• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Urgent Help needed: Wireless Access Point and Cable Modem

I need some urgent help to configure a wireless access point with a cable modem at my parents home for a christmas present. I'm having trouble...anyone familiar with thius care to PM me?


----------------------------------
Locked - Answer was provided.
Please use the Networking forum for further assistance

Senior Anandtech Moderator
Common Courtesy
 
Do you have the cable modem? If so, just run the cable to the modem, then ethernet from the modem to the router. Done.
 
I have a WAP54g wireless access point and an SB5100 modem. Modem has a single ethernet and a single USB, WAP has a single ethernet. I tried using the USB to connect to the PC, and ethernet to the WAP, but I get an error message when I try to complete setup of the WAP (no network card present)

I have the same setup aty home with a WRT54g router, but my brother mistakenly bought a WAP and of course now everything is closed.
 
Originally posted by: rudeguy
Isn't an access point meant to receive?

i think waps are basically wireless switches, i.e. no router built in.

...if it is truly just a WAP, and the modem doesn't have a router built in, you might be stuck.
 
Originally posted by: vshah
hmm...if it is truly just a WAP, and the modem doesn't have a router built in, you might be stuck.

Thats what it sounds like from looking at the data sheet. He would need another access point for the computer.
 
Don't forget to cycle the power once you have everything set up correctly. Unplug both the modem and WAP, wait 30-60 seconds, plug the modem back up, let it connect, then plug the WAP back in.
 
Originally posted by: rudeguy
Originally posted by: vshah
hmm...if it is truly just a WAP, and the modem doesn't have a router built in, you might be stuck.

Thats what it sounds like from looking at the data sheet. He would need another access point for the computer.

i'm assuming his computer has a wireless card. what he needs is a router.

it usually goes like this

cable modem > wireless router > wireless cards for comps

the "wireless router" here is a router + a wap

he has just the wap part

unless i'm very very wrong
 
Originally posted by: vshah
i'm assuming his computer has a wireless card. what he needs is a router.

it usually goes like this

cable modem > wireless router > wireless cards for comps

the "wireless router" here is a router + a wap

he has just the wap part

unless i'm very very wrong
Sounds like it.

The OP said he bought this.

In that case, its not going to work OP.
 
Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: vshah
i'm assuming his computer has a wireless card. what he needs is a router.

it usually goes like this

cable modem > wireless router > wireless cards for comps

the "wireless router" here is a router + a wap

he has just the wap part

unless i'm very very wrong
Sounds like it.

The OP said he bought this.

In that case, its not going to work OP.

yup...OP, you will need a router. or, if you have a PC with 2 ethernet cards, that would do the trick via windows connection sharing

edit: i see modem has usb. do this:


connect modem to PC via usb...install drivers or w/e you have to do. this will probably create a new connection in your network connections. use internet connection sharing to share that connection over the ethernet adapter. plug the wap54g into the ethernet port. connect to it and configure it via wireless. done 🙂
 
Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: vshah
i'm assuming his computer has a wireless card. what he needs is a router.

it usually goes like this

cable modem > wireless router > wireless cards for comps

the "wireless router" here is a router + a wap

he has just the wap part

unless i'm very very wrong
Sounds like it.

The OP said he bought this.

In that case, its not going to work OP.

Thats what I meant. I am just not good at all your fancy tech talk 😛
 
Originally posted by: vshah
Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: vshah
i'm assuming his computer has a wireless card. what he needs is a router.

it usually goes like this

cable modem > wireless router > wireless cards for comps

the "wireless router" here is a router + a wap

he has just the wap part

unless i'm very very wrong
Sounds like it.

The OP said he bought this.

In that case, its not going to work OP.

yup...OP, you will need a router. or, if you have a PC with 2 ethernet cards, that would do the trick via windows connection sharing

edit: i see modem has usb. do this:


connect modem to PC via usb...install drivers or w/e you have to do. this will probably create a new connection in your network connections. use internet connection sharing to share that connection over the ethernet adapter. plug the wap54g into the ethernet port. connect to it and configure it via wireless. done 🙂

I'll give this a try....

 
Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
Originally posted by: vshah
Originally posted by: her209
Originally posted by: vshah
i'm assuming his computer has a wireless card. what he needs is a router.

it usually goes like this

cable modem > wireless router > wireless cards for comps

the "wireless router" here is a router + a wap

he has just the wap part

unless i'm very very wrong
Sounds like it.

The OP said he bought this.

In that case, its not going to work OP.

yup...OP, you will need a router. or, if you have a PC with 2 ethernet cards, that would do the trick via windows connection sharing

edit: i see modem has usb. do this:


connect modem to PC via usb...install drivers or w/e you have to do. this will probably create a new connection in your network connections. use internet connection sharing to share that connection over the ethernet adapter. plug the wap54g into the ethernet port. connect to it and configure it via wireless. done 🙂

I'll give this a try....


i'm not sure how configuring the wap54g will go. when you connect to the wireless, your laptops will actually be getting their IP addresses from the main PC with ICS, which will have ip address 192.168.0.1 does the WAP54G specify a default ip address?

edit: wap54g defualt IP is 192.168.1.245. you may be able to log in via wireless when its not connected to the ICS pc, and setup its gateway ip to 192.168.0.1
 
i have a cablemodem and WAP.

which WAP do you have?

rereading the post shows you bought a Linksys wireless G WAP.

that is the same one I have.

do you have a router?

are you trying to hook up a wired and wireless lan?

I see you tried this "I tried using the USB to connect to the PC, and ethernet to the WAP, but I get an error message when I try to complete setup of the WAP (no network card present)"

that won't work unless they are getting 2 ip addresses from the ISP.

The WAP is not a router and has no firewall ability.

The WAP can be set up as passive or active. If there is no router then they require 2 ip's to get this to work or 1 ip and only a wireless LAN.

The WAP can be set as active and it will assign ip's to any wireless nic. Passive mode allows the WAP to get ip's from the modem or router.

best solution is to get a wireless router or set up a PC with a linux based router software (http://www.freesco.org) or use ICS from windows with 2 or 3 nics depending on how many pc's need to connect to the LAN.

my LAN is a cablemodem <---> linux router PC <---> switch <---> WAP and wired PCs.
 
OP, forget the idea of connecting the WAP to your computer, honestly I think that's stupid considering how cheap wireless routers cost. You need to take back the WAP and get a wireless router and hook the WAN port of the router to the cable modem. Do not hook the computer up to the USB port on the cable modem and do the bridging, that WILL break at some point and guess who will be fixing it? It'll be easier and much less of a headache to just get a wireless router.
 
Originally posted by: kevnich2
And by the way, this post needs to be moved to the Networking forum. I was wondering why I saw this in OT.

It's because it's urgent, therefore the OP thinks he can circumvent forum rules by posting in the wrong forum.
 
Originally posted by: KLin
Originally posted by: kevnich2
And by the way, this post needs to be moved to the Networking forum. I was wondering why I saw this in OT.

It's because it's urgent, therefore the OP thinks he can circumvent forum rules by posting in the wrong forum.

jeez, a little pissy tonight?

The issue is that I am trying to set this up for my parents while I am here at their house, and we all know the networking forum isn't getting any traffic on Christmas Eve.


This is for a Roku box, so there is no laptop to mess with. Like I said, my brother told me he had a wireless router, but when he showed up with it, it turned out to be a WAP. Stores are closed, and I'm not even sure the WAP is returnable as he's had it for a while, that's why I'm making every effort to make it work if possible.
 
You need a (wired) router... or for the same price get a wireless router... put the wap somewhere on your lan if you've got a big house or something.
 
Back
Top