DIY Networks - Example Wireless Access Point Configuration

Configuring a Netgear WG602 Wireless Access Point

The Netgear WG602 Wireless Access Point has been selected as our example for Wireless Access Point Configuration. These sturdy little access points have been manufactured in a number of versions for quite a few years and are a perfect representative of their device type. We shall configure it as if it were to be used with our Netgear DM111P ADSL modem that was used in our Example ADSL Modem Configuration. Both of these devices have default IP addresses in the 192.168.0.0/24 range, the ADSL modem has a default IP of 192.168.0.1 and the WG602 access point has a default IP of 192.168.0.227, making them ideal companions for each other with a minimum of configuration.

The Web Interface

Virtually all devices such as routers, access points, adsl modems etc are configured via a web interface. A web interface is really just a web page that the device displays that you can change configuration values in so that your device works properly. Many of them have other methods as well such as set up CD's that use Plug'N'Play or even command line interfaces. We shall focus on the WG602's web interface as it is a common thread and will allow us to illustrate how one of these devices can be configured.

To access our access points web interface we must turn it on and connect a computer to it somehow. Generally an ethernet connection is the best way but many access points are configured as open networks when they are manufactured so you can connect to them wirelessly. I prefer to use an ethernet cable as this will remove the possibility of being locked out of your access point when you change the wireless security settings. Manually configure an IP address of 192.168.0.10 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 on your computer if you do not have a DHCP server running on your network already that hands out addresses in the 192.168.0.0/24 range. It is an interesting point to be aware of that the IP address of the access point is irrelevant to the operation of the network, the access point can be on an entirely different IP range and still allow clients to connect to it and use it as a bridge to the wired part of your network. It will still allow client computers to get an IP address from your networks DHCP server and use routers, printers and browse other computers files.

Log into the router via its web interface Now that we have established connectivity between the access point and our computer we need to log into the web interface and start configuring it. Open your web browser (eg Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari or whatever you prefer) and into the address field type the access points IP address, in our example its 192.168.0.227 . Some browsers may require you to type http://192.168.0.227. A box will pop up in the centre of the screen asking for a username and password. The default username for the WG602 is admin and the default password is password.

Once you have successfully logged into your access point you will be presented with an information page which provides an overview of the routers configuration and overall status. On the left hand side of the page there is a menu which allows you to select which aspect of the acces point you would like to configure.

IP Address Settings

On the menu on the left hand side of the page click on IP settings. Here we can configure the IP address of the access point or instruct the access point to be a DHCP client and obtain its IP address automatically. If you choose to make your access point a DHCP client it will obtain its IP address from the DHCP server you have running on your network. There is nothing intrinsically bad about this but it can make your access point difficult to find should you need to reconfigure it as it may have any address in the range handed out by your DHCP server. A perhaps wiser choice is to manually assign the access point an IP address outside of this address range and make a note of it so you will always know where it is. Here the Netgear WG602 is assigned its default IP address of 192.168.0.227 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. The default gateway is set as 192.168.0.1 however you need not set a default gateway on your access point as it does not need to access the internet in any way. Change the IP address to suit your network and then click apply.


Now we must configure the basic wireless settings of our access point. Click on the wireless settings link on the menu of the left hand side of the page. There are only a few settings on this page and most of the time the defaults are more than suitable.

The Network Name or SSID is a name that is broadcasted by the access point that identifies your network, when you do a scan for wireless networks on your computer it is this name that appears in the scan results. There are some instances where capital letters and unusual characters can cause issues, mainly with older wireless card software so I prefer to keep my SSID in lower case with no spaces and only letters and numbers, no unusual characters.

SSID broadcast allows you to switch off the broadcast of the SSID, if you turn it off a casual scan will not see your network and this can be a useful security feature. It is wise to turn it off after all your wireless clients have been configured. The country or region setting is not available on all devices, some countries have 11 channels that can be used legally and others have 13. Select the country or region that is appropriate for you. If you dont know which is appropriate select an 11 channel location and this will avoid breaking any local legislation.

Mode simply refers to whether your wireless clients can use 802.11b, 802.11g or 802.11n (if supported). There are a few differences between the different standards, the most obvious for end users is the speed. In the instance of the WG602 only g and b are supported and we have elected to allow both.

Finally, you can force the access point to use a fixed data rate, that is it locks the speed at which its clients connect to it to a specific speed. As your wireless clients get further away or walls, trees and other objects get in the way the client and access point will negotiate the fastest speed possible without errors unless the speed is locked to a specific rate. Locking the speed of the access point to a lower rate can be useful for reducing errors and increasing connection quality.