Many people end up frustrated and confused when trying to set up a wireless router themselves. They usually attempt to follow the setup CD or instructions that came with the router and end up giving up or paying someone else to do it for them.
This article will outline the three basic concepts you need to understand to set up a wireless router yourself. I’m going to show you how to do it without using the setup CD that comes with your router and without any of the fancy gadgets or push buttons designed to make setting up a wireless router easy. While these methods may seem easy on the surface they don’t always work. They also keep you isolated from any understanding of what is actually going on. If a simple mistake is made you may get stuck and be forced to turn to someone else for help.
Once you understand how to set up a wireless router you’ll also understand how to set up just about any wireless device on the market including printers, game consoles, iPads etc.
The three basic concepts you need to understand about wireless routers and wireless networking security are:
1. Your SSID – Service Set Identifier. This is a big sounding word that simply means the name of your wireless network. It’s best to change this from the default and give it a name that means something to you but means little to someone else. Something like ILHMAP for “I Love Home Made Apple Pie” is good.
2. Your Encryption Type – You need to understand the hierarchy of wireless encryption. It all started with WEP or Wired Equivalent Privacy. This came standard with most B and G routers. As computer processors speeds increased WEP became easier and easier to crack so a new standard came out call WPA. WPA uses TKIP as it’s encryption. Soon after WPA came out WPA2 was introduced. WPA2 uses an even stronger form of encryption called AES. Some older operating systems and game consoles will only work with WEP. When you can you want to use WPA or WPA2. Many times you can choose WPA/WPA2 which allows you to use both types of encryption with the same password. This is a very popular choice when setting up security on a wireless router.
3. Your Pass phrase – This is also known as the password or “encryption key”. It’s often confused with the router password. The router password is simply the password you use to log into the router. The encryption key is what allows a computer, printer or other network device to connect or “associate” with the wireless router. WEP passwords are generated by typing in a word or phrase. The result is usually scrambled into something like “17B295FcA8″. You then have to type these hexidecimal characters into each of your devices. Not very user-friendly. WPA and WPA2 do not generate difficult to remember hex numbers like WEP. You can simply type in 8-63 characters such as “My dog barks 2 loud”. In this example spaces count as characters and the “M” in “My” MUST be capitalized.
Now that you understand the basic concepts involved with wireless networking let’s put them to use.
All that’s really left to do now is access the routers web interface and enter the parameters mentioned above.
In order to access the routers web interface you need to know three things.
1. The routers IP address.
2. The routers user name and password.
3. If you computer is on the same network as the routers IP address.
IP Address
The routers IP address is usually something like 192.168.0.1, 192.168.2.1 or even 10.0.0.1. The documentation that came with the router should provide this. If you don’t have the documentation simply do a search engine search for “router make and model default IP.”
Username And Password
The routers username and password is usually along the lines of “admin” and “password”. If these don’t work simply do a search engine search on “router make and model default password”. If it’s a second-hand router you may need to hard reset it to get it back to it’s default. Hard resetting usually involves poking a paper clip into a tiny hole in the back of the router and holding it for 15 to 30 seconds and releasing. Once you release the router will reboot and return to it’s factory default settings and you’ll be able to use it’s default username and password to log on.
Same Network?
If you computer is on the same network as the routers IP address you’ll be able to connect. If not you won’t be able to connect. Network devices need to be on the same network to communicate with each other unless they’re using a special configured router to join their separate networks. Once you know your routers default IP address simply go your computers command prompt and type in IPCONFIG. This will return your computers IP address.
If the first three “octets” of your routers IP and your computers IP line up your on the same network. If they don’t you won’t be able to connect.
Let’s look at some examples of this:
If your routers default IP address is: 192.168.1.1 and your computer IP address is 192.168.0.4 you won’t be able to connect.
A better illustration of this is as follows:
Same network:
192.168.1.3
192.168.1.30
Different network:
192.168.1.3
192.168.0.30
So if your PC is not on the same network as the router what do you do?
Simply connect one end of an ethernet cable to one of the four ports in the back of you router and the other to the network port in your PC and reboot.
When the computer reboots it will automatically pick up an IP from your routers built-in DHCP server that will allow you to connect to the router.
Now that all the stars are all properly aligned it’s time to connect to the router.
To do this simply:
1. Enter your routers IP address into your favorite browser (IE, Chrome, Firefox etc.) and hit “enter”.
2. Type in the username and password to access the router.
3. Find the “Wireless” or “Wireless Security” section in your router and enter the SSID, Encryption and Pass phrase parameters as discussed above.
That’s it!
Once you’re done you simply need to enter the pass phrase you created into the wireless utilities in each of your network devices. This is a simple matter of clicking or tapping on your SSID, entering you pass phrase and clicking on “connect!”
Now that you understand the basics of setting up a wireless router you can set up any wireless networking device you like. Whether your setting up a Wireless G router, a Wireless N Router, a wireless printer, an iPad or iPod the principles are the same.
J Richard Jones has been supporting computers and networks for over 15 years. Visit his site to learn more about setting up a wireless network.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Richard_Jones
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Set-Up-a-Wireless-Router&id=6434226
This post has been contributed by a guest poster. Their details, if any, appear at the end of the above article.
This is great info and i like the fact that you used examples, so that anyone can understand. Hm…an article about how can you setup a switch will be equally great and useful.
I will be honest with you Richard, I prefer wires. Less interference, less to go wrong, less chance of people ‘hijacking’ your connection and faster speeds.
