WAP11 Problems

I just bought a Linksys Wireless Access point (WAP11) and I'm having some trouble. The WAP is connected into my switch, which is connected into my router (a PC), and that is connected to the cable modem. I'm trying to hook up one wireless laptop to my wired network. After a 1 hour call to Linksys support, they ultimately told me to go out and buy a router access point... Do I really have to do that? They said that the software (Win 2003 Server) on my PC router was causing the WAP not to work, and that there was nothing I could do. So, do I really have to go out and buy a router, or can I make this thing work with what I have. I really don't like returning stuff I buy online.

well is your windows 2003 box the dhcp server? if not you have to set the wap to be it.

its a little tricky but easy once you know what your doing.

id reccomend switching your router pc to a linux firewall distro. (i run http://www.smoothwall.org)

Yes, my Router PC is the DHCP server. But I still can't get aything to work when I set the WAP to "Automatic IP", laptop still can't see the wireless network.

I would use linux, but God knows how I'd get this network working again if I did. I'm bad enough at fixing problems in Win 2003 Server.

try smoothwall, its about as easy as setting up a regular linksys router

the wap 11 you have to set to pass through or something, do not let it be the dhcp server or else your network will not work on wireless

When you say "switching" do you mean completly getting rid of Win2k3 Server or using smoothwall as a firewall alternative?

using smoothwall as your firewall instead of win2003

(assuming thats all win2003 is doing)

Reset the WAP-11 to factory defaults, and see if it shows up in the wireless nets. i reccomend using netstumbler on the lappy so you can see when it pps up. make sure SSID broadcasting is on at first, and no WEP or aything just for testing, once you get connecting to it youll be able to turn off the ssid broadcast and tput on WEP.

Xenocide said:

using smoothwall as your firewall instead of win2003

(assuming thats all win2003 is doing)

Click to expand...

Oh no. It's does more than just the firewall. There is a VPN connection between my friend and I that I'm not even going to attempt to replicate in Smoothwall. But I'll certainly keep Smoothwall in mind the day Windows gets the better of me, and day which is fast approaching.

four4875 said:

Reset the WAP-11 to factory defaults, and see if it shows up in the wireless nets. i reccomend using netstumbler on the lappy so you can see when it pps up. make sure SSID broadcasting is on at first, and no WEP or aything just for testing, once you get connecting to it youll be able to turn off the ssid broadcast and tput on WEP.

Click to expand...

I finally got it to work (sort of) when I realized the wireless card on the laptop was off... So I turned that on and was able to connect to my network, with WEP. However, whenever I turn off the laptop and power it up again, it can never reconnect to the network, though it can see the network. Nor can I configure the WAP from my computer on the wired network. I usually have to fumble around with it; unplugging cables and such, and then it will come back. I know there no problems with range, the laptop is right next to the WAP. I also have to keep entering the WEP key on the laptop to reconnect, when of course it should just do that automatically.