About Wireless Routers

A wireless router is a physical device that joins computers together in a network. Networked computers can share resources, such as an IP address or printers. Wireless networks are popular in schools and office buildings, and the number of homes using a wireless router is growing as well.

Advantages of Going Wireless

A router is used to connect several computers so they can share the same Internet connection. In order to use a regular, wired router, users must be plugged into the router via cable. This is great if you have a huge desk and everyone can sit around and share the workspace. Because this rarely works out, you can use a wireless router to broadcast the network connection to a larger area. If a user has a laptop, he can move from room to room without losing his connection.

Security Issues

A wireless router is more easily hacked than a wired router because the hacker doesn't need to be in such close proximity to the actual router in order to connect. A wireless router has extra security besides a firewall. In order to connect to a wireless router, you need the passkey, usually based on WEP or WPA2 technology. Also, make sure to change the default network name when you initially configure your router to make it harder for potential hackers to guess your network's name

Wireless Technology

Rather than using cables to transmit data, a wireless router uses radio waves to broadcast between connected computers. The broadcast is not just one-way, like a TV broadcast. The connected devices can communicate with each other to transfer files between them, or send print commands through the network.

Sharing Options

There are several options when setting up your network. You can share files between computers when they are networked, or you can turn off file sharing without affecting the rest of the network. You can also use print sharing, so if only one computer on the network is connected to a printer, all other computers can send files to be printed there. This is a good idea, because printers tend to be idle a lot of the time. Of course, the most common use of a wireless router is to share an Internet connection among several users.

Public Hotspots

Very often you can find an open network set up in a restaurant, bar or airport that anyone can connect to. This is great for travelers, students or business people away from the office. You can use your laptop to connect to the Internet via this network. Your computer should be able to automatically connect to this kind of network once you're in range.