NETGEAR WAG102 Network Router User Manual


 
Reference Manual for the NETGEAR ProSafe Dual Band Wireless Access Point WAG102
3-16 Basic Installation and Configuration
v1.0, September 2005
A group of wireless stations and multiple access points, all using the same ID (ESSID),
form an Extended Service Set (ESS).
Different access points within an ESS can use different channels. To reduce interference, it
is recommended that adjacent access points should use different channels.
As wireless stations physically move through the area covered by an ESS, they will
automatically change to the access point which has the least interference or best
performance. This capability is called roaming.
Broadcast Wireless Network Name (SSID): If set to Yes, the Wireless Access Point will
broadcast its SSID, allowing Wireless Stations that have a "null" (blank) SSID to adopt the
correct SSID. If set to No, the SSID is not broadcast. The default is Yes.
Operating Mode: Select the desired wireless operating mode. The options are:
Auto (11g/11b) – Both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless stations can be supported. This is the
default.
11g Only – Only 802.11g wireless stations can be used.
11b Only – All 802.11b wireless stations can be used. 802.11g wireless stations can still be
used if they can operate in 802.11b mode.
Channel/Frequency: Select the channel you wish to use on your wireless LAN. The wireless
channel in use will be between 1 to 11 for US and Canada, 1 to 13 for Europe and Australia.
The default is Auto.
It should not be necessary to change the wireless channel unless you experience interference
(shown by lost connections and/or slow data transfers). Should this happen, you may need to
experiment with different channels to see which is the best. See “Wireless Communications:”
in Appendix B for more information on wireless channels.
Access points use a fixed channel. You can select the channel used. This allows you to
choose a channel which provides the least interference and best performance. In the USA
and Canada, 11 channels are available.
If using multiple access points, it is better if adjacent access points use different 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).
Note: Channel 6 is required for 108 Mbps data rate.