My family recently purchased a D-Link DWL-G710 (AirPlus G) Wireless Range Extender. Now that we’ve had the product for close to a month, I thought it was time for a review. I feel obligated to write this review because I read so many reviews while searching for a way to extend the reach of my 802.11G wireless network. It is only proper to show my appreciation for everyone who writes product reviews by writing one myself. So here it goes.
The D-Link DWL-G710 does what it says it will do, but with one caveat. It claims to work with Virtually All 802.11g Wireless Devices, which it does as long as their not using WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK for wireless security. How can this be when the product claims to supports WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK for Enhanced Wireless Security? The best I can tell the product will support WPA and WPA2 when it is acting like the primary device, not like a repeater which is it’s main selling point!
So, if you are planning on using this device as a repeater for a WPA network then look else where. If an open network doesn’t bother you (and it should) then this thing works like a charm. This device also supports the older and much less secure WEP protocol without any real problems, that is once you get it set-up correctly. Before I go any farther, I want to clarify what a repeater is for any readers that may not know. A wireless repeater is a device that takes an existing wireless signal and repeats it. The beauty of a repeater is that it doesn’t have to be physically wired into the network like a Wireless Access Point does.
Now that you know what the device supports, let me start the real review. The D-Link AirPlus G really does extend the range of your wireless network. I haven’t taken the time to see exactly how much further my network reaches since I set it up, but it does reach the entire house now with a strong signal. My main wireless access point (a AirPort Extreme Base Station) is in the basement (dumb set-up I know, but that is the only place wired for DSL). The Airport would reach up-stairs with a decent enough signal on the same side of the house. The problems occurred on the other end of the house…no signal what so ever a little after half-way. FYI: the house is fairly long and has lots of walls between each end. I placed the AirPlus G close to the point where my original wireless signal dies and now my network reaches the entire house. So, the D-Link DWL-G710 does what it says it will do and deserves some points for that.
That was the good, now is the time for the bad. The D-link is a royal pain to set-up. Just about every review I read said that it was extremely difficult and that you needed a tech degree to get the thing to work, but that once it was set-up (for those people who were successful before giving up and returning it) it did what it was supposed to do. I thought to myself, I have a college degree in Computer Information Systems, how hard can it really be? Considering my other options and the price of the D-link, I purchased it thinking that I wouldn’t have any trouble getting it up and running. Think again!
To start off with I couldn’t even get connected to the admin interface to configure the options. I broke down and called tech support. They got me to the set-up screen (in case you are wondering what the trick is, you have to turn off DHCP and use a static IP while configuring the device–once configured, you can resume to use DHCP. The directions very vaguely mentioned something about a static IP address) and left me to figure the rest out myself. That was okay, but I still thought that it shouldn’t be too difficult to set-up the options. Wrong again! The options weren’t hard to set up. You follow each screen and type in your network configuration. Once done, you restart the device, unplug the network cable, and move to the desired location. However, this never worked. I tried this several times thinking I missed something simple.
Deciding that doing the same steps over and over was wrong, I decided to try setting up the device without any security. To do this, I logged into my Airport Extreme and turned off WPA2-PSK encryption. Then I reconfigured the AirPlus G to use no security–an open network. It worked! So, I was on to something. I did a little research and learned that the AirPlus G doesn’t support WPA in repeater mode. You must understand that the directions didn’t mention that WPA isn’t supported in repeater mode, nor did tech support. Plus, the product description leads you to believe that it does. Additionally, the admin interface has a button for WPA and WPA2, along with a place to input your password. Lucky for me, some kind reviewer mentioned the novel idea that WPA doesn’t work when the AirPlus G is in repeater mode.
Taking this new found information, I decide to use 128-bit WEP (password must be exactly 13 characters) instead. I wasn’t about to leave my network completely unencrypted, not that WEP is much better. So, the next adventure begins. I get WEP to work for my mom’s Mac. Lauren tried her new MacBook and it also worked. So, did my work issued laptop. However, my Dell Desktop did not. It would connect temporarily, and then disconnect. This was a real pain and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I mean, my dell laptop was working (both were running Windows XP Professional SP2.
For a moment I thought my wireless card on my desktop didn’t support WEP, but that didn’t make sense because it supported the newer WPA2 without any trouble, so the older WEP should work. Nonetheless, I checked to make sure I had the newest driver and I did. Out of ideas, I decided to do some research on connecting a Windows computer to an AirPort Extreme using the WEP protocol. I learned that Windows requires the WEP password to be in hexadecimal format most of the time and that Apple allows you to type it in ASCII (normal text). The repeater would accept either format, so when I set it up I used ASCII (not knowing that it would matter). But wait a minute, my laptop worked? Who knows, must been the specific driver on my specific wireless card.
So, I had to reconfigure the D-Link DWL-G710 yet another time. This time, I converted the AirPort ASCII password to hexadecimal format on the repeater. Next, I typed in the new hexadecimal password on to my PC. Now, everything works as it should (most of the time. Sometimes, I have to reboot my machine or repair the wireless network on my PC to keep the connection working).
The D-Link could have been a great product if the directions were better, if tech support was more helpful, and if it was clearer on its inability to repeat a WPA encrypted signal. However, the product doesn’t do these things. I can’t deduct any points for having trouble getting WEP set-up because that was my fault. I didn’t know that WEP on windows typically required a hexadecimal format because Apple and the AirPlus G accepted ASCII. So, for ease of use and give it 1 star. For functionality I give it 3 stars (it did extend my network range a good bit once configured properly).
I hope this review is helpful to you when are searching for a way to extend your wireless network without setting up another wireless access point. Don’t forget, an antenna is also an option. The Airport just didn’t have any antennas with good reviews. Plus, the antenna’s costs more than this repeater. In conclusion, the D-link works and wouldn’t have been that difficult to set-up if I had all of the information I just provided you with. One more thing, you must connect the repeater to a computer that is wired into the router, not the router itself (again, the directions leads you to believe that plugging into the router would work).
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102 Responses to “D-Link DWL-G710 Wireless Range Extender Review”
WPA is working for me, extending a DLink DIR-655 which autheniticates 1 and 2. I’ve tested with my laptop and an Apple Airport Express.
That’s great…thanks for letting me and the rest of the world know. Can you explain your set-up in greater detail so I can see if I can get it to work on my own system? What driver version are you using?
Sure thing – here is my setup:
Router: DIR-655 (n/g/b), Firmware 1.02
Security: WPA-Personal
WPA Mode: Auto (WPA or WPA2)
Extender: DWL-G710 (g/b), Firmware 2.00 (26 Apr 2006)
Security: WPA-PSK
Desktop (connects to Router): DWA-552 (n/g/b), Driver 1.02
Security: WPS2-PSK
Data Encryption: AES
Laptop (connects to Router or Extender): Intel 2200BG (g/b), Driver 9.0.4.17
Security: WPA-PSK
Data Encryption: TKIP
Laptop (connects to Extender): Intel 2100 3A (b), Driver 7.1.4.4
Security: WPA-PSK
Data Encryption: TKIP
Printer (connects to Extender): Airport Express, Firmware 6.3
Security: WPA for home/small office
Encrytion Type: AES
This definitely wasn’t plug and play. Most of the problems ended up being due to the physical placement of the G710 in relation to my router. At first, I had it at the very furthest reaches of my router’s range, with a couple of walls and a fireplace between the router and the extender. My laptop could connect, but response to the internet and my desktop was very laggy. Sometimes news.google.com would pop up immediately, other times it would time out or only pull up half a page. I moved it closer to my network, and my laptop was fine but the Airport Express was not reachable. Another move of the router, and my Airport Express connected, but my finacee’s connection was laggy and her VPN would not connect.
Long story short, I had to reposition the extender about 5 or 6 times before everything was connecting consistently, and now it is working as advertised – beautifully in fact. What finally worked best for me was placing both the router and the extender as high as possible, with the extender next to a hallway with direct LOS to the room with the router in it. It was really just a matter of guesswork fine-tuning the physical placement. I honestly never expected all this stuff to work together, and was getting ready to pull the trigger on a new AP, and some new wireless NICs.
