The LinksysWap11 provides the usual InfrastructureMode AccessPoint functionality. It does not provide a signal strength indicator.It does not do NAT.

It can be managed using a WindowsOs tool, or with more widely available SNMP tools. The SNMP support is a little flakey! I (JayPrimePositive) have had my LinksysWap11 decide to start using funny IpV4 numbers when using the tool. It is tricky to chase you LinksysWap11 through IpV4 space trying to configure it!

The version 2 product can be managed using an HTML interface similar to Linksys routers.

It also offers a few other modes of operation::

It does MAC Filtering in later firmware revisions and in the version 2.2 product. Works best once you have the latest firmware and SNMP management tools.

Linksys now only makes a version 2.2 WAP11

I am pushing Linksys to add signal/noise info via the web interface I need some help here as they are not very responsive If they hear from enough people I think they will add access to signal/noise info please email them if you use a WAP11 V2.2! http://www.linksys.com ---> mailto:support@linksys.com

UPDATE 28/09/2002 (BigBear)

Please DO NOT fill any local language or spacial ascii code except normal english in WaP11 V2.2 firmware 1.01c SSID field!! I tried to fill Thai language in SSID field via web control panel after I applied change it FAIL!!, ACT LED is always bright!! I use air monitor software look in for source of ACT LED why is always bright. The answer is it always broadcast invalid SSID all the time and do not accept any client request or request for control panel :(

UPDATE 20/10/2002 (oro_blu@yahoo.it) an interesting detail about wap11 ver 2.2: if it work in P2P mode it broadcast layer 2 frame on wireless bridge, in other words if i try to copy a large file from 2 pc conected to the same hub with a wap11, the other wap11 on the other side receive the same broadcast as the wap11 conected via hub with pc1 y pc2, so if i copy a large file the wirless bridge becomes saturated(there is no way to ping over the bridge). In p2mp layer 2 frame are filtered. switches in place of hubs resolve the problem, i suppose.

UPDATE 09/11/2002 Further testing of WAP11 ver 2.2 shows that using the device in 'client mode' is not a true 802.11b client. it parks on one channel and stays there thus no 802.11 style roaming is available. That's not so bad and we could live with that, however this next detail is TERRIBLE. In the event of any small signal fade even of very short duration the link goes down and stays down forever. The firmware is not intellegent enough to recognise (a)signal was lost and (b) connection/association needs to be re-established. The unit will stay in link down status indefinitely until either side of the link is power cycle rebooted. This is frusterating! In the real world over any distance there are signal fades from time to time making this mode almost useless. (you can simulate this by removing the antennas or antenna if you have it programmed to use a single antenna) . Changing between various firmware versions has no effect on this problem. I have spent countless hours with Linksys on the phone and email... they will not acknowledge the problem and they absolsutely refuse to keep in touch and follow through with us for a fix. I have many problem details about the wap11 documented and would like to start a website to point out various items that need attention in hopes that they will do something about some of the problems once more people express a concern. I may detail such problems here at a later date. I plan to start a discussion group on the wap11 ver 2.2 that hopefully will be beneficial for all of us wap11 2.2 users. It may prove to be useful for wap11 ver 2.2 users who are having various problems with wep, client mode and mac wireless to ethernet bridging problems. I'd love to chat with anyone who wishes to discuss the wap11 ver 2.2 I can be contacted via website at http://wap11.michiganbroadband.com Its a discussion forum regarding the WAP11 My name is Steve. (SG)

Update 01/13/2003

Still no help or acknoledgements from Linksys. Seems that I have been 'blacklisted' from their tech support for being too persistent. And believe me I have been VERY persistent. Guys if you are using a wap11 and need the extra features to work as advertised Please call them & help out here! They are totally disregarding and not supported the extra documented features besides a simple home use access point. This unit has very much potential and is a fine piece of hardware. Just a nogo on it's firmware and it's maker. Also may as well throw this in here! The Linksys WAP11 ver 2.2 specs claim TX power is +20dBm (100mW) Hmmmm.... the FCC Report shows +15.87dBm FCC ID is: OJ7-GL2422AP Report available at:

https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/oet/forms/reports/Search_Form.hts?mode=Edit&form=Exhibits&application_id=456987&fcc_id=O7J-GL2422AP

