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Here you go...

messes of cables in many homes and small businesses. No more fishing wires through walls, no more tripping over wires laid across doorways, and no more yelling at Fido and Fluffy when they think Ethernet cables are chew toys.

What people love most about wireless networking, though, is the freedom it offers to share files between a computer in your office and one in your lap out on the patio, or to surf the Internet from bed. But with that explosion comes an avalanche of choices and technologies that can quickly become overwhelming. The good news is that putting together a wireless network can be simple. The key is to assess your needs, acquire the right equipment, and proceed through a few basic steps.

Step 1: Determine Your Needs and Set Your Goals

Wireless networking equipment is not all created equal, in part because different users have different needs. Think of a wireless network as having three primary personality traits: speed, range and security. Depending on your situation, you may want a network with all three or you may need a network strong in only one or two.

A typical city dweller. You simply want to surf the Web and check e-mail using your portable computer around your apartment in the city. In this scenario, neither speed nor range need be best in class, but security is important because you are close to neighbors whose computers could pick up your signal.

A typical country dweller. You also just browse Web sites and log in to e-mail but your house is large, you have lots of land, and your neighbors are spread far and wide. You want Internet access from the backyard so range is important, but you may not need the most speed or the strongest security.

A business. You may need it all — speed for moving large documents around your network quickly, good range for providing access to users spread throughout several rooms or floors, and strong security to lock down your communications and prevent sensitive information from being compromised.

As you might expect, there is some correlation between price and performance when it comes to wireless networking equipment. Although prices continue to fall, considering your needs first will not only help you choose the right gear, but perhaps save you some money in the process.

Step 2: Choose Your Speed

Faster is better, right? It can be, and more speed certainly can't hurt. But, like pumping premium octane fuel into a budget car, buying more wireless speed may mean paying extra for something you don't really need.

There are two official wireless technologies you will typically find walking into any major name electronics depot: 802.11b and 802.11g. Often these are simply referred to as “b” and “g” respectively.



Wireless “b” gear is rated to 11Mbps while “g” gear is rated to 54Mbps. You may see these figures promoted on the packaging.

Newer technology is being added to wireless equipment to support even higher speeds such as 108Mbps and, most recently, 300Mbps. But these premium-priced devices are not yet based on official standards, meaning they may be compatible only with specific models from the same vendor, and future compatibility is unknown.

Don't Be Fooled By Marketing Claims:

- The top speed your wireless network will achieve is approximately half the advertised speed rating. A “b” network tops out at 5.5Mbps, a “g” network at about 27Mbps, and so on. Your real world speeds may be even lower due to wireless interference.

- “Mbps” does not mean “megabytes per second” but rather “megabits per second.” In real world terms, 1Mbps equals approximately a 122 Kilobytes/sec data transfer rate.

- A faster wireless network will not necessarily improve your Internet experience. You will be able to share files between your own computers as fast as your wireless network will allow, but your Internet download speed is limited by your broadband service. Most broadband service available in the U.S. today ranges from 0.5-10Mbps, or faster in some exceptional cases.

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Step 3: Know Your Range

A strong wireless signal will let you achieve the fastest speeds your wireless network supports. As the signal weakens due to interference or distance, your speed will slow down accordingly.

The typical advertised range for most wireless network gear is 300 feet. In practice you could achieve significantly less range depending where you use the equipment. Dense obstacles such as walls, steel and trees will reduce your range. Interference from certain cordless phones and microwave ovens can also affect wireless network performance.

Significant improvements in wireless range are now available with higher-priced MIMO technology, which is used in model names including XR, RangeMax, and RangeBooster. These devices use multiple antennas (some hidden inside) to achieve greater range but performance can be unreliable if you mix and match hardware from different vendors.

Step 4: Evaluate Your Security Needs

Wireless network security is a hot topic in the media and for good reason – too often people leave their networks vulnerable. Because wireless data is just that – wireless – there can be ample opportunity for outsiders to sneak onto your network. Their actions may be harmless if they simply ride your Internet connection to check their e-mail, or they could attempt to steal passwords and other sensitive data.

