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CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

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By the time you unpack your new WAP, there’s a good chance its

firmware is already out of date. Out-of-date firmware could manifest in many

ways. Your WAP may enable clients to connect, but only at such slow speeds

that they experience frequent timeout errors; you may find that, after a week,

your clients can connect but have no Internet access until you reboot the

WAP; Apple devices may have trouble connecting or running at advertised

speeds. The important thing here is to be on the lookout for strange or erratic

behavior.

Manufacturers regularly release firmware updates to fix issues just like

these—and many more—so it’s good to update the access point’s firmware.

For older WAPs, go to the manufacturer’s Web site and follow the support

links until you find the latest firmware version. You’ll need your device’s

exact model number and hardware version, as well as the current firmware

version—this is important, because installing the wrong firmware version on

your device is a guaranteed way to render it useless! Modern WAPs have

built-in administration pages to upload the newly downloaded firmware.

Some can even check for firmware updates and install them. Because there

are too many WAP variations to cover here, always look up and follow the

manufacturer’s instructions for updating the firmware to the letter.

NOTE When updating the firmware of any device, including your WAP,

there’s always a chance something could go wrong and render it unusable—

and you may hear techs say such a device has been “bricked.” Why? It’s no

more useful than a brick!

Connectivity Troubleshooting

Properly configured wireless clients should automatically and quickly

connect to the desired SSID, assuming both the client and WAP support the

correct bands. If this isn’t taking place, it’s time for some troubleshooting.

Most wireless connectivity problems come down to either an incorrect

configuration (such as an incorrect password) or low signal strength. Without

a strong signal, even a properly configured wireless client isn’t going to

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