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The descriptions in the table (not the settings onscreen) apply to both the Advanced
Wireless Settings (2.4GHz b/g/n) section and the Advanced Wireless Settings
(5GHz 802.11a/n/ac) section.

Description

Field

The fragmentation length (the default is 2346), CTS/RTS threshold (the default is

2347), and the preamble mode (the default is Automatic) are reserved for WiFi

testing and advanced configuration only. Do not change these settings unless

directed by NETGEAR support or unless you are sure what the consequences are.

Incorrect settings might disable the WiFi function of the AP unexpectedly.

Fragmentation

Length (256-2346)

CTS/RTS Threshold

(1-2347)

Preamble Mode

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Set up a WiFi distribution system

The AP can function as a WiFi base station or a WiFi repeater in a WiFi distribution
system (WDS). A WDS expands a WiFi network through multiple access points. The AP
supports both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations.

A WiFi base station connects to the Internet, wired and WiFi clients can connect to the
base station, and the base station sends its WiFi signal to one or more access points
that function as WiFi repeaters. Wired and WiFi clients can also connect to a WiFi
repeater, but the repeater connects to the Internet through the WiFi base station. The
following figure shows a WiFi repeating scenario with a WiFi base station on the left
side and a single WiFi repeater on the right side.

User Manual

76

Manage the Advanced WiFi
Features

802.11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC104

Summary of Contents for WAC104

Page 1: ...User Manual 802 11ac Wireless Access Point Model WAC104 NETGEAR Inc 350 E Plumeria Drive July 2021 San Jose CA 95134 USA 202 11698 05...

Page 2: ...rivacy Policy visit https www netgear com about privacy policy By using this device you are agreeing to NETGEAR s Terms and Conditions at https www netgear com about terms and conditions If you do not...

Page 3: ...s for troubleshooting on page 83 Power LED remains blinking green on page 85 Troubleshoot the WiFi connectivity on page 86 Troubleshoot Internet browsing on page 87 and You cannot log in to the AP s l...

Page 4: ...ver Ethernet using a directly connected computer 23 Find the IP address of the AP when you cannot use aplogin net 24 Log in to the AP after you complete the initial log in process 26 Change the langua...

Page 5: ...he AP and the IP and WiFi settings 61 View the traffic statistics 64 Change the traffic statistics polling frequency 65 View or clear the logs 66 Chapter 5 Manage the Advanced WiFi Features Add a WiFi...

Page 6: ...th from your computer to a remote device 90 Appendix A Factory Default Settings and Technical Specifications Factory default settings 92 Technical specifications 93 6 802 11ac Wireless Access Point Mo...

Page 7: ...are version earlier than version 1 0 4 15 and you do not update to version 1 0 4 15 or a later version see the old user manual which you can download by visiting netgear com support download However w...

Page 8: ...support Firmware updates with new features and bug fixes are made available from time to time at downloadcenter netgear com You can check for and download new firmware manually If the features or beh...

Page 9: ...for firmware versions earlier than version 1 0 4 15 User manual for firmware versions earlier than version 1 0 4 15 Data sheet Unpack the AP The package contains the AP Ethernet cable power adapter lo...

Page 10: ...upplied to the AP Power Solid green Wi Fi Protected Setup is ready for use By default the WPS LED is off Blinking green for two minutes Someone pressed the WPS button on the AP to join the WiFi networ...

Page 11: ...outer network switch or network hub see Set up and connect the AP to your router on page 17 You can use the other LAN ports to connect the AP to Ethernet devices such as a printer and desktop computer...

Page 12: ...Fi passphrase The following figure is an example The label on your AP might look differently Figure 5 AP label If the label does not show the defaults SSIDs and default WiFi passphrase use the followi...

Page 13: ...duct Before connecting the product to outdoor cables or wired outdoor devices see https kb netgear com 000057103 for additional safety and warranty information Failure to follow these guidelines can r...

Page 14: ...ug any system and peripheral power cables into properly grounded power outlets If applicable to your product the peripheral power cables are equipped with three prong plugs to help ensure proper groun...

Page 15: ...out logging in to the local browser UI Connect and log in to the AP for initial configuration Find the IP address of the AP when you cannot use aplogin net Log in to the AP after you complete the init...

Page 16: ...our AP Place your AP so that you can connect it with an Ethernet cable to your router and within reach of an AC power outlet Place the AP near the center of the area where your computers and other dev...

Page 17: ...P s LAN and WiFi clients which receive an IP address from or through the router The easiest way to set up and start using the AP is to connect it to your router If your network includes an independent...

