MyOpenRouter - Latest Articles

Internet Games and Applications with NETGEAR Routers

NETGEAR

Online Internet software may expect particular “ports” to be open if you use a router. To connect with these Internet services, your LAN needs to be set up to do one of these: Use UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) Open ports using port forwarding Use a DMZ If you cannot use UPnP, the number of users simultaneously accessing the same Internet application will be limited: Without UPnP, NETGEAR routers only support one person playing the same application at one time. Using UPnP UPnP is the easiest, because port configuration is handled automatically. If your router, operating system, and application can all use UPnP, then any number of computers can use the same application at the same time. Examples of routers supporting UPnP are: MR814, MR814v2, WGR614, and WGR614v2. Most recent online applications know how to use UPnP, check their documentation to be certain. Windows 98 users can get UPnP by installing the ICS client from the Windows XP Network Setup Disk. Microsoft's Description of Universal Plug and Play explains UPnP in detail. Using Port Forwarding Port forwarding selectively opens ports. This is described in How is Port Forwarding Configured? The only real disadvantage of port forwarding over using a DMZ...

WNHDEB111 Wireless-N Networking Kit by NETGEAR - Unboxing and First Impressions

Peter Redmer — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:33:43 GMT

Recently, myself and Matt Whitlock, from TechLore.com , were able to test out the new WNHDEB111 Wireless-N Networking Kit (or "bridge" as some call it) from NETGEAR. Historically, my experiences with networking have usually been rife with stress and difficulties in getting everything to sync up and work properly. With this new kit, I was shown that not all networking has to be difficult! I am very impressed with many facets of this new product, and I'd like to share with you my first experiences in using it. What you can expect from this article is a non-overly-technical overview of what's inside the box and what the WNHDEB111 looks like, along with the initial setup procedures and experience. You'll want to stay tuned for more detailed technical tests! First, though, let's kick this off with an overview (or for some of you who have read the data sheet , a refresher) of what the WNHDEB111 Networking Kit can do! WNHDEB111 Networking Kit By NETGEAR - An Overview Basically, the WNHDEB111 Networking Kit consists of two separate WNHDE111 units that can act as either Wireless Access Point or bridge, and is designed to auto-configure depending on your needs. It takes advantage...

Ping - Explained

BrandonC — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:37:00 GMT

If you have been just getting into routers, networking and upgrades, you probably have seen a lot of folks talk about pinging. This should help you understand this utility. PING is short for Packet InterNet Groper , ping is a utility used to verify if a network data packet is capable of being distributed to an address without errors. The ping utility is commonly used to check for network errors. The image to the right is an example of what happens when a ping is sent. As can be seen the user would first start by using the ping command to ping the IP address 204.228.150.3. Next, the request is sent over the network hub and router in this basic example to the other computer with this IP address. Once successfully received, the computer replies to the ping with a pong response and once received, the time between when sent and when received is calculated to generate a average response or latency time. If the ping does not reach its destination either because of a network configuration error or because it is being blocked, the sending computer encounters a request timed out error. So basically, when you Ping a device,...

WGR614L and TFTP on Windows

BrandonC — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:43:29 GMT

Using Windows to send an image to your WGR614L is a little more tricky than using Linux. The reason why is because of how the CFE works or is designed - the CFE is the bootloader for the router. It initializes all the basic components on your router, then it looks for a image to boot. The bootloader basically only waits 3 seconds. If you have not sent or started a tftp session in that time, or at that time, it closes tftp and tries to boot the image that is already on it. The problem is if you're using Windows, it usually takes at least 3+ seconds before the ethernet adapter becomes active after seeing activity on the ethernet line or cable, this does not happen with Linux. This is why it is suggested to put a hub or switch beteen the router and an XP system box. When you do this, Windows XP aleady has the ethernet adapter active and you will see the pings immediately. I recommed that you get one of the free TFTP GUI applications that are available, just because it makes things a bit easier, but you can use the command line TFTP that...

WGR614L / WGR614v8 Frequently Asked Questions

NETGEAR — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:42:17 GMT

Whether you've just purchased a WGR614L or have been using it for a while, it's always good to go back to the basics. Here are some of the more frequently asked questions about this open source router. When I login to the administration GUI, a progress bar shows - what is the purpose of this progress bar? Every time a users log into the router’s management GUI, the router will automatically check the NETGEAR server for the latest firmware updates. The progress bar shows up when the router is performing this check. If a firmware is available - the GUI prompts users for upgrade. What is the Device Name at the Vista page of the management GUI? This is a name representing the WGR614v8 router in the Network Map from Windows Vista. Also on the Network Explorer from Windows XP or any UPnP control point, this name represents the WGR614v8 router as an UPnP device. On a Windows Vista machine, why do I sometimes see an AP device of WGR614v8 in the Network Explorer but sometimes I don’t? There is an option, Allow a Registrar to configure this router, at the Vista page of router’s management GUI. If this option...

Forgotten Or Lost Router Password: What Do I Do?

NETGEAR — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:41:26 GMT

Some handy things to remember: The router username is always admin The default password is password or (for older routers) 1234 Try the default username and password before resetting the router to the factory defaults. When a router resets, it goes back to the state when it was new — all information that was entered by hand is lost ! Examples are critical things you need to get online, such as ISP username, ISP password, IP addresses, security keys, and ports and services that were opened. It all needs to be re-entered. So, have your ISP information before resetting the router. Naturally, if you moved to a new city, or if you bought a used router, the old information in the router may not be of use to you. Contact your ISP if you can't connect any computer directly to the Internet. Then, if there is a connection problem when the router is added, see No Internet Access Through the Router Reset for most routers with a reset button on the rear panel Write down configuration information such as IP addresses, security keys, opened ports and services, etc., that you modified. (The default username is admin and the password is...

WGR614L Router Setup and Installation Guide

BrandonC — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:27:02 GMT

This article will show you how to install and configure your NETGEAR WGR614L for most standard setups. For most folks, the installation is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes. But, If you have a more complicated setup as I do, this article will also answer some of your questions, and help you get going. If this is the first time you are hooking up a router into your system, or if you have a small and non-complicated setup, NETGEAR makes it fairly easy with their Setup Wizard. If you are replacing an old router, you'll need to back up all the configuration settings of your old router before installing your new WGR614L. Do this just in case something goes awry. I usually have a back-up on hand, but you'll want to make sure that you have a fresh backup. You will also want to save or write down any configuration settings from your old router that you may need for your new router. Some examples of settings you should save include: wireless name, SSID, wireless channel, Static assinged addresses, and port forwarding settings. That way, you can assign everything the same as your old router...

ReadyNAS Duo Home Media Server: Feature Overview

Peter Redmer — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Have you taken a digital photo lately? Or maybe a high definition video on your camcorder? If you have, you're like most of us - your world has gone digital. We're all experiencing it in many ways - the "rapid proliferation" of digital media. Most likely, you have a growing collection of music, photos, and even high definition video stored on one or multilple PC's in your home. In addition, digital media has experienced quantum leaps in performance, quality, and also in size. Back in the day, 1.2 megapixel cameras were the talk of the town. Now, 10 megapixels or more are common, and the size of the photos has increased as well. Many folks have multiple computers in the home linked up to broadband Internet, compared to the astronomically slower dial-up connections of yesterday. The popularity of HD video and streaming of that video is on the rise. A recent study by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reveals that a surprising number of Americans are not backing up their digital files. Almost 33% of folks surveyed stated they didn't see the need to back up their files, and 22% stated that they do not back up their files because...