NETGEAR WPN824N - RangeMax Wireless-N 150 Router User guide

November 2009
208-10541-01
v1.0
NETGEAR, Inc.
350 E. Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 USA
RangeMax Wireless-N
150 Router Setup Manual

ii
©2009 by NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Trademarks
NETGEAR and the NETGEAR logo are registered trademarks, and RangeMax and Smart Wizard are trademarks of
NETGEAR. Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other
brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.
Statement of Conditions
In the interest of improving internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to
make changes to the products described in this document without notice.
NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur due to the use or application of the product(s) or circuit
layout(s) described herein.

Contents iii
Contents
Getting to Know Your Wireless Router................................................................................1
Unpacking Your New Router .............................................................................................1
What You Need Before You Begin ....................................................................................6
Updating Your Router Firmware ........................................................................................6
Two Setup Methods: Smart Wizard Setup or Manual Setup .............................................7
Smart Wizard Setup ..........................................................................................................7
Manual Setup ....................................................................................................................8
Product Registration, Support, and Documentation ........................................................13
Accessing the Wireless Router after Installation and Checking for New Firmware .........13
Setting Up and Testing Basic Wireless Connectivity .......................................................16
Implementing Appropriate Wireless Security ...................................................................17
Help with Troubleshooting..................................................................................................18
Basic Troubleshooting .....................................................................................................18
Troubleshooting Connectivity Using the Ping Utility ........................................................24
Technical Specifications.....................................................................................................27
Factory Default Settings ..................................................................................................27
Related Documents .............................................................................................................30

Getting to Know Your Wireless Router 1
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Getting to Know Your Wireless Router
Congratulations on your purchase of a NETGEAR® high-speed wireless router, the RangeMax
Wireless-N 150 Router Model WPN824N.
Before you begin installing your router, check the package contents (see Unpacking Your New
Router). Become familiar with the front and back panels of your router—especially the status
lights—and the important information on the router label (see “Bottom Label” on page 5).
Unpacking Your New Router
The 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
• NETGEAR Installation Guide
• The Resource 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.
To prepare your router for installation:
1. Carefully peel off the protective film covering the sides of your router.

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2. Set up your wireless router by inserting the router into the stand supplied with your router.
3. Place your router in an area suitable for installation (near an AC power outlet and accessible to
the Ethernet cables for your wired computers).
Figure 1

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Router Front Panel
You can use the status lights on the front of the wireless router to verify various conditions.
Figure 2
Table 1-1. Status Light Descriptions
Item Function Activity Description
1Power On green solid
Off Power is supplied to the router. Power is not supplied to the router.
2
Test On
Off
Slow blinking
The unit is performing the power-on self-test diagnostic.
The unit successfully completed the power-on self-test diagnostic.
The reset button is being pushed, restoring the factory default
settings.
3
Wireless On
Off
Blinking
The wireless interface is enabled.
The wireless interface is turned off.
Data is being communicated over the wireless network.
4
Internet Amber off
Amber on
Amber blinking
Green off
On
Blinking
No Ethernet cable is connected to the modem.
The Ethernet cable connection to the modem is good.
Packets are being transmitted and received from a modem or other
network device, but no IP address has been received.
No IP address has been received.
IP address has been received.
IP address received and data is being transmitted and received.
5LAN Green
Amber The LAN port has detected a 100 Mbps link with an attached device. The LAN port has detected a 10 Mbps link with an attached device.

