How to Put a Linksys BEFSX41 Into Bridge Mode

The BEFSX41 is a wireless router that can act as a bridge.

The Cisco-Linksys BEFSX41 is a wireless router meant to be used to share a high-speed DSL or cable Internet connection with multiple computers over a wired or wireless network. The hardware can also be used as a wireless bridge that connects to separate sections of a network together.

Instructions

Collecting Information

1. Connect a computer physically to the Ethernet port of the router that you will be using as an access point; this is the router that your wireless bridge will connect to, not the router that you will be putting into wireless bridge mode.

2. Assign a static IP address to the computer. Open the "Control Panel" and navigate to your network settings. Click on the "TCP/IP" protocol in the list of protocols installed on your PC, and select "Properties." Choose "Use the following IP address" and enter an IP address for the computer (192.168.1.100, for instance). Enter "255.255.255.0" as the "Subnet Mask" and enter the IP address of the default gateway on your network in the appropriate box; the IP address of the gateway will vary depending on your network settings.

3. Open a Web browser and navigate to "http://192.168.1.245" if you are using the default settings on a Linksys router. Use the address that you set the router's "Web-Based Setup" page to if you have manually changed this setting within the router configuration.

4. Write down the "Wireless MAC Address" when the "Web-Based Setup" opens in your browser. Close the browser.

Configuring the Wireless Bridge

1. Connect a computer to the Ethernet port on the BEFSX41 that you will be using as a bridge. Set a static IP on the computer and connect to the "Web-Based Setup" page like you did on the access point. Select "AP Mode" near the top of the screen when the setup dialog opens.

2. Click the radio button next to "Wireless Bridge." Enter the "Wireless MAC Address" that you recorded earlier for the access point that the bridge will connect to.

3. Press the "Save Settings" button.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not include the colons in the MAC address when entering it during the wireless bridge setup phase.

• Modify the IP address of the BEFSX41 that you are using as a bridge once it is configured to prevent IP address conflicts on the network.

References

• Cisco: Configuring an Access Point as a Wireless Bridge
• Cisco: Assigning a Static IP Address on a Wired Computer
• Cisco: Accessing the Access Point's Web-Based Setup Page