How to Disable Windows Firewall in Windows XP

Windows Firewall can sometimes prevent files from being downloaded or interfere with a third-party firewall. This guide will walk-through how to disable Windows Firewall in Windows XP.

1. Click the Start button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and select Control Panel on the right half of the menu.
   
   
   
2. The Control Panel should open in Category view. If the Control Panel does not open in Category view, click the Switch to Category View button.
   
   
   
3. Click the Security Center category.
   
   
   
4. Select the Windows Firewall icon below the Manage security settings for: heading.
   
   
   
5. Switch the firewall to Off and click OK on the Windows Firewall window.
   
   
   
6. The Windows Firewall is now off. Close the Security Center and Control Panel windows.

How to Change the Workgroup Name in Windows XP

Networking two machines together for file sharing typically requires both machines to be on the same Workgroup. This guide will walk-through how to change the Workgroup name in Windows XP.

1. Click Start.
   
   
2. Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
   
   
3. Select the Computer Name tab.
   
   
   
4. Click the Change button.
   
   
   
   
5. Type the new Workgroup name and click OK.
   
   
6. Click OK on the two confirmation windows.
   
   
7. Reboot the computer.
   
   

How to Set Up a Tenda Router as a Repeater

This guide shows you how to setup a Tenda router as a repeater. These instructions require that you already have a working Tenda router. If you don't have your Tenda router configured, consult the Tenda documentation on setup.

For the purpose of these instructions, the router that is hooked up to the modem will be identified as "Router 1", and the second router will be identified as "Router 2" which will be setup as the repeater. Before starting, you need to have a wired connection to both routers using a computer and any available yellow port.

1. Connect the computer to Router 2 using an Ethernet cable. Go from the computer to the yellow port on the router.
2. Once connected, open your web browser and type in the address bar "192.168.0.1". Press Enter.
   
   
   
3. You will be prompted for a username and password unless they have been changed from the default. The default username and password is "admin" without quotes.
4. Under SSID, change Tenda to Tenda 1 to identify it as Router 1.
   
   
   
   IMPORTANT: Make note of which channel the router is using. Both routers need to be using the same channel. You can change the channel by using the drop down menu and clicking Apply to save the change.
   
   
5. Click on WLAN settings from the menu on the left side. The sub categories will be revealed. Click on WDS Settings.
   
   
   
   
6. In the WDS settings menu, select Lazy Mode from the drop down menu. Click Apply.
   
   
   
   
7. Next, configure the existing router that is currently connected to the modem. Start by connecting the computer to the router using any available yellow port. Open up a new web page and type in "192.168.0.1" in the address bar. Use the term "admin" for the username and password.
   
   
   
8. Select WLAN Settings, then WDS Settings. Select Repeater from the drop down menu.
   
   
   
   
9. Choose Open Scan. All of the available routers in your local area will be displayed. Select Tenda 1 router, then click Apply.
   The router will reboot. Once it reboots, the MAC address from the second router
   will be displayed.

Tenda W311R Router Does Not Obtain an IP Address

This article will show you how to fix your Tenda W311R Router if it cannot get online.

1. Ensure that all the cables are plugged in to the correct ports. Remember that the cable from your Modem plugs in to the WAN port on the back of the Tenda router.
2. If you are using a wireless connection, try with a computer that is plugged directly in to the Tenda router.
3. Using a computer that is plugged directly in to the Tenda router, open up an Internet window and locate the address bar and erase everything from the field.
   
   
   
   
   
4. In the same location, type in “192.168.0.1” without quotes and press enter.
5. When prompted for a username and password enter “admin” for both (without quotes) and click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
6. The Setup Wizard screen will appear. Click the Auto Detect button and wait as it automatically detects your network type.
7. Once it has chosen your network type, click Next and the router will reboot.
8. Once the router has rebooted, the Tenda router screen will reappear. If it does not, to through steps 3-5 to reconnect.
9. Click System Status in the top left.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Check the WAN IP Field to see if there is an IP address other than 0.0.0.0. If so, try typing a web address in to the address bar to see if you can connect.
    
    
    
    
    
If you still cannot connect or if you have no IP address, proceed to the next step.
11. On the left, click on Advanced Settings.
    
    
    
    
    
12. On the left, click on MAC Address Clone.
13. Click on Clone MAC Address and then click on Apply. The router will then reboot.
    
    
    
    
    
14. Once the router has rebooted, the Tenda router screen will reappear. If it does not, to through steps 3-5 to reconnect.
15. On the left, click on Advanced Settings.
    
