How To Set Up a Wireless Network

How To set up a Wireless Network

This article is aimed at helping you to set up a wireless network in your home. We will assume you already have a broadband connection to a modem which connects directly to your computer.

Equipment Required

1. A Wireless Router
2. A Wireless PCI Card for any desktop PC's
3. A PCMCIA wireless card for any notebook computers you have

Setting Up the Wireless Network

Step 1...Set up the router

It is always best to have one computer on the network hard wired into the router. This is because if the security settings are lost you always have one computer that will allow you access to the router and recover them. To set up the router unplug the modem from its power and turn off the computer. Plug the modem directly into the router with Ethernet cable into the WAN port. Then plug the router directly to your Desktop PC via the LAN port. Plug in the modem and allow it to return to the status ready. Plug the power into the router and turn it on. Turn on the computer and let it boot into windows. Take the setup CD and place it into the Desktop machine and run the setup wizard. Change the administrators default password to one you will know as hackers tend to know the default passwords. Change the SSID of the network (network name) hackers also know the default SSID and can use it to gain access to your network. Refer to the printed guide with your router and set up WEP/WPA encryption to provide security on the network.

IMPORTANT: Write down the key that the router produces you will need this to gain access to your network from other machines.

Step2...Adding other computers to the network

To add a desktop PC unplug the computer and install the PCI card into the machine. Turn the computer on after you have installed the wireless card. Insert the CD and run the setup program to install the drivers for the wireless card. Once this is done restart your computer and wait for windows to load. When windows loads you should see a small icon in the system tray that says wireless network detected. Click on this and view the wireless network available and select the one you have set up on the router. The computer should be able to connect to it, adjust the security settings to match those of the router i.e. the encryption key your router produced should now be entered.

To set up a notebook PCMCIA card refer to the printed guide with your card and install the relevant software from the CD. Turn off the notebook and plug in the card to an available slot on the side of the laptop. Turn on the notebook and the hardware should be detected and then wireless networks should be visible. Select your network and enter the Key provided by your router as you do on a Desktop PC.

Step3...Running Windows XP network setup wizard

To run the wizard click Start > My Network Places on the left you should see a column that says Set Up a Home or Small Office Network. Run the wizard and follow the onscreen instructions. Repeat this on all machines on the network entering the same information each time.

Congratulations you have now successfully set up a wireless network.

There are extra peripherals that you can install such as a wireless adapter for your sound system to stream music off your computer through your television. Setting Up the Wireless Network Step 1...Set up the router

It is always best to have one computer on the network hard wired into the router. This is because if the security settings are lost you always have one computer that will allow you access to the router and recover them. To set up the router unplug the modem from its power and turn off the computer. Plug the modem directly into the router with Ethernet cable into the WAN port. Then plug the router directly to your Desktop PC via the LAN port. Plug in the modem and allow it to return to the status ready. Plug the power into the router and turn it on. Turn on the computer and let it boot into windows. Take the setup CD and place it into the Desktop machine and run the setup wizard. Change the administrators default password to one you will know as hackers tend to know the default passwords. Change the SSID of the network (network name) hackers also know the default SSID and can use it to gain access to your network. Refer to the printed guide with your router and set up WEP/WPA encryption to provide security on the network.

IMPORTANT: Write down the key that the router produces you will need this to gain access to your network from other machines.

Step2...Adding other computers to the network

To add a desktop PC unplug the computer and install the PCI card into the machine. Turn the computer on after you have installed the wireless card. Insert the CD and run the setup program to install the drivers for the wireless card. Once this is done restart your computer and wait for windows to load. When windows loads you should see a small icon in the system tray that says wireless network detected. Click on this and view the wireless network available and select the one you have set up on the router. The computer should be able to connect to it, adjust the security settings to match those of the router i.e. the encryption key your router produced should now be entered.

To set up a notebook PCMCIA card refer to the printed guide with your card and install the relevant software from the CD. Turn off the notebook and plug in the card to an available slot on the side of the laptop. Turn on the notebook and the hardware should be detected and then wireless networks should be visible. Select your network and enter the Key provided by your router as you do on a Desktop PC.

Step3...Running Windows XP network setup wizard

To run the wizard click Start > My Network Places on the left you should see a column that says Set Up a Home or Small Office Network. Run the wizard and follow the onscreen instructions. Repeat this on all machines on the network entering the same information each time.