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Wireless-G Range Expander

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

1

Welcome

1

What’s in this User Guide?

2

Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network

4

Network Topology

4

Roaming

4

Network Layout

5

Chapter 3: Getting to Know the Wireless-G Range Expander

6

The Front Panel

6

The Side Panel

6

The Recess for the Power Plate

7

Chapter 4: Connecting the Wireless-G Range Expander

8

Overview

8

Connection to a Wired Network for Setup

8

Connection to a Wireless Network for Setup

9

Connection for Auto Configuration

9

Chapter 5: Setting Up the Wireless-G Range Expander

10

Overview

10

Running the Setup Wizard

10

Moving the Range Expander

16

Chapter 6: Configuring the Wireless-G Range Expander

17

Overview

17

Accessing the Web-based Utility

17

The Setup Tab

18

Appendix A: Troubleshooting

23

Common Problems and Solutions

23

Frequently Asked Questions

23

Appendix B: Wireless Security

27

Security Precautions

27

Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks

27

Appendix C: Upgrading Firmware

30

Summary of Contents for WRE54G

Page 1: ...A Division of Cisco Systems Inc Model No Range Expander Wireless G WRE54G User Guide WIRELESS GHz 2 4802 11g ...

Page 2: ...technical terms that are presented like this Also each figure diagram screenshot or other image is provided with a figure number and description like this Figure numbers and descriptions can also be found in the List of Figures section This exclamation point means there is a caution or warning and is something that could damage your property or the Range Expander word definition This checkmark mea...

Page 3: ...nnection to a Wired Network for Setup 8 Connection to a Wireless Network for Setup 9 Connection for Auto Configuration 9 Chapter 5 Setting Up the Wireless G Range Expander 10 Overview 10 Running the Setup Wizard 10 Moving the Range Expander 16 Chapter 6 Configuring the Wireless G Range Expander 17 Overview 17 Accessing the Web based Utility 17 The Setup Tab 18 Appendix A Troubleshooting 23 Common ...

Page 4: ...less G Range Expander Appendix D Windows Help 31 Appendix E Glossary 32 Appendix F Specifications 36 Appendix G Warranty Information 37 Appendix H Regulatory Information 38 Appendix I Contact Information 40 ...

Page 5: ...3 Confirm Wireless Network Settings 11 Figure 5 4 Wireless Network Not Found 11 Figure 5 5 Choose the Access Point 11 Figure 5 6 Configure Wireless Settings Manually 11 Figure 5 7 WEP Security Settings 12 Figure 5 8 WPA Security Settings 12 Figure 5 9 Choose the Range Expander 13 Figure 5 10 Enter the Password 13 Figure 5 11 Configure Network Address Settings 14 Figure 5 12 MAC Address of Access P...

Page 6: ...ireless G Range Expander Figure 6 4 WEP Security 19 Figure 6 5 Setup Tab Password 21 Figure 6 6 File Download 21 Figure 6 7 Setup Tab Help 22 Figure 6 8 Firmware Upgrade 22 Figure C 1 Upgrade Firmware 30 ...

Page 7: ...hey form a wireless network While access points and wireless routers bridge wireless networks and wired networks the Range Expander can then take that signal for networks that use the 802 11b and 802 11g standards and extend it beyond its current range Use the instructions in this Guide to help you connect the Range Expander set it up and configure it to expand the range of your Wireless G and Wir...

Page 8: ...r This chapter instructs you on how to use the Range Expander s Setup Wizard and configure the Range Expander Chapter 6 Configuring the Wireless G Range Expander This chapter shows you how to configure the Range Expander using the Web Utility Appendix A Troubleshooting This appendix describes some potential problems and solutions as well as frequently asked questions regarding installation and use...

Page 9: ...ion This appendix supplies the Range Expander s warranty information Appendix G Regulatory Information This appendix supplies the Range Expander s regulatory information Appendix H Contact Information This appendix provides contact information for a variety of Linksys resources including Technical Support ...

Page 10: ...work and can double the effective wireless transmission range for two wireless adapter PCs Since an access point is able to forward data within a network the effective transmission range in an infrastructure network can be doubled Roaming Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users Roaming means that you can move your wireless PC within your network and the access point...

