Set Up A Wi-Fi Network In Your Home

Step-By-Step Guide To Setting Up A Wi-Fi Network

by Jon Norwood - October 27th, 2006

A home office can get messy very quickly. With computers, printers, a fax machine, and a phone there are wires running in every direction. One way to get control of this situation is to set up a Wi-Fi network in your home. This type of connectivity is convenient, and can grow as your business does.

Wireless networks don't have to be expensive, and many times can actually be cheaper than a traditional network depending on the specific configuration. A home office that already has a network doesn't need to replace it completely when transitioning to a wireless one, but can use the wireless network to expand the exiting infrastructure. This can extend connectivity to every room of the house, and to a limited range outside allowing work to occur anywhere.

To begin, you will need the following:

Desktop and or laptop computers or Wi-Fi compatible handhelds
Wireless access point
Broadband connection

Many devices work over wireless networks, including PCs, laptops, notebook computers, Palm Pilots, and more. Whatever device you want to use, make sure that it says it is Wi-Fi compatible, or in the case of a PC purchase a wireless card. Once this is done, a cable, DSL, or some other broadband connection will be needed to accept information from the wireless access point. A wireless access point is a device that connects to a router, allowing the sending and receiving of wireless information on a wired network.

Step One - Connecting To The Router

First, connect your wireless access point (WAP) to the router that is connected to your broadband connection. The router is what allows you to have more than one computer on a single Internet connection, and will serve the same purpose for your new wireless network. The difference will be that your computers no longer need to be connected to your router via a cable. Once the WAP has connectivity, you are ready to go.

Step Two - Connecting Devices

You must make sure that all the equipment you plan to use, such as computers or devices, are Wi-Fi compatible. To check this, look at the boxes or literature that the equipment came with and look for Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi LAN, or 802.11 compliance, all of which is the same thing. If you no longer have the information, check the manufacturer's website for the details.

Although most new computers have Wi-Fi capability already built in, it may be necessary to purchase a wireless card for some older PCs. These cards usually connect to the PCI slot of the motherboard, or the card slot of a laptop. It is imperative that the transmitters you purchase are compatible with your wireless access point. Check this by matching the technologies used. If your WAP is 802.11b or 802.11g, then your cards need to be either one as they are both compatible with each other. 802.11a is only compatible with itself, so you can't mix in any other technologies with it. Once your WAP and devices are configured, you can use your network.

Step Three - The Service Set Identifier

Wireless networks use a unique value to identify themselves called a Service Set Identifier, or SSID. A WAP should come configured with a default SSID. This value should be changed to something unique to avoid others detecting and attempting to use your wireless LAN. You will want to change the SSID to something only you know, and guard it as you would a password. Your WAP device will have all the information you need with it to configure the new SSID.

Step Four - Securing Your Network

Security is always a concern when dealing with Internet access, and wireless networks are no different. Your WAP will have several security options to choose from, so study them well and understand your options. One strong security option available with all WAP devices is a WEP key.

Be sure that before you use your new network you set up a WEP key for all of your computers. Any network is only secure if every one of the computers connected to it has been properly secured with a WEP key.

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