It appears the most popular wireless access points (APs) are those made by Linksys.
This tutorial will cover the WAP11, Linksys' low-cost wireless access point.
Other models available, including access points with built in routers and DHCP servers, can be found at their web site: www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=22 .
I have found that there are many people using the Linksys wireless access point with the built in router and DHCP server in my area. Many owners are using the default settings (DHCP enabled and WEP encryption turned off"). The default settings allow an open network, with little security
There are now two versions of the WAP11 in circulation. The newest release is the "WAP11 version 2.2."
Older versions of the WAP11 should be upgraded with their free firmware upgrade available at ftp.linksys.com/pub/network/wap11fw14i1.exe and the drivers available at ftp.linksys.com/pub/network/wap11sw.exe .
The first method requires that you connect your WAP11 with the included USB cable. Initially, if you are setting up your WAP11 for the first time, you will want to use this method, as the SNMP configuration may have difficulty locating the access point. All that is required, is that you simply plug the USB cable into the back of the WAP11, and plug the other end of the USB cable into your computer (this assumes you have a USB port on your computer and that it is enabled).
Clicking on the "WAP11 USB Configuration" icon, will bring you to a screen that, visually, looks very much like the SNMP configuration.
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Notice that you have 6 tabs across the top of the configuration screen:
1. The "Status" tab, which simply illustrates the current settings of the access point.
2. "Basic Settings" - Here is where you assign your ESSID, channel, and access point name. The ESSID should be something other than the default setting of "Linksys." This ESSID allows you to separate your access point from those your neighbor may be using. If your neighbor's access point has a stronger signal than yours (do to shorter distance, metallic obstructions, any number of factors, etc) your computer may choose to connect to your neighbor's rather than yours. Needless to say, this creates problems so it's a good idea to assign the ESSID to something unique. It does not have to be secret, since your access point will broadcast the ESSID to the world. The channel is simply an channel upon which your computer will communicate to the access point, much like a television channel. Should you experience difficulty connecting, or a particularly week signal, your neighbor may be operating on the same channel, thus introducing noise into your broadcast signal. It may help to choose a signal other than the default setting. Any signal should do. If one does not work adequately, try a different channel. The Access Point Name is really to help you distinguish between multiple access points. Should you decide to use more than one, the Access Point Name will show you which access point you are connecting to while using the SNMP configuration utility.
3. "Advanced" tab - Under this tab, you will likely leave the setting as they are unless you plan to use "Wireless Bridge" mode or "AP client" mode (more about this later).
4. "IP Settings" - Based on your home/office network, find your range of IP addresses. If you are using this for home use, the default settings should suffice. Otherwise, if you already have an existing network, you may choose to change the IP address to one that is within your network. For instance, if your computer currently has the IP address 10.10.10.60, you will likely want the access point's IP address to also be within the 10.10.10.x space. This will facilitate the use of the SNMP configuration utility. Should your computer be on 10.10.10.x and your access point on 192.168.0.x, the SNMP may not be looking in the right place for the access point, and, will ultimately not find it.
5. "Security" - More about this later. It's important to have some level of security, but your access point should be up and running prior to any security settings.
