Press [CTRL] + F to search this page
Wireless Networking
Getting a wireless router?
When looking for a wireless router, you need to keep the following three things in mind; Range, Brand and wireless type (explained below).
The range of the wireless router
As long as you don't live in a massive big house then most home routers will be able to work perfectly within your home (most of the time outside as well). In fact, you will probably be able to access a wireless network from a neighbour. This can become a problem if your network is not secured because, just as you can see the neighbour's network, he can also see yours.
This subject (network security) is further discussed a little later so, don't worry about the range of your router, unless you have an exceptionally large home, in which case you might have to consider a range extender as well.
The router brand
As with everything else, everyone has personal preferences and mine are Linksys and Netgear. Both brands have excellent routers and my preference is mainly based on my good experience with these over a few years, as well as set-up simplicity.
Many other brands could be just as good but I do not have personal experience with them.
Wireless types
Wireless routers are classified using the following letters; (a), (b), (g), and (n).
These are all part of a standard called 802.11 and the various letters classify the routers to the applications they have been designed for.
The specification will typically be displayed as 802.11(a), 802.11(b), 802.11(g) or 802.11(n)
Letter (a)
This is the more expensive technology and is therefore used more in business applications. If you're a home user, you don't need this, but it won't hurt you if your router offers you this technology
Letter (b)
This technology was created together with 802.11a, but is the cheaper technology. It supports a maximum bandwidth of 11 Mbps and was the most common spec for earlier wireless networks. Most routers have this spec, but advanced computer / game console technologies will probably avoid it.
Letter (g)
This technology is faster than 802.11b, but a little bit more expensive.
This is the chosen standard for now, so you should opt for this standard now. The most common devices on the market today will offer you both 802.11(b) and 802.11(g) on the same device.
Letter (n)
This is the fastest standard available today.
For now, it's fairly new and it's not necessary to opt for this spec, unless you just need to have the latest.
Note; You will not necessariily be able to download at the speeds that this new technology is offering because the physical network (beyond your router) is still the limiting factor.
You would therefore be looking for a router that does (b) and/or (g) as most of today's hardware will support these specs. However, if your hardware can only support (a) then you have no option but to go for a matching spec.
Wireless hardware
To connect to a wireless network, you need a wireless card.
Newer laptops come with wireless built in so you do not need to make an additional purchase. If you have a very old laptop, you will probably need to purchase a PCMCIA card that inserts into a slot in the side of your laptop or a USB wireless stick.
These will then allow you to connect to a wireless network.
Gaming consoles like PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii have built-in wireless, but older consoles like the Xbox or PS2 dont. You can however get wireless adapters for some of them.
Desktop computers rarely have built in wireless capabilities but you can easily mount a USB wireless adapter to add it to your wireless network. These adapters are easy to configure and install. You also have the option of installing a PCI card if you are short of, or don't have USB slots on your desktop.
These are more difficult to install (need some techie knowledge) and could void your warranty.
Installing your wireless router
The install procedure can differ based on the brand you have acquired, but all routers are installed in the same way. Your hardware will probably come with an install guide, but in the absence of one, you can follow these steps;
Unplug your old router
Attach any antennas included, if not already attached
Place your wireless router as central as possible between all the machine you want to connect to it, but away from metal surfaces.
Plug in the wireless router (power as well as the cable that comes from the modem or ADSL switch). The cable from the modem plugs into the slot marked as 'In' or 'Internet', check the router documentation if not sure.
Configuration basics This is very much dependent on your router but the basics are described here to give you an idea of the effort and level of knowledge required;
The CD that came with your router is not necessarilly required, unless your router has additional functionalities. The configuration is normally fairly easy
Connecting to your wireless router. Place your router close to one of your machines.
To start with, connect a network cable from one of the OUT ports of the router to the network socket on your computer. Yes, this is a wireless router, but you should connect using a physical network cable when configuring your wireless network as it makes things easier and quicker.
Find the router's IP address in your router's manual. It will be something like 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, as well as the default login. It will probably be something like User: "admin" Password: "admin" or something similar. (We will change this later)
On your computer, open a web browser. Some routers will automatically redirect you to the router configuration page, if not, enter the IP address from the previous step (i.e. 192.168.1.1) into the web browser address bar and press the go button. You should now be prompted to log onto your router. Use the username and password retrieved from the manual during the previos step.
