| Wireless home networks are becoming more and | | | | wireless router. With Internet Explorer you can go |
| more popular these day. The ease of installation | | | | to your router's configuration page. |
| and the practicality of being able to surf the net | | | | Most of the default settings there are rather safe |
| anywhere in the house makes wireless home | | | | left alone but there are some things that you |
| networks very attractive to internet users. | | | | need to configure. You need to choose a unique |
| Setting up a wireless home network is quite easy | | | | wireless network name or SSID, this will be the |
| but you need to know some basic things about | | | | name of your network. Be sure that no one |
| wireless networks before attempting to start the | | | | around that is near you is using the same name. |
| set up. You can read up more about the wireless | | | | The next step is, if your router requires it, to |
| networking protocols to help you get a better | | | | provide a unique passphrase that it will use to |
| understanding of wireless networking. | | | | generate some keys. Then the last step to do |
| To set up a wireless home network you need to | | | | before you are done with configuring the router is |
| have broadband internet connection with a cable | | | | setting your administrative password. Choose a |
| or DSL modem. The common set up at home is | | | | password that is not easy to guess and not too |
| usually that of the desk top computer being | | | | short for security reasons. Be sure to save every |
| plugged directly into the modem. In this tutorial | | | | setting you've configured. The actual steps |
| we will assume that you have a laptop that you | | | | involved in configuring these settings vary |
| want to connect wirelessly to the PC that is | | | | according to the kind of router you have. |
| connected to the internet. You need some | | | | The next step is to configure your laptop's |
| hardware to make this possible. First you need to | | | | network adapter. It is easy to follow Window's |
| have a wireless router. You also need to add a | | | | XP's on-screen instructions for this one. Right-click |
| USB wireless network adapter to your desk top | | | | the icon for wireless network in your task bar |
| PC and a PC card-based network adapter for | | | | and select "View Available Wireless Networks" in |
| your laptop computer. For obvious reasons, it is | | | | the pop up menu that appears. The Wireless |
| advisable to choose the same vendor for all the | | | | Network Connection window will show and there |
| additional hardware you buy. Refer to the | | | | you will see the name you chose for your |
| documentation that comes with your hardware | | | | wireless network listed. Click Refresh network list |
| for the installation process. | | | | in the upper-left corner if you don't see your |
| When you already have all the necessary | | | | network. You will then be prompted to enter a |
| hardware installed, you can begin the set up. First | | | | key, this is the key that you wrote down in both |
| you need to unplug or turn off the DSL modem | | | | the Network key and Confirm network key |
| then connect the wireless router to the modem. | | | | boxes. Click Connect. You will then see connection |
| You can check the documentation that came with | | | | progress as it connects to your network. When |
| your hardware for assistance. When you've set it | | | | you're already connected you can close the |
| up your computer will wirelessly connect to your | | | | Wireless Network Connection window. You're |
| router. The next step is to configure your | | | | done, you've set up wireless connection. |