NETGEAR A6210 User manual

NOTICE
MARQUE: NETGEAR
REFERENCE: A6210-100PES
CODIC: 4167708

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
August 2014
202-11373-01
A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
802.11ac USB 3.0 Dual Band
User Manual

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
Support
Thank you for selecting NETGEAR products.
After installing your device, locate the serial number on the label of your product and use it to register your product at
https://my.netgear.com. You must register your product before you can use NETGEAR telephone support. NETGEAR
recommends registering your product through the NETGEAR website. For product updates and web support, visit
http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR.
Phone (Other Countries): Check the list of phone numbers at http://support.netgear.com/general/contact/default.aspx.
Compliance
For regulatory compliance information, visit http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc.
and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to change without notice.
© NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Contents
Chapter 1 Get Started and Connect to a WiFi Network
Set Up and Install the Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
View Network Details Before Joining a WiFi Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Join a WiFi Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Join a Network Using WPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Join a Network Using NETGEAR genie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Join a Network Using a Standalone Driver and Windows WLAN Autoconfig 15
Join a Hidden Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chapter 2 Monitor and Maintain the Adapter
View the Connection Status and Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
View More Information About the Adapter and Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Get Diagnostic Information for the Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Upgrade the Adapter Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Uninstall the Adapter Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Adapter LED Is Not Lit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Icon Is Not in the Windows System Tray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Adapter Does Not Connect to a WiFi Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
When I Connect the Adapter to a Network, I Cannot Access the Internet. . 35
When I Connect to the Network, I Cannot Access Shared
Resources Such as Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Adapter Lost Its IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Do USB Ports Go into Sleep Mode if No Traffic Is Going to or
from the Port?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
How Can I Improve the Speed of My WiFi Connection?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
How Can I View the IP Address of the Adapter? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Appendix A Factory Default Settings and Technical Specifications
Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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1
1. Get Started and Connect to a WiFi
Network
The NETGEAR A6210 WiFi USB Adapter connects your notebook or desktop computer over
WiFi to an 11ac or other network for applications such as lag-free video streaming throughout
your home, online gaming, and secure and reliable Internet connections.
This chapter describes how to set up and connect the A6210 WiFi USB Adapter, in this manual
referred to as the adapter, to a WiFi network. The chapter includes the following sections:
•Set Up and Install the Adapter
•View Network Details Before Joining a WiFi Network
•Join a WiFi Network
Note: For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the
support website at support.netgear.com.
Note: Firmware updates with new features and bug fixes are made
available from time to time at downloadcenter.netgear.com. Some
products can regularly check the site and download new firmware, or
you can check for and download new firmware manually. If the
features or behavior of your product does not match what is
described in this guide, you might need to update your firmware.

Get Started and Connect to a WiFi Network
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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
Set Up and Install the Adapter
Before you begin using your adapter, set up the adapter using the resource CD that came in
the package.
Note: The adapter provides the best performance with a USB 3.0 port but is
compatible with a USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port.
To set up your adapter:
1. Insert the resource CD in your computer CD drive.
Note: IfyourcomputerdoesnotincludeaCDdrive,orifyoudonothaveyour
resource CD, visit support.netgear.com. Click the Support for Home
button, type A6210 in the search field, and locate and download the
standalone driver.
If the NETGEAR Resource CD screen does not display, browse the files on the CD and
double-click Autorun.exe.
The NETGEAR Resource CD screen displays. The screen looks similar to the following
figure.
2. Click the Setup button.

Get Started and Connect to a WiFi Network
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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
The Software Update Check screen displays. The screen looks similar to the following
figure.
3. Install the setup software.
Choose an option based on whether you are connected to the Internet:
•Connected to the Internet. If you are connected to the Internet, click the Check for
Updates button. After the software checks for software updates, the Update Check
Complete screen displays. Click the Continue button. The Welcome screen displays.
•Not Connected to the Internet. If you are not connected to the Internet, click the
Install from CD button.
Note: If you are not connected to the Internet, the software cannot check for
software updates.

Get Started and Connect to a WiFi Network
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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
The Welcome screen displays.
4. To accept the license agreement, select the I agree radio button and then click the Next
button.
A message displays asking you to wait while the software is installed. After a few
minutes, NETGEAR genie®prompts you to insert your adapter.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
5. Install the adapter with or without the desktop dock:
•To install the adapter with the desktop dock, place the adapter into the dock and
connect the USB cable to a USB port on your computer.
Note: NETGEAR does not recommend that you use another cable to
connect the adapter to the USB port on your computer. Use the
desktopdock with the attached cable that issuppliedinthepackage.
Using another USB cable might affect the performance and correct
functioning of the adapter.
Note: When the adapter is placed in the desktop dock, you can fold out
the adapter to its maximum angle for increased WiFi performance.
•To install the adapter without the desktop dock, insert the adapter into a USB port on
your computer.
6. Click the Next button.
The NETGEAR genie screen displays a list of WiFi networks in your area.

