Wireless Setup in the Computer Lab
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How to Setup a Wireless Access Point
This guide will show you how to setup a secure wireless network easily, quickly and inexpensively in your computer lab or classroom. Wireless access is convenient for connecting computers, laptops and smartphones wirelessly to your existing wired network. The main device required for this setup is a wireless access point. Wireless access points (WAP) plug into your existing wired network and send and receive data using radio frequencies eliminating the need to run cables through walls or to each computer.
Wireless Access Point Usage:
In this example the wireless access point is connected to a wired ethernet wall port and sending and receiving data to and from a wireless laptop.
Step by Step Wireless Access Point Setup:
I have used these setup steps for wireless access points from various vendors including Airlink, Asus, Belkin, D-Link, Engenius, Netgear and Ubiquity. These steps don't require the use of any vendor discs or software to be installed. All configurations will be done with a browser.
While each brand and type of access point may have individual differences in features or functions, the main setup routines are similar for all.
1) Login to the Access Point Control Panel
2) Change the Default Password
3) Configure Basic Wireless Settings
4) Configure Wireless Security
5) Configure the Access Point's IP address
6) Test Connectivity
Step One
Log in to the Access Point Control Panel
Information you need about the access point in order to login:
1) The default IP address of your access point. Example: 192.168.0.227 (yours may differ).
2) The default username and password of the access point. Example: user = admin | pass = password
This information varies by brand and model and can generally be located in the access point user guide and / or on the back of the access point and sometimes on the original box or packaging.
Connect the access point with an ethernet cable to a computer or laptop
In this example, a Netgear WG 602 access point is powered up and connected to the laptop for configuration.
The next step is to change the the netbook's IP address so it can communicate with the access point.
Change the Computer or Laptop's IP address to Communicate with the Access Point.
In order to configure the access point, the laptop must be configured to be on the same network so it can communicated directly with the access point.
The default IP address for this particular Netgear model WG 602 is 192.168.0.227
For simplicity change the IP address of the laptop to be ONE digit higher in the numbering sequence, so the IP addresses of each device will be like this: (Yours may differ).
Access Point IP address = 192.168.0.227
Laptop IP address = 192.168.0.228
Another Example:
Access Point IP address = 192.168.1.2
Laptop IP address = 192.168.1.3
How to Change Your Computer or Laptop IP:
Windows 7: Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings > Double click on Local Area Connection > Properties.
Windows XP: Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Double click Network Connections > Double click on Local Area Connection > Properties.
At the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP / IPv4) and then click the Properties button as shown below.
Select the radio button "Use the following IP address" and enter your own IP address here. For simplicity, I am using the same numbering sequence as the access point and then just increasing the last digit by one. My access point IP address ended in 227, here I am changing the laptop to end in 228.
Generally, if you add a 192.168.0.XXX address the subnet mask address will fill in automatically when you click in the boxes to start typing. If not, enter 255.255.255.0 in that field.
Click OK when you are done.
Open a Browser and Login to the Access Point
Now that you have configured your computer or laptop's network card to be on the same network as the access point, you will login and configure the access point with your browser.
Open an instance of your browser and type in the IP address of your access point. In this example I am using the default IP address of my Netgear WG 602 access point.
The access point will prompt you for a user name and password. Enter the default user name and password now.
Step Two
Change the default password
This is important to keep unauthorized people from logging into the access point once you have it up an running on the network.
Be sure to Apply or Save all your settings.
Step Three
Configure Basic Wireless Settings
The most common wireless settings to be configured are:
(SSID) Wireless Network Name - This is the name users will see when they scan for wireless networks to connect to. In this example I have selected Computer Lab as the name. Enter your choice here.
SSID Broadcast - Enable this to allow the wireless network name to be found when a wireless computer scans for available networks to connect to.
Channel / Frequency - Channels 1, 6 and 11 are most common choices here. If you know what existing channels are in use by other wireless transmitters in your area, choose a different one to avoid interference. For example if you have an existing access point on channel 6, you would choose channel 1 or 11 for your new access point.
