Cable Forum - [Merged] Wireless Setup Problems

Right then, if that is the product, I'm very much afraid it isn't going to work for what you need, or at the very least it is going to be a major hassle to get setup and I can't be sure that it will work at all.

Reading the Belkin site the Wireless Access Point (WAP) is intended to connect to a router or switch, not to a computer. It doesn't act, as a wireless network card.

I believe you have misread the user manual http://web.belkin.com/support/downlo...130_manual.pdf under system requirements it states

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belkin

System Requirements
• At least one computer with an installed 54g or 802.11b-compliant wireless Ethernet adapter
• TCP/IP networking protocol installed on each computer
• CAT5 networking cable (or better)
• Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, or Netscape® 4.0 or later

I've highlighted the word you missed.

My recommendation is to scrap the WAP, and the additional ethernet card, putting it down to experience. Hopefully you didn't pay your friend too much for the WAP. You're best bet is to ebay it. Similarly you don't need the second ethernet (wired not wireless) card you've just installed.

What you really need is a wireless capable router.
Optionally (in place of the ethernet card you installed) you can fit a wireless desktop networking card to the computer or a USB wireless adapter, However if you have a ethernet wired connection using ethernet from the ntl modem to the PC then you can keep that.

Very simply your ideal network setup will need to be:
Modem <> ethernet cable <> Wireless router

Wireless router <> ethernet cable <> Desktop PC (using original RJ45 ethernet port)

Wireless router ~~ wireless ~~ laptop

There are recommendations in http://www.cableforum.co.uk/forum/article.php?a=74 for wireless routers. If you do however prefer Belkin it looks like you need to get http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...%2Etworking%2F.

---------- Post added at 00:59 ---------- Previous post was at 00:35 ----------

If you insist on keeping the WAP then you can try the following:

You retain the existing wired connection between the ntl modem and your main computer. Your main computer will always have to be powered on for any other laptops or wireless devices to be able to use the internet.

Connect the WAP by ethernet to the second ethernet card you have just added to your main computer.
Power on the WAP, press the reset button on the WAP for 15 seconds, then power off the WAP and power it back on.
You then need to establish communication with the WAP

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belkin

You will need to set you Wireless Client to the same subnet as the WAP before you can access the Web-based interface. Perform the following steps from the computer you wish to configure your WAP from:
NOTE: You must undo these steps once you have complete configuring your WAP.
Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP
1. Go to the Windows control panel and double-click on the Network icon or the Network Connections icon.
2. Right-click on the Local Area Connection for your Wireless adapter and
select Properties.
3. In the General Tab select the Internet Protocol TCP/IP settings for your wireless adapter and click on the Properties button.
4. Select the “Use the following IP address” radio button.
5. Enter and IP address in the same subnet as the Access Point. For
Example: 192.168.2.200 (alternatively try 192.168.0.200 - there seems to be conflicting information on the Belkin web site for this)
6. Enter the following subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 then click OK

Now you can run the Belkin AP Manager utility to configure the WAP for your needs:
When the computer finds the Access Point, double click on it and Type “MiniAP”
Once the connection is established, click on “Command” and select “Configure AP”.
In the next window, select “DHCP Client: Disabled”
Once “Disabled, then you can enter an IP address and subnet mask that match the current network settings.
Click “Save” and exit the AP Manger.

Note: Once you have completed configuring your WAP, repeat steps 1 through 3 above. Then select “Obtain an IP automatically” or set a valid IP for
your computer on the same subnet as the network you are connecting to.

I'd now reboot your main PC and the WAP. Hopefully you should have a connection. If not it's really time to cut your losses, and ditch the WAP.

If the WAP has a connection, once the laptop is available, to establish the wireless between the PC and lappy you will need to run Windows internet connection sharing wizard. Open Control Panel and run the Network Setup Wizard selecting the share connection option. Again I can't be certain what problems you will encounter ruinning this.

I really must stress that this addendum post is very much try it and see if it works. No guarantees at all that it will, sorry.