NETGEAR Product Training Home Wireless Products

NETGEAR Product TrainingHome Wireless Products

Presented by Hien LyLevel 3, Sr. Tech Support EngineerSeptember 2006

2.© 1996-2006 NETGEAR® . All rights reserved

Agenda

» Part 1• Introduction to NETGEAR Products Line• Home Wireless Products Overview

» How to identify products by part numbers?• Home Wireless Technologies

» IEEE Wireless Standards – 802.11a/b/g/n» Product comparison

• Wireless Troubleshooting Tips & Techniques» Configuration Assistant (CA) Bypass» Maximizing Wireless Range» Troubleshooting Flow overview

» Part 2• Introduction to NETGEAR Storage Central

» SC101 Overview» SC101 Troubleshooting Guide

» Part 3• Brief introduction to NETGEAR Multimedia products

» EVA700» Skype Phone


NETGEAR Product Family

BusinessCarrierHome

Firewall/VPN Routers

Access Points

Multimedia Devices

Powerlines

Print Servers

Ethernet Adapters

Storage Central

Wireless Routers

VoIP

NETGEAR

Ethernet Adapters

Cable/DSL Gateways

Broadband Voice Adapter

Switches


Graphic Source: MS WinHEC 2001

WirelessGame Adapter

Digital Music Player

StorageCentral

VoIP Skype Phone

Digital Entertainer

Internet

RangeMax 240

Wireless Router

WirelessAdapter

NETGEAR Home Products


NETGEAR Home Wireless Routers

Product Description Model No.

RangeMax NEXT 300Mbps Wireless Router Gigabit Edition WNR854T

RangeMax NEXT 270Mbps Wireless Router WNR834M

RangeMax NEXT 270Mbps Wireless Router WNR834B

RangeMax 240 Wireless Router WPNT834

RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824

802.11g Cable/DSL Super G Wireless Firewall WGT624

802.11g Cable/DSL Wireless Router with 4 Port Switch WGR614


NETGEAR Home Gateways

Product Description Model No.RangeMax Next 270Mbps Wireless ADSL2+ Modem Router w/ 4-port

10/100Mbps Switch DG834N

RangeMax 108Mbps Wireless ADSL Modem Router w/ 4-port 10/100Mbps Switch DG834PN

Super G™ 108 Mbps Wireless ADSL2+ Modem Router w/ 4-port 10/100Mbps Switch DG834GT

802.11g 54Mbps Wireless ADSL2+ Modem Router DG834G

ADSL2+ Modem Gateway with 4-port 10/100Mbps Switch DG834

ADSL2+ Modem Gateway with 1.1 USB port DG632


NETGEAR Ethernet Adapters


NETGEAR Ethernet Adapters


NETGEAR Multimedia & VoIP

Product Description Model No.Digital Entertainer EVA700

Skype WiFi Phone SPH101


NETGEAR Powerlines

Product Description Model No.

200Mbps Powerline HD Adapter HDX101

85Mbps Powerline Adapter with 4-port switch XE104

14Mbps Powerline Adapter XE102

54Mbps Powerline Wireless Range Extender WGX102


Print Servers

Wireless Router

PS121

WGPS606

PS110


NETGEAR Storage Central


NETGEAR Access Points


» WAG302 ProSafe Wireless Access Point• IEEE 802.11a/b/g Dual Band – up to 108 Mbps in turbo mode• Integrated IEEE 802.3af Power over Ethernet• SNMP support• Wi-Fi Certified and Plenum-rated

» WG302 ProSafe Wireless Access Point• IEEE 802.11g 54 Mbps – up to 108 Mbps in turbo mode• Integrated IEEE 802.3af Power over Ethernet• SNMP support• Intel ™ “Verified with Centrino”• Wi-Fi Certified and Plenum-rated

» WG102 ProSafe Wireless Access Point• IEEE 802.11g 54 Mbps – up to 108 Mbps in turbo mode • Integrated IEEE 802.3af Power over Ethernet• SNMP support• Wi-Fi Certified and Plenum-rated

