Ki Grinsing

Why Wifi network?

The reason why people build a wireless environment in their home is the portability and comfortableness. You can take an internet phone to a comfortable spot to have a long conversation, or you can take the laptop at the poolside to browse the internet, you deserve to be comfortable and relaxed in your home. The need of wireless equipments and the knowledge of wireless router setup becomes a demand today.

how to setup?

How do you setup the wireless environment in home? Common purpose of having the wireless environment in home is to share the broadband internet connection with some computers in the household. And the main devices you need typically the modem and the wireless router, while wireless clients are integrated with the laptops (Wi-Fi) and for the desktop typically you need USB wireless adapter. The wireless router setup would be the most critical part in setting up the wireless network.

4 simple steps

Before working out the wireless router setup, which is the main critical part in setting up the wireless network, you require four steps to complete:

• Choosing the wireless equipment
• Connecting the wireless router
• Configuring the wireless router
• Connecting the wireless clients to the network

Choosing the Wireless Equipment

The first step in setting up the wireless environment is to choose the equipments you need which are typically two main network components: a wireless router and a wireless network adapter. If your computer is Windows based PC, make sure to buy the router with the Windows compatible logo when you are buying it at the marketplace. If you are building from the scratch, choose the wireless router that is the best for your need. If you demand a wireless router for gaming, choose the wireless router for gamers in mind. Any types of wireless routers typically have the same concept for the wireless router setup.

If you have laptops at home with Wi-Fi integrated in it, you don’t need to buy wireless adapter for the laptop, but you need to buy the wireless adapter for the desktop such as PCI wireless adapter, or the USB wireless adapter.

Connecting the Wireless Router

Prior wireless router setup and configuration, you need to connect the modem to the wireless router. Probably you don’t know what type of broadband connection your internet is. If you connect your modem to the wall in a similar way that you connect your TV to your cable television outlet, you probably have a cable modem, and it probably has a coaxial cable connected to it (like the round black or white cable you plug into your TV). If you connect your modem through the phone lines, you probably have a DSL modem, and it probably has a phone cable connected to it.

In connecting the wireless router to the modem, firstly you need to connect the LAN port of the modem – using the UTP Network Cable that commonly comes with the modem – and plug it into the port labeled Internet, WAN, or WLAN on the back of your router.

Plug in the wireless router. After a minute or two, the Internet, WAN, or WLAN light on the router should light up, indicating that it has successfully connected to your modem.

Configuring the Wireless Router

The next step is configuring the wireless router. If you use windows based PC there are typically two ways to configure your wireless router: using Windows Connect Now and manually.

If your router supports Windows Connect Now, you don’t need to continue reading this article. You can continue quickly and easily by following the instructions in Using Windows Connect Now technology.

If your wireless router doesn’t support WCN (Windows Connect Now), then you need to manually configure the router as follows:

1. Using the UTP network cable that came with your wireless router, temporarily connect your computer to one of the Switch LAN ports on your wireless router (any port that isn’t labeled Internet, WAN, or WLAN).
2. Turn your computer on; it will automatically connect to your router.
3. Open the Internet browser and type in the address to configure your router, as described in your router’s instruction manual. The following table lists known wireless router default address, username and password as your reference.
   

   Router	Address	Username	Password
   Belkin	http://192.168.2.1	(login)	(leave blank)
   D-Link	http://192.168.0.1	admin	(leave blank)
   Linksys	http://192.168.1.1	admin	Admin
   Netgear	http://192.168.0.1	admin	password

4. Create a password if a prompt appears. The address and password you use will vary depending on what type of router you have, so refer to the instructions included with your router.
   
5. The browser will show your router’s configuration page. Most of the default settings should be fine, but you should configure three items:
   • Set your wireless network name (known as the SSID) to something unique that does not identify something that related to your identity (your name, the campus name)
   • Enable Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) encryption to help prevent uninvited guests from connecting to your wireless network, if the wireless router supports this type of wireless encryption.
   • Set your administrative password to prevent others from configuring your router.

Note: WEP is not recommended. WPA-2 is more secure. If you try WPA-2 and it doesn’t work, we recommend that you upgrade your network adapter to one that works with WPA-2.

The exact steps you should follow will vary depending on the type of the wireless router you have. After each of the configuration setting (SSID wireless network name, authentication method – WEP/WPA/WPA2, and the administrative password), make sure to click the Save Settings, Apply, or OK to save your changes.

Wireless Network Naming – SSID

A SSID (service set identifier) identifies the wireless network. As a best practice you should choose a unique name that you’re confident none of your neighbors will use it, a simple name but not complex name.

Administrative Password

The last configuration change for the wireless router setup is to make the administrative password. A good password is a word that cannot be easily guessed and should contain the combination of lowercase, uppercase, symbols, and number, and at least 8 characters.

Check also the best practice in securing the password here.

Now that you have completed the wireless router setup and configuration, named your wireless network, protected it, and assigned an administrative password, you are ready for the last step:

Connecting the Wireless Clients to the Network

After completing the wireless router setup, you can now connect the clients to the network. Typically the wireless routers include 4 ports Switch LAN you can use to connect to the computers that do not have the wireless network support built-in. Or you can install a wireless network adapter. Windows XP will automatically detect the new adapter and might prompt you to insert the CD that came with it. The on-screen instructions will guide you through the configuration process.

Even though for wireless networking you don’t need Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), but it does make setting one up much easier. SP2 also helps protect you against viruses, worms, and other Internet intruders. The steps below apply only if you’re using SP2. Windows XP will show an icon with a notification that says it has found wireless networks.

Connecting the Wireless Clients to the Network

To connect your computer to your wireless network

1. Right-click the wireless network icon in the lower right corner of your screen, and then click View Available Wireless Networks.

View Available Wireless Networks.

Note: If you run into problems, consult the documentation that came with your network adapter. Don’t hesitate to call the manufacturer’s technical support number for help.

2. The Wireless Network Connection window appears and displays your wireless network listed with the SSID you chose. If you don’t see your network, click Refresh network list in the upper left corner. Click your network, and then click Connect in the lower right corner.

After you’re connected, you can close the Wireless Network Connection window. Now you’re ready to browse the Web wirelessly. You can also create a wireless network in your home that connects your computers to share the documents and files, or you can share the network printer, cameras, games, and other accessories for easy access and enjoyment.