How to setup a Linksys Wireless B Ethernet Bridge

The Linksys WET11 Wireless-B Ethernet Bridge acts as an Ethernet-to-wireless bridge that allows you to connect Ethernet-ready devices to a wireless network. The bridge is useful if you want to add devices to your network, such as printers that have no built-in wireless card, but contain an Ethernet port. You can also use it to connect a workgroup using a wireless network to a wired Ethernet network. Setting up the Linksys wireless-B bridge is semi-automatic; the setup CD guides you through the configuration.

Instructions

1. Connect the antenna to the wireless-B bridge hardware device. Slide the "X-II (MDI/MDI-X)" switch on the side of the bridge to the "X" position if you're connecting the bridge to a computer's network adapter or to the "II" position if connecting it to a hub or switch.

2. Plug the supplied Ethernet cable into the port labeled "LAN" on the side of the Linksys bridge. Hook the other end into the RJ-45 port on the computer, hub or switch from which you want to configure the bridge.

3. Connect the power adapter to the bridge's Power port and the other end of the adapter to an electrical outlet.

4. Insert the Linksys wireless-B bridge setup CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive. Wait for the "Welcome" screen to appear and click "Setup." Click "Next" on the screen that verifies your hardware setup configuration.

5. Click the model number of your Linksys wireless-B bridge from the "Selection" list on the screen. Click "Yes." Type "admin" in the password box that pops up and click "Enter."

6. Click "Infrastructure" on the "Mode Settings" screen if you want your computers and network devices to connect to an access point. Click "Ad-Hoc" if you want the computers to connect directly to each other. Type a name for the Ethernet bridge in the space provided. Click "Next."

7. Type the name of your wireless network's SSID (service set identifier) in the "SSID" field. In the "Channel" drop-down menu, select the wireless channel at which your network operates if you selected the "Ad-Hoc" mode for the Ethernet bridge. Click "Next."

8. Select "Automatically obtain an IP address" on the "IP Settings" screen if your network uses a router or DHCP server that automatically configures your IP addresses. Select "Set IP configuration manually" and type the appropriate IP addresses into the fields if you need to manually assign IP addresses. Click "Next."

9. Click the "WEP" drop-down menu on the "Security Settings" screen and select the level of WEP encryption your network uses. Enter your network's passphrase in the field provided or leave the field blank if you want to manually enter a WEP key. You can leave the default "Disabled" setting in the "WEP" menu if your network has WEP encryption disabled. Click "Next."

10. Type the WEP key in the "Type 1" box on the next screen or review the automatically generated WEP key if you had entered a passphrase. Click "Next."

11. Review the settings on the "Confirmation" screen. Write down the Ethernet bridge's IP address if you want to access the web-based management utility. Click "Yes" to save the settings. Click "Exit" on the "Congratulations" screen.

12. Unplug the Ethernet bridge's power adapter from the wall's electrical outlet. Disconnect the Ethernet cable from the computer or hub and plug it into an RJ-45 port on an Ethernet-ready device that you want to add to the network. Reconnect the Ethernet bridge's power adapter to an electrical outlet to complete the setup.

References

• Cisco: Wireless-B Ethernet Bridge Quick Installation

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Affordable Tech: Linksys WET11 Wireless-B Ethernet Bridge Setup Guide and Resources
• Cisco: Support and Services