NETGEAR WAC120 User manual

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
August 2014
202-11353-01
802.11ac Wireless Access Point
Model WAC120
Reference Manual
WPS
WiFi On/O

2
802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
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.

3
Contents
Chapter 1 Hardware Setup
System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Unpack Your Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Front and Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
LEDs and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Rear View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Chapter 2 Initial Setup
Install the Access Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connect to the Access Point and Log In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Specify the Access Point Name and Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Set the Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Configure the Basic IP Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Set Up and Test Wireless Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Basic Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Wireless On-Off Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Wireless Security Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Wireless Security Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
MAC Authentication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Connect Stations to the Wireless Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
QoS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Deploy the Access Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Position Your Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 3 Network Settings
Set Up an 802.1Q VLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Advanced Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Advanced QoS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Wireless Bridging and Repeating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Wireless Point-to-Point Bridge Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Wireless Point-to-Multi-Point Bridge Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Client Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Chapter 4 Manage the Access Point
Change the admin Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Upgrade the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Manage the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Back Up the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Restore the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Restore the Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Enable a Syslog Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 5 Monitoring
View System Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
View Available Wireless Stations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Activity Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
View Network Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting and Debugging
Troubleshooting with the LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
All LEDs Are Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
LAN LED Is Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
WLAN LED Is Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Cannot Connect to the Access Point to Configure It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Wireless Access to the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Time-Out Error for URL or IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Appendix A Supplemental Information
Factory Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

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1
1. Hardware Setup
This chapter covers the following topics:
•System Requirements
•Unpack Your Access Point
•Front and Side View
•Rear View
For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website at
http://support.netgear.com.
Firmware updates with new features and bug fixes are made available from time to time at
http://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.

Hardware Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
System Requirements
Before installing the access point, make sure that your system includes the following:
•A 10/100/1000 Mbps local area network device such as a hub or switch
•The Category 5 UTP straight-through Ethernet cable with RJ-45 connector included in the
package, or one like it
•A 100–120 V, 50–60 Hz AC power source
•A web browser for configuration
•At least one computer with the TCP/IP protocol installed
•802.11b/g-compliant or 802.11b/g-compliant devices
Unpack Your Access Point
Your package contains the following items.
WPS
WiFiOn/O
Access point
Ethernet cable
Power adapter
Figure 1. Package contents
Your box contains the following items:
•802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
•AC power adapter (plug varies by region)
•Category 5 (Cat 5) Ethernet cable
•Installation guide with cabling and access point setup instructions
If any parts are incorrect, missing, or damaged, contact your NETGEAR dealer.

Hardware Setup
7
802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Front and Side View
The status LEDs and icons on the front and side panels are shown in the following figure.
WPS
WiFi On/O
LEDs
WiFi On/Off button
WPS button
Figure 2. Front and side view
LEDs and Buttons
The LEDs on the wireless access point light to indicate wireless access point activity:
Table 1. LEDs
LED Description
Power • Off. Power is off.
• Green. Power in on.
• Amber. A self-test is running. During startup the LED is amber, then blinking
green before turning steady green after 45 seconds. If the LED is amber or
continues blinking green after one minute, a system fault exists.
Activity
• Off. No Ethernet traffic is detected.
• Green or blinking green. Ethernet traffic is detected.

Hardware Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
The WiFi and WPS buttons toggle the WiFi and WPS functions on and off, as follows:
•WiFi On/Off button. Pressing and holding this button for two seconds turns the 2.4 GHz
and 5 GHz wireless radios on or off. If the WiFi LED is lit, the wireless radios are on. If this
LED is off, the wireless radios are turned off and you cannot connect wirelessly to the
access point.
•WPS button. You can use this button to use WPS to add a wireless device or computer
to your wireless network. The WiFi LED blinks slowly, green for three seconds, then off for
three seconds, when the access point is trying to add the wireless device or computer.
Rear View
The buttons and connections on the back panel are shown in the following figure.
LAN Power On/Off
Power connector
port
Reset
button
Figure 3. Rear view
Pressing the Reset button restores the factory settings. See Factory Settings on page 66.
LAN
• Off. No link is detected.
• Green. A 1000 Mbps link is detected.
• Amber. A 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps link is detected.
WiFi • Off. Both the 2.4G and 5G radios are off.
• Green. The 2.4G, 5G, or both radios are ready.
• Blinking green. Wireless activity of 2.4G or 5G is detected.
• Slow blinking green. WPS is enabled.
Table 1. LEDs (continued)
LED Description

