NETGEAR BR500 Manual

Hardware Installation Guide
Insight Instant VPN Router
BR500
NETGEAR, Inc.
350 E. Plumeria DriveOctober 2018 San Jose, CA 95134, USA202-11927-01

Support
Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product. You can visit
https://www.netgear.com/support/ to register your product, get help, access the latest
downloads and user manuals, and join our community. We recommend that you use
only official NETGEAR support resources.
Compliance and Conformity
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.
Do not use this device outdoors. If you connect cables or devices that are outdoors to
this device, see http://kb.netgear.com/000057103 for safety and warranty information.
Trademarks
© NETGEAR, Inc., NETGEAR, and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc.
Any non-NETGEAR trademarks are used for reference purposes only.
Revision History
CommentsPublish DatePublication Part
Number
First publication.October 2018202-11927-01
2
Insight Instant VPN Router

Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
Overview................................................................................................5
Key hardware features.........................................................................6
Safety instructions and warnings........................................................7
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview
Front panel with LEDs........................................................................10
Back panel...........................................................................................11
RJ-45 ports for 10/100/1000M BASE-T Ethernet connectivity.....12
Reset button........................................................................................12
Chapter 3 Applications
Remote VPN connectivity..................................................................15
Site-to-site VPN connectivity.............................................................16
Edge routing for a small to medium-sized business......................17
Chapter 4 Installation
Step 1: Prepare the site......................................................................19
Step 2: Protect against electrostatic discharge..............................20
Step 3: Unpack the router.................................................................20
Step 4: Install the router.....................................................................21
Install the router on a flat surface.................................................21
Install the router in a rack..............................................................22
Wall-mount the router...................................................................22
Wall-mount the router horizontally.........................................23
Wall-mount the router vertically..............................................24
Mount the router to a pole or another surface...........................26
Step 5: Connect the router to a modem.........................................26
Step 6: Connect devices to the router.............................................26
Step 7: Check the installation...........................................................27
Step 8: Apply power and check the LEDs.......................................27
Step 9: Configure and manage the router......................................28
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting
Hardware troubleshooting chart......................................................30
Additional troubleshooting suggestions.........................................31
3

1
Introduction
This hardware installation guide is for the NETGEAR Insight Instant VPN Router BR500,
in this manual referred to as the router.
The router is designed to provide firewall and VPN gateway functionality for small
business environments with up to 50 users. A pair of routers can provide VPN functionality
to users between remote sites.
The router provides four Gigabit RJ-45 copper LAN ports and one dedicated Gigabit
RJ-45 copper WAN port in a chassis that you can place on a desktop, mount to a wall,
or mount in a rack. The LEDs are on the front panel. The ports are on the back panel.
This hardware installation guide complements the installation guide that came with your
router.
This chapter serves as an introduction to the router and includes the following sections:
• Overview
• Key hardware features
• Safety instructions and warnings
Note: For more information about the topics that are covered in this manual, visit the
support website at netgear.com/support/.
Note: For more documentation about the router, including the data sheet with technical
specifications, visit netgear.com/support/download/.
4

Overview
The router provides five Gigabit Ethernet copper ports, one of which is a dedicated
Internet uplink port. All copper ports use RJ-45 connectors. The router integrates a
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall and provides instant Virtual Private Network
(VPN) technology for remote access (client-to-site) and office-to-office (site-to-site)
connectivity. The IPSec encryption options include 56-bit DES, 168-bit 3DES, and 128-,
192-, and 256-bit AES. The authentication options include SHA-1 and MD5. The router
also supports VPN passthrough.
Note: For information about application examples, see Applications on page 14.
The router provides management options that let you discover the router on the network
and configure, monitor, and control the router:
•Local browser–based management interface. You must access the local
browser–based management interface, in this manual referred to as the local browser
interface, to set up the WAN (Internet) connection and basic settings of the router.
For more information about the local browser interface, see the user manual, which
you can download from netgear.com/support/download/.
•NETGEAR Insight mobile app. After you set up the WAN connection of the router
using the local browser interface, you can use the NETGEAR Insight mobile app to
discover the router on the network and add the router to the NETGEAR Insight app.
Doing so allows you to set up the router in the network and manage and monitor
the router remotely from your smartphone. You can choose from four methods to
add the router to the NETGEAR Insight app: You can scan your network for the router,
scan the QR code or the barcode of the router, or add the serial number of the router.
For more information, visit netgear.com/insight and see the NETGEAR knowledge
base articles at netgear.com/support/.
•Insight Cloud portal. As an Insight Premium or Pro user, after you set up the WAN
connection of the router using the local browser interface, you can use the NETGEAR
Insight Cloud portal to set up the router in the network, perform advanced remote
management, monitor the router, analyze the router and network usage, and, if
necessary, troubleshoot the router and the network.
You can install the router freestanding (on a desktop), wall-mounted, using the
VESA-standard mounting holes and supplied wall-mount kit, or rack-mounted in a
standard 19-inch rack, using the supplied rack-mount kit. The router is IEEE compliant
and offers low latency. All ports can automatically negotiate to the highest speed, which
makes the router very suitable for a mixed environment with Gigabit Ethernet and Fast
Ethernet.
Hardware Installation Guide5Introduction
Insight Instant VPN Router BR500