Later we'll set up wireless security, but first you need to decide how strong your hardware needs to be. The best forms of security rely on encryption so that if someone does intercept your data, they can't make heads or tails of it. But some encryption is better than others – there are four degrees of encryption security available in wireless hardware today:
WEP: The oldest and least secure data encryption. All wireless gear supports WEP, though, so it's useful when you need at least some kind of encryption to be compatible with older wireless hardware.
WPA: A more secure upgrade to WEP. Designed so that many older devices which included only WEP can be upgraded to support WPA.
WPA2: A significantly more secure upgrade to either WEP or WPA. Cannot upgrade older hardware to WPA2, but many new wireless devices support WPA2.
VPN: Short for “Virtual Private Networking,” this technology is not specifically a form of wireless network security. But you can use VPN on your wireless technology if you want the highest form of security possible. Wireless routers with VPN technology tend to be among the more expensive options.

Typically you'd use WPA (or WEP as a last resort) when your wireless security needs to be compatible with users who may have older wireless hardware. WPA2 support is the best choice when buying all-new wireless hardware, and VPN is more often found in high-security business environments.

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Step 5: Choose Your Hardware

It takes two to tango, not only on the dance floor, but with your wireless network. Any wireless network is comprised of at least two devices: a wireless access point, which transmits the signal, and a client (your portable or other computer), which receives the signal.
5a. Wireless Access Point



The wireless access point transmits the networking data your computers will receive. These days, most wireless access points are actually built into "wireless broadband routers," devices that let you share a high-speed Internet connection among several computers and provide security defense. Readily available at major electronics retailers, you can easily identify a broadband router with a wireless access point because it has at least one antenna, although some have two or more.

Some broadband providers, such as Verizon, may include a wireless router with your service — so you might already have one. If not, current prices for routers with wireless access points range from as low as $25 to as high as several hundred depending on features, particularly the big three: speed, range, and security.

5b. Wireless Client

The wireless client is hardware, which “sees” the wireless networking data being transmitted by your access point. Most new portable computers include wireless client hardware already built-in. If you have an older portable computer without wireless support, or a desktop PC, you can add wireless client hardware. You have three choices:A wireless card (for portable computers). Wireless cards look like credit cards, but slightly larger, often with a bump on one end. These slide into one of the card slots often found on the side of your portable computer.
A USB peripheral. USB wireless clients come in a few shapes and sizes. One is a small box with a cable that plugs into one of your USB ports. Another is a “stick” shape which simply protrudes from a USB port. You can use a USB wireless client with most portable or desktop PCs. Portable computer owners often prefer wireless cards instead because they slip almost completely into the machine. For desktop PCs, a USB wireless client is the easiest solution to install.
A PCI card (for desktop PCs). A PCI wireless client is a circuit board that is installed inside your desktop PC. It will probably have a small antenna that sticks up outside your PC case. Some PC owners prefer a PCI wireless client for its “cleaner” installed look, and a wider range of models with different price/feature points than USB devices. However, installing a PCI card requires some work inside the PC case or else paying extra and hauling your PC to the electronics store.


For maximum performance you should choose a wireless router and client that support the same technologies. For example, if you want a “g” network, both devices must support the “g” standard. If you want special non-standard features such as support for 108 or 300Mbps speed and MIMO extended range, consider buying all wireless hardware from the same manufacturer.

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Installment

Step 1: Get to Know Your Wireless Router



On the rear of a typical wireless router you'll see several connections (from right to left in Figure 1):
A power input jack.
One or more wired Ethernet jacks (often labeled 1, 2, 3, 4) for computers on your network that don't have wireless ability.
One Ethernet jack for your broadband connection, often labeled “WAN” or “Internet.”
A reset button. On most routers you can depress this button for 30+ seconds to restore all configuration settings to their factory defaults.

Depending on the model, some wireless routers will also have a small switch on the back to physically enable or disable the wireless network. You should verify that this switch is set to "on" to use the wireless functionality.

Some costlier routers may also feature two Ethernet inputs for two incoming broadband connections, for users who have both cable and DSL, for example.
Step 2: Determine Your Broadband Type

If you are not connecting your wireless router to a broadband connection, and only intend to use wireless networking for your local network rather than connecting to the Internet, skip this section.

