NETGEAR N150 User guide

September 2010
208-10710-01
v1.0
NETGEAR, Inc.
350 E. Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 USA
N150 Wireless Router
Setup Manual

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©2010 by NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Trademarks
NETGEAR and the NETGEAR logo are trademarks of NETGEAR. Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Wi-Fi Protected Setup is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Other
brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.
Statement of Conditions
In the interest of improving internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to
make changes to the products described in this document without notice.
NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur due to the use or application of the product(s) or circuit
layout(s) described herein.

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Contents
N150 Wireless Router Setup Manual
Getting to Know Your Wireless Router................................................................................1
Unpacking Your New Router .............................................................................................1
Hardware Features ............................................................................................................2
Front Panel ..................................................................................................................2
Back Panel ..................................................................................................................4
Side Panel ...................................................................................................................4
Router Label ................................................................................................................5
Positioning Your Wireless Router ......................................................................................5
Installing Your Wireless Router .........................................................................................6
Updating Your Router Firmware ........................................................................................7
Installing Your Router Using the Smart Wizard..................................................................8
Using the Smart Wizard .....................................................................................................8
Accessing Your Router After Installation .........................................................................10
Manually Installing Your Router.........................................................................................11
Connecting Your Wireless Router ...................................................................................12
Verifying Your Connection ...............................................................................................15
Setting Up Your Router for Internet Access ....................................................................17
Configuring Your Wireless Network...................................................................................21
Specifying Wireless Settings ...........................................................................................21
Setting Your SSID and Wireless Security Manually ..................................................22
Using Push 'N' Connect (WPS) to Configure Your Wireless Network .......................23
Testing Basic Wireless Connectivity ................................................................................26
Troubleshooting...................................................................................................................28
Basic Setup Checklist ......................................................................................................28
Checking Basic Router Functions ...................................................................................29
Troubleshooting Login Problems .....................................................................................31

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Checking the Internet Service Connection ......................................................................32
Obtaining an Internet IP Address ....................................................................................32
Troubleshooting PPPoE ............................................................................................33
Troubleshooting Internet Browsing ...........................................................................34
Using the Ping Utility to Troubleshoot .............................................................................34
Testing the Path from Your Computer to Your Router ..............................................34
Testing the Path from a Computer to the Internet .....................................................35
Technical Specifications.....................................................................................................37
Default Configuration Settings .........................................................................................37
Restoring the Default Password and Configuration Settings ...........................................39
Related Documents .............................................................................................................40
Registration and Certifications............................................................................................41

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 1
Getting to Know Your Wireless Router
Congratulations on your purchase of a NETGEAR® high-speed wireless router, the N150
Wireless Router Model WGR614v11.
Before you begin installing your router, check the package contents (see “Unpacking Your New
Router” on page 1). Become familiar with the front and back panels of your router—especially the
status lights—and the important information on the router label (see “Hardware Features” on
page 2). Then, read the section on “Positioning Your Wireless Router” on page 5 to ensure that
you have selected the best location to install your router.
Unpacking Your New Router
Your product package should contain the following items:
• The N150 Wireless Router
• An AC power adapter (varies by region)
• A yellow Ethernet cable
•NETGEAR Installation Guide
• The Resource CD, which includes:
– The Smart Wizard Installation Assistant (Autorun.exe)
– A PDF version of this manual
– A link to the online User Manual
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.
A link to the online User Manual is also available from the router interface,
after the router is installed. Click Documentation on the main menu.

