Guide to transform Cisco IR829 router into an Access Point

A Cisco router can act as a simple access point router, like the one at your home. Some CLI commands must be executed before this can be possible.

We will connect through serial port and use the following variables SSID (what the router broadcasts as a name): WYLIODRIN Password (what the wireless password will be): password123 Network : 192.168.7.0/24 Gateway : 192.168.7.1 Channel : 1

Change the SSID and password as needed

We will give 2 sets of commands. One for the Router, one for the integrated wireless access point(abbreviated from now on as AP).

##Commands for Router

Command	Purpose
IR800> enable	Get to privileged EXEC mode
IR800# configure terminal	Get to global configuration mode
IR800(config)# interface wlan-ap0	Enter configuration mode for interface which connects to the Access Point
IR800(config-if)# ip add 10.21.0.20 255.255.255.0	Put an IP address on it
IR800(config-if)# no shutdown	Make sure the interface is up
IR800(config-if)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode
IR800(config)# interface vlan1	Enter configuration mode for the default VLAN interface (1) which, at the start, is present on all switchports
IR800(config-if)# ip address 10.10.0.30 255.255.255.0	Put an IP address on it
IR800(config-if)# no shutdown	Make sure the interface is up
IR800(config-if)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode
IR800(config)# interface range gigabit1-4	Enter configuration mode for all 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports at the same time
IR800(config-if-range)# switchport mode access	Make them be in access mode
IR800(config-if-range)# switchport access vlan 1	When in access mode, make them be in VLAN 1
IR800(config-if-range)# end	Exit to privileged EXEC mode
IR800# service-module wlan-ap0 session	Command to telnet to the Access Point's console through wlan-ap0

Now we are connected through telnet to the AP's console, a whole new environment with the same IOS commands.

After we press Enter once, we will be presented with a login to AP console prompt. The default username is cisco and the default password is cisco.

Command	Purpose
ap# enable	Get to privileged EXEC mode
ap(config)# configure terminal	Get to global configuration mode
ap(config-if)# dot11 ssid WYLIODRIN	Configuration mode for the SSID WYLIODRIN
ap(config-ssid)# authentication open	Allow clients to connect openly
ap(config-ssid)# guest-mode	Broadcast the SSID (do not hide the network)
ap(config-ssid)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode
ap(config)# int dot11radio 0	Configuration mode for physical wireless equipment
ap(config-if)# ssid WYLIODWRIN	Link it to SSID WYLIODRIN
ap(config-if)# channel 1	Force channel 1, otherwise it will choose the best channel after a scan
ap(config-if)# no shutdown	Make sure the interface is up
ap(config-if)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode
ap(config)# ip dhcp excluded-address 192.168.7.1	Exclude the AP's IP address from the DHCP pool
ap(config-if)# ip dhcp pool WIRELESS	Enter configuration mode for DHCP pool
ap(dhcp-config)# network 192.168.7.0 255.255.255.0	Network and subnet mask for the pool
ap(dhcp-config)# default-router 192.168.7.1	Default gateway for the pool
ap(dhcp-config)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode
ap(config)# bridge 1 protocol ieee	Make bridge 1 use ieee protocol
ap(config)# bridge 1 route ip	Make bridge 1 route IP packets
ap(config)# int dot11radio 0	Configuration mode for physical wireless equipment
ap(config-if)# bridge-group 1	Make the interface belong to bridge 1
ap(config-if)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode
ap(config)# int bvi1	Configuration mode for bridge 1
ap(config-if)# ip address 192.168.7.1 255.255.255.0	AP's IP address
ap(config-if)# no shutdown	Make sure the interface is up
ap(config-if)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode

Now the Router will have wireless enabled and open for anyone to connect.

We can put a password on it (WPA2-PSK - the most secure protocol to date for wireless). Execute the following on the AP:

Command	Purpose
ap(config)# int dot11radio 0	Configuration mode for physical wireless equipment
ap(config-if)# encryption mode ciphers aes-ccm tkip	Make it use AES and TKIP encryption protocols
ap(config-if)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode
ap(config-if)# dot11 ssid WYLIODRIN	Configuration mode for the SSID WYLIODRIN
ap(config-ssid)# authentication key-management wpa version 2	Make it use WPA2 connection protocol
ap(config-ssid)# wpa-psk ascii 0 password123	Put the WPA2 password in clear text
ap(config-ssid)# exit	Exit to global configuration mode

Now your Cisco IR829 Router is now a Wireless Access Point.

#EXTRA

If you want to tweak with your wireless other advanced settings, you can use the following OPTIONAL commands (use ? and TAB for auto-completion):

Command	Purpose
ap(config)# int dot11radio 0	Configuration mode for physical wireless equipment

| ap(config-if)# station-role | Sets the wireless device's role ap(config-if)# speed | Sets the wireless device's speed ap(config-if)# power local | Set the transmit power of the wireless device ap(config-if)# power client | Sets the maximum power level allowed on client devices that associate to the wireless device. ap(config-if)# antenna receive | Sets the antenna(s) which can receive ap(config-if)# antenna transmit | Sets the antenna(s) which can transmit | ap(config-if)# exit | Exit to global configuration mode