Installing a Linksys Access Point using a Mac

[BVGuitarPlayer]

I am a University student and trying to help my friend who lives in a dorm. At school there is a high speed local network and internet connection (I'm guessing massive amounts of T1s or T3s)... Left behind by a previous roommate is a Linksys WAP54G v2.0 which is a wireless access point NOT a router...I am told that it used to work, but one day stopped...

I have already reset the WAP (as they call it not to be confused with cell phone browsers)...now the name displays the default "linksys" title. I plug it in to the ethernet jack and "You are not connected to the internet" according to Safari...

my question is... how do you access the settings for the WAP.... on MY DSL modem and gateway, for example i type in 192.168.0.1 and I have also set this up with Mac OS X for a gaming adapter but i simply cannot figure out the IP address for this router and the Network Preferences to use when I plug the Linksys WAP into my computer. (I tried the default suggestion in my browser 192.168.1.245 but no luck, do I need to enter this in the Network panel of my System Prefs?)

I do not have the original setup and install CD available, and if I did, we only use Mac OS X... so does anyone have any ideas? Also... is it even possible to use a "Wireless Access Point" as opposed to a Router on a University campus (High speed LAN connected to WAN)? I don't know how it works with the DHCP... I would like for 3 people to be able to use this access point simultaneously.

Thank you for any help in advance!

 

[jpdm]

BVGuitarPlayer, I use a Linksys WRT54G which has the integrated router. Try 192.168.1.1 for the address. Then try admin for the user and password both (and then reset immediately). If the prior owners didn't change the security settings you should be able to get in. Once in, it is pretty self-explanatory and there are PDF help docs on the net from within the admin panels. Remember, if it "stopped working" it may well be damaged or dead. By the way, I started to use this with an older HP Athlon Pentium III and have migrated to a mixed, hardwired and wireless network that has the old Pentium III, a ThinkPad, an iMac and a G4 PowerBook on the network and printing to an HP OfficeJet G55, all without much problem. The WRT54G is a substantially cheaper alternative to an AirPort Extreme Base Station plus router and it has continued to work just fine for me for 3 years. Hope this helps. Good luck

 

[nixgeek]

The best way to do this is to get a crossover ethernet cable and connect it from the Mac to the ethernet port on the WAP54G. The router by default should be setto the IP you mentioned (192.168.1.254). What you need to do once you have the two devices connected physically is configure the ethernet port on the Mac with the IP of 192.168.1.2 and the subet mask of 255.255.255.0. Then open up a browser and type the IP of the WAP54G. If all goes well, you'll be prompted with the username and password of the access point. All you need to provide is the default password and you'll be at the configuration page.

As for getting the AP to work with the university's network, you're going to have to find out what the network information is and input it into the AP. Once that's all set, you should be able to connect the ethernet port of the AP into the network drop provided there in your dorm.