NETGEAR WNR834 User guide

December 2006
208-10074-01
v2.0
NETGEAR, Inc.
4500 Great America Parkway
Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA
Wireless Router Setup
Manual

ii
© 2006 by NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.

iii
Contents
Getting to Know Your Wireless Router................................................................................1
Unpacking Your New Router .............................................................................................1
Hardware Features ............................................................................................................3
Positioning Your Wireless Router ......................................................................................4
Installing Your Wireless Router ..........................................................................................5
Updating Your Router Firmware ........................................................................................6
Installing Your Router Using the Smart Wizard...................................................................7
Using the Smart Wizard .....................................................................................................7
Accessing Your Router After Installation and Checking for New Firmware .......................8
Installing Your Router Manually
(Advanced, Mac, and Linux Users) .....................................................................................13
Connecting Your Wireless Router ....................................................................................13
Verifying Your Connection ...............................................................................................16
Setting Up Your Router for Internet Access .....................................................................17
Checking for New Firmware ............................................................................................19
Configuring Your Wireless Settings and Security Options ...............................................21
Setting Up Your Wireless Computers ..............................................................................22
Troubleshooting...................................................................................................................25
Basic Setup Checklist ......................................................................................................25
Checking Basic Router Functions ...................................................................................26
Troubleshooting Login Problems .....................................................................................27
Checking the Internet Service Connection ......................................................................27
Obtaining an Internet IP Address ....................................................................................28
Using the Ping Utility to Troubleshoot ..............................................................................30
Default Configuration ..........................................................................................................33
Default Configuration Settings .........................................................................................33
Restoring the Default User Name and Password ............................................................34

iv
Related Documents..............................................................................................................35
Registration and Certifications............................................................................................37

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 1
Getting to Know Your Wireless Router
Congratulations on your purchase of a NETGEAR® high-speed wireless router, the RangeMax™
NEXT® Wireless Router.
Before you begin installing your router, check the package contents (see “Unpacking Your New
Router” on page 1). Become familiar with the front and back panels of your router—especially the
LEDs—and the important information on the router label (see “Unpacking Your New Router” on
page 1). Then, read the section on “Positioning Your Wireless Router” on page 4 to ensure that you
have selected the best location to install your router.
Unpacking Your New Router
Your product package should contain the following items:
• The wireless router
• A snap-on stand for your wireless router
• An AC power adapter (varies by region)
• A yellow Ethernet cable
•TheResource CD, which includes:
– The Smart Wizard Installation Assistant (Autorun.exe)
– A PDF version of this manual
– A link to the online User Manual
• Warranty and Support Information cards
If any of the parts are incorrect, missing, or damaged, contact your NETGEAR dealer. Keep the
carton, including the original packing materials, in case you need to return the product for repair.

2 Getting to Know Your Wireless Router
To prepare your router for installation:
1. Carefully peel off the protective film covering both sides of your router (see Figure 1).
2. Set up your wireless router by inserting the tabs of the stand (supplied with your router) into
the slots on the bottom of your router as shown in Figure 2. Then, remove the protective film
covering the LED panel of the router.
3. Place your router in a suitable area for installation (near an AC power outlet and accessible to
the Ethernet cables for your wired computers).
Figure 1
Figure 2
To ensure proper heat dissipation and for router stability, it is important that you
connect the stand and place your router in an upright position.

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 3
Hardware Features
Before you install and connect your router, take a moment to become familiar with the front and
back panels of the router—especially the LEDs on the front panel.
Front Panel
The various lights on the front panel indicate the operating status of the router. A description of
LED behavior is included in Figure 3.
Back Panel
Figure 4 describes the port connections on the back panel of the wireless router.
Figure 3
Power
On – Amber The router is performing the power-on self-test diagnostic.
On – Green The power is on and the router is ready.
Fast blink – Green A software update is in progress.
Slow blink – Green There is a problem with the wireless router software.
Off Power is not being supplied to the router.
Internet
On – Amber No IP address acquired.
On – Green The wireless router has acquired an Internet address.
Blink – Green Data is being communicated with the Internet.
Off No Ethernet cable is connected to the modem.
Wireless
On – Blue The wireless interface is enabled.
Blink – Blue Data is being communicated over the wireless network.
Off The wireless interface is turned off.
LAN (Ports 1–4)
On – Green The local port is connected to a 100 Mbps device.
Blink – Green Data is being transmitted at 100 Mbps.
On – Amber The local port is connected to a 10 Mbps device.
Blink – Amber Data is being transmitted at 10 Mbps.
Off No link is detected on this port.

