Price : Too low to display
D-Link, the networking industry leader, delivers another innovative and versatile solution in wireless connectivity with the D-Link AirPremierTM DWL-7100AP Wireless Access Point. This dual-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz), tri-mode (802.11a, b, g) Access Point provides the most bandwidth coverage available in an AP. Multiple wireless clients can connect to the DWL-7100AP using both A and G wireless standards and any of its 11 non-overlapping channels to transfer data at speeds of up to 108 Mbps. Network Administrators can easily integrate various wireless managements with the DWL-7100AP Wireless Distribution System (WDS), offering modes in AP, Point-to-Point Bridge, Point-to-Multipoint Bridges, AP Client, and Repeater, allowing users to gain controls beyond a sole AP.
This review is from : D-Link DWL-7100AP Wireless Access Point w/SNMP, 802.11a/g, 108Mbps
Reliable has many features and is a solid performer . It had the latest firmware and wireless protocols installed, and the web-based configuration interface has well organized pages of setup options. The Help pages are actually helpful. As with any networking device it is good to be a little familiar with TCP/IP so you can handle minor annoyances like giving your computer a temporary static IP address in the same subnet range as the DWL-7100AP so you can communicate with it during configuration (This is explained in the manual). Afterwards, I was able to change my computer back to dynamic IP addressing, and still access the configuration pages of the DWL-7100AP. It will work just fine right out of the box with default settings, but as with any wireless access point, better security can be had by creating your own SSID name, disabling broadcast of the SSID, changing the default user ID and password, using MAC filtering so that only your computers will be accepted by the access point, and enabling data encryption. The DWL-7100AP allows you to use two kinds of WPA encryption, which is much more secure than WEP. I highly recommend this product and it's well-written manual. Some users report having their connection dropped frequently. I found that interference from 2.4 Gigahertz portable telephones in my house was the culprit for dropped connections on the 802.11g band, which is in the same frequency band as the phones. Since I switched to the 802.11a band (5 Gigahertz) I very seldom have dropped connections from the DWL-7100AP.
Reliable has many features and is a solid performer . It had the latest firmware and wireless protocols installed, and the web-based configuration interface has well organized pages of setup options. The Help pages are actually helpful. As with any networking device it is good to be a little familiar with TCP/IP so you can handle minor annoyances like giving your computer a temporary static IP address in the same subnet range as the DWL-7100AP so you can communicate with it during configuration (This is explained in the manual). Afterwards, I was able to change my computer back to dynamic IP addressing, and still access the configuration pages of the DWL-7100AP. It will work just fine right out of the box with default settings, but as with any wireless access point, better security can be had by creating your own SSID name, disabling broadcast of the SSID, changing the default user ID and password, using MAC filtering so that only your computers will be accepted by the access point, and enabling data encryption. The DWL-7100AP allows you to use two kinds of WPA encryption, which is much more secure than WEP. I highly recommend this product and it's well-written manual. Some users report having their connection dropped frequently. I found that interference from 2.4 Gigahertz portable telephones in my house was the culprit for dropped connections on the 802.11g band, which is in the same frequency band as the phones. Since I switched to the 802.11a band (5 Gigahertz) I very seldom have dropped connections from the DWL-7100AP.
D-Link DWL-7100AP Wireless Access Point w/SNMP, 802.11a/g, 108Mbps Reviews
Replaced a LinkSys 802.11a+b access point . I upgraded from a LinkSys 802.11a+g PCI card in my daughter's computer to a DLink 802.11a+g card. At that time, I had a LinkSys 802.11a+b access point. The signal strenght jumped from very low to good. I believe this is due to the antenna design of the DLink PCI card. It is separate from the circuit card and connects with a 6' cable. This allows placement of the antenna on top of a computer desk hutch instead of on the back of the computer which may be on the floor.
I thought that if I upgraded the access point to a DLink I'd see another jump in signal strenght. I also wanted to pick up the 802.11g standard that my LinkSys access point was missing.
The upgrade from the LinkSys access point to the DLink did not provide any noticable improvement in signal quality. The signal strenght to the DLink PCI card was still only good. I did get 802.11g which helps with the business laptop I have but I was hoping for a little bit better signal strenght which was not found.
The firmware on the access point was old and I did have to download and apply an update. I had no problems doing this but have a lot of experience since I manage a network at work with over 200 802.11b access points (Symbol & Cisco).
Overall, I love the DLink PCI card (802.11a/b/g) and like the DLink access point. Being one of the cheap access points out I'd recommend it to any one looking for a wireless solution.
Replaced a LinkSys 802.11a+b access point . I upgraded from a LinkSys 802.11a+g PCI card in my daughter's computer to a DLink 802.11a+g card. At that time, I had a LinkSys 802.11a+b access point. The signal strenght jumped from very low to good. I believe this is due to the antenna design of the DLink PCI card. It is separate from the circuit card and connects with a 6' cable. This allows placement of the antenna on top of a computer desk hutch instead of on the back of the computer which may be on the floor.
