NETGEAR RangeMax DGN3500 User manual

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
June 2010
202-10487-03
v1.0
N300 Wireless Gigabit
ADSL2+ Modem Router
DGN3500
User Manual

2
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Support
Thank you for choosing NETGEAR.
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 web site. 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.
NETGEAR recommends that you use only the official NETGEAR support resources.
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. ©2010 All rights reserved.
Revision History
Publication Part Number Version Publish Date Comments
202-10487-02 v1.0 June 2010
202-10487-03 v1.0 September 2012 Revisions to specs table

Table of Contents | 4
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Connecting Your Router to the Internet
Using the Setup Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Logging In to Your N300 Wireless Modem Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Using the Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Viewing or Manually Configuring Your ISP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Configuring ADSL Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 2 Configuring Your Wireless Network and Security Settings
Planning Your Wireless Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Wireless Placement and Range Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Wireless Security Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Manually Configuring Your Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Manually Configuring Your Wireless Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Restricting Wireless Access to Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Configuring Mixed WPA-PSK+WPA2-PSK Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Configuring WEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Configuring WPA-802.1x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Using Push 'N' Connect (WPS) to Configure Your Wireless Network . . . . 27
Using a WPS Button to Add a WPS Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Using PIN Entry to Add a WPS Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Connecting Additional Wireless Devices After WPS Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Adding More WPS Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Adding Both WPS and Non-WPS Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Configuring Advanced WPS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 3 Protecting Your Network
Protecting Access to Your N300 Wireless Modem Router . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
How to Change the Built-In Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Changing the Administrator Login Time-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Viewing Logs of Web Access or Attempted Web Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Blocking Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Firewall Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Inbound Rules (Port Forwarding). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Outbound Rules (Service Blocking). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Order of Precedence for Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Setting Times and Scheduling Firewall Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Setting Your Time Zone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

5
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Scheduling Firewall Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Configuring E-mail Alerts and Web Access Log Notifications . . . . . . . . . .45
Chapter 4 Managing Your Network
Upgrading the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Manually Checking for Firmware Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Viewing N300 Wireless Modem Router Status Information . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Connection Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Viewing a List of Attached Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Managing the Configuration File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Backing Up and Restoring the Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Erasing the Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Running Diagnostic Utilities and Rebooting the N300 Wireless Modem Router56
Enabling Remote Management Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Chapter 5 Advanced Configuration
WAN Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Setting Up a Default DMZ Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Using the N300 Wireless Modem Router as a DHCP Server. . . . . . . . .65
Address Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Configuring LAN Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Using the N300 Wireless Modem Router as a DHCP Server. . . . . . . . .69
Address Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Dynamic DNS Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Setting up Static Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Static Route Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Configuring Static Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Configuring Universal Plug and Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Building Wireless Bridging and Repeating Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Configuring a Point-to-Point Bridge Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Configuring a Repeater with Wireless Client Association. . . . . . . . . . . .77
Chapter 6 USB Storage
USB Drive Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
File Sharing Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Sharing Photos with Friends and Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Sharing Large Files with Colleagues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
USB Storage Basic Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Editing a Network Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Configuring USB Storage Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Creating a Network Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Unmounting a USB Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Specifying Approved USB Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Connecting to the USB Drive from a Remote Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Locating the Internet Port IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

6
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Accessing the Router’s USB Drive Remotely Using FTP. . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Connecting to the USB Drive with Microsoft Network Settings . . . . . . . . . 88
Enabling File and Printer Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Chapter 7 Troubleshooting
Basic Functioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
“Welcome” Page Displays instead of Router Management Interface. . . 91
Power LED Is Not On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Power LED Is Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
LAN or ADSL Port LED Is Not On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Window Appears Asking You to Reload Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Cannot Log in to the N300 Wireless Modem Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Troubleshooting the ISP Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
ADSL Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Internet LED is Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Obtaining an Internet IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Troubleshooting PPPoE or PPPoA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Troubleshooting Internet Browsing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Resolving a ‘Reload Firmware’ Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Troubleshooting a TCP/IP Network Using the Ping Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Testing the LAN Path to Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Testing the Path from Your Computer to a Remote Device . . . . . . . . . . 97
Restoring the Default Configuration and Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Using the Wireless On/Off and WPS Buttons to Reset the Router . . . . 98
Problems with Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Appendix A Technical Specifications
General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Factory Default Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Appendix B Related Documents
Appendix C Notification of Compliance
Index

