NETGEAR CENTRIA WNDR4720 User manual

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CENTRIA Reviewer Guide
Model: WNDR4720 with 2TB Hard Drive
Oct 2012

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Contents
CENTRIA Reviewer Guide.............................................................................................................................. 1
1. Resources.................................................................................................................................................. 3
2. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Backup................................................................................................................................................... 3
Share Easily ........................................................................................................................................... 3
CONNECT QUICKLY................................................................................................................................ 4
Tech Specs:............................................................................................................................................ 4
NETGEAR Differences.................................................................................................................................... 5
3. Getting Started.......................................................................................................................................... 5
To experience all the CENTRIA Product features:......................................................................................... 7
4. Wireless Speed and Range........................................................................................................................ 7
5. Advanced Features.................................................................................................................................... 8
ReadySHARE USB .................................................................................................................................. 8
ReadySHARE Vault ................................................................................................................................ 8
Time Machine Backup......................................................................................................................... 11
ReadySHARE Cloud..............................................................................................................................11
Single Click SD-Card Backup................................................................................................................ 11
ReadySHARE Printer............................................................................................................................ 11
Guest Network ....................................................................................................................................11
DLNA ................................................................................................................................................... 12
NETGEAR Live Parental Controls......................................................................................................... 12
Advanced Quality of Service (QoS) .....................................................................................................12
6. NETGEAR genie application .................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix .....................................................................................................................................................17
Technical Evaluation Recommendations ............................................................................................ 17

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1. Resources
NETGEAR’s public relations team is ready to assist if you have any questions or problems while reviewing
the NETGEAR CENTRIA. Please contact:
Claudia Oropeza
Weber Shandwick
408-685-0618
[e-mail]
For additional information, including the product fact sheet, visit http://www.netgear.com/Centria
2. Introduction
Simplify your digital home with NETGEAR CENTRIA. Easy to set up, use and manage, CENTRIA is an all-in-
one device with 3 essential functions. It’s an Automatic Back-Up system for your PC & Mac® that
safeguards all of your data; a Media Server that centrally and securely stores your media and is
accessible from any Internet-enabled device; and a high-performance N900 WiFi router.
Available in two models —Model WNDR4720 comes with an internal 2TB hard drive, while Model
WNDR4700 is storage-ready —just add your own hard drive into its internal storage bay. The internal
hard drive can be easily upgraded anytime. Both models come with two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports for
adding even more storage, should you need it. An SD card reader affords simple, single-click backup
of media to the internal hard drive.
Backup
Easily safeguard your files & media
With CENTRIA you can effortlessly set-up all your computers—PCs and Macs—to automatically
and continuously back-up to your home network
Automatic, continuous back-up for your PC & Mac®
Removable, easily upgradeable hard drive
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports for expanded storage—up to 10X faster than USB 2.0
Single-click SD card back-up
Share Easily
Share & stream your movies, music, photos

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With CENTRIA you can relax knowing all of your digital media is safe in one place, stored securely on
your home network and easily accessible—at home or away—with any Internet-enabled device, even
your smartphone.
Find & play your media on DLNA TVs, game consoles and more
Use your mobile device to control & play your media
Create a personal cloud for secure, remote access
Share your USB hard drive and multi-function printer
CONNECT QUICKLY
Enjoy high-performance connectivity throughout your home
CENTRIA is a high-performance 900 Mbps, Dual Band WiFi router that delivers smooth
streaming and gaming and with its extended range, provides connectivity throughout even
the largest of homes.
High-speed, Dual Band WiFi, up to 450 + 450 Mbps†
Optimized for smooth HD streaming & gaming
WiFi coverage for larger homes
Two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports—up to 10x faster than USB 2.0
Tech Specs:
Processor: 1GHz CPU to handle multiple tasks simultaneously
Memory: 128MB Flash, 256MB Memory
N900 (450+450): Simultaneous Dual Band Router- 2.4 &5GHz
Ultimate Range: High performance external Amplifiers
Storage:
oInternal 3.5 inch SATA 2.0 Hard Drive Bay
oCustomer Upgradeable Internal SATA hard drive
o2 x USB 3.0 ports-up to 10x faster than USB 2.0
oSD card reader can support SD, MMC, MS, or MS Pro type card.
Backup:
oWindows Backup software: ReadySHARE Vault- Single click easy setup for regular
incremental backup
oApple Time Machine support for Mac computer backup
oSingle click SD Card backup to internal hard drive
ReadySHARE Cloud: for remote access to CENTRIA Internal hard drive or connected USB storage
My Media: Use your smartphone as remote to stream media on any DLNA enabled device
ReadySHARE Print: Connect your USB multi-function printer to any of the CENTRIA USB ports
and share printer wirelessly within the home
Airprint Comaptible: Make any printer in the network Airprint compatible to print from your
iPhone/iPad

