How to Set Up a Wireless Network

Have you wanted to be able to sit on the couch in the middle of your living room and surf the web with no wires attached? How about print from the downstairs kitchen to the printer in the upstairs den? This can all be done for a relatively low cost and by following my step by step setup eHow guide.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A Wireless 108.11G Router (Preferably Linksys, although any will do)
• A laptop/Desktop with wireless capabilities (Will be explained)
• A High speed internet connection
• A wireless receiver (optional)

1. Choose a centralized location, preferably near your desktop computer and more importantly, near your high-speed internet equipment. This will be where we set up and configure the wireless router you purchased.
2. If you haven't done so already, remove the router's components from it's box. The router should contain a power adapter and networking cable. These components, along with the router itself will be all we need to set up and configure the network for the time being.
3. Back of Router (note WAN port) Locate either your DSL modem or your cable modem. Most likely this is close by your computer and is directly connected to it (via Ethernet or USB). Remove the Ethernet cable (or USB if applicable) from your computer and plug it into your router's "WAN" port using the supplied ethernet cable(see image, reference connection B in diagram of step 4).
4. Wired Connections Depending on the way you would like to configure your network, you can connect any PCs near the router via a wired connection. Use ethernet cables to connect any computers to the LAN ports of your router (see wired option A in diagram).
   
   You can also connect any wirelessly capable PCs to your router (see wireless option A in diagram). Connecting PCs wirelessly is explained below.
5. Once you have established all wired connections described above, we will configure your router with the correct settings. Out of box, most wireless routers will work, yet they are not secure as anyone within range of your wireless network could potentially connect to it and change it's settings.
   
   If at all possible, use a PC connected to the router via a wired connection (ethernet) to do the following steps. If you do not have a PC connected with a wired connection, go to step [] to see how to connect to your router.
6. Router Gateway First we are going to access your router's configuration options. In order to determine the address of your router please do the following:
   
   -Point to start and click on "Run"
   -Type in "cmd" without the quotes and press enter or click OK. This should open a COMMAND window.
   -Inside the command window type "ipconfig" and press enter
   -Document the number following "Default Gateway" (192.168.x.x)
7. Password Prompt Now that we have retrieved the router's Default Gateway, we will use this address to pay a visit to the router's configuration pages. To do this:
   
   1 -Open up your preferred browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox)
   2-Type in the number we gathered in step 6 (192.168.x.x) and press enter
   3-This will connect you to your router and prompt you for a username and password. By default, the username is either "admin" or a blank username, while the password is usually "admin", "password" or blank. The most common is "admin" and "admin". If you cannot gain access to your router, look on the bottom of the router for a default username and password or reference this website: http://www.phenoelit-us.org/dpl/dpl.html for the information.
8. Depending on the type of internet connection you have (cable, DSL) we will have to configure the router appropriately. If you have CABLE internet, your router should already be configured properly by default, please skip to step 10.
9. Setup Page (DSL) If you have a DSL provider, you will need your username (i.e.: [e-mail]) and the password you set up or were provided. In the primary setup page of your router, look for a drop down menu which has "automatic configuration" and "PPPoE" as options. On the Linksys router, this is the first option at the top (see image). Set this to PPPoE and enter your entire username and password in the boxes that appear. Also select the "keep connection alive" option. To save your changes, click Accept or Save at the bottom of the page.
10. WEP settings We are now going to configure the wireless signal settings. Look towards the top or on the side of the configuration page for a link titled "Wireless Settings" or something similar to that. Click on it and find an option on that page for Wireless Encryption. Enable it and use the passphase option to create your keys. Document the keys for later use. Be sure to save these settings. Here, you can also change the name of your wireless network or the SSID. Name it to something you prefer but do not make it too personal.
11. Wireless Signals in Range You are finished with the setup of your router. Now we are ready to connect any other computers to the wireless network we just set up. Ensure the wireless device on the computer you wish to connect is properly installed and turned on. Locate the wireless icon in the bottom right hand corner or in the start menu via the "Connect To" menu. This should open up a window which displays all available wireless networks. Incase you do not see any, select "Refresh wireless networks". You should see your wireless network in the list. Double=click on it to begin connecting to it. When it asks for your encryption key, enter the key you saved from the previous step into both boxes and select Connect. You should now be connected to your network and have full internet connectivity.
12. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me! Also, to help you set up printer and file sharing, I will be writing an article on that soon!

Tips & Warnings

• If you cannot yet connect to the internet after setting up your network, unplug the power to all of your equipment for 5 minutes. Then plug in the equipment, first the modem and then the router.