Get Started and Connect to a WiFi Network
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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
The NETGEAR genie icon also displays in the Windows system tray and on the desktop.
The genie icon in the system tray is red because you did not yet establish a
connection with a WiFi network.
7. To change the language, from the Select Language menu, select another language.
All NETGEAR genie screens are displayed in the language that you select.
View Network Details Before Joining a WiFi Network
Before you let the adapter join a WiFi network, you can view details to help you determine
which network to join.
To view network details:
1. Insert the adapter into a USB port on your computer.
2. Click the NETGEAR genie icon that displays on the Windows system tray or on the desktop.
The NETGEAR genie Home screen displays.
3. Click the Join a Network button.

Get Started and Connect to a WiFi Network
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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
The Join a Network screen displays.
4. Click a network name.
The Details button displays.
5. Click the Details button.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
The Details pop-up screen displays.
The Details pop-up screen shows the following information:
•Network name (SSID). The name assigned to a WiFi network.As a security
measure, some WiFi access points do not broadcast their SSIDs. In such cases, the
network is hidden. The name (SSID) field is blank even though the rest of the
information is displayed. For information about joining a hidden network, see Join a
Hidden Network on page 18.
•Channel. The channel on which the WiFi network operates. NETGEAR recommends
that you choose a network that uses a different channel from the channel of
neighboring networks.
•WiFi Mode. The WiFi mode that the router or access point uses, such asAC, N, G, B,
or A.
•WPS support. Identifies whether the router or access point for this network supports
WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup).
•MAC address. The unique hardware address of the WiFi device broadcasting this
information. Typically, the WiFi device is a WiFi router or access point.
6. To close the Details pop-up screen, click the OK button.
Join a WiFi Network
The adapter can join a known WiFi network through several methods:
•WPS. Use the adapter’s WPS button to join a WiFi network (see Join a Network Using
WPS on page 12).
Use this method if your WiFi router supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS).
•NETGEAR genie. Use the adapter’s NETGEAR genie to join a WiFi network (see Join a
Network Using NETGEAR genie on page 13).
Use this method if your WiFi router does not support WPS.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
•Standalone driver and Windows WLAN Autoconfig. Install the adapter’s standalone
driver and use Windows WLAN Autoconfig to join a WiFi network (see Join a Network
Using a Standalone Driver and Windows WLAN Autoconfig on page 15).
This is an alternate method that does not use WPS or NETGEAR genie. You can also
use this method if your computer does not include a CD drive.
You can also join hidden networks. For more information, see Join a Hidden Network on
page 18.
Join a Network Using WPS
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is a standard for easily adding computers and other devices to
a home network while maintaining security. Before you use the WPS method to let the
adapter join a network, make sure of the following:
•Your WiFi router or access point supports WPS.
•The security on your WiFi router or access point is not set to WEP. WEP and WPS are
incompatible. You cannot use WPS if the security on your WiFi router or access point is
set to WEP.
Note: For information about using WPS to let the adapter a hidden network,
see Use WPS to Let the Adapter Join a Hidden Network on page 18.
To use WPS to let the adapter join a WiFi network:
1. Insert the adapter into a USB port on your computer.
2. Press and hold the WPS button on the adapter for more than two seconds.
The WPS LED blinks. (The WPS button also functions as the WPS LED.)
WPS button and LED
3. Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your WiFi router or access point.
The adapter joins the network, which can take a few minutes. Your settings are saved in
a profile.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
After the adapter joins the network, it saves the network connection information to a
Windows profile. Both NETGEAR genie and the Windows Wireless Network Connection
utility can use this profile. If the network information does not change, the next time that
you launch genie, the adapter connects automatically to the network that it joined
previously.
Join a Network Using NETGEAR genie
You can use NETGEAR genie to let the adapter join a network. You must know the network’s
security passphrase or security key.
Note: For information about using the adapter’s NETGEAR genie to join a
hidden network, see Manually Set Up a WiFi Connection to a Hidden
Network on page 20.
To let the adapter join a network by using NETGEAR genie:
1. Insert the adapter into a USB port on your computer.
2. Click the NETGEAR genie icon that displays on the Windows system tray or on the desktop.
The NETEGAR genie Home screen displays.
3. Click the Join a Network button.
The Join a Network screen displays.
4. Click a network name.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
The Connect button displays.
5. Click the Connect button.
Note: If your network does not display in the network list, click the Refresh
button. If the network still does not display, your network might be a
hidden network that does not broadcast its SSID. For information about
joining a hidden network, see Join a Hidden Network on page 18.
