green within 2 minutes after you turn the router on, reset the 
router according to the instructions in 
Restoring the Default Configuration and Password on 
page 80. 
						

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Troubleshooting Basic Functions
After you turn on power to the router, the following sequence of events \
should occur:
1.  When power is first applied, verify that the Power/Test light 
is on.
2.  Verify that the Power/Test light turns green and blinks slowly, indicati\
ng that the self-test 
procedure is running.
3.  After approximately 20 seconds, verify that:
a. The color of the Power/Test light changes to solid green.
b. The LAN port lights are lit for any local ports that are connected.
If a port’s light is lit, a link has been established to the connecte\
d device. If a LAN port 
is connected to a 10 or 100 Mbps device, verify that the port’s light\
 is green.
c. The Internet port is connected and its light is lit.
If the correct behavior does not occur, see the appropriate following se\
ction.
The Power/Test light is not on.
If the Power/Test and other lights are off when your router is turned on\
:
•     Make sure that the power cord is properly connected to your router and t\
hat the power  adapter is properly connected to a functioning power outlet. 
•     Check that you are using the power adapter supplied by NETGEAR for this \
product.
If the error persists, you have a hardware problem and should contact Te\
chnical Support.
The Power/Test light blinks green slowly and continuously. 
The router firmware is corrupted.
For help restoring your firmware, contact Technical Support.
The Internet or LAN port lights are not on. 
If either the LAN or Internet lights do not light when the Ethernet conn\
ection is made, check 
the following:
1.  Make sure that the Ethernet cable connections are secure at the router a\
nd at the 
computer.
2.  Make sure that power is turned on to the connected computer.
3.  Be sure you are using Ethernet cables like the cable that was supplied w\
ith the wireless 
router. 
						

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Login Problems
If you are unable to log in to the wireless router, check the following:
•     If you are using an Ethernet-connected computer, check the Ethernet connection 
between the computer and the router as described in the NETGEAR Wireless Router 
Installation Guide.
•     Make sure you are using the correct login information. The factory default login name is 
admin and the password is password. Make sure that the Caps Lock is off when 
entering this information.
•     Make sure your computer’s IP address is on the same subnet as the router. If your are 
using the recommended addressing scheme, your computer’s address should be in the 
range of 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254. Refer to your computer’s documentation or see 
Preparing Your Network  in Appendix B for help with configuring your computer.
Note:  If your computer cannot reach a DHCP server, some operating 
systems will assign an IP address in the range 169.254.x.x. If your 
IP address is in this range, verify that you have a good connection 
from the computer to the router, then restart (reboot) your computer.
•     If your router’s IP address has been changed and you don’t know the current IP address, 
reset the router’s configuration to the factory defaults. This procedure will reset the 
router’s IP address to 192.168.1.1 (see 
Factory Default Settings  in Appendix A).
•     Make sure your browser has Java, JavaScript, or ActiveX enabled. If you are using 
Internet Explorer, click Refresh to be sure the Java applet is loaded. Try closing the 
browser and reopening it again.
•     If you are attempting to set up your NETGEAR router as an additional router behind an 
existing router in your network, consider replacing the existing router instead. NETGEAR 
does not support such a configuration.
•     If you are attempting to set up your NETGEAR router as a replacement for an ADSL 
gateway in your network, the router cannot perform many gateway services, for example, 
converting ADSL or Cable data into Ethernet networking information. NETGEAR does not 
support such a configuration. 
Checking the Internet Service Connection
If you can access your router, but your router is unable to access the Internet, review the 
topics in this section: 
Obtaining an Internet IP Address
If your wireless router is unable to access the Internet, and your Internet light is amber, check 
the wireless router to see if it is able to get an Internet IP address from your service provider.  
						