Most people will connect their wireless router to an incoming broadband service. You need to know how your broadband service lets you onto its network, information we'll use in Step 5 to configure your router. There are three common broadband connection methods:
DHCP (aka Dynamic IP) : The most common type of broadband connection, especially for cable modem users. Basic network parameters are automatically assigned to your router by the broadband modem.
PPPoE: An increasingly common connection type, especially for DSL users in some parts of the country. PPPoE requires you to supply a username and password to initiate your broadband connection, information that should have been provided to you when your broadband service was installed or puchased.
Static IP: Less common for home residential users, somewhat more common for business broadband. Your broadband provider would have supplied you with a set of numeric addresses you need to connect to the network, as they are not assigned automatically.

If you don't know which of the above your broadband service uses, when we set up your router you can try DHCP, since it is fully automatic. Should that fail to connect, you'll likely want to contact your broadband provider for configuration details.

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Step 3: Connect Your Router to a Wired PC for Initial Setup



Before you place the router in its ideal location, we will first set things up with a temporary wired connection to a computer. Either a desktop PC or portable computer with an Ethernet jack will do, although hooking up to a portable may require less climbing behind or under furniture.

3A. Your router probably included an Ethernet cable in the box. Use this or another Ethernet cable you have to connect the network jack on your computer to one of the local ports on the router – those labeled 1, 2, and so on. It doesn't matter which, as long as you do not connect the cable to your router's “WAN”/”Internet” port.

Also connect the Ethernet cable from your broadband modem to the "WAN"/"Internet" port on your router.

Now your router is connected via cable to both your broadband modem and your computer.

3B. It often helps to reboot your broadband modem at this point — the easiest way is to unplug it from the power source and plug it back in after a few seconds or so. Most broadband modems will take a little while to reboot, anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

Boot (or reboot) your computer as well.

Brand----------Default Address--------------Default Username---------Default Password
Belkin-----------192.168.2.1-----------------<none>-----------------<none>
D-Link ----------192.168.0.1-----------------admin-----------------<none>
Linksys---------192.168.1.1-----------------<none> or admin -------admin or <none>
Netgear--------192.168.0.1-----------------admin-----------------password
SMC-----------192.168.2.1-----------------<none>---------------smcadmin
Zyxel----------192.168.1.1-----------------admin or<none>---------1234


Note that <none> means to leave the field blank. These defaults describe many models in a vendor's lineup, but may not be accurate for certain exceptions or new models released after publication. Again, the documentation included with your router should clearly descibe its default IP address and login.




Once connected, you'll see an administration interface similar to that in Figure 3, which was taken from a Zyxel brand wireless router. Your particular router's interface may look different and feature different menus, but many of the most important settings are similar between models and brands. Consult your documentation, of course.

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Step 5: Configure Your Broadband Connection

You may recall way back in Step 2 you determined the type of broadband connection you have. Now it's time to set up the router accordingly. On this model, we clicked the "Basic" menu and "WAN" submenu. Again, your model may differ, and newer models may include a guided wizard that takes you through these steps. Users without a broadband connection can likewise skip



In our case, we have a broadband connection of the DHCP variety, also known as "Dynamic IP" as you see in Figure 4.

PPPoE users should click that button and a prompt will request your login name and password, as supplied by your service provider.

Static IP users will be prompted to supply several numerical addresses, also supplied by your service provider.

It's important to click "Save Settings" (sometimes called "Apply Settings") whenever you make a change.

Test that your router is successfully connected to your broadband. One quick way is to simply open a page to a Web site, such running a search at Google.

If you cannot access the Web, the most common cause is choosing the wrong broadband connection type for your service.

Step 6: Configure Your Wireless Network Basics

If your router is connected to broadband and it's working successfully, we can (finally!) set up the wireless networking configuration. On our sample router we clicked the "Wireless" submenu.



It sounds simple, but note that the router reports that the wireless radio is on. Without that we would get nowhere. This particular router has a physical switch on the back to enable the wireless function. Other routers will include a checkbox in this administration interface for enabling or disabling all wireless function. Some wireless routers come out-of-the-box with their wireless disabled, others enabled.So it's important to doublecheck.
Assign your wireless network a name, also known as an SSID. Choose a unique name in case there may be neighboring wireless routers nearby.