Have your favorite PDF viewer available and click "test report" How the hell do they get away with saying it does +20? That's 38.6mW boys & girls! They also now sell a "signal booster" WSB24 box designed to hook right to the WAP11. They claim +14db gain on TX and +20 on RX. FCC ID: PKW-WSB24 They would have you believe that: A. buy a WAP11 ver 2.2 and get +20dBm TX power B. buy a WSB24 and get 20dBm boosted up to a whopping +34dBM! ( 2.5Watts ) Again.... a big fat NOPE! FCC Report shows the WSB Output power to be at +21.7dBm ( 146.6mW )MAX A mere 1.7 dB above what users already are expecting out of their WAPs! The WSB24 is smart power controlled to put out the same amount of power over it's entire input power range +5dBm to +20dBm so you're not going to get more power out by putting more power in either. We just got our unit today after waiting anxiously for over a month for one to arrive in our vendor's stock. Unfortunately the unit does not have T/R switching so it cannot be used on a single Outdoor antenna, you'd have to actually use two... one for TX and the other for RX :-( We did hook it up for TX only and did a range test. Despite its small 146mW output power it did make a SIGNIFICANT inprovement in range over just using the WAP11 ver 2.2 However we were not able to test two-way communication and verify it's RX amplifier was worthwhile. This is both exciting and disappointing at the same time. Needless to say... the unit is getting sent back and we will go with a real commercial bi-directional amplifier that does +30dBm (1 watt) and has the TX-RX switching to work on a single antenna. The Range we got with 146mW was pretty darned impressive! -Steve (SG)

UPDATE 01/28/2003

Wap11 Ver 2.2

Unsupported "J" version of firmware is much more reliable for using this unit in client Mode but frequently disconnectes and reconnects, also has VERY BAD packet loss problems Any ping session will average a 25% loss. Also "J" firmware will not pass packets any larger than 600 bytes. They are simply dropped and never pass through the wap11.

Linksys released Firmware version 1.1 One month ago, we have been testing it throughly. It did fix the high packet loss, inability to pass large packets and the frequent disconnect/reconnect problems that we have been seeing - however on average once per day some 'unknown event' occurs where all and any wap11 units that are clients to a wap11 access point suddenly become permanently disconnected! this sucks. The individual clients EACH need to be power cycled to get them to connect again. It's the only way to get them connected once the unknown even occurs. Rebooting or power cycling the access point has no effect as it did in older firmware versions when a similar (but not the same) problem would occur.

We are NOT using WEP and all units involved are running production firmware version 1.1 Another note is that we can reproduce the problem very quickly simply by using the access point with a sharp Zaurus PDA running linux and with a Linksys WCF-11 compact flash 802.11b wirless card installed...

All we have to do is start browsing the web with the PDA or listen to some streaming audio MP3) using a program called "Zradio" it works with standard ShoutCast servers. and within 10 minutes ALL WAP11 clients are down and never to be seen again until they are rebooted.

Very frusterating! It was looking at first as if firmware 1.1 fixed client mode but nope still have BIG problems. Is Linksys ever going to get this product working right? We still are not getting any support from Linksys on this. If anyone has a better Idea on how to get real support from Linksys please share your thoughts. We have been very professional about this with them and have been very persistent and we have been continually ignored.

We are starting a message board soon for the WAP11 ver 2.2 so please check back here for it soon. This message is beginning to get too long for this page!

Thanks!

Steve (SG) -- Update 02/06/2004

It's been over a year since we have wanted to put up a discussion forum regarding the WAP11 Life has really gotten in the way this year but all good stuff! I'm happy to announce we finally sat down and set up the WAP11 discussion board! We have a LOT to discuss and this can get out of hand really quick on this one-way comment board.

Please check out the Wap11 discussion group at http://wap11.michiganbroadband.com I can be contacted there as well and is spam-proof due to needing to login first!

Thanks!

Steve (SG)

Hi Steve! I have the similar trouble and it seems to lost SSID broadcast on AP side, restore SSID broadcast resored connections, why the ap lost their broadcast with fade in signal path ? Question for Linksys tech support. In bridge mode no problem. Cheers, Oleg

==========================================================

Regarding the comment about packets larger than 600 bytes being dropped - I found (using ethereal) that packets coming out of the wired side of the WAP11v2.2 (firmware 1.009) were encapsulated as 803.2 / 802.2 / SNAP if the IP packet size was more than 591 bytes, instead of the more usual Ethernet II. My linux boxes ignored the 803.2 packets, although Win98 saw them fine. This only seems to happen for packets originating from an Avaya ETS Silver card in a laptop running XP. I have not determined yet whether it is the Avaya driver or the Linksys causing the variation in packet format.

- ColinHogben

Update 02/01/2003 (Humor) possible solution to Wap11 Client and Bridging mode problems: http://www.michiganbroadband.com/Linksys_fix

--Steve (SG)

Update: May 1, 2003

I'm having the same problems with my Linksys WAP11 v. 2.2 firmware 1.1 However, I find that I can reset them using the Windows Only Linksys Wizard and switch the IP from DHCP to Static (using the same IP, of course, we use static DHCP) and then saving the changes. The Linksys resets, and doesn't require a powercycle. I _think_ it also works using the Web interface, but haven't tested that thoroughly.