7
1
1. Connecting Your Router to the Internet
This chapter describes how to configure your N300 Wireless Modem Router Internet connection.
When you install your wireless modem router using the Resource CD as described in the Setup
Manual, these settings are configured automatically for you. This chapter provides instructions
on how to log in to the wireless modem router for further configuration.
Note: NETGEAR recommends that Windows OS users use the Smart
Wizard™ on the Resource CD for initial configuration. Mac and
Linux OS users should access the Setup Manual on the Resource
CD.
This chapter includes:
•Logging In to Your N300 Wireless Modem Router
•Using the Setup Wizard
•Viewing or Manually Configuring Your ISP Settings
•Configuring ADSL Settings
Using the Setup Manual
For first-time installation of your wireless wireless modem router, refer to the Setup Manual.
The Setup Manual explains how to launch the NETGEAR Smart Wizard on the Resource CD
to step you through the procedure to connect your wireless modem router and computers.
The Smart Wizard will assist you in configuring your wireless settings and enabling wireless
security for your network. After initial configuration using the Setup Manual, you can use the
information in this Reference Manual to configure additional features of your wireless
wireless modem router.
For installation instructions in a language other than English, see the language options on
the Resource CD.

Connecting Your Router to the Internet
8
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Logging In to Your N300 Wireless Modem Router
You can log in to the wireless modem router to view or change its settings. Links to
Knowledge Base and documentation are also available on the wireless modem router main
menu.
Note: Your computer must be configured for DHCP. For help with
configuring DHCP, see the documentation that came with your
computer or see the link to the online document in Related
Documents in Appendix B.
When you have logged in, if you do not click Logout, the wireless modem router waits for 5
minutes after no activity before it automatically logs you out.
To log in to the wireless modem router:
1Type http://www./routerlogin.net, or http://www.routerlogin.com, or the wireless
modem router’s LAN IP address (default is 192.168.0.1) in the address field of your
browser, and then press Enter. A login window displays:
Figure 1.
2Enter admin for the wireless modem router user name and your password (or the default,
password). For information about how to change the password, see How to Change the
Built-In Password on page 33.
Note: The wireless modem router user name and password are not the
same as any other user name or password you might use to log in to
your Internet connection.
If the wireless modem router has never been configured, the Smart Wizard screen displays.
After the wireless modem router has been configured, the Firmware Upgrade assistant will
appear.

Connecting Your Router to the Internet
9
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
•Checking for Firmware Updates screen. After initial configuration, this screen displays
unless you previously cleared the Check for Updated Firmware Upon Log-in check
box.
Figure 2.
Note: If the wireless modem router is not configured (is in its factory
default state) when you log in, the Setup Wizard displays. See Using
the Setup Wizard on page 9.
If the wireless modem router discovers a newer version of the firmware, you are asked if
you want to upgrade to the new firmware (see Upgrading the Firmware on page 48 for
details). If no new firmware is available, the following message displays.
Figure 3.
•Router Status screen. The Router Status screen displays if the wireless modem router
has not been configured yet or has been reset to its factory default settings. See Viewing
N300 Wireless Modem Router Status Information on page 50.
You can use the Setup Wizard to automatically detect your Internet connection as
described in Using the Setup Wizard on page 9, or you can bypass the Setup Wizard and
manually configure your Internet connection as described in Viewing or Manually
Configuring Your ISP Settings on page 10.
Using the Setup Wizard
You can manually configure your Internet connection using the Basic Settings screen, or you
can allow the Setup Wizard to detect your Internet connection. The Setup Wizard searches

Connecting Your Router to the Internet
10
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
your Internet connection for servers and protocols to determine your ISP configuration. This
feature is not the same as the Smart Wizard on the Resource CD that is used for installation.
To use the Setup Wizard:
1To go to the Setup Wizard screen, from the top of the main menu, select Setup Wizard.
Figure 4.
2Select Yes for the Auto-Detect Connection Type, and then click Next to proceed.
3Enter your ISP settings, as needed.
4At the end of the Setup Wizard, click Test to verify your Internet connection. If you have
trouble connecting to the Internet, see Chapter 7, Troubleshooting .
Viewing or Manually Configuring Your ISP Settings
To view or configure the basic settings:
1Log in to the wireless modem router as described in Logging In to Your N300 Wireless
Modem Router on page 8.
2Select Basic Settings from the wireless modem router menu to display the Basic Settings
screen.

