Wireless Settings | 53 |
Choose the Auto option to automatically choose the clearest channel. The Router will check for the clearest channel whenever it is rebooted, powered up, and when the Clear Channel Select option is first applied.
Valid channels are country dependent. See “Regulatory Notices” on page 137 for a list of channels approved by each country.
Service Area Name/SSID
This allows you to name your Wireless network. The Service Area Name/SSID field will accept any alphanumeric string and has a maximum length of 32 characters. Your Wireless computers must be configured with exactly the same name or you will not establish a connection. The Service Area Name may also be referred to as “ESSID” depending on your networking vendor. By default the Router uses the name “3Com”. 3Com recommends that you change the default name.
In order that your wireless computers can connect to the Router, you must:
■Use Infrastructure Mode, not Ad hoc Mode.
■Have the same Service Area Name as the Router.
■Have the same Channel number as the Router.
■Use the same encryption type and keys as the Router.
■Ensure that the PC is not included in the denied Wireless PCs list if Connection Control is enabled. See page 59.
Enable Broadcast SSID
Disable this feature after you have installed your wireless network to improve the security of your network. When the check box is checked, the Router will broadcast the Service Area Name/SSID of your wireless network, which reduces the security of your Router as it allows any wireless client to see your wireless LAN.
If you have a wireless client that can detect all the available SSIDs in your area, your client will not list the Router SSID unless this feature is enabled. The clients will still be able to connect, provided that they are supplied with the SSID.
3Com recommends that you install your wireless network with this feature enabled and then disable it once you have set up the Router and wireless clients.