Edimax EW-7238RPD User manual

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EW-7238RPD
User Manual
12-2012 / v1.0

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COPYRIGHT
Copyright Edimax Technology Co., Ltd. all rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated
into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written
permission from Edimax Technology Co., Ltd.
Edimax Technology Co., Ltd. makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or
implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties,
merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Any software described in this
manual is sold or licensed as is. Should the programs prove defective following their
purchase, the buyer (and not this company, its distributor, or its dealer) assumes the
entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and any incidental or consequential damages
resulting from any defect in the software. Edimax Technology Co., Ltd. reserves the right
to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the contents hereof
without the obligation to notify any person of such revision or changes.
The product you have purchased and the setup screen may appear slightly different from
those shown in this QIG. For more information about this product, please refer to the
user manual on the CD-ROM. The software and specifications are subject to change
without notice. Please visit our website www.edimax.com for updates. All brand and
product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
their respective holders.
Edimax Technology Co., Ltd.
Add: No. 3, Wu-Chuan 3rd Rd., Wu-Ku Industrial Park, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Notice According to GNU General Public License Version 2
This product includes software that is subject to the GNU General Public License version
2. The program is free software and distributed without any warranty of the author. We
offer, valid for at least three years, to give you, for a charge no more than the costs of
physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the
corresponding source code.

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CONTENTS
I. PRODUCT INFORMATION............................................................................................................. 5
I-1. Package Contents.....................................................................................................................5
I-2. Hardware .................................................................................................................................6
I-3. LED Status ................................................................................................................................7
I-4. Safety Information ...................................................................................................................8
I-5. System Requirements ..............................................................................................................8
II. QUICK SETUP............................................................................................................................... 9
II-1. iQ Setup ...................................................................................................................................9
II-2. WPS Setup..............................................................................................................................18
II-3. Resetting the Wireless Extender ...........................................................................................20
II-4. Connection Problems.............................................................................................................21
II-5. Choosing the Best Location for Your Extender ......................................................................22
III. BROWSER BASED CONFIGURATION INTERFACE .......................................................................... 23
III-1. Home....................................................................................................................................25
III-2. iQ Setup ...............................................................................................................................28
III-3. WPS Settings ........................................................................................................................29
III-4. Advanced Settings................................................................................................................31
III-4-1. WLAN 2.4GHz Security.....................................................................................................32
III-4-2. WLAN 5GHz Security........................................................................................................33
III-4-3. Administration Utility.......................................................................................................35
III-4-4. Configuration Tools ..........................................................................................................38
IV. APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................. 41
IV-1. Configuring your IP address...............................................................................................41
IV-1-1. How to Configure Your Computer to Use a Dynamic IP Address.........................................42
IV-1-1-1. Windows XP.....................................................................................................................42
IV-1-1-2. Windows Vista.................................................................................................................44
IV-1-1-3. Windows 7 .......................................................................................................................45
IV-1-1-4. Windows 8 .......................................................................................................................48
IV-1-1-5. Mac OS.............................................................................................................................52
IV-1-2. How to Modify the IP Address of Your PC or Macintosh .....................................................53
IV-1-2-1. Windows XP.....................................................................................................................53
IV-1-2-2. Windows Vista.................................................................................................................55
IV-1-2-3. Windows 7 .......................................................................................................................57
IV-1-2-4. Windows 8 .......................................................................................................................61
IV-1-2-5. Mac OS.............................................................................................................................65
IV-1-3. How to Find Your Network Security Key............................................................................68
IV-1-3-1. Windows 7 & Windows Vista ..........................................................................................68
IV-1-3-2. Windows 8 .......................................................................................................................70
IV-1-3-3. Mac ..................................................................................................................................73
IV-1-4. How to Find Your Router’s IP Address ...............................................................................76
IV-1-4-1. Windows XP, Vista & 7.....................................................................................................76
IV-1-4-2. Windows 8 .......................................................................................................................77

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IV-1-4-3. Mac ................................................................................................................................79
IV-2. Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................81
IV-3. Glossary .......................................................................................................................................83

