MSBBN: How to manually configure the MN-500 Wireless Base Station (331950)

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, configure your Wireless Base Station manually. To do this, use the following procedures in the order they are presented.

Part 1: Renew your computer's IP address

This permits the MN-500 to assign your computer an IP address.

For Windows XP and Windows 2000

To renew your computer's IP address in Windows XP and Windows 2000, follow these steps:

1. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the modem port on your MN-500, and then plug the other end into your modem.
2. Plug one end the blue Ethernet cable that came with your base station into an available port on the MN-500, and then plug the other end into the Ethernet port on the computer.
3. Click Start, and then click Run.
4. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
5. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /renew.

For Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition

To renew your computer's IP address in Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition, follow these steps:

1. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the modem port on your MN-500, and then plug the other end into your modem.
2. Plug one end the blue Ethernet cable that came with your base station into an available port on the MN-500, and then plug the other end into the Ethernet port on the computer.
3. Click Start, and then click Run.
4. In the Open box, type winipcfg, and then click OK.
5. In the IP Configuration Program window, click the Ethernet adapter that you want to use.
6. Click Release All, and then click Renew All.

Part 2: Log on manually to the Base Station Management Tool

1. In the Microsoft Internet Explorer address bar, type 192.168.2.1, and then press ENTER.
2. On the Base Station log on page, type the log on password. The factory default password is "admin". Use this password if you are logging on to the Base Station Management tool for the first time.
   
   Note If the "admin" password is rejected, restore the Base Station to the factory default settings to reset the password to the default, "admin".

Part 3: Change the Base Station password

To change the Base Station password, follow these steps:

1. In the left pane of the Base Station Management tool, point to Management, and then click Change Password.
2. On the Change Password page, type the Current Password, type the New Password, and then confirm the new password by retyping it in the Retype new password box.
3. Click the Apply button to save the changes.

Part 4: Configuration

Wide Area Network

To configure your wide area network (WAN) settings, follow these steps:

1. In the left pane of the Base Station Management tool, click Wide Area Network.
2. Under Internet Connection Type, click the appropriate connection type for your WAN type (Dynamic, Static, or PPPoE). Depending on the connection type you may have to enter additional configuration information such as IP address, user name, and password. Note To obtain this information, contact your Internet service provider (ISP) or see the documentation provided by your ISP.
3. Click Apply to save the changes.

Clone the MAC address

Some Internet service providers (ISPs) record the media access control (MAC) address of the adapter that you use when you first connect to the Internet. A MAC address is a unique numeric identifier for a hardware device, such as a base station or network adapter. Depending on your ISP account, you may experience problems if you use the base station's default MAC address to connect to the Internet. To avoid this problem, clone the MAC address of the adapter that is installed in the computer where you initially set up the broadband connection. When you clone the adapter's MAC address, it replaces the base station WAN MAC address, so each device on the network, including the base station, appears to have that MAC address. To clone a MAC address:

1. Open the Base Station Management Tool, and then click Wide area network. If you are using the computer that you used to set up the (broadband) Internet connection, go to step 3.
2. In the MAC address box, type the MAC address of the adapter that is installed in the computer that was originally used to set up the Internet connection. The MAC address typically appears on a label on the bottom of your adapter.
3. Click Clone MAC address. Note It is a good idea to record the MAC address of the adapter that you clone, so that if you lose your settings or you no longer have the adapter, you do not lose your ability to connect to the Internet.

Local area network

To configure your local area network (LAN) settings, follow these steps:

1. In the left pane of the Base Station Management tool, click Local Area Network.
2. Under Local Area Network (LAN) Settings, configure any settings that you want to use for your LAN. You can configure a variety of settings for your network. Note In most cases, you do not have to adjust the LAN settings.
3. Click Apply to save the changes.

Wireless settings

You can set up wireless connections between the Base Station and all the wireless computers in your network. To configure your wireless settings, follow these steps:

1. In the left pane of the Base Station Management tool, click Wireless.
2. Use the drop-down box to change the wireless channel number.
3. Change the wireless network name (SSID). Note The default is "MSHOME".
4. Leave Data Rate set as Automatic.
5. Click Apply to save the changes.

Wireless Security

To configure Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), follow these steps:

1. In the left pane of the Base Station Management tool, point to Security, and then click Wireless Security.
2. Under Security and Encryption, select Enable Wireless Security.
3. For Encryption Strength, select either 64 bit (standard) or 128 bit (stronger).
4. Type the Encryption Key in the boxes that follow. The encryption key is made up of the numbers 0 (zero) through 9 and the letters A through F. Note 64-bit keys are 10 characters long and 128-bit keys are 26 characters long.
5. Click the Apply to save the changes.

For each wireless computer that you want to connect to the Base Station, use the Broadband Network Utility (BNU) to enter the network name (SSID) and encryption key (WEP).

For information about how to make your wireless network more secure, see the "Security, Base Station" topic in BNU Help. Also see the documentation that came with your base station.

Note You can check your Internet connection status on the Home screen.