I bought a VF2825-US which I had envisioned as a high-quality WAP providing wireless clients with Internet access on a network already provided with DHCP and DNS by a VPN Firewall/Router for 15+ hardwired locations.

When I asked what I should buy, I posed the question improperly. Had I stated things properly, I would have been told to get a 2925 which is preconfigured for bridge mode.

Since my VPN Firewall/Router located upstream was providing DHCP and DNS for the subnet, I had a problem when I tried to use the VF2825-US.

I searched for a method. I thought if I disabled DHCP on the 2825 the problem would be solved. That was not the correct solution. So I asked by using “Chat” at the RuckusWireless home page.

The bottom line is, the VF2825 can, indeed, be put into “Bridge Mode” and act as a non-routing WAP. Here’s how:

Here are the steps:

1) This assumes you have already tried to do it and it doesn’t work as you wanted and perhaps you can’t even log in to the Web Interface of the Ruckus VF2825. Let’s just do a factory reset so we know we’re on the same page. Disconnect all cables from the back of the VF2825 so it is connected to neither the WAN or the LAN. Turn it on by plugging power to it if not already powered up. Do not touch the button on the back next to the WAN port. If you do touch it, the Ruckus will reboot and you must wait for it to stabilize —perhaps two minutes -- before continuing. Use a paper clip unbent a bit and carefully insert it into the hole next to the button on the back which you didn’t (again) touch! You will feel a gentle “click” as the switch it activated, but you must now hold the switch with the paper clip for a minimum of eight seconds. You will see some light activity which will tell you that you have entered the reset zone. When you release the paper clip, the VF2825 will restart in factory fresh condition.

2) On the bottom of the unit is a dotted decimal address code - probably 192.168.1.1, but check it. Connect a computer (PC, please) to any one of the LAN ports but not the WAN port. Give your computer a few seconds to acquire a network address and then open a browser such as Internet Explorer 6. Type the dotted decimal address into the address box in the form http://aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd and press enter. You should soon see a Ruckus login screen

3) This next step is very important! You must log in as the superuser, not as the administrator. In the User ID box, type “super” (without ””) and use “sp-admin” (without ””) for the password.

4) Go to Configuration—Wireless

5) Click on the tab “Data WLAN”

6) Disable “Wireless availability” (really! this is what you need to do!)

7) Disable “Broadcast SSID”

8) Click on “Update Settings”

9) Click on the tab “Video WLAN” (really! I promise; this is what you need to do!)

10) Enable “Broadcast SSID”

11) Configure SSID and Encryption as desired. I suggest leaving the SSID at its default and encryption disabled for the time being and that you plan to come back after you have it working to set that up more securely.

12) Click on “Update Settings”

13) Log out of the VF2825

Now power the VF2825 off by pulling the power plug. Disconnect your computer from the LAN port. Connect a cable from your upstream router using an available LAN port to the WAN port on the VF2825. Power the VF2825 on by connecting the power plug. Allow time for it to boot.

Using a wireless equipped computer (Mac or PC), connect to the VF2825 by selecting the network (probably named “V54-HOME0001”) and establish that you can browser to the Internet.

Now, using a PC connected to one of the LAN ports on the back of the VF2825, log in as superuser again “super” / “sp-admin” and change some things. My choice was to visit the Wireless configuration Video WAN and disable Broadcast SSID. I changed the SSID to something meaningful to me but not patently obvious to someone driving down the street. I enabled WPA encryption. Be careful about using WPA2 encryption because some hardware is not compatible. I used WPA and typed in a gobbledigook pass phrase. I was easily able to connect two Mac iBook G4s and a Mac G5 and a PC using a Netgear WG511 and so on. Don’t forget the “gobbledigook” phrase. It should be some 8+ letter word not found in a dictionary.

I am not a Mac person, so I’d say if I can do it, anyone can.

Kudos to David Callisch of Ruckus Wireless for these instructions.

I don’t know if this info is needed often enough to warrant making these instructions “sticky” but I hope someone else will find them useful.

The VF2825 antenna system has greatly improved wireless availability in our 6000+ sq ft facility.

Thanks a million Cadillac84! It worked flawlessly :D

cheers
mestrini