Another note: This 2.00 firmware came installed on the router, purchased from and shipped by Newegg this week (12/4/06). When I logged into DLink to grab a new version of the firmware (standard operating procedure with new hardware), all they had listed was firmwares with 1.x version numbers. Though latest avaiable (1.04) was dated past my extender’s (10/12/06 vs 4/26/06) so I grabbed it and tried to install with no success – checksum error. I wonder if DLink has released a new hardware version….
edit: should read “Another note: This 2.00 firmware came installed on the DWL-G710″, not router
Well, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but I have a d-link di-634m 108g mimo router hooked up to roadrunner and the extender. I’m pretty sure everything is configured right, but even under no encryption, it just wont connect. My adapter will connect to the repeater at 93%, and the repeater picks up the router’s signal, but the wlan light barely flickers once every few dozen seconds or so. so I can connect to the repeater fine, but not the internet for some reason, could I maybe bridge two repeaters together to extend the range even further?
@coffefuled: Thanks for the information coffeefueled. I’m sure this will help everyone out.
@mikgrx: I don’t see why you couldn’t bridge two repeaters together to extend the range even further. However, I think the gain from the second repeater wouldn’t be as great as the gain from the first.
As far as you problem, it sounds like the repeater isn’t fully connected to the router. It does seem that your repeater is in range. However, the wlan light should blink more frequently, especially when it first connects. I recommend trying the set-up a second time (again with no encryption unti you know it works). I’m sure you know this, but just in case, the routher should not have any encryption either.
Let me know about your progress and I’ll see if I can come up with some more ideas if none of these worked.
Sorry for my delayed responses. I still don’t have Internet access at home
Hi Matt:
Nice writeup.
I have the following setup -
1. Linksys WRTP54G (Firmware: 1.00.62)
2. Dlink DWL-G710 (Firmware: v1.04)
3. two wireless pc with dlink card that connect through DWL-G710
(I can use either DHCP or static IP configurations for pc)
First, DWL-G710 does help if you have range/weak signal issue.
Second, all my devices are configured using WPA-PSK.
So, all seem working for me except – my two wireless pc can not see each other anymore. i.e. ping ends up 100% pkg lost. Still working with Dlink/Linksys support….
–Sung
Had the same experience:
“Another note: This 2.00 firmware came installed on the router, purchased from and shipped by Newegg this week (12/4/06). When I logged into DLink to grab a new version of the firmware (standard operating procedure with new hardware), all they had listed was firmwares with 1.x version numbers. Though latest avaiable (1.04) was dated past my extender’s (10/12/06 vs 4/26/06) so I grabbed it and tried to install with no success – checksum error. I wonder if DLink has released a new hardware version….”
Also tried to connect DI-634M to G-710: no luck. Pulled it until I can determine if it is compatible with the G-710. D-Link support desk suggested it may not be, but they were not sure.
Tried the G-710 with DI-624 and it works.
Now connected 4 apts with use of hallway D-Link 7 dBi antenna connected to the first repeater. Everything seems to work, but I have been at this for the past month. D-Link support is useless. Documentation evr more useless. Same issues as those reflected on this site.
@JMS: Thanks for sharing your same experiences. It looks like I’m not the only one who was having problems with D-Link. I wonder what’s up with this firmware version thing…D-Link doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing with keeping up with versions. Who ever heard of V 2.00 being dated before V 1.04???
BTW I love your last statement: “D-Link support is useless. Documentation evr more useless.” That is so true. You know it would help if they just made better products…I guess next time I’ll be checking into Cisco stuff.
Let us know if you find another (better) solution. Thanks again for your comment.
I have a DI-624 Rev.C being repeated by the DWL-G710 and I am having no problems especially with using WPA-PSK. This could be because of this 2.00 version that came pre-installed on the device, however, I called DLink to try to get them to explain why a 2.00 was developed in April 06 and there is a 1.04 released in Oct. 06 but as everyone has agreed, they did not have a clue. Concerning the original post, unless you did not have 2.00 loaded on the device, the instructions did explain in the quick install guide that you have to setup a static IP with basically a dummy gateway in order to configure the DWL-G710. I admit a was cussing each time I have tried to set it up, but if anyone knows me, I am the most impatient [person] there is. After cooling down, I have really had no problems with the device at all and for $40, this device is probably one of the best values and investments I have made, especially since purchasing a much more expensive AP along with drilling holes for Cat 5e was out of the question. I will say even with the 2.00 version, the help files still state that repeating is not an option with any of the WPA encryption, so the help files are obviously out of date. I am also using 7dbi antennas, one being an omni-directional on the router and another being a basic antenna that is screwed into the back of the DWL-G710. The only hangup I have is that my G650 card sometimes has a problem in which signal it is hitting best causing a brief confusion for about a minute or so… other than that the deivce does exactly what it says and then some. My only guess with the exception of a few of you using a different model router or AP of DLink’s, is that DLink is not going to go out of their way to have their products being fully compatible with everyone else’s, which is narrow-minded to say the least. That’s just my 2 cents.. Thanks
Jason. I’m glad you were able to bring some insight into the 2.00 version VS the 1.04. I agree with you about the price of this equipment–it’s cheap and does work. However, as we’ve all stated…it is a royal pain to configure and doesn’t necessarily work with everything. I wouldn’t mind finding those 2.00 drivers and giving WPA a second go. Thanks for your insight.
Bottom line on the 710 is before you spend your money on any high tech dung read the reports like this one. I am having the same problems as many of you with making the device work and dealing with moronic tech support people.
Best advice ( which I should have taken ) is when you see a report for ANY device which other people have had problems with just don’t buy it.
Just for the heck of it, I found this (what appears to be Aussie — http://files.dlink.com.au/Products/DWL-G710/REV_B/Firmware/Firmware_v.2.00/), a site that seems to allow the download of the 2.00 bin and it appears for a Rev. B device so make sure you double check the bottom of the device to see if you see that before thinking about doing it (mine is a B1). I guess you could give this a try at your own risk.. I highly recommend you have your current firmware bin handy in case it doesn’t work. It’s also recommended you do a factory reset once the update is successful. I personally would not do this unless I had nothing to lose and problems out the waazoo with the device.
Hope this helps… Jason
Thanks for the info Jason. I’m sure the link to the 2.00 firmware and your advice will help everyone who is having problems gettin the DWL-G710 working.
I probably won’t try this b/c it is a bit risky and my device is working without any problems…it’s just using WEP rather than WPA. However, the device is used in a fairly low-tech small town so the risk of someone craking WEP is small. Plus, my file system is locked down pretty tight so all they could do if they do get past WEP is use my Internet connection.
Thanks a bunch Jason!
Ric I would say that that is pretty solid advice about not buying any device where you read about other people having problems. I too should have heeded it when I purchased this device b/c I read some bad reviews. I just wrongly assumed that most of the people with problems didn’t know what they were doing…after talking to all of you guys on this post I can see that is not the case. Plenty of technically compentant people can’t get the repeater to work without going through an ordeal.
Sorry about those of you that are having so many problems with the 710, but I guess I just lucked out with the fact I have had a DI-624 for about 2 years with it being a Rev. C. I have owned a Rev. B of the DI-624 in the past and the C is definitely a heck of a lot more reliable. I know this sounds rhetorical, but those of you having problems, have you updated to the lastest firmware on your AP’s? If you are not using a DLink, you may want to check into the vendor of your AP and see about a range extender made by that company. Linksys would be my second choice personally.
Good Luck.
i live near the university i receive the uni wireless lan , but it is not that strong that some time i lose the connection to my laptop, then i bought D-Link DWL-G710 802.11g Wireless Range Extender i did installed correctly that it receive the signal from university wireless lan and make it strong ,i can connect easy to the uni wireless lan through the extender but the problem i can’t access the internet as i see in the wireless lan configuration on my laptop that the ignal is sending but nothing is received. i did enter static ip address on my laptop, the extender ip adress is 192.168.0.30 . any help please , i guess some thing wrong setting the ip addresses.
Farag,
I doubt it is your static IP address since you did gain accessing the university’s LAN unless the IP address you picked won’t work on the schools network because they may be using DHCP and/or the IP is already in use. My first guess would be the proxy setting in your web browser thought this is just a guess based on the description of your problem.
Before you installed the D-Link DWL-G710 802.11g Wireless Range Extender, could you access the Internet or just the University’s wireless LAN? If you could only get to the LAN, you may need to set-up your browser to use the university’s proxy server (assuming they’re using one).
You’ll need to know the proxy info to do this. The easiest thing to do is to log-on a University computer and look at the settings in their web browser (Tools > Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings).
FYI: if you’re not actively enrolled in the University, “borrowing” their network connection may be unauthorized and potentially illegal.
Thanks for the comment and I hope this helps!
