Understanding in Wireless Routers

Series Summary

We've all been there: 3 a.m., boxes and instruction manuals all over the floor, the phone fused to your ear after hours of being on hold with the "24-hour" customer service representative from the computer company. We all know the frustration of trying to keep up with an ever changing, constantly progressing technological world, which is why the experts at Expert Village have put out this video series. Wireless routers and networks are an integral part of our computer and internet culture and installing a router, whether it be cable or DSL, broadband or dial-up, is something that most of us, at some point in time, will have to suffer through.

In this free video series, computer specialist David Schaefer explores the exciting and breath-taking world of wireless routers and networks. Along with giving a brief overview on the various options one has with wireless routers and modems, David Schaefer teaches how to set up a router, secure an internet connection with a WEP Key and a WPA Key, and protect the wireless internet connection with a firewall. David's expertise in his field makes the sometimes not-so-easy chore of setting up computer hardware and software a much easier process. Enjoy this free video and put the fun back in wireless routers and networks!

Video Transcript

"On behalf of expertvillage.com my name is David with Friendly Computers and I’m here to tell you about the benefits of wireless routers. Wireless routers come in a couple different types, there you have about three different classes and they’re actually coming out with a fourth here in the near future. The three classes you have are the “b”, the “g” and the “n” series and they are working on “a” series currently. Currently the best router out there is the “n” series, our personal recommendation is the Belkin series of them. You’ve got a lot greater range on those than you do off the standard routers. Now, you might ask, what do you need a wireless router for? Well, wireless routers are great especially if you have laptops in your house or you have multiple machines where you can’t be next to where your modem or your Internet signal is coming in. From there you need a wireless card or something of that sort to be able to connect anywhere really within the house. Now, with the “b” series wireless routers, you’re not going to be able to have, be too spread out, you’re really going to only be within fifty feet, maybe a hundred feet, of the router, whereas with the “g” series routers and the “n” you’re going to be able to be anywhere from roughly one-hundred and fifty, maybe two-hundred, depending on really line of sight and what’s in the area, you can definitely go a little bit farther than that but you start to deteriorate in signal. The nice thing about the “n” series is, it’s been said to be able to reach up to fourteen hundred feet, however once again, with signal degradation, what’s all around it, you may or may not get that and the “n” series also says that you’re able to get as fast a speeds using that as you do if you hardwire directly into it with your laptop or PC. "