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 2
To prepare your router for installation:
1. Carefully peel off any protective film covering the sides of your router.
2. Place your router in a suitable area for installation (near an AC power outlet and accessible to
the Ethernet cables for your wired computers).
Hardware Features
Before you install and connect your router, take a moment to become familiar with the front and
back panels of the router—especially the status lights on the front panel.
Front Panel
The router front panel, shown in Figure 1, contains status lights. (For more information on
interpreting the status lights, see “Verifying Your Connection” on page 15 and “Checking Basic
Router Functions” on page 29.)
Figure 1
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Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 3
You can use the status lights to verify various conditions.
Table 1. Status Light Descriptions
Label Activity Description
1. Power
Solid Amber
Solid Green
Fast blink–Green
Slow blink–Green
Off
The router is performing the power-on self-test diagnostic.
The power is on and the router is ready.
A software update is in progress.
Firmware is corrupted. See “Checking Basic Router Functions” on
page 29 for instructions on restoring your router firmware.
Power is not being supplied to the router
2. Push 'N'
Connect
Solid Green
Blinking Green
Off
Indicates that wireless security is enabled.
WPS-capable devices can associate with the router within 2
minutes.
No WPS connection exists.
3. Internet
Solid Amber
Solid Green
Blinking Green
Off
No IP address acquired.
The wireless router has acquired an Internet address.
Data is being communicated with the Internet.
No Ethernet cable is connected to the modem.
4. Wireless
Solid Blue
Blinking Blue
Off
The wireless interface is enabled.
Data is being communicated over the wireless network.
The wireless interface is turned off.
5. LAN
(Ports 1–4)
Solid Green
Blinking Green
Solid Amber
Blinking Amber
Off
The local port is connected to a 100 Mbps device.
Data is being transmitted at 100 Mbps.
The local port is connected to a 10 Mbps device.
Data is being transmitted at 10 Mbps.
No link is detected on this port.

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 4
Back Panel
The router back panel, shown in Figure 2, contains port connections.
Viewed from left to right, the rear panel contains the following elements:
1. AC power adapter outlet for connecting the power adapter.
2. Power on/off push-button.
3. Internet/Wide Area Network (WAN) Ethernet port for connecting the router to a cable or DSL
modem.
4. Four Local Area Network (LAN) 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports for connecting the router to
your local computers.
5. Restore factory settings button. Press for approximately 5 seconds to reset the router to the
factory default settings.
Side Panel
The router side panel is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 2
Figure 3
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1
2

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 5
1. WPS button – Turns Push ‘N’ Connect (WPS) security on and off. When wireless security is
enabled, the Push ‘N’ Connect LED on the front of the wireless router is solid green. See
“Push 'N' Connect” on page 3.
2. Wireless On/Off button – Turns the Wireless network on and off. When the Wireless
network is enabled, the Wireless LED on the front of the router is solid green. See “Wireless”
on page 3.
Router Label
The label on the bottom of the wireless router shows the router’s MAC address, serial number,
security PIN, and factory default login information.
The ports on the router are color-coded to distinguish your Internet port from the other four ports
that connect to the wired computer(s) on your Local Area Network (LAN).
Positioning Your Wireless Router
The wireless router lets you access your network from virtually anywhere within the operating
range of your wireless network. However, the operating distance or range of your wireless
connection can vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your router. For
example, the thickness and number of walls the wireless signal must pass through might limit the
range. For best results, place your router:
Figure 4

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 6
• Near the center of the area where your computers and other devices will operate, preferably
within line of sight to your wireless devices.
• Accessible to an AC power outlet and near Ethernet cables for wired computers.
• In an elevated location such as a high shelf, keeping the number of walls and ceilings between
the wireless router and your other devices to a minimum.
• Away from electrical devices which are potential sources of interference, such as ceiling fans,
home security systems, microwaves, or the base for a cordless phone.
• Away from any large metal surfaces, such as a solid metal door or aluminum studs. Large
expanses of other materials such as glass, insulated walls, fish tanks, mirrors, brick, and
concrete can also affect your wireless signal.
Installing Your Wireless Router
To help you set up your router and get on the Internet quickly, the Resource CD contains a Smart
Wizard™ Installation Assistant. The Installation Assistant walks you through the steps required to
connect your router, modem, and PC(s); configure your wireless settings; and enable wireless
security for your network. When you have finished, you will be Internet ready!
You can set up your wireless router using one of two methods:
•Smart Wizard Setup: The Smart Wizard Installation Assistant setup is available on your
Resource CD. See “Installing Your Router Using the Smart Wizard” on page 8 to use the
Smart Wizard Installation Assistant.
– This is the easiest option. The wizard guides you through the setup process. It automates
many of the steps and verifies that the steps have been successfully completed.
Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance degradation
or an inability to wirelessly connect to the Internet.
NETGEAR does not recommend or support adding a NETGEAR router behind
another router, or replacing a gateway with a NETGEAR router.
If you have a Linux system, you need to use the manual installation method (see
“Manually Installing Your Router” on page 11).