NETGEAR Super-G WGT624 User manual

Introduction 2-1
202-10090-02 v 1.4, July 2005
Chapter 2
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the NETGEAR®WGT624 v3 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall
Router. The WGT624 v3 wireless router provides connection for multiple computers to the
Internet through an external broadband access device (such as a cable modem or DSL modem) that
is normally intended for use by a single computer. This chapter describes the features of the
NETGEAR WGT624 v3 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router.
Key Features
The WGT624 v3 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router with 4-port switch connects your local area
network (LAN) to the Internet through an external access device such as a cable modem or DSL
modem.
The WGT624 v3 wireless router provides you with multiple web content filtering options, plus
browsing activity reporting and instant alerts via e-mail. Parents and network administrators can
establish restricted access policies based on time-of-day, web site addresses and address keywords,
and share high-speed cable/DSL Internet access for up to 253 computers. In addition to the
Network Address Translation (NAT) feature, the built-in firewall protects you from hackers.
With minimum setup, you can install and use the router within minutes.
The WGT624 v3 wireless router provides the following features:
• 802.11g wireless networking, with the ability to operate in 802.11g-only, 802.11-turbo-g-only,
or 802.11b+g modes.
• Easy, web-based setup for installation and management.
• Content Filtering and Site Blocking Security.
• Built in 4-port 10/100 Mbps Switch.
• Ethernet connection to a wide area network (WAN) device, such as a cable modem or DSL
modem.
• Extensive Protocol Support.
• Login capability.
• Front panel LEDs for easy monitoring of status and activity.

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• Flash memory for firmware upgrade.
802.11g Wireless Networking
The WGT624 v3 wireless router includes an 802.11g wireless access point, providing continuous,
high-speed 54 Mbps access between your wireless and Ethernet devices. The access point
provides:
• 802.11g wireless networking at up to 108 Mbps.
• 802.11g wireless networking, with the ability to operate in 802.11g-only, 802.11b-only, or
802.11g and b modes, providing backwards compatibility with 802.11b devices or dedicating
the wireless network to the higher bandwidth 802.11g devices.
• 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption security.
• WEP keys can be generated manually or by passphrase.
• WPA-PSK support. Support for Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) data encryption which
provides strong data encryption and authentication based on a pre-shared key.
• Wireless access can be restricted by MAC address.
• Wireless network name broadcast can be turned off so that only devices that have the network
name (SSID) can connect.
A Powerful, True Firewall with Content Filtering
Unlike simple Internet sharing NAT routers, the WGT624 v3 is a true firewall, using stateful
packet inspection to defend against hacker attacks. Its firewall features include:
• Denial of Service (DoS) protection.
Automatically detects and thwarts DoS attacks such as Ping of Death, SYN Flood, LAND
Attack, and IP Spoofing.
• Blocks unwanted traffic from the Internet to your LAN.
• Blocks access from your LAN to Internet locations or services that you specify as off-limits.
• Logs security incidents.
The WGT624 v3 will log security events such as blocked incoming traffic, port scans, attacks,
and administrator logins. You can configure the router to email the log to you at specified
intervals. You can also configure the router to send immediate alert messages to your email
address or email pager whenever a significant event occurs.

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• The WGT624 v3 prevents objectionable content from reaching your PCs. The router allows
you to control access to Internet content by screening for keywords within web addresses. You
can configure the router to log and report attempts to access objectionable Internet sites.
Security
The WGT624 v3 wireless router is equipped with several features designed to maintain security, as
described in this section.
• PCs Hidden by NAT
NAT opens a temporary path to the Internet for requests originating from the local network.
Requests originating from outside the LAN are discarded, preventing users outside the LAN
from finding and directly accessing the PCs on the LAN.
• Port Forwarding with NAT
Although NAT prevents Internet locations from directly accessing the PCs on the LAN, the
router allows you to direct incoming traffic to specific PCs based on the service port number
of the incoming request, or to one designated “DMZ” host computer. You can specify
forwarding of single ports or ranges of ports.
Autosensing Ethernet Connections with Auto Uplink
With its internal 4-port 10/100 switch, the WGT624 v3 can connect to either a 10 Mbps standard
Ethernet network or a 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet network. Both the LAN and WAN interfaces are
autosensing and capable of full-duplex or half-duplex operation.
The router incorporates Auto UplinkTM technology. Each Ethernet port will automatically sense
whether the Ethernet cable plugged into the port should have a ‘normal’ connection such as to a
PC or an ‘uplink’ connection such as to a switch or hub. That port will then configure itself to the
correct configuration. This feature also eliminates the need to worry about crossover cables, as
Auto Uplink will accommodate either type of cable to make the right connection.
Extensive Protocol Support
The WGT624 v3 wireless router supports the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP) and Routing Information Protocol (RIP). For further information about TCP/IP, refer to
Appendix B, “Network, Routing, Firewall, and Basics.”

