Setting Up a Wireless Router With Vista

Reset the router

Router reset
Reset your router to factory defaults: Plug your router's power cord into an electrical outlet. Wait 30 seconds. Now, press and hold the "Reset" button on the back of the router for 5 seconds, then release. The router is now set to factory defaults, with admin username blank, admin password "admin" and router's internal IP address set to 192.168.1.1.

Log in to your Vista computer. Your wireless network card will detect the new router and ask if you want to connect. Click "Connect." You will see a warning similar to "This connection is unsecured; do you wish to connect anyway?" Choose "Yes." Your Vista operating system will prompt you for the network location. Choose "Home" to register the wireless router's connection as part of your private network. Click "Close." You will see a message "Successfully connected."

Basic router setup
Open a browser and, in the browser address bar, type "http://192.168.1.1" and press "Enter." This will take you to the wireless router's log-in page. Log in at the credentials prompt with no username (leave it blank), and enter a password of "admin," then click "OK." This will take you to the initial "Setup" section. Except for the last option (time zone setting), you may leave everything at the default setting, unless you wish to change the first field ("Router Name") to something more meaningful, such as "HomeRouter." Change the time zone settings to your current time zone, then click "Save Settings." The router will do a brief restart and will present you with a page saying, "Settings were successful." Click "Continue;" then you will be re-connected to the router again, automatically logged in as an administrator.

Continue setup
Click the "Wireless" tab in the router web interface, then change the Wireless Network Name (the "SSID") to something other than the default value. Click "Save Settings." The router will do a brief restart and will present you with a page saying "Settings were successful." Click "Continue." After this restart, you will have to change your Vista network settings to connect to the new SSID name you just set.

Wi-Fi new SSID
Right-click the network icon in the lower right-hand corner of your task bar, then choose "Connect to a network." When Vista displays one or more wireless networks, choose the one that is yours, with the custom SSID you set earlier. Click "Connect." You will receive a warning similar to "This connection is unsecured; do you wish to connect anyway?" Choose "Yes." Your Vista operating system will prompt you for the network location. Choose "Home" to register the wireless router's connection as part of your private network. Click "Close." You will see the message "Successfully connected."

Set router password
Open a browser and, in the browser address bar, type "http://192.168.1.1" and press "Enter." This will take you to the wireless router's log-in page. Log in at the credentials prompt with no username (leave it blank), and enter a password of "admin," then click "OK." This will take you to the initial "Setup" section. Click the "Administration" tab;" type a new router password then, in the next field, re-enter the router password; then click "Save." You will be prompted for the new credentials. Leave the username blank and enter the new password you just set in the "Password" box, then click "OK." You will see a "settings successful" screen. Click "Continue." You will be logged back into the router with admin privileges.

Encryption
Click the "Wireless" tab; click "Wireless Security." Choose a security setting from the Security mode drop-down, such as "WEP." If WEP is chosen, change the WEP Encryption drop-down to "128-bit." Type a complex password into the "Passphrase" field; yet ensure it is a password you will be able to remember but not easy for others to guess. Click "Generate." Retain a copy in a secure location of the value in the "Key 1" field. This is needed for your Vista wireless card to re-connect securely. Click "Save settings." You will be prompted for the admin password; leave the username blank, type the router password in the "Password" field; click "OK." You will see a "Settings successfully saved" screen. Click "Continue." The router will reset.

Vista wireless card settings
Right-click the "Network" icon in the lower right-hand corner of the system tray. Choose "Connect to a network." You will now see your network listed as security-enabled, indicating encryption is on and the router is secure. Highlight your network, then choose "Connect." When prompted, enter the key phrase (the long passphrase you saved from the previous step), then click "Connect."
You will see a message "Successfully connected;" Ensure "Save this network" and "Start the connection automatically" are both checked, then click "Close."