The first thing you should do is to change your router password. If not, anyone who connects to your router could log on and change your settings or the password itself (If this does happen,you can reset the router back to factory settings). To change the password, find a configuration page on your router configuration setup that is named something like "General Settings" or "Router Configuration." Once there, you can reset your password by following the instructions.
Note: You only need this password to make configuration changes and not to log onto the network. After changing your password you may have to login again.
You now need to give your router a meaningful name.
(This is what you will see when viewing (looking for) available wireless networks to connect to, so you need to name it appropriately. Try to avoid using anything personal as your network will be broadcast to anyone within range. They wont be able to connect to it once secured, but they can see the name you are going to use now).
Note: I normally use the router's SSID to name my networks. The SSID can normally be found on a printed sticker on the back of your router.
Choosing a Channel
You would think thirteen wireless channels would be enough to go around. And they are; but at the expense of any of them working well when many channels are in use. This is because there are two fundamental problems in the way the channels and protocols are set up — and this limits performance when adjacent channels are in use.
The problem with channels is that each wireless channel uses a bandwidth of 25MHz, but is separated from its neighbours by only 5MHz. This meansthat there is a large degree of overlap between one channel and another. In Europe, the only channels that do not overlap with each other are channels 1, 6 and 11.
The second problem is that signal on a channel that overlaps yours is treated as noise, which affects the signal to noise ratio, which determines the transmission rate you obtain — simply put, less noise means better transmission rate. The noise increases too if the adjacent channel is being used with 802.11g devices. This means it can be better to use an existing channel that has no overlapping channels in use, than to use an empty but overlapping channel.
While noise reduces the signal to noise ratio for everyone, the collision detection mechanisms means two networks can often share a channel, affecting each other only in periods of heavy use. Sharing 802.11b and 802.11g devices on the same channel also reduces throughput – as 802.11g devices drop down to 802.11b speeds when an 802.11b device is transmitting. Transmission rates of the proposed standard, 802.11n, are also affected by 802.11b devices, but are not significantly affected by 802.11g devices. The 2.5GHz spectrum that Wi-Fi uses is divided into 13 channels, each 25MHz wide. It’s easier to pick a channel once you understand the overlap between adjacent wireless channels; remember that signals on overlapping channels are noise to your channel.
Securing your wireless network
To prevent others (neighbours,etc.) from connecting to your network and accessing your computers, you have to add some security. This is a very important step as your network will be publically broadcast to within +- 30 meters.
To do this, you have to set up a type of security called WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol). Anyone who wants to connect to your wireless network, will have to know this WEP key (a sequence of 26 letters/numbers for 128 bit encryption), or they will not be able to connect. Newer routers have additional/other encryption types like 256 bit WEP or AES, but we won't be addressing those now.
Look for a "Wireless Security" section in the router configuration page and then select your security type of 128 bit WEP encryption. You should then be prompted to enter your key.
Note: You can make-up your own key using combinations of the legal characters or use the "Key Generator" function provided by some routers.
The key can contain any combination of the following characters: 0123456789ABCDEF. A typical example is A8B1FF0123ABC6N9MM4FD234SD (26 random characters). Remember to note this key down somewhere because you will need it for every computer you want to connect to your network.
Note: If you lose or forget this key you can always retrieve it by physically connecting to the wireless router via Ethernet cable and re-accessing this router configuration page.
If you decide to step-up to security WPA using TKIP or AES, then have a look @ https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm a great site to generate random high strength pass phrases.
Note: If you are connected to this router wirelessly while setting it up, you will be disconnected when you set the WEP key, so make sure you have it handy so you can enter it again.
Connecting to your wireless network
You can now connect all of your devices to your wireless network.
Windows XP will prompt you for the WEP key when you attempt to connect to your network. Enter the WEP key twice (as prompted), only once with Vista and away you go. Windows will remember it for future connections.
Note: The only time you might be required to enter it again is when you have deleted the connection on your computer or changed certain router settings.