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Guest network access. Through the browser interface, it’s simple to set up a guest network, so
visitors can go online without having to be given the home network password and without
gaining access to computers, printers, storage drives and other home-network devices.
DLNA. A USB hard drive plugged into the router or CENTRIA Internal hard drive becomes a DLNA
media server for sharing its entertainment content –such as video, music, and photos –to
DLNA-certified, Internet-ready consumer electronic devices including televisions, Blu-ray™
players and game consoles.
NETGEAR Live Parental Controls. Gives parents a centralized, flexible and reliable way to
establish what websites their children visit and what times of day they can go online for all
devices on the network, including Windows PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets.
Advanced Quality of Service (QoS). By prioritizing video streams over other home network
traffic, advanced QoS provides the best possible viewing experience for online video.
Setting up the NETGEAR CENTRIA is quick and easy with a simple browser-based interface for PCs, Macs,
smartphones, the iPad, and other tablets. NETGEAR Genie™is a free application that you can use to
monitor, control, and repair home networks. Visit www.netgear.com/landing/en-us/netgear-genie.aspx.
NETGEAR Differences
High Performance N900 WiFi Router with integrated storage capability
1Ghz Processor with 128MB Flash and 256MB Memory
Backup your PC & Mac with ReadySHARE Vault/ Time Machine
Customer upgradeable internal hard drive
Two USB 3.0 ports
SD Card reader with single click backup
3. Getting Started
This reviewer guide assumes you have received the CENTRIA package. The contents of the package are:
The CENTRIA router
2TB Hard Drive
The power adapter and AC cable
An Ethernet cable
The Installation Guide
CENTRIA Installation Video: Please refer to the below video or to the Installation guide (in the Centria
Pakage) to install the 2TB SATA Hard Drive before starting installation.
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/21753
Product Support Page for User manual etc.
http://support.netgear.com/product/centria (wndr4700/4720)

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Please contact NETGEAR’s PR team if any of these pieces are missing.
The first step in setting up the CENTRIA is finding an appropriate location. For best results, NETGEAR
recommends placing the router:
Near the center of the area where computers and other wireless devices will operate.
Within easy reach of an AC power outlet, as well as the Ethernet cable that provides Internet
access –such as a home cable or DSL modem, or an office network.
At an elevated location, such as a high shelf, keeping the number of walls and ceiling between
the router and wireless devices to a minimum.
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 the wireless signal.
The second step is connecting the CENTRIA to the Ethernet cable that provides Internet access and then
to AC power. Make sure the CENTRIA is turned on –the power button is found on the back of the router,
at the bottom.
The third step is connecting your PC, smartphone or tablet to the CENTRIA. As noted above, setting up
the CENTRIA is quick and easy. The set up process can be managed from any wired or wireless device on
the network that runs a web browser, including PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets.
To use a wired connection, simply connect the Ethernet cable from the CENTRIA to your
computer.
To use a wireless connection, connect to the CENTRIA’s default WiFi network. The WiFi network
name (SSID) and network key (password) are shown on the router’s label.
The fourth step is configuring the CENTRIA.
1. Open a web browser on any device connected to the router. The browser is hijacked to the
installation page. Please follow the installation steps.
2. If the browser is not hijacked, check connection to the router or alternatively login directly to
the router by going to http://routerlogin.net.
3. Enter the user name admin and the default password (the word password). You’ll then see the
home screen, from which you can customize the CENTRIA’s wireless networks and advanced
features.