Page 18: ...browser UI IMPORTANT The steps to log in to the local browser user interface UI of your AP depend on the firmware version that your AP is running The steps in this manual apply only if you update you...

Page 19: ...ou can connect to the AP Connect over WiFi using a computer or mobile device on page 19 Connect over Ethernet using a computer connected to the same network on page 21 Connect over Ethernet using a di...

Page 20: ...ess the WPS button on the back panel of the AP c Within two minutes on your computer or mobile device press its physical WPS button or click its onscreen WPS button Your computer or mobile device conn...

Page 21: ...e AP using the new SSID and passphrase 9 Log back in to the local browser UI using your new admin password The Home page displays The IP Settings pane shows the IP address that is assigned to the AP 1...

Page 22: ...ime that you log in to the local browser user interface UI 4 Set up a new admin password also called the local device password and specify answers to two security questions you can choose the question...

Page 23: ...92 168 0 100 in the address bar A login window displays 5 Enter the AP user name and password The user name is admin The default password is password The user name and password are case sensitive The...

Page 24: ...connected to the AP network even it is on the same network as the AP Your computer or mobile device is directly connected to the AP but the AP is using a static IP address Note If the AP can reach it...

Page 25: ...through an Ethernet cable or over WiFi to the AP and send a ping to www aplogin net How to send a ping depends on your computer or mobile device On your computer or mobile device the field with the p...

Page 26: ...etwork or LAN Connect to the same network that the AP is connected to 2 Launch a web browser and enter http www aplogin net or aplogin net in the address field Instead if you are connected to same net...

Page 27: ...1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect directly to the AP s WiFi network or LAN Connect to the same network that the AP is connected to 2 Launch a web...

Page 28: ...ust the daylight saving time setting 1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect directly to the AP s WiFi network or LAN Connect to the same network that t...

Page 29: ...local browser UI to view or manage the AP s settings For information about logging in to the AP s local browser UI see Log in to the AP after you complete the initial log in process on page 26 Join a...

Page 30: ...to connect a device to the WiFi network of the AP 1 Make sure that the AP is receiving power its Power LED is lit and that the WiFi radios are on the WiFi LED is lit 2 Check the WPS instructions for...

Page 31: ...le to one of the numbered Ethernet ports on the AP You can use any of the four LAN ports on the AP Note You can also connect the computer to a switch or hub that is connected to one of the LAN ports o...

Page 32: ...Advanced WiFi Features on page 68 Tip If you want to change the settings of the AP s WiFi network use a wired connection to avoid being disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect The chapter...

Page 33: ...to avoid being disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect To view or change the basic WiFi settings 1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect di...

Page 34: ...region because it is preset Note Make sure the country is set to the location where the device is operating The customer is responsible for complying within the local regional and national regulations...

Page 35: ...the network but limits 802 11n devices to functioning at up to 145 Mbps Up to 300 Mbps Performance mode This mode allows 802 11n 802 11g and 802 11b devices to join the network and allows 802 11n devi...

Page 36: ...vices select WPA PSK TKIP WPA2 PSK AES security If you change the passphrase in the Passphrase field enter a phrase of 8 to 63 characters To join the AP s WiFi network a user must enter this passphras...

Page 37: ...to 400 Mbps Neighbor friendly mode for reduced interference with neighboring WiFi networks This mode allows 802 11ac 802 11n and 802 11a devices to join the network but limits 802 11ac devices to func...

Page 38: ...2 to join the AP s 5 GHz WiFi network However WPA PSK TKIP is less secure than WPA2 PSK AES and limits the speed of WiFi devices to 54 Mbps To use this type of security in the Passphrase field enter a...

Page 39: ...o 54 Mbps the AP is capable of speeds of up 300 Mbps in the 2 4 GHz band Tip If you want to change the WiFi settings of the AP s network use a wired connection to avoid being disconnected when the new...

Page 40: ...ecify the active key by selecting the Key 1 Key 2 Key 3 or Key 4 radio button Only one key can be the active key To join the AP s WiFi network a user must enter the key value for the key that you spec...

Page 41: ...enterprise level method for centralized Authentication Authorization and Accounting AAA management To enable the AP to provide WPA and WPA2 Enterprise WiFi security the WiFi network that the AP provi...

Page 42: ...Encryption Mode menu select the enterprise mode WPA TKIP WPA2 AES This type of security enables WiFi devices that support either WPA or WPA2 to join the AP s WiFi network This is the default mode WPA...

