2.3Preparing for Configuration

For the user (or administrator) to configure an advanced AP, a managing computer with a Web browser is needed. For first-time configuration of an advanced AP, an Ethernet network interface card (NIC) should have been installed in the managing computer. For maintenance-configuration of a deployed advanced AP, either a wireless computer or a wired computer can be employed as the managing computer.

NOTE: If you are using the browser, Opera, to configure an advanced AP, click the menu item File, click Preferences..., click File types, and edit the MIME type, text/html, to add a file extension ".sht" so that Opera can work properly with the Web management pages of the advanced AP.

Since the configuration/management protocol is HTTP-based, we have to make sure that the IP address of the managing computer and the IP address of the managed advanced AP are in the same IP subnet (the default IP address of an AP is 192.168.0.1 and the default subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.)

NOTE: The AP’s factory default setting is to obtain its IP address automatically from a DHCP Server. When the AP restarts it attempts to obtain an IP address repeatedly for approximately 75 seconds. If this fails then it adopts the default IP address of 192.168.0.1.

2.3.1Connecting the Managing Computer and the Advanced AP

To connect the Ethernet managing computer and the managed AP for first-time configuration, the user has two choices as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Cross-over

Ethernet

cable

 

Normal

Normal

 

Ethernet

Ethernet

 

cable

cable

Managing

Ethernet

Managed

Hub/Switch

AP

Computer

 

 

Fig. 2. Connecting a managing computer and an advanced AP via Ethernet.

The user can use either a cross-overEthernet cable (we have included one in the package) or a switch/hub with 2 normal Ethernet cables.

NOTE: One connector of the Ethernet cable must be plugged into the LAN/Config Ethernet socket of the advanced AP for configuration.

2.3.2Changing the TCP/IP Settings of the Managing Computer

Use the Windows Network Control Panel Applet to change the TCP/IP settings of the managing computer, so that the IP address of the computer and the IP address of the advanced AP are in the same IP subnet. Set the IP address of the computer to 192.168.0.xxx (the default IP address of an AP is 192.168.0.1) and the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0.

NOTE: For some versions of Windows, the computer needs to be restarted for the changes of TCP/IP settings to take effect.

100-408-01

Copyright © 2002 Madge Networks. All rights reserved.

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