dlink DWL-700AP change over to DWL-2100AP

I have a number of DWL-7100AP's, which are identical to your intended DWL-2100AP (except the DWL-7100AP, in addition to 802.11g/b, also incorporates 802.11a).

The main differences you'll find between the DWL-2100AP and your DWL-700AP is that the DWL-2100AP:

- Allows for multiple modes (AP, bridge, repeater, client)

- Allows for use of DLink's proprietary "108 Mbps Turbo", if your client hardware also supports it

- Allows for use of WPA, if your client hardware(s) and OS(s) support it

You can't load a stored settings file from the DWL-700AP into the DWL-2100AP, but setting up the DWL-2100AP won't be all that much different than it was with the DWL-700AP.

I'm assuming you plan on using it as an AP, so under ADVANCED/MODE keep set as "Access Point".

Under ADVANCED/PERFORMANCE, the only new thing that might make you scratch your head for a moment are the "Turbos" in "Super G Mode":

- "Super G without Turbo", is simply that. It won't attempt to use the proprietary (108 Mbps) Turbo with any connecting clients.

- "Super G with Static Turbo" means that only clients capable of the propriertary (108 Mbps) Turbo can connect.

- "Super G with Dynamic Turbo" means that both vanilla clients and clients with propriertary (108 Mbps) Turbo can connect. However, as soon as a non-turbo vanilla client connects, everything connected falls back to vanilla 802.11g.

In either Static or Dynamic Turbo, your client hardware(s) must be capable of DLink's propriertary Turbo in order to take advantage of it. Also, Turbo isn't actually going to give you 108Mbps. At best, Turbo will give you a 10 to 20% "boost" for passing local WLAN traffic. For internet traffic, unless you have like a T3, its not going to give you any advantage either. (I.e., my cable internet service is 5 Mbps, so Turbo does nothing for it. The pipe is already big enough, without Turbo, for the internet traffic. For local WLAN traffic, I do see a "boost" using Turbo though.)

Also, with Turbo enabled (Dynamic or Static), you'll note how the (center) channel must be set to channel 6. (The setup will force you to use channel

6.) Reason being, Turbo "binds" several channels together.

From experimenting with my DLink stuff, I found that Turbo can be enabled in repeater modes (both originating AP and repeater AP with "Turbo" enabled), but the extra overheard actually slows it down. Better to just keep it disabled, if repeating. Even then, when you repeat, your pipe gets cut in half.

However, the DWL-2100AP (like the DWL-7100AP) uses WDS for repeating, which the DWL-700AP doesn't support -- so you won't be able to repeat the DWL-700AP with the DWL-2100AP anyway. I'm assuming you are intending to replace the DWL-700AP with the DWL-2100AP, strickly as an AP, though?

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my DWL-7100APs. They've stayed rock stable in the year that I've been using them now. I'm using 802.11a for my WLAN and 802.11g for "strickly internet stuff". The "Turbo" did give a nice slight "boost" for WLAN traffic, but does nothing for internet traffic. The best advantage I got with them, as you will with your DWL-2100AP, was perhaps WPA though. I'm using WPA-PSK (AES) with them and it works great. (Side note on WPA: If you do intend on getting something that can repeat the DWL-2100AP, like another DWL-2100AP, WPA can't be used through a repeater with DLink stuff. Sucks, but thats just the way it is.)

Cheers, Eric

Oh, also, under TOOLS/MISC, the telnet server is enabled by default. You'll probably want to disable it.

Hi Still will not work. The 700 works fine but the 2100 will just not connect. I have kept the settings to the same as the 700 but still no joy.

Any other clues

Thanks cds

You turned off the SuperG and Turbo stuff, right? Have you tried it with encryption off temporarily to see if it'll connect wide open? Try a full factory reset to defaults and see if that helps.

D-Link is my (ahem) least favorite vendor, you might want to check out something like a Linsys WRT54G (L or V4 if you can find it).