ISP does not require login ISP does require login
Connecting Your Router to the Internet
11
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Figure 5.
3Select Yes or No depending on whether your ISP requires a login. This selection changes
the fields available on the Basic Settings screen.
•Yes. If your ISP requires a login, select the encapsulation method. Enter the login
name. If you want to change the login time-out, enter a new value in minutes.
•No. If your ISP does not require a login, enter the account name, if required, and the
domain name, if required.
4Enter the settings for the IP address and DNS server. If you enter or change a DNS
address, restart the computers on your network so that these settings take effect.
5If no login is required, you can specify the MAC Address setting.
6Click Apply to save your settings.
7Click Test to test your Internet connection. If the NETGEAR website does not appear within
one minute, refer to.

Connecting Your Router to theInternet
12
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
When your Internet connection is working, you do not need to launch the ISP’s login
program on your computer to access the Internet. When you start an Internet application,
your wireless modem router automatically logs you in.
Table 1.
Settings Description
Does Your ISP Require a Login? •Yes
•No
These fields
appear only if no
login is required.
Account Name 
(If required)
Enter the account name provided by your ISP. This might also
be called the host name.
Domain Name 
(If required)
Enter the domain name provided by your ISP.
These fields
appear only if
your ISP
requires a login.
Encapsulation • PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet)
• PPPoA (PPP over ATM)
Login The login name provided by your ISP. This is often an e-mail
address.
Password The password that you use to log in to your ISP.
Idle Timeout (In minutes) If you want to change the login time-out, enter a new value in
minutes. This determines how long the wireless modem router
keeps the Internet connection active after there is no Internet
activity from the LAN. Entering an Idle Timeout value of 0 (zero)
means never log out.
Internet IP
Address
•Get Dynamically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to assign
your IP address. Your ISP automatically assigns these
addresses.
•Use Static IP Address. Enter the IP address that your ISP
assigned. Also enter the IP subnet mask and the gateway IP
address. The gateway is the ISP’s wireless modem router to
which your wireless modem router will connect.
This field appears only if
no login is required.
•Use IP Over ATM (IFoA). Your ISP uses Classical IP
addresses (RFC 1577). Enter the IP address, IP subnet
mask, and gateway IP addresses that your ISP assigned.
Domain Name Server (DNS) Address The DNS server is used to look up site addresses based on their
names.
•Get Automatically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to
assign your DNS servers. Your ISP automatically assigns
this address.
•Use These DNS Servers. If you know that your ISP does
not automatically transmit DNS addresses to the wireless
modem router during login, select this option, and enter the
IP address of your ISP’s primary DNS server. If a secondary
DNS server address is available, enter it also.

Connecting Your Router to the Internet
13
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Configuring ADSL Settings
Note: For information about how to install ADSL filters, see the Setup
Manual.
NETGEAR recommends that you use the Setup Wizard to automatically detect and configure
your ADSL settings. This usually works fine. However, if you have technical experience and
are sure of the multiplexing method and virtual circuit number for the virtual path identifier
(VPI) and virtual channel identifier (VCI), you can specify those settings here.
NAT (Net Address Translation) NAT automatically assigns private IP addresses (10.1.1.x) to
LAN-connected devices.
•Enable. Usually NAT is enabled.
•Disable. This disables NAT, but leaves the firewall active.
Disable NAT only if you are sure that you do not require it.
When NAT is disabled, only standard routing is performed
by this router. Classical routing lets you directly manage the
IP addresses that the wireless modem router uses.
Classical routing should be selected only by experienced
users1
•Disable firewall. This disables the firewall in addition to
disabling NAT. With the firewall disabled, the protections
usually provided to your network are disabled.
These fields
appear only if no
login is required.
Router MAC Address The Ethernet MAC address that will be used by the wireless
modem router on the Internet port. Some ISPs register the
Ethernet MAC address of the network interface card in your
computer when your account is first opened. They will then
accept traffic only from the MAC address of that computer. This
feature allows your wireless modem router to masquerade as
that computer by “cloning” its MAC address.
•Use Default Address. Use the default MAC address.
•Use Computer MAC Address. The wireless modem router
will capture and use the MAC address of the computer that
you are now using. You must be using the one computer
that is allowed by the ISP.
•Use This MAC Address. Enter the MAC address that you
want to use.
1. Disabling NAT reboots the wireless modem router and resets its configuration settings to the factory defaults.
Disable NAT only if you plan to install the wireless modem router in a setting where you will be manually
administering the IP address space on the LAN side of the router.
Table 1.
Settings Description