» Accessories (Antennas, Cables and clients)• 5, 9 18 dBi antennas (2.4 GHz)• Cable lengths: 1.5m, 3m, 5m & 10m• 802.11a/g PCI and cardbus

NETGEAR Access Points


NETGEAR AP ComparisonFeature WG602 WG102 WG302 WAG302

Avg DMR $79 $129 $249 $300+US LIST PRICE $97 $180 $350 $445

Form Factor Plastic Platinum Case 100-series case 300-series blue case 300-series blue caseAntenna Single detachable 2dBi, no FCC Single detachable 5 dBi, FCC 2 detachable 5 dBi, FCC 2 detachable 5 dBi, FCC

Repeater & Bridge modes yes yes yes yesTurbo 11g no yes yes yes

802.11i WPA2-PSK only yes yes yes802.1x RADIUS no yes yes yes

SNMP 1, 2 & 802.11 no yes yes yesWMM/11eSIP aware no yes yes yes

Block SSID Broadcast no yes yes yesTransmit Power Control no yes yes yes

Load Balancing no yes, v ia controller yes yesRogue AP detection no yes, v ia controller yes yes

Cross Subnet Roaming no yes, v ia controller yes yesMultiple SSID Support no yes, v ia controller yes yes

Remote or Onsite Mangement via FTP no no yes yesSSL/SSH no no yes yes

DHCP Server for WLAN Client no no yes yesAny IP no no yes yes

Simultaneous AP&Bridge mode no no yes yesMAC Address Auth/RADIUS no no yes yes

RADIUS Accounting no no yes yes


Tech Support Tip

» How to identify what type of adapter by its model number?• 111 = USB (i.e.: WG111, WPN111)

» 111 + T = Super G 108Mbps (i.e.: WG111T)

• 121 = USB (new casing – MIMO, N-Draft)» i.e.: WPNT121, WN121T

• 311 = PCI» i.e.: WPN311, WN311T

• 511 = CardBus


Home Wireless Technologies


Wi-Fi Alliance

» Originally the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, WECA• Original members: 3Com, Aironet (now Cisco), Harris Semiconductor (now Intersil),

Lucent (now Agere), Nokia, and Symbol formed in 1999

» Renamed Wi-Fi Alliance in October 2002 is a nonprofit international trade association that developed the Wi-Fi brand in 1999 to certify interoperability of wireless local area network products based on IEEE 802.11 standards.

» Wi-Fi Alliance product certification began in March of 2000. The primary mission of the Wi-Fi Alliance is to assure a positive user experience through product interoperability.


IEEE Description Status

802.11 2.4GHz. Using either Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) or Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS). 2Mbps data rate.

Obsolete.

802.11b 2.4GHz. Current entry level wireless standard based on DSSS. 11 Mbps data rate.

Current industry baseline standard for WLANs.

802.11g 2.4GHz. Most commonly accepted protocol utilizing OFDM and DSSS. 54 Mbps data rate.

Current industry standard. Price point pushing out 802.11b.

802.11a 5GHz. Utilizes OFDM. 54 Mbps data rate. Some acceptance in corporate environments. Current resurge in dual a/g interest.

Pre-N Various vendors working on candidates for 802.11n with 100+ Mbps speeds. However, none have been ratified yet. Airgo and RangeMax. NO GUARANTEE OF 802.11N UPGRADEABILITY.

IEEE has not ratified any of these competing protocols. All are using some form of MIMO.

802.11n Proposed 100+ Mbps IEEE standard. Products with this standard should be software upgradeable when it’s finalized.

802.11n Draft v1.0 has been approved in Jan. 2006 between Atheros, Broadcom & Marvell

802.11 Variants


802.11 Extended Protocol Layer

» Wi-Fi news• WMM – Wi-Fi Multimedia

» Subset of the 802.11e QoS protocol• WPA2 (AES support)

» Update to WPA for the ratified 802.11i security protocol. Certifications began in September 2004.