Hardware Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Label
The label on the access point shows the login information, MAC address, and serial number.
Serial number andPreset WiFi
Default access information
password MAC address
Figure 4. The label shows unique information about your router

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2
2. Initial Setup
This chapter covers the following topics:
•Install the Access Point
•Connect to the Access Point and Log In
•Specify the Access Point Name and Location
•Set the Time
•Configure the Basic IP Settings
•Set Up and Test Wireless Connectivity
•QoS Settings
•Deploy the Access Point

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Install the Access Point
Make sure that your Internet service is active before you install your access point.
To install your access point:
1. Prepare your network.
Make sure that your modem is cabled only to the wall jack for your Internet service.
2. Connect your devices.
1 2 3 4
a. Plug in, then turn on your gateway or modem.
b. With an Ethernet cable, connect your gateway or modem to a network switch.
c. With the Ethernet cable that came with the access point, connect the network switch
to the LAN port on your access point.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
3. Add power to the access point:
1 2 3 4
a. Connect the power adapter to the access point and plug the power adapter into an
outlet.
b. Wait for the Power LED on the front panel to light amber and turn green.
If no LEDs are lit, press the Power On/Off button on the rear panel of the access point.
4. Connect a computer.
1 2 3 4

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Connect to the Access Point and Log In
You can connect to the access point’s web management interface to view or change its LAN
and wireless access settings.
To connect to the access point:
1. Configure a computer with a static IP address of 192.168.0.210 and a subnet mask of
255.255.255.0.
For help configuring a static IP address on your computer, check the instructions or online
help that came with that computer.
2. Connect the Ethernet cable to the computer.
3. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to the LAN port on the access point.
4. Connect the power adapter to the access point and plug the power adapter into a power
outlet.
5. Press the On/Off button on the access point.
6. On the computer that is connected to the access point, enter http://192.168.0.100 in the
address field of a browser.
A login screen displays.
7. Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
The web management interface of the access point displays.
Specify the Access Point Name and Location
You must use a computer that is configured with a static IP address of 192.168.0.210 and a
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. During initial setup, use a wired Ethernet connection from the
computer to the access point.
To specify the access point name and location:
1. Launch a web browser on the computer that is connected to the access point.
2. Enter http://192.168.0.100 in the address field of the browser.
A login prompt displays.
3. Enter the user name and password.
The user name is admin and the default password is password.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
The General screen displays.
4. In the Access Point Name field, type the access point name.
This unique name is the access point NetBIOS name. The access point name is printed
on the product label of the access point. The default is netgearxxxxxx, where xxxxxxx
represents the last 6 digits of the access point MAC address. You can replace the default
name with a unique name up to 15 characters long.
5. From the Country/Region list, select the region where the access point is located.
In the United States this setting cannot be changed. If your country or region is not listed,
check with NETGEAR support for the correct selection.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
Set the Time
You must use a computer that is configured with a static IP address of 192.168.0.210 and a
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. During initial setup, use a wired Ethernet connection from the
computer to the access point.
To set the time:
1. Launch a web browser on the computer that is connected to the access point.
2. Enter http://192.168.0.100 in the address field of the browser.
A login prompt displays.
3. Enter the user name and password.
The user name is admin and the default password is password.
The General screen displays.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
4. Select Configuration > System > Basic > Time.
5. Adjust the following fields:
•Time Zone. From the list, select the local time zone for your access point. The default
is USA-Pacific. The access point gets the current time from the connecting computer.
•NTP Client. Enable the NTP client to synchronize the time of the access point with an
NTP server. The Enable radio button is selected by default.
Note: You need an Internet connection to get the current time using an NTP
client.
•Use Custom NTP Server. Select this check box if you use a custom NTP server. The
check box is cleared by default.
•Hostname / IP Address. Enter the host name or the IP address of the custom NTP
server. The default is time-b.netgear.com.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
Configure the Basic IP Settings
The default settings work in most cases. However, if your access point is part of a more
complex LAN network, modify these settings to meet the requirements of your network.
You must use a computer that is configured with a static IP address of 192.168.0.210 and a
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. During initial setup, use a wired Ethernet connection from the
computer to the access point.
To configure the basic IP settings:
1. Launch a web browser on the computer that is connected to the access point.
2. Enter http://192.168.0.100 in the address field of the browser.
A login prompt displays.
3. Enter the user name and password.
The user name is admin and the default password is password.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
The General screen displays.
4. Select Configuration > IP.
The IP Settings screen displays.
5. If necessary, specify the following settings:
•DHCP Client. By default, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client is
disabled. If your LAN includes a DHCP server and you enable DHCP, the access
point gets its IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway settings automatically
from the DHCP server on your network when you connect the access point to your
LAN.
•IP Address. The IP address of your access point. The default IP address is
192.168.0.100. To change it, enter an unused IP address from the address range