Connecting Your Router to the Internet
14
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Note: NETGEAR recommends using the Setup Wizard to select the
correct country to optimize detection of the ADSL settings.
If your ISP provided you with a multiplexing method or VPI/VCI number, then enter the
setting:
1From the main menu, select ADSL Settings.The ADSL Settings screen displays.
Figure 6.
2In the Multiplexing Method drop-down list, select LLC-based or VC-based.
3For the VPI, type a number between 0 and 255. The default is 8.
4For the VCI, type a number between 32 and 65535. The default is 35.
5Click Apply.

15
2
2. Configuring Your Wireless Network and
Security Settings
This chapter describes how to configure the wireless features of your N300 Wireless Gigabit
ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500. For a wireless connection, the SSID, also called the wireless
network name, and the wireless security setting must be the same for the modem router and
wireless computers or wireless adapters. NETGEAR strongly recommends that you use wireless
security.
WARNING:
Computers can connect wirelessly at a range of several hundred
feet. This can allow others outside of your immediate area to
access your network.
This chapter includes:
•Planning Your Wireless Network
•Manually Configuring Your Wireless Settings
•Manually Configuring Your Wireless Security
•Using Push 'N' Connect (WPS) to Configure Your Wireless Network
•Connecting Additional Wireless Devices After WPS Setup
Planning Your Wireless Network
For compliance and compatibility between similar products in your area, the operating
channel and region must be set correctly.
To configure the wireless network, you can either specify the wireless settings, or you can
use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to automatically set the SSID and implement WPA/WPA2
security.
•To manually configure the wireless settings, you must know the following:
-SSID. The default SSID for the modem router is NETGEAR.

Configuring Your Wireless Network and Security Settings
16
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
-The wireless mode (802.11n, 802.11g, or 802.11b) that each wireless adapter
supports.
-Wireless security option. To successfully implement wireless security, check each
wireless adapter to determine which wireless security option it supports.
See Manually Configuring Your Wireless Security on page 21.
•Push 'N' Connect (WPS) automatically implements wireless security on the modem router
while, at the same time, allowing you to automatically implement wireless security on any
WPS-enabled devices (such as wireless computers and wireless adapter cards). You
activate WPS by pressing a WPS button on the modem router, clicking an on-screen
WPS button, or entering a PIN number. This generates a new SSID and implements
WPA/WPA2 security.
To set up your wireless network using the WPS feature:
-Use the WPS button on the side of the modem router (there is also an on-screen
WPS button), or enter the PIN of the wireless device.
-Make sure that all wireless computers and wireless adapters on the network are Wi-Fi
certified and WPA or WPA 2 capable, and that they support WPS configuration.
See Using Push 'N' Connect (WPS) to Configure Your Wireless Network on page 27.
Wireless Placement and Range Guidelines
The range of your wireless connection can vary significantly based on the physical placement
of the modem router. The latency, data throughput performance, and notebook power
consumption of wireless adapters also vary depending on your configuration choices.
For best results, place your modem router according to the following guidelines:
•Near the center of the area in which your PCs will operate.
•In an elevated location such as a high shelf where the wirelessly connected PCs have
line-of-sight access (even if through walls).
•Away from sources of interference, such as PCs, microwave ovens, and 2.4 GHz
cordless phones.
•Away from large metal surfaces.
•Put the antenna in a vertical position to provide the best side-to-side coverage. Put the
antenna in a horizontal position to provide the best up-and-down coverage.
•If using multiple access points, it is better if adjacent access points use different radio
frequency channels to reduce interference. The recommended channel spacing between
adjacent access points is 5 channels (for example, use Channels 1 and 6, or 6 and 11).
The time it takes to establish a wireless connection can vary depending on both your security
settings and placement. WEP connections can take slightly longer to establish. Also, WEP
encryption can consume more battery power on a notebook computer.