• WEP» Considered being dropped from Wi-Fi Certification requirements

IEEE Description Status

802.11i Security: WiFi Certified - WPA2, adds hardware-based AES encryption

Ratified in June 2005.

802.11e Quality of Service (QoS) standard for data, voice, and video applications.

Ratified and expected in some Netgear products (WG302, WAG302)

802.11s Mesh Networking Not yet official, estimated ratification: Jan ‘07


Wi-Fi Multimedia -- WMMVoice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video streaming, and interactive gaming are highly sensitive to latency increases and throughput reductions, and require QoS.

To meet this need, the Wi-Fi Alliance started interoperability certification for WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) as a profile of the upcoming IEEE 802.11e QoS extensions for 802.11 networks. WMM prioritizes traffic demands from different applications and extends Wi-Fi’s high quality end-user experience from data connectivity to voice, music, and video applications under a wide variety of environment and traffic conditions. WMM defines four access categories (voice, video, best effort, and background) that are used to prioritize traffic so that these applications have access to the necessary network resources. Additionally, WMM-enabled Wi-Fi networks concurrently support legacy devices that lack WMM functionality. The WMM best effort access category and legacy devices transmit with the same priority.

From http://www.wi-fi.org/membersonly/getfile.asp?f=WMM_QoS_whitepaper.pdf


IEEE, 802.11, and Technology

» The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ratified the original 802.11 specification in 1997 as the the first internationally sanctioned standard for wireless LANs. That version of 802.11 provided for 1 Mbps and 2 Mbps data rates and a set of fundamental signaling methods and other services.

» The 802.11 standards focus on the bottom two levels of the ISO model, the physical layer and data link layer. Most LAN applications, network operating system, or protocol, including TCP/IP and Novell NetWare, will run on an 802.11-compliant WLAN as easily as they run over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)


The 802.11b Standard

» The basic architecture, features, and services of 802.11b are defined by the original 802.11 standard. The 802.11b specification affects only the physical layer, adding higher data rates and more robust connectivity.

» IEEE ratified the 802.11b standard (also known as 802.11 High Rate) for transmissions of up to 11 Mbps.

» 802.11b cards can operate at 11 Mbit/s, but will scale back to 5.5, then 2, then 1 Mbit/s. Since the lower data rates use less complex and more redundant methods of encoding the data, they are less susceptible to corruption due to interference and signal attenuation.


802.11b+

» Extensions have been made to the 802.11b protocol (e.g., channel bonding and burst transmission techniques) in order to increase speed to 22, 33, and 44 Mbit/s, but the extensions are proprietary and have not been endorsed by the IEEE. Many companies call enhanced versions "802.11b+". These extensions have been largely obviated by the development of 802.11g, which has data rates up to 54 Mbit/s and is backwards-compatible with 802.11b.


The 802.11a Standard

» Another extension to 802.11 that provides up to 54 Mbps in the 5GHz band.

» Uses an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) encoding scheme rather than FHSS or DSSS.

» Not widely accepted due to being released in the same timeframe as 802.11g, and unlike 802.11g, 802.11a is NOT compatible with 802.11b

» Good alternative for areas with a high number of 802.11g devices. 5GHz band is well above the 2.4GHz range and less prone to interference.

• 5.8GHz cordless phones may cause some interference.


802.11a

» Since the 2.4 GHz band is heavily used, using the 5 GHz band gives 802.11a the advantage of less interference.

» 5GHz (802.11a) cannot penetrate as far as 2.4GHz (802.11b or g) since it is absorbed more readily by obstructions, other things (such as power) being equal.

» 5Ghz restricts the use of 802.11a to almost line of sight, necessitating the use of more access points


The 802.11g Standard

» In June 2003, a third modulation standard was ratified: 802.11g

» Uses the 2.4 GHz band (like 802.11b)

» Maximum raw data rate of 54 Mbit/s, or about 24.7 Mbit/s net throughput like 802.11a.

