NETGEAR RangeMax WNDA3100 User Manual
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NETGEAR RangeMax WNDA3100 User Manual

Dual band wireless-n usb adapter
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NETGEAR RangeMax
Dual Band Wireless-N
USB Adapter WNDA3100
User Manual
NETGEAR, Inc.
4500 Great America Parkway
Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA
202-10329-01
December 2007

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  • Page 1 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual NETGEAR, Inc. 4500 Great America Parkway Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA 202-10329-01 December 2007...

  • Page 2: Technical Support

    Safety and Regulatory Notices FCC Statement The WNDA3100 has been tested and complies with the specifications for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
  • Page 3 être placé loin des fenêtres afin de fournir un écran de blindage maximal. Si le matériel (ou son antenne d’émission) est installé à l’extérieur, il doit faire l’objet d’une licence.” Europe - EU Declaration of Conformity A printed copy of the EU Declaration of Conformity certificate for this product is provided in the WNDA3100 product package. Èesky NETGEAR, Inc.
  • Page 4 USB Adapter WNDA3100 relevant provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC. Español Por medio de la presente [Spanish] Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 cualesquiera otras disposiciones aplicables o exigibles de la Directiva 1999/5/CE. Ελληνική ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΑ Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 [Greek] ΟΥΣΙΩΔΕΙΣ...
  • Page 5 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB tyyppinen laite on direktiivin 1999/5/EY oleellisten vaatimusten ja sitä att denna [utrustningstyp] står I överensstämmelse med WNDA3100 December 2007 Wireless-N USB Adapter NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 Home English 202-10329-01 v1.0, December 2007...
  • Page 6 v1.0, December 2007...

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    Verify System Requirements ... 1 Observe Wireless Location and Range Guidelines ... 2 What Is in the Box ... 3 WNDA3100 Default Wireless Settings ... 3 Installation ... 4 Installing the WNDA3100 Software ... 4 Connecting the Wireless-N USB Adapter ... 5 Using the Smart Wizard to Set Up Your Wireless-N USB Adapter ...
  • Page 8 Adding Profiles ... 5 Setting Up a Profile to Connect to an Access Point or Router ... 5 Setting up a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Profile ... 7 Starting a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Network Connection ... 9 Wireless Security ... 10 Using Wireless Security Features ...

  • Page 9: 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.

  • Page 10: How To Use This Manual

    • button to access the full NETGEAR, Inc. online knowledge base for the product model. • Links to PDF versions of the full manual and individual chapters.
  • Page 11 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual – Printing a PDF chapter. Use the PDF of This Chapter link at the top left of any page. • Click the PDF of This Chapter link at the top left corner of any page in the chapter you want to print.
  • Page 12 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual v1.0, December 2007...

  • Page 13: Basic Setup

    This chapter describes how to install your RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 and set up basic wireless connectivity on your wireless local area network (WLAN). Advanced wireless network set up is covered in Chapter Note: Indoors, computers can easily connect to 802.11 wireless networks at distances of several hundred feet.

  • Page 14: Observe Wireless Location And Range Guidelines

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual • 5 Mbytes of free hard disk space. • Vista, Windows XP Home, or Windows XP Professional. Some versions of Windows ask for the original Windows operating system installation files to complete the installation of the WNDA3100 driver software.

  • Page 15: What Is In The Box

    • Warranty and Support information card If any of the parts are incorrect, missing, or damaged, contact your NETGEAR dealer. Keep the carton, including the original packing materials, in case you need to return the product for repair. WNDA3100 Default Wireless Settings If this is a new wireless network installation, use the factory default settings to set up the network and verify wireless connectivity.

  • Page 16: Installation

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual Installation To complete this installation you must: 1. Install the WNDA3100 software. 2. When prompted, insert the wireless USB adapter and follow the Windows XP Found New Hardware wizard prompts (unless using Vista).

  • Page 17: Connecting The Wireless-N Usb Adapter

    Note: If you do not have a USB 2.0 port on your computer, the throughput of the WNDA3100 will be limited to the 14 Mbps of the USB 1.1 standard. 2. Insert the wireless adapter in a USB port on your computer.

  • Page 18: Using The Smart Wizard To Set Up Your Wireless-N Usb Adapter

    Using the Smart Wizard to Set Up Your Wireless-N USB Adapter After you have connected the wireless USB adapter, the following screen displays: Figure 1-3 Windows XP or Vista users can set up the wireless adapter either with the NETGEAR Smart Wizard (recommended) or the Windows configuration utilities. •...
  • Page 19 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual You are prompted to let the wizard help you connect to a network (recommended). Figure 1-4 2. Click Next to continue. The Smart Wizard finds the wireless networks in your area, and displays the following screen: Figure 1-5 Note: Hidden networks do not broadcast the network name (SSID).

