RF-Link Technology WRT55AG manual Appendix B How to Ping Your ISP’s E-mail & Web Addresses

Instant Wireless® Series

How do I reset the Router?

Press the Reset button on the back panel for about ten seconds. This will reset the Router to its default settings.

How do I resolve issues with signal loss?

There is no way to know the exact range of your wireless network without test- ing. Every obstacle placed between the Router and a wireless PC will create signal loss. Lead glass, metal, concrete floors, water and walls will inhibit the signal and reduce range. Start with the Router and your wireless PC in the same room and move it away in small increments to determine the maximum range in your environment.

You may also try using different channels, as this may eliminate interference affecting only one channel. Also, due to FCC regulations, more power may be transmitted, using 802.11a, on channels 52, 56, 60 and 64, than on the lower channels. Lastly, click the Advanced tab of the web-based utility and make sure that FULL is selected in the Transmission Power field.

I have excellent signal strength, but I cannot see my network.

WEP is probably enabled on the Router, but not on your wireless adapter (or vice versa). Verify that the same WEP keys and levels (64, 128, or 152) are being used on all nodes of your wireless network.

How many channels/frequencies are available with the Router?

Using 802.11a, there are eight available channels, ranging from 36 to 64. Using 802.11g-draft, there are eleven available channels, ranging from 1 to 11.

What is the difference in range between 802.11a and 802.11g products?

Overall, range will be a little less in a typical environment, and while higher speeds may be achieved with 802.11a, through- put degrades more quickly. (See Figure A-1.)

Figure A-1

If your questions are not addressed here, refer to the Linksys website,

www.linksys.com.

Dual-Band Wireless A+G Broadband Router

Appendix B: How to Ping Your ISP’s E-mail & Web Addresses

Virtually all Internet addresses are configured with words or characters (e.g., www.linksys.com, www.yahoo.com, etc.) In actuality, however, these Internet addresses are assigned to IP addresses, which are the true addresses on the Internet. For example, www.yahoo.com is 66.218.71.87 (this IP address may change). Type it into your web browser and you will wind up at the Linksys home page every time. There are servers that translate the URL to an IP address; this is called the Domain Name System (DNS).

IP and web addresses, however, can sometimes be long and hard to remember. Because of this, certain ISPs will shorten their server addresses to single words or codes on their users’ web browser or e-mail configurations. If your ISP’s e- mail and web server addresses are configured with single words (www, e-mail, home, pop3, etc.) rather than whole Internet addresses or IP addresses, the Router may have problems sending or receiving mail and accessing the Internet. This happens because the Router has not been configured by your ISP to accept their abbreviated server addresses.

The solution is to determine the true web addresses behind your ISPs code words. You can determine the IP and web addresses of your ISP’s servers by “pinging” them.

Important: If you don’t have your ISP’s web and e-mail IP addresses, you must either get them from your ISP or follow these steps prior to connecting the Router to your network.

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