NETGEAR WNA3100M User manual
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
January 2012
202-10920-01
v1.0
NETGEAR N300 Wireless
Mini USB Adapter
WNA3100M
User Manual
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NETGEAR N300 Wireless Mini USB Adapter WNA3100M
© 2012 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated
into any language in any form or by any means without the written permission of NETGEAR, Inc.
Technical Support
Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. To register your product, get the latest product updates, get support online, or
for more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the Support website at
http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR
Phone (Other Countries): Check the list of phone numbers at
http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/984.
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to change
without notice. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective
holders. © 2011 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Statement of Conditions
To improve internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes
to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur
due to the use, or application of, the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein.
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Contents
Chapter 1 Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Status LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
NETGEAR Genie Desktop Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
NETGEAR Genie Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Status Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Join a Wireless Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Network Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Join a Network or Connect to a Different Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Join a Hidden Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Chapter 2 Maintenance
Other Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Remove the Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Appendix A Supplemental Information
Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Appendix B Notification of Compliance
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1
1. Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
This chapter includes the following sections:
• Package Contents
• Status LED
• NETGEAR Genie Desktop Icon
• NETGEAR Genie Home
• Join a Wireless Network
For help installing your wireless-N USB adapter, see the installation guide that came in the
package.
For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website at
http://support.netgear.com.
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Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
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NETGEAR N300 Wireless Mini USB Adapter WNA3100M
Package Contents
Your adapter comes with a Resource CD. Depending on the location where you purchased it,
either a USB cable or an adapter cradle with a USB cable comes in the package too.
N130 Wireless Micro USB Adapter
WNA3100M
Resource CD
N300 Wireless Adapter
Your package contents looks like this:
Figure 1. Package contents
Status LED
The LED shows the status of the wireless link as explained in the following table.
Wireless-N USB Adapter LED Meaning
Off • The wireless-N USB adapter is not plugged in to the USB port.
• The wireless-N USB adapter is in power save mode (default from
power-up or reset).
Blinking • The wireless-N USB adapter is scanning for a network.
• The wireless-N USB adapter is sending or receiving data.
Solid The wireless-N USB adapter is connected to a wireless network, but
it is not sending or receiving data.
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Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
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NETGEAR N300 Wireless Mini USB Adapter WNA3100M
NETGEAR Genie Desktop Icon
When you install your adapter, the NETGEAR Genie icon appears in the Windows system
tray and on the desktop. You can click this icon to open NETGEAR Genie to make changes
or connect to a different wireless network. The color of the icon indicates the strength of your
wireless connection from 0 (zero) to 5 bars.
Green: 3 to 5 bars
Yellow: 1 or 2 bars
Red: 0 (zero) bars, indicating no connection
If you remove your adapter, NETGEAR Genie is not available, so the icon is not displayed. if
you insert the adapter again, the icon returns.
NETGEAR Genie Home
When you launch NETGEAR Genie, the home screen displays.
This screen shows you at a glance if you are connected to a network, and if you have Internet
access. The following options are available:
• Select Language. If more than one language is available, you can select a language
from this drop-down list. NETGEAR Genie screens will be displayed in the language that
you selected.
• Home button. The currently selected Home screen. You can click the Home button to
return here from a different screen.
• Join a Network button. View a list of wireless networks and join a network.
• Other button. View more information or check for software updates.
• Help. Display the help.
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Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
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NETGEAR N300 Wireless Mini USB Adapter WNA3100M
Status Bar
The status bar is located at the bottom of the screen:
Network Connection Network Wireless Throughput Signal
security channel strengthname status
Figure 2. Status bar
Network name. The network name (SSID) of the wireless network that the adapter is
currently connected to.
Connection status. This shows the status that is also shown in the diagram in the middle of
this screen.
• Connected to the Internet
• Connected to the Router
• No Connection
Network security. The lock symbol shows whether or not the network you are connected to
uses wireless security. An open lock indicates an open network without wireless security,
such as one that you might use in a coffee shop.
Wireless channel. The wireless channel of the network that the adapter is connected to.
Throughput. The throughput rate for wireless communication.
Signal strength. The strength of the wireless signal. Three-to-five bars indicate a good
signal. One or two bars indicate a weak signal.
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Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
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NETGEAR N300 Wireless Mini USB Adapter WNA3100M
Join a Wireless Network
In NETGEAR Genie, click the Join a Network button to display the following screen:
Network list. View the wireless networks in the area. Click a network to select it.
Manual Connect. Click this button to join a network without viewing it on the network list, or
to connect to a hidden network. A hidden network does not broadcast its wireless network
name (SSID).
Refresh. Click this button to scan for available networks in the area.
Network Details
From the Join a Network screen, you can view more details about a specific network.
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Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
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NETGEAR N300 Wireless Mini USB Adapter WNA3100M
To view network details:
1. In the Join a Network screen, click the network to select it
2. Click the Details button to display a screen similar to the one shown here.
The following information is displayed:
• Network Name (SSID). The name assigned to a wireless network. Note that, as a
security measure, some wireless access points do not broadcast their SSIDs. In such
cases, the network is hidden. The name (SSID) field is blank even though the rest of the
information is displayed.
• Channel. The channel that the wireless network operates on. NETGEAR recommends
that you choose a network that uses a channel that is different from that of neighboring
networks.
• Wireless Mode. The wireless technology used for this router such as n, g, or b.
• WPS Support. Identifies whether the router or access point for this network supports
WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup).
• MAC Address. The unique hardware address of the wireless device broadcasting this
information. Typically, this is a wireless router, gateway, or access point.
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Set Up Your Wireless Adapter
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NETGEAR N300 Wireless Mini USB Adapter WNA3100M
Join a Network or Connect to a Different Network
You can use WPS to join a wireless network if your wireless network supports it, or you can
join a wireless network from this NETGEAR Genie screen.
• WPS. Press and hold the WPS button on the side of the adapter for 2 seconds. Then
within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on your wireless router or gateway.
• NETGEAR Genie: Click your wireless network to select it from the list, and then click
Connect. If the network is secure, enter its password or network key.
After the adapter joins the network, it automatically saves the network connection information
to a Windows profile. Windows profiles can be used by Genie and the Windows utility. The
next time you launch NETGEAR Genie, it will automatically connect to the network you
previously joined if there's no change in the network information.
To use WPS to join a wireless network:
1. Press and hold the WPS button on the side of the adapter for 2 seconds.
2. Then within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on your wireless router or gateway
The adapter joins the network, which can take a few minutes. Your settings are saved in a
profile.
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