Configuring Your Wireless Network and Security Settings
17
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Wireless Security Options
Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11g wireless networks at a maximum range of up
to 300 feet. Such distances can allow for others outside your immediate area to access your
network.
Unlike wired network data, your wireless data transmissions can extend beyond your walls
and can be received by anyone with a compatible adapter. For this reason, use the security
features of your wireless equipment. The wireless modem router provides highly effective
security features, which are covered in detail in this chapter. Deploy the security features
appropriate to your needs.
There are several ways you can enhance the security of your wireless network:
•Restrict access based on MAC address. You can allow only trusted PCs to connect so
that unknown PCs cannot wirelessly connect to the wireless modem router. Restricting
access by MAC address adds an obstacle against unwanted access to your network, but
the data broadcast over the wireless link is fully exposed (see Restricting Wireless
Access to Your Network on page 21).
•Turn off the broadcast of the wireless network name SSID. If you disable broadcast of
the SSID, only devices that have the correct SSID can connect. This nullifies wireless
network discovery feature of some products, such as Windows XP, but the data is still
exposed (see Hiding your wireless network name (SSID) on page 22).
•WEP. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption provides data security. WEP
Shared Key authentication and WEP data encryption block all but the most determined
eavesdropper. This data encryption mode has been superseded by WPA-PSK and
WPA2-PSK (see Configuring WEP on page 25).
•WPA-802.1x.Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) with user authentication implemented using
IEE 802.1x and RADIUS servers (see Configuring WPA-802.1x on page 26).
•WPA-PSK (TKIP) + WPA2-PSK (AES). Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) using a
pre-shared key to perform authentication and generate the initial data encryption keys.
The very strong authentication along with dynamic per frame re-keying of WPA makes it
virtually impossible to compromise (see Configuring Mixed WPA-PSK+WPA2-PSK
Security on page 24).
For more information about wireless technology, see the link to the online document in Virtual
Private Networking Basics in Appendix B.
Manually Configuring Your Wireless Settings
You can view or manually configure the wireless settings for the modem router in the
Wireless Settings screen. If you want to make changes, make sure to note the current
settings first.

Configuring Your Wireless Network and Security Settings
18
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Note: If you use a wireless computer to change the wireless network name
(SSID) or wireless security settings, you will be disconnected when
you click Apply. To avoid this problem, use a computer with a wired
connection to access the modem router.
To view or manually configure the wireless settings:
1Log in to the wireless modem router at its default LAN address of http://192.168.0.1 with
its default user name of admin and default password of password, or using whatever
LAN address and password you have set up.
2Select Wireless Settings in the main menu. The Wireless Settings screen displays.
Figure 7.
Table 2 describes the information that is displayed in the Wireless Settings screen.

Configuring Your Wireless Network and Security Settings
19
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Note: The SSID of any wireless access adapters must match the SSID
you specify in the wireless modem router. If they do not match, you
will not get a wireless connection.
3Select the region in which the wireless modem router will operate.
Note: Up to 270Mbps mode uses two channels, but in this mode only the
first channel is listed in the channel pull-down menu. The associated
channels in this mode are: 1+5, 2+6, 3+7, 4+8, 5+9, 6+10, and 7+11.
When you select another wireless network mode, the channel
pull-down displays all available channels: 1 through 13. However,
available wireless channels depend on the selected wireless region.
4For initial configuration and test, leave the other settings unchanged.
5Click Save to save your settings or click Apply to allow your changes to take effect
immediately.
6Configure and test your computers for wireless connectivity.
Program the wireless adapter of your computers to have the same SSID and wireless
settings l that you specified in the router. Check that they have a wireless link and can
obtain an IP address by DHCP from the wireless modem router. If there is interference,
adjust the channel.
Table 2.
Settings Description
Wireless LAN Select the wireless LAN that you want to set up.
• NETGEAR. This is the primary LAN where you set up the region, channel,
mode, and access control (if used).
• NETGEAR2
• NETGEAR3
• NETGEAR4
Name (SSID) This is the wireless network name. Enter a 32-character (maximum) name in this
field. This field is case-sensitive.
In a setting where there is more than one wireless network, different wireless
network names provide a means for separating the traffic. To join a wireless
network, wireless devices use the SSID.
Region The location where the wireless modem router is used.