4 Getting to Know Your Wireless Router
Router Label
The label on the back of the wireless router shows the router’s MAC address, serial number, and
factory default login information.
The color of the ports on the router are color-coded for ease of set up. They distinguish your
Internet port from the other four ports that connect to the wired computer(s) which make up your
LAN.
Positioning Your Wireless Router
The wireless router lets you access your network from virtually anywhere within the operating
range of your wireless network. However, the operating distance or range of your wireless
Figure 4
Figure 5
1. Factory Default Restore setting. Press Restore for approximately
5 seconds to reset the router to the factory default settings.
2. Four Local Area Network (LAN) 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports for
connecting the router to your local computers.
3. Internet/Wide Area Network (WAN) Ethernet port for connecting
the router to a cable or DSL modem.
4. AC power adapter outlet for connecting the power adapter.

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 5
connection can vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your router. For
example, the thickness and number of walls the wireless signal must pass through may limit the
range. For best results, place your router:
• Near the center of the area where your computers and other devices will operate, preferably
within line of sight to your wireless devices.
• Accessible to an AC power outlet and near Ethernet cables for wired computers.
• In an elevated location such as a high shelf, keeping the number of walls and ceilings between
the wireless router and your other devices to a minimum.
• Away from electrical devices which are potential sources of interference, such as ceiling fans,
home security systems, microwaves, or the base for a cordless phone.
• Away from any large metal surfaces, such as a solid metal door or aluminum studs. Large
expanses of other materials such as glass, insulated walls, fish tanks, mirrors, brick, and
concrete can also affect your wireless signal.
Installing Your Wireless Router
To help you set up your router and get on the Internet quickly, the Resource CD contains a Smart
Wizard™. The Smart Wizard walks you through the steps required to connect your router, modem,
and PC(s); configure your wireless settings; and enable wireless security for your network. When
you have finished, you will be Internet ready!
You can set up your wireless router using one of two methods:.
•Smart Wizard Setup: The Smart Wizard setup is available on your Resource CD. See
“Installing Your Router Using the Smart Wizard” on page 7 to use the Smart Wizard.
– This is the easiest option. The wizard guides you through the setup process. It automates
many of the steps and verifies that the steps have been successfully completed.
Failure to follow these guidelines can result in significant performance degradation
or an inability to wirelessly connect to the Internet.
If you have a Macintosh or Linux system, you need to use the manual installation
method (see “Installing Your Router Manually (Advanced, Mac, and Linux Users)”
on page 13).

6 Getting to Know Your Wireless Router
– Smart Wizard requires a PC running Microsoft Windows..
•Manual Setup: If you cannot or prefer not to use the Smart Wizard, see “Installing Your
Router Manually (Advanced, Mac, and Linux Users)” on page 13. For example, if you are
connecting to a Mac, are using a Linux operating system, or are technically knowledgeable,
select this option. If you choose to use this option and install your router manually, for best
results, install and set up your router in this order:
1. Install and connect your wireless router to your network (see “Connecting Your Wireless
Router” on page 13).
2. Set up your wireless router for Internet access (see “Setting Up Your Router for Internet
Access” on page 17).
3. Check for new firmware for your router and install the latest firmware version (see
“Checking for New Firmware” on page 19).
4. Configure your wireless network and select wireless security settings to protect your
wireless network (see “Configuring Your Wireless Settings and Security Options” on
page 21)
Updating Your Router Firmware
NETGEAR is always improving the operability and features included with your router. To make it
easy for you to best, most up to date features of your router, NETGEAR provides a variety of
methods for updating your product.
• The Smart Wizard installation assistant lets you check for and install updates as part of the
setup activity.
• The router includes an update feature that lets you check for and install updates. You must be
logged in to the router to use this feature.
• NETGEAR provides a Windows software utility that will let you easily manage keeping your
NETGEAR products up to date.
These options are discussed later in this manual.
Before running the Smart Wizard on a corporate PC to set up your home
router, check with your company’s network support staff. Corporate
network settings or Virtual Private Network (VPN) client software may
conflict with the default settings of a home router. If you are unsure about
whether there might be a conflict, use a different computer.