CARA SETTING DIAL-UP INTERNET SYSTEM

             Setting up a wireless network

Imagine sitting on the couch in your living room surfing the web, or chatting with friends online while relaxing in bed at night, or sending documents from the computer in the kitchen to the printer in your home office. A wireless network provides the ultimate in networking flexibility, and setting one up is easier than you might think. This article walks you through the steps to set up your wireless network and start using it.

Getting the right equipment

Before you can set up your wireless network, you need the following items:

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Broadband Internet connection and modem

Wireless router

Wireless network adapters

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Setting up the modem and Internet connection

Once you have all of the equipment, you need to set up your modem and Internet connection. If your modem was not set up for you by your Internet service provider (ISP), follow the instructions that came with your modem to connect it to your computer and the Internet. If you are using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), connect your modem to a phone jack. If you are using cable, connect your modem to a cable jack. For more information, see Set up a DSL or cable connection.

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Positioning the wireless router

You'll want to put your wireless router somewhere where it will receive the strongest signal with the least amount of interference. For the best results, follow these tips:

• Position your wireless router in a central location. Place the router as close to the center of your home as possible to increase the strength of the wireless signal throughout your home.
• Position the wireless router off of the floor and away from walls and metal objects, such as metal file cabinets. The fewer physical obstructions between your computer and the router's signal, the more likely that you'll be using the router's full signal strength.
• Reduce interference. 802.11g networking equipment uses a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) radio frequency. This is the same frequency as most microwaves and many cordless phones. If you turn on the microwave or get a call on a cordless phone, your wireless signal might be temporarily interrupted. You can avoid most of these issues by using a cordless phone with a higher frequency, such as 5.8 GHz.

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Securing your wireless network

Security is always important; with a wireless network, it is even more important because your network's signal could go beyond the boundaries of your home. If you don't secure your network, people with computers nearby might be able to access the information stored on your network computers and use your Internet connection to get onto the web. To help secure your network, do the following:

• Protect your router by changing the default user name and password. Most router manufacturers have a default user name and password on the router as well as a default network name. Someone could use this information to access your router without you knowing it. To avoid that risk, change the default user name and password for your router. Check the information that came with your device for instructions.
• Set up a security key for your network. Just as file cabinets have keys and safes have combinations, wireless networks have a network security key to help protect them from unauthorized access. To set up a network security key, follow these steps:
  1. Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Network and Internet, and then clicking Network and Sharing Center.
  2. In the left pane, click Set up a connection or network.
  3. Click Set up a wireless router or access point, and then click Next.
  The wizard will walk you through creating a network name and a security key. If your router will support it, the wizard will default to Wi‑Fi Protected Access (WPA) security. We recommend that you use WPA because it offers better security than the traditional Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security. With WPA you can also use a passphrase, so you don’t have to remember a cryptic sequence of letters and numbers. For more information, see What are the different wireless network security methods?
  Create a network security key by entering a passphrase
  Make sure that you write down the security key and keep it in a safe place. If you have one, you can also save your security key on a USB flash drive by following the instructions in the wizard.
• Use a firewall. A firewall is hardware or software that can help protect your computer from hackers or malicious software. Running a firewall on each computer on your network can help control the spread of malicious software on your network, as well as help to protect your computers when you're accessing the Internet. Windows Firewall is included with Windows Vista. For more information, see Firewall: frequently asked questions.

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Adding computers to your network

To connect your laptop or desktop computer to your wireless network, follow these steps:

1. Open Connect to a Network by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Connect to.
2. In the list of networks, click the network that you want to connect to, and then click Connect.
3. Enter the security key. You can either type in the key or insert a USB flash drive that contains the security key into a USB port on the computer.

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Sharing files and printers

Most people have a wireless network so they can access the Internet from any room in the house, but they also want the freedom of accessing files and printers wirelessly.

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