How to Hook Up Wireless High Speed Internet

High speed Internet has blown by the old dial-up method. The next step for you is to set up a wireless network for your high speed Internet. To do this, you need a wireless router that will connect to your Internet provider. You also need your computers to have wireless cards; these can be installed if they don't have them. Once you have these, you can connect your modem to the wireless router and configure your computers to receive the wireless signal.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• High-speed internet access
• Modem
• Wireless Router
• Computers with wireless cards

1. Connect your modem to the source of your high speed internet provider, be it a cable or phone line. If you get internet through cable, the modem needs a coaxial connection. It needs a phone jack connection if you connect through the phone line. Most modems have one or the other.

2. Connect the modem's output to a wireless router using an ethernet cable. Plug in the router and turn it on. Connect one computer directly to the router through a router output port with another ethernet cable. You won't need to keep this connected, but it's needed for the moment.

3. Make sure all the computers you want connected to the system have a wireless card installed. If any do not, you need to install a wireless card or antenna adapter. A wireless card is installed to the hardware through an available expansion slot. An external antenna adapter will connect through a USB port.

4. Configure the router by following the instructions included in its manual. This normally means logging onto an included ISP address and inputting a given username and password. This is what you needed the land line connection for.

5. Encrypt the wireless network on the router's configuration page that will appear online. Choose your own network name (also called an SSID) and encryption key or password. Decide if you want to use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wireless encryption (WEP).

6. Access your computer's wireless network settings from the Control Panel menu or by right-clicking the wireless icon on the lower task bar. Select "View Available Wireless Networks" and look for the router with your SSID in the list. Click "Connect" and enter your key or password. Do this for every computer you want connected.

7. Open your Internet web browser to confirm you have wireless access.

Tips & Warnings

• You can leave the one computer connected directly to the router if you want one machine connected to a land line. If you can't find your router in the available networks list, click on "Refresh network list" in that window, or reboot the system. Make sure all your computers are within the router's range of sending the wireless signal. Approximately 150 feet is pretty standard for most routers.