The visibility status setting is sometimes known on other routers as "hidden" mode. Some people mistakenly believe that hiding your network name is an effective form of security. It is not. You don't need to hide your network name.



Also note the 802.11 mode setting, typically found on "g" variety wireless routers. Here you can tell the wireless router to connect only to devices that support the faster "g" mode, only the slower "b" mode, or either kind of device. Supporting both modes will make your wireless network more compatible with a variety of users. But if you know that you have only "g" wireless hardware in your network, selecting g-only mode can significantly improve overall wireless performance.

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Step 7: Configure Your Wireless Security

Step 7: Configure Your Wireless Security



In most circumstances you should employ encryption to protect your wireless network from all manner of attack and interception. Wirelss networks located far removed from other people, like rural locations, probably don't run much risk without using wireless security. But we're often better safe than sorry.

Most wireless network users will select one of three common forms of secure encryption: WEP, WPA, or WPA2. As a general rule of thumb, you should only use the older, less secure WEP security when you know your network must support users with only WEP-capable computers. WPA is stronger than WEP and supports a wide variety of computers. WPA2, the newest form of wireless security, is even stronger still, but supports only the newest wireless computers.

7a. If you must use WEP security, try to choose a key length of 128 bits. If your router or wireless computer do not support 128 bit keys, you can try 64 or 40-bit keys, but note that these are even less secure.

Supply a passphrase for your WEP encryption. Later you'll need to use this same passphrase when configuring WEP on your wireless computer connection. Typically you can leave the remaining WEP options unchanged.



7b. Choose WPA2 encryption if supported by your wireless computers. Our particular router offers a mixed WPA mode that will connect to WPA2 where available or else try WPA. Your router may or may not offer this feature, in which case you may need to select WPA mode if your network users could be using hardware that does not support WPA2.

Your "Pre-Shared Key" is your WPA password. It must be longer than 8 characters and up to a maximum of 63 characters. A longer, more difficult to guess key provides stronger security, but you must write it down somewhere safe because all connecting computers must use this password key.

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Step 8: Going Wireless

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With the above configurations saved you're now ready to put the "wireless" in "wireless network." Choose the computer you will use to make the wireless connection. If you'll use the same computer you've been using to configure your router with the temporary Ethernet cable, remove that cable now.

If your portable computer is a newer model and includes built-in wireless support, be sure its wireless feature is switched on. On some portable models there is a switch on one side; on other models you enable wireless with a keyboard combination — check your user manual.

If you've added wireless hardware to a portable computer or a desktop PC, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing the appropriate drivers and software. This process varies widely from model to model.

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Both Mac OS X and Windows XP include built-in software for connecting your wireless computer to the wireless network. Windows users may also have installed software provided by the vendor of your wireless hardware that can be used instead of Windows' included software.

8a. Users of Mac OS X enjoy the easiest wireless connection process. Simply click the wireless icon at the top right of your screen and the drop down menu displays a list of available wireless networks. Choose one to join it. If you've secured your wireless network in Step 7, it will show a small lock beside its name, and the Mac will prompt you for the password key you created on the wireless router.

8b. Windows users will see a wireless system icon in the lower right of the screen. You can right-click this icon to pop open a menu from which you select "View Available Wireless Networks." (See Figure 10.)

Figure 11.


Windows will open a summary showing the wireless network you created on your router — as well as any other wireless networks your hardware sees in the vicinity!

In Figure 11, Windows sees the one wireless network transmitted from our router. As indicated, it is protected with WPA security.

Click the "Connect" button and Windows will prompt for the password key you created in Step 7.

If you are using your wireless hardware vendor's software rather than Windows', it may look different — for example, Netgear supplies its own connection software with some models. In Figure 12, we use Netgear's wireless connection software to connect to a 128-bit WEP-protected network.



Whatever wireless connection software you use, the end result should be the same: You're connected!

Figure 12.


You should now be able to access the Internet if your router is connected to broadband and share resources among your computers the same as on a wired network.

Your wireless network will perform best with a strong signal. Ideally, find a location for your wireless router that is far from dense obstructions. Where possible, locating your wireless router in a higher location (such as a second story) is preferred to a low location like a basement.

In part three we'll take a closer look at fine-tuning your wireless network performance and troubleshooting connection problems.

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Troubleshooting

Weak Signal?