» It is fully backwards compatible with b and uses the same frequencies.

» Note:The presence of an 802.11b participant significantly reduces the speed of an 802.11g network.


802.11g

» While 802.11g held the promise of higher throughput, actual results were mitigated by a number of factors:

• Conflict with 802.11b-only devices• Exposure to the same interference sources as 802.11b, • Limited channelization (only 3 fully non-overlapping channels like

802.11b)• Higher data rates of 802.11g are often more susceptible to

interference than 802.11b, causing the 802.11g device to reduce the data rate to effectively the same rates used by 802.11b


802.11g – Super G

» Boost network speeds up to 108 Mbit/s by using channel bonding.

• Requires specific hardware• May not be interoperable between vendors at 108 Mbps speeds,

but 54 Mbps works• Even more susceptible to interference in the 2.4GHz range

• Wi-Fi Certification now requires removal of the Static 108 feature, but still allows for Auto 108.


What is Pre-N? 802.11n Candidates

» MIMO technology has become the widely accepted technology to drive future innovation in the future.

• Nearly all Wi-Fi companies have committed MIMO to their roadmap• A new task group (802.11n) has formed to improve Wi-Fi performance

and enable new applications • The key element of all the main proposals is MIMO

» The 802.11 standards process will take several years. In the meantime many OEMs and virtually all major chipset companies intend to develop pre-standard “Pre-N” versions of MIMO products.

» As with “Pre-G”, companies who take the lead in the “Pre-N” market segment will lead in the 802.11n market


The 802.11n Standard – N-Draft v1.0

» 802.11n draft v1.0 approved in January 2006• Allows interoperability between different vendors to support 100+Mbps• NETGEAR Products with Broadcom and Marvell chipsets are compatible

with other vendor 802.11n products to support up to 270Mbps

» Software upgradeability to IEEE ratified 802.11n is now possible

» Backward compatibility with 802.11b/g • Adaptive Channel Expansion to dynamically expand to 40Mhz channel

instead of 20Mhz for higher speeds» 20Mhz – 145 / 130 / 116 / 87 /58 / 43 / 29 / 22 / 14 / 7Mbps» 40Mhz – 300 / 270 / 240 / 180 / 150 / 135 / 120 /90 / 60 / 45 / 30 / 15Mbps

» Many competing vendors• Currently: Atheros, Broadcom and Marvell

» Still based on MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) technologies.


What is MIMO?

» MIMO is an acronym for Multiple In Multiple Out/

» Multiple data streams are simultaneously sent and received wirelessly across a single 20 Mhz channel


MIMO vs Traditional 802.11g


What is RangeMax™?

» RangeMax™ is an advanced Smart MIMO (Multi-In, Multi-Out) technology that uses seven internal antennas.

» RangeMax™ constantly surveys your home environment for physical barriers and interference and adjusts the wireless signal to compensate

» RangeMax™ automatically senses changes in the network and selects from 126 possible antenna configurations to deliver the best throughput at range


What is RangeMax™ NEXT?


What is Smart Internal Antennas?

» Smart antennas are factory tuned and configured for optimal performance

» Internal antennas are protected from damage and mis-alignment» Smart internal antennas take the guesswork out of set-up» MIMO based technology

• MIMO (Multiple-In, Multiple-Out), which has been used interchangeably with "Smart Antenna", is a broad term that describes an approach that uses multiple antennas and advanced signal processing to manage multipath interference to increase performance and range in a wireless environment.