used on your LAN, or enable DHCP.
•IP Subnet Mask. The access point calculates the subnet mask based on the IP
address that you assign. Otherwise, you can use 255.255.255.0 (the default) as the
subnet mask.
•Default Gateway. The IP address of the gateway for your LAN. For more complex
networks, enter the address of the router for the network segment to which the access
point is connected. The default is 0.0.0.0.
•Primary DNS Server. The IP address for the primary Domain Name Server used by
stations on your LAN. The default is 0.0.0.0.
•Secondary DNS Server.The IP address for the secondary Domain Name Server
used by stations on your LAN. The default is 0.0.0.0.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
If you changed the subnet of the LAN IP address, you are disconnected from the access
point user interface. To reconnect, reconfigure your computer with a static IP address within
the new LAN IP subnet.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Set Up and Test Wireless Connectivity
This section covers the following topics:
•Basic Wireless Settings
•Wireless On-Off Schedule
•Wireless Security Options
•Wireless Security Profiles
•MAC Authentication
•Connect Stations to the Wireless Access Point
You must use a computer that is configured with a static IP address of 192.168.0.210 and a
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. During initial setup, use a wired Ethernet connection from the
computer to the access point.
Basic Wireless Settings
To configure the basic wireless settings:
1. Launch a web browser on the computer that is connected to the access point.
2. Enter http://192.168.0.100 in the address field of the browser.
A login prompt displays.
3. Enter the user name and password.
The user name is admin and the default password is password.
The General screen displays.
4. Select Configuration > System.
5. Verify that the correct country or region is selected.
6. If you changed the setting, click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
7. Select Configuration > Wireless.
Change any of the default settings that you want to change.
8. Select a Wireless Mode radio button:
•11b. All 802.11b wireless stations can be used. (The 802.11g wireless stations can
still be used if they can operate in 802.11b mode.)
•11bg. Both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless stations can be used.
•11ng. All 11b, 11g, and 11ng wireless stations can be used. This is the default. If you
select this option, then two additional lists, Channel Width and Guard Interval,
display.
Note: If you select a wireless mode option and other settings on this screen
are disabled, then you must select the Turn Radio On check box to
enable options on this screen.
9. Select the Turn Radio On check box.
This check box is selected by default. You can also turn off the radio to disable access
through this device. This can be helpful for configuration, network tuning, or
troubleshooting activities. The following information displays:
•RF Switch Status. This field displays the status of the hardware RF switch that is
available on the access point. When the RF switch is enabled, this field shows ON in
green. When the RF switch is disabled, it shows OFF in red and users cannot change
any wireless parameter.
•Wireless On-Off Status. This field displays the status of the Wireless On-Off feature.
When this feature is enabled, this field shows ON in green and users cannot change
the radio status. When this feature is disabled, it shows OFF in red.
For information about how to turn the wireless radio on and off according to a schedule,
see Wireless On-Off Schedule on page 20.
10. Enter a wireless network name in the Wireless Network Name (SSID) field.
This is the name of your wireless network. It is set to the default name of NETGEAR_11a
for 802.11a/n devices and NETGEAR_11ng for 802.11b/g/n devices.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Note: The SSID of any wireless client must match the SSID you configured
in the access point. If they do not match, you cannot get a wireless
connection.
11. Select the Broadcast Wireless Network Name (SSID) Yes radio button.
If you disable broadcast of the SSID, only devices that use the correct SSID can connect.
This nullifies the wireless network discovery feature of some products such as Windows
XP, but the data is still fully exposed to a determined snoop using specialized test
equipment like wireless sniffers. By default, the Yes radio button is selected.
12. Ensure that the Auto is selected in the Channel / Frequency list. This feature selects a
channel that ensures the least interference.
You do not need to change the wireless channel unless you notice interference or are
near another wireless access point. Select a channel that is not being used by any other
wireless networks within several hundred feet of your access point.
The wireless channel in use can be from 1 to 11 for the United States and Canada, or 1 to
13 for Europe and Australia. The default is Auto.
Do not change the wireless channel unless you experience interference (shown by lost
connections or slow data transfers). If this happens, you might need to experiment with
different channels to see which is the best. If you select the Auto channel option, the
access point automatically picks the channel with the least interference. When selecting
or changing channels, bear these points in mind:
•Access points use a fixed channel. You can select the channel used. This allows you
to select a channel that provides the least interference and best performance. In the
United States and Canada, 11 channels are available.
•If you are using multiple access points, it is better if adjacent access points use
different channels to reduce interference. NETGEAR recommends channel spacing
between adjacent access points of 5 channels (for example, use Channels 1 and 6, or
6 and 11).
•Wireless stations usually scan all channels, looking for an access point. If more than
one access point can be used, the one with the strongest signal is used. This can
happen only when the access points use the same SSID.
Note: If you want to use wireless bridging and repeating, you must select a
specific channel for your network. For more information, see Wireless
Bridging and Repeating on page 39.
13. From the list, select the MCS Index/Data Rate.
You can select the transmit data rate of the wireless network. Depending on the band
selected, the set of rates varies. (When the auto channel is enabled in the 802.11ng
mode, then the default channel width mode is 20 MHz. In this case, you cannot modify
this parameter unless you change to a static channel.) For the possible supported data
rates, see Technical Specifications on page 70.
14. From the list, select the Channel Width.