Matt
Hello Matt ,
thanks for your answer , with D-Link i can connect to the university wireless lan then i use VPN (from Cisco )to enter the user name and passord then i can access the university internet,the university use DHCP so each time i connect i get different IP. but as i said the signal is not strong enough so some times i connect for one hour and it disconnect but it come again easier it is almost 40 % but the D-Link it comes till 96%, i can connect easy to the university wireless lan and i can see in the wireless configuration that paket sending but receiving is always 0 that is why i can’t use VPN to log on, it is like the D-Link doesn’t allow my laptop to receive the packets.
any help
thanks in advance
Hello Matt ,
thanks for your answer , without D-Link i can connect to the university wireless lan then i use VPN (from Cisco )to enter the user name and passord then i can access the university internet,the university use DHCP so each time i connect i get different IP. but as i said the signal is not strong enough so some times i connect for one hour and then it disconnect but it come again easier it is almost 40 % but the D-Link it comes till 96%, i can connect easy to the university wireless lan and i can see in the wireless configuration that paket sending but receiving is always 0 that is why i can’t use VPN to log on, it is like the D-Link doesn’t allow my laptop to receive the packets.
Hi,
I’m not a techy, but I have spent weeks setting up my G-710s in series.
Your problem seems to be that the G-710 is not programmed – “D-link” is the default.
You have to follow the instructions.
Connect your G-710 to the router
key in 192.168.0.30 in your browser
select Home
Select Wireless
fill in the info, including your Univ Network name – that is the key. Right now your connection stops at the G-710, that’s where the strong signal is coming from – not thye Univ network.
I’m trying to set up the G710 with a D-link DI-824VUP. Everything works (including WPA-PSK), except when I move between the two regions with my laptop on, I always have to “re-connect”. I can’t seem to roam freely between the two. Is it just me, or is this a limitation of wireless repeating? Maybe my 824VUP is the one behaving poorly? Or maybe it’s the laptop? iBookG4, OSX 10.4 with all the updates. Any info/hints are greatly appreciated.
Hi William, without having used your the DI-824VUP I can’t determine if that is the true source of the problem or if it is a configuration issue. You’ve actually had a bit more luck than I did because I wasn’t even able to get WPA working with my repeater though several of the other people who commented on this post did (I wonder if it is because I’m using the repeater with a non-DLINK router).
Saying that, I have not noticed any problems with roaming freely between the two regions. I’ve accessed the wireless with both OS X 10.4 on a MacBook and on Windows XP Pro. Granted, this was while using WEP. It is possible WPA is the reason that you’re having to “re-connect” between the regions.
A good trouble shooting hint is to do a test with another laptop, holding everything else equal. This should eliminate your laptop from being the source of the problem.
If anyone subscribed to the comments on this post has any good ideas or similar experiences, please share them. Each of you have some great knowledge and I appreciate your willingness to contribute. BTW thanks for you input about Farag’s problem JMS.
I have noticed that I have a problem connecting to the G710 upstairs toward the front of my house because the signal is somewhat strong from my DI-624 router. It acts like it does not know which signal to use so usually I have to disconnect and reconnect my adapter on my laptop and usually the repeated signal is picked up immediately. This usually happens on a revive from a standby. I usually do not have this problem if I am in the line of sight of the repeater. I haven’t had the problem with using the laptop on my network and losing connection while I am on it since purchasing the G710. I still say its a great investment, but everyone has their pros and cons about it.
I have G-710s in VA and FL. One network has a D-624 router and the other a D-634M (MIMO) router. No problem connecting with the 624, but it just won’t connect with the 634M. Has it worked for anyone? Is it a MIMO issue and if so, could firmware G-710 upgrades eventually resolve it?
Also, on the 624 network I have a 7dBi antenna on the G-710 to serve 4 contiguous apartments along a hallway. I just ordered a 500mw antenna booster to improve the signal. Should I expect a significant improvement?
Thank you Matt and Jason for your info. I don’t have a 2nd laptop to use for testing and moving wired machines around is not easy. I found a workaround that is acceptable for me.
1) I found a spot where the G710 provides complete coverage for my wireless needs. I know I should put the router there, but then I’d have to re-wire the DSL.
2) I enabled MAC filtering on the 824VUP to make the G710 is the only wireless client allowed to associate/connect. This works because MAC filtering does not have any affect on clients connecting through the G710.
3) The other settings are as before: WPA-PSK, disable SSID broadcast, disable 8x mode.
Now, my iBook is only able to connect to the G710 and the conflict is eliminated. Every connection has the added delay of the repeater hop, but my DSL is relatively slow anyway.
8X mode? I do not see that option on the G710, are you referring to your router?
Thanks,
Jason
Jason, sorry if I was a little ambiguous. Yes, I am referring to the router. I turned off the speed-enhancing features in the 824VUP since the G710 does not support them. I guess it should not make a difference, but just in case…
Quine tendra informacion en español para instalar y como hacerlo facilmente el GWL-D710,Gracias
I recently purchased the wireless range extender to use it with a 2wire modem/router since the connection I was getting was dropping a lot. I’m using a dell computer with a Netgear wireless card for wireless and the program says the wireless connection from the extender is about 60-90% connectivity though the windows wireless icon says it’s only at 54 mbps and low connectivity. With the extender, I can easily ping the router/modem easily as well as anything connected to it via an ethernet cable, but I can’t ping anything that’s connected via wireless which is a problem since I’m trying to set up a home network. I don’t know if I’m wrong or not, but the WLAN also blinks a lot and I think it should be a solid green light. WEP encryption is enabled on the 2wire router as well.
Blinking on the WLAN is normal or at least for my router (DI-624), its when its not blinking is when you should worry.
Are you trying to ping another wireless card on a pc or laptop? That depends on whether they can hit the signal from the repeater or the router. I know myself personally that I sometimes run into an issue where the wireless card in my laptop does not pick up the repeater or the router, depending where I am at in my house. If I am in the den around the kitchen table, it will not assign an IP address because of low connectivity (what it claims), however if I take the card out and put it back in, it picks up, usually the router. That leads me to believe that there is a strong enough signal in that area for both the original and repeated signal to be picked up. I also use WPA-TSK which could cause some of these issues as well. Its not a big deal for me, but you might want to make sure that you can get on the network (ie.. Internet) with the other devices before trying to ping with the LT using the repeater.
Later,
Jason
I’m trying to ping another wireless card on a pc. I can connect to the internet through the repeater’s signal though.
Fred, I agree with what Jason said in his previous comment.
The blinking lights are normal on the DWL-G710. If their not blinking, then you have a problem. I don’t know of any wireless router that maintains a solid light, but I’m sure some exist.
Also, I wanted put a whole lot of faith in what Windows reports as signal strength. If you connected to the access point and don’t notice any speed issues, I wouldn’t worry.
When you say you can connect to the Internet through the repeater’s signal, which computer is connecting to the net? Is it the computer that your trying to ping or the one you’re pinging from?
The computer I’m trying to ping is right next to the wireless computer connected via the extender. The computer I’m trying to ping is also wireless and connected to the extender which can also ping the router but not the other computer.
Fred, I thought I figured out what was going on with your network; however, after researching some more I’m not so sure that I have. My thought was that you wireless and wired connections were somehow on different subnets that weren’t configured to talk to each other. I don’t think that this is the case…at least not the subnet part.
It does seem that the router isn’t properly bridging between wireless computers and computers connected via the router’s Ethernet port. I don’t know of an fix though.
If i think of a solution I’ll let you know. Maybe some of the people subscribed to the comments will know a solution or point you in the right path.
Fred, correct me if I am wrong, but:
1. You can ping from LAN to a WLAN.
2. You can ping from a WLAN to a LAN.
3. You cannot ping from one WLAN to another WLAN.
I’m only using the one laptop on my network wirelessly, but I use to use a wireless camera that I know I could ping from a wireless connection so I know its possible. Have you tried to use some type of remote software (like WinVNC or Remote Desktop built into XP Pro)? TightVNC is free and I know it works pretty good for free. Depending on what your priorities are with pinging these devices, you may want to see if you could connect with each of them remotely, just for arguement sake. Just because you cannot ping it, does not mean you cannot connect to it, which would mean there is a setup issue within the OS of that PC. Give it a try.
One other thing I have run into that might be useful is software firewalls, they can definitely prevent your accomplishment. In my case, Norton prevented me from mapping drives from my desktop system to my laptop, I ended up having to add my router IP as a Trusted Network. Are running a software firewall on either of the wireless pc’s? You might want to check that out and I am not sure how Windows Firewall handles that.
Later,
Jason
I have not tried pinging from LAN to WLAN, but the other two are correct. I’ll try TightVNC when I can and maybe try getting rid of all the antivirus stuff.