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I. PRODUCT INFORMATION
Thank you for purchasing the Edimax EW-7238RPD N300+ Dual-Band Universal
Wi-Fi Extender. Extend dual-band coverage anywhere around your home and
enjoy Wi-Fi on all your devices.
I-1. Package Contents
EW-7238RPD
Ethernet Cable
CD with User Manual &
Quick Installation Guide
Quick Installation Guide
x2
Access Key Card

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I-2. Hardware
Item Name
Description
Reset / WPS Button
Resets the extender to factory default settings (clears
all settings) or starts the WPS function.
Reset: Press this button and hold for 10 seconds to
restore all settings to factory defaults.
WPS: Press this button for less than 5 seconds to start
the WPS function.
ON/OFF Switch
Power on/off switch. Switch on or off accordingly.
LAN Port
10/100M Ethernet LAN Port with Auto-MDI/MDI-X.
Connects via Ethernet cable to a computer for
configuration, or to other wired network devices such
as printers, smart TVs or Blu-ray players to act as a
wireless client.
Note: Please do not connect the LAN port of the
extender to your router/access point.
Reset/WPS Button
ON/OFF Switch
LAN Port

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I-3. LED Status
LED
Color
LED Status
Description
Signal Strength
2.4 GHz
Amber
On
Excellent signal.
Signal strength: 60 –100%.
Slow
Flashing
Good signal.
Signal strength: 60 –40%.
Quick
Flashing
Poor signal.
Signal strength: below 40%.
Off
No signal detected or in LED
off mode.
Signal Strength
5 GHz
Amber
On
Excellent signal.
Signal strength: 60 –100%.
Slow
Flashing
Good signal.
Signal strength: 60 –40%.
Quick
Flashing
Poor signal.
Signal strength: below 40%.
Off
No signal detected or in LED
off mode.
Power
Green
On
Wi-Fi extender is on.
Flashing
Resetting to factory defaults,
or system is booting up.
Off
Wi-Fi extender is off or in
LED off mode.
WPS
Green
On
WPS connection established
(LED remains on for 5
minutes after connection is
made).
Slow
Flashing
WPS in progress (waiting for
another WPS device’s
connection).
Off
No WPS in progress or in LED
off mode.

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LAN
Green
On
LAN port connected.
Flashing
LAN activity (transferring or
receiving data).
Off
LAN port not connected.
I-4. Safety Information
In order to ensure the safe operation of the device and its users, please read
and act in accordance with the following safety instructions.
1. The wireless extender is designed for indoor use only; do not place the
wireless extender outdoors.
2. Do not place the wireless extender in or near hot/humid places, such as a
kitchen or bathroom.
3. Do not pull any connected cable with force; carefully disconnect it from the
wireless extender.
5. The device contains small parts which are a danger to small children under
3 years old. Please keep the wireless extender out of reach of children.
6. Do not place the wireless extender on paper, cloth, or other flammable
materials. The wireless extender will become hot during use.
7. There are no user-serviceable parts inside the wireless extender. If you
experience problems with the wireless extender, please contact your dealer
of purchase and ask for help.
8. The wireless extender is an electrical device and as such, if it becomes wet
for any reason, do not attempt to touch it without switching the power
supply off. Contact an experienced electrical technician for further help.
9. If you smell burning or see smoke coming from the wireless extender then
unplug the extender immediately, as far as it is safely possible to do so. Call
your dealer of purchase for help.
I-5. System Requirements
-Existing wireless home network (2.4GHz or 5GHz).
-Computer with Ethernet port and web browser (Internet Explorer 8 or
above, or latest version of Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari).