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• IP Address Sharing by NAT
The WGT624 v3 wireless router allows several networked PCs to share an Internet account
using only a single IP address, which may be statically or dynamically assigned by your
Internet service provider (ISP). This technique, known as NAT, allows the use of an
inexpensive single-user ISP account.
• Automatic Configuration of Attached PCs by DHCP
The WGT624 v3 wireless router dynamically assigns network configuration information,
including IP, gateway, and domain name server (DNS) addresses, to attached PCs on the LAN
using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). This feature greatly simplifies
configuration of PCs on your local network.
• DNS Proxy
When DHCP is enabled and no DNS addresses are specified, the router provides its own
address as a DNS server to the attached PCs. The router obtains actual DNS addresses from
the ISP during connection setup and forwards DNS requests from the LAN.
• PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)
PPPoE is a protocol for connecting remote hosts to the Internet over a DSL connection by
simulating a dial-up connection. This feature eliminates the need to run a login program such
as Entersys or WinPOET on your PC.
Easy Installation and Management
You can install, configure, and operate the WGT624 v3 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router within
minutes after connecting it to the network. The following features simplify installation and
management tasks:
• Browser-based management
Browser-based configuration allows you to easily configure your router from almost any type
of personal computer, such as Windows, Macintosh, or Linux. A user-friendly Setup Wizard is
provided and online help documentation is built into the browser-based web Management
Interface.
• Smart Wizard
The WGT624 v3 wireless router Smart Wizard automatically senses the type of Internet
connection, asking you only for the information required for your type of ISP account.
• Firmware Auto-Update
The WGT624 v3 wireless router automatically checks the Internet to see if a newer version of
firmware is available. If so, it asks you if you want to install the upgrade. This lets you take
advantage of product enhancements for your WGT624 v3 as soon as they become available.

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• Visual monitoring
The WGT624 v3 wireless router’s front panel LEDs provide an easy way to monitor its status
and activity.
Maintenance and Support
NETGEAR offers the following features to help you maximize your use of the WGT624 v3
wireless router:
• Flash memory for firmware upgrade
• Free technical support seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day
Package Contents
The product package should contain the following items:
• WGT624 v3 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router.
•ACpoweradapter.
• Vertical stand.
• Category 5 (CAT5) Ethernet cable.
•108 Mbps Wireless Router WGRT624 v3 Resource CD, including:
— Application Notes and other helpful information.
• 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router WGT624 Installation Guide.
• Registration and Warranty Card.
• Support Information Card.
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 router for repair.

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The Router’s Front Panel
The front panel of the WGT624 v3 wireless router contains the status LEDs described below.
Figure 2-1: WGT624 v3 Front Panel
You can use some of the LEDs to verify connections. Viewed from left to right, Table 2-1
describes the LEDs on the front panel of the router. These LEDs are green when lit.
Table 2-1. LED Descriptions
Label Activity Description
Power
On
Off Power is supplied to the router. Power is not supplied to the router.
Internet
On
Blink
The Internet (Wide Area Network) port has detected a link with an
attached device.
Data is being transmitted or received by the Internet port.
Wireless
On Indicates that the Wireless port is initialized.
Local
On (Green)
Blink (Green)
On (Amber)
Blink (Amber)
Off
The Local (LAN) port has detected link with a 100 Mbps device.
Data is being transmitted or received at 100 Mbps.
The Local port has detected link with a 10 Mbps device.
Data is being transmitted or received at 10 Mbps.
No link is detected on this port.

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The Router’s Rear Panel
The rear panel of the WGT624 v3 wireless router contains the port connections listed below.
Figure 1-2: WGT624 v3 Rear Panel
Viewed from left to right, the rear panel contains the following features:
• AC power adapter outlet
• Four Local (LAN) 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports for connecting the router to the local PCs
• Internet (WAN) Ethernet port for connecting the router to a cable or DSL modem
• Factory Default Reset push button
• Wireless antenna

Reference Manual for the 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router WGT624 v3
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