Fred,
You may want to see if you can ping any WLAN. Also you mentioned getting rid of antivirus programs, they are not the problem. I said Firewall, different entirely. You are probably using Windows Firewall if you are not using a third party’s like Norton. Try finding out where you add a trusted network and add your router’s IP and see what happens. If I locate some docs, I’ll post them on this forum.
Later,
Jason
Getting rid of the firewall on the computers solved the problem -_-. Thanks for all the help.
@Fred: I’m glad you have everything working now. I don’t recommend running your computers without a firewall turned on though.
Depending on the Firewall software you use (I’m guessing the Windows Firewall), you should be able to set up a trusted zone with your local IPs (just like Jason mentioned previously) so the firewalls don’t block any traffic between your computers, but still stops traffic coming in from the Internet that hasn’t been requested by your computer.
Actually, let me back track for a moment…the Windows Firewall isn’t necessary if you are using a NAT Router, which you are. The NAT Router serves the same purpose as the Windows Firewall…it blocks incoming traffic that has been requested by one of the machines on your LAN (not just the computer running the Windows Firewall).
That being said, I recommend checking into a better firewall which blocks traffic coming out of your computer. This is annoying at first, but as the firewall learns what you allow, it will work great. The purpose of watching traffic coming out of your computer is so that you know if any malware is using your computer behind your back. If you, or anyone else, needs to find a good firewall let me know and I can point you to a couple of free ones.
@Jason: Great job on helping Fred track down the problem.
Actually, I had a problem with mine today because I had to get a new PCMCIA card for my laptop (the Dlink DWL G650 finally got on my last nerve) and bought a Linksys, but I forgot my freakin pass phrase for WPA so I had to reset it. I will admit that doing an intial setup or having to connect to it via ethernet is a pain for the average user, I admit that, but all is working well now. Another downside to the DWL-G710 is that its a repeated signal, with that said, the speeds are about 1/2 to 1/3 of that from the actual AP. For example, 75MB file thru a connection with the AP is about 40 seconds on my network. With the repeater relaying the signal, its about 1 minute and 41 seconds (thats a drawback). However, when there is no signal or line-of-sight with the AP, the repeater is a life-saver.
Let me know if I can be of anymore assistance and thanks Matt for the pat.
Later,
Jason
Jason, no problem with the pat. You’ve been a lot of help here on the site. It’s horrible to forget a pass phrase but one must be careful writing such things down.
The repeater is a life saver for long connections, but the D-Link is a true pain to configure. It does do its job once setup correctly…though the slow down is a disadvantage.
I’m about to network my new house and decided to go with the Linksys WRT54GL. I plan on flashing the firmware with the powerful, open source dd-wrt. Once I get everything configured, I’ll be writing about it. I don’t plan on using a repeater at this time. The open source firmware allows you to up the power. If that doesn’t work, I may try some high-gain antennas.
Thanks again Jason.
Matt, I’m curious about the “up the power” feature. Can you post a link about this feature? Is this only thru Linksys products or does DLink support some of these features as well?
Thanks in advance.
Later,
Jason
Jason,
The “up the power” feature isn’t a true Linksys feature. It is part of the open source firmware I plan on flashing my new router with. Several routers are supported, but I don’t believe D-Link routers are supported, but I’ll provide the link to the firmware site so you can check to see if your particular model is listed. Some linksys routers run on Linux and thus their firmware is available under the GNU license.
The firmware site is http://www.dd-wrt.com. You can read about the power feature at LifeHacker.
I plan on writing a detailed post once I get everything set up and running correctly.
Matt,
Very interesting!! If I was PO’d @ the DLink, I would definitely be “pricegrabbing.com” right now.
The slower speed is not that big of a deal for me right now, I usually disconnect the repeater and grab the ‘low’ signal at full speed if I have to transfer, but Linksys will be my next purchase on routers since I do have the “Speedboost” card now.
Thanks for the info.
Later,
Jason
1 – Install D-Link with Tech Support
1) Turn wireless card OFF – It stays off during entire installation.
Click “ok”
2) Open My Network Places
3) Right click “Local Area Connection”
4) Click “Properties” button
5) Scroll down to “Internet Protocol (TCP / IP) – Highlight
6) Click “Properties” button
7) Click “Use the following IP address”
a. IP address = 192.168.0.50
b. Subnet Mask = 255.255.255.0
c. Leave all else empty
9) Click “close”
10) Plug DWL G710 Extender to electrical outlet
11) Connect DWL G710 to computer with LAN cable
12) Open Web Browser (Leave wireless card OFF)
13) Type in http://192.168.0.30
a. This is the D-Link Extender’s default address
b. Click “connect” when message says work offline or connect
c. You should see Login Screen for D-Link here
1. If not – Ensure LAN has static address set to 192.168.0.50
2. It took 2 or 3 attempts to get login screen
** If you cannot get the login screen:
a. Click Start (from start menu)
b. Click “Run”
c. Type “Command”
d. Enter
e. Type “ipconfig” to check LAN address – confirm it is correct
f. Type “ping 192.168.0.30”
g. If no reply or “Request Timed Out” – Reset D-Link Extender
1. Reset button on back of unit – Use paper clip – press for 10 seconds
2. Wait for lights to come back on and LAN connection to re-establish
3. Ping again – when you see reply – Go back to Step 12 – Open web browser
4. I connected at this point.
14) When you get D-Link login screen:
a. Type admin in user line
b. Leave password blank – Hit enter
c. Open “Wireless” tab
1. Set wireless network to your router network
2. Use browser button to select proper network
d. Open “Network” tab
1. Set network address to match Router network range
2. 192.168.X.30 (Number after 168 must match network number)
3. Whatever network address is – duplicate but last number = 30
15) Finish setup wizard
16) Disconnect LAN cable from computer and D-Link Extender
17) Turn off LAN on computer and turn on wireless
18) Connect to D-Link Extender with wireless
Thanks a ton for sharing that info Capt D. You must have got lucky to talk to someone who walked you through those steps. I didn’t have much luck with D-Link support. Must have got the wrong support personnel.
Jason,
I thought you might be interested in my instructions on how to flash the linksys with the dd-wrt firmware. I know you’re still using your d-link for now, but if you do switch to a linksys router to take advantage of the speedboost card the post might be of interest to you. The dd-wrt firmware supports speedboost just like the native linksys firmware.
Has anyone got a DWL-710G working as a bridge from wireless to wired? Mine works great as a wireless repeater (still need to up the security level) but when I hook something into the ethernet port it does not work.
Oddly the DHCP packets seem to get through, and the device gets an appropriate IP address, but I can’t ping through the D-LINK box to my router, or the other way. I have a somewhat complicated setup
DSLLinksys SPA (running DHCP) SMC Barricade DWL 710 G laptop
The laptop works unwired, but not wired. I have something I would like to hardwire to the DWL which is why I care.
Thanks!
Robert,
The DWL-G710′s ethernet port is not configured to be an actual port to be used on your network, its purely for configuration. In order to make a connection to the device via ethernet, you have to setup a static ip on the device you are connecting with, with an address within 192.168.0.1- 255 (minus the factory assignment of 192.168.0.30 that is on the DWL). It sounds to me that since you are saying it was assigning you an ip address, its purely giving you what you setup when you were originally setting up the DWL-G710, that means your ethernet port on the laptop was still using that static ip scheme.
I don’t claim to be 100% positive, but almost 99% sure, but if I am wrong I hope someone sheds more light on it because I could use that functionality myself.
))
Later,
Jason
Robert,
I’m afraid Jason is correct in his assessment. The DWL-710G is not designed to be used for more than wireless access. The Ethernet port is only for configuring the device.
To create a wireless to wired bridge, you need a wireless router that also has LAN ports that let wired computers connect to the network though wireless device. The device’s firmware would also have to support bridging.
I’m like Jason, i’m not a 100% positive, but close enough to say with confidence that the DWL-710G doesn’t support what you need. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Later,
Can I introduce another DWL-G710 problem that is mentioned elsewhere but not resolved.
This is by far the most complete review and problem discussion I’ve found so far, and up-to-date – so here goes.
I’ve got a Netgeard router doing DHCP – connected to a gigabit hub – off that hub a desktop PC and a cable running the length of the house to a Belkin AP providing Wi-Fi to that end of the house.
This is a very old cottage, a long thin layout and 3 foot thick walls. It never lends itself to wireless in most forms i.e. cordless phones etc.
I wanted to extend the range of the WiFi to one more room – got me a D-Link DWL-G710.