    
    
    
    
16. In the IP Address field, change the IP address from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.2.1 and click Apply. The router will then reboot.
    
    
    
    
    
17. Once the router has rebooted, unplug the power to the Tenda Router and the Modem.
18. After 30 seconds, plug the power in to the modem.
19. After another 30 seconds, plug the power in to the Tenda router. Wait one minute and your Internet connection should be working.

Tenda W268R Basic Setup and Configuration

This How-To Guide will walk you through installing your Tenda W268R router for basic internet access.

1. Unplug all network cables from the modem, computer and router (if applicable).
2. Unplug the power from the modem and the power from the router, and shut down the computer.
3. Take one end of the existing Ethernet cable and plug it into the modem in the Internet port, then plug the other end of the same cable into the blue WAN port on the router.
   
   
   
   
4. Take the Ethernet cable that came with the router and plug one end into one of the four yellow numbered ports on the router and plug the other end of the same cable into the computer.
   Though the intent may be to use the router wirelessly a hard wired connection is required for setup.
   
5. Plug the power back into the modem and wait one full minute, then plug the power into the router. Wait one full minute, and then turn the computer back on.
6. Click on the Start button, choose All Programs and click on Internet Explorer.
7. In the address bar at the top of the Internet Explorer window, type “192.168.0.1” (without the quotes) and press the Enter key.
   
   
   
   
8. In the window that appears requesting a username and password enter the username “admin” (without the quotes) and the password “admin” (without the quotes) and click OK.
9. Once the setup wizard is displayed click Next to proceed with setup.
   If the type of internet connection is unknown it can be determined by contacting the internet service provider.
10. Once setup is complete, click on System Tools on the left, choose Reboot, and then click the Reboot The Router button.
    
    
    
    
11. Once the router has been rebooted on the left side of the screen click on WLAN Settings.
12. On the right there will be an option for SSID which will by default be either “Tenda” or “WIRELESS_N.” Clear that text and change the SSID to whatever the desired network name is and click Save Settings.
    
    
    
    The SSID is the name of the wireless network that will be broadcast wirelessly.
    
13. Click on WLAN Settings on the left, then beneath WLAN Settings click on Security Settings.
    
    
    
    
14. Under Security Mode select WPA2 Personal.
15. In the Pass Phrase field enter a password of at least 8 characters that includes at least one letter and one number. Write down this password as it is required to connect to the wireless network.
16. Click Save Settings.
17. In the address bar at the top of the Internet Explorer window type “www.microcenter.com” (without the quotes) to verify internet connectivity.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

How to Configure Port Forwarding

Port forwarding can help in getting network-enabled applications, such as online games or chat services that would be otherwise inoperable, up and running. This document contains information specific to Linksys routers but the steps are largely the same. If you have questions that are not answered in this document, we recommend you look in the manual that came with your router.

This article will show you how to set up port forwarding on your router.

Before you begin:

You will need to know the port number required by the application. To get this information, contact the application vendor or look at the documentation included with the program.

You will need to know the IP Address of the computer to forward the port to. To find this, first power on the computer you will use and go to Start » All Programs » Accessories » Command Prompt. When it opens, type in "ipconfig" and use the IP Address or IPv4 Address.

Here's how to set up Port Forwarding:

1. Click on the Start button and choose All Programs.
2. Locate and open the Internet Explorer application from the All Programs menu.
3. In the address bar located at the top of the screen, erase whatever address is in the bar and replace it with "192.168.1.1" without the quotes. Note that some routers use the address "192.168.0.1", so if it does not work right away, try the second option. Consult your router documentation.
   
   
   
   
   
4. When prompted for a username and password, enter "admin" without the quotes for both the username and the password.
   
   Note that some routers differ in their default username and password, check the manual that came with your router for more information on the default username and password.
5. Once logged in, choose the Applications & Gaming tab seen highlighted in the figure below.
   Note that some routers may have these settings on the Firewall or Port Forwarding tab.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Enter the name of the application into the Application field. This is the program for which you want to forward the ports.
7. Enter the Start and End port range for the program. This information should come from the program's documentation.
8. Choose the protocol that should be used for the application; TCP, UDP, or Both. Most of the time Both is fine. Consult the application documentation for more details.
9. Enter the IP Address for the PC that is running the application. You can find this information in the Network Settings for your PC.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Place a check in the box to Enable the forwarding. This gives you the ability to set up several applications and turn them on and off without having to reenter the settings all over again.
11. Click on Save Settings or Apply along the bottom.

That's it! Your ports are now forwarded and you will be able to use the respective applications as normal.