Get the WRE54G Connected, Steps 3 & 4

Step 3: Configure the WRE54G

Now that the WRE54G has been moved to your LAN's IP address range, you should be able to reach it from any LAN machine. For reliability, however, you should still complete the setup from a wired computer.

You are now ready to configure the WRE54G's wireless settings.

A) Enter the WRE54G's IP address (the default or the new one if you had to change it) into your browser and log in. You should see the setup screen (Figure 1) again.

B) Set the Gateway to the IP address of your LAN gateway. This is usually the IP address of your LAN's router. Most Linksys routers use 192.168.1.1 so the default is probably OK, unless your LAN uses a different IP address range. In that case enter the proper information.

C) Mode: If you do not know what mode your equipment uses, leave this on Both or Auto. If you are using only 802.11g equipment you can change this to G-Only and maybe get a little better speed.

TIP: If you notice hesitation or intermittent connection problems when connecting through the WRE54G, change this setting back to Auto or Both.

D) Enter your wireless LAN's SSID. The SSID on the AP and the WRE54G must match exactly for the WRE54G to connect. Older WRE54G firmware versions allow different SSID's for the AP and WRE54G. But Version 3 series firmware requires that the SSID's match.

E) Channel: The WRE54G must be set to the same channel as the AP it is connecting to.

TIP: Make sure your AP is set to an unused or least-used channel, choosing among channels 1, 6 and 11. This is especially important if you are in a high-density area such as a dorm, apartment building or even a neighborhood of closely-spaced individual dwellings.

Windows' built-in wireless client (Wireless Zero Configuration) does not show the channels used by in-range networks. So you will need to use the wireless utility provided with your wireless adapter (or with your notebook if it has built-in wireless). If you don't have such a client, borrow a friend's notebook that does have such a client.

F) Wireless Security: Leave this disabled for now. We'll set it up after we get the WRE54G connected. If you have security enabled on your AP, temporarily disable it.

G) Save the settings and power cycle the WRE54G. As before, you must power cycle the WRE54G to get it to use the new settings.

Step 4: Test the Connection

At this point, you should have a WRE54G that is connected to your AP. But it is a good idea to check that the WRE54G is connecting to the AP before you move it to its final home. Do these initial checks with the WRE54G in the same room as your AP.

After the power cycle, the indicators on the WRE54G should both be blue. It takes a few minutes to self test and make a connection, so be patient. Log back into the WRE54G and look at the setup screen. Near the bottom, there is a line labeled Link Status. There should be a MAC address there if it has successfully connected.

If one of the WRE54G lights is red, you are probably not connected. You can confirm this by logging into the WRE54G and checking the Link Status. If youl see a set of dashes, you're definitely not connected.

If you're not connected, go back and recheck the WRE54G settings. You can also try shutting off both your AP and WRE54G and power up the AP first, waiting until it is fully up, then powering up the WRE54G.

If you're still not connecting, the problem could be interference from nearby networks. Microwave ovens and cordless phones can also be a problem. You can also try changing channels (using 1, 6, or 11) on both the AP and WRE54G.

Tags: How To, Linksys, WDS, WiFi, WRE54G,

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