For config I picked up the WiFi AP and brought it to the office with the (wired) desktop – plugged the DWL-G710 and the Belkin AP into the hub – ran the set-up no problem. The factory-set IP of 192.168.0.30 was withing my DHCP range (managed by the Netgear router) and all the config. screens worked, set a password, discovered and chose my WiFi network etc – in fact I’m quite remote so dont have any security turned on.
As soon as the DWL-G710 re-started after the config wizard both the desktop and the laptop complained of IP conflicts – the desktop (running Vista) even disabled the network card so I cannot get to the internet etc.
I unplugged the DWL-G710 and re-booted – all came back OK – I just assumed the repeated no longer needs to be connected the the wired network – so I replaced all the elements back to their permanent homes.
Q – Should I see my existing WiFi Network *and* another network that is the extended version – or simply be able to see my WiFi in places I previously couldn’t .?
The green WLAN light blinks slowly and reglualrly – not a burst of flickers like activity.
At this point I’m not convinced the repeater is doing anything – simply sat their powered-up – I’ve read many posts about not using DHCP – but wondered if that was just while it was on the wired network for config. or in normal working mode .?
All help received with thanks.
RG,
To answer your first question, I am not absolutely sure because I hide both of my SSID’s, but my guess is that you should, in fact I’m pretty sure that you should see the repeater and router, however, if you are getting a signal to the router (where you have the repeater and system you are working on), why use the repeater?
In a previous post, I find that repeaters are useful, but they down grade transfer rates by at least 1/2, so if you can get a decent signal to the main AP or router, I wouldn’t use a repeater. Even with a Low signal to my router vs. an Excellent signal to the repeater, transfer is not even in the same league.
On DHCP, I’ve set mine with a static ip and the router is MAC’d mapped with that IP for that device, you might give that a try. When I say MAC’d mapped, I mean I have the MAC address pointing to that static ip in my router. Bottom line, I would use static ip for normal use.
As a conclusion, you need to ask yourself, were you having connectivity issues originally before getting the repeater, in the location that you have the DWL-G710 now? If yes, then are you able to connect now with the repeater in place?
If you conclude with 2 Yes answers, then its working. As far as the activity lights, the WLAN blinks continously until your accessing across your network, in which case it acts somewhat like a rapid heartbeat, signal usually goes away for longer periods of time when doing heavy traffic.
Hope this helps.
Later,
Jason
The router and hub are at one end of the house – a cable through the walls to an Access Point which services one room where we use the laptop – the WiFi signal can *just* be picked up outside that room with it’s immensly thick walls.
The repeater is to ‘bounce’ the signal from the doorway into the next room for the laptop and an Internet radio.
I must admit I hadn’t realised the speed depreciation, but there is no way to make a cable into that room.
I’m not seeing another SSID being advertised if I search all WiFi networks. D-Link support (in India, where we had a lot of trouble being able to understand each other, let alone describe the problem – and certainly not getting a solution before being ‘cut-off’) suggested re-loading the (v.2) firmware and trying again. I admit to not having done that as it seems a little far-fetched. At this point I don’t think the repeater is doing anything – if I plug the wired network cable in both PCs complain of a duplicate IP address (see this post I have been reading : http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14881248) and the Vista machine shuts down the network card so all access to t’internet is also lost.
Are you broadcasting your SSID on the AP/Router? Do you have the SSID named correctly in the DWL-G710 for the AP signal you are trying to repeat?
You are not going to see the repeater at all on WiFi if the communication to the router is not established with the DWL. Its only purpose is to extend the signal, which is the orignal SSID of the AP (even though it does use its own SSID).
You also never answered my question of whether or not you have any connectivity at all on WiFi, you only keep mentioning using a LAN line and getting IP conflicts. The Lan port is only for config’ing, not actual connectivity to your network.
Later,
Jason
Hi Jason
Thanks for your perseverance with me.
The SSID on my existing WiFi is broadcast so on my laptop I use ‘Show all WiFi networks’ and appears – then I connect (in fact it does it automatically)
On set-up of the DWL-G710 I brought my existing Access Point into the office where the hub, desktop PC and router are – plugged it everything into the hub to make the original config. The DWL found the existing WiFi name and I selected that in the list – so config. wise it was all by the book and seemed fine – then the last step of the wizard is to re-start the DWL with this new config
At that time I get the conflict – but as I hoped the config was fine I unplugged the DWL and returned the Access Point to the other room (on the end of its cable back to the hub) and took the DWL to the same room, opposite side and simply plugged it into the mains hoping it would connect to the WiFi and advertise its own SSID for the other laptop to use.
That was the situation at the original post.
so your connected or not? sorry, its just that I am having a hard time in determining from your posts on whether you are connected or not.
After reading your last post on the conflicts, is your wi-fi still connected lan-wise, you could have a ip assigned on it that the desktop system is trying to access or get assigned thru DHCP. I did notice in your original post that you said you use the same network scheme as the default for the DWL (192.168.0.X), you had said “The factory-set IP of 192.168.0.30 was withing my DHCP range (managed by the Netgear router) “.
I’d double check that ip you are using on the wi-fi pc and the one being assigned on Beasta … I mean Vista…
Later,
Jason
RG, I’m a little late on this discussion b/c I’ve been at work all day and then got stuck in a huge traffic jam on the way home.
I’ve read all of you’re and Jason’s dialog and I can’t determine your exact set-up either. Can you access the Internet through wireless? What about through your LAN? As Jason mentioned and I’m sure you already know, the repeater’s Ethernet port is only for configuration. When it’s in operation, all you need to connect is the power adapter.
It’s been a long time since I’ve used the repeater and I can’t remember if you see two AP names or not. That doesn’t really matter because both AP’s SSID should be named the same and the computer should switch between them without any problems.
One way to tell if the repeater is working is to determine if you have wireless access in places you did not before.
Best of luck…
I have been using the DWL-G710 for seven months now and it works well. I had the usual setup problems, but the reviews on Amazon.com are helpful. They tell how to workaround the setup problems etc. My firmware is 1.03
I have not been using any kind of security so far. When I try to enable WEP or WPA, my laptop will no longer connect. I enter the same passphrase on both the G710 and on my laptop’s wireless setup.
Do I have to first enable the WEP or WPA on the network’s router? ( It is a Linksys WRT54G.) I tried enabling WPA on the router today and nothing would connect to that either! So for now I will just keep running without any security.
When I initially configured my repeater, I had to go without security till I could figure out how to configure it to work. My set-up was a bit strange because I had both Mac and PC clients. Come to find out, WEP passwords must be entered in a particular way for WEP.
You will need to configure WEP or WPA on the network’s router first. Then use the same settings on the repeater when you re-configure it. This post and the above comments contain a ton of useful information that should walk you through configuring your repeater with security enabled.
Remember, WPA is much stronger than WEP. However, I never actually configured the DWL-G710 with WPA, but others on this page (coffeefueled, William, and Jason) have WPA working with the repeater.
I would like to go back and re-configured the G710 network with WPA, but its at my parent’s house now. I am currently running a WRT54GL at my own house now with WPA2-PSK encryption now.
If you want to learn a bit more about wireless security, check out my recent post titled “Securing Your Wireless Network.” Its geared towards dd-wrt firmware, but the concepts hold true for all wireless networks.
Let me know if you have any additional questions or would like to share what you did to get it to work. Thanks!
Well – a note to update.
At the last post yesterday I was none-the-wiser if it was working or not – but I’m glad to report it is .!
I had been faffing about on the ‘fringe’ or where it all worked before and getting some inconclusive results – however I can confirm it all seems to be working and giving an excellent signal strength at all the areas required.
I don’t notice a drop in speed on the existing or extended WiFi but time may tell a different story. I’m running this all with no security or encryption enabled – If you want to steal my data my address is Nor…… just joking.
To confirm -
o The SSID / AP name doesn’t appear as another or different – the existing name is simply extended.
o The green light on the WLAN simply does a ‘heart-beat’ 1 second cycle of on-off-on – nothing more or less during activity.
o The duplicate IP was only after the initial set-up and while the CAT5 cable was plugged in – but as this isn’t required after set-up the cable is unplugged, removing the DWL-G710 from the wired network – and a reboot of the Vista PC (In fact a ‘diagnose and repair’ will suffice) and a few clicks of [OK] on the XP laptop and all is well.