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To experience all the CENTRIA Product features:
-Use NETGEAR genie to go through the CENTRIA installation (step 4 above)
-During the product installation install the NETGEAR genie app and ReadySHARE Vault app (if you
are using Windows PC)
-Set up backups for your
oWindows PCs using ReadySHARE Vault
-Macs using Apple Time Machine
-Install Desktop Genie and ReadySHARE Vault on every PC in the home and setup to back up your
PC to Centria
4. Wireless Speed and Range
The CENTRIA delivers speeds up to 450 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and 450 Mbps in the 5 GHz band. Six
highly sensitive internal antennas are connected to the highest-power radio amplifiers allowed by
regulations: transmit power of +28.5 dBm in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (+27 dBM at 5 GHz in
Europe) and receive sensitivity of -99 dBm at 1 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and -96 dBm at 6 Mbps in the
5 GHz band.
To test this informally, start with your current router before setting up the CENTRIA. Go to remote
corners of your test area with a laptop, smartphone or tablet and look for areas of low signal strength.

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Then check the same locations again after installing the CENTRIA. You should see greater signal strength
at many of these points.
For NETGEAR’s recommendations on technical evaluation of wireless performance, see the Appendix.
5. Advanced Features
This section highlights a few of the many advanced features available on the CENTRIA.
ReadySHARE USB
The CENTRIA is ready for instant file sharing –just plug a USB hard drive or flash drive into either of the
router’s two USB ports. Files on the shared drive can then be accessed anywhere on the network, as well
as outside the home through a web browser or via File Transfer Protocol (FTP.). By default only Network
Connection and HTTP are enabled.
ReadySHARE Vault

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ReadySHARE Vault lets you back up files from your Windows PC onto the internal hard disk in the router
or to a USB device attached to the router USB port. ReadySHARE Vault uses incremental backup
technology. After the first backup has been completed, ReadySHARE Vault checks to find out which files
have changed since the last backup, and then backs up only the changes.
Single Click Backup:
•Automatically:
oDetects the Centria Internal Hard Drive as Default drive for backup
Or change backup drive to external USB 3.0 hard drive
oSelects all datafiles for backup using “smart selection”
or select files/folders to be backed up from windows explorer
oSelects Backup interval as Smart Timeline- incremental backups whenever changes are
made
or select to do incremental backup in a predefined interval for ex every 3
minutes
•Optional: Setup security by adding a password for your backup

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In Windows Explorer- The green dot on the files indicates that the files have been automatically
backed up.

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Time Machine Backup
CENTRIA supports backup for Macs using Apple Time Machine.
ReadySHARE Cloud
ReadySHARE Cloud gives you remote access over the Internet to the router’s internal hard drive or a
USB storage device that is connected to your router’s USB port. To enable ReadySHARE Cloud, log in to
the router and select ReadySHARE. Follow the instructions to register your router with the ReadySHARE
Cloud server. Use this feature to invite friends and family members to access the shared contents on the
USB device
Single Click SD-Card Backup
The SD card reader supports SD, MMC, MS, or MS Pro type cards. You can use the Backup button on the
side of the router to backup files and folders on an SD card onto the internal HDD. This is a convenient
way to back up files such as pictures from a digital camera.
ReadySHARE Printer
The CENTRIA makes it possible to share almost any USB printer with PCs and Macs on the home
network, through either a wired or wireless connection. With the CENTRIA, there’s no need to buy a
new printer with built-in WiFi to provide wireless printing to every PC and Mac on the network.
To test this feature, simply plug a USB printer into either of the CENTRIA’s USB ports and make sure the
correct printer driver software is installed on each PC or Mac that will access the printer. Then,
download and install the NETGEAR ReadySHARE Printer utility—available free at
www.netgear.com/readyshare on each PC and Mac. Run the utility on each PC and Mac to complete
the connection.
Guest Network
Through the Genie interface, it’s simple to set up a guest network, so visitors can go online without
having to be given the home network password and without gaining access to computers, printers,
storage drives and other home-network devices.

