Introduction

Therearetwomajorconfigurationmodesforthedualradiorouter:FixedAPmodeand
DynamicAPmode.DynamicAPmodeisthedefault.
Simplyspeaking,ifencryptionisdesired,oryourgearscannotconnecttohiddenAP,pleaseuse
fixedAPmode.IftheremoteAPmaychangefrequentlyorminimalconfigurationisrequired,
pleaseusedynamicAPmode.
ForfixedAPmode,everynewAPneedstoconfigureforanewassociation.Theadvantageisthe
SSIDofthelocalAPofthisrouterisNOThidden.DynamicAPmodecanmaketheDRrouter
associatedtothestrongestsignaling,unencryptedAPwithoutconfiguration.Thedrawbackis
thelocalAPmustbehidden.YourgearsmustbeabletoconnecttoahiddenAP,WLANutility
shouldbeusedtoconnecttoahiddenAP.Hereisanexample:
http://www.safecom.cn/code/product/WLAN/hiddenssid/hiddenssid.html.
MostsmartphonesshouldbeabletoconnectahiddenAPwithlittlemoreconfigurations.The
defaulthiddenAPnameisOpenWRT.Youcanmodifyitatthewebgui.Pleasefollowtheearly
stepsatAssociationofanAPatfixedmodeforthewebguilogin.

ChangetofixedAPmode
IfyoudoneedtousefixedAPmode,youcanconfigureitattheWebGUI.Unfortunately,you
cannotusetheWebGUItoconfigurefromfixedAPmode,revertbacktodynamicmode.Only
commandlineisavailableatthismoment.Pleasemakeupyourmind.
Wiredconnectionisrequired.ConnecttherouterwithaPCthroughtheEthernetport.
ConfiguretheEthernetporttoDHCP.Followtheinstructionsat
http://support.myfishonline.net/win_xp/lan_dhcp_xp.htmoranyGooglesearch.
EnsureyouhaveconnectedtheUSBadaptortotheDRbeforepowerup.TheDRmaynot
operateproperlyiftheUSBadaptorishotpluggedonthefly.PoweruptheDR,thepowerLED
wouldlightup.ItmaytakeabouttwominutestolettheEthernetportup,thePCshouldbe
leasedwithanIPaddressat192.168.9.Xsubnet.YoucanchecktheaddressattheProperties
attheDHCPconfigurationatpreviousstep.
OncethePChasgottheIPaddresswith192.168.9.X,youcanconfiguretherouterthroughthe
webGUI.IftheIPaddressstartswith169.X.X.X,youshouldrenewituntilitbecomes192.168.9.X,
youmayrefertohttp://www.homenetworkhelp.com/renewip.htmloratthepropertiesof
InternetConnection.
Youcanwatchthisclip:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e2GRUg4g8forchangingfrom
dynamicAPmodetofixedAPmode.


Thedetailsare:
1. Logintotherouter,unhidetheSSIDofthelocalAP.
2. GotoAdministration>Network>WLAN0

3. ChecktheHideESSIDfield.

4. DisabletheDHCPfortheclientradio.

5. GotoAdministration>Services>Initscripts.
6. DisabletheDHCPfortheclientradio.TurnthebuttontobecomeDisabled.

AssociatinganAPatfixedAPmode
Similarly,wiredconnectionisrequiredforassociatinganAP.ForthestepstoassociateanAP,
youcanwatchtheclip:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jA6yI7e4BMandrefertothe
followingparagraphforthedetails.
TherearetwoWebGUIatthisrouter,oneiscalledluci.ItistheoriginalOpenWrtwebgui.
AnotheriscalledXWrt.Ithasmoreadvancedfeature.However,thismanualwillfocusonthe
luci.PutURL:http://192.168.9.1/cgbin/luciatyourbrowser.IfyoucanpingthisIP,butyou
cannotlogintotheDRrouter,thereshouldbeconfigurationproblem.Youshouldunplugthe
USBadapterandloginagain.

Inputadminastheloginpassword.
YoucanexploretheWebGUI.Pleasebackuptheconfigurationaftermakinganychanges.
OnlyWifiportionmodificationisassured,anyotherchangeleadingtomalfunctionisnot
responsible.


SelectEssentialsontherighthandside.ClicktheWiFisubmenuunderNetworksectionto
gointoWificonfigurationmenu.

BothwirelessinterfacesshouldbeassociatedwithOpenWrt.SelecttheSCANbutton
belongingtothemodesta.Afterlessthanhalfminute,thesurroundingAPswouldbeshown
up.DontclicktheSCANbelongingtothemodeap.

YourAPshouldbeshown,despitetheESSIDfield,themostimportantinformationisthe
encryptionstatusEncr.Signallevelisalsoimportant;itindicateshowstablewouldthe
wirelesslinkbe.Ifitislessthan70dBm,Irecommendyougetahighgainantenna.