Page 11: ...dapters such as the Notebook Adapters for your laptop computers PCI Adapters for your desktop PCs and USB Adapters for when you want to enjoy USB connectivity Wireless products will also communicate with the wireless PrintServer When you wish to connect your wired network with your wireless network network ports on access points and wireless routers can be connected to any of Linksys s switches or...

Page 12: ...d if you connect the Range Expander to a wired network for setup The Ethernet network port has two small LEDs that light up green when the Range Expander is connected to a wired network The Side Panel On the Range Expander s side panel you will find the Reset and Auto configuration buttons Reset Button There are two ways to reset the Range Expander s factory defaults Either press the Reset Button ...

Page 13: ...come with the Range Expander one with two prongs for direct connection to a power outlet and another with a cord to reach a power outlet Either of these power plate can be slid into the recess and is fully connected when the orange tab snaps into place To remove the power plate slide the tab to the right and slide out the power plate Always unplug the Range Expander from the power outlet before re...

Page 14: ...ct the appropriate power plate and connect it to a power outlet preferably a surge protector Proceed to Chapter 5 Setting Up the Wireless G Range Expander Figure 4 2 Using the Power Plate with Cord Figure 4 3 Using the Power Plate with Plug Figure 4 1 Connecting the Ethernet Network Cable NOTE The Auto configuration button can be used to set up the Range Expander if you have security disabled on y...

Page 15: ...xpander s Auto configuration button for five seconds The Range Expander will then automatically detect your wireless network and configure itself with those settings 4 To move the Range Expander unplug the power plate from the power outlet 5 Locate an optimum location for the Range Expander The best placement is usually at the edge of your wireless network 6 Fix the direction of the antenna Try to...

Page 16: ...automatically and the Welcome screen should appear If it does not click the Start button and choose Run In the field that appears enter D setup exe if D is the letter of your CD ROM drive 2 Click the Setup button to continue this Setup Wizard Clicking the User Guide button opened this Guide To exit this Setup Wizard click the Exit button 3 Make sure your access point or wireless router is working ...

Page 17: ...ess points and wireless routers in your network Select the one you want and then click Yes to continue Then proceed to step 6 You can click No to return to the Welcome screen of the Setup Wizard If you want to manually enter settings click Manual The Configure Wireless Settings Manually screen will appear Enter the SSID of your network Then select the channel setting of your network If your networ...

Page 18: ...y in the Key 1 field it must have 10 hexadecimal characters for 64 bit encryption or 26 hexadecimal characters for 128 bit encryption Hexadecimal characters are the letters A through F and the numbers 0 through 9 All devices in your wireless network must use the same WEP key WPA On the WPA Security Settings screen enter the passphrase or pre shared key in the Passphrase field The passphrase or pre...

Page 19: ...hich to communicate it will now search for the Range Expander Select the one you want Then click Yes to continue or click No to return to the Welcome screen of the Setup Wizard 8 You will be asked to enter its password Enter the default password admin Then click Enter to continue To exit this Setup Wizard click Exit Figure 5 9 Choose the Range Expander Figure 5 10 Enter the Password ...

Page 20: ...his is usually your network router If you are not sure about what to enter keep the default Gateway IP address Expander Name You can assign the Range Expander any name up to 32 characters in length such as its location garage downstairs living room 10 If you have the WRE54G v2 proceed to step 11 If you have the WRE54G v1 enter the MAC address of your access point or wireless router You can find th...

Page 21: ...ettings click No You will exit the Setup Wizard and can start it again to change your settings 12 The configuration performed with the Setup Wizard is complete Click Online Registration to register the Range Expander or click Exit to exit the Setup Wizard To configure another Range Expander in your network run this Setup Wizard again Proceed to the next section Moving the Range Expander Figure 5 1...

Page 22: ...tion of the antenna Try to place it in a position that will best cover your wireless network Normally the higher you place the Range Expander s antenna the better the performance will be Proper positioning of the antenna can enhance its receiving sensitivity 5 Connect the power plate to a power outlet preferably a surge protector Congratulations The installation of the Wireless G Range Expander is...