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Router Back Panel
The rear panel of the WPN824N router contains the items in the list that follows the figure.
The back of the wireless router includes:
1. AC power adapter outlet
2. Power On/Off switch
3. Four local (LAN) 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports for connecting the router to the local computers
4. Internet (WAN) Ethernet port for connecting the router to a cable or DSL modem
5. Wireless On/Off button
6. Factory default reset button
Figure 3
4
3
2
156

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Top Panel
The top of the wireless router includes a dome with status lights that identify the status of the
selected option you chose for either Wireless data status (default), Guest Network status, Live
Parental Controls status, or Broadband Usage Meter status. These status lights are on by default,
but can be turned off by clicking the Dome, or by going to the Network Monitor Display Settings
page and clicking the Turn off LED button. (see “Router Back Panel” on page 4).
Bottom Label
View the label on the bottom of the wireless router to identify the serial number, port connectors,
status lights, and default login information.
Figure 4
Figure 5

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What You Need Before You Begin
Prepare the following before you set up your Product Family:
• Internet service.
• The configuration information your Internet Service Provider (ISP) gave you. Depending on
how your Internet account was set up, you might need one or more of these settings for the
wireless router to access the Internet:
— Host and domain names
— Internet login name and password (frequently an e-mail address and password)
— Domain Name Server (DNS) addresses
— Fixed or static IP address
Your ISP should have provided you with all the information needed to connect to the Internet.
If you cannot locate this information, you can ask your ISP to provide it.
• For cable modem service, use the computer you first used to set up your Internet service.
Updating Your Router Firmware
NETGEAR is always improving the operability and features included with your router. To make it
easy for you to receive the 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.
These options are discussed in “Accessing the Wireless Router after Installation and Checking for
New Firmware” on page 13.

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Two Setup Methods: Smart Wizard Setup or Manual
Setup
You have two methods available for setting up your wireless router:
•Smart Wizard Setup.This option is the easiest. The wizard guides you through the setup
process, automates many of the steps, and verifies that necessary conditions exist and that
steps you perform have been successfully completed. This option requires a PC running
Microsoft Windows.
•Manual Setup. This option is best if you cannot use the wizard on the CD, are replacing an
existing wireless router, or are technically knowledgeable. Follow the instructions in this
manual to set up your wireless router.
Use the setup option that best suites you.
Smart Wizard Setup
The wizard setup process takes about 20 minutes to complete.
1. Insert the NETGEAR CD into a Windows PC. The CD automatically starts and detects the
language you are using on your PC. Accept the language option, or change to a different
language.
2. When the Welcome screen displays, click Setup to start the Smart Wizard. Follow the wizard
instructions.
If the CD does not automatically start, browse the CD and double-click Autorun. Be
sure to double-click the Autorun file that begins with an upper-case A.

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Manual Setup
There are two steps to setting up your wireless router:
1. Connect the Product Family to the ADSL or cable modem, and connect a computer to the
Product Family.
2. Configure the Product Family to use your Internet service.
Connecting Your Wireless Router
To connect your wireless router:
1. Connect the wireless router, the computer, and the modem.
a. Turn off your computer.
b. Turn off and unplug the cable or ADSL broadband modem.
c. Locate the Ethernet cable (1) that connects your computer to the modem.
d. Disconnect the cable at the modem (2). You will connect it to the router later.
Your computer has to be set to automatically get its TCP/IP network settings from
the Product Family through DHCP. This is usually the case. If your are unsure about
this, use the wizard on the CD, which automatically takes care of this for you, or
refer to the documentation for your computer.
Figure 6
1
2

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e. Use the label on the bottom of the wireless router to locate the Internet port, which is to the
left of the Wireless On/Off button on your router.
f. Locate the Ethernet cable that came with the NETGEAR product. Securely insert that
Ethernet cable into your modem and into the Internet port of the wireless router (3).
g. Locate the cable you removed from the modem in Step c. Securely insert that cable (4)
into a LAN port on the router such as LAN port 1.
Your network cables are connected, and you are ready to start your network.
2. Start your network in the correct sequence.
a. First, plug in and turn on the cable or DSL modem. Wait 2 minutes.
b. Now, plug the power cord into your wireless router and into a power outlet. Wait 1 minute.
Figure 7
Figure 8
Failure to start or restart your network in the correct sequence could prevent you
from accessing the Internet.
3
4