For completeness and to clarify my set-up and subsequent problems and post here – the house & network layout is as follows : Imagine a long ‘barn’ about 50 metres long – 8 rooms down it’s length and doorways from one room to the next but not all in a line (not a coridor). One half of the property is renovated and has CAT5 cables to each room – The office is at one end with a desktop PC, Broadband and a router and a hub – from the hub a cable runs through the renovated sections about 1/2 way down the building. On the end of this is an Access Point that services the 6th room down and can barely be picked up in the 7th – the Extender sits in the doorway between room 6 and 7 and extends the WiFi through the 7th and 8th room.
I’m confusing myself now.
Thanks for all your input and help all.
RG I’m glad to hear everything is working now. The DWL-G710 can be a real pain to set-up but works great once configured. Thanks for writing back and sharing more about your set-up. I’m sure others will benefit from your experiences.
Thanks again,
Matt
RG said:
“The duplicate IP was only after the initial set-up and while the CAT5 cable was plugged in – but as this isn’t required after set-up the cable is unplugged, removing the DWL-G710 from the wired network – and a reboot of the Vista PC (In fact a ‘diagnose and repair’ will suffice) and a few clicks of [OK] on the XP laptop and all is well.”
I think that was your problem all along.
Peace,
Jason
Jason wrote :
“I think that was your problem all along”
I think you might be right.
The end of the ‘easy set-up wizard’ throws up a network and every PC on that network error message – hardly fills one with confidence.
Couple that with the lack of information in the handbook and the less than informative LED indication on the unit – telephone support is hard to get through to and when you do they don’t know their products let alone speaking the language of the country they are supporting.
I put my hand up to assuming the worst – this old house (without Steve or Norm) can throw up some odd problems.
Thank god for Google and these kind of posts/groups.
Cheers all.
[...] D-Link DWL-G710 Wireless Range Extender Review – provides a my review of the d-link wireless range extender. Has a great comment thread that has turned into a very good place to get support. [...]
It seems that coffeefueled and I have the identical setup execpt the DWL-G700 does not work for me. I have the latest firmware on each. My specific problem is that the client pc, a laptop, can see a strong signal from the repeater but the router, DIR-655 does not pass through an IP address from DHCP service. Curiously, and by accident, I put a direct connect Cat5 cable into the laptop and to my surprise, the repeater worked and gave the wireless card in the laptop an IP address. However, when removing the cable, the wireless connection continues to work but ultimately seems to be experiencing congestion where the throughput ultimately drops to zero.
Again, my setup is using WPA exactly as coffeefueled is, and all wireless clients ad well as wired clients work perfectly except those wanting to connect through the DWL-G710. Of course, I called D-Link support and they said the two are INCOMPATIBLE. They said I sould downgrade to an AP2100 router. Counterproductive since I purchased the DIR-655 for it’s advanced featrues.
Coffeefueled, can you send me an email directly if anything has changed since your original installation last April.
Captain_reef, molsen@runbox.com
i still can’t connect, after all those posts.
i get to the modem via cable, configure it to the neighbours’ WiFi and WEP (tried both in HEX and ASCII; with his knowledge, of course), and turn off my firewall just in case for the setup. if I leave my WLAN in DHCR on my laptop (which is what i use at home).
but then i get some strange IP address for the wifi and vista does not recognizes the network, but classifies it as a ‘Unknown network’ to which it is connected, but no internet. changing that to a ‘private network’ does nothing more. manually forcing the wifi IP to what the neighbour’s DHCR gives me doesn’t help, but looses the connection to the range extender.
on the other hand, when i am at a place in the house where i have a dismal signal from my neighbour and I plug in the range extender then, for about 15-30secs, everything works fine. the range extender does not change my IP yet and I get full house signal. it seems to me that the GWL710 does not pass through the correct IP.
as you all know, customer support is useless.
by the way, for just-in-case’s sake, i changed the static IP for the range extender’s LAN to match the IP from the neighbour’s wifi (first 3 numbers only). no result.
one more relevant point: the neighbour’s ISP gave him a ‘box’, with a wifi and router bundled, and the only info on it is its WEP.
does anyone have a clue what I could try before jettisoning this thing out the window?
thanks.
Matt,
Many thanks for the great work you’ve done mate. I looked 100′s of websites before I found this and I can’t just imagine to find all my answers in only one review like yours.
I just bought this Range Extender 3 days ago and it’s driving me mad. I tried everything and I can’t just get this to work. Just wanted to get some more help before I decide to return it back to Amazon.
I did follow all the instructions to set it up but the repeater still becomes the primary device and not as a repeater. The device I’m trying to pair is a Thompson Router called SpeedTouch 570 and the support team said it does work with most routers.
I have a small Bed and Breakfast and my flat is on the top of the building and I managed to get connected in the top but not at the ground floor rooms. When it near the router it works fine, as soon as I move it downstairs it picks up the network on site surveyor but connection drops.
Other thing I wanted to know is: do all the guests have to change their IP address to 192.168.0.30 every time they come in or just click on the name of network and click connect … type the WEP key…?
If they have to change their IP address every time and if the extender and the router do not broadcast both in the same time to cover all the building than it’s not worth keeping it.
Cheers.
@letango: I know this is a bit of a delayed response but to be honest I’m not sure how to correct your problem. Its been over a year since I messed with the d-link thing (I set it up for someone else so I don’t have easy access to check new things out on it).
I’ve had limited experience with Vista but the little bit of experience I’ve had with it gave me the impression that it is a pain to connect to wireless networks. I recommend trying to connect with another laptop running XP, Linux, or OS X. If it works, then you know to focus your efforts on Vista.
I realize that you may not have access to another laptop so the other thing I would focus on is making sure the repeater itself is configured correctly rather than worrying about the IPs on the machine your trying to get connected to the wireless network. Once the repeater is set up, DHCP should assign you the correct IP address as soon as you authenticate.
You should probably make sure the repeater is on the same subnet. I’d also make sure to use the same password format on all devices (i.e, HEX) including the originating Access Point.
Hope this helps!!
Bertie,
To make sure your wireless range covers the entire flat you’ll need to place the repeater right before the area where laptops start dropping connections. I recommend walking away from the main access point with a laptop and taking note of where you lose signal. A few feet before that point is where I’d place the repeater.
As far your second question, guest should not have to manually change their IPs every time they want to connect. The main access point (if running DHCP, which is pretty much standard these days) will assign an IP address to the guest automatically once they click on the network and type in the key. The repeater will simply forward the communication back and forth to the main access point.
Thanks,
Matt
thanks matt, for not forgetting me.
I finally did manage to set it up, but is seems the extender does not receive signal better than my laptop (on my side of the street) and does not emit a stronger signal than the neighbour’s modem (on his side). hence, i should hang the thing in the middle of the street on a wire for it to work.
though luck.
I learned to live with low signal. not ideal, but better than losing sleep over a box.
Glad to hear you got it set up letango though I wish it was working better for you…maybe you should just stretch a wire across the street
I managed to get my DWL-G710 to work too but I have just WEP encryption. It took me 3 hours to get it to work because I didn’t know that the channel it must be on, must be the same as the first wireless device you want to extand the wireless signal from. But now I know that.
Glad you got it working Anders. That’s a good point to make about the channels. I guess I should have pointed that out in my post. Thanks for writing about it.
Trying to get my 2100AP signal extended by the G710. After doing all the configuration I get a fixed WLAN light on the G710, and no improved signal. The G710 had no problem finding the correct signal and to connect. The only configuration question I have is about the Gateway. I have put the IP adress of the 2100AP here (192.168.0.50). Is that correct? Am running without encryption until I can get this to work. Any suggestions would be welcome. Kind regards Anders
To answer a few questions from above, if you happen to walk into an area that is overlapping with both the original AP and the repeater you will very likely see your SSID duplicated as your PC is hearing 2 heartbeats from 2 different MAC addresses and is normal. As for a PC wanting to maintain a connection to a weaker AP/RPTR when roaming, that will be a driver setting, telling the LAN card to remain locked as long as possible. The modification to that (Windows) would be to right click on the adapter in Dev. Manager and select the Advanced tab, you should see something that looks like “Roaming” and have settings that deal with aggressive or conservative.
I actually don’t own one of these (yet), and am considering options to stretch my wifi out to my pool area, and after reading this posts, it may just be worth running CAT cables through the attic, and deploying additional AP (I have done this procedure before), and not be looking for the ‘easy’ way out. The extra work will quickly pay off if the alternative is possible compatibility issues not to mention I will not run into any bandwidth loss.
Just some additional info for the site.
Steven, thanks for the useful information. You are correct that it is likely to see different SSIDs but you would want a bit of overlap between access points to maintain coverage.