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Unless you have a static IP address, your wireless router automatically requests an IP 
address from your service provider. 
To check your wireless router’s Internet IP address: 
1. Log in to the wireless router.
2. Select Router Status, under Maintenance in the main menu, to check that an IP address is 
shown for the Internet Port. If 0.0.0.0 is shown, your wireless router has not obtained an IP 
address from your service provider.
If your router is unable to obtain an IP address from the your service provider, the problem 
might be one of the following:
•     You might need to force your cable or DSL modem to recognize your new router by 
restarting your network, in the sequence described in the NETGEAR Wireless Router 
Setup Manual.
•     Your service provider might require a login. Ask your service provider whether they 
require a PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) login (see 
Troubleshooting PPPoE on page 76).
•     You might have incorrectly set the service name, user name or password. Review your 
router’s Basic Settings screen.
•     Your service provider might check for your computers host name. Assign the computer 
Host Name of your ISP account to the wireless router on the Basic Settings screen.
•     Your service provider might only allow one Ethernet MAC address to connect to the 
Internet, and check for your computer’s MAC address. If this is the case:
-Inform your service provider that you have bought a new network device, and ask 
them to use the wireless router’s MAC address, or 
-Configure your router to spoof your computer’s MAC address. On the Basic Settings 
screen in the Router MAC Address section, select “Use this Computer’s MAC 
Address” and click Apply. Then restart your network in the correct sequence (see the 
NETGEAR Wireless Router Setup Manual for instructions).
Troubleshooting PPPoE
If you are using PPPoE, try troubleshooting your Internet connection.
To troubleshoot a PPPoE connection:
1. Log in to the wireless router.
2. Select Router Status under Maintenance on the main menu.
3. Click Connection Status. If all of the steps indicate “OK,” then your PPPoE connection is up 
and working.
If any of the steps indicate “Failed,” you can attempt to reconnect by clicking Connect. 
The wireless router will continue to attempt to connect indefinitely.
If you cannot connect after several minutes, you might be using an incorrect service 
name, user name, or password. There also might be a provisioning problem with your 
ISP. 
						

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Note:  Unless you connect manually, the wireless router will not 
authenticate using PPPoE until data is transmitted to the network.
Troubleshooting Internet Browsing
If your wireless router can obtain an IP address but your computer is unable to load any web 
pages from the Internet, check the following:
•     Your computer might not recognize any DNS server addresses. A DNS server is a 
host on the Internet that translates Internet names (such as www addresses) to numeric 
IP
 addresses. Typically, your ISP will provide the addresses of one or two DNS servers 
for your use. If you entered a DNS address during the wireless router’s configuration, 
restart your computer. Alternatively, you can configure your computer manually with a 
DNS address, as explained in the documentation for your computer.
•     Your computer might not have the wireless router configured as its default 
gateway. Reboot the computer and verify that the wireless router address (192.168.1.1) 
is listed by your computer as the default gateway address.
•     You might be running login software that is no longer needed. If your ISP provided a 
program to log you in to the Internet (such as WinPoET), you no longer need to run that 
software after installing your router. You might need to go to Internet Explorer and select 
Tools > Internet Options, click the Connections tab, and select Never dial a 
connection.
If the wireless router does not save changes you have made in the browser interface, check 
the following:
•     When entering configuration settings, be sure to click Apply before moving to another 
screen or tab, or your changes could be lost. 
•     Click Refresh or Reload in the Web browser. The changes might have occurred, but the 
Web browser might be caching the old configuration.
Troubleshooting Your Network Using the Ping Utility
Most network devices and routers contain a ping utility that sends an echo request packet to 
the designated device. The device then responds with an echo reply. Troubleshooting a 
network is made very easy by using the ping utility in your computer or workstation. This 
section includes:
•     Testing the LAN Path to Your Router”
•     Testing the Path from Your Computer to a Remote Device”
Testing the LAN Path to Your Router
You can ping the router from your computer to verify that the LAN path to your router is set up 
correctly. 
						

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To ping the router from a running Windows PC:
1. From the Windows toolbar, click Start, and then select Run.
2. In the field provided, type ping followed by the IP address of the router, as in this example:
ping www.routerlogin.net
3. Click OK.
You should see a message like this one:
Pinging  with 32 bytes of data
If the path is working, you see this message:
Reply from < IP address >: bytes=32 time=NN ms TTL=xxx
If the path is not working, you see this message:
Request timed out
If the path is not functioning correctly, you could have one of the following problems:
•     Wrong physical connections
-     For a wired connection, make sure that the numbered LAN port light is on for the 
port to which you are connected. If the light is off, follow the instructions in 
Troubleshooting Basic Functions on page 74.
-     Check that the appropriate LEDs are on for your network devices. If your router 
and computer are connected to a separate Ethernet switch, make sure that the 
link lights are on for the switch ports that are connected to your computer and 
router.
•     Wrong network configuration
-     Verify that the Ethernet card driver software and TCP/IP software are both 
installed and configured on your computer.
-     Verify that the IP address for your router and your computer are correct and that 
the addresses are on the same subnet.
Testing the Path from Your Computer to a Remote Device
After verifying that the LAN path works correctly, test the path from your computer to a remote 
device. 
1. From the Windows toolbar, click the Start button, and then select Run.
2. In the Windows Run window, type:
ping -n 10 
where  is the IP address of a remote device such as your ISP’s DNS server.
If the path is functioning correctly, replies like those shown in the previous section are 
displayed. If you do not receive replies:
•     Check that your computer has the IP address of your router listed as the default gateway. 
If the IP configuration of your computer is assigned by DHCP, this information is not be  
						

