NETGEAR WNDA3100, WNDA3100-100NAS About This Manual

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v1.0, December 2007

About This Manual

The NETGEAR® RangeMax™ Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual

describes how to install, configure and troubleshoot the NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band

Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100. The information in this manual is intended for readers

with intermediate computer and Internet skills.

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:

Italic Emphasis, books, CDs

Bold User input, IP addresses, GUI screen text

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.

Warnin g: Ignoring this type of note may result in a malfunction or damage to the

equipment.

Contents

Main ii v1.0, December 2007 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 Page Product and Publication Details Page Contents Page About This Manual Conventions, Formats, and Scope How to Use This Manual How to Print This Manual Page Page Chapter 1 Basic Setup What You Need Before You Begin Verify System Requirements Observe Wireless Location and Range Guidelines What Is in the Box WNDA3100 Default Wireless Settings Installation Installing the WNDA3100 Software Connecting the Wireless-N USB Adapter Using the Smart Wizard to Set Up Your Wireless-N USB Adapter Page Connecting to Wireless Networks and the Internet WNDA3100 Icon Colors Smart Wizard Status Bar 1-10 The following table describes how to interpret the Smart Wizard status bar. Figure 1-8 Wireless-N USB Adapter LED Placing the USB Adapter Cradle Page Removing the WNDA3100 Software Upgrading the WNDA3100 Software Page Chapter 2 Network Connections and Wireless Security Disabling the Windows Zero Configuration Utility Understanding the Smart Wizard Viewing Wireless Networks in Your Area Page Finding a Network Profiles Adding Profiles Setting Up a Profile to Connect to an Access Point or Router Page Setting up a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Profile Page Starting a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Network Connection Wireless Security Using Wireless Security Features Wireless Network Name (SSID) and Security Settings Setting Up WPA-PSK Security Setting Up WEP Encryption Security Page Statistics Tab About Tab Advanced Settings Page Chapter 3 Wireless Network Performance Optimizing Wireless Performance Optimizing Your Network Bandwidth Overview of Home and Small Office Networking Technologies Assessing Your Speed Requirements Page Page 4-1 Chapter 4 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Tips Table4-1. Troubleshooting Tips 4-2 Table4-1. Troubleshooting Tips (continued) Ad Hoc Mode Is Not Working Correctly Windows XP Occasional Connection Problems Page A-1 Appendix A Technical Specifications and Factory Default Settings Technical Specifications The following table provides technical specifications for the wireless USB adapter. A-2 Factory Default Settings The following table lists the default settings of your wireless USB adapter. Appendix B Related Documents