WAP 4400N

[pietbekaert]

Hi guys

I am TOTALLY incompetent in setting up wireless connections. I have a ADSL 512k connection via a Linksys WAG 300N modem router on the ground floor and it is linked by an ethernet cable to a WAP 4400N on the first floor.

Recently the internet connection on the first floor has started to become erratic.

Hence my questions

1. how do I correct the problem?
2. If I try a reset, how long do I have to push the button?
3. could it be that the access point needs an update of its firmware? How do I check which firmware is currently operating? I suppose that I have to connect my laptop to the WAP and then type some url like 192.168.1.1. ????
4. How do I activate the Power over Ethernet facility? So far I have always used a power cable.
5. the helpline number here in Dubai which links to an operator in India is unable to help becuase this WAP is a business device....

Many thanks.

Piet Bekaert

Dubai

[edpaz · Accepted solution]

Mr. Bekaert,

1. The WAP4400n needs to be physically connected to the main router (WAG300N). Make sure the Gateway and Primary DNS on the WAP4400n is pointing to the WAG300N (192.168.1.1) and set the wireless tab with a SSID differently from any wireless devices, but can use the same security mode and password.

2. To hard reset the WAP4400n you will need to hold the reset switch for 30 seconds and it will factory default to the 192.168.1.245 state with the default user name/password admin/admin

3. The WAP4400n should have the latest firmware if you have just purchase it. this is located in the WAP web interface under the Status Tab  "Software Version" This is accomplished by typing in the address bar: 192.168.1.245. If you need to update latest firmware, you can find it at our CISCO website www.cisco.com/smb. The firmware for that unit should have the v1.2.14.

4. The PoE or Power over Ethernet is only used to power the WAP4400n device, this does not supply power to other devices that require PoE.

5. The helpline for your WAP4400n is in Saudi Arabia telephone# 800 844 5849.

I hope the above information is helpful

Sincerely,

Edgar

[pietbekaert]

Dear Edgard

Many, many thanks for your offer to help. But please, consider I am a total ignorant in these matters ( I am a medical doctor!), so if you don't mind, can you help me step by step?

To answer you point 1: yes, the WAP is connected to the WAG by ethernet. But what do you mean by Make sure the Gateway and Primary DNS on the WAP4400n is pointing to the WAG300N (192.168.1.1) ? If you mean thatm each unit's antenna point to the other, the answer is yes.

You say set the wireless tab with a SSID differently from any wireless devices, but can use the same security mode and password. Can you elaborate on that? I have a few internet radios around the house and this is precisely also why I was advised to buy the WAP 4400N.

Point 2: I have done a soft reset by pressing for 1 second as advised on the cisco's website. It seems to have improved the connectivity quite a bit. Do I still need to do a hard reset?

Point 3: I have downloaded the latest sofware as you recommended. You say: This is accomplished by typing in the address bar: 192.168.1.245.
But how do I enter the 192.168.1.245??? I have tried to connect my laptop via an ethernet cable directly to the WAP 4400N, and entered the DNS but it was not accepted. Do I need to enter it via the WAG 300N which in turn wil tranmit it by itseld to the WAP?

Point 4: it is precisely the WAP that I want to power via the PoE. But when I remove the power supply, it just goes blank, and the LED of PoE on the unit does not light up. Why not?

Many thanks for your help and patience. My big problem in Dubai is that opur helpline is only for lome units from Linksys, and the guys say that they are not trained to answer questions about the business unit. The 800 number for Saudi Arabia, but this is another country, and the number is not accessible from Dubai.

Kind regards

Piet

[mzaccone]

Piet,

1.   What Edgar means by "Make sure the Gateway and Primary DNS on the WAP4400n is pointing to the WAG300N (192.168.1.1)?" is for you to log into the WAP4400N by typing it's IP address (192.168.1.245) in your web browser's address bar and logging into it with the username and password.   Once you're logged in you'll see the page below.

Once you're here you'll want to type the IP address of the WAG300N in the fields labeled "Default Gateway" and "Primary DNS".

[pietbekaert]

Thanks for the suggestion.

Actually, thanks to the help of one of the Linksys (not the Cisco) home products helpine operators who decided to help me on this issue, despite the WAP 4400N being a business unit an not under his technical area, I was able to check that the unit had a software version 1.2.8 ETSI.

I tried to figure out which of the two upgrades I needed to upload, the 1.2.14 or the 1.2.14 ETSI. The latter one seems, according to the website, be specific for WAP 4400 N of Australia, Brazil, the EU, UK, Singapore, etc... My unit did not specify a geographical area following its model number. But I went along and uploaded the ETSI version and when prompted to reboot, I got a warning page to wait while this was ongoing. This warning page never ended, but when I checked 192.168.1.245 later on, I saw that the new software version was on. :)

Now, the questions are still what this ETSI stands for, and how the new software will improve the functionning of the unit? I still wonder if my problems of network strenght of penetration persist, if I should not just buy the WRP 160N or the WRP 610N????

Can anyone answer me on these issues?

Regards

Piet

[Steven DiStefano]

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, broadcast and internet technologies. 

Products sold in more than one country would have to adapt to the standards of that country.  So the HW can sometimes be the same, and only the image (software) will be different, as in your case to make it abide by and cooperate with other devices that should follow those standards.

Hope that helps.