I thought that if I upgraded the access point to a DLink I'd see another jump in signal strenght. I also wanted to pick up the 802.11g standard that my LinkSys access point was missing.
The upgrade from the LinkSys access point to the DLink did not provide any noticable improvement in signal quality. The signal strenght to the DLink PCI card was still only good. I did get 802.11g which helps with the business laptop I have but I was hoping for a little bit better signal strenght which was not found.
The firmware on the access point was old and I did have to download and apply an update. I had no problems doing this but have a lot of experience since I manage a network at work with over 200 802.11b access points (Symbol & Cisco).
Overall, I love the DLink PCI card (802.11a/b/g) and like the DLink access point. Being one of the cheap access points out I'd recommend it to any one looking for a wireless solution.
D-Link DWL-7100AP Wireless Access Point w/SNMP, 802.11a/g, 108Mbps Opinions
good performance . I use two of these on the 11a band as bridges between two wired networks. They are 30 feet apart and can see each other down a hallway with obstructions that nearly block the line of sight from both sides. I have both set on quarter power. The status indicates no errors on either direction.
The manual that came with the equipment leaves a lot to be desired. For instance, it did not say that WAP-PSK TKIP mode is not available for bridges, just access points.
good performance . I use two of these on the 11a band as bridges between two wired networks. They are 30 feet apart and can see each other down a hallway with obstructions that nearly block the line of sight from both sides. I have both set on quarter power. The status indicates no errors on either direction.
The manual that came with the equipment leaves a lot to be desired. For instance, it did not say that WAP-PSK TKIP mode is not available for bridges, just access points.
Top-notch product and support . I've been running 2 DWL-7100AP's 24/7 for 4 years and neither of them has so much as hiccupped. I had to call D-Link Support when I was initially setting them up in order to get them to communicate with my Linksys router, but Tech Support had them working in about 15 minutes. Since then, perfect. Last week I replaced the Linksys router with a new D-Link DIR-825 wireless router and had to call D-Link support because the 7100AP's would not connect to it. There was virtually no wait time whatsoever to get a tech person on the phone and all we needed to do was change the IP address in each of the access points. Over the years I've worked with many difference tech support organizations and feel that the D-Link support is the best that I have experienced - they have been informed, capable, patient and persistent. That's one of the reasons I chose a D-Link wireless router. My experience with Linksys Tech Support has not been good from any standpoint.
Some good features some disappointing. . Good range and works well as an AP or AP client. On the other hand, the advertised WDS mode does not work, so if you are buying to string together multiple AP's, don't bother.
DWL-7100AP . I used 2 of these to network between buildings. The buildings are 742 feet apart and these work great. No matter what the weather is, we have never lost the connection. I highly recommend this if you need a long reaching connection between buildings.
Great WAP for the Price . Firstly, this is a WAP, not a router. Secondly, for a cheap WAP, this works quite well. It is nice to finally have a WAP that can work with 802.11a/b/g all at once, and well I might add. For day-to-day use, I have one of these working as a repeater and it has not yet to fail me since I purchased the product months ago.
As with all such devices, I dislike the web interface, but it is useful (it is indeed stupid to believe the web interface will look good in the near future). I was able to configure this device quickly and effortlessly. Good purchase!
As with all such devices, I dislike the web interface, but it is useful (it is indeed stupid to believe the web interface will look good in the near future). I was able to configure this device quickly and effortlessly. Good purchase!
Stable rock solid . I've have had a variety of routers over the years and none were stable. I finally got fed up and decided to use a separate AP and router. I chose 7100AP for Wireless AP, and used my desktop as router+DHCP. I've had remarkable stability. In my apartment complex, which is chock full of wireless routers, I have never been able to get beyond a few weeks without having to reboot all-in-one routers. 7100AP on the other hand has been going strong for months! I practically turned it on and forgot about it. If you know the difference between an AP and a router, and want a solid simultaneous-dual-band router, this is the one. Very happy.
More than I needed actually . Been a firm (and perhaps paranoid) believer in wired home networking, but in order to surprise my wife with a new wifi iPad, I needed to relax a little and stick on an access point.
What I mean by "more than I needed" is that probably WEP would have been sufficient security for a home network, but it doesn't hurt to have wpa-psk, anyway. You just never know when a commie spy will be driving down the road attempting to patch into my wife downloading iPad apps.
I agree with other reviewers that the instructions are not crystal clear.
The requirement to assign the computer used to configure the unit to be placed on a static IP address in the router was a little disconcerting since all four connections on my router were only identified by their MAC addresses. I finally just assigned them all to static addresses, and (lol) they finally showed up on the router with names.
It wasn't clear to me that the Authentication items "Open System", "Shared Key" and "Open System/Shared Key" were all authentication methods of WEP, and that setting up WEP (as in the quick setup) has nothing to do with setting up WPA-PSK.
