Wireless Extender WRE54G Setup

I'm writing this since Linksys/Cisco has extremely poor instructions of setting this little bugger up.

I have a WRT56G Wireless-G Broadband Router Access point. This router has been rock solid for me until I bought my new laptop 6 months ago.. The fix, Update the Firmware. Now it is even more solid. I recommend Firmware Version: v2.04.3. But that is not why I'm typing this, that is just a little background.

I purchased a WRE54G range extender because my house was built in the 70's and I have difficulty picking up the wireless signal in the living room from my bedroom where the router is located. I read the "poor" instructions of "Plug it in and press the autoconfigure button," and a blue light show signal. I was like cool! I did this and Red Light. I read on, I mentioned to try the setup CD. I did this, from the start of the CD, my laptop picked up both the extender and the router, it said to select the router and follow the steps. After I chose my router the next step was to input the WEP security (Which I have enabled because I am very secure in my wireless network). Next step it talks back to the extender and "WRE56G Not Found!) What? I just seen it. I did this step a couple more times. No go. I turned off my security on the router. Retried all the steps again, No go. I turned to the troubleshooting in the manual. It said to press the reset button and try again. So I did. I pressed the reset button then the autoconfig button "BINGO!" I'm on and 100% signal strength now in the living room. I'm happy it works now. I figure, If i can't hardly get from room to room in this old house maybe I don't need to turn on the security.

I go to Atomm's house last night and for the first time I picked up 2 wireless networks from inside his house that are his neighbors'. I was like, how is theirs so strong other than being homes built in the last 5 years. I come home and take my laptop outside. Low and behold, after adding the extender I can receive the signal over 100ft from my home now. I then promptly went back inside my house and turned on security again and lost contact with the extender again. I try the steps again to resetup the extender with no luck. I got online and from about 5 sources I complied this nifty set of instructions to get this extender to work with your security.

1st off, it only works with WEP.

Make sure your Access Point is configured and working with security.
Reset the extender.
Open it's Internal webpage 192.168.1.240 with a browser
There is no UserID, only a password of admin at this point
1'st thing I did once in is reset the password.
(Optional) I have a different IP Range So I set this
enter the same SSID as the AP
enter the same Channel as the AP
enter the MAC of your AP
"save settings" your extender should go blue for a bit and then return to red, this is OK
Continue back to settings page.
Enable Security, click the Edit Security button
Input your passphrase or WEP key
"Save Settings" After about 10 seconds your extender should go Blue.
Another 10 seconds, it should start dishing out DHCP from your AP if enabled.

By reading this and you get one, should save you hours of setup and frustration.

I am amazed at the amount of people broadcasting wirreless signals without any wep or wpa, at my house, I get 5 signals, none protected but mine. I live in a tiny neighborhood, maybe 50 houses then no one for a mile or so. At my office I get between 3 and 5 unprotected signals. People, if you have wireless password it off, you are legally responsible for anything that happens through your router!!!

BTW, WEP has a flaw in it. WPA is the new standard. Shortly, you will see a third option. I can't remember it off the top of my head, but it's 802.1n or something like that. It will be a security focused wireless, but I'm not sure which standard it is based on.

Unfortunately many wireless devices only support WEP.

At my office I get between 3 and 5 unprotected signals

One word.
KAZAA

Let the RIAA worry about the unprotected signal.

:twisted: