Netgear Wna3100 N300 Wireless Usb Adapter User Manual

							Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual
3-5
v1.0, December 2009
• Streaming MP3 audio requires less than 1 Mbps per stream and does not strain most modern 
networks. Like video, however, streaming audio is also sensitive to latency and packet loss, so 
a congested network or a noisy link can cause problems.
• Backing up computers over the network has become popular due to the availability of 
inexpensive mass storage. Table 3-1 shows the time to transfer 1 gigabyte (1 GB) of data using 
various networking technologies.
Table 3-1.  Theoretical Transfer Time for 1 Gigabyte  
Network ConnectionTheoretical Raw Transfer Time
Gigabit wired Ethernet 8 seconds
RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N 26 seconds
Powerline HD 40 seconds
100 Mbps wired Ethernet 80 seconds
802.11g wireless 150 seconds
802.11b wireless 700 seconds
10 Mbps wired Ethernet 800 seconds
Cable modem (3 Mbps) 2700 seconds
Analog modem (56 kbps) 144,000 seconds (40 hours) 
						

							4-1
v1.0, December 2009
Chapter 4 Troubleshooting
This chapter provides information about troubleshooting your wireless-N USB adapter. 
Troubleshooting Tips
Use the following information to resolve common situations you might encounter. Also, refer to 
the knowledge base on the NETGEAR website at http://www.netgear.com/support.
1.Push N Connect timed out when I tried to connect to a router.
Make sure that your router supports WPS. If there is more than one WPS network in your area, 
make sure you selected the correct wireless network. See “Joining a Network” on page 2-2 and 
“Creating a Profile to Connect to a Wireless Network” on page 2-4.
2.Why does the Smart Wizard keep asking me to save my settings?
If you change the settings, the Smart Wizard offers you the chance to save the changes. To 
avoid this prompt, simply click Apply before you close the Smart Wizard.
3.I cannot connect to a wireless network. The router is available, and there is good signal 
strength.
Try the following:
• Check to see if you are still connected to the previous network. Use the Networks tab to 
select the network that you want.
• If the network uses Push N Connect, make sure you select the right network, and go to the 
correct router when you are prompted to push its WPS button.
• If you are typing a passphrase or key, or the SSID for a hidden network, it must match the 
wireless network settings exactly.
4.My connection seems slow.
The USB port that you use and the network that you connect to affect your connection speed. 
Check the status bar to see if the data rate is 54 Mpbs or 14 Mbps. The wireless-N USB 
adapter can operate at faster speeds. 
• At 54 Mbps you are probably connecting to a standard 802.11g network. See Chapter 3, 
“Wireless Network Performance.” 
						

							Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual
4-2
v1.0, December 2009
• If you do not have a USB 2.0 port on your computer, the throughput is limited to the 14 
Mbps of the USB 1.1 standard.
5.I connected wirelessly to a network, but I cannot access the Internet. 
First, check to make sure that the router’s Internet connection is working. If the router’s 
Internet connection works, but you still cannot access the Internet, see “Troubleshooting Your 
Wireless Connection.”
6.I can connect to the wireless network, but not to the other computers on the network or to the 
Internet.
This could be a physical layer problem or a network configuration problem.
• Check to make sure that the router is physically connected to the Ethernet network.
• Make sure that the IP addresses and the Windows networking are configured correctly. 
Click the link to “TCP/IP Networking” in Appendix B.
• Restart the modem, router, and computer.
7.How can I view the IP address for the wireless-N USB adapter?
Click the   icon to open the Smart Wizard. Then select the About tab.
Troubleshooting Your Wireless Connection
You can use the status bar and the LED to get more information about your wireless connection. 
Click the   icon to open the Smart Wizard. The status bar is located at the bottom of the Settings 
tab.
Connection Status Shows 169.254.x.x
Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems generate and assign an IP address if the 
computer cannot reach a DHCP server. If your IP address is in this range (169.254.x.x), make sure 
that there is a built-in DHCP server in your router.
Figure 4-1
Connection status
Wireless
network 
						

							Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual
4-3
v1.0, December 2009
To fix this problem you can:
• Click   to open the Smart Wizard. At the bottom of the Settings tab, click Apply. The Smart 
Wizard tries again to connect to the router and get an IP address.
• Use the Repair function in Windows to try to get IP address.
• Reboot your computer. 
If your computer still does not get an IP address
, check the router’s DHCP settings. For more help, 
see the documentation that came with your router.
Connection Status Shows ---.---.-.-
This can occur if you upgraded your WNA3100 v1 software and did not reboot your system. 
Either restart your computer, or connect to a different wireless network.
Troubleshooting with the LED
Occasional Windows XP Connection Problems 
Windows XP users who apply Windows XP Hotfix (SP2) Q815485 from the Windows XP Update 
Service might not be able to connect to the Internet, might have dropped wireless connections, or 
both when using the wireless-N USB adapter. You can delete this Hotfix from the Add or Remove 
Programs utility in the Control Panel.
To delete Windows XP Hotfix (SP2) Q815485:
ProblemAction
The LED is not lit. The wireless-N USB adapter is not connected to the USB port correctly, 
or the WNA3100 v1 software is not installed. 
• Remove and reinsert the wireless-N USB adapter.
• Check the Windows device manager to see if the adapter is 
recognized and enabled. Re-install the WNA3100 v1 software, if 
necessary.
• Insert the wireless-N USB adapter in a different USB slot on your 
computer if one is available.
The LED blinks, but the wireless-N 
USB adapter is not connected to a 
wireless network.The wireless-N USB adapter is trying to connect, but is unsuccessful. 
• The router might not be powered on. 
• The router and the wireless-N USB adapter are not configured with 
the same wireless settings. Check the SSID and wireless security 
settings. 
						

							Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual
4-4
v1.0, December 2009
1.Select Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs. 
2.Select Windows XP Hotfix (SP2) Q815485, and then click Remove.
• You might receive an error message that states that some programs on the computer might 
not work correctly if the update is removed. 
• You can ignore this error message, and then click Yes to remove the update. 
3.Restart your computer, and rerun the Smart Display Setup Wizard. 
This should solve your connection issue. You can restore this hotfix by following this link:
http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=009D8425-CE2B-47A4-ABEC-
274845DC9E91&displaylang=en.
Ad Hoc Mode Is Not Working Correctly
You must click the Initiate Ad Hoc button on the Settings Tab before you click Apply. 
To start an Ad Hoc network:
1.Fill in the Network Name (SSID) field.
2.Select the Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) network type.
3.Click Initiate Ad Hoc.
4.Accept the default settings, or make your changes, and click OK.
5.Click Apply.
Note: Be sure that all computers in your Ad Hoc network are configured with static IP 
addresses in the same subnet. 
						

							A-1
v1.0, December 2009
Appendix A Technical Specifications and Factory
Default Settings
Technical Specifications
Antenna 1 integrated internal wireless antenna
Standards  802.11n, 802.11g, or 802.11b
Radio data rate 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54, 108, 140, 246, and 300 Mbps 
(Auto Rate Sensing)
Frequency 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz CCK and OFDM Modulation
Power  5V Bus powered
Emissions FCC, CE
Bus interface USB 2.0
Provided drivers Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, and Windows XP
Operating environment  Operating temperature: 0 to 45 C
Encryption WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK, and 40-bit (also called 64-bit) and 128-bit WEP 
data encryption
Warranty Limited 1-year warranty 
						

							Wireless-N 300 USB Adapter WNA3100 User Manual
A-2
v1.0, December 2009
Factory Default Settings
FeatureDescription
Smart WizardEnabled
Wireless Communication Enabled
Wireless Network Name (SSID)  Any (will connect to first wireless network that responds)
Security Disabled
Network Type Infrastructure
Transmission Speed Auto
a
a. Maximum wireless signal rate (IEEE Standard 802.11). Actual throughput will vary. Network 
conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and 
construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate. Country/Region United States (varies by region)
Operating Mode 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b
Data Rate
Up to 300 Mbps  
						

							B-1
v1.0, December 2009
Appendix B Related Documents
This appendix provides links to reference documents you can use to gain a more complete 
understanding of the technologies used in your NETGEAR product.
DocumentLink
Using Microsoft Vista and 
Windows XP to Manage 
Wireless Network Connections http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/winzerocfg/index.htm 
 TCP/IP Networking http://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/tcpip/index.htm
Wireless Networking Basicshttp://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/wireless/index.htm
Preparing Your Networkhttp://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/wsdhcp/index.htm
Virtual Private Networking 
Basicshttp://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/vpn/index.htm
Glossaryhttp://documentation.netgear.com/reference/enu/glossary/index.htm