Wireless Home Networking - Index of

Chapter 6: Installing Wireless Access Points in Windows
� Web-based: Most APs intended for home and small-office use have a
series of HTML forms stored in firmware. You can access these forms by
using a Web browser over a wireless connection or over a network cable
to configure each AP. In many cases when you are setting up your AP,
you simply open the Web browser on the machine you have connected
to the wired port on the AP; the browser automatically takes you to the
AP setup wizard. This is so much simpler than the old days of having to
load software on your machine just to set up your AP.
To access your AP’s management pages with a Web browser, you need to know
the local IP address for the AP. If you didn’t note the IP address when you initially
set up the AP, refer to the AP’s user guide to find this address. It’s a
number similar to 192.168.2.1. If you’re using an Internet gateway, you can also
run ipconfig (Windows XP), or Network and Sharing Center (Windows Vista),
as we describe in Chapter 7. The Internet gateway’s IP address is the same as
the default gateway.
Some APs and wireless routers have their administrative and configuration
Web page IP addresses printed on labels on the back or bottom of the AP. If
yours doesn’t, we recommend that you get a label maker and print your own.
There’s nothing worse than looking for the user manual at an inopportune
time when you need to be online now!
Most APs use the first address available on the network, such as 192.168.2.1.
Note the last digit is almost always 1 to show the first of a possible 254
addresses in that last position. If you can’t remember your AP’s IP address,
you can use the methods mentioned earlier in this chapter to get your computer’s
IP address. This will give you the first three numbers, and just putting
a 1 at the end will work most of the time. When you know the AP’s IP address,
run your Web browser software, type the IP address on the Address line, and
then press Enter or click the Go button. You will probably see a screen that
requests a password. This password is the one you established during the
initial setup for the purpose of preventing unauthorized individuals from
making changes to your wireless AP’s configuration. After you enter the password,
the AP utility displays an AP management screen. If you’re not using a
Web-based tool, you need to open the application that you initially installed
to make any changes.
You should also bookmark your AP’s configuration page in your Web browser
for easier access in the future.
Within the AP’s management utility, you can modify all the AP’s settings, such
as the SSID, channel, and WEP encryption key. The details of how to make
these changes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Typically, the AP management
utility also enables you to perform other AP management operations,
such as resetting the AP, upgrading its firmware, and configuring any built-in
firewall settings.
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