Wireless Router Installation: The Basics of Setup

With all the advances in wireless technology, wireless router installation has become as practical as it is easy. Find out what you need to start and how to set up your wireless network here.

What You Need

• Broadband Internet connection: shop around for the best deal in your area.  

• Wireless router: the router converts signals from your Internet connection into a wireless broadcast. There are a few networking technologies available – 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. 802.11g typically is more compatible and is a recommended choice.

• Wireless network adapter: this enables your computer to connect to the wireless router. Newer computers and laptops commonly come with this feature built in. In this case, you won’t need to purchase an adapter. If your desktop does not have one, purchase a USB wireless network adapter, and for a laptop purchase a PC card network adapter. To make setup easiest, purchase a product made from the same vendor as your wireless router.

Installing Your Router

Since there are many brands of routers, the ports on your particular router may be labeled differently. Refer to your equipment’s original documentation for additional assistance.

Step 1-Unplug Modem

Turn off your broadband Internet modem by unplugging it.

Step 2-Unplug Network Cable

Unplug your network cable from your computer and plug it into your router in the port label “Internet,” “WAN,” or “WLAN on your wireless router.

Step 3-Plug-In Modem

Plug-in your modem and give it a few minutes to connect to the Internet again.

Step 4-Plug-In Router

Plug-in your wireless router. After a couple more minutes, the “Internet,” “WAN,” or “WLAN” light on the front of your wireless router should light up, signaling that it has connected to your modem.

Step 5-Configure Router

Next you will need to configure your router. Temporarily connect your computer to one of the open ports on your router using the cable that came with your router. Open a browser and type in the address that came with your router to configure it. Refer to your router’s instruction manual if you are prompted for a password.

You will be taken to a configuration page for your router. Generally the default setting are fine, but you should do three things:

• Set your Network Name: create a name to identify your network.
• Set the network to WEP or WPA: this will help protect your wireless network. You may need to set a pass-phrase, but you will not need to memorize it.
• Set the Password: set a secure password for your network with a combination of letters and numbers.

After this is completed, save the settings.

Step 6-Connect to the Internet

Connect your computer to the Internet. Your computer should show an icon saying that it has found a wireless connection. Right click on the icon to View Available Wireless Networks. You should see your network listed in the window that appears. Select it and you will be prompted for your password that you just set up. Enter the password, click connect and you should be online.