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DLNA
A USB hard drive plugged into the router or CENTRIA Internal hard drive becomes a powerful DLNA
media server for sharing entertainment content stored on the drive –such as video, music and photos –
to DLNA-certified, Internet-ready consumer electronic devices including televisions, Blu-ray™players and
game consoles.
NETGEAR Live Parental Controls
NETGEAR Live Parental Controls give parents a centralized, flexible and reliable way to establish what
web sites their children visit and what times of day they can go online for all devices on the network,
including Windows PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets. For details, please go to
http://countries.netgear.com/lpc.
Advanced Quality of Service (QoS)
By prioritizing video streams over other home network traffic, advanced Quality of Service (QoS)
provides the best possible viewing experience for online video.

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6. NETGEAR genie application
NETGEAR genie™is a free application, available for PCs, Macs, and mobile devices, that presents a
simple dashboard for monitoring, controlling and repairing home networks; viewing devices connected
to the router through a network map; and accessing many router features. NETGEAR genie mobile apps
are also available for iPhones, Android phones, and iPads. To download NETGEAR genie, go to
www.netgear.com/genie.
The NETGEAR genie utility goes beyond the genie interface that comes with the CENTRIA by providing an
in-depth look at network performance and allowing advanced configuration for the router’s many
features. The NETGEAR genie home screen is the starting point:

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The Network Map presents a visual image of all devices connected to the home network:
The WiFi Channels feature shows which wireless channels are being used by the CENTRIA and nearby
access points:

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The Internet feature shows real-time Internet speed for both download and upload:
Air-print Compatible: Makes any printer AirPrint® compatible to print from an iPad® or iPhone®

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My Media—Find and play media files in your network
Mobile
Available on Mobile Genie App

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Appendix
Technical Evaluation Recommendations
1. Wi-Fi Speed and Range
The NETGEAR CENTRIA router’s high transmit power and sensitive antennas fine-tuned for each
frequency band provide superior range in comparison to competing routers. Please note WiFi speed and
range always depend on the WiFi adapters in use and the processing power of the network device. In
the case of CENTRIA, as the router is capable of multiple sessions, the computer can become the
bottleneck when testing with only one computer. Also note that it is best to run the Iperf or IxChariot
test programs using multiple sessions instead of single sessions.
Highest speed is reached with Intel 6300 WiFi cards integrated in notebooks (found in selected
Dell and HP notebooks).
USB adapter speed (with NETGEAR WNDA3100 v2) at close range is usually less than integrated
WiFi N in laptops as the interface is via USB instead of natively talking to the PC CPU bus. This is
not a limitation of the USB adapter, but reflects the speed at which the PC can interface and
process traffic while driving the USB adapter.
It is best to use mid channels in 2.4 GHz range (Channel 4 –8) as they support the highest
power, per FCC/CE regulations, and hence provide extended range.
For the 5 GHz band, the higher the power, the better the range. NETGEAR recommends using
channel 153 for testing 5 GHz.

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For short-range testing, the router is optimized for maximum throughput when the client is 10
to 15 feet away from the router. At closer distances, speed measurements may lead to some
lowering of performance due to over-saturation, because the client is receiving too much WiFi
power.
Note: Due to the new WiFi Alliance certification rules regarding the 2.4 GHz frequency, the connection is
allowed to channel bond and go to 450 Mbps maximum link rate only where there are no other
interfering access points nearby. In presence of other WiFi access points, the router and the clients will
go down to 20 Mbps mode with maximum link speed of 195 –217 Mbps.
2. WAN to LAN Speed
The methodology for running WAN to LAN Speed test is explained below. For the CENTRIA, TCP and UDP
performance in both downlink and uplink directions are in the 400-550 Mbps range.
3. Simultaneous Session test
When both Wi-Fi networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) are connected to clients and passing network traffic at
the same time, the router CPU is usually the bottleneck as it has to process multiple streams of 802.11n
traffic. This test is recommended at close range, within 5 to 7 feet, to ensure highest throughput in each
frequency bands and measure total WiFi performance and stress test the CPU.
4. Plug and Play USB hard drive access
Accessing a USB hard drive connected to the CENTRIA is plug-and-play –simply connect the USB hard
drive to the CENTRIA and immediately access as if the drive were a Networked Attached Storage (NAS)
device. There is no need for configuration or software installation.
Simply type \\readyshare at Start -> Run when a PC is connected to the CENTRIA, either wired or
wirelessly. The methodology NETGEAR uses to test USB access performance is highlighted below.
5. Links to Download Software
The following section highlights useful content, information and links for reviewing the product.
Iperf, an industry-standard tool for WiFi performance testing, is available free of charge through the
following website:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/iperf/
IxChariot, another industry-standard network analysis tool can be purchased from Ixia:
http://www.ixchariot.com/
6. Suggested Test Setup
The following diagram shows how the router and the wireless clients are set up. To test the different
scenarios, with and without interference, with several clients associated to the router in each mode, it is

