NETGEAR WNA3100-100ENS, WNA3100M-100ENS About This Manual

vii

v1.0, December 2009

About This Manual

The NETGEAR® Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual describes how to install,

configure, and troubleshoot the Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100.

Conventions, Formats, and Scope

The conventions, formats, and scope of this manual are described in the following paragraphs:

•Typographical conventions. This manual uses the following typographical conventions::

•Formats. This manual uses the following formats to highlight special messages:

•Scope. This manual is written for the Wireless-N USB Adapter. For more information about

network, Internet, firewall, and VPN technologies, click the links to the NETGEAR website in

Appendix B, “Related Documents.”

Italic Emphasis, books, CDs

Bold User input, screen text

Fixed Command prompt, CLI text, code

italic URL links

Note: This format is used to highlight information of importance or special interest.

Tip: This format is used to highlight a procedure that will save time or resources.

Note: Product updates are available on the NETGEAR, Inc. website at

http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/WNA3100 v1.asp.

Contents

Main ii v1.0, December 2009 Technical Support Trademarks Statement of Conditions Maximum Wireless Signal Rate Derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 Specifications Safety and Regulatory Notices Europe - EU Declaration of Conformity Product and Publication Details Contents Page About This Manual Conventions, Formats, and Scope Page Chapter 1 Installation with Custom Setup What You Need Before You Begin Observe Wireless Location and Range Guidelines Installation with Custom Setup First, Install the WNA3100 Software Page Then, Install Your WNA3100 v1 Adapter Use Smart Wizard Automatic Configuration to Connect to a Wireless Network Page Monitoring Wireless Network and the Internet Connections WNA3100 v1 Icon Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual 1-9 Smart Wizard Status Bar The following table describes how to interpret the Smart Wizard status bar. Figure 1-11 Wireless-N USB Adapter LED Removing the WNA3100 v1 Software Upgrading the WNA3100 v1 Software Page Chapter 2 Network Connections and Wireless Security Viewing Wireless Networks in Your Area Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual 2-2 Joining a Network Table 2-1. Network Tab Page Using Push 'N' Connect to Join a Network Creating a Profile to Connect to a Wireless Network Page Managing Profiles Setting Up a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Profile Page Starting a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Network Connection About Wireless Security Wireless Network Name (SSID) and Security Settings Setting Up WPA-PSK [TKIP] or WPA2-PSK [AES] Security Setting Up WEP Encryption Security Page Monitoring Statistics About Your Smart Wizard The About tab displays the current version information. Advanced Settings Page Chapter 3 Wireless Network Performance Optimizing Wireless Performance Optimizing Your Network Bandwidth Small Office and Home Office (SOHO) Networking Technologies Assessing Your Network Speed Requirements Page Chapter 4 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Tips Troubleshooting Your Wireless Connection Occasional Windows XP Connection Problems Ad Hoc Mode Is Not Working Correctly A-1 Appendix A Technical Specifications and Factory Default Settings Technical Specifications Factory Default Settings B-1 Appendix B Related Documents