Chapter 1: Introduction; Welcome - Cisco Linksys WTR54GS User Manual

Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster

Chapter 1: Introduction

Welcome

Thank you for choosing the Linksys Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster. The Wireless-G Travel Router
with SpeedBooster will allow you to network wirelessly better than ever, sharing Internet access, files and fun,
easily and securely while away from home.
How does the Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster do all of this? The Router has a built-in access point,
which lets you connect SpeedBooster-enhanced and regular Wireless-G and Wireless-B devices to the network.
There's also an Ethernet port to connect your wired PC. The Router function ties it together and lets your PCs
share a wired or wireless Internet connection. The travel-friendly form factor includes a built-in power supply and
antenna, and it comes with a travel case. Just plug the Router directly into the wall, and connect the hotel's fast
Internet service cable. Then use the Router's push button setup feature to easily connect and configure your
wireless devices. You just push the button on the Router and on your other SecureEasySetup-enabled wireless
device to automatically create a WPA or WEP encryption-secured wireless connection. You can also use multiple
devices on a single hotspot account in a coffee shop or airport lounge and be protected with WPA Personal
encryption or a powerful SPI firewall. The Router also supports VPN pass-through and it can serve as a DHCP
Server.
But what does all of this mean?
Networks are useful tools for sharing computer resources. You can access one printer from different computers
and access data located on another computer's hard drive. Networks are even used for playing multiplayer video
games. So, networks are not only useful in homes and offices, they can also be fun.
PCs on a wired network create a LAN, or Local Area Network. They are connected with Ethernet cables, which is
why the network is called "wired".
PCs equipped with wireless cards or adapters can communicate without cumbersome cables. By sharing the
same wireless settings, within their transmission radius, they form a wireless network. This is sometimes called
a WLAN, or Wireless Local Area Network. The Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster bridges wireless
networks of 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g standards and wired networks, allowing them to communicate with
each other.
Linksys recommends using the Setup CD-ROM for first-time installation of the Router. If you do not wish to run
the Setup Wizard on the Setup CD-ROM, then use the instructions in this Guide to help you connect the
Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster, set it up, and configure it to bridge your network. These instructions
should be all you need to get the most out of the Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
nat (network address translation): NAT
technology translated IP addresses of a
local area network to a different IP address
for the Internet.
mbps: one million bits per second; a unit of
measurement for data transmission.
browser: an application program that
provides a way to look at and interact with all
the information on the World Wide Web.
lan (local area network): the computers and
networking products that make up the network
in your home or office.
ethernet: an IEEE standard network protocol that
specifies how data is placed on and retrieved from
a common transmission medium.
802.11b: an IEEE wireless networking standard
that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of
11Mbps and an operating frequency of 2.4GHz.
802.11g: an IEEE wireless networking standard
that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of
54Mbps, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and
backward compatibility with 802.11b devices.
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