Wireless internet connections are now the more popular way to have your computer setup to the internet. There's no need for all that cabling to cause a clutter in the back room of your office or home anymore. Now, usually someone who purchases a wireless router at any store has to either call the tech support line for the device or pay a tech savvy person to come over their home and set it up for them. Well, if you've ever bought any technical device you know that it's not always easy to find that person to assist you or even if you do find them, it will cost you an arm and a leg for them to install something that usually only takes them a couple minutes. Who likes to pay a lot of money to have someone install something in a flash anyway? I know I don't so keep your hard earned cash for something that's worth paying for and learn how to install snd configure your very own wireless router.
These guidlines already assume that you have Windows 2000, XP, Vista. It also assumes that you a computer with wireless capability and also have an existing broadband internet connection, like for example DSL, or ComCast. So please, take care of this first before reading any further.
There are very basic steps to follow to setup any wireless router. So, don't worry about the make and model when your setting it up, just follow my instructions and you should be connecting to your new wireless network within minutes. Ok, so here are the steps:
1. First locate your existing internet modem. This usually looks like a white or black box with lights flashing on it. Your new router must be placed near your modem sice you will be connecting the 2 together.
2. Once you've located the modem, connect the AC adapter that came with your router and connect it to the back of the router. Find the nearest power outlet and plug it in.
3. Now, your router should have come with a network cable. This cable looks similar to a phone cable only it's thicker and could be color coded with either yellow, blue, or black.
4. Look at the back of the modem. Again, this is the black or white box with lights on it that should already be connected to your computer with a network cable just like the one you just pulled out of your wireless router box.
5. Now, follow the cable from your modem to your computer and diconnect it from the computer.
6. Place your new router on top or next to your modem.
7. Insert the end of the cable that you just pulled out from your computer into the port on your router that says WAN. You have several numbered ports or holes on the back of your new router. There should be one that is a bit seperated from the others with the letters WAN labeled above it.
8. Now, you should have one cable going from your modem to your new router. Please make sure that the cable is going into the WAN port. This is very important or else you're computer will not connect to the internet.
9. Find that other network cable that came with your router and connect it from any one of the ports on your router to your computer.
10. Now, lift your new router and look underneath or on the side of it for an IP address. It should be printed somewhere on the router. Once you find it write that number down on a piece of paper.
11. Now, go to your computer and hopefully you have Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. I'm sorry, but I'm a PC guy. If you need help with your MAC I would suggest googling a tutorial for MAC.
12. Once you have the number written down, open up your internet browser and type the IP address in the address bar after the http://
13. You should now have a login window asking for a username and password. Look inside of your new router box and find the username and password. If the username is already listed as "admin" the default password should also be "admin" or it could be blank. They always pack it in the box so just take your time to find it.
14. Once you find the username and password type it in the appropriate fields and click ok.
15. This is where you will need your instruction manual that came with your device since this is where things vary depending on the type of router you purchase.
16. This is where you get to configure your router. Now, this is for advanced users but just like anything advanced there is a basic useage to it as well. So, look for a field that says SSID. Name your device whatever you want. This is the name you will be searching for later, so make sure to remember it.
17. That's all the configuration you will need to do as of now just to have things working. What we just did was give your new wireless network a name that you can find easily when it's time to search for it.
18. You can now close this browser and return to your desktop.
19. At the bottom right hand of your screen you should have an icon or a little picture of a screen with waves next to it. It could either have an "X" on it or it could be green. Either way, right click on it and select "view available wireless networks."
20. You should now have a window with a list of names. These names are existing wireless networks in your area. Go through the list and find the name you typed in the steps above.
21. If you do not see the name of your network, then go back to your modem and router, unplug the power from the back of each device and wait 30 seconds. Plug them back in and click on the refresh button on the left-hand side of the window.
22. Once you see your network, select it and it should say connected successfully. Close that window and the icon on the bottom right hand side of your screen should not have an "X" anymore.
That's all there is too it. 22 steps to setting up your own wireless device that can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to install. If these steps seem too difficult then you could just use the CD that came with the device or you can user this as a supplement to the CD in case the instructions on the CD don't explain anything. So, have fun with your new wireless network!
