Initial LinkSys Router Setup
This is a quick, terse walkthrough of screenshots taken
under OS X 10.2.8 to set up a Powerbook to configure a LinkSys BEFW11S4 Etherfast Cable/DSL Wireless Router, since LinkSys won't tell Mac users what to do.
Wire the LinkSys per the manual.
Connect the WAN port to your Cable-DSL router with an Ethernet cable.
Connect any non-wireless Macs with Ethernet cables to the LAN ports.
Avoid using the Uplink port - that's for another router.
Plug LinkSys in.
If you haven't configured your Mac so it can connect to the Router via a web browser at
Web Admin URL,
go through the steps here.
Once that's done, your setup as below is essentially from the LinkSys manual,
since the browser interface looks the same to Windows and Mac.
Configure LinkSys Router
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Launch a web browser. Internet Explorer, Safari, Netscape, Mozilla, Omniweb, Opera, whatever you usually use.
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Use the browser to view URL http://192.168.1.1 by typing that address in the URL address bar.
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(Note: Some newer Linksys models work better using http://192.168.1.1:88;
If you have problems, try that instead.)
When asked for your Name and Password, leave the Name blank (or enter "admin"), and use admin as the password.
(You will want to change this password before you finish so no one else can do this.)
You will see the LinkSys Admim web pages. You will want to visit:
- LinkSys Setup screen to configure:
- The WAN Connection Type to specify your Cable/DSL account info.
- Make sure Wireless is Enabled.
- Put something distinctive in the SSID field.
This is what shows up as the Network Name in the pull-down menus on the Mac.
(This is set for PPPoE, typical of DSL service.
You enter the user name and password the ISP gave you, the same as you had set up in the PPPoE screen of your previous Mac Network Preference. Cable users will use whatever they were told by their ISP - often DHCP.)
- You may want to leave the WEP or WPA Encryption for later, after the internet connection is working;
but don't forget to come back to it!
- Click Apply. The rest you can leave as defaults.
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Check the LinkSys Status screen.
If "Status:" doesn't say Connected, click the Connect button.
This should get you connected to whatever your ISP Cable/DSL service is,
using the info you put in the WAN Connection section of the Setup screen above.
That should set up the basics.
Check if things are working. Try to browse apple.com or some other site you like.
- Most WiFi routers are shipped to use the 802.11b Long Preamble.
If you have trouble using your wireless connection from the Macintosh, check that on the
Advanced / Wireless screen.
(On some router brands / models, this is the Advanced / Performance screen..)
Make sure it uses the Long Preamble.
Once you have the basics working, you will want to make sure you:
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Change the default password for the LinkSys Admin.
- Revisit the LinkSys Admin pages at http://192.168.1.1.
- Enter admin and the password admin.
- Go to the LinkSys Password screen.
- Choose and type your new admin password twice.
- Click Apply.
Note this is your administrator password, not your WEP encryption key (which the Mac calls a password.)
You use the latter to join and use the wireless network.
You use this admin password to access the LinkSys admin web pages.
You'll be asked for it to change the Linksys config.
If you forget the password, you'll need to reset the Linksys with the button on the back and re-configure it all over again!
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Activate wireless encryption, so the neighbors don't use your network without permission. WPA is the newer security protocol for wireless access, and is far superior to the older WEP. However, not all routers support WPA, and in order to use it, your Mac will need to have an Airport (Extreme) card with at least v3.3 of the Airport firmware and be running OS X 10.3. Older Airport firmware (pre-v3.3) and older versions of Mac OS X do not support WPA. Definitely use it if both your router and all your Macs permits. Otherwise, definitely use WEP with a 128 bit key. This will keep the neighbors from accessing or monitoring your network via wireless, WPA more so than WEP.
- Revisit the LinkSys Admin pages at http://192.168.1.1.
- Enter admin and the password.
- Go to the LinkSys Setup screen.
In the WEP section, make it Mandatory and click Apply
- Click WEP Key Setting
- Set the pull-down to 128bit, enter any random string as password, click Generate to make a 128bit key.
.
Write down the 26 digits of the generated Key:.
(If you lose the key, you can still admin your LinkSys with a wired Ethernet connection to get it again.
and there's always the reset button on the back.)
- Click Apply.
- Once you set WEP on the LinkSys, the Mac will prompt for the WEP Password to use the wireless part of network:
Set the Password pull-down to "128 bit hex" to enter the 26-digit LinkSys key code.
(Note: In older releases of OS X and OS 9, there was no pull-down menu to specify you were entering a 128-bit hex key;
If you don't have that pull-down choice, type a dollar-sign ($) before the 26 digits when entering the "password" on the Mac. E.g. "$E6298C5F6298D342B1D59858", without the quotes.)
You might as well put it on the Keychain so you never have to type it again.
- You may want to disable SSID Broadcast on the Setup screen.
(This keeps the router from broadcasting its SSID (name), making it a only little harder to find.
Unfortunately, it's very easy to penetrate the SSID, even if you don't broadcast it,
so hiding it can actually inconvenience you more than any would-be hacker.
If you only use one Wireless network, this may not inconvenience you; your Mac will remember the SSID and password and re-join each time you boot or wake from sleep.
If you change among multiple Wireless networks, you may get tired of having to type in the network name instead of picking it from the Mac's airport menu of network names.)
You can check the rest of my LinkSys config info here.
If something above seems missing, confusing or down-right wrong, you can eMail me as car1son at my .Mac account.
(Please be specific at what point things went wrong and how they went wrong.)
Good luck!