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Solution of the Week
Create a Wireless Computer Network at Home
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Who says that you can only surf the Web from the computer in the home office? By creating a wireless computer network at home, you can have complete access to your high-speed Internet connection, or other peripheral devices, from any desktop or laptop computer in the house — without the hassle or expense of running wire. To see how easy it is, continue on �
| | | Choose a Wireless Router System | |
The first step is to choose the wireless router that you will connect to a primary computer (the one your DSL or Cable Modem is connected to). The main considerations here are price and speed. Typically the higher the speed, the higher the price. If you plan to use your wireless network for basic Web surfing and e-mail, chances are an 11Mbps or 22Mbps system will work just fine. If you plan on downloading many files or enjoy streaming audio or video, then the 54Mbps router is the way to go. Among the models that Smarthome has to offer include:
| | | Connect the Router | |
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Once you have the system you want to install, the next step is to hook it up (model shown in photo is #6300G). Just follow these steps:
1. Make sure your existing DSL/cable modem connection is working correctly. Since you'll be making changes to the way the network operates, you want to make sure that everything from the house to the Internet is in fine working order. To do this effectively, log onto the Internet, surf a few pages and pull down your e-mail. Once everything checks out, you're ready to move on.
2. Check to make sure you have everything needed for the set-up. You'll need the wireless router, which should have an Ethernet connection cable, a power supply and a CD (or printed instructions) for walking you through the steps.
3. Turn off the primary computer that your DSL/Cable modem is connected to.
4. Connect the router to the primary computer that your DSL/Cable modem is connected to with the following steps.
A. plug in the power adapter between the router and an AC outlet. Be sure to use an outlet that will have full-time power and is not switched off when the computer is turned off.
B. Connect the Ethernet cable that comes with each system from the WAN port on the router to the Ethernet port located on the Cable or DL modem. On most systems, a WAN LED light will illuminate to indicate proper connection.
C. Connect the Ethernet cable you unplugged from the DSL/Cable modem, which goes to the primary computer, and connect it into port 1 of the router.
| | | Connect Laptop Computers | |
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The best wireless connection for laptop computers is to use a CardBus adapter (sometimes called a PCMCIA or PC Card expansion card). All laptops made over the last 10 years have these slots and are pretty easy to set up and offer the best performance. CardBus adapters are sold separately from the router, so order one for every laptop that you want connected to the system (model shown in photo is #6305G).
Although instructions are generally the same for every laptop, check the documentation that comes with your wireless card for exact details.
1. Install the included software before inserting the card. The software will transfer the proper drivers to the computer first, so that when the card is installed, it will know what to do. It will also make the necessary adjustments to allow your operating system to be part of a network.
2. Turn off the laptop.
3. Install the card into your computer. Most computers have two slots and usually it doesn't matter which one you use.
4. Turn on the laptop. While the computer is booting up, it will recognize the new card and load the right drivers to make it work with the rest of the computer.
| | | Connect Desktop Computers | |
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Although most people who install wireless computer networks do so to use their laptop anywhere in the house, you can also integrate desktop computers into the system — perfect if you and other families have different computers that you want to link without the trouble of running cable. To do so, you'll need a PCI adapter for every secondary desktop computer you want connected to the network (PCI adapters are sold separately from the router; model shown in photo is #6306G).
Like laptops, the instructions for your desktop computer may vary, so read those first before doing anything.
1. Install the included software before inserting the PCI adapter. The software will transfer the proper drivers to the computer first, so that when the PCI adapter is installed, it will know what to do. It will also make the necessary adjustments to allow your operating system to be part of a network.
2. Turn off the desktop computer.
3. Open the case and install the adapter carefully and firmly seat it into an available PCI slot (which is usually white or cream colored).
4. Secure the adapter's back panel shield with a screw, replace the computer cover and place the computer back in its normal position.
5. Attach the antenna to the PCI adapter.
6. Restart the computer. As your computer boots up, it will find the new hardware.
| | | Configure the Primary Computer | |
Go back to the primary computer that the router is connected to (the one near the DSL/Cable modem) to configure it, and the other computers, so that they can access the Internet. Most routers, like the D-Link series will use a Wizard program to walk you through the steps.
1. Open your browser program. It won't make a connection to the Internet and will display an error message. Don't panic. This is normal because you haven't told the router your username and password yet.
2. Open the router's set-up screen and type in the address of the set-up screen into the URL address box (i.e. http://192.168.0.1 � addresses may vary from one brand to another) and press the Enter key. It may ask for a user name, in most cases it will be "Admin" and the password file may be left blank.
3. Start the Wizard program, or follow the step-by-step guide for connecting to the Internet. You'll need to tell it the username and password you selected when you first got your high-speed Internet service (the DSL or Cable company).
4. Let the system know what type of Internet connection you have. For DSL users, you'll want to use PPPoE. Cable users will generally select a Dynamic IP address.
5. The set-up wizard will ask a few more questions, if you don't know an answer, try leaving the field blank. If you can't connect to the Internet because you don't know an answer, call your service provider's technical support department.
6. For the wireless computers, in most cases the router comes configured to allow any computer access the Internet. There are options to restrict access to only your computers and for encrypting the signal to prevent hacking.
7. At this point, exit the router set-up program and try connecting to the Internet with your browser. If all went well in the set-up, you should have no problem connecting.
8. Next, restart the computers you connected through the wireless CardBus or PCI Adapter. Once that's done, they too should be able to connect to the internet. You may have to adjust the antennas on the remote computers, or the router to improve the signal strength. As the signal gets weaker, the transfer rate slows down.
If something doesn't work, all the routers we listed above come with excellent, illustrated instructions to walk you through the steps. We have also chosen products that are backed up by strong technical support departments so that you can get additional help when needed.
Once everything's in working order, you're ready to enjoy the freedom of being able to access the Internet or shared computer peripherals from anywhere in the house!
updated 12/04/06
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