Installation Guide for the NETGEAR 108 Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter WG311T NETGEAR, Inc. 4500 Great America Parkway Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA 202-10070-01 Version v3.0 December 2004 Technical Support Please refer to the support information card that shipped with your product. By registering your product at www.netgear.com/register, we can provide you with faster expert technical support and timely notices of product and software upgrades. NETGEAR, INC. Support Information Phone: 1-888-NETGEAR, for US & Canada only. For other countries, see your Support information card. E-mail: support@netgear.com Web site: www.netgear.com Statement of Conditions In the interest of improving internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur due to the use or application of the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein. ©2004 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, The Gear Guy and Everybody's Connecting are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. December 2004 Certificate of the Manufacturer/Importer It is hereby certified that the Model WG311T Wireless PCI Adapter has been suppressed in accordance with the conditions set out in the BMPT- AmtsblVfg 243/1991 and Vfg 46/1992. The operation of some equipment (for example, test transmitters) in accordance with the regulations may, however, be subject to certain restrictions. Please refer to the ii notes in the operating instructions. Federal Office for Telecommunications Approvals has been notified of the placing of this equipment on the market and has been granted the right to test the series for compliance with the regulations. FCC Information to User This product does not contain any user serviceable components and is to be used with approved antennas only. Any product changes or modifications will invalidate all applicable regulatory certifications and approvals FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure In order to comply with RF exposure limits established in the ANSI C95.1 standards, the user is advised to maintain a distance of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the antenna of this device while it is in use. FCC Electronic Emission Notices This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. 2. This device may not cause harmful interference This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. FCC Radio Frequency Interference Statement NETGEAR 108 Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter WG311T Tested to Comply with FCC Standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE FCC ID: PY3WG311TV3 This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area may cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense. iii If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: · · · · Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help Export Restrictions This product or software contains encryption code which may not be exported or transferred from the US or Canada without an approved US Department of Commerce export license. Canadian Department of Communications Radio Interference Regulations This digital apparatus (Model WG311T Wireless PCI Adapter) does not exceed the Class B limits for radio-noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. Canada ID: 4054A-WG311TV3 iv Contents Chapter 1 Introduction About the NETGEAR 108 Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter WG311T ...................................1-1 Key Features and Related NETGEAR Products ............................................................1-1 What's in the Box? ..........................................................................................................1-2 A Road Map for `How to Get There From Here' .............................................................1-3 Chapter 2 Basic Setup What You Will Need Before You Begin ...........................................................................2-1 Verify System Requirements ....................................................................................2-1 Observe Location and Range Guidelines ................................................................2-2 Two Basic Operating Modes ...........................................................................................2-2 WG311T Default Wireless Configuration Settings ..........................................................2-3 Basic Installation Instructions .........................................................................................2-4 For Windows XP Users Installing a WG311T ...........................................................2-4 For Windows 2000 & 98SE/Me Users Installing a WG311T .....................................2-8 WG311T Wireless Connection Indicators .....................................................................2-12 Interpreting System Tray Icon Colors .....................................................................2-12 Basic Troubleshooting Tips ...........................................................................................2-13 About Page ...................................................................................................................2-14 Chapter 3 Configuration Understanding the Configuration Options ......................................................................3-1 Using Configuration Profiles ...........................................................................................3-1 Networks Page ...............................................................................................................3-2 Connecting to an Access Point in Infrastructure Mode ...................................................3-3 How to Configure an Infrastructure Mode Profile .....................................................3-3 Connecting to Another PC in Ad-Hoc Mode ...................................................................3-5 How to Configure an Ad-Hoc Mode Profile ..............................................................3-5 Enabling Wireless Security Features ..............................................................................3-8 Identifying the Wireless Security Settings ................................................................3-9 Contents v How to Configure WEP Encryption Security ..........................................................3-10 How to Configure WPA-PSK Encryption Security .................................................. 3-11 Statistics Page ..............................................................................................................3-12 Advanced Settings Page ..............................................................................................3-13 Chapter 4 Troubleshooting Frequently Asked Questions ..........................................................................................4-1 General Questions ...................................................................................................4-1 Why do I see no more than 54 Mbps on the Configuration Utility status line? ..4-1 The WG311T Smart Configuration Utility keeps asking me to save my settings 4-1 Ad Hoc mode is not working correctly ...............................................................4-2 How to know if the WG311T card has received a valid IP address from the Wireless Router/AP ..........................................................................................................4-2 How to use XP's own Wireless configuration utility that comes with Windows XP 4-2 How to remove the WG311T utility and software ...............................................4-2 I cannot connect to the AP that I want from the Networks browser list .............4-3 The WG311T is not getting an IP address .........................................................4-3 Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) Questions ...............................................................4-3 Why is my WG311T not connecting to my WPA router? ....................................4-3 Why is the icon in the System Tray flashing Green to Red alternately? ............4-3 How do I know that my WG311T WPA is working? ...........................................4-4 Why is the WAN port not working after configuring WPA? ................................4-4 Appendix A Technical Specifications Appendix B Wireless Networking Basics Wireless Networking Overview ...................................................................................... B-1 Infrastructure Mode ................................................................................................. B-1 Ad-Hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup) ................................................................ B-2 Network Name: Extended Service Set Identification (ESSID) ................................ B-2 Authentication and WEP ................................................................................................ B-2 802.11 Authentication .............................................................................................. B-3 Open System Authentication ................................................................................... B-3 Shared Key Authentication ...................................................................................... B-4 Overview of WEP Parameters ................................................................................ B-5 Key Size .................................................................................................................. B-6 vi Contents WEP Configuration Options .................................................................................... B-6 Wireless Channels ......................................................................................................... B-7 WPA Wireless Security .................................................................................................. B-8 How Does WPA Compare to WEP? ........................................................................ B-9 How Does WPA Compare to IEEE 802.11i? ........................................................ B-10 What are the Key Features of WPA Security? ...................................................... B-10 WPA Authentication: Enterprise-level User Authentication via 802.1x/EAP and RADIUS .................................................. B-12 WPA Data Encryption Key Management ........................................................ B-14 Is WPA Perfect? .................................................................................................... B-16 Product Support for WPA ...................................................................................... B-16 Supporting a Mixture of WPA and WEP Wireless Clients is Discouraged ...... B-16 Changes to Wireless Access Points ............................................................... B-17 Changes to Wireless Network Adapters ......................................................... B-17 Changes to Wireless Client Programs ............................................................ B-18 Appendix C Preparing Your PCs for Network Access Preparing Your Computers for TCP/IP Networking ....................................................... C-1 Configuring Windows 98SE and Me for TCP/IP Networking ......................................... C-1 Install or Verify Windows Networking Components ................................................. C-1 Enabling DHCP to Automatically Configure TCP/IP Settings in Windows 98SE and Me C-3 Selecting the Internet Access Method ......... ...