Also, I'm using a Zaurus SL-5500 PDA running the Sharp ROM (1.38) and a Linksys WCF12 (not WFC11) and not having any problems.

(thanks for this page, I was baffled by what was going wrong until a friend pointed me here. Go Seattle Wireless!)

-Karen

1-26-2004

Hi Karen: been awhile! Anyhow this continues to happen with 1.1 for us: when the access point fails it is not pingable and it's web interface is not reachable. This happens on average once every 2-3 weeks. It's under constant use from 2 or 3 client devices.

Steve (SG)

14 May 2003

The only firmware that I have been able to use successfully(ish) is 1.010. All other versions totally screw up AP Client Mode in that MAC addresses are not maintained so one had to manually update the ARP table which was a complete pain.

1.010 was working fine until I changed the WAP11s around, i.e. The client became the AP and visa versa. Now - I have a lot of problems getting an IP address from my DHCP server which is now the other side of the client.

I've even tried flashing these things with the D-Link firmware and having the same problem.

Linksys technical support sucks, when you can get a hold of them they are useless! I'm just about ready to throw these things out of the window.

Chris, UK tvpolice@ihatespamtiscali.co.uk

May 15, 2003

I made the mistake of buying a WPC11 card (a painful story in itself) for an old Linux laptop, assuming it would work fine with the WAP11 2.2 that has worked fine with my Windows / Orinoco Gold card. I could not get a connection so I decided to upgrade the firmware to 1.1, thinking it might address some problems. Now I have the same pain described above.

Linux w/ the WPC11 still does not work (sigh). However, now my Windows machine can't re-connect unless I power cycle the WAP11. If I put my computer in standby or if I connect at the office, I have to power cycle the AP. I was much happier with the old firmware. Just sharing another story... I really regret purchasing any LinkSys equipment.

B-

July 17, 2003

I am stuck. I have Comcast service going into a SMC broadband wireless router. Works fine. On a mac network. Want to start linking up the neighborhood with nodes, so I purchased a cantenna and a Linksys Wap11. I don't have regular access to a PC laptop as that is what is reccommended to connect to the network. When I have, I have stumbled around, seemed to get the signal, but was unable to establish a connection. Please point me in the right direction. Best, Mark mailto:markdilley@umich.edu

July 23, 2003

The WAP11 has two antennaes, usually used for "Diversity" mode. If you're attaching a new antennae, go to the "Wireless" page under "Advanced" and select either the left or the right antennae. That may help.

The v1.07 firmware has five modes of operation:

When set to "Access Point Client", "Wireless Bridge", "Wireless Bridge - Point to MultiPoint" or "Wireless Repeater" mode, the device will only communicate with another WAP 11 ver. 2.6, WAP 11 ver. 2.2 or WAP 11.

Aug 3, 2003

I am in the process of setting up a wireless community in our small town. I have decided to use Linksys WAP11's. Just a note for everyone. The newer WAP11 V2.6 have a screw up. The hardware left antenna is the software right antenna and visa versa. So far I have 12 AP's and using everything from 14dbi yagi to 24dbi parabolic. I am having some problems with my uplink to the tower on the hill. I get a good connection during the evening when the temp is 70 degrees F, but during the day at 80 degrees I can not connect. I have a 12 dbi omni for the transmitter and a 19 dbi pg at the uplink site. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Also am having problems with different P2P sites going down for no apparent reason. Trying to decide if to go to more expensive equipement. Thanks again. Chris - chris@fretel.com - 208-313-6446.

Tuesday, 27 January 2004

Have anybody tested or compared v2.8 vs v2.6? I just bought it and it came with 2.04 firmware. I don't know whether this good or not. Can someone advice? Thanks in advance. aolguin@mailcity.com

02/06/2004

Yes!!! we are in that process right now but are doing 2.2 vs 2.6 We could certainly use your input regarding 2.6 As we have never tried 2.6 but have lots of experience with 2.2 and 2.8

Please visit our WAP11 discussion Forum at http://wap11.michiganbroadband.com

And let us know about the 2.6 Also you can checkout our notes on the 2.2 and 2.8 We are running 2.05 firmware on the 2.8 I will post our comments on 2.8 here soon as well... So far I'm sorry to say the product (2.8) is behaving like garbage!

Thanks!

Steve Gladden (SG)

02/14/2004

Had I not read this great page, it would have taken me awhile to figure out the left and right antennas have been switched with v2.6. With one of my bridged 2.2's being lost in a fire, Linksys tech support told me 2.2's are no longer availabl but no problem, get a 2.8.

I did this but it would not bridge. Called Linksys tech support again and they said, oops, some WAP11's don't bridge to other WAP11's. But since a paper trail had been created on the incident, they did trade me my remaining 2.2 for a new 2.6 (whereupon I learned that left antenna is no longer left antenna).

I wish this had been on their website,

Brad

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