Extending Your Ethernet:

I needed to extend an internet connection via wireless to a couple of remote buildings.

After some research, and quizzing the seller, I went with the Black Box LWE system.

The synopsis is that I can have one sending unit, and multiple receiving units:

Single Sending Unit: LWE121A
and Multiple Receiving Units: LWE120A

The company describes a number of different configurations for different purposes. This details how I configured the sending and the receiving units to pair up and extend the ethernet connection to use the internet at a remote location.

Attached to the receiving unit, you could have a device, or a wireless access point, or even another extending unit.

The LWE units are able to go six miles according to Black Box, and are set at one kilometer when received.

I found that the documenation was extensive, but nowhere did it describe how to configure the two units I have to work together. Here is how I configured my units:

Sender LWE121A

System Menu

Basic Settings

1. Device Mode: Fat AP

Network Settings

1. Network Mode: Bridge
2. IP Address Assignment and DNS (set as needed). The unit needs to be provided with a fixed IP on the network you are sending the internet connection from. I add the Google 8.8.8.8 and the OpenDNS 208.67.222.222 DNS addresses.

Time Settings

1. Enable the NTP client update.

Wireless Menu

Basic Settings

1. Operation Mode: AP
2. Set the SSID, channel etc.

Profile Settings

Your SSID will be a part of the first profile at this point. Click on that, and configure the WPA2-PSK Authentication, AES encryption and the passphrase here.

Advanced Settings

Set the broadcast strength of the unit here. The factory default is 1000m. It can be set to as much as 15000m.

If you need mac address protection, it is under the Access Control submenu under the wireless menu.

Change the password etc...

To reboot the unit, visit the Management Menu, and choose the left hand "Configuration File" option, and then use the Reboot button.

Your laptop should be able to connect to the SSID and you should be on your sending network.

Reciever LWE120A (Subscriber)

System Menu

Basic Settings

1. Device Mode: Fat AP

Network Settings

1. Network Mode: Router
2. Wan Settings: DHCP Client
3. Lan Settings: IP Address Assignment
   Enable DHCP server
4. Time Settings
   Enable the NTP client update.

Wireless Menu

Basic Settings

1. Operation Mode: Wireless Client
   Use the Site Survey button to choose the send network to connect to
2. Security Settings: set the authentication that is needed to connect to the send network wireless.
   I use WPA2-PSK, AES, password
3. Advanced Settings:
   Distance: increase or decrease as needed….

To the receiving unit, you can connect a laptop/device. Set it to receive an IP via DHCP.

To connect a wireless AP to the receiving unit, set the AP to a fixed IP, and enable DHCP relay, plug the data out ethernet cable from the receiver into any AP network/switch (not internet) port.

A Note about the sending unit:

This is a very powerful wireless AP in the configuration I have described above. The signal that it sends out might be strong enough to forgo having the receiving unit....test the sending unit before buying the receiver.