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advisable to start with one notebook as the destination and set up the Iperf or IxChariot tests. Additional
clients are then added to measure simultaneous operation in the presence of interference and multiple
clients.
7. Required Equipment
Two fast computers (PC or laptops) such as a Pentium-4 with a 2 to 4 GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, and
Windows Vista/XP/Win7. Use a brand such as Dell, IBM, HP, Toshiba, Fujitsu, or Sony, and avoid
sub-brands. Note that Wi-Fi speed will not just depend on the Wi-Fi router, but also on the
speed of the laptop CPU.
For testing with IxChariot scripts, use IxChariot software version 4.3 or higher or later from
NetIQ on each of two computers. The IxChariot console should be on one computer and the
IxChariot endpoint on the other computer.
Standard Ethernet cable from the router to the computer that is running the IxChariot endpoint.
8. Throughput Consistency
Test the throughput variance to see how consistently the client can receive optimum speeds. NETGEAR
advises verifying the throughput in the following scenarios:
Distance s from short (15 feet with line of sight) to long (for instance, from one corner to
another corner of the house through multiple walls)
Orientation (0 to 270 o)
Frequency channel 1, 6, 11 in 2.4 GHz. Do a quick site survey on 2.4 GHz and pick up the cleanest
channel, which has other APs at the lowest signal strength.
Use Metageek inSSIDer for channel scan (http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/).
Laptop or PC used for the client adapter (IBM, Dell, HP, Toshiba, etc.)
Level of obstruction (line of site, number of walls, wall composition, residential home floor plan,
etc.)
9. Level of Obstruction in Different Environments
Obstructions to line of sight may be present in a home. To limit the amount of signal loss, check
throughput in several locations within the home, using open space wherever possible to prevent a direct
obstruction. Note any metal sheets or panels, chicken wire inside the walls, etc., that might create
obstructions for wireless signals.
10. Running IxChariot and Iperf Scripts
IxChariot and Iperf scripts are described in the following sections.
Set TCP or UDP. For experimental purposes, UDP provides a better representation of video
streaming traffic. With UDP, throughput will increase because it does not incorporate an
acknowledgement protocol as TCP does.

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Set Random file. For experimental purposes, send a text file, an HTML file, or a binary or
compressed file. With binary or compressed files, throughput may increase due to effective
compression.
Set the file size to 1MB for short and medium ranges when throughput is higher than about 3
Mbps. For long range, set the file size to 100 KB to accelerate the response time of IxChariot. If
you use 100 KB files at short to medium range, throughput could be reduced 10 percent due to
poor file packetization.
Start with 30 to 60 second test time. A good compromise between fast measurement and
providing enough averaging and accuracy is 30 seconds.
Test the AP to client (downlink), client to AP (uplink) and both uplink and downlink
(bidirectional). Set up and run IxChariot scripts as described below.
Follow these steps:
1. Open IxChariot, and select the “High_Performance_Throughput.scr” script.
2. Set the run time to 1 minute.
IxChariot Download Test
Set up two pairs of the same script.
Endpoint 1: Use the IP address of the PC connected to the router via Ethernet.
Endpoint 2: Use the IP address of the computer connected via wireless.
Then run the test.
IxChariot Upload Test
Set up 2 pairs of the same script.
Endpoint 1: Use the IP address of the computer connected via wireless to the router
Endpoint 2: Use the IP address of the PC connected to the router via Ethernet.