Page 43: ...etwork selection in your WiFi enabled computer or mobile device to match the current settings for your network Does your WiFi device display as an attached device See View devices on the network on pa...

Page 44: ...nds to turn the WiFi radios back on To enable or disable the WiFi radios 1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect directly to the AP s WiFi network or LA...

Page 45: ...Hz a n ac section or both sections Turn off the radio Clear the Enable Radio check box The WiFi LED turns off Turn on the radio Select the Enable Radio check box The WiFi LED lights solid green 6 Clic...

Page 46: ...of the AP Manage the configuration file of the AP Change the local device password Enable password recovery or change the recovery questions Recover the local device admin password Return the AP to i...

Page 47: ...nually update the firmware see below In that situation we recommend that you use a wired connection to the AP Wired connection from a computer If you are connected over an Ethernet cable to a LAN port...

Page 48: ...ts new firmware if any is available and displays a message asking if you want to download and install it 6 To download and install the new firmware click the Yes button The AP locates the firmware dow...

Page 49: ...er and enter http www aplogin net or aplogin net in the address field Instead if you are connected to same network as the AP enter the LAN IP address that is assigned to the AP For information about f...

Page 50: ...r or restore it Back up the settings You can save a copy of the current configuration settings If necessary you can restore the configuration settings later To back up the AP s configuration settings...

Page 51: ...d if you are connected to same network as the AP enter the LAN IP address that is assigned to the AP For information about finding the IP address see Find the IP address of the AP when you cannot use...

Page 52: ...characters To change the password for the user name admin for login to the local browser UI of the AP 1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect directly t...

Page 53: ...in process you can enable it If you did enable password recovery you change the password recovery questions To enable password recovery or change the password recovery questions 1 Connect your compute...

Page 54: ...AN Connect to the same network that the AP is connected to 2 Launch a web browser and enter www aplogin net in the address field Instead if you are connected to same network as the AP enter the LAN IP...

Page 55: ...ettings you can use either the Reset button on the back of the AP or the Erase function However if you cannot find the IP address or lost the password to access the AP you must use the Reset button Af...

Page 56: ...LAN Connect to the same network that the AP is connected to 2 Launch a web browser and enter http www aplogin net or aplogin net in the address field Instead if you are connected to same network as t...

Page 57: ...gure a static IP address or reenable the DHCP client of the AP To change the IP settings of the AP 1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect directly to t...

Page 58: ...lds Enable the DHCP client by selecting the Get dynamically from existing router radio button 6 Click the Apply button Your settings are saved and the AP restarts After the AP becomes available again...

Page 59: ...o same network as the AP enter the LAN IP address that is assigned to the AP For information about finding the IP address see Find the IP address of the AP when you cannot use aplogin net on page 24 A...

Page 60: ...rvice set identifier BSSID which is the MAC address of the radio to which the WiFi device is connected BSSID The service set identifier SSID or WiFi network name that the WiFi device is using SSID The...

Page 61: ...are connected to same network as the AP enter the LAN IP address that is assigned to the AP For information about finding the IP address see Find the IP address of the AP when you cannot use aplogin...

Page 62: ...This address is also the BSSID of the 5 GHz radio This address does not change Wireless MAC Address for 5 GHz The country and region in which the AP is being used For more information see see Manage t...

Page 63: ...or the 2 4 GHz band of the WiFi network SSID The WiFi Mbps settings that the 2 4 GHz band of the WiFi network uses Mode Displays whether the 2 4 GHz band of the WiFi network broadcasts its SSID Broadc...

Page 64: ...es of the repeaters display View the traffic statistics You can view the traffic statistics for the ports of the AP To view the traffic statistics for the ports of the AP 1 Connect your computer or mo...

Page 65: ...he number of packets that collided on this port since reset or manual clear Collisions The detected rate of packet transmission in bytes per second on this port Tx B s The detected rate of packet rece...

Page 66: ...ssword is case sensitive The Home page displays 4 Select Administration Status The page displays the traffic statistics 5 To change the polling frequency do the following a In the Poll Interval field...

Page 67: ...case sensitive The Home page displays 4 Select Administration Logs The Logs page displays The page shows the current time and for each log entry the following information Action The action that occurr...

Page 68: ...you want to change the settings of the AP s WiFi network use a wired connection to avoid being disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect The chapter includes the following sections Add a WiF...

Page 69: ...chedule for a WiFi band 1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect directly to the AP s WiFi network or LAN Connect to the same network that the AP is conn...