  • Page 20: Connecting To Wireless Networks And The Internet

    Note: The maximum speed of a USB v2.0 port is 480 Mbps. If your computer has a USB v1.1 port, the WNDA3100 is limited to that port’s maximum speed, which is 14 Mbps. The WNDA3100 has indicators in three locations that show the status of your connection to a wireless network and to the Internet: •...

  • Page 21: Wnda3100 Icon Colors

    See LED” on page 1-11. WNDA3100 Icon Colors The WNDA3100 icon is on the desktop and in the Windows system tray. The system tray is on one end of the taskbar in the Microsoft Windows desktop. Color Condition...
  • Page 22 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual The following table describes how to interpret the Smart Wizard status bar. Understanding the Status Bar Wireless network Identifies which wireless network you have joined. Security • A closed lock indicates that security is enabled.

  • Page 23: Wireless-N Usb Adapter Led

    In Vista, there is one more option: Enable NETGEAR Smart Wizard. Figure 1-9 If you clear the check mark for Enable NETGEAR Smart Wizard, the NETGEAR Smart Wizard is disabled, and you must set up the wireless adapter with Vista auto-configuration.
  • Page 24 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual 1. The wireless USB adapter comes with three black fasteners. Locate the one with a prickly side, and attach it to the plastic cradle on the middle of the outside rear.

  • Page 25: Removing The Wnda3100 Software

    Upgrading the WNDA3100 Software Upgrades may be available at the NETGEAR website. To install an upgrade, follow these steps. 1. Write down the settings for any profiles that you want to save. They will not be retained. 2. Download the upgrade from the NETGEAR website Support page.
  • Page 26 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual 1-14 v1.0, December 2007...

  • Page 27: Network Connections And Wireless Security

    If you chose the Windows XP or Windows Vista Zero Configuration utility during installation, and now you want to use the Smart Wizard, you must disable the Windows utility. If you are working with the Vista configuration utility, see the NETGEAR online application note at: http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/winzerocfg/index.htm...

  • Page 28: Understanding The Smart Wizard

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual Understanding the Smart Wizard These instructions explain how to use the NETGEAR WNDA3100 Smart Wizard to change the wireless USB adapter wireless settings. When you have installed the software from the Resource CD, the desktop and in the Windows system tray.
  • Page 29 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual 2. Click the Networks tab to display the following screen: You can click a column heading to sort. If many networks use the same channel they can interfere with each other.

  • Page 30: Finding A Network

    (Ad Hoc) Finding a Network During the WNDA3100 software installation, the Smart Wizard lists the available networks. After installation you can use the Join a Network button on the Network tab at any time to view the available networks and select the one that you want to use.

  • Page 31: Profiles

    The Smart Wizard initiates your wireless connection. You can use the status bar to verify your network connection. For more information, see Profiles The WNDA3100 Smart Wizard uses profiles to store all the settings for a particular wireless network. There are two special profile names: Default and Profile. •...
  • Page 32 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual 1. Use the icon to open the Smart Wizard. The Settings tab displays: Figure 2-4 2. Enter the network settings. a. In the Network Type section, make sure that Access Point (Infrastructure) is selected.

  • Page 33: Setting Up A Computer-To-Computer (Ad Hoc) Profile

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual Use a browser to connect to the Internet, or check for file and printer access on your network. You can check the status bar in the Smart Wizard for the current connection status.
  • Page 34 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual 2. Enter the network settings. a. Select Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) for the network type. b. Select or enter the network name (SSID) for the Ad Hoc network. c. In the Profile field, type the name of the profile.

  • Page 35: Starting A Computer-To-Computer (Ad Hoc) Network Connection

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual c. A continuous ping will be sent to the device with the 192.168.0.1 static IP address. The ping response should change to Reply. Figure 2-7 At this point the connection is established.

  • Page 36: Wireless Security

    Smart Wizard detects it. Before you can use that network, you must set up the WNDA3100 with exactly the same kind of wireless security settings. The main types of wireless security used for home networks are the following: •...

  • Page 37: Wireless Network Name (Ssid) And Security Settings

    • Network Name (SSID). The service set Identification (SSID) identifies the wireless local area network. Any (First available network) is the default WNDA3100 wireless network name (SSID). You may customize it using up to 32 alphanumeric characters. Write your customized wireless network name (SSID) on the line below.

  • Page 38: Setting Up Wpa-Psk Security

    Setting Up WPA-PSK Security To configure WPA-PSK security: 1. Run the WNDA3100 Smart Wizard. a. Make sure that the WNDA3100 software is installed and the wireless USB adapter is fully inserted in a USB port in your computer. b. Use the icon to open the Smart Wizard.

