laptops (II)

Part deux...(for the Spanish version, click here)

According to the Quick Installtion Guide, after you’ve connected the laptop to the AP, type http://192.168.2.2 in Internet Explorer’s (IE) address bar to call up the security configuration interface. The SMCWEB-N, with four Ethernet LAN ports, requires no application or driver downloads, all software is preinstalled in the Access Point itself.

I have to admit that I’m one of those guys that never reads a user manual because, like any big kid, I can’t wait to start playing with my new toys. If the instruction manual is longer than three pages, I don’t even bother reading the table of contents. I just dive right in. This attitude must be something innate in men and somewhat akin to never asking a woman for directions or stopping to read a map when you’re on a road trip. It’s hardwired into our genetic code to know machines. And I admit I should have read the CD manual because there was no way to get the AP interface up and running.

Finally, after reading the manual (there’s a reason why manufacturers include instructions), I realized that the configured IP address (Control Panel – Networks and Internet – Shared Resources and Networks Center – Manage Network Connections – Local Area Network Connection – Internet Protocol version 4 – Properties in Windows Vista) must be within a certain range of values to access the AP’s configuration interface. Normally, the IP address is obtained automatically or the ISP gives you a fixed value. Whichever the case may be, all that’s required is to select the box marked: “Use the following IP address” and enter a value between 192.168.2.3 and 192.168.2.254, and a “Subnet Mask” of 255.255.255.0.

And voilá! When you type http://192.168.2.2 in IE’s address bar, SMC’s configuration interface pops up. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. All the user has to do is enter “admin” for the name and “smcadmin” for the password to launch the security configuration wizard, Wireless Network Setup, with five tabs: Basic, Advanced, Tools, Status and Help.

Basic: Click the Basic tab to setup the AP. If you currently do not have wireless access (and I’m guessing that’s why you bought the access point to begin with), setup the SMCWEB-N as a wireless Access Point using the Add Wireless Device wizard. This device comes with a switch that gives you the choice of using the unit as an access point or client. By default, it’s set to AP. All the user has to do is give the unit an SSID name that identifies the device in nearby wireless networks. In my case I used “SMCWEB-N”, but you can use any name you want.

Next, the wizard will prompt you for the type of security you want to implement and suggests several options: WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc. What do these initials stand for? All I know is that they are encryption standards offering varying degrees of authentication security, the most recent and advanced being WPA2. That’s all I have to say about it since I’m not that technical anyway. At any rate, the device suggests WPA2 TKIP encryption and I figure that, in these matters, the machine knows better than I do. So, after selecting this option, you are asked to enter a password to prevent third party clients (PDAs, laptops, cell phones, etc.) from accessing your network connection when they are within range of your access point. Write down this password and keep it in a safe place in the event that you are asked to re-enter it, which could happen during a system failure or power outage. With respect to passwords, choose an adequate length alphanumeric string using a combination of numbers and upper and lower case letters.

And with that, your SMCWEB-N Access Point should be ready to use, as mine was. I won’t go into the other Tab options because, frankly, when I saw that my AP was working fine and securely, I left it at that. No point in lookin’ to fix what ain’t broke!

The only thing left to do is disconnect the Ethernet cable from your laptop, connect it to your broadband modem, and connect your desktop (previously connected to your modem) to the LAN2 port of your AP device.

Lastly, don’t forget to reset your laptop’s IP address (3rd paragraph of ‘part deux’ above) to “Acquire IP address automatically” in the properties section of your TCP/IP version 4 Protocol.

When you reboot your laptop, go to “Connect to” in the Start menu (Windows logo button). You should see a list of all the wireless networks in the vicinity, among them ‘SMCWEB-N’. Double click on this network and if you are prompted for a password, use the one you wrote down and (hopefully) kept. The AP will recognize it and connect you automatically.

I have to say that I am very pleased with my SMCWEB-N device. On a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the most difficult, I give this device a mark of 2 with respect to the difficulty of its setup. It was rather simple to configure and its 802.11 draft N protocol gives my laptop better performance than my desktop. Of course, the fact that my laptop is a 64-bit system with 4GB of RAM, as opposed to my 2GB 32-bit desktop, also helps. Nonetheless, I’m very pleased with it and it has helped dispel my cynicism of wireless devices.

NOTE: The AP is not a router, meaning you won’t be able to access your home printer from your laptop unless your printer has an Ethernet port. But that’s a whole other configuration story.

Next up: Applications you can’t do without