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II. QUICK SETUP
There are two ways you can quickly setup the Wi-Fi extender - using
browser-based iQ Setup (II-1. iQ Setup) or using the WPS button (II-2. WPS
Setup).
Note: It is recommended that you plug in the extender
close to your router/access point for the setup process.
You need to establish a connection between your
extender and router/access point. After setup is
complete and a connection is established, you can
move the extender to your preferred location.
II-1. iQ Setup
Note: Before you use the wireless extender, please
make sure your computer is set to use a dynamic IP
address. This is a simple procedure, and step by step
instructions for how to do this can be found in IV-1-1.
How to configure your computer to use a dynamic IP
address.
1. Plug the Wi-Fi extender into a power outlet close to the root wireless
access point and switch it on. The power LED ( ) will flash while the
extender initializes –please wait. The extender is ready when the power
LED is on.

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2. You can connect to the Wi-Fi extender using a (i.) wired or (ii.) wireless
connection.
Note: Please disable any other Wi-Fi adapters you
may have, and/or disconnect/disable any other
Ethernet cables/adapters from your computer.
i. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the Wi-Fi extender’s
Ethernet port. Plug the other end of the cable into your computer’s
Ethernet port.
ii. Use your Wi-Fi device (e.g. computer, tablet, smartphone) to
search for a Wi-Fi network with the SSID “Edimax.Setup” and
connect.
3. Open a web browser and you will see the following screen, please click “Get
Started”.
Note: You can change language using the drop down
menu in the top right corner.
SSID:
Edimax.Setup

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4. iQ Setup will display all available 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, listed
under “SSID”. Please select one or both root Wi-Fi networks that your
extender will connect to and subsequently extend. If you don’t wish to use
either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band you must select “Disable” in order to
continue.
Note: If the Wi-Fi network you wish to connect to does
not appear, click “Refresh” to search again. Please also
be aware that for the 5GHz band, subject to local RF
regulations the EW-7238RPD only supports channels

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36, 40, 44 & 48 (Europe) and channels 36, 40, 44, 48,
149, 153, 157, 161 & 165 (U.S.) If you do not see your
5GHz network listed, you may need to change your
router/access point’s 5GHz channel.
5. If the network you wish to connect to has a hidden SSID, select “Setup
extender manually” for 2.4GHz or 5GHz and enter the SSID manually. Then
input a “Device SSID” (name to identify the extender’s Wi-Fi network) and
security key information. Check the “Hide SSID” box if you wish for the
extender’s SSID to remain hidden.
6. For each network you select, you can enter a “Device SSID” which is a name
to identify the EW-7238RPD’s Wi-Fi network. If the root SSID requires a
security key, you will also be required to enter it here.
Note: If you do not know your existing network
security key, please refer to IV-1-3. How to Find Your
Network Security Key.

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Note: In the example above, the EW-7238RPD will
connect to the root Wi-Fi network OBM-Airport-2.4G.
The EW-7238RPD will extend this Wi-Fi network and
use the new SSID OBM-Airport-2.4G_2EX to identify
itself.
7. Click “Next” to continue and you will be prompted to add
http://edimax.setup to your bookmarks (Internet Explorer and Firefox
only). This is the URL to access the extender’s browser based configuration
interface to further configure the settings of the extender, or to run iQ
Setup again. If you do not wish to add this URL to your bookmarks, click
“Cancel” – or select “No” from the drop down menu shown below, before
you click “Next”.
8. Please wait while the Wi-Fi extender tests the connection.
9. When the test is complete, click “Apply” to restart the device.

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Note: If the extender cannot obtain an IP address from
the router/access point then you will see the screen
below. Click the “Static IP” button to assign an IP
address to the extender and then click “APPLY” to
restart the device.

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Note: When assigning a static IP address to the
wireless extender, you need to ensure that you assign
an IP address in the same subnet as your network. For
example, if your static IP is 192.168.9.2 then you need
to assign the wireless extender an IP address in the
range 192.168.9.x where x = 3 –254. Please refer to
IV-1. Configuring your IP address for more
information.
Note: To ensure that you assign a correct IP address to
the wireless extender, you can check the IP address of
your computer and/or router. Please refer to IV-1-2.
How to Modify the IP Address of Your PC or Macintosh
and IV-1-4. How to Find Your Router’s IP Address for
guidance on how to do so. Your ISP can also provide
you with such information as IP address, subnet mask
and gateway address.
10. Please wait while the device restarts.
Note: After the system has restarted, if you do not see
the congratulations screen in Step 11, then please skip
straight to step 12.
Typically, this may occur for smartphone users who
setup the extender via a wireless connection (as
shown in II-1. iQ Setup 2.ii). It is likely that after the
extender restarted, your smartphone re-connected to
the Edimax.Setup SSID which is now, upon completion
of setup, redundant.

