Connecting to Linksys Range Expander

Question

I have a Wireless-G broadband router from Linksys (WRT54G) that has been working fine with my Inspiron 5150 with my Dell Wireless WLAN 1350, except that it can't reach my third floor office. I bought a Linksys Range Expander (WRE54G) and have spent several hours with Linksys technical support trying to get the Dell adapter to recognize the Range Expander. It sees 'Linksys R79ad94' but the laptop cannot connect to it. Linksys says that Dell should be able to tell me how to do this. They are not familiar with Dell wireless adapters. Does anyone know how to solve this?

schmieg · Answer

Unless Linksys has changed the firmware, you cannot use WPA, so make sure that you turn that off. I played with one of those beasts several months ago and went to a directional antenna on my Dell Minitower that is located on my third floor. Solved the problem cheaper and lets me use WPA. I also didn't like the LAN speed loss through the range expander. Good idea, but needs work in my opinion.

lazyloz · Answer

There is a firmware upgrade available but you need to be connected first - a Catch 22 in my case. By WPA are you saying to turn off the Wireless Printing Adapter? How do you do that and how do you get it back? Thanks, Larry.

schmieg · Answer

By WPA, I mean the encryption method. I believe the range extender is limited to WEP encryption. If you activated WPA encryption when you set up your network, the range extender won't work.

The best thing is to take your router and your network cards back to defaults and make sure the network operates with no encryption or other security installed and with SSID being broadcast. Then try getting the range extender to connect. After you get things working at the default level, then you can start adding your security again. Please make sure you have security set up. I keep telling the attorney in the building next to mine that I can use his internet connection and access his network, but he never does anything about it.

lazyloz · Answer

I have security totally disabled on the router and the laptop still cannot connect to the range expander.

schmieg · Answer

I don't think that it's the Dell card. When I was messing with it, I had a heck of a time getting it to run initially and I was running both Dell and Linksys cards and the difficulty was with both types. I finally got it going after about a week and then decided the LAN performance hit was too great, so I got a coax cable to connect to the back of the Linksys card in the midsize tower on the third floor and a directional antenna which I aimed at the router. That solved the problem and Best Buy got the range extender back.

I can't remember all of the things that I tried, but it was frustrating.

BBraxton · Answer

WiFi Protected Access http://wi-fiplanet.webopedia.com/TERM/W/WPA.html

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Connecting to Linksys Range Expander

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