Tech Tip: Benefits of Using Static IP Addresses

Description: Normally, when you hook up devices to your home router (wireless or wired), the router will automatically assign IP addresses to those devices by default (using a DHCP server) using a range that you specify. If you don't specify a range of numbers, the router will have a default range from which it will assign.

A few examples of IP addresses:


• Your Router - 192.168.1.1
  
• John's Computer - 192.168.1.2
  
• Jane's Computer - 192.168.1.3
  
• Susie's iPad - 192.168.1.10
  
  

One thing to remember is that your network may have a slight variation on these addresses. In general, the first two numbers, 192 & 168, will be the same as you see here. Your third and fourth numbers may be different. Don't panic! This is just the way the manufacturer of your router decided to set it up.


Take a look above at the highlighted portion of the IP addresses. On your home network, the first three numbers will always be the same for every device, just as they are in the list of examples above. If you were to decide to change your network to 192.168.2, then all devices on the network must be changed to that format in order for the network to be able to communicate. This is an important point to remember whenever you decide to use static IP addresses.


So what is a static IP address? Simply put, it is a network address that you assign to the device - an address that never changes. When addresses are automatically assigned, they are put on a lease which usually lasts a few weeks. Every time your device connects, it is given the same IP address in that time period, but, after the lease is up, the address can change. A power Loss may also cause the router to assign new addresses to devices on the network.

 Why does it matter if the address changes? In most cases, it actually doesn't matter. You never notice the change. However, there are a few situations where it does matter.

• Security Systems - You won't be able to monitor from a remote location if your DVR suddenly has a different address. IP Cameras may not be found by the software, or be available for remote browsing.
  
• Media Server - Depending on the software, you may not be able to access the server until you update the address.
  
• Network Attached Storage - There's a possibility you won't see the drive anymore until you update the address.
  
• Print Server - You won't be able to print until the address has been updated on any PC or device trying to print to it.

It is important to note that the last three situations may have extra software running to compensate for the address change. For example, some Security Camera software may use the camera network name or MAC assignment to detect and identify compatible hardware on a network.
 

If you are convinced that a static IP address is right for your situation, your choices need to be configured in two places - the router and the device.

1. Open up your router's configuration page and look for your LAN settings. Within these settings, you should see an IP address range for the DHCP server. The address range will look something like this:
   
   • 192.168.x.___ to 192.168.x.___
     Take note of these ranges. Remember, the only number we're concerned about is the last number. Don't panic if your third number is different from the example shown here.
     If we assign an address that is within the range you see on the router, there may be a conflict down the road. For example, if your range is 192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.10, we cannot assign any IPs that have the same last number in this range, 2-10.
     *Our postal service is set up the same way... Every house is automatically given an address. If we decide to build a house and give it a random street address, it may conflict with an existing house somewhere nearby, and the mail would be a mess.*
     
     
2. Open up your device's network settings (i.e. security DVR or IP Camera). Look for a network setting that mentions the IP address. By default, it is probably set for automatically receive IP or DHCP assigned.Look for the option that lets you use a static IP. Enter an address that is not in the range we saw on the router and apply the new settings. It is sometimes helpful to write this address on a sticky note and attach it to the device so we can easily remember it later.
   
3. If you were accessing this device from outside the house, you will also need to update the port forwarding address in the router settings. Find your port forwarding settings and update the address to the one we just made. If you haven't set up the port forwarding at all, please refer to your device's instruction manual as to which port(s) it needs.
   

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to network a Windows 7 PC to a Mac running OS X Part 3: Accessing the shared files

Description: This guide will walk through two different ways of accessing the files on your network: Accessing the files on your Mac from your Windows 7 PC and accessing the files on your PC from your Mac.

Accessing Mac files from the PC

1. Click Start and select Computer.
   
   
   
   
2. In the Address bar at the top, type two back slashes and the IP address of the Mac noted
   earlier and press Enter.
   
   
   
   
3. A box asking for user credentials will pop up. Type the user name of the Mac and enter the appropriate password then click OK.
   
   
   
   
4. Browse to any files you wish to view or transfer to the PC from the Mac.
   
   

Accessing PC files from the Mac

1. Click the Finder icon in the dock.
   
   
   
   
2. On the left side of the Finder window, click the name of your PC.
   
   
   
   
3. The connection will fail. This is due to invalid credentials. Once the connection fails click the
   Connect As... button.
   
