WAP11
The WAP11 wireless access point is very easy to use but LINKSYS assumes a certain level of networking knowledge when they print their product documentation. This can be a big problem for a novice opening the box and trying to configure a wireless network on their own. Here are some simple instructions that will help you set it up and make it work with a minimum of hassle.
The first step is to of course unpack the unit and plug it into the power and hook the USB cable to your computer. Next, install the software for the WAP11 on the computer that it is hooked up to. After the software is installed you will be able to access the unit just by double clicking on the USB configuration utility icon on your desktop. Once you have it open, you are ready to start configuring your access point.
If you can't use USB for some reason, you can use the SNMP utility as well, but, you will have to configure your IP settings on your computer to match the IP settings of the unit in order to access it for the first time. See the primer on IP if you need further information on this subject.
The first page you will come to is the "status" page. It shows the basic setup of the unit. There is nothing to configure here, it is strictly informational only.
The next page is called "Basic Setting". The first entry is the ESSID. You can change this to anything you want but it must be set to the same on all of the computers in your wireless network before communication will occur. As an example, my network is named Sheltonnet. I entered that name into the ESSID field of all the wireless cards as I installed them so that they can communicate. This field has to match before the units will be able to communicate.
Next is the Channel, leave it at the default unless there is a compelling reason to change it, like you already have another wireless device using this channel. The unit gets it's best transmitting power in the middle of the channel range. The power drops off as you approach channel one or eleven.
The Access point name can be anything you want it to be, feel free to change this field as desired.
The next page is the "Advanced Settings". The only change that I recommend making on this page, is to check the box next to "disable ESSID Broadcast". If you leave it enabled, your WAP will advertise itself leaving you open to possible intrusion.
The next page is "IP Setting". Here you have two choices. If you are using a Linksys router or other DHCP device, or you are connecting directly to your cable connection through a hub, all you need to do is check the "enable DHCP" box and you are done. If you need to assign an IP address to this device then you need to know a little bit about TCP/IP. All IP addresses on your network must be unique. If you assign the same address to two devices neither one of them will be able to operate on your network. It would be like having two houses on your street with the same house number. How would the postman know which one to leave your mail at? By default your WAP11 is assigned an IP address of 192.168.1.? with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. In order to operate on the rest of your network it must be assigned an address in the same subnet as the rest of your devices. With a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the first three octets of the address must be the same. If your network ID is 192.168.1.0 then the 192.168.1 must be the same for all the devices and only the fourth octet can be different. This is called the node ID. The number must be between 1 and 254. If you are running a Linksys Cable/DSL router then the 1 is already taken by the router. Choose a number between 2 and 254 for this device.
Skip over the security tab for now, it isn't necessary to get the WAP working.
The "AP Mode" tab. Select the AP mode and choose the access point setting. You are now ready to save your work by clicking the apply button at the bottom. Your Wireless Access Point is now configured to allow you to begin using your wireless network.
Next, Install Wireless Network Cards in Computers.