Airport Extreme and Dlink dwl-2000AP+ as wireless client

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29 points

Airport Extreme and Dlink dwl-2000AP+ as wireless client

Hi,
i'm trying to let an old iMac G3 without any airport card, join an existing lan using an Airport Extreme as router, connecting an old D-Link access point configured as wireless client and connected via ethernet to the iMac G3. All my setup works fine if the wireless connection is open without encryption, but it won't work using any protection like WPA or WEP.
When the airport express wireless connection is protected via WPA, the dlink won't be present in wireless clients list panel. When i use WEP (with a password of 13 characters) i can see in the wireless clients list both the MAC address of the iMac's ethernet and of the dwl-2000AP+ etherenet. But the connection won't work.
I'm sure i'm not configuring right the DWL-2000AP+ wireless protection:
i can't understand if i can change the airport express WEP encryption to a 64 bits or to a 128 bit, if the WEP method used is with a shared key or not.
The only info i get from it to let the clients connect are the WEP ASCII plain-text 13 characters password and its conversion in HEX base.

I'm assuming, since the password is a 13 character, that in WEP encryption the Airport Extreme uses a 128 bits key, but, again, how i can understand if it is used in shared way or in open way?

And why the dlink AP that is WPA capable cannot connect as wireless client to the airport express when is using WPA/WPA2 Personal encryption?

I upgraded the DWL-2000AP+ to its latest firmware that (they sayd)fixes any issue with the wireless client mode on WPA or WEP protected connections.

Thanks in advance for any help given.

P.S.: sorry for my "broken" english 🙂

Message was edited by: Rayced

iMac G5 1,8Ghz 17" - iMac 24" 3ghz, Mac OS X (10.5.3)

Posted on Jun 4, 2008 7:15 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 5, 2008 7:38 AM in response to Rayced

I have a very similar problem. I have no problem connecting to my Airport Extreme basestation with my iMac and Dell laptop with built in wireless with either no encryption or with WPA encryption. I cannot achieve success connecting another computer (Dell desktop) using a D-Link WG111 USB wireless device using WPA encryption. It connects successfully without encryption. Obviously, I would prefer to have encryption turned on. I keep all computers fully updated with latest software updates. Any suggestions? Thanks!

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Answer 2

Rayced Author

Level 1

29 points

Jun 6, 2008 8:04 PM in response to Rayced

Resolved by myself. It works only setting the Dlink dwl-2000AP+ wireless client connection (wireless pane in the admin control of it) as open with WEP 128bits and using as key an ascii password of 13 charcaters. The Airport Extreme's wireless encryption should be set as WEP, using the same password of 13 charcaters. I still can't uderstand why the WPA/WPA2 encryption wouldn't work since the Dlink dwl-2000AP is WPA capable.

Maybe it could be so because the Airport Extreme is WPA2 and at the first negotiation between it and the dwl-2000AP+, the Airport Extreme won't downgrade to WPA encryption? Does anybody else tried to connect a WPA wireless client to the Airport Extreme setup as WPA2/WPA Personal?

@wallstreet 04: try to setup your Airport Extreme's wireless encryption to WEP and use a 13 chars password, then do the same on the Dlink wireless client you are trying to connect to the base, i don't know how is its control panel but the wireless should be setup as open with WEP 128, as key use that 13 chars password you put in the Extreme's as WEP password. If in the Dlink WEP 128 bits key field you have to put an HEX value instead of the ASCII, you can get that from the Airport Utility from the menu BASE AIRPOT select PASSWORD NETWORK... (the one before the last choice that should be ADD WIRELESS CLIENT).
I hope it will help.

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