   
   
   
4. Enter the User Name and Password for the user account on the PC and click Connect.
   
   
   
   
5. Browse the shared folders and transfer files as desired.
   
   

For more assistance contact Technical Support click here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to network a Windows 7 PC to a Mac running OS X Part 2: OS X Setup

Description: Now that the Windows side of things is set, this guide will walk through how to set up OS X on the network.

1. Click the Apple button in the upper left then select System Preferences.
   
   
   
   
2. Within System Preferences select Sharing under the Internet & Wireless heading.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the Options button in the Sharing window.
   
   
   
   
4. Make sure both Share files and folders using AFP and Share files and folders using SMB (Windows) are checked along with the current account and click Done.
   
   
   
   
5. Select which items are to be shared on the left including File Sharing.
   
   
   
   
6. Make note of the IP address of the Mac listed for future reference listed in this window.
   
   
   
   
7. Click the + below Shared Folders to add any additional folders to be shared.
   
   

Now both the Windows 7 machine and the OS X machine are set to share files and folders on the network. Check out our third and final article in this series for a walkthrough on how to access files between the two computers.

For more assistance contact Technical Support click here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to network a Windows 7 PC to a Mac running OS X Part 1: Windows Setup

Description: Windows 7 introduced users to the Homegroup for networking and file sharing. Homegroups make things much simpler when networking multiple Windows 7 machines, but what if you want to have a computer on the home network that isn't running Windows 7? Better yet, what if that computer isn't running Windows at all?

This series will walk through how to network a Windows 7 PC to a Mac running OS X for the purpose of file sharing. The series begins with Windows 7 network settings. Before you begin, make sure the Mac and the PC are both connected to the same network. You may also need to temporarily disable or create an exception in your firewall to allow sharing.

1. Click Start then select Control Panel.
   
   
   
   
2. Click Network and Internet.
   
   
   
   
3. Click Network and Sharing Center.
   
   
   
   
4. On the left side of the window, select Change advanced sharing settings.
   
   
   
   
5. Within the options window, select Turn on File and printer sharing and click the Save changes button. Close the options window.
   
   
   
   
6. Click Start, then select Computer.
   
   
   
   
7. Browse to the folder you wish to be shared, right click on the folder and select Properties.
   
   
   
   
8. Within the properties window select the Sharing tab and click the Advanced Sharing button.
   
   
   
   
9. Check the box for Share this folder and click OK
   
   

Repeat steps 6-9 for any additional folders you wish to be shared on the network. The next part in the series is setting up the Mac for file sharing in Part 2.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Networking with a Wireless Access Point or Wireless Router

A wireless access point connects your local wired network with wireless clients. A wireless router performs the same function but allows you to share a connection to another network or the Internet with all of your local wired and wireless systems.

This is the typical configuration used for wireless hotspots that can be found in hotels, coffee shops, airports and other locations.

Before any client system can connect to a wireless router or access point, the router must be connected to the wired network and configured. You will usually find that most routers and access points are factory configured to automatically obtain an IP address and will make the wired network available as soon as they are powered on and connected. This makes it very easy to test your wireless connection right out of the box, but keep in mind, if it’s easy for you, then it is just as easy for anyone else that might be in range.

The first step with your new wireless router will be to connect a system so you can configure its settings. To do this, connect a cable between a system with a wired network adapter to one of the local area network connections. (The following steps are for Windows XP, but should be similar for other versions of Microsoft Windows. For other operating systems such as Linux, Linspire or Apple OS, check your help screens or documentation files for configuring a network.)

1. Open your network connections, and right click on the (wired) local area network adapter and select "properties".
2. Select TCP/IP from the list and click on properties. This should be set to "obtain an IP address automatically" since the router should be factory configured to provide one.
3. Once this has been done, exit back to network connections and save any changes.
4. In the Network connections window, double click on your network connection to display the status.
5. In the Connection status list, you should see that you adapter has been assigned an IP address and gateway by the router. The Gateway address should be the address of your wireless router; it is this IP address you will use to check or change the router settings.
6. Open a browser window and enter the gateway address in the address bar. A typical router might have an IP address of 192.168.1.1, in this case you would enter http://192.168.1.1 for the web address. When you press enter or the "Go" button, you should see the router’s password prompt or login screen. Check your documentation for how to proceed, since each vendor is slightly different. Some may have a user of "admin" or "root" with no password, others may have no user name, just a password.