In my opinion, you’d be better off running the CAT cables and dropping another AP rather than dealing with a repeater because it may look like the ‘easy’ way out but it can be a pain to deal with.
Thanks again!!
I’ve got a situation that I have not seen mentioned in any post, either here or at Amazon. My desktop computer is connected directly to my router via a LAN cable. If I unplug that cable from my computer so that I can connect to the cable from the DWL-G710 in order to configure it, I no longer have an Internet connection. Am I missing something that’s obvious, or do I have to get a wireless card for my desktop?
It sounds like you would need a wireless card for you desktop if you want to be able to configure the DWL-G710 and be on the Internet at the same time. I’m not certain if this is the case because I can’t remember the exact details of the DWL-G710 anymore (its been a few years since I played with it).
If I recall correctly, the DWL-G710 doesn’t have the ability to provide Internet connectivity to devices wired to it, its only supports wireless. So, if that is the case your computer must be wired to a different source (i.e., you’re router) to get Internet connectivity or have a wireless card to receive connectivity while unplugged from the router to configure the DWL-G710. Hope this helps.
To improve my very low wirless signal coming from Access Point DWL-2100AP, I haved purchase D-LINK Range Extender G710. I have configured the G710 by scanning i.e. the SSID and Channels are same as on Access Point i.e. DWL-2100AP. At Range Extender G710 I have given a unique IP in the same pool as of the Access Ponint. for example Access Point is 192.168.10.10 and Range Extender is 192.168.10.20. For Encryption I am using WEP on both devices using same key.
The Range Extender changes the signale status from ‘very low’ to ‘Excellent’ and shows the right SSID but the connection to the other machine connected to Access Point which otherwise was working on very low signal, does not work. No data is received after Range Extender powering up and changeing signal status to ‘Excellent’. On removing the Range Extnder and refreshign the connection, the power signal strength goes to ‘very low’ but connection to remote machine becomes available. I have to use extender because at times there is no signal at all.
IP on Access Point and Range Extender are from same sub-net but unquie. SSID, WEP Key, and Channel are same on both wirelss devices. IP on the remote machine connected with AP and the wirelss laptop have IP from same sub-net but unique they are not fromt he group of wireless devices. No DHCP or Gateway is not configurred on any of the machines.
Help on this shall be appreciated.
Regards
Hello. I have the exact same problem as post#36
I have a Dlink Gamelounge router. DGL-4300. I have 2 computers and a laser printer hardwired into it. I then have the DWL-G710 hardwired into the router. It sits upstairs for my wireless connection. The router and modem sit downstairs in the corner of the house. This is why I needed the DWL-G710. I removed the antenna from the router so the wireless items don’t see 2 different signals. I have a laptop and a shuttle with a wireless card in it upstairs. All wired and wireless get internet. I can ping lan to wlan. I can wlan to lan. I CANT PING wlan to wlan. I also use VNC and cant VNC into my 2 wireless devices. I get this error on any wireless device I put on the network.
Window System Error. there is an ip conflict with another system on the network. I have called Dlink and spoke with everyone in India. Then I got a level 3 tech that told me it was windows problem. So I am at a loss!!! My ssi and channle are the sme on both the router and the range extender. both have updated firmwares. At this time i am running NO protection and I have turned of al the pc firewalls. I even turned of the router firewall and still cant ping between 2 wireless devices. Please help!! THANK YOU
Paul, I’m not sure I fully understand your setup but I think your problem may have to do with the IP address conflict you are receiving. Try setting one of the LANs to use the a different IP range. In other words you’ll want to use 192.168.1.x LAN 1 and 192.168.2.x for LAN 2. Not sure if this will help or if it’s even possible to do that on your network but it’s worth a try.
If this doesn’t fix the problem, let me know and I’ll think about the problem some more. Also, please provide all the details you can about how your network is connected together.
Anyone else have ideas to help Paul?
I have the cable modem in the basement. It then hooks into my DGL-4300 router. I then have 3 cat5 cables running to equipment from the router. I then have a 4th cat5 from the router ran upstairs to the center of the house. It hooks into my DWL-G710 range extender for my wireless. The reason I took the antenna of off the DGL-4300 router is if you where in the kitchen, The lap top would see 2 signals as the DGL-4300 router sits right below the kitchen. But if you took the laptop further into the house, It would only see the one signal from the DWL-G710 range extender. I have both devices set up with the same ssid, channel and name.
Matt, Im not following your response. I only have LAN1 that i see in the router. This DGL-4300 has a ton of settings but I only see 1 LAN1.
Okay Paul, I think I’ve got it now. You’re not using the DWL-G710 as a “range extender” but as a true second access point which is actually better once you get it configured correctly.
It sounds like you have both access points (e.g., DGL-4300 and DWL-G710) configured as Access Points so both of them are acting as a Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) servers which means they are fighting for control to give out IP addresses and thus you have IP address conflicts.
You should change the wireless mode on one of the routers to either “Client” or “Bridge” mode (not the “Access Point” mode). I’m not sure which mode because I haven’t yet had the chance to configure a multiple access point wireless network but I know the basics of how to do it. I’d let your fancy DGL-4300 be the main access point and the DWL-G710 be the dumb access point (i.e., only deal with wireless and not the server stuff).
I know this seems counter intuitive, but you will want to use different wireless channels on each router. I recommend using any combo of 1, 6, and 11 as those tend to have the least interference.
You can also add the antennas back to your DGL-4300 router as the PCs will automatically switch to the access point with the strongest signal. It will now consider the access points as a single network and not see them as separate networks fighting for control.
Everything else you have configured sounds good so there is no need to re-wire anything. Be sure to keep the SSIDs and the Wireless Security settings configured exactly the same.
This should help you get on the right track. Let me know if it works or not.
OK I changed the channel on the DWL-G710 to 11 and left the DGL-4300 router at channel 6. There are no setting for client or bridge on either device??? Here are the setting on the DWL-G710
IP Address 192.168.0.30
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Gateway 192.168.0.1
AP Name : DWL-G710
SSID : dlink
Channel : 11
This is all I have to set with exception to the Security settings. But I am running NO protection for now. I live in the woods so its OK for now. The Router DGL-4300 SSID is set to dlink also.
Ever since I changed the channel on the DWL-G710 I cant get wireless to work. So I changed the channel back to the same channel the DGL-4300 is set to (6) and it works again. But I still cant vnc wireless to wireless plus I get IP conflict errors on all wireless devices. Maybe I should pitch the Dlink stuff and get Linksys??? Really bothers me when there Tech support passes there equipment problems onto the Microsoft Windows.
Here are the setting’s on the DGL-4300 router for the BASIC section.
BASIC TAB/Wireless Settings
Wireless Network Settings
Enable Wireless : YES checked
Wireless Network Name : dlink (Also called the SSID)
Enable Auto Channel Scan : NO
Wireless Channel : 2.437 GHZ CH6
Super G™ Mode : Super G with Dynamic Turbo
802.11 Mode : Mixed 802.11g and 802.11b
Transmission Rate : Best (automatic)
Visibility Status : Visible
Wireless Security Mode
Security Mode : None
*************************************************************************************************
BASIC TAB/Network Settings
Router Settings
Router IP Address : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Local Domain Name :
Enable DNS Relay : YES
RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
Enable RIP : NO
DHCP Server Settings
Enable DHCP Server : YES
DHCP IP Address Range : 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.110
DHCP Lease Time : 1440 (minutes)
Always broadcast : YES (compatibility for some DHCP Clients)
NetBIOS Advertisement : NO
Add DHCP Reservation
Enable : YES
Computer Name : (BLANK) << Computer
IP Address : 0.0.0.0
MAC Address : 00:00:00:00:00:00
DHCP Reservations List
Number of Dynamic DHCP Clients : 2
shuttle 192.168.0.107 00:0f:66:1b:ec:1b 23 Hours 51 Minutes Revoke Reserve
groverlaptop 192.168.0.108 00:11:95:7f:74:db 23 Hours 51 Minutes Revoke Reserve
END OF SETTINGS
*****SHUTTLE AND GROVERSLAPTOP ARE THE 2 WIRELESS DEVICES. Hope this info helps/ If i need to list some other settings, please let me know as this DGL-4300 router has a lot.
Hope every one had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to come. Any one have any ideas on my problem?
