Troubleshooting Access Points

These instructions are not relevant if:

• You have no Internet connection, even when not using the wireless equipment. (See Troubleshooting When There is No Internet Access.)
• You can access some Internet programs, but not others. (See Cannot Log on to AOL or MTU, Partial Loss of Internet Connection, and Performance.)

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Go to this page, and in the dropdown with "Select Any Product" choose your access point. A Support Product Page displays. In the "Downloads" box, select the highest numbered firmware, and download it, if you haven't already updated your firmware.

Follow These Troubleshooting Steps

1) If the Power light is not on, make sure the power cable is plugged in. If it's plugged in, and there's no light, phone Customer Support.

2) If the Ethernet light is not on, then make sure you are using the NETGEAR-supplied cables, and that both ends are pushed completely in. If the light comes on, then check your access point connection, now.

3) Each piece of wireless equipment must have these items set to the same value:

• SSID's are case sensitive — use the same capitals in each SSID. Recently the default value for NETGEAR equipment changed from "wireless" to "NETGEAR", so you may need to change from the default to make all your wireless equipment match.
• Enable wireless access point. (Check the checkbox.)
• Channel.
• WEP or WPA encryption. See What is WEP Encryption for Wireless Networks? for information that's slightly more complete than the manuals.
• Mode (infrastructure or ad hoc).
• If access control list (ACL) is turned on: Make sure that the MAC addresses of the wireless cards are present in the router's access list.

Check your access point connection, now.

4) If you are not connected through the access point, then reset it to its default settings. Else go to Step 5. The process is described in the user manual. If the access point still cannot be seen on your network, contact Customer Support.

5) Use the NETGEAR wireless utility and scan to see whether the access point and other wireless devices on your network can be seen. If there is a non-NETGEAR router in your network, and it cannot be seen, then there is not a problem with the access point, contact NETGEAR Premium Support, or contact the router's vendor.

6) If you have WEP encryption turned on, then turn it off. If the problem goes away, then follow the instructions in Improving Wireless Range.

7) If you still have no connection through the access point, then go to your access point's Support Product page, and follow the troubleshooting instructions in the FAQ.

Doc: N101371.asp Apr. 9, 2004