Wireless Router Setup

Most of your personal electronic devices and gadgets, including phones, tablets and laptops, now have the ability to connect over wireless networks. Therefore, it has become important today for you to know how to set up a wireless network at your home/office.

However, you don't need to be a computer networking wizard to be able to do that. The only thing that you are required to know is how to configure a wireless router.

Modern routers are easy to set up, and in a few easy steps, you should have your wireless Internet connection up and functioning, in no time. In the following section, we discuss the process of setting up a wireless router, for establishing a wireless network at your home.

Barring a few small details, a Linksys router's setup won't differ a lot from a Netgear or Belkin router for that matter. Hence presented here are generic instructions, that are not specific to any particular brand or model, and should work equally well for almost any modern-day router.

We assume that you have a desktop or a laptop computer with an inbuilt or a USB wireless adapter, and a broadband Internet connection. Your modem will be directly connected with your broadband Internet connection on one end, and with the router on the other. You will gain Internet access through a Wi-Fi connection made between your router and the computer.

First thing to do is to choose a router, which suits your requirements. It is recommended that you go for a dual band router, with 802.11n wireless networking standard, as it guarantees high data-transfer speeds.

It is advisable that you browse through a number of reviews on trusted websites, which should help you narrow down your choices. For best performance, you should go for the fastest 'wireless n' router, which will provide you with excellent data transfer speeds.

Lastly, choose a suitable location for your router to be placed (ideally the center of the building), so that it provides uniform wireless Internet coverage throughout your home.

Now that you are ready with the equipment, you can begin the setup process. Disconnect the modem from the computer. Once the wireless network is established, your modem will not come in direct contact with your computer.

Remove the modem cable connected to the back of your computer, and insert it into the WAN port of the router. Switch on the modem and connect to the Internet. Using the cable supplied with your router, temporarily connect your router to your computer for configuration purposes.

Switch on the router and your computer. Ensure that the modem has successfully established an Internet connection. For configuring the router to connect with your computer, you have to open up your default browser and type in the address specified in the router manual for configuration. Linksys, Belkin and Netgear have different addresses for configuration.

Enter the address, and hit 'Enter' to begin the setup. You will be asked for a 'login name' and a 'password'. Just enter the default one that is recommended in the router manual. This will open up various tabs for the configuration of your router.

First, set up an administrator login name and password. Enable WAP2 encryption to secure your network, and set up a new SSID name for it. Save the changes that you have made to the settings, and close the window. Disconnect the PC to router connection by removing the cable.

Lastly, establish connection with your router, by using the network setup wizard. With that your wireless router setup should be complete, and you should be able to wirelessly connect to the Internet.

Depending upon your particular router model, a few minor details will vary. However, the overall setup procedure will remain the same. Make sure that you secure your wireless network properly so as to prevent unauthorized access and hacking attacks.