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c. Last, turn on your computer.
d.
e. Check the wireless router status lights to verify the following:
•Power. The power light (1) should turn solid green. If it does not, see “Verify whether
the Test light never turns on or stays on:” on page 20.
• Test: The test light (2) blinks when the router is first turned on, then goes off. If after 2
minutes it is still on, see “Verify whether the Test light never turns on or stays on:” on
page 20.
•Wireless. The wireless light (3) should be on.
•Internet: The Internet port light (4) should be lit. If it is not, make sure that the
Ethernet cable is securely attached to the wireless router Internet port and that the
modem, and the modem is powered on.
•LAN. A LAN light (5) should be lit. Green indicates that your computer is
communicating at 100 Mbps; amber indicates 10 Mbps. If a LAN light is not lit, check
that the Ethernet cable from the computer to the router is securely attached at both
ends, and that the computer is turned on.
For DSL customers, if software logs you in to the Internet, do not run that
software. You might need to go to the Internet Explorer Tools menu, Internet
Options, then click the Connections tab where you can select Never dial a
connection.
Figure 9

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3. Connect to the wireless router by typing http://www.routerlogin.net in the address field of
your browser, and then click Enter.
A login window like the one in the following figure opens:
4. For security reasons, the router has its own user name and password. When prompted, enter
admin for the router user name and password for the router password, both in lower case
letters.
Figure 10
Connect to the wireless router by typing any one of these three URLs in the address
field of your browser, then clicking Enter:
• http://www.routerlogin.net
• http://www.routerlogin.com
• http://192.168.1.1
Figure 11
The router user name and password should not be confused with any user name or
password you may use to log in to your Internet connection.

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After logging in, if you see a window with a message about firmware upgrades, click Close
Window.
On the left, click Setup Wizard to view the following screen.
If you cannot connect to the wireless router, verify your computer networking setup. It should
be set to obtain both IP and DNS server addresses automatically, which is usually the case. For
help with this, consult the documentation that came with your computer, or see the links
in“Related Documents”.
5. Click Next. The wizard assists you with configuring your wireless router to access the
Internet.
Advanced users who want to manually configure the router can select the No radio button,
enter admin and password as the user name and password when prompted, and fill in the
required information on the Basic Settings page (for more information about basic settings,
refer to “Product Registration, Support, and Documentation” on page 13).
6. Click Done to finish.
You are now connected to the Internet! The wireless router displays its home page.
If you do not click Logout, the wireless router waits 5 minutes after there is no activity before it
automatically logs you out.
Figure 12

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Product Registration, Support, and Documentation
Register your product at http://www.NETGEAR.com/register. Registration is required before you
can use NETGEAR’s telephone support service. Product updates and Web support are always
available by going to: http://www.NETGEAR.com/support.
Documentation is available on the CD, on the support website, and on the documentation website.
When the wireless router is connected to the Internet, click the Knowledge Base or the
Documentation link under Web Support to view support information or the documentation for the
wireless router.
Accessing the Wireless Router after Installation and
Checking for New Firmware
The Smart Wizard appears only when you first install the router or when the router is in its factory
default state (for example, if you have reset the router to its factory default settings). If you want to
change the settings after installing and configuring your router using the Smart Wizard, you must
open a browser window and log in to the router.
To access the router using its login name and password:
1. Connect to the wireless router by typing http://www.routerlogin.net in the address field of
your browser, and then click Enter.
The factory default state is restored when you use the factory reset button. See “How
Do I Restore the Default Password and Configuration Settings?” on page 24 for more
information about this feature.
Figure 13
You can connect to the wireless router by typing any one of these three URLs in
the address field of your browser, then clicking Enter:
• http://www.routerlogin.net
• http://www.routerlogin.com
• http://192.168.1.1