Adapts to Interferences on-the-fly


Speed and Range Compared to 802.11g


Home Wireless Technology Summary


802.11 Standard Summary

» 802.11b • Maximum rate = 11Mbps (typical 6Mbps)• 2.4Ghz Frequency using DSSS Modulation• Maximum range = ~100ft @ 11Mbps, ~300ft @ 1Mbps• 3 non-overlapping channels

» 802.11g• Maximum rate = 54Mbps (typical 25Mbps)• 2.4Ghz Frequency using OFDM Modulation• Maximum range = ~100ft @ 54Mbps, ~300ft @ 6Mbps• 3 non-overlapping channels

» 802.11a• Maximum rate = 54Mbps (typical 25Mbps)• 5Ghz Frequency using OFDM Modulation• Maximum range = ~80ft @ 54Mbps, ~250ft @ 6Mbps• 8 non-overlapping channels

» 802.11n (Draft v1.0)• Maximum rate = 300Mbps (typical 97Mbps – NETGEAR WNR854T)• 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz using OFDM Modulation• Maximum range = ~100ft @ 300Mbps, ~200ft @ 7Mbps• 3 non-overlapping channels


Wireless Routers Troubleshooting Tips

» How to bypass Configuration Assistant (CA)?» Factors Affecting Wireless

• Range» Locations & Distances» How to Maximize Range?

• Powerline Wireless Range Extender

• Speed» Interferers» How to improve performance?

» Understanding Data Rate vs. Throughput» Maximizing Interoperability» Security

• SSID• MAC Address Control List (ACL)• Encryption

» How to use a router as an AP?


» Useful DOS troubleshooting commands• ipconfig/all• Tracert

» Find out where a packet stopped on the network

• netstat –a» Displays active TCP session on your PC

• netstat –rn / route print» Displays all the routes from point A to point B

• arp -a• ping

» ping –l» ping –t» ping time / TTL

Wireless Routers Troubleshooting Tips


NETGEAR Standard Login

» http://www.routerlogin.com» http://www.routerlogin.net» http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1

Username: adminPassword: password


Avoiding the Browser Hi-jack» Older routers (i.e.: MR814v2, WGR614v5)

• http://www.routerlogin.com/basicsetting.htm• Click Apply• Wireless radio will not be enabled if Apply is not checked, even if

no settings are changed» Newer routers (i.e.: WGR614v6, WGT624v3, WPN824, etc…)

• http://www.routerlogin.com/CA_HiddenPage.htm• Select “Disable”



Factors that Affect Range» Distance between connections

• Antenna power is radiated in 3 dimensions – in order to double the range, you must cube the power or use directional antennas.

• 100mW range = 1000 ft, 200mW, 1,260 ft» Clear Channel Selection» Antenna Size & Location» Signal Absorbing Materials

• Buildings with metal construction, or foil back insulation• Metal studs in walls• Live foliage (trees)• Humid Air/Fog• Anything with metal, water or other conductive material

» Transmit power» Receiver Sensitivity

• The more sensitive, the more it will pick up background signals on the same frequency


How to Maximize Wireless Range

» Place the router high to avoid people traffic» Keep away from cordless phones -- base and handsets» Avoid flat metal surfaces» Keep away from Cathode Ray Tubes -- CRT monitors, televisions» Avoid the kitchen

• Microwaves, refrigerators, reflective surfaces» Use “G-Only” or “N Only” setting if possible

• Mixed B+G WLANs have reduced performance

» WPN824• Raise the router 3-5” using cardboard -- some surfaces may

reduce the range


kid’s room

family room

kitchenhome office

Internet

Any brand’s 11b or 11g Wireless or Wired Router

Wall-Plugged Wireless Range Extender Kit (WGXB102 = WGX102 + XE102)

HomePlug Powerline + 54 Mbps 11g Wireless AP

Wall Plug Ethernet Bridge (XE102)

Wall Plug + 54Mbps 11g Access Point

(WGX102)

Wireless anywhere for existing Home Networks

Universal Wireless Range Extender Works with any vendors’ wireless or wired router & home network!

Any vendors wired or wireless router!