Mode - Your choices may vary here, but a, b, g and n are common wireless modes. G and N are the more recent standards with G being faster than B, and currently more compatible with older devices than the N standard. If in doubt, choose G.
Data Rate - If you have a choice, choose best or auto to allow the access point to adjust the best speeds automatically.
Be sure to Apply or Save all your settings.
Step Four
Configure Wireless Security
These security settings will protect your wireless network and data transmissions from outsiders.
For most purposes, choose WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access, Pre Shared Key). WPA-PSK will provide high security with maximum compatibility with a wide range of wireless devices.
If you have a choice between WPA-Personal or WPA-Enterprise, choose WPA-Personal unless you know that you have a RADIUS server.
If you know that all of your wireless network devices are compatible with the WPA2 protocol, you can choose this for enhanced security. If you are not sure, don't use it.
Avoid WEP (wired equivalent privacy) security types. This is an older (obsolete) less secure wireless security protocol. Do not use it.
Enter a Password Phrase. In this example I am using k5computerlab. To connect to this wireless access point users will need to know this phrase and enter it in order to connect to the device.
Be sure to Apply or Save all your settings.
Step Five
Configure the Access Point IP Address
At this point, you have been using the default IP address assigned by the vendor of your access point. You also had to configure your computer or laptop's IP address to communicate with the access point for configuration puposes.
It is very possible and quite probable that your school or computer lab network uses a different network address range than the default address range of the access point.( Example school IP range: 10.0.73.xxx and subnet mask 255.255.248.0) You will need to assign your access point an IP address and subnet mask compatible with your school or computer lab network so that it can communicate on that network.
Preferred Method: If you know what you are doing here, assign your access point an available STATIC IP address and the appropriate subnet mask for your network. If you do not know what to put here, it's time to get that information from the network administrator. You need an available static IP address, the subnet mask and the default gateway address.
Less Preferred, but works: The fastest and easiest method is to allow the access point to get it's IP address automatically when you plug it into the wall jack of your wired network. You configure this by setting the access point to get it's IP and other network information via DHCP ( dynamic host configuration protocol ).
This works because modern networks have at least one device that automatically distributes and manages IP addresses for the network. This device is called a DHCP server. It is less preferred for your access point to get it's IP this way because if you want to manage the access point later, you will have to find a way to figure out what the current IP address of the access point is. The IP address is dynamic, meaning that it changes from time to time. It's not a big deal, in the worst case scenario you can press the reset button on your access point and start the configuration over with the default IP address assigned by the vendor.
In this example I will using the preferred method of setting a static IP
I set the access point's name to netgear-ap-lab. This shows up in network scans. If I see that in a network scan, the IP address can be found.
IP address:
If you don't know or don't want to set the IP information yourself, you would enable the DHCP client option. The access point would get it's IP Address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway settings automatically from your network's DHCP server. .
I disable the DHCP Client option and set my IP Address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway manually.
The Spanning Tree Protocol is not needed for this purpose, but it won't cause trouble in the default configuration of enabled.
Be sure to Apply or Save all your settings.
Note:
If the new IP address you set is on a different network than the one you are currently using to configure the access point, you will lose your connection to the access point when you apply or save the configuration.
This is because the access point and the computer or laptop are now on two different networks.
In order to re-establish a connection to your access point, change the network settings on your computer or laptop. Set the computer or laptop to have a new IP address in the same network range as the access point but with the last digit increased by one and use the same subnet mask as the access point. (See step one).
Example:
New Access Point IP address = 10.0.0.220
New Access Point Subnet mask = 255.0.0.0
New Laptop IP address = 10.0.0.221
New Laptop Subnet mask = 255.0.0.0
Step Six
Test Connectivity
Review all of the settings on the access point. Save your configurations.
Unplug the access point from the computer or laptop.
Plug the access point into your wired network (wall jack or switch) and power it up.
Use a wireless computer or laptop find the access point's SSID.
Click the connection you want to connect to and enter the pass phrase went prompted.
SUCCESS!
Enjoy your new wireless network connectivity.