A good article despite my comments, you do make it seem really easy
Christopher Roberts’s recent post ..Technology Bloggers
Thanks for the share-I think its about time I learn how to do it on my own, so I am glad I came up your post. So far, my husband was always in charge of this matter, as I am quite “wirelessly ignorant”.lol
Kristina L.’s recent post ..ScanCafe Coupon Code
Twitter: AlanOnSecurity
says:
For a better security, I would like to add in as well to reduce the signal radius of the router so that people from the outside of your home are not able to make an attempt to connect to your wireless router.
Alan Tay’s recent post ..Facebook Trojan Owned User with Shocking Video
Twitter: http://www.limohiredirectory.co.uk/
says:
@Alan mate that’s why we use something called “password protection”….so we need not to worry about the range of the router and can get a clear signal in our garden also….if you don’t want anybody to use your internet then make it password protected…better then decreasing the range!!
Hi Richard – you really taught some thinga here I didn’t knew, and it’s useful to me, I have leptop and sometimes I have modem problems. thank you and have a great week!
Anna’s recent post ..The best way to meet guys
Well.. I actually understand it already. But still, thanks a lot for sharing this. Because I’m sure, a lot of people still don’t know how to do it.
Andrew Walker’s recent post ..Reputation.com Coupon Code
Twitter: atulperx
says:
I have used wireless connection but for online gaming it is very bad.. Sometime it lag too much and get kicked out from servers. But thanks for whole installation process with examples.
AtulPerx’s recent post ..Free Blog Templates For Blogspot Users
Thanks for this tutorial, I’ve setted up my own wireless router now. Only i have nat type 3 on my playstation 3, how can i make this 1 or 2 ?
Greetings Colene.
Colene’s recent post ..autoverzekering berekenen
Some routers allow mac filtering. Setting it makes sure that only the set of pcs/laptops which have been pre-approved based on mac address, are able to connect to it.
I found this a good way of adding another level of security to prevent unauthorized access.
Amanda Gordon’s recent post ..Backpack Vacuum Cleaners
Thank you Richard, this was great, fast and easy! I managed to set up my parents wifi using this instruction.
John Winson’s recent post ..Lump Sum Profits Bonus
What a simple coverup for Wireless Router setup. Nice and it would be great if you included some video tutorial or screenshots in certain steps.
Anyway, it will help someone for sure. Tweeting now. Cheers.
Robin
Mackeeper Review’s recent post ..Keep your Mac Clean with MacKeeper from Zeobit
I’m one of those people who can’t set up a wireless router! I’m going to bookmark this post for the time I’ll have to do it..good luck me
Larissa’s recent post ..How to get rid of scars
thnks its nice post. with help of this now i will try to setup my own router.can i connect my i phone with this router as well ???
Mobimas’s recent post ..The Complete Guide to the Toefl Test iBT Edition (Books + Keys + Audio CDs + Software) [mediafire.com]
It is great help you giving here.
I thank you heartily. Technically underdeveloped woman
Katie’s recent post ..קבלה
router up address: 192.168.0.1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.1.254
username: admin
password: password or admin or sky or virgin
Thank you for these helpful tips. I am one of the many who hates to set-up my own wireless internet connection. Actually, I do have an account with a telecommunications company. This company does not allow their customers to do self-installation, so we had to schedule a technician to do the installation. For the install alone, it did cost us a lot. That’s $49.99.
Suzan@The Ticket site’s recent post ..Looking for Online Tickets?
Twitter: techcrates
says:
Pretty nice info … Was planning to buy a WiFi router and hand over the setup process to someone pro in the field !! But after reading this, I think I can do it myself
Salman @ Tech Blog’s recent post ..How to Choose the Best High Speed Internet Providers
My brother bought a wireless router for me and I’m totally happy with it. I can use any of my gadgets from my mobile, laptops, desktops and other machines anywhere I go inside our house. So I’m very much happy with it plus the fact that I can easily reset it if necessary because wireless router can be set-up very easy.
Mark’s recent post ..I will need to get my weight down and energy up to the level that the P90X system requires
Who can live without a wireless router now? Thanks for the tips and all the best wishes!
Thanks for this article! I found it very useful because I had some problems with a router yesterday.
Yesterday I had some problems with my router and your article helped a bit thanks again!
Twitter: technicallyeasy
says:
The important thing to remember when setting up a wireless router is to create a long and strong passphrase. This is the probably the most important factor to securing your network.
Paul Salmon’s recent post ..Choosing Amazon Kindle Fire: 5 Reasons It Trumps the Apple iPad
Twitter: WindowsTalk
says:
That’s a good reminder, Paul. Many do not know the passphrase can be just that: a phrase. It doesn’t need to be a password, but can be a sentence like “Jack & Jill went up a hill” for example.
James Fisher’s recent post ..4 Ways to Use Your PC to Find a Job
Finally I found this article. Looking for tutor to set up wireless… thanks
Its good that you have this tutorial. I just replaced my 3 year old router with a new wireless router. Setup was a success but it would not be as easy without this post. Thanks!
May I ask how do you setup the router to accept connections from different persons simultaneously while using different passwords for each?
Joy Bedford’s recent post ..June to December 2012 Cebu Pacific Promo Pisolicious Fares
What I have experienced is while setting up a wireless network, we need to set up WPA passwords because they are stronger than WEP passwords. WEP passwords are easily breakable, so always prefer WPA passwords to secure your wireless networks.
I use WPA passwords because I detected that my WEB passwords were cracked by no one elase than my landlord.