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NETGEAR ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point WG302v2 Reference Manual
2-12 Basic Installation and Configuration
v1.0, May 2006
– If you use 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 five channels (for example, use channels 1 and 6, or 6 and 11).
– In “Infrastructure” mode, wireless stations normally scan all channels, looking for an
access point. If more than one access point can be used, the one with the strongest signal is
used. This can only happen when the access points use the same SSID.
To learn more about wireless channels, see Appendix A, “Related Documents for information
about online resources.
• Data Rate. Shows the available transmit data rate of the wireless network. The default is Best.
• Output Power. Set the transmit signal strength of the access point (AP). The options are Full,
Half, Quarter, Eighth, and Min. Decrease the transmit power if two or more APs are close
together and use the same channel frequency. The default is Full.
Understanding WG302v2 Wireless Security Options
Your wireless data transmissions can be received well beyond your walls by anyone with a
compatible adapter. For this reason, use the security features of your wireless equipment. The
ProSafe 802.11g 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 restrict access to only trusted PCs so that
unknown PCs cannot wirelessly connect to the WG302v2. MAC address filtering adds an
obstacle against unwanted access to your network, but the data broadcast over the wireless link
is fully exposed.
• 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 the wireless
network ‘discovery’ feature of some products such as Windows XP, but the data is still fully
exposed to a determined person using specialized test equipment like wireless sniffers.
• Use WEP. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) data encryption provides data security. WEP
Shared Key authentication and WEP data encryption will block all but the most determined
eavesdropper.
• Use IEEE 802.1x. IEEE 802.1x is the standard for passing the Extensible Authentication
Protocol (EAP) over an 802.11 wireless network using a protocol called EAP Encapsulation
Over LANs (EAPOL). This is a newer, more secure standard than Static WEP.