Chapter 4 Management. Netgear WN802T

Chapter 4

Management

This chapter describes how to use the management and information features as well as the advanced wireless settings features of your RangeMax NEXT Wireless Access Point. These features can be found under the Management, Information and Advanced menus on the left navigation pane of the browser interface.

Changing the Password

Note: Before changing the WN802T password, use the backup utility to save your configuration settings. If you forget your new password, you must reset the

WN802T back to the factory defaults and use the default password. Consequently, you will have to restore any WN802T configuration settings you have made. The backup file can be used in this event.

The default password for the WN802T is password.

NETGEAR recommends that you change this password to a more secure password.

To change the password:

1.

Select Change Password under the Management menu on the left navigation pane. The

Change Password screen will display.

Figure 4-1

Figure 4-2

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2.

First enter the old password, in the Old Password field.

3.

Then enter the new password twice in the New Password and Repeat New Password fields.

4.

Click Apply to save your changes.

Note: Be sure to write down the new password and store it in a safe place.

To restore the default password:

1.

Check the Restore Default Password radio button.

2.

Click Apply.

The default password will be restored.

Upgrading the Wireless Access Point Firmware

The software of the RangeMax NEXT is stored in FLASH memory, and can be upgraded as new software is released by NETGEAR. Upgrade files can be downloaded from the NETGEAR Web site. If the upgrade file is compressed (.ZIP file), you must first extract the image (.img) file before sending it to the wireless access point. The upgrade file can be sent using your browser.

Note: The Web browser used to upload new firmware into the RangeMax NEXT must support HTTP uploads, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, or

Netscape Navigator 4.78 or above.

To upgrade the firmware:

1.

Go to the NETGEAR Web site at http://kbserver.netgear.com/downloads_support.asp

to get new versions of the Access Point software.

2.

Download, save and unzip (if the download file is a .zip file) the new software file.

3.

From the main menu of the browser interface, click Upgrade Firmware under the

Management menu on the left navigation panel. The Upgrade Firmware screen will display.

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Figure 4-3

4. Click Browse and go to the location of the downloaded software upgrade file.

5.

Click Upload .

Warning: When uploading firmware to the wireless access point, it is important not to interrupt the Web browser by closing the window, clicking a link, or loading a new page. If the browser is interrupted, the upload may fail, corrupt the software, and render the WN802T inoperable.

In some cases, it may be necessary to reconfigure the wireless access point after upgrading.

Backing Up or Restoring Settings

You can back up your configuration settings of the RangeMax NEXT and restore the factory default settings. Once you have your wireless access point working properly, backing up the configured settings would be prudent should you have to perform a factory reset. When you backup the settings, they are saved as a file on your computer that you can access to restore the wireless access point’s configured settings.

To backup/restore settings:

1.

From the main menu of the browser interface, select Backup/Restore Settings from under the

Management menu. The Backup/Restore Settings screen will display.

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Figure 4-4

2.

Select the task you want to perform:

• To create a backup file of the current settings, click Backup under the Save a Copy of

Current Settings heading.

– If you don’t have your browser set up to save downloaded files automatically, locate where you want to save the file, rename it if you like, and click Backup.

– If you have your browser set up to save downloaded files automatically, the file will be automatically saved to the download location

• To restore settings from a backup file:

– Click Browse under the Restore Saved Settings from a File heading. Locate and select the previously saved backup file (by default, netgear.cfg).

– Click Retrieve . A window will appear with the message that the wireless access point has been successfully restored to its previous settings. The wireless access point will restart. This will take about one minute.

Warning: Do not try to go online, turn off the Access Point, shut down the computer or do anything else to the Access Point until it finishes restarting. When the Test light turns off, wait a few more seconds before doing anything with the Access Point.

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– Close the message window.

• To erase the current settings and reset the wireless access point to the original factory default settings :

– Click Restore. The default factory settings will be restored.

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– A list of the factory default settings can be found in

Appendix A, “Default Settings and Technical Specifications” .

Warning: Do not try to go online, turn off the Access Point, shut down the computer or do anything else to the Access Point until it finishes restarting. When the Test light turns off, wait a few more seconds before doing anything with the Access Point.

Rebooting the RangeMax NEXT

You can reboot the wireless access point from the browser interface or by using the reset button on the rear panel.

To reboot the wireless access point from the user interface:

1.

From the main menu of the browser interface, click Reboot AP under the Management menu on the left navigation pane. The Reboot AP screen will display..

Figure 4-5

2.

Select the Yes radio button, and then click Apply .

Viewing Available Wireless Station List

The Available Wireless Station List contains a table of all IP devices associated with this wireless access point network defined by its Wireless Network Name (SSID).

To view the list of available wireless stations:

1.

From the main menu of the browser interface, select Available Wireless Station List under the Information menu of the left navigation pane. The Available Wireless Station List will display.

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2.

Click Refresh to update the list and force the wireless access point to look for associated devices.

Figure 4-6

• For each device, the table shows the Station ID, MAC address, IP Address, and Status

(whether the device is allowed to communicate with the wireless access point or not).

• If the wireless access point is rebooted, the table data is lost until the wireless access point rediscovers the devices.

Note: A wireless network can include multiple wireless access points, all using the same network name (SSID). This extends the reach of the wireless network and lets users roam from one access point to another which provides seamless network connectivity. Under these circumstances, be aware that only the stations associated with this wireless access point will be presented in the

Available Wireless Station List.

Viewing Statistics

The Statics screen displays both wired and wireless interface network traffic.

To display statics for the wireless access point:

1.

Select Statistics under the Information menu on the left information pane. The Statistics screen will display.

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Figure 4-7

• The Wired Ethernet section of the table displays traffic statistics for the wired Ethernet interface.

• The Wireless section displays traffic statistics for the wireless interface.

2.

Click Refresh to update the current statistics.

Advanced Wireless Settings

We recommend that the Advanced Wireless Settings should be modified only by an administrator very familiar with the ramifications of changing the Wireless LAN parameters. If set incorrectly, they can adversely affect the performance or connectivity of your wireless access point. The default settings should be adequate in most situations. Following is a description of each of the

Wireless LAN Parameters.

• RTS Threshold. The Request to Send Threshold packet size determines if the wireless access point should use the CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) 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.

– With the CSMA/CA transmission mechanism, the transmitting station sends out an RTS packet to the receiving station, and waits for the receiving station to send back a CTS

(Clear to Send) packet before sending the actual packet data.

The default value is 2346.

• Fragmentation Length. This is the maximum packet size used for fragmentation. Packets larger than the size programmed in this field will be fragmented. The Fragment Threshold value must be larger than the RTS Threshold value.

The default value is 2346

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• Beacon Interval.

The Beacon Interval specifies the interval of time between 20ms and

1000ms for each beacon transmission.

The default value is 100 ms.

• DTIM Interval. The Delivery Traffic Indication Message Interval specifies the data beacon rate between 1 and 255.

The default value is 1.

• Preamble Type . A long transmit preamble may provide a more reliable connection or slightly longer range. A short transmit preamble gives better performance. The Auto setting will automatically handle both long and short preamble.

The default setting is Auto.

To modify the Wireless LAN parameters:

1.

Select Wireless Settings under the Advanced menu on the left navigation pane of the user interface. The Advanced Wireless Settings screen will display.

Figure 4-8

2.

Make the changes to the Wireless LAN Parameters based on the field descriptions outlined above.

3.

Click Apply for your changes to take effect.

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