The Connecting to your wireless network pop-up screen displays.
6. In the Security Key (Password) field, enter the network password.
Note: Clear the Hide characters as I type check box if you want to display
the characters as you type the password.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
7. Click the Next button.
NETGEAR genie validates the settings and connects the adapter to the network. This
process might a few minutes.
The Join a Network screen shows that the adapter is connected to the network and the
genie status bar at the bottom of the screen shows information about the network
connection. For more information about the status bar, see View the Connection Status
and Details on page 25.
After the adapter joins the network, it saves the network connection information to a
Windows profile. Both NETGEAR genie and the Windows Wireless Network Connection
utility can use this profile. If the network information does not change, the next time that
you launch genie, the adapter connects automatically to the network that it joined
previously.
Join a Network Using a Standalone Driver and Windows WLAN
Autoconfig
For Windows 8 (or 8.1) and Windows 7 (and—if you still use it—Windows Vista), you can
install the Windows standalone driver without the NETGEAR genie and use the Windows
WLAN Autoconfig service to join a network. If you still use Windows XP, you can install the
Windows driver without the NETGEAR genie and use the Wireless Zero Configuration
service to join a network.
Note: You do not need to install the standalone driver to use Windows
WLAN Autoconfig service or Wireless Zero Configuration.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
Note: The adapter provides the best performance with a USB 3.0 port but is
compatible with a USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port.
To install the standalone driver and let the adapter join a network:
1. Insert the resource CD in your computer CD drive.
Note: Ifyourcomputerdoes not include a CD drive, or if you do nothave your
resource CD, visit support.netgear.com. Click the Support for Home
button, type A6210 in the search field, and locate and download the
standalone driver.
2. If the CD main screen does not display, browse the files on the CD and double-click
Autorun.exe.
The NETGEAR Resource CD screen displays. The screen looks similar to the following
figure.
3. Click the Install Windows Standalone Driver button.
The driver installs on your computer. When the driver installation is completed, a
message displays prompting you to insert your adapter.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
4. Insert the adapter into a USB port on your computer.
Note: NETGEAR does not recommend that you use another cable to
connect the adapter to the USB port on your computer. Use the
desktop dock with the attached cable that is supplied in the package.
Using another USB cable might affect the performance and correct
functioning of the adapter.
Note: When the adapter is placed in the desktop dock, you can fold out the
adapter to its maximum angle for increased WiFi performance.
5. Click the OK button.
The driver finishes installing.
6. Click the Finish button.
A pop-up screen displays when the diver finishes installing.
7. Click the OK button.
8. Use a Windows utility to connect the adapter to a WiFi network:
•For Windows 8 (or 8.1) and Windows 7 (and—if you still use it—Windows Vista), use
the Windows WLAN Autoconfig service.
•If you still use Windows XP, use the Wireless Zero Configuration service.
For more information about Windows WLAN Autoconfig or the Wireless Zero
Configuration service, see your computer’s documentation.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
After the adapter joins the network, it saves the network connection information to a
Windows profile. Both NETGEAR genie and the Windows Wireless Network Connection
utility can use this profile. If the network information does not change, the next time that
you launch genie, the adapter connects automatically to the network that it joined
previously.
Join a Hidden Network
A hidden network is a network that does not broadcast its SSID. If the network name is not
displayed in the network list in the adapter’s NETGEAR genie, the network that you are trying
to join is either not functioning or is hidden. To let the adapter join a hidden network, you can
use WPS or enter the hidden network’s information manually.
Use WPS to Let the Adapter Join a Hidden Network
Before you use the WPS method to let the adapter join a hidden network, make sure of the
following:
•Your WiFi router or access point supports WPS.
•The security on your WiFi router or access point is not set to WEP. WEP and WPS are
incompatible. You cannot use WPS if the security on your WiFi router or access point is
set to WEP.
To use WPS to let the adapter join a hidden WiFi network:
1. Insert the adapter into a USB port on your computer.
2. Click the NETGEAR genie icon that displays on the Windows system tray or on the desktop.
The NETGEAR genie Home screen displays.
3. Click the Join a Network button.
The Join a Network screen displays.

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A6210 WiFi USB Adapter
4. Expand the Manually Connect to a network (for hidden networks) section.
5. Select the Use WPS Push 'N' Connect radio button.
6. Click the Start button.
A WPS instructions screen displays.
7. To learn more about how to connect to the network using WPS, click the Learn More
button.
8. Press and hold the WPS button on the adapter for two seconds.
The WPS LED blinks. (The WPS button also functions as the WPS LED.)
9. Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your WiFi router or access point.
The adapter joins the network, which can take a few minutes. Your settings are saved in
a profile.