NETGEAR WAC104 Manual

Package contents

Overview LEDs

1. Power LED
2. WPS LED
3. WiFi LED

4. LAN 1 LED
5. LAN 2 LED
6. LAN 3 LED
7. LAN 4 LED

Overview back panel

1. WPS button
2. WiFi On/Off button
3. LAN ports 1–4

4. Reset button
5. Power On/Off button
6. DC power connector

Sample connections diagram

The access point (AP) provides WiFi and LAN connectivity but is a bridge and not a router. Connect the AP to a router that is connected to a modem. Do not connect the AP directly to a modem such as a DSL or cable modem.

Step 1. Connect and power on the AP

1. Connect the Ethernet cable that came in the package to one of the AP's Ethernet ports. You can use any of the four LAN ports on the AP.
2. Connect the other end of the cable to a LAN port on your router.

NOTE: Do not connect the AP to your modem. The AP must connect to your router.

The AP uses a DHCP client that is enabled by default. Almost any router functions as a DHCP server, allowing the AP to receive an IP address from the router.

3. Power on the AP by pressing the Power On/Off button.

During installation and setup, the AP's LEDs can light in these colors:

Power		Solid green. The AP is ready.
		Blinking green. The AP is starting or is updating firmware.
WPS		Solid green. Wi‑Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is ready for use. By default, the WPS LED is off.
		Blinking green. Someone pressed the WPS button on the AP so their WiFi‑enabled computer or mobile device can join the WiFi network.
WiFi		Solid green. One or both WiFi radios are operating.
		Blinking green. One or both WiFi radios are sending or receiving traffic.
LAN 1–4		Solid green. The LAN port detects a link with a LAN device.
		Blinking green. The LAN port is transmitting or receiving data.

Step 2. Join the AP's WiFi network

You can connect a WiFi‑enabled computer or mobile device manually or use the Wi‑Fi Protected Setup (WPS) method.

Manual method

1. On a WiFi‑enabled device, open the software utility that manages your WiFi connections. The utility scans for all WiFi networks in your area.
2. Find and select one of the AP's default WiFi network names (SSIDs), which are NETGEAR_11N and NETGEAR_11AC.
   NOTE: If you cannot find the SSIDs, press the WiFi On/Off button, wait one minute, and see if the utility displays one or both of the SSIDs.
3. Type the default WiFi passphrase, which is sharedsecret.

Your device connects to the AP's WiFi network.

WPS method

If your WiFi‑enabled device supports Wi‑Fi Protected Setup (WPS), you can use WPS to join the AP's WiFi network.

For help with the WPS button on your device, check the instructions or online help that came with that device. Some older equipment cannot use WPS.

1. Press the WPS button on the back panel of the AP.
2. Within two minutes, on your computer or mobile device, press its physical WPS button or click its onscreen WPS button. Your device connects to the AP's WiFi network.

About logging in to the local browser UI

The steps to log in to the local browser user interface (UI) of your AP depend on the firmware version that your AP is running.

• The steps in Step 3. Log in to the local browser UI and Step 4. Check for new firmware apply only if you update your AP firmware to version 1.0.4.15 or a later version and then reset the AP to factory defaults. If you already reset the AP to factory defaults after you updated to version 1.0.4.15, and you update the AP to a version later than 1.0.4.15, you do not need to reset the AP to factory defaults again.
• If your AP is running a firmware versionearlier than version 1.0.4.15 and you do not update to version 1.0.4.15 or a later version, see the old installation guide, which you can download by visiting https://www.netgear.com/support/download/.
• We strongly recommend that you download and install the latest firmware as soon as possible.

Step 3. Log in to the local browser UI

These steps apply only if you updated your AP firmware to version 1.0.4.15 or a later version and then reset the AP to factory defaults.

1. Launch a web browser on a WiFi‑enabled device that has a WiFi connection to the AP (see Step 2. Join the AP's WiFi network) and enter http://www.aplogin.net or http://www.aplogin.com in the address field. These URLs are the same as the IP address 192.168.0.100. A login window displays.
2. Enter the AP user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case‑sensitive. The initial set up page displays. This page displays only the first time that you log in to the local browser user interface (UI).
3. On the initial set up page, do the following:

• Set a new password for the admin user.
• Enable password recovery and set security questions. Although this is optional, we recommend that you enable password recovery.
• For greater security, you can also set new WiFi network names (SSIDs) for the WiFi network in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio bands and new WiFi passphrases.

We recommend that you let the AP get its IP address from the router in your network (this is the default setting). However, if you want to use a static IP address for the AP, you can do so.

4. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
5. If you set a new SSID and passphrase, reconnect to the AP using the new SSID and passphrase.
6. Log back in to the local browser UI using your new password.

You can now monitor and manage the AP.

Step 4. Check for new firmware

These steps apply only if you updated your AP firmware to version 1.0.4.15 or a later version and then reset the AP to factory defaults.

Before you start using your AP, we recommend that you use the AP's automatic update function to check for new firmware.

1. Launch a web browser on a WiFi‑enabled device that has a WiFi connection to the AP (see Step 2. Join the AP's WiFi network) and enter http://www.aplogin.net or http://www.aplogin.com in the address field. A login window displays.
2. Enter the AP user name and password. The user name is admin. The password is the one that you specified on the initial set up page the first time that you logged in to the local browser UI (see Step 3. Log in to the local browser UI). The user name and password are case‑sensitive. The Home page displays.
3. Select Administration > Firmware Update. The Firmware Update page displays.
4. Click the Check button. The AP detects new firmware if any is available, and displays a message asking if you want to download and install it.
5. To download and install the new firmware, click the Yes button. The AP locates the firmware, downloads it, and begins the update. A progress bar shows the progress of the firmware upload process. The firmware upload process takes several minutes. When the upload is complete, your AP restarts.
   
   To avoid the risk of corrupting the firmware, do not interrupt the update. For example, do not close the browser, click a link, or load a new page. Do not turn off the AP. Wait until the AP finishes loading the new firmware and restarts, and the Power LED stops blinking and remains solid green.
6. Log back into the local browser UI. The Home page displays. The firmware version is stated in the Firmware Version field of the AP Information pane.

Troubleshooting tips

The following table provides some tips for correcting simple problems that you might encounter. For more troubleshooting information, see the troubleshooting chapter in the user manual.

Support and Community

Visit netgear.com/support to get your questions answered and access the latest downloads.

You can also check out our NETGEAR Community for helpful advice at community.netgear.com.

Regulatory and Legal

(If this product is sold in Canada, you can access this document in Canadian French at https://www.netgear.com/support/download/.)

For regulatory compliance information including the EU Declaration of Conformity, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.

See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.

For NETGEAR's Privacy Policy, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/privacy-policy.

By using this device, you are agreeing to NETGEAR's Terms and Conditions at https://www.netgear.com/about/terms-and-conditions. If you do not agree, return the device to your place of purchase within your return period.

Do not use this device outdoors.

Applicable to 6 GHz devices only: Only use the device indoors. The operation of 6 GHz devices is prohibited on oil platforms, cars, trains, boats, and aircraft, except that operation of this device is permitted in large aircraft while flying above 10,000 feet. Operation of transmitters in the 5.925‑7.125 GHz band is prohibited for control of or communications with unmanned aircraft systems.