Page 70: ...ring which you want to turn off the WiFi signal and specify whether the schedule is recurrent 8 Click the Apply button Your settings are saved the Advanced Wireless Settings page displays again and th...

Page 71: ...ght find it in the system information of the device or you might be able to display it by using the network configuration utility of the device To add WiFi devices to the access control list and enabl...

Page 72: ...the WiFi device does not show on the Available Wireless Client List enter the device name in the Device Name field and the MAC address in the MAC Address field 8 Click the Add button The WiFi device...

Page 73: ...e WPS settings 1 Connect your computer or mobile device to the AP in one of the following ways Connect directly to the AP s WiFi network or LAN Connect to the same network that the AP is connected to...

Page 74: ...e 5 GHz band or for both bands By default the Keep Existing Wireless Settings check boxes are selected We recommend that you leave these check boxes selected If you clear the check box for a band the...

Page 75: ...address field Instead if you are connected to same network as the AP enter the LAN IP address that is assigned to the AP For information about finding the IP address see Find the IP address of the AP...

Page 76: ...y button Your settings are saved Set up a WiFi distribution system The AP can function as a WiFi base station or a WiFi repeater in a WiFi distribution system WDS A WDS expands a WiFi network through...

Page 77: ...from its local WiFi or wired computers to a remote access point To configure this mode you must know the MAC address of the remote parent access point By default the AP functions in dual band concurr...

Page 78: ...e LAN IP address that is assigned to the AP For information about finding the IP address see Find the IP address of the AP when you cannot use aplogin net on page 24 A login window displays 3 Enter th...

Page 79: ...WiFi repeater Use a wired Ethernet connection to set up a repeater unit to avoid conflicts with the WiFi connection to the base station If you are using the AP as the base station with a non NETGEAR A...

Page 80: ...AP local device password The local device password is the one that you specified The local device password is case sensitive The Home page displays 4 Make sure that the WiFi settings match the require...

Page 81: ...MAC address of the AP that functions as the base station 10 Click the Apply button Your settings are saved 11 Verify connectivity across the LANs If the configuration is set up correctly a computer o...

Page 82: ...ectivity Troubleshoot Internet browsing You cannot log in to the AP s local browser UI Changes are not saved Troubleshoot your network using the ping utility IMPORTANT The AP provides WiFi and LAN con...

Page 83: ...ing Make sure that the WiFi LED on the AP is not off If the WiFi LED is off both WiFi radios are probably off too For more information about the WiFi radios see Control the WiFi radios on page 43 Make...

Page 84: ...u cannot access the Internet from a device that is connected to the AP try the following Make sure that one of the AP s LAN ports is connected to a router in your network Do not connect the AP directl...

Page 85: ...d finally turns solid green and remains that way indicating that the startup procedure is complete and the AP is ready During operation the only time that the Power LED might be blinking green is when...

Page 86: ...the AP If the WiFi LED is off both WiFi radios are probably off too For more information about the WiFi radios see Control the WiFi radios on page 43 If you disabled the AP s SSID broadcast your WiFi...

Page 87: ...connected to the Internet outlet Make sure your Internet service provider ISP is not experiencing an outage Your computer might not recognize any DNS server addresses A DNS server is a host on the Int...

Page 88: ...net URL for initial configuration For more information see Return the AP to its factory default settings on page 55 and Factory default settings on page 92 Make sure that Java JavaScript or ActiveX i...

Page 89: ...s are lost Click the Refresh or Reload button in the web browser It is possible that the changes occurred but that the old settings remain in the web browser s cache Troubleshoot your network using th...

Page 90: ...correct and that the addresses are in the same subnet Test the path from your computer to a remote device After you verify that the LAN path works correctly test the path from your computer to a remot...

Page 91: ...y Default Settings and Technical Specifications This appendix includes the following sections Factory default settings Technical specifications Note In this appendix we refer to the access point as th...

Page 92: ...settings Enabled Note The AP functions as a bridge between its WiFi and LAN clients and the router in your network The AP does not provide routing services such as NAT and a DHCP server DHCP client Wi...

Page 93: ...he WPS settings on page 73 AP s PIN Enabled Keep Existing Wireless Settings Technical specifications The following table shows the technical specifications of the AP Table 3 WAC104 AP specifications D...

Page 94: ...ts 64 Maximum number of 5 GHz WiFi clients 64 Even though each individual radio can support 64 clients the total number of clients that the AP can support is 64 For example 44 clients on the 2 4 GHz r...

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