Whether you've set up an 802.11b network, a “g” network, or an enhanced network with speeds of 108Mbps or more, experiencing maximum speed depends on the signal strength between your wireless router and your wireless computer.

Wireless networks are designed to slow down as the signal degrades, which generally is a good thing – it means your network isn't simply on or off, but capable of working under a variety of less-than-ideal conditions. But if yours is slowing down unnecessarily, you may have options to improve its speed.

Your signal strength will vary depending upon your wireless computer's location relative to your wireless router.


In Windows XP (see screen above) you can double-click the wireless networking icon in your taskbar to see your signal strength.



Mac OS X users can click the AirPort icon in the toolbar and choose Open Internet Connect from the drop-down menu to see a detailed signal strength meter (see screen above).

In practice, you may not see 100 percent signal strength yet still achieve near maximum network speed. Wireless performance is divided into segments. If your connection seems to hover under 60 percent or so in strength, consider why that may be.

Wireless Router Placement


Often, signal-strength problems are due to the location of your wireless router. Ideally, the more of a "bird's eye view" your wireless router has of your home or office, the stronger the signal will be throughout. Central, open locations on higher floors are ideal.

Of course, in practice, your wireless router needs access to power and, probably, your broadband modem. You may be able to relocate your broadband modem depending where your cable or phone lines enter your home or office, or extend the cabling between your broadband modem and router.


In particular, avoid placing your wireless router in basements or other locations surrounded by thick walls, which will weaken the wireless signal. The same rules apply to the other end of the connection, too — your wireless computer. Obviously, your distance from the router is one factor in signal strength, but within its rated operating range, distance is less important than dense physical obstacles.

Be sure that the antenna(s) on your wireless router are in an upright position. Usually this works best, but if you continue to experience signal strength weakness, try re-orienting the antennas by small amounts.

Unfortunately, all hardware is not created equal. Some models of wireless routers simply perform better than others. And different models of wireless add-on cards and built-in wireless reception on portable computers can vary widely. It's not uncommon for one model of portable computer to receive a weaker signal strength than another model or brand right beside it due to lower quality components.

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Interference

As our electronic universe becomes increasingly crowded, opportunities for one piece of gear to interfere with another increase. Today's wireless network hardware uses the 2.4Ghz frequency range. Two of the most notorious culprits that also emit radiation at 2.4Ghz are microwave ovens and many cordless telephones.

The mere presence of two operating devices at 2.4Ghz does not automatically guarantee conflict. Wireless network gear slices up its frequency range into 11 smaller channels, and by default tries to find the clearest channel whenever a connection is made. Similarly, newer cordless phones are designed to be friendlier in co-existing with wireless networks. That said, proximity to microwave ovens (in use) and cordless telephones still account for the most common forms of intereference with wireless networks.

Another common source of interference is other wireless networks. Again, the hardware tries to avoid conflict, but some handle this better than others, and densely populated areas may simply have crowded airwaves. If your home or office is located in an urban environment and your signal strength seems weaker than it should be, try moving your wireless gear to the center of your space. Staying away from walls or windows where neighboring networks might bleed through could help.

Dropped Connections?

Losing the connection between your wireless computer and your wireless router is the most common failure that can plague your wireless network experience. Sometimes you lose your connection and can't get it back for a random length of time. Other times, you lose your connection for a split second, but it's almost immediately re-established. Even this can cause problems during certain activities, like file transfers.

Dropped connections can be tricky to diagnose because they are really a symptom of another problem. Quite a few problems can express themselves as a lost connection. Let's consider some of the most common causes.

Interference

We talked about how interference can affect your wireless performance. If severe enough, interference could certainly result in dropped connections. I remember a case where an individual sat with his cordless phone right beside his portable computer. He'd be surfing the Web without difficulty and then the phone would ring. After their conversation, their wireless connection was lost. It would spontaneously return 30 seconds or so later. Indeed, the culprit was the cordless phone, an older model, which was blasting interference on the 2.4Ghz frequency shared by the wireless network.

Switching to a 900Mhz or 5.8Ghz cordless phone will often the resolve the conflict. Newer 2.4Ghz cordless phones that advertise themselves as "wi-fi friendly" will also resolve the problem .