Signal Booster for Dell 2300 wireless router

I am having the same problem.  I called Dell and got a WG602v2 Netgear Access Point to use as a repeater but I haven't been able to get it to communicate with the Truemobile 2300. I post a reply if I can get this to work.  If someone has any ideas please post them here.

 

I found an answer.  The Netgear WG602v2 Access Point will work as a repeater for the Truemobile 2300.

You set up the 2300 to use point to point wireless bridging and enter the MAC address of the 602 in the appropriate area.

Set up the 602 to function as a repeater(had to upgrade the firmware for the 602 first)just as in the instructions and enter the MAC address of the 2300.

I just keep the 602 in the same room as the laptop and it works great all over the house. Even where I could not get on the network before.

Any problems just post to this list .  I tried both Dell and Netgear support and got no help at all but finally experimented myself and it works.

I'm kinda stupid about this stuff, where did you get the Net gear thing and what is a MAC address.  I hooked this stuff up to a satellite modem and Dell's instructions stunk and I could find no help.  Sooooo, please be as specific as possible, I won't be offended.

 

Still trying to learn

 

critterdoc83

I got the Netgear WG602v2 Access Point online from Dell.com.  MAC stands for Media Access Control.  The router has one and the Access Point has one.  You can find them on the bottom of the equipment.  It's a 12 digit #. 

You can download the User manual of the WG602v2 from www.netgear.com in the support area.  All you need is Chapters 3 & 5.

You have to change the IP address of your computer(desktop)in order to set up the Netgear.  Also remember to change the SSID to whatever the name of your wirless network is.  If you don't know how to change the IP address it depends on what version of windows you are using. I use XP and WinME.

For the Truemobile 2300, look at the User Guide under advanced wireless and set it up to do point-to-point bridging and enter the MAC of the Access Point in the appropriate space.

You can look at both User Guides to see if you think you can do it.  It's really not hard.  If a people doc can do it surely a critterdoc can.

Any hangups just let me know.  Don't forget that when you get everything set up and anytime you have to reboot your modem or router, always unplug everything then restart the modem first then the router, then the access point then your wireless, in that order or it may not work correctly.

It sounds like you use your system like I do mine.  I have a cable modem hooked to my router, my desktop is hardwired to the router and my laptop is the wireless one.  Most of the time my desktop is off unless I need to print.  I have a 2 story house and my router is on the first floor.  My bedroom is on the second floor and on another side of the house from my router.  My den is on the second floor just above the router.  The den gets very good signal but the bedroom gets poor or no signal.  With this setup I get excellent signal in the bedroom.  I also have a sunroom on the first floor where I could never get a signal but now it's excellent.   The nice thing is that the Access Point is the last link so if I want to move, just shutdown the laptop, unplug the Access Point move it to the new location, boot it up, then boot up the laptop.  This sounds similar to what you are trying to do.

Let me know how it works

chrisocala

Hi,

Thank you for your excellent posts.  I just purchased a laptop, and am having the same problem.  I also have a similar setup to yours - desktops hardwired in the basement, and unable to use the laptop upstairs in the bedroom.  I'll try your solution.

I have another question which you may have addressed.  One of my desktops downstairs is a Dell with Windows ME.  The software with the 2300 wireless router says it doesn't support ME.  In your post it looks like you were able to hardwire your router to an ME machine.  If so, could you fill me in on what I need to do?

Thanks again for your help.

- Mike

I used the laptop with XP to set up the router and then just plugged in the ME machine.  I can access the router from both machines .  I only put the software on the XP machine.

Good luck

chrisocala

I am still lost, I haven't been able to try your suggestion until tonight. 

 

How do I set up 2300 to point to point?  I can access some options etc, but as far as I can get, I have a choice of gateway mode or Accesspoint mode.  If I choose access point mode, there's nowhere to enter the MAC of the 602, where/how do I enter it?

 

After 2300 is hooked up, how to I hook up 602 to make the changes/download update/etc for it?  Do I plug it into a LAN port on the 2300 and access it from there?  Do I hook it up directly to ethernet port on desktop?  HELP  I'm very sorry to be so stupid but Dell is no help and Netgear is to technical for me.  If you need more info, please let me know.

 

Right now, 2300 set up as gateway mode, 602 hooked up to nothing.  It is unplugged, disconnected, and setting dangerously close to the trash can.

 

critterdoc83

critterdoc,

One more thing, if you will. Please post the entire configuration of your network. Especially include how the satellite modem is connected. That way all the information will be in one post, which will greatly improve the chances that someone will be able to help resolve the problem.