To start, change your router’s SSID and set a password. Most of the other settings will not need to be changed until you are ready to start implementing security features on your network. I don’t recommend activating WEP, WPA or MAC address security features until you have successfully connected to your network. Once you know all your hardware works together, then you can turn on these features one at a time, making sure that the clients can continue to communicate at each step. If you activate them first, it makes it very difficult to troubleshoot communication problems. If you add additional clients later, you may need to disable these security features and then reactivate them one at a time using this same approach. The network names that show up in an "Available Wireless Networks" list are the name you entered for the SSID - all devices sharing a single network connection must have the same SSID entered. If you have a different SSID for your client, you will not connect to the wireless network until it matches what the router has (or other peer-to-peer clients.) If you need to increase the coverage area for your wireless network, such as you might want in a business environment, connect several access points throughout the building to the same wired network. All access points must have the same SSID, but should have unique transmit channels assigned, and unique network IP addresses. For example, if you have three access points on the network, you could assign local IP addresses of 192.168.1.1, 192.168.1.2, and 192.168.1.3. The IP address for the router or access point becomes the gateway address used by the wireless client.

The next step will be to configure your client system to connect to the wireless router. With Windows XP managing the connections, this should occur as soon as the hardware drivers for the wireless adapter have been loaded. Your alternative to having Windows manage the wireless network is to use the software that comes with the adapter. If you are using a notebook with built-in wireless, you may not have this option. If you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed, an enhanced Wireless Networking wizard is available and can be easily accessed in a number of ways, including clicking on the Wireless Network icon in the Windows status bar; clicking on Network Connections or one of the configuration wizards in the Windows Control Panel; or accessing the network adapter properties for your adapter in Network Connections.

With SP2 installed, choosing to "View Available Wireless Networks" opens the Wireless Network Connection wizard. This should show all available networks in the range of your system. To connect to your router, you should have to do little more than select the Network SSID from the list and click on "Connect". Since we have not enabled any security on the router yet, you will probably get a message box warning you that this network is not secure. If all works as it should you will be connected to your wireless router and to any wired network that it is connected to. Congratulations! You have also succeeded in creating a completely unsecured wireless connection, exposing your local network and/or Internet to anyone within wireless range...

If you don't have Service Pack 2, or for that matter - Windows XP, then you will probably have to use the wireless utility that comes with your adapter. Many of these are based on a common core utility so have similar choices and features for your connection settings.
The router menus will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but there should be some common features such as:

• Setting the SSID
• Setting the password
• Setting the wireless channel
• Enabling or Disabling WEP encryption and setting the level of encryption (i.e. 64 or 128-bit)
• Generate or enter WEP encryption key
• Restricting access by MAC address
• Assigning IP addresses or an address range
• Setting the local IP address range
• Setting the Wide Area Network address or automatically obtaining one
• Other enhanced security features may include:
• Enabling or disabling broadcast of the SSID
• Enabling WPA encryption

Security Tip: While most routers and access points require configuring through a physical cable connection, some will allow you access to the setup menus through the wireless connection. For this reason, you should make it a point to change both the name (SSID) and password for your router as the first order of business. Changing the name (SSID) helps identify your specific network, which is more of an issue if there are multiple Wireless networks in your business or immediate neighborhood. Changing the password helps prevent someone from granting themselves access to your network, changing your router settings, or worst-case, locking you out of your own equipment.

Setup Tip: WEP encryption codes can be entered as a hexadecimal string (numbers 0-9 letters a-f), or generated with a text-based pass-phrase. (The pass-phrase is used to create the hexadecimal string.) If the method to generate the string is not consistent between your different clients, you may need to copy the resulting hexadecimal string from one device and then paste or manually enter it into the rest of the network configuration boxes.

1. Type your text string to generate the key on the first system
2. Click on manual key to switch to the resulting hexadecimal code
3. Copy this to a text file
4. Cancel the WEP change (remember that your network is still insecure at this point)
5. Save the text file to your shared folder where the other user can get it over the network
6. Re-enable the WEP security on the both systems and the router, using the manual configuration with the same key you generated.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Feature: The new Wireless Networking Wizard that is part of Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes a method of saving this configuration detail to a USB flash drive (or other storage media) to transfer the necessary settings to other XP SP2 systems.

