How to Add Wireless to DSL

Ditch the cables; keep the Internet.

Wireless Internet is a boon to people who are always on the move but can't go without their fix of the Web. Though your home probably isn't going anywhere, consider the benefits of Wi-Fi in the house. Stop trailing cables up your staircase or through holes in your ceiling, and wirelessly connect your home computer network to the Internet today.

Things You'll Need

• Wireless router

Instructions

Router Setup

1. Unplug the power to your DSL modem. Power down the computer.

2. Attach the wireless router to the DSL modem using the cable that you normally use to connect your modem to your computer. One end should go into the modem's "Input" port and the other into the router's "Internet" port, which should have a label "LAN" or "Output" next to it.

3. Plug one end of the network cable that came with the router into your computer's network port and the other end into the router's input port.

4. Turn on the computer.

Router Configuration

1. Find the Internet address of the router, which can be located in the router's manual or on the back of the device. The address is most likely http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1.

2. Open a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox.

3. Click on the Address field, then type in the router's address.

4. Enter the username and password of your router if prompted. Find these in the router's manual.

5. Follow the options on the router's main screen to change your password. This will properly secure your computer.

6. Click on the "Wireless Security" option, and then set up your network security key. This helps prevent unwelcome computers from gaining access to your network. Make a note of this key.

7. Click the "General Configuration" tab and give your wireless network a name. Remember this name; you will need it later.

Internet Connection

1. Turn off the PC.

2. Unplug the network cable running from the computer to the router.

3. Turn on the PC.

4. Click on the icon that resembles signal bars on the far right of the Windows taskbar. If you are unsure which item this is, hover your mouse over each item until a box appears with the words "Not Connected -- Connections are Available."

5. Find and select your wireless network, which will display the name that you created for it in the previous section.

6. Ensure the "Connect Automatically" check box is ticked; if it is not, click it. Select "Continue."

7. Enter the network security key that you noted in the previous section, then click "OK."

8. Hover your mouse pointer over the icon that looks like signal bars until the name of your wireless network appears in the box. You are now connected to the Internet.

Tips & Warnings

• Connecting via a wireless connection requires a wireless network card. Purchase and install, or have a professional install, a wireless network adapter if your computer does not have a wireless network card.

References

• Velocity Guide: Wireless DSL Router Installation
• Millcreekwireless: Benefits of Using Wireless