The details are very important when working on resolving problems like yours.

Jim

PS

I'm leaving Saturday 7-17 about noon CDT for a week's vacation, I'll wait for a reply but may not be able to get back to you for about a week. PLEASE DON"T GIVE UP ON ME.  Dell lied to me about the 2300, I don't like the fact it won't reach 35 feet upstairs.   I am willing to BUY and use an additional router but wow, trying to set it up makes a guy want a drink, two, three, oh heck, the whole bottle. 

Be as simple as you can for me, I'm the lowly veedhopper,

critterdoc

Last thing, I promise (for now).  I don't think it makes any difference but I access the internet through a direcway dish.  The modem looks similar to a cable modem, but just wanted to throw that in, because when you say I need to change the IP of my desktop, will that affect my ability to access the dish?  I have the primary and secondary DNS addresses for direcway if we need them.

Start with the 2300.

Open the Control Utility

Go to Advanced Settings, Click Login, use your login and password

Go to Advanced Settings, click yes on the little box that asks if you really want to go here cause you might screw everything up

Go to Advanced Wireless

Make sure that the box "enable wireless" is checked

Check the "Hide my wireless network" box if you don't want to broadcast your network name(a good security measure)

See that mode is "802.11b and 802.11g"

SSID make sure your network name is here

Auto

Channel (whatever you want mine is on 11)

Leave advanced options alone

Click the wireless bridge box

Where is says enter the MAC of the first Truemobile 2300  enter the MAC of the 602

then save the new settings.

On the 602 you have to turn off the router then hook the 602 directly to your laptop or desktop through the ethernet connection.  then you can access the setup menu for the 602 as in the instructions. If you need help just let me know.  I am hooked up to a cable modem dont know anything about sattelite stuff.  sorry. It really shouldn't matter how you access the internet. The sattelite modem should just hook to the router same as my cable modem.

 

 

Did you get the MAC of the 602 into the 2300 under wireless bridging?

You have to set up the 602.

Go to netgear.com

In the upper right corner there is a dropdown titled Product Quick Find

go to WG602 and click it

under the picture of the 602 click the support link

Under WG602v2 Downloads, click the link under Firmware that says

Repeater Firmware v3.2 RC6

download that to your laptop

You can also download a Users Guide if you want you only need Chapters 3 and 5.

I assume you have XP on your laptop.

if so, click Start then My Network Places then click on the left under Network tasks "View Network Connections"

Right click the Local Area Connection then click Properties

Under the General tab in the middle under This connection uses the following items click on Internet Protocol(TCP/IP) then click Properties

Under the General tab you'll see bullets Obtain an IP address automatically which is probably clicked and one that says Use the Following IP Address

click the Use the following IP address and put in 192.168.0.210 Then click OK.

Now, connect the 602 to your laptop using the ethernet cable.  Turn off the 2300 router.

Now log in to the 602 using the instructions on page 3-7 of the user guide

You will get the Home page as shown on page 3-8

On the left under management you will see Upgrade Firmware click that and follow the instructions to upgrade the firmware that you downloaded above.

Once you get this done you will need to change the SSID on the 602 so that it matches the 2300. If you haven't changed the 2300 then use the default.

page 3-11 of the user guide will show you how.

Now go to page 5-1 and look at the example.

to get there, click Wireless Bridging under Advanced on the home page of the 602

go down to the 4th bullet "Repeater with Wireless Client Association" and click it then enter the MAC of the 2300 in the boxes.

That should do the trick. 

Now shut everything down and unhook the 602 from the laptop.

Restart the Modem 1st then restart the 2300 then restart the 602 when you boot up your laptop you should be in business.

Any problems just reply.

 

chrisocala

 

I feel SOOOOOO stupid.

 

My Netgear router is a WGT 624vs 108Mbps NOT a 602.  All the stuff you've been so kind to write down and help me with doesn't seem to work for the 624.  I checked and there is no repeater firmware update for the 624.  I've contacted Netgear and asked them for help.

I feel very bad that I've wasted all your time on such an idiotic mistake.  Please forgive me.  If you have any ideas concerning the 624v2, I would be aprreciative but you've already spent enough time for me.

Thanks again and sorry.

I don't know if the 624 will work but the 602 works great. I would recommend it to anyone.  Just that no one at Dell or at Netgear could tell me how to do it.  The tricky thing is having to change your IP address to access the 602. It would be nice if you could access it wirelessly like you can the 2300.

Good luck

 

chrisocala