Cisco Wireless Routers - Is Wifi Enabled by Default?

Talic

The question pretty much explains it all, most customer grade routers enable wireless when first turned on but does Cisco SOHO routers do it also? I have a Cisco SOHO 91 and I really don't want anyone eavesdropping while I'm doing my labs. I don't know how to handle wifi in CLI mode yet so I don't know if the wireless interface is no shutdown by default or not.

Also, whats the default way to get into SDM? I think it might have it but I'm not sure.

edit: I also forgot to ask how would such a router handle in a lab environment? I'm thinking about getting other equipment and I'm trying to figure out if I should treat it like a switch with a internal router connection or what. It has the usual SOHO router connections, 4 switch 100baseT ports, a 10baseT WAN port and a console port.

Highspade

I can't speak for your model specifically; however, my 861w came with the wireless interface shutdown.


For the SDM

create a local user with priv level 15
add login local to the vty line
enable the http server
access the routers ip address

for more security enable SSH and use HTTPS

They are useful in a lab, as long as you are aware of it's limitations.

gorebrush

Shutting down the interfaces is easy: -

Device>en
Device#conf t
Device(config)#int dot11radio0
Device(config-int)#shutdown

Job done

Highspade

gorebrush wrote:

Shutting down the interfaces is easy: -

Device>en
Device#conf t
Device(config)#int dot11radio0
Device(config-int)#shutdown

Job done

Not so easy on the 861. You need to config the reverse telnet on wlan-ap0 then connect to the AP using the service-module wlan-ap0 session command.

Then the above steps will work.

*just adding this info in case someone else finds it useful, it may not apply to the OP

kryolla

I have a 851w and setting it up was difficult. You have to set up DHCP, NAT, IRB bridging, wireless options, firewall settings, security settings, etc. There are tutorials out there if you don't understand the technology but want the router working. But in the end it was worth it for me to know what every single command I entered did. The radio interface was shutdown on mine I think. It came with a factory configuration on it already and the first thing I did was erase the config.

gorebrush

Highspade wrote:

gorebrush wrote:

Shutting down the interfaces is easy: -

Device>en
Device#conf t
Device(config)#int dot11radio0
Device(config-int)#shutdown

Job done

Not so easy on the 861. You need to config the reverse telnet on wlan-ap0 then connect to the AP using the service-module wlan-ap0 session command.

Then the above steps will work.

*just adding this info in case someone else finds it useful, it may not apply to the OP

Ohhh

861 ?

Nice.

Highspade

Yes - 861w

The only thing I dislike about it, is the gimpy 2 vlan limit and lack of support for the Adv IP Services IOS. Looking back, I wish I would have waited for the 881.