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visible in your computer’s Network Control Panel. Verify that the IP address of the router 
is listed as the default gateway as described in the online document you can access from 
Preparing Your Network  in Appendix B.
•     Check to see that the network address of your computer (the portion of the IP address 
specified by the subnet mask) is different from the network address of the remote device.
•     Check that your cable or DSL modem is connected and functioning.
•     If your ISP assigned a host name to your computer, enter that host name as the account 
name in the Basic Settings screen.
•     Your ISP could be rejecting the Ethernet MAC addresses of all but one of your computers. 
Many broadband ISPs restrict access by allowing traffic only from the MAC address of 
your broadband modem, but some ISPs additionally restrict access to the MAC address 
of a single computer connected to that modem. If this is the case, you must configure 
your router to “clone” or “spoof” the MAC address from the authorized computer.
Problems with Date and Time
Select E-mail under Content Filtering in the main menu to display a screen that shows the 
current date and time of day. The Wireless-N 150 Router WNR612v2 uses the Network Time 
Protocol (NTP) to obtain the current time from one of several network time servers on the 
Internet. Each entry in the log is stamped with the date and time of day. Problems with the 
date and time function can include the following:
•     Date shown is January 1, 2000. 
Cause: The router has not yet successfully reached a network time server. Check that 
your Internet access settings are correct. If you have just completed configuring the 
router, wait at least 5 minutes, and check the date and time again.
•     Time is off by one hour.  
Cause: The router does not adjust for daylight savings time. In the E-mail screen, select 
the Automatically Adjust for Daylight Savings Time check box.
Problems with Wireless Adapter Connections 
If your wireless adapter is unable to connect, check its connection settings.
To check the adapter’s connection settings:
1. Open the adapter setup utility to check connections:
•     NETGEAR Smart Wizard utility. If you installed a NETGEAR wireless adapter in 
your computer, a Smart Wizard utility program is installed that can provide helpful 
information about your wireless network. You can find this program in your Windows 
Program menu or as an icon in your system tray. Other wireless card manufacturers 
might include a similar program.
•     Windows basic setup utility. If you have no specific wireless card setup program 
installed, you can use the basic setup utility in Windows: 
						

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-     Open the Windows Control Panel, and double-click Network Connections.
-     In the LAN section, double-click Wireless Network Connection.
2. Use the adapter’s setup program to scan for available wireless networks, looking for the 
network name (SSID) of NETGEAR, or your custom SSID if you have changed it. 
3. If your wireless network appears and has good signal strength, configure and test with the 
simplest wireless connection possible.
If your wireless network does not appear, check these conditions:
•     Is your router’s wireless radio enabled? See Advanced Wireless Settings on page 22.
•     Is your router’s SSID broadcast enabled? See Advanced Wireless Settings on page 22.
•     Is your router set to a wireless standard that is not supported by your wireless adapter? 
Check the Mode setting as described in 
Manually Configuring Your Wireless Settings on 
page 14.
If your wireless network appears, but the signal strength is weak, check these conditions:
•     Is your router too far from your adapter, or too close? Place the computer that has the 
adapter near the router, but at least 6 feet away, and see whether the signal strength 
improves.
•     Is your wireless signal obstructed by objects between the router and your adapter? See 
Planning Your Wireless Network on page 13.
Restoring the Default Configuration and Password
This section explains how to restore the factory default configuration settings that reset the 
router’s user name to admin, the password to password, and the IP address to 192.168.1.1.
WARNING!
These procedures erase all current configuration settings.
You can erase the current configuration and restore factory defaults in two ways:
•     Use the Erase function of the router. To use the Erase function, see Erasing the 
Configuration on page 46.
•     Use the restore factory settings button on the rear panel of the router. Use this method for 
cases when the administration password or IP address is not known.
To use the restore settings button:
1. Locate the restore factory settings button on the rear panel of the router.
2. Use a sharp object such as a pen or a paper clip to press and hold the restore factory 
settings button for about 5 seconds, until the Power light begins to blink.
3. Release the restore factory settings button, and wait for the router to restart, and for the 
Power light to stop blinking and become solid green.