Introduction; About The Prosafe 802.11G Wireless Access Point - NETGEAR WG302 - 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point Reference Manual

Chapter 1

Introduction

This chapter introduces the NETGEAR ® ProSafe™ Wireless Access Point 802.11g WG302 and
gives an overview of some of the key features contained in this product. The minimum installation
prerequisites are presented in "System Requirements" on page 1-5. What's is the box is listed in
"Package Contents" on page 1-5, followed by a description of the hardware functionality in
"Hardware Description" on page 1-6.

About the ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point

The ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point is the basic building block of a wireless LAN
infrastructure. It provides connectivity between Ethernet wired networks and radio-equipped
wireless notebook systems, desktop systems, print servers, and other devices.
The WG302 provides wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed
range or area of coverage, interacting with a wireless network interface card (NIC) via an antenna.
Typically, an individual in-building access point provides a maximum connectivity area with about
a 300 foot radius. The ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point can support a small group of users
in a range of several hundred feet. Most access points are rated between 30-70 users,
simultaneously.
The ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point acts as a bridge between the wired LAN and wireless
clients. Connecting multiple ProSafe 802.11gs via a wired Ethernet backbone can further lengthen
the wireless network coverage. As a mobile computing device moves out of the range of one
access point, it moves into the range of another. As a result, wireless clients can freely roam from
one Access Point to another and still maintain seamless connection to the network.
The auto-sensing capability of the ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point allows packet
transmission at up to 108 Mbps, or at reduced speeds to compensate for distance or
electromagnetic interference.
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v4.0, April 2006