CopyandpastetheESSIDnameandpasteatthe1stESSIDfield.Attheexampleabove,
OpenWrtshouldbeenreplacedbyTPLINK_164EF6.Ifyouareusingencryption,please
selecttheappropriatechoiceatthemenu.OnlyWPA2PSKisverifiedandassured.InsomeWiFi
routers,itiscalledWPA2PSK/TKIP+AESorWPA2PSK(AUTO).Putthematchingkey/passphrase
atthemenuaswell.
IfyouhaveenabledMACfilteringatyourAP,pleasechecktheMACoftheclientrouter.Youcan
checkitattheGeneralsubmenuundertheNetworksection.

TheMACaddressoftheWANbelongstothewifiport.DONTquotethewlanorlanMAC
addresstoyourAP.
ThenyouhavetoenableDHCPfortheclientwifiinterface.GototheAdministrationmenuon
therighthandside,selectServicesandInitscripts.

ChangethestateofudhcpfromDisabledtoEnabled.Thiswillenabletheclientwifi
interfacestosendDHCPrequestoneverybootup.


IfthereisnoappropriateAPavailabletoassociate,donotenabletheudhcp,otherwise,the
DRrouterwouldbehanged.Ifthishappens,youmustunplugtheUSBwifiadapterandreboot
therouter.FillinanavailableAPnamebeforepluggingtheUSBwifiadapter.Notethatno
scanningisavailableifyouhaveunpluggedtheUSBwifiadapter.
NoDHCPserverisavailable,soyoumustknowyourAPsubnet,andassignastaticIPtoyour
clientwifiinterface.
Afterenablingtheinitscript,reboottherouter.

Afterreboot,yourshouldbeabletoconnecttotheAPsubnet.
Onemorestepisrequiredtoverifythelink.AssumeyourAPisconnectedtotheinternet,
browseanypublicwebtoensurethelinkreallyfunctional.However,incaseoffailure,itmay
notbecausedbytheclientmoderouter.
OneofpossiblereasonisthatmultiplenetworkinginterfacesexistatyourPC,suchasWifi
interface.Youshoulddisableit.
Afterreboot,theconnectionbetweenyourAPandtheclientmodeshouldbeestablished.You
cancheckthewirelesssectionandDHCPsectionofyourAProuter,anewlyaddedwireless
clientandaDHCPclientshouldbelisted.Thewiredconnectionbetweentheclientmoderouter
andthePCalsoshouldnotcreateprobleminthisstage.Makesureyourwiredsubnet
192.168.9.XandyourAPsubnete.g.192.168.1.X(maybeotherssubnets)areNOTthesame.If
youhavechangedthesubnetduetoconflict,theclientmoderoutermayneedtoresetthe
firewallevenafterreboot.

Frequencychannel
Inordertooptimizethewirelessperformance,pleasemakesurethefrequencychannelsofthe
clientsideandthelocalAParedifferent.Ifpossible,separatethechannelinmultiplenumbers,
forexamples,23channelsapart.

Besides,duringAPscanning,pleasenotethechannelsofyourneighborsusing.Paymore
attentiontotheAPswithhighpower(smallminusdbm),stayawayfromthosechannels.

Backupandrestoreyourconfiguration
YoushouldbackupyourconfigurationattheWebGUI.UndertheSystemsection,youcanclick
theBackup/Restorebutton.

BackupyourconfigurationtoafilebyclickingCreatebackup.Ifyouwanttorestorethe
configuration,browseyourbackupfileordownloadtheconfigurationhttp://homenetworking
ethusiast.googlegroups.com/web/backup_client_router_config.tar.gzandmakeitbrowsable.
ClicktheRestorebackuptorestoretheconfiguration.

ChangingremoteAP
YoumayneedtomoveyourDRroutertoanotherAP.Thereisaprocedureshouldbefollowed
forfixedAPmode.
1. DisabletheudhcpattheInitscripts.
2. RemovetheAPnameatthewifisubmenuandleaveitblank.Savetheconfiguration.
Sometimesreauthenticationisrequired,doublecheckit.


Ifyoufailed/forgottodothat,theroutermaygethungupatthenewsuite.Youmustunplug
theUSBclientadapterfortheAPassociation,andnoAPscanningisavailable,unlessyou
resumestep2(skipstep1)andredothewholeAPassociationprocessthatyouvejustreceived
thisDRrouter.

Troubleshooting
Ifyourwirelessconnectionhasbeenestablishedforawhile,butsuddenlylostowingtosome
reasonsnotrelatedtotheremoteAP,oneoftherootcauseistheconfigurationoftherouter
hasbeenreset.
TherearetwodefaultIPaddressesforthisrouter:
1. DefaultIPaddresswhenyoureceivedtherouter.Itis192.168.9.1
2. DefaultIPaddressofthefirmware.Itis192.168.1.1

Atcase2,therouterconfigurationisanormalwifirouter.TheWANportisawiredport,where
theLANarethefourwiredportsandthewifi.
Youcanrefertoprevioussectiontorestoretheconfigurationbacktoclientmode.

Rainydayandhighhumidity
Whenitisrainingorathighhumiditylevel,thewirelesssignalwouldbeaffectedsignificantly.
Bearinmindanddontblamethehardwareatonceincaseofpoornetworkperformance.

Pleasegivemeagoodfeedback.Iamworkinghardtomakesureyou
haveasmoothusage.