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2. For security reasons, the router has its own user name and password. When prompted, enter
admin for the router user name and password for the router password, both in lower case
letters.
A login window like the one in the following figure opens:
Enter the user name and password.
To update your router firmware:
1. If the Router Upgrade screen does not display automatically, select Router Upgrade under
Maintenance on the main menu. The Router Upgrade screen displays.
2. Click Browse, and locate the unzipped firmware image that you downloaded to your PC (the
file ends in .img).
The router user name and password should not be confused with any user name or
password you may use to log in to your Internet connection.
Figure 14

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3. Once you have selected the file, click Upload to send the software to the router. The upload
process takes several minutes. When the software upload process is complete, the router
restarts.
4. After the router has restarted, select Router Status under the Maintenance heading. Check the
firmware version to verify that your router now has the new software installed.
If you are unable to successfully upgrade using this method, refer to the online Reference
Manual available through the Documentation link on the router main menu (or through a link
on the Resource CD) for other ways to upgrade the router.
If you selected the No radio button during installation, and want to check for new firmware later,
use the following procedure. Determine the firmware version currently running on your router
before you check for updates on the NETGEAR website. Then go to the NETGEAR website and
select the model number for this router. If a later version of the firmware is available, upload the
firmware to your computer, and upgrade your router.
To manually check for new router firmware:
1. Open a browser window, and type http://www.routerlogin.net in the address field of your
browser. Press Enter.
2. When prompted, enter the default user name and password (admin for the router user name
and password for the router password), both in lowercase letters. If you changed the user
name and password from the defaults, then enter your new user name and password.
3. Select Router Status under Maintenance on the router menu. When the Router Status screen
displays, note the version number of your router firmware.
4. Go to http://www.NETGEAR.com/support,and select Downloads from the menu bar.
5. From the Product Selection drop-down list, select your router model number. The Product
Support page for your router displays.
6. Under Downloads, check the most recent firmware version offered against the firmware
version shown on the Router Status screen.
7. If the version on the NETGEAR website is more recent, click on its version number, then click
Right-click and Save to Download and save the file to a location on your hard disk.
Do not try to go online, turn off the router, shut down the computer, or do
anything else to the router until the router finishes restarting! When the Test
light stops blinking, wait a few seconds more before using the router.

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8. Follow the procedure in “To update your router firmware:” on page 14 to complete the
upgrade process.
Setting Up and Testing Basic Wireless Connectivity
Follow these instructions to set up and test basic wireless connectivity. Once you have established
basic wireless connectivity, you can enable security settings appropriate to your needs.
To set up and test basic wireless connectivity:
1. Log in to the wireless router at its default LAN address of http://Default IP Address
Variable with the default user name of admin and default password of password, or using
whatever LAN address and password you have set up.
2. Click Wireless Settings in the main menu bar of the wireless router.
3. Note that the default SSID is NETGEAR.
4. Set the region, selecting the region in which the wireless interface will operate.
5. To save your changes, click Apply.
6. Configure and test your computers for wireless connectivity.
Program the wireless adapter of your computers to have the same wireless network name
(SSID) as the wireless router. Check that they have a wireless link and are able to obtain an IP
address by DHCP from the Product Family.
The SSID of any wireless adapters must match the SSID you configure in the
wireless router. If they do not match, you will not get a wireless connection.
If you are configuring the Product Family from a wireless computer and you change
the Product Family’s SSID, channel, or security settings, you will lose your
wireless connection when you click Apply. You must then change the wireless
settings of your computer to match the Product Family’s new settings.

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Implementing Appropriate Wireless Security
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 router provides highly effective security features, which are
covered in detail in the full reference manual that is available from a link on the CD as well as a
link in the main menu of your Product Family. Follow the instructions in the full manual and in the
Product Family help screens to implement the security features appropriate to your needs.
Indoors, computers can connect over 802.11g or 802.11n wireless networks at a range
of over 300 feet. Such distances can allow for others outside of your immediate area to
access your network.