Hey Paul, I had a great Christmas and hope you did as well. I apologize for my delayed response, I offer no excuse. I don’t think switching to Linux will help. I don’t own a d-link or have easy access to one so I have a bit of trouble knowing exactly where and what D-link calls the wireless mode setting. There should be a drop down box available in one of the menu options. When you find a drop down menu that has wireless bridge and client-mode as available options, you’ll know you found the right one. Play with those settings as I’m certain that should correct your problem. On the Tomato firmware I’m using, the option is called “Wireless Mode” and is located on the Basic-Network section.
The only other solution I can think of is to configure the DWL-G710 as a true wireless repeater. Once configured, you won’t have to wire it into the main router. To configure it as a repeater, read the post on this page and other user’s comments.
Hope this helps.
I’m using my DWL-G710 with a Linksys WRT54GL.
I updated the DWL-G710 rev. B to the latest v2.02 firmware from the D-Link site and it have it set up to extend my router and use WPA-PSK (note, I read that if you want to use WPA or WPA2, the G710 only supports WPA-TKIP or WPA2-AES, and not WPA-AES or WPA2-TKIP if any routers actually offer that).
As a side note, the D-Link site also has v1.04 firmware for rev. A models. Supposedly, WPA and WPA2 was added in the v1.03 firmware, so it should also be present in 1.04.
When I fire up my laptop and pull up inSSIDer…
http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider
…I see both my router (weak) and the DWL-G710 (strong).
The thing is, I’m not sure if my laptop is actually connecting to the D-link or not. It seems like it is, but I don’t have any place where I don’t get at least a weak signal from my router. I may need to try going outside my house to get some more distance from the router.
When I look at the “Wi-viz” display in my router’s DD-WRT firmware, the D-Link shows up as as WPA encrypted, so I think WPA is working.
Your idea of going outside of the house to get farther away from the router is probably your best bet to see if it’s connecting to the D-Link or not.
I see three old posts here about problems connecting the DWLg710 to the D-Link DI634M router. I am having the same problem. Since I see no solutions posted, I guess there is some kind of compatibility problem with the hardware. I have also tried another repeater with the DI634 and also no luck. This is too bad because the DI634 connects well to my USB wireless adapter at long range. But for some reason it will not play nice with range extenders, even of the same D-Link brand.
I haven’t heard of a solution that will allow you to connect the WLg710 to the D-Link DI634M router. I’m not saying there isn’t one. I’m just not familiar enough with it to know what it is.
I updated the firmware on the DI-634m to 2.01 and now it works with the DWL-G710, sort of. The connection is very slow and prone to interference at times. The 634 seems to be a flawed design and has been dropped by D-Link. It does connect very well however, with a high power USB wireless adapter using the Realtek 8187 chipset. Maybe a new generation of repeaters will come out using these newer chipsets.
One can only hope that a newer generation of repeaters will come out. From my limited experience with it, the DWL-G710 is quirky and difficult to configure as a repeater but does a decent job of working once you get past the initial setup. Thanks for the comment and update.
Hi,
thanks for the review, I think you just saved me a lot of trouble. I think I’m not going to buy this repeater now but still, maybe you can help me more.
My situation is this. I live in a three-stories building; we are three families, mine, my neighbour’s and my landlord’s. My landlord occupies the ground floor and the first floor, my neighbour is on second floor, while I’m right under the rooftop. We all use the landlord’s wireless network for internet connection, which is placed on 2nd floor, stairs-side. While my neighbour which is right above it still gets a good >20% signal, I get nearly none in my apartment. Until last week I could connect from my studio which is on the other side of the building with a 3% connectivity and still get a good speed and stability (using a D-Link rangebooster pendrive), but somehow the connection one day went away and never came back, even though there seem to be no other electrical devices interfering in the building. Now I have to connect from outside my house, with the receiver hanging down the stairs. So a friend told me I should place a repeater in my neighbour’s house. Now:
- The network uses WPA/WPA2-PSK network encryption with DHCP activated (although I’ve set static IPs for my computers). It’s an ADSL wireless router. If you need specific configuration data, ask me.
- We all have Windows XP PCs, I think; I also have one Vista laptop.
My objective is to boost the range of this network to the entire building, in particular to my whole apartment. Troubles are:
- I would rather not tangle at all with the landlord’s router, or as less as possible.
- Changing the security to WEP is possible but undesirable since, as I know, all our computers should change their system to WEP and that means 7-8 PCs to reconfigure, most of which are not mine. I must try to leave things like that as much as possible to avoid bothering other people.
- I don’t have too much money or time to lose, but I need this network up and running because it’s essential for my work.
- Most of the time I can get things done, but I’m no networks expert, so I can’t configure products that are too difficult.
Basing on all that, can any of you guys suggest me a product that I can buy and set up quickly to achieve this, without reconfiguring the entire network, going throught too much trouble or spending too much money? I’m in desperate need of a concrete, effective and possibly permanent solution.
Thanks a lot to everyone.
I was having the same problems, I was getting ip address conflicts then limited or no conectivity… took me forever.
finally after LOTS of resetting of all of my computers, and the D-Link range extender, and my main router (somehow my router stopped broadcasting during this, even though I did NOT turn it off)… it finally worked.
So I’m just going to cross my fingers and hope it continues to work.
Hi. I just purchased the DWL-g710 from Amazon unknowing it had been discountined in 2008. I have it hooked it< great signal thru the entire house but cant get the setup to work. meaning typing in the web address the manual gives you, comes back saying "cannot display page''. I called for support and was told I would be charged $33.oo for 30 minutes and it still might not work.. Any advice for an amatuer would be so greatly apprecaited.. Thank you. Shelia
Shelia, I’m sorry to hear you’re having problems. It’s been so long since I’ve touched the DWL-g710, I’m not sure how much help I will be. I had to scan my own post to remember a bit more. When you try to connect to it via the web address, make sure the repeater is wired into the computer you are trying to connect from. In other words, I am not sure it’s possible to configure it wirelessly. Once it is configured, you can unplug the wired connection and move it to where it needs to be. I hope this info and/or the above post and comments will help.
After taking a look through your site it looks like you seem to know a lot about range extenders. We are wondering if you have ever encountered a problem when it comes to bridging over 3 WLAN’s or more. It appears that some people not only want to extend their networks but actually connect multiple ones together which is causing them some problems. If you have any input on this, or can direct to a particular brand that you think would be best it would be appreciated.
Unfortunately, I have not thought about that scenario before, and I’m not sure why someone would want to bridge over three WLANs. Why do they want to bridge different WLANs? I ask because bridging has a specific meaning in network speak. Since we’re talking about range extenders, my assumption the goal is to extend the range of the first repeater with a second repeater and so forth.
From a networking and usability standpoint, using multiple wireless routers rather than extenders is a better solution. This requires each access point to have wired Ethernet and power connections (which should not be a problem if each of them are on separate WLANs). One access point will manage DHCP, etc. while the others would be configured in AP only mode with the same SSID. The range of each AP should overlap a bit and the wireless channels of the overlapping APs should alternate (11, 6, 11). Channels 1, 6, and 11 are best because they do not overlap.
If multiple wireless routers is not an option, another alternative would be to go with a newer router which supports 802.11n. 802.11n provides greater range than 802.11a/b/g. Of course, 802.11n works best if all of the connected clients are n compatible.
As far as brands go, I have limited experience. I know Cisco (not the consumer focused Linksys variant) is a safe choice when you want a wireless router which has advance features. Of course, Cisco comes at a price. If you are not interested in anything that fancy, I suggest looking a routers such as Linksys WRT54GL (what I currently use) or many of the Buffalo ones which are easy to flash with custom firmware such as Tomato, DD-WRT, etc. I have not researched this, but the custom firmware should provide extender functionality. For even greater range with a stock router, you could upgrade the antennas or build some custom directional ones.
I hope this helps. I know it’s a lot of information and I typed it all fairly quickly.
Good to see that some people are still actually using this model. I have an older computer and was given the d-link from a friend because I finally needed an extender in the house. However, I am having some trouble because it is a mac, which is older as well, so I’m wondering is there a compatibility issue between the two?
I was not too sure if you could us PC and Mac together especially on this older model, as it appears to connect but then just hangs. I’m trying to find some documentation, but the closest that I could get is http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=357 but if you notice it doesn’t say anything about Macs.
I also download the 1.04 driver software support but couldn’t seem to resolve the issue. I picked that p from Cnet and their usually good about providing drivers, but I think I need to actually look around more because that one is still the 2006 update.
At this point I’m thinking its best to just go and buy a new one but was not too sure where to go. In fact I was looking at the Airport Express on http://www.wirelessrangeextenderreviews.com but couldn’t seem to figure out if its a repeater or an extender all in one.
Any input would be appreciated.