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Setting Up
Setting up is a no-brainer. After connecting the DI-714 to the cable modem, the first step is to select "Run" from the "Start" menu in Windows and type in WINIPCFG to bring up the configuration pop-up window. The factory default settings are deleted with the Release All button and a new configuration is established automatically by clicking on the Renew All button. In this case, the IP address of the router as well as the IP address of the system are displayed in the configuration window.
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The next step involves opening a browser window and entering the IP address of the router into the address line which, by default, is 192.168.0.1. This will access the data stored in the ROM of the router and display a configuration screen which is so self explanatory that it is not really worth going into more details here. Bottomline is that the entire configuration can be done following the step by step stop action pictures in the 8 pages quick installation guide within les than 5 minutes. The last step is to safe the new configuration (the progress is indicated by an orange LED on the router and a progress bar displayed on the PC screen). After that, the firewall is ready to provide full access to the internet.
DWL-120
The DWL-120 USB wireless USB network adapter complements the DI-714 wireless router for any standard desktop computer, alternatively, the DWL-500 wireless PCI card is available. For laptops, DLink offers the DWL-650 PCMCIA slot card.
The DWL-120 and the DWL-650 side by side. Finally a reason to get a notebook, if only to test the DWL650 somewhere in my backyard
It is important to be aware of the fact that wireless protocol standardization is still in its infancy, meaning that every brand is using somewhat different protocols. Until there are industry standards that every manufacturer abides by, there will be a certain degree of incompatibility between different manufacturers, even though the DLink DI-714 can accommodate other, third party wireless adapters by manually changing the settings.
We only tested the DWL120 which is similarly easily installed as the DI-714. The setup procedure essentially constitutes two steps, that is, loading the drivers as show in the fold-out poster and then connecting the USB adapter to a free USB port. After that, Windows will detect new hardware, ask for the Win98 CD and install the necessary drivers. It should be noted though, that previously installed network cards should be deleted from the device manager in SAFE MODE to avoid conflicting devices in the system registry.
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