Page 23: ...nter the IP address you entered in the Setup Wizard If you kept the Range Expander s default IP address or used the Auto configuration button the default IP address is 192 168 1 240 Press the Enter key and the login screen will appear Leave the User Name field blank The first time you open the Web based Utility enter the default password admin You can set a new password from the Password tab Note ...

Page 24: ...be the same as that set on your wireless network Gateway If you have assigned a static IP address to the access point then enter the IP address of your network s Gateway usually your network router in the Gateway field 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 if your network only has ...

Page 25: ...f seconds in the field provided Click the Save Settings button to save these changes or click the Cancel Changes button to undo your changes If you require more information click Help WEP Security Mode If your network uses WPA security then select WEP Default Transmit Key Select the key you want to use as the Range Expander s default WEP key WEP Encryption Select the level of WEP encryption you wi...

Page 26: ...haracters in length Valid hexadecimal characters are 0 9 and A F For each WEP key select the authentication method you want to use Open key or Shared key For Open key authentication the sender and recipient do not share a WEP key for authentication For Shared key authentication both the sender and recipient share a WEP key for authentication Click the Save Settings button to save these changes or ...

Page 27: ...Setting To back up the configuration file of the Range Expander click the Backup button The File Download screen will appear Click the Save button and follow the on screen instructions to back up the file on your PC To restore the back up configuration file click the Restore button and follow the on screen instructions Click the Save Settings button to apply your changes or click the Cancel Change...

Page 28: ...etter of your CD ROM drive Adobe Website Click the Adobe Website link or go to the Setup Wizard CD ROM to download this software To access the Adobe website you will need an active Internet connection Firmware Upgrade The version number and date of the Range Expander s current firmware is displayed here New firmware versions are posted at www linksys com and can be downloaded for free If the Range...

Page 29: ... 30 seconds Then connect the power again Press the Auto configuration button on the side of the Range Expander As long as it is within range of an access point or wireless router that has WEP encryption disabled it should communicate with that access point or wireless router 2 The Setup Wizard does not detect the Range Expander Go through this checklist Press the Range Expander s reset button with...

Page 30: ...ating frequency of 2 4GHz What IEEE 802 11b features are supported The product supports the following IEEE 802 11 functions CSMA CA plus Acknowledge protocol Multi Channel Roaming Automatic Rate Selection RTS CTS feature Fragmentation Power Management What IEEE 802 11g features are supported The product supports the following IEEE 802 11g functions CSMA CA plus Acknowledge protocol OFDM protocol M...

Page 31: ...new search Upon finding a new access point it then re registers and the communication process continues What is ISM band The FCC and their counterparts outside of the U S have set aside bandwidth for unlicensed use in the ISM Industrial Scientific and Medical band Spectrum in the vicinity of 2 4 GHz in particular is being made available worldwide This presents a truly revolutionary opportunity to ...

Page 32: ... standard What is a MAC Address The Media Access Control MAC address is a unique number assigned by the manufacturer to any networking device such as a network adapter that allows the network to identify it at the hardware level For all practical purposes this number is usually permanent Unlike IP addresses which can change every time a computer logs on to the network the MAC address of a device s...

Page 33: ... Change the WEP encryption keys periodically To ensure network security steps one through five should be followed at least Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks Wireless networks are easy to find Hackers know that in order to join a wireless network wireless networking products first listen for beacon messages These messages can be easily decrypted and contain much of the network s information...

Page 34: ...esses This makes it harder for a hacker to access your network with a random MAC Address WEP Encryption Wired Equivalent Privacy WEP is often looked upon as a cure all for wireless security concerns This is overstating WEP s ability Again this can only provide enough security to make a hacker s job more difficult There are several ways that WEP can be maximized 1 Use the highest level of encryptio...

Page 35: ...ith a key shared between the device and the server Last enter a Group Key Renewal period which instructs the device how often it should change the encryption keys RADIUS WEP used in coordination with a RADIUS server This should only be used when a RADIUS server is connected to the Router or other device First enter the RADIUS server s IP Address and port number along with a key shared between the ...