Initial Setup
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802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC120
Select the available channel width of the access point. A wider channel improves the
performance, but some legacy devices can operate only on either 20 MHz or 40 MHz.
The following channel width options are available:
•20 MHz. This is the static, legacy mode. It gives the least throughput.
•40 MHz. This is the static, high-throughput mode. Legacy clients cannot connect in
this mode.
•80 MHz. This setting is available for the 5 GHz band only.
•20/40 MHz. This is the dynamic compatibility mode. Legacy clients can connect to 20
MHz and 11n clients can connect to 40 MHz.
•20/40/80 MHz. This setting is available for the 5 GHz band only.
15. From the list, select the Guard Interval.
The guard interval protects from interference from other transmissions. The default is
Auto.
16. From the list, select the Output Power.
This is the transmit power of the access point. The options are Full, Half, Quarter, Eighth,
and Minimum. Decrease the transmit power if two or more access points are close
together and use the same channel frequency. The default is Full. The transmit power
might vary depending on the local regulatory regulations.
17. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
18. Configure and test your remaining wireless clients for wireless connectivity.
Check that they are connected wirelessly and can obtain an IP address by DHCP from
the access point. Then you can configure the wireless security.
Wireless On-Off Schedule
If you do not want the wireless radio on all the time, you can turn the wireless radio on and off
according to a schedule.
To configure the wireless on-off schedule:
1. Launch a web browser on the computer that is connected to the access point.
2. Enter http://192.168.0.100 in the address field of the browser.
A login prompt displays.
3. Enter the user name and password.
The user name is admin and the default password is password.