I would like to set up a simple wireless home network. What will I need?

Question

I have 2 desktops -one is mine, one is my son's in two different rooms. We both have Windows XP Home Edition. My son would like to be able to connect to the internet mostly and maybe share some files and play computer games. What hardware/software do I need to buy? Thanks

Answer 1

Let's cover what you need to get Internet access to more than one computer at home, via wireless LAN (local area network).

The concept is the same for Wired networks. Add Cat5 cables and NICs, instead of wireless adapters to each computer.



1. You order or use your existing Cable or DSL Internet access.



2. Your Cable or DSL company sets up your Internet access and typically either rents or sells you a Cable or DSL network bridge. They often refer to this as a Cable or DSL “modem”. Actually a complete misnomer since the device does NOT modulate or demodulate, nor does it convert analog to digital or digital to analog.



Prices for Cable or DSL Internet access vary from approximately $19 per month to $80 per month in the United States. This varies based on bandwidth, location, and provider.



At this point you have what is commonly called “Broad Band” or “High Speed” Internet access.



Now you want to share that high speed connection with more than one system. You want to be able to cart your laptop all over the house and stay connected to the Internet as you do so.



1. Confirm that your system has a wireless adapter or get one and install it. You need one of these for each computer. USB type are better. USB type that are 802.11n are best.



2. Get a wireless router. I recommend the D-Link DIR-655. Get D-Link n series USB wireless adapters if you get the D-Link wireless router. If you get a Linksys wireless router, get Linksys wireless adapters. They work BETTER together if they are the same brand. This isn’t a requirement, merely a suggestion.



3. Plug the wireless router directly into the Cable or DSL network bridge via an Ethernet cable.



4. Unplug the electrical cord from your Cable or DSL network bridge for 30-45 seconds.



5. Plug the power cable back in.



6. Check the Cable or DSL network bridge for green lights.



7. Make sure that the properties of TCP/IP are set to Obtain IP address automatically, and obtain DNS automatically on ALL of your computers.



8. Turn on or reboot your system(s).



Now you should be able to stay connected to the Internet with all of your computers.



If you can not access the Internet from every computer:



Attempt to log in to your wireless router via your web browser (internet exploder or Firefox) by typing in http://192.168.1.1/

Then log in using admin and admin typically. Be sure to change the password to something of your own choosing.

Enable DHCP by following the instructions in the manual for your wireless router.



You only need one wireless router for you wireless LAN. One wireless router can accommodate up to 253 wireless computers. You can use combinations of wired and wireless routers together but typically one wireless router is sufficient for all your needs.



For security:



1. Don't announce the SSID of your wireless router.

2. Use WPA2 if you can. WPA-PSK if not WPA2, or WEP at the very least.

3. Put the MAC addresses of all of your computers into the MAC routing table of your wireless router and ONLY ALLOW from the addresses in the table of the wireless router.

4. Turn the SPI firewall of the wireless router ON.

5. Filter anonymous or incomplete packets.



If this all seems too complex and complicated to do, use local.yahoo.com to find a wireless network professional near you.

Answer 2

I assume you have a broadband connection like DSL or Cable. Your internet provider would have given you a "modem" to decode the signal received over the cable or phone line. You need to have a wireless router, and these are readily available in many stores, such as the ones made by Netgear, Belkin, Linksys, and others.



Each computer that connects wirelessly needs to have a wireless network interface. Most laptops sold today already have this installed. You then need to use the software provided with the network interfaces to make a connection to your wireless router.



The network interfaces can be internal, such as a PCI card that fits into a slot inside the computer, or external, such as one that uses a USB port to connect.



If one of the computers is right next to the router, and if that computer has an ethernet port, it can connect directly to the router and does not need the wireless card/device.



If you are using only desktops, consider using powerline network adapters. These plug right into your electrical power system. One is connected through a wired connection to your router, and then you can put more of them around the house into electrical outlets, where you can use a wired connection from them to the ethernet port in your computer. They are much easier to set up and use, are more secure, and give a faster connection.

Answer 3

You will need to get a wireless router and make sure that both computers have anetworking card in them (which most of the newer computers do).

Just add the computer throught the Network Setup Wizard in the Control Panel and you will be able to use the internet from both computers.

Be aware that if you are networked together, your son will be albe to look through your files and vice versa, unless you set some specific permissions.

Answer 4

after you get broadband internet, get a wireless router which will plug in the the broadband modem supplied by the ISP, then each PC will need to have a wireless adapter if they will both be using wireless. if one is close to the router you could use ethernet cable if it if you want.



you can buy a USB WiFi adapter for the PCs for 20-25 bucks or so, then router is about 40 or so. no additional software is needed.



If you want to share files between the PCs just make sure they both are in the same workgroup under control panel > sstem > computername, and enable file & print sharing under control panel > network connections > LAN connection (or wireless ) properties