I had set up the WPA-PSK, and then inquired of a more knowledgeable friend regarding creation of a 128 hex code because I wasn't sure if it needed to be in a form 01 0A 12, etc, or what (its been years since I dabbled in hex code). During our conversation, he was confused by my mentioning one of my steps being entering a passphrase. With good reason, as it turns out.
After he refreshed my understanding that hex is just 0123456789ABCDEF, I went home and looked the instructions over. This big bright (CFA of course) bulb lit up over my head when I finally realized the hex code was superfluous since I was using WPA-PSK which, of course, was a totally separate authentication system from WEP.
The point being, that the instructions never TELL you the first 3 authentication methods are all just different ways of doing WEP, which use a hex or ascii word for encrytion as opposed to WPS-PSK that uses a passphrase (the bigger and more alpha-numeric-symbol the better).
Just thot I'd mention that for anyone else nestled down at the low end of wireless networking knowledge along with me.
But once I got it figured out, my wife loves her wifi connection for her iPad.
I found the need to log into the setup page every time you change something just a little startling, but since it didn't mean having to re-access the unit's IP address as well, it actually made me comfortable knowing the port wouldn't be hanging open cuz I forgot to log out when I was done.
Hope this low-tech babbling helps someone.
What I mean by "more than I needed" is that probably WEP would have been sufficient security for a home network, but it doesn't hurt to have wpa-psk, anyway. You just never know when a commie spy will be driving down the road attempting to patch into my wife downloading iPad apps.
I agree with other reviewers that the instructions are not crystal clear.
The requirement to assign the computer used to configure the unit to be placed on a static IP address in the router was a little disconcerting since all four connections on my router were only identified by their MAC addresses. I finally just assigned them all to static addresses, and (lol) they finally showed up on the router with names.
It wasn't clear to me that the Authentication items "Open System", "Shared Key" and "Open System/Shared Key" were all authentication methods of WEP, and that setting up WEP (as in the quick setup) has nothing to do with setting up WPA-PSK.
I had set up the WPA-PSK, and then inquired of a more knowledgeable friend regarding creation of a 128 hex code because I wasn't sure if it needed to be in a form 01 0A 12, etc, or what (its been years since I dabbled in hex code). During our conversation, he was confused by my mentioning one of my steps being entering a passphrase. With good reason, as it turns out.
After he refreshed my understanding that hex is just 0123456789ABCDEF, I went home and looked the instructions over. This big bright (CFA of course) bulb lit up over my head when I finally realized the hex code was superfluous since I was using WPA-PSK which, of course, was a totally separate authentication system from WEP.
The point being, that the instructions never TELL you the first 3 authentication methods are all just different ways of doing WEP, which use a hex or ascii word for encrytion as opposed to WPS-PSK that uses a passphrase (the bigger and more alpha-numeric-symbol the better).
Just thot I'd mention that for anyone else nestled down at the low end of wireless networking knowledge along with me.
But once I got it figured out, my wife loves her wifi connection for her iPad.
I found the need to log into the setup page every time you change something just a little startling, but since it didn't mean having to re-access the unit's IP address as well, it actually made me comfortable knowing the port wouldn't be hanging open cuz I forgot to log out when I was done.
Hope this low-tech babbling helps someone.
Cons Review
DWL-7100 AP as an AP Client is terrible . I'm not sure how the 7100 is supposed to work as a repeater but as an AP Client linked with the DI-784 it simply won't stay connected. I'm running the latest firmware on both devices,DWL-7100ap is running v2.00 and teh DI-784 is running v2.38. I've tried multiple configs for the encryption, different radio channels while the 2 devices are only sitting 2ft apart and it still won't keep a connection.
Tech support isn't helpful either, long hold times and operators that don't actually listen to the problem.
I can't reccomend this product, I think one star is still too many stars.
Tech support isn't helpful either, long hold times and operators that don't actually listen to the problem.
I can't reccomend this product, I think one star is still too many stars.
Product Image
Feature D-Link DWL-7100AP Wireless Access Point w/SNMP, 802.11a/g, 108Mbps
- Transfer rates up to 108 Mbps, or up to fifteen times the speed of previous wireless devices
- Versatility to use 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz when needed
- Allow connection to almost any 802.11 network or device
- Enhanced security features
- Provides the most bandwidth coverage available in an access point
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Product Details
EAN : 0790069264429UPC : 790069264429
MPN : DWL-7100AP
Brand : D-Link
Color : Silver
Weight : 2 pounds
Height : 3 inches
Length : 11 inches
Width : 9 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Format : CD
Hardware Platform : Pc
Manufacturer : D-Link
Model : DWL-7100AP
Operating System : Windows
Platform : Windows 98
Publisher : D-Link
SKU : 54622
Studio : D-Link
Where To Buy
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