Additional comments: Hiding your SSID can minimize unauthorized access to your router, but will not prevent it. Programs that monitor the data passing between your system and the router and can easily identify the SSID. Depending on your network settings, your system may be "searching" for the connection even when you are not nearby, transmitting this information even when you are not connected. Your system broadcasts the network SSID whenever you have your wireless configuration set to "connect, even when not in range."

WEP is considered to be a very simple, easy to break encryption. Computers using the appropriate (hacker) programs can break WEP security in just a few hours. WPK and other security protocols offer stronger protection, but whatever method you choose, all of your devices must support it. If you are mixing old and new computers, phones, or other wireless enabled devices, you may have no choice but to use one of the older, more vulnerable encryption modes. While this is better than not using any security, this would never be recommended for any business, or where you might be passing sensitive customer or credit information between wireless systems or exposing data files on the network. Failure to secure your customer information could expose you and your company not just to hackers, but to federal penalties as well.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

How to Network Windows 7 and Windows XP

Description: Networking a Windows 7 computer to a Windows XP system

1. Make sure they are both on the same Network ­ that is connected through the same router and have the same IP address range (on the same subnet).
   • If you only have one router this will happen automatically
   • If you have more than one router or are not sure, you can check this by going to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Command prompt
   • Type IPCONFIG and press enter
   • Write down the IP address. It will look like 192.168.0.101 or 10.0.0.104
   • Both computers should have the same numbers up to the last set, for example one may have 192.168.0.101 and the other 192.168.0.104
2. Make sure they are both on the same work group – normally called WORKGROUP
   • In Windows 7
   • You can find the workgroup and computer name settings by clicking on the Start button, move your mouse over Computer and right click, choose Properties from the menu
   • In the open screen move to the section at the bottom and you will see the section for Computer name and Workgroup. In the example below, the workgroup is called support. Click on Change Settings
     
     
   
   
   • You will see the following box, click the Change button.
     
     
   
   
   • This will bring you to a box where you can change the workgroup name if necessary.
     
     
   
   
   • If you need to change the computer name click the ‘more’ button in the same box.
     
     
   
   
   • Then go to Control panel, Category view (upper right corner), Network and internet, Network and Sharing Center, on the left column (blue) choose Change advanced sharing settings. You will want to make sure those settings are set like the following:
     
     
   
   
   • In order to allow any user to access the public shared files, you can turn off the password protection as well (which is down more on the page).
     
     
   
   
   
   • If you want to keep the password protection, you will need to create a login account on your Windows 7 pc for the users of the Win XP computer to be able to log in.
   • Finally, you will need to make sure your Win 7 user account is password enabled.
     1. Go to Start, Control Panel, (in category view) choose User Accounts and Family Safety, then under User Account click on the blue text - Change your Windows Password.
        
        
     
     
     2. Click on Create Password for your account and enter a password twice. Write down this password for safe keeping.

• In Windows XP
  • You can find the workgroup settings in the system settings in Control Panel, System and Maintenance, System.
  • Look for the Computer Name domain and workgroup settings
  • Click on the Computer Name tab and then click the change button.
  • The following box will open. You will want to make sure the computer has a unique name and then click on the radio button below for workgroup.
    
    
  
  
  • Make sure the Windows XP has a password for the user account.

3. Make sure that sharing has been set for the folders or printers you want to use.
   • Printers
     
     • On Windows 7 you can share a printer by going to Start, Devices and Printer, and then right click on your Printer
     1. Choose Printer Properties
     2. Choose the Sharing tab
     3. In this tab check the boxes "Share this Printer" and "Render print jobs on client computers"
     4. Give the printer a share name if you want to use a different name than the default.
     5. Click "Apply" button in the lower right.
   • Additional Drivers
     
     • If your Windows XP is an X86 version you can install Additional Drivers on the Windows 7 computer so that they are automatically installed when the XP computer connects to the shared printer.
     • After clicking the button, put a check on each of the versions of Windows you want to make this available for.
   • Folders
     
     • Documents placed in the Public folders will be available for anyone on the network now.
     • Other folders can be shared by right clicking, going to the share option and then choosing to share with a specific user or with your homegroup.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

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.