How to setup a wireless network -complete directions

December 16th, 2007 by Joe Jensen
Filed under:Wireless and printing    

Wireless networks can be setup easily even by amateurs they are a home or small office installation.  You will need a wireless router and possibly access to the (mobile) computers that will access it.  If it is not mobile it may not be necessary to place it on the wireless and the standard ethernet cables will work fine.  Each computer on the wireless network will need an adapter to connect to the 802.11 wireless signal the network will transmit.  There is actually surprisingly little to do. 

  1. setup the wireless network router


    You will have to setup the router (aka gateway or access point).  The access point is normally directly connected to the cable or DSL modem.  Unbox the product and place it near the modem where you want it to sit.  This should preferably be in the center of where it will be used although you may not have much choice.  If you use dialup (you use a telephone line that you can also talk on) then the directions are the same except you plug the computer with the modem in to the internet/wan port of the device to share with other computers.  You will also want to turn on Microsoft internet connection sharing when you’re done.  If you do not intend to connect to the internet from wireless and you do not have broadband internet, you do not have to plug anything into the WAN/internet port.
  2. Put the power cord it the appropriate socket and put the other power cord end into the surge protector.. 
  3. The broadband modem will have an ethernet (computer) cord coming out of it.  Follow the cord from the cable modem to the other end and take note of what it is plugged into.
  4. Unplug the far end of the cord and connect this into the gateway’s internet or wan jack.  If you’re unable to identify which one this is you will need to consult the papers that came with it. 
  5. Take the (an) ethernet cord that came with the device and plug one end into the LAN port on the gateway.   Depending on the router model you may have several LAN ports; any of which will work.
  6. Plug the second end into whatever you unplugged previously.
  7. Remove the power going into the cable or DSL modem to clear the mac address table. 
  8. Replace the power going into the cable or DSL modem back in. 


  9. Install cards on the mobile laptop(s)


    Every device that will accesses the wireless network must have a card and software configuration for that.  If all of these devices already have working cards, including if they have this build in, skip to the next section. 
  10. Physically install the hardware into the laptop or desktop with the power removed.  The side of the desktop normally can be removed, and with laptops you can usually simply push a button to remove a cover (if present) or simply push the card in.  You may need to consult the documentation that me with the card.
  11. Once the hardware is firmly inserted and the case is closed power on the workstation.   
  12. If you get a new hardware found dialog box you have properly inserted the hardware.  Simply click next and select the default options.  When it asks for the location of the drivers insert the DVD or CD that came with it and find the drivers there.  If you don’t see this installation dialog box you may not have properly inserted the hardware or it has been installed previously.  In this case simply skip to the next section but come back if you have problems. 

  13. Setup the network


    Insert an ethernet cord into one of the LAN ports on the gateway.
  14. Place the other end into whichever workstation you are working from, even if this is a laptop you will only use without cables latter on. 
  15. Login to the gateway’s administration console.  How to do this varies by manufacturer.  Try opening your web browser and go to 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1.  If you are unable to get a webpage to come up for setup you will have to consult your product documentation. 
  16. Enable WEP or WPA (encryption).
  17. Remove the option to advertise you SSID. 
  18. Change the SSID to something hard to guess but still something you can give to your friends if you want. 
  19. Change the SSID on your laptops and anything else you will want to use to match what you just entered the SSID into the router as. 
 

 

You are done, enjoy your personal wireless network you just setup.  We hope you enjoyed this howto and your networking setups work. 

Want To Provide Some Feedback?