Configuring Your Wireless Network and Security Settings
20
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Mode Specify which 802.11 data communications protocol is used. You can select one
of the following modes:
•Up to 270 Mbps. Performance mode, using channel expansion to achieve
the 270 Mbps data rate. The N300 Wireless Modem Router uses the
channel you selected as the primary channel and expands to the secondary
channel (primary channel +4 or –4) to achieve a 40 MHz frame-by-frame
bandwidth. The N300 Wireless Modem Router detects channel usage and
disables frame-by-frame expansion if the expansion would result in
interference with the data transmission of other access points or clients.
•Up to 130 Mbps. Neighbor friendly mode, for reduced interference with
neighboring wireless networks. Provides two transmission streams with
different data on the same channel at the same time, but also allows
802.11b and 802.11g wireless devices.
•g & b allows older 802.11g and 802.11b wireless stations to access this
wireless network. You might use this mode for a wireless computer using
WEP security that does not support WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK.
•g only allows only 802.11g wireless stations to access the wireless network.
Channel The wireless channel fields determine the operating frequency used for the
wireless networks. 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.
Enable Wireless Access
Point
• Selected by default, this check box enables the wireless radio, which allows
the wireless modem router to work as a wireless access point.
• Turning off the wireless radio can be helpful for configuration, network
tuning, or troubleshooting.
• The Wireless LED on the front of the modem router displays the current
status of the wireless access point to let you know if it is disabled or
enabled. The wireless access point must be enabled to allow wireless
stations to access the Internet.
Allow Broadcast of Name
(SSID).Selected by default, the wireless modem router broadcasts its SSID. This makes it easier to select the right wireless network to connect to.
If you clear this check mark and click Apply, your network name will be hidden.
The first time a wireless device connects to it, the SSID must be typed in.
Wireless Isolation This feature is disabled by default. If you select this check box, then the only way
to connect to the wireless modem router will be via cable on the LAN.
Table 2.
Settings Description

Configuring Your Wireless Network and Security Settings
21
N300 Wireless Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN3500
Manually Configuring Your Wireless Security
To set up wireless security, you can either manually configure it in the Wireless Settings
screen, or you can use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to automatically set the SSID and
implement WPA/WPA2 security (see Using Push 'N' Connect (WPS) to Configure Your
Wireless Network on page 27).
Note: If you use a wireless computer to configure wireless security
settings, you will be disconnected when you click Apply.
Reconfigure your wireless computer to match the new settings, or
access the modem router from a wired computer to make further
changes.
Restricting Wireless Access to Your Network
By default, any wireless PC that is configured with the correct SSID can access your wireless
network. For increased security, the wireless modem router provides several ways to restrict
wireless access to your network. You can do the following:
•Turn off wireless connectivity completely.
•Restrict access based on the wireless network name (SSID).
Wireless Station Access
List
This is disabled by default so that any computer configured with the correct
wireless network name or SSID can access to your wireless network. For
increased security, you can restrict access to the wireless network to only
specific computers based on their MAC addresses. See Restricting access by
MAC address
Security Options •Disable. You can use this setting to establish wireless connectivity before
implementing wireless security. NETGEAR strongly recommends that you
implement wireless security.
•WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). Use encryption keys and data encryption
for data security. Select 64-bit or 128-bit encryption. See Configuring WEP
on page 25.
• WPA-PSK (WiFi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key). Allow only computers
configured with WPA to connect to the wireless modem router.
• WPA2-PSK Wi-Fi Protected Access with 2 Pre-Shared Keys). Allow only
computers configured with WPA2 to connect to the wireless modem router.
•Mixed WPA-PSK + WPA2-PSK. Allow computers configured with either
WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK security to connect to the wireless modem router.
•WPA-802.1x.
• For WPA or WPA2 configuration, see Configuring Mixed
WPA-PSK+WPA2-PSK Security on page 24.
Table 2.
Settings Description