Digital Entertainer (EVA700)


» Multiple factors affect RF performance Path Loss• Diverse floor plans• Different building materials• No control over antenna placements• In-band interferers• Microwaves, cordless phones (Channels 1,6,11)• Multi-path

» Traffic patterns» AC Units, Ceiling fans, ETC

Factors that Affect Performance


VPN Passthrough

Some basic VPN issues can be resolved with the following settings:

Note: Each PC must access a different VPN server» Router Settings

• MTU 1458• Disable SPI firewall• Static DNS – router and PC• DMZ – only good for one PC

» PC/VPN Client• Check the client log• Lower MTU 1400-1458• Disable PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy) in the VPN Client


Data Rate vs. Throughput

Data Rate Actual Throughput» 1 Mbps <500KBps» 2 Mbps 1 Mbps» 5.5 Mbps 2-3 Mbps» 11 Mbps 4-5 Mbps» 54 Mbps 16-25 Mbps» 108 Mbps 50-60 Mbps» 270 Mbps 80-90 Mbps


Maximize Wireless Interoperability

» If an incompatibility between another vendor’s wireless device is suspected:

• Does it work with another wireless router or AP?• Disable any encryption• Disable Access Control List• Enable SSID broadcast• Set Router/AP for B+G


Optional: Recommended Security Options» Change the default router login password

• Have the customer write it on the router• Do this at the end of the call

» Change the default SSID• Confirm wireless network works first

» Disable SSID broadcast• Confirm wireless network works with broadcast ENABLED first

» Use WPA-PSK encryption if possible• Easier to configure than WEP and more secure• Slight performance hit, but most people won’t notice• Easiest for Macintosh Airport Extreme users

» Access List / MAC address filtering • MAC address filtering

» Disable Remote Management


Wireless Security - Encryption

» 802.11 standard has several security flaws -• Lack of central key management• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) has vulnerabilities (collision,

weak key, MAC spoofing, vulnerable to DoS)» Current alternatives -

• 802.1x – focused more on enterprise level business» Central key management and authentication, but requires a RADIUS

server

• Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) introduced to fix current WEP vulnerabilities

• WPA-PSK – no external authentication server required• WPA2 and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

» Stronger and more secure encryption schemes


802.1x» 802.1x is not a single authentication method; rather it utilizes EAP as its authentication

framework. This means that 802.1x-enabled switches and access points can support a wide variety of authentication methods, including certificate-based authentication, smart cards, token cards, one-time passwords, and so on. 802.1x supports open standards for authentication, authorization, and accounting (including RADIUS and LDAP), so it works with existing infrastructure for managing remote and mobile users. Combined with an authentication protocol,such as EAP-TLS, LEAP, or EAP-TTLS, 802.1x provides port-based access control and mutual authentication between clients and access points via an authentication server.


Wi-Fi Protected Access, Pre-shared Key (WPA-PSK)» Subset of the 802.11i security standard» RC4 Cipher» MIC – Message » TKIP – Temporal Key Interchange Protocol» IV – Initialization Vector» Extremely simple to configure compared to WEP and WPA. WPA2-

PSK also available» Only a passphrase needs to be configured (case sensitive)» Some routers have a “rekey” timer: usually 1 hour

• TKIP changes the key based on this timer.• Hackers must be able to break the key within this time period

which is extremely difficult to do given the 256-bit key length


» WiFi Alliance Certified Implementation of 802.11i» WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) puts the industry two generations

beyond WEP» RC4 Cipher» Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

• Hardware based offers better performance than TKIP• Older hardware may not be able to upgrade to WPA2

» WPA2 provides government grade security by implementing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FIPS 140-2 compliant AES encryption algorithm

» WPA2 is backwards compatible with WPA» The primary difference between WPA and WPA2 is the type of

encryption used – TKIP and AES respectively

Wi-Fi Protected Access v2, Pre-shared Key (WPA2-PSK)


Wireless Router as Access Point Configuration

Questions and Answers Session

Documents

NETGEAR Product Training Home Wireless Products