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Learn To Set Up A Wireless Network In Your House

By Jonathan Carmichael

Wireless networking may sound like a nightmare to set up however if you have some basic information about the key parts and common errors you will have a much easier time setting up a stable network for your home PC and other devices. Below you will find a brief overview of everything you will need to know to create a wireless network at home quickly.

The most crucial component in any wireless home network is the access point, often referred to as an AP. Many consumer devices marketed as routers provide this functionality and much more, offering firewalls and web-based configuration interfaces, and it is usually easiest to purchase one of these.

When buying a router, pay particular attention to what versions of 802.11--the technical designation for the protocol WiFi devices speak--are supported. Whatever choice you make will almost certainly be compatible with all of your wireless devices, but you might enjoy extra efficiency by selecting a router that supports 802.11N if you know that one or more of your devices supports it.

Also, consider the range of each router you evaluate. A good choice should have enough range to provide coverage for your entire home and slightly beyond as to ensure that you'll rarely lose a signal.

Once the router is connected and installed, it is time to consider various aspects of wireless security. By default, most routers ship with no security enabled as to ease initial configuration. This not only means that anyone can connect to your network, but that anyone nearby can read most of your traffic, extracting passwords and other sensitive information.

Enabling your wireless security should be your main priority unless you are certain you want to share your connection. This will keep other people from using your network without a password that you provide and makes it much more difficult to farm your information.

There are a variety of security schemes from which to choose, more than can be discussed here. Whichever method you pick should be compatible with all computers and devices on your network. If in doubt, WiFi Protected Access or WPA is usually a safe and compatible choice.

Next you'll need to configure each computer and device to participate in your network. Steps for doing this vary based on operating system and device, though in general each follows a similar pattern.

First, instruct each wireless-capable device to connect to your network based on the network name your router provided. This is usually available either in its manual or within one of the first screens of the web configuration interface.

If your security is up and running the device you are, connecting will ask for a password and the method used. These will match the ones within the router. Barring any complications, your network connection should be set up in a matter of minutes.

Wireless internet access and networks are becoming more common and several resources are available that can help. Most routers now ship with enough information in the manuals to get even the most novice network administrator going.

Internet sites like Google are an invaluable tool for resolving networking issues, as there is a good chance someone else has already experienced and solved the same problems you might be having.

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