4 Steps to Set Up Your Home Wireless Network

The first step in setting up a home wireless network is to make sure that you have the necessary equipment. As you are perusing products online or in stores, look for equipment that supports 802.11g networking technologies, if possible. Purchase a broadband Internet connection, wireless router, and a computer with built-in wireless networking support or a wireless network adapter. Second, because you will be temporarily disconnected from the Internet, print out these instructions before proceeding: Locate your cable or DSL modem and unplug it or turn it off; connect your wireless router to your modem, ensuring the modem stays connected directly to the Internet, and connect your router to your modem. The third step is to configure your wireless router. Using the network cable that came with your wireless router, connect your computer to one of the open network ports on your wireless router. Open Internet Explorer and type in the address to configure your router. Most of the default settings should be appropriate, but you should configure these three things: Your wireless network name, or SSID; wireless encryption (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA); and your administrative password. Remember to click Save Settings, Apply, or OK after each configuration setting to save your changes. Now that the first three steps are completed, the final step is to connect your computers to the wireless network. If your computer does not have built-in wireless network support, plug your network adapter into your USB port, and situate your antenna on top of your computer, or insert the network adapter into an empty PC card slot. | Read More