17

Chapter 6: Configuring the Wireless-G Access Point

Navigating the Utility

Wireless-G Access Point

Navigating the Utility

There are four main tabs: Setup, Status, Advanced, and Help. Additional screens will be available from the main

tabs.

Setup

•

Basic Setup

. Enter the Internet connection and network settings on this screen.

•

Password

. Change the Access Point’s Password and change its settings back to their defaults from this

screen.

•

AP Mode

. From this screen, you can configure how the Access Point will work with other access points in

your network.

•

Log

. You can view or save, even email, activity logs from this screen.

Status

•

This screen will display current information on the Access Point, its settings, and its performance.

Advanced

•

Filters

. From this screen, you can allow or prevent access to your network.

•

Advanced Wireless

. From this screen, you can configure the Access Point’s more advanced wireless settings.

•

SNMP

. This screen allows you to customize the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) settings.

Help

•

For help on the various tabs in this Web-based Utility, go to this screen.

firmware:

the programming code that runs a

networking device

snmp:

the standard e-mail protocol on the Internet

18

Chapter 6: Configuring the Wireless-G Access Point

Accessing the Utility

Wireless-G Access Point

Accessing the Utility

To access the Web-based Utility of the Access Point, launch Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, and enter

the Access Point’s default IP address,

192.168.1.245

, in the

Address

field. Press the

Enter

key.

Open your web browser and type the IP Address you entered in the Setup Wizard. (The default IP address is

192.168.1.245.) (Should you need to learn what IP Address the Access Point presently uses, run the Setup Wizard

again. It will scan the Access Point and give you its IP Address.) Press the

Enter

key and the following screen will

appear. Leave the User Name field blank. The first time you open the Web-Based Utility, use the default password

admin

. You can set a new password from the Password tab.

static ip address:

a fixed address assigned to

a computer or device connected to a network

Figure 6-1: Password Screen

19

Chapter 6: Configuring the Wireless-G Access Point

The Setup Tab

Wireless-G Access Point

The Setup Tab

Basic Setup

The first screen that appears displays the

Basic Setup

screen. This allows you to change the Access Point's

general settings. Change these settings as described here and click

Save Settings

to apply your changes or

Cancel Changes

to cancel your changes. If you require online help, click

Help

.

•

Firmware

. This will display the Access Point's current firmware version. Firmware can be upgraded from

the Help tab.

•

AP Name

. You may assign any name to the Access Point.

Unique, memorable names are helpful, especially

if you are employing multiple access points on the same network. Verify this is the name you wish to use and

click

Save Settings

to set it.

LAN

The selections under this heading allow you to configure the Access Point’s connection to your Ethernet (wired)

network.

•

Configuration Type

. Select

Static IP Address

if your ISP provided you with the IP Address, Subnet Mask,

and Gateway address or select

Automatic Configuration - DHCP

if your ISP assigns IP addresses via a DHCP

server.

The following fields apply ONLY when the Static IP Address option is selected:

•

IP Address

. The IP address must be unique to your network. We suggest you use the default IP address of

192.168.1.245. This is a private IP address, so there is no need to purchase a separate IP address from your

service provider.

•

Subnet Mask

.

The Subnet Mask must be the same as that set on your Ethernet network.

•

Gateway

.

If you have assigned a static IP address to the Access Point, then enter the IP address of your

network’s Gateway, such as a router, in the Gateway field. If your network does not have a Gateway, then

leave this field blank.

Figure 6-2: The Basic Setup Screen

dhcp:

a networking protocol that allows administrators to

assign temporary IP addresses to network computers by

"leasing" an IP address to a user for a limited amount of

time, instead of assigning permanent IP addresses.

firmware:

programming code that runs a networking device

isp (internet service provider):

a company that provides

access to the Internet

static ip address:

a fixed address assigned to a computer

or device that is connected to a network

subnet mask:

an address code that determines the size

of the network

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Chapter 6: Configuring the Wireless-G Access Point

The Setup Tab

Wireless-G Access Point

Wireless

The selections under this heading allow you to configure the Access Point’s connection to your wireless network.

•

Mode

.

Select

Mixed

and both Wireless-G and Wireless-B computers will be allowed on the network, but the

speed will be reduced. Select

G-Only

for maximum speed with Wireless-G products only. The final selection,

B-Only

, allows only Wireless-B products on the network.

•

SSID

.

The SSID is the unique name shared among all points in a wireless network. The SSID must be

identical for all points in the wireless network. It is case-sensitive and must not exceed 32 alphanumeric

characters, which may be any keyboard character. Make sure this setting is the same for all points in your

wireless network. For added security, you should change the SSID from the default name,

linksys

, to a

unique name.

•

SSID Broadcast

.

Allows the SSID to be broadcast on your network. You may want to enable this function

while configuring your network, but make sure that you disable it when you are finished. With this enabled,

someone could easily obtain the SSID information with site survey software and gain unauthorized access to

your network. Click

Enable

to broadcast the SSID to all wireless devices in range. Click

Disable

to increase

network security and prevent the SSID from being seen on networked PCs.

•

Channel

. Select the appropriate channel from the list provided to correspond with your network settings,

between 1 and 11. All points in your wireless network must use the same channel in order to function

correctly.

•

Wireless Security

. To enable wireless security, through WPA or WEP encryption, select the

Enable

radio

button. To disable such security, select the radio button by

Disable

. To change the security settings for your

network, click the

Edit Security Settings

button. A notification window will ask if you wish to change the

settings. Click

OK

to continue or

Cancel

to return to the

Basic Setup

tab.

software:

instructions for the computer

wpa:

a wireless security protocol using TKIP (Temporal

Key Integrity Protocol) encryption, which can be used in

conjunction with a RADIUS server.

wep:

a method of encrypting network data transmitted

on a wireless network for greater security

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Chapter 6: Configuring the Wireless-G Access Point

The Setup Tab

Wireless-G Access Point

Wireless Security Settings

The Wireless Security settings configure the security of your wireless network. There are four wireless security

mode options supported by the Access Point: WPA Pre-Shared Key, WPA RADIUS, RADIUS, and WEP. (WPA stands

for Wi-Fi Protected Access, which is a security standard stronger than WEP encryption. WEP stands for Wired

Equivalent Privacy, while RADIUS stands for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service.) These four are briefly

discussed here. For detailed instructions on configuring wireless security for the Access Point, turn to “Appendix

B: Wireless Security.”

WPA Pre-Shared Key

. WPA gives you two encryption methods, TKIP and AES, with dynamic encryption keys.

Select the type of algorithm,

TKIP

or

AES

. Enter a WPA Shared Key of 8-32 characters. Then enter a Group Key

Renewal period, which instructs the Access Point how often it should change the encryption keys.

WPA RADIUS

. This option features WPA used in coordination with a RADIUS server. (This should only be used

when a RADIUS server is connected to the Access Point.) First, select the type of WPA algorithm you want to use,

TKIP

or

AES

. Enter the RADIUS server’s IP Address and port number, along with a key shared between the Access

Point and the server. Last, enter a Key Renewal Timeout, which instructs the Access Point how often it should

change the encryption keys.

Figure 6-4: WPA Radius Settings

Figure 6-3: WPA Pre-Shared Key Settings

server:

any computer whose function in a

network is to provide user access to files,

printing, communications, and other services

tkip:

a wireless encryption protocol that provides

dynamic encryption keys for each packet transmitted