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11. After the device has restarted you will see a congratulations screen as
shown below, displaying the name and security key for each of the
extender’s Wi-Fi networks.
12. The extender is now functional and ready for use. If you wish to move the
extender to another location, remember to switch off the extender before
you unplug it. For the best coverage, select a location where the extender’s
signal strength LED ( ) displays a strong signal. See II-5. Choosing the Best
Location For Your Extender.
13. To connect to the extender’s Wi-Fi networks:
Windows
Click the network icon ( , or ) in the system tray and select “Connect to
a network”.
Mac
View available Wi-Fi networks by clicking the icon along the top right of
your screen.
Windows 8
Windows Vista / 7

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14. Select the SSID which you named your extender’s Wi-Fi network in Step 5
or 6 and enter your password/security key if you set one.
Note: Remember to select the SSID of your extender’s
Wi-Fi network –not your existing root Wi-Fi network.
Windows:
Windows Vista / 7
Windows 8

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Mac:
II-2. WPS Setup
Note: The next section WPS Setup describes an
alternative setup method to iQ Setup. If you already
completed iQ Setup, it is not necessary to perform
WPS Setup.
Note: Please ensure the extender is ready (power LED
() on, not flashing) before activating WPS.
If your wireless router/access point supports WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
then you can use this method to set up your Wi-Fi extender’s 2.4GHz & 5GHz
network. The extender’s WPS is dependent on your router’s access/point
WPS –so if you activate WPS for 2.4GHz Wi-Fi on your router/access point,
the extender will connect to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi when you activate its WPS. To
additionally set up your extender’s 5GHz Wi-Fi you would then need to
repeat the process but activate WPS for 5GHz Wi-Fi, not 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, on
your router/access point.
For the EW-7238RPD the WPS setup process is the same for 2.4GHz and/or
5GHz Wi-Fi. Whether the extender connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi or 5GHz Wi-Fi is
entirely dependent on your router/access point and which of its frequency
bands you activate WPS for.
Note: Please take care not to hold the WPS button for
too long –this may result in inadvertently resetting
the extender or router/access point.

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1. Press and hold the WPS/Reset button on the wireless router/access point
for the correct length of time (check router/access point’s user manual) to
activate its WPS for 2.4GHz or 5GHz.
2. Within two minutes, press and hold the WPS button on the extender for
two seconds to activate WPS. The WPS LED ( ) will flash slowly to indicate
WPS is activated (see LED Status).
3. The devices will establish a connection. When a connection is successful,
the extender’s WPS LED ( ) will display on - and remain on for 5 minutes
(see I-3. LED Status).
4. Please wait for 5 minutes until the extender’s WPS LED ( ) is off, and
repeat this process to set up your dual-band extender’s additional second
Press for two
seconds

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frequency band. In step 1 please activate WPS on your router/access point
for the alternate frequency 2.4GHz or 5GHz depending on which frequency
you previously set up.
Note: Please check the instructions for your wireless
router/access point to confirm how long you need to
hold down its WPS button to activate WPS for 2.4GHz
or 5GHz. Some brands of router/access point may not
support WPS for 5Ghz –in this case, please use iQ
Setup instead.
II-3. Resetting the Wireless Extender
If you experience problems with your Wi-Fi extender you can reset the
extender back to factory default settings. This resets all settings back to
default.
To reset the extender, press and hold the WPS/Reset button for 10 seconds
until the power LED ( ) is flashing. The extender will re-initialize and the
power LED ( ) will display on when the extender is ready (see I-3. LED
Status).