Page 36: ...pander 2 Download the firmware upgrade file and extract it on your computer 3 Click the Upgrade Firmware button on the Help screen 4 Enter the location of the firmware upgrade file in the File Path field or click the Browse button to find the extracted firmware upgrade file 5 Click the Upgrade button and follow the on screen instructions If you want to cancel the firmware upgrade click the Cancel ...

Page 37: ...protocol all PCs follow to communicate over a network This is true for wireless networks as well Your PCs will not be able to utilize wireless networking without having TCP IP enabled Windows Help provides complete instructions on enabling TCP IP Shared Resources If you wish to share printers folder or files over your network Windows Help provides complete instructions on utilizing shared resource...

Page 38: ...thout the use of an access point AES Advanced Encryption Standard A security method that uses symmetric 128 bit block data encryption Backbone The part of a network that connects most of the systems and networks together and handles the most data Bandwidth The transmission capacity of a given device or network Bit A binary digit Bridge A device that connects different networks Browser An applicati...

Page 39: ... users from other networks Firmware The programming code that runs a networking device Fragmentation Breaking a packet into smaller units when transmitting over a network medium that cannot support the original size of the packet Gateway A device that interconnects networks with different incompatible communications protocols Hardware The physical aspect of computers telecommunications and other i...

Page 40: ...t on a computer or networking device used for plugging in cables or adapters RADIUS Remote Authentication Dial In User Service A protocol that uses an authentication server to control network access RJ 45 Registered Jack 45 An Ethernet connector that holds up to eight wires Roaming The ability to take a wireless device from one access point s range to another without losing the connection Router A...

Page 41: ...ntrol Protocol Internet Protocol A set of instructions PCs use to communicate over a network Telnet A user command and TCP IP protocol used for accessing remote PCs Throughput The amount of data moved successfully from one node to another in a given time period Topology The physical layout of a network TX Rate Transmission Rate Upgrade To replace existing software or firmware with a newer version ...

Page 42: ...2 11g Typ 13 1 1dBm Normal Temp Range 802 11b Typ 15 1 1dBm Normal Temp Range Security features WEP WEP key bits 64 128 Dimensions W x H x D 3 18 x 8 27 x 1 77 80 7 mm x 210 mm x 45 mm Power Input 115 230V AC 0 2A Output 3 3V DC 1 5A Certification FCC CE UL Operating Temp 0ºC to 40ºC 32ºF to 150ºF Storage Temp 0ºC to 70ºC 40ºF to 185ºF Operating Humidity 10 to 85 Non Condensing Storage Humidity 5 ...

Page 43: ...S AND WARRANTIES INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF NON INFRINGEMENT ARE DISCLAIMED Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitation may not apply to You This warranty gives You specific legal rights and You may also have other rights which vary by jurisdiction This warranty does not apply if the Product a has been altered except by Linksys b...

Page 44: ...rient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment or devices Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver s Consult a dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for assistance FCC Radiation Exposure Statement This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment This equipment should be installed and...

Page 45: ...tielles et aux dispositions relatives à la directive 1999 5 EC Belgique Dans le cas d une utilisation privée à l extérieur d un bâtiment au dessus d un espace public aucun enregistrement n est nécessaire pour une distance de moins de 300m Pour une distance supérieure à 300m un enregistrement auprès de l IBPT est requise Pour une utilisation publique à l extérieur de bâtiments une licence de l IBPT...

Page 46: ...king with Linksys products Give our advice line a call at 800 546 5797 LINKSYS Or fax your request in to 949 823 3002 If you experience problems with any Linksys product you can call us at 800 326 7114 Don t wish to call You can e mail us at support linksys com If any Linksys product proves defective during its warranty period you can call the Linksys Return Merchandise Authorization department fo...

Page 47: ...ent and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received inc...

Page 48: ... must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator your body This transmitter must not be co located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter Règlement d Industry Canada Les conditions de fonctionnement sont sujettes à deux conditions 1 Ce pér...

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