  • Page 39: Setting Up Wep Encryption Security

    Follow the steps below to configure WEP encryption security: 1. Run the WNDA3100 Smart Wizard. a. Make sure that the WNDA3100 software is installed and the wireless USB adapter is connected to the USB port in your computer. b. Use the icon to open the Smart Wizard.
  • Page 40 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual 3. Select the WEP encryption strength you will use. • 64-bit WEP data encryption • 128-bit WEP data encryption Note: Larger encryption keys require more processing and may slow the communications response times.

  • Page 41: Statistics Tab

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual Statistics Tab The Statistics tab provides real time and historical trend information about the data traffic and performance of your wireless adapter. Figure 2-11 • Transmit/Receive Performance (%). A real-time graph identies the total, receive, and transmit utilization as a percentage the total possible.

  • Page 42: About Tab

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual About Tab The About tab displays the current version information. Figure 2-12 The following information is displayed in the About tab: • Regional Domain. This is the region setting for the wireless adapter. The approved channels for the region are automatically scanned.

  • Page 43: Advanced Settings

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual Advanced Settings You can use the Advanced Settings screen to configure the preamble (GHz) that the adapter uses. The available settings are Auto, 2.4 GHz, and 5 GHz. You can use the 5GHz range to avoid interference in the 2.4GHz range.
  • Page 44 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual 2. In the Advanced section of the screen, select the setting that you want from the drop-down list. Changing the setting in the Preamble field affects which options are available in the Wireless Mode section of this screen.

  • Page 45: Chapter 3 Wireless Network Performance

    This chapter explains how to use your RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 to connect to your wireless local area network (WLAN) and how to set up wireless security for the wireless USB adapter so that it matches the wireless security settings for your network.

  • Page 46: Optimizing Your Network Bandwidth

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual – Computers and fax machines (no closer than 1 foot) – Copying machines, elevators, and cell phones (no closer than 6 feet) – Microwave ovens (no closer than 10 feet) •...

  • Page 47: Overview Of Home And Small Office Networking Technologies

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual In the network shown in the previous figure, the two PCs with gigabit (1000 Mbps) Ethernet adapters have a gigabit connection through the router to the storage server. With a high-speed router this connection allows for extremely fast backups or quick access to large files on the server.

  • Page 48: Assessing Your Speed Requirements

    For connecting rooms or floors that are blocked by obstructions or are distant vertically, consider networking over your building’s AC wiring. NETGEAR’s Powerline HD family of products delivers up to 200 Mbps to any outlet, while the older-generation XE family of products delivers 14 Mbps or 85 Mbps.
  • Page 49 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual • Backing up computers over the network has become popular due to the availability of inexpensive mass storage. various networking technologies. Table 3-1. Theoretical Transfer Time for 1 Gigabyte Network Connection...
  • Page 50 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual v1.0, December 2007...

  • Page 51: Chapter 4 Troubleshooting

    WNDA3100 is recognized and enabled. Reload the WNDA3100 software, if necessary. • Try to install the WNDA3100 in a different USB slot on your system if one is available. The WNDA3100 is trying to connect to an access point, but cannot connect.
  • Page 52 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual Table 4-1. Troubleshooting Tips (continued) Problem Throughput is only 54 Mbps or only 14 Mbps. The Smart Wizard keeps asking me to save settings. Two WNDA3100 icons are in the system tray.

  • Page 53: Ad Hoc Mode Is Not Working Correctly

    Service might not be able to connect to the Internet, might have dropped wireless connections, or both when using the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100. You can delete this Hotfix from the Add or Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel.
  • Page 54 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual v1.0, December 2007...

  • Page 55: Appendix A Technical Specifications And Factory Default Settings

    Appendix A Technical Specifications and Factory Technical Specifications The following table provides technical specifications for the wireless USB adapter. Antenna 2 integrated internal wireless antennas Standards 802.11a, 802.11n draft 2.0, 802.11g, or 802.11b Radio Data Rate 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54, 08, 140, 246, and 300 Mbps (Auto Rate Sensing) Frequency 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz CCK and OFDM Modulation);...

  • Page 56: Factory Default Settings

    NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual Factory Default Settings The following table lists the default settings of your wireless USB adapter. Feature Smart Wizard Wireless Wireless Communication Wireless Network Name (SSID) Security Network Type Transmission Speed...

  • Page 57: Appendix B Related Documents

    This appendix provides links to reference documents you can use to gain a more complete understanding of the technologies used in your NETGEAR product. Document Link Windows XP and Vista http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/winzerocfg/ Wireless Configuration index.htm Utilities Application Note Internet Networking and http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/tcpip/index.htm...
  • Page 58 NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter WNDA3100 User Manual v1.0, December 2007...

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