For Gigabit Ethernet connections, use Category 5 (Cat 5) or higher-rated Ethernet cables
terminated with RJ-45 connectors.
Key hardware features
The switch includes the following key hardware features:
•Four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
•One dedicated Gigabit Ethernet WAN (Internet) port
•Media Access Control (MAC) address table size of 16K entries, automatic address
learning function to build the packet-forwarding information table
•Processor speed of 1700 MHz
•128 MB of flash memory
•1 GB of RAM
•Includes the following mounting hardware:
-Four rubber footpads for tabletop installation
-Wall-mount screw kit for wall installation
-Rack-mount brackets and screw kit for rack-mount installation in a standard
19-inch rack
•AutoSensing and autonegotiating capabilities for all ports
•Auto Uplink™ technology is supported on all ports
•Store-and-forward transmission to remove bad packets from the network
•Active flow control to minimize packet loss and frame drops
•Half-duplex backpressure control
•Per-port status LEDs and system status LEDs:
- System Power LED
- System Internet LED
- Cloud Connection LED
-VPN LED for VPN connections
- Per-port link, speed, and activity LED
•VPNC (Basic, AES Interop), ICSA Firewall
Hardware Installation Guide6Introduction
Insight Instant VPN Router BR500

Safety instructions and warnings
Use the following safety guidelines to ensure your personal safety and to help protect
your system from potential damage.
To reduce the risk of bodily injury, electrical shock, fire, and damage to the equipment,
observe the following precautions:
•This product is designed for indoor use only in a temperature-controlled (32–113°F
or 0–45°C) and humidity-controlled (90 percent maximum relative humidity,
noncondensing) environment.
Any device that is located outdoors and connected to this product must be properly
grounded and surge protected.
To the extent permissible by applicable law, failure to follow these guidelines can
result in damage to your NETGEAR product, which might not be covered by
NETGEAR’s warranty.
•Observe and follow service markings:
- Do not service any product except as explained in your system documentation.
- Opening or removing covers that are marked with the triangular symbol with a
lightning bolt can expose you to electrical shock. We recommend that only a
trained technician services components inside these compartments.
•If any of the following conditions occur, unplug the product from the electrical outlet
and replace the part or contact your trained service provider:
- The power adapter, power adapter cable, an extension cable, or a plug is
damaged.
-An object fell into the product.
- The product was exposed to water.
- The product was dropped or damaged.
-The product does not operate correctly when you follow the operating
instructions.
•Keep your system away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do not block cooling
vents.
•Do not spill food or liquids on your system components, and never operate the
product in a wet environment. If the system gets wet, see the appropriate section in
your troubleshooting guide, or contact your trained service provider.
•Do not push any objects into the openings of your system. Doing so can cause fire
or electric shock by shorting out interior components.
Hardware Installation Guide7Introduction
Insight Instant VPN Router BR500

•Use the product only with approved equipment.
•Allow the product to cool before removing covers or touching internal components.
•Operate the product only from the type of external power source indicated on the
electrical ratings label. If you are not sure of the type of power source required,
consult your service provider or local power company.
•To avoid damaging your system, be sure that the voltage selection switch (if provided)
on the power supply is set to match the power at your location:
-115V, 60 Hz in most of North and South America and some Far Eastern countries
such as South Korea and Taiwan
- 100V, 50 Hz in eastern Japan and 100V, 60 Hz in western Japan
-230V, 50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East
•Be sure that attached devices are electrically rated to operate with the power available
in your location.
•Use only the power adapter that ships with the product. If you were not provided
with a power adapter, contact your local NETGEAR reseller.
•To help prevent electric shock, plug the system into properly grounded electrical
outlets.
•If you must use an extension cable, use a three-wire cable with properly grounded
plugs.
•Observe extension cable and power strip ratings. Make sure that the total ampere
rating of all products plugged into the extension cable or power strip does not
exceed 80 percent of the ampere ratings limit for the extension cable or power strip.
•To help protect your system from sudden, transient increases and decreases in
electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power
supply (UPS).
•Position system cables and the power adapter cable carefully. Route cables so that
they cannot be stepped on or tripped over. Be sure that nothing rests on any cables.
•Do not modify the power adapter or power adapter cable. Consult a licensed
electrician or your power company for site modifications.
•Always follow your local and national wiring rules.
Hardware Installation Guide8Introduction
Insight Instant VPN Router BR500

2
Hardware Overview
This chapter describes the router hardware features.
The chapter includes the following sections:
• Front panel with LEDs
• Back panel
• RJ-45 ports for 10/100/1000M BASE-T Ethernet connectivity
• Reset button
9

Front panel with LEDs
The front panel contains the status LEDs.
Figure 1. Front panel
The following table describes the LEDs.
Table 1. LEDs on the front panel
DescriptionLED
Solid green. The router is powered on.
Blinking green. The router is booting or shutting down.
Solid amber. The router did not boot successfully.
Blinking amber. A firmware update is in progress.
Off. Power is not supplied to the router.
Power LED
Solid green. The router established an Internet connection but is not processing Internet
traffic.
Blinking green. The router established an Internet connection and is transmitting or
receiving packets.
Solid amber. The router attempted but failed to establish an Internet connection.
Blinking amber. The router is in the process of establishing an Internet connection.
Off. No cable is not connected to the Internet port or the cable is not connected to an
Internet modem.
WAN LED
Solid blue. The router is connected to the cloud server and is set up to be managed by
NETGEAR Insight.
Off. The router is not connected to the cloud server or is set up to be managed by the
local browser interface.
Cloud Connection LED
Solid green. The router established a VPN connection.
Off. The router did not establish a VPN connection.
VPN LED
Hardware Installation Guide10Hardware Overview
Insight Instant VPN Router BR500