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A router is unlike most other computer peripherals - it does notcome with drivers that need to be installed on the connected computers. (Unless it can be connected by USB - very unusual.)
It is a computer in its own right and once set up it will carry on doing its job with or without any computers connected to it. (Not much point in that, but it does).
But although there are no drivers to install on your computer there are some settings on your PC that you need to check.
1. Make sure that your computer does not try to connect with a previous dial up or broadband modem connection:Left click Start, then Control Panel then Network and Internet Connections then Internet Options.
The Internet Properties box will open.
Left click on the Connections tab.
Select “Never dial a connection”.
Left click OK.
2. Make sure that your computer is not set up to use a proxy server or automatic configuration script: Left click Start, then Control Panel then Network and Internet Connections then Internet Options.
The Internet Properties box will open.
Left click on the Connections tab then on the LAN Settings... button.
Ensure that NONE of the options are selected in this box.
Left click OK then left click OK again.
3. Check that your network adaptor is not set to use a fixed IP address or DNS server:(Note that you need to do this using an Administrator account, not a Limited User account.)
Left click Start, then Control Panel then Network and Internet Connections then Network Connections.
The Network Connections box will open.
Double left click on the connection that you will be using to connect to the router (Local Area Connection or Wireless Connection).
The Connection Status box will open.
Left click on the Properties button, then on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Left click on the next Properties button, and select “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS Server address automatically”.
Left click OK, OK, Close.
Having checked the above, proceed to follow the manufacturers instructions to set up the router.
Most router setup CDs do not check and change the above settings. (Hence I get frequent calls!)
You should make the above checks on every computer that you want to connect to the router - by cable or by wireless.
And although the details are different you need to check the same things on any Mac or Linux computers that you connect.
MTU stands for Maximum Transmission Unit and defines the maximum size in bytes of a data packet that can be transferred over a network. If you try to send data packets that are larger than the MTU you will experience problems ranging from slow performance through to failed website loading
The MTU for ethernet and Cable broadband is 1500, but for ADSL internet connections it can vary between Internet Service Providers.
The TalkTalk broadband network has an MTU of 1432 bytes and their routers should be automatically setup to that figure.
However, if you are suffering a slow TalkTalk broadband connection TalkTalk themselves recommend that you change the MTU to 1431. This can dramatically increase speed (eg 440kb/s was increased to 6000kb/s!).
(I’m guessing, but if the MTU is 1432, and the bytes are numbered from 0 then the 1432nd byte will be number 1431........?)
For safety it is probably wise to set your router to an MTU of 1400 - then it should work with any ISP.
Comments are as the above tip, but replace the detailed instructions for checking settings with these:
1. Make sure that your computer does not try to connect with a previous dial up or broadband modem connection:Left click Start, then Control Panel then Network and Internet then Internet Options.
The Internet Properties box will open.
Left click on the Connections tab.
Select “Never dial a connection”.
Left click OK and then Continue in the Windows needs your permission to continue box.
2. Make sure that your computer is not set up to use a proxy server or automatic configuration script:Left click Start, then Control Panel then Network and Internet then Internet Options.
The Internet Properties box will open.
Left click on the Connections tab then on the LAN Settings... button.
Ensure that NONE of the options are selected in this box. Left click OK, then OK again and then Continue in the Windows needs your permission to continue box.
3. Check that your network adaptor is not set to use a fixed IP address or DNS server:Left click Start, then Control Panel then Network and Internet then Network and Sharing Center.
The Network and Sharing Center box will open.
Left click the View Status link at the right of the connection that you will be using to connect to the router (Local Area Connection or Wireless Connection).
The Connection Status box will open.
Left click on the Properties button and then on Continue in the Windows needs your permission to continue box.
The Connection Properties box will open.
Left click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) then left click on the next Properties button, and select “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS Server address automatically”. Left click OK.
Repeat for Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
Left click Close, then Close again.
When connected properly to a live broadband connection there should be two steady green lights on the modem.
If the left hand green light is steady and the right hand green light is flashing then there is nothing wrong with the PC but the modem cannot see a live broadband connection. That could be because:
1. the phone line is not actually connected to the modem
2. the ADSL filter is fitted wrongly so that it is blocking the broadband frequencies instead of passing them.
3. the line is not connected to broadband at the exchange
Don’t try to set up a new installation with the router connected between the cable modem and the PC.
A new installation has to be set-up and registered by running the set-up CD on a PC connected directly to the cable modem by an Ethernet or USB cable.
User names etc are requested by the set-up program.
Once the installation is up and running it is possible to insert a wireless router between the PC and modem, using Ethernet cable between modem and router and either Ethernet cable or wireless between router and PC(s).
Sometimes you will have to “spoof” the MAC address of the PC that the installation was set up with onto the router - see my tip: Broadband router not connecting to NTL
Installing a wireless router and setting up a home wireless network doesn’t cost the earth, can be accomplished by anybody using the simple steps and know how available in the guides you will find here at PC Tips and Tricks.
Do you want to be able to sit comfortably in your living room or maybe outside on the patio in the sunshine whilst surfing the internet with no wires to worry about?
How about sharing a common printer wirelessly from any room in your house?
Installing a Wireless Router – Broadband connection sharing
Your home broadband connection can be used to provide internet access for more than one PC, laptop or gaming console etc.
There are a number of ways of providing this access for your home computers and other devices but the easiest and safest way is by installing a wireless router which will allow all of your PCs etc to connect to the internet independently and also allow file sharing between PCs and laptops connected to your home network.
Why do we need a router? Well, we need a router if we want to connect a number of PCs, game consoles etc through to the Internet via one ISP (Internet Service Provider) without having to pay for a full broadband subscription for each device.
Why is it safer to use a router? Well, your router will have a built-in hardware firewall which, when configured correctly, will help provide protection against hackers and the like trying to infiltrate your home network and wreak havoc perhaps obtaining sensitive information such as passwords and credit card details etc.
A hardware firewall will provide greater security than a software firewall on its own and a combined hardware and software firewall setup will provide excellent security against online threats.
With a wireless router all of your PCs will be able to access the internet at the same time and with your home wireless network you will be able to share printers and files, use wireless capable gaming consoles and your Apple itouch or Apple iphone devices etc.
Installing a Wireless Router – Other options
As we said earlier, the wireless router isn’t the only way to share an internet connection but it’s certainly the most tidy, inherently safe and convenient way.
A simple wired router will allow you the same functionality and protection with an in-built firewall but you will then have to install unsightly CAT 5 cabling around your home. Agreed, you can hide these cables away within cupboards and behind wall boards etc but it is so much easier installing a wireless router for your home network.
Another option that is open to you is the Windows ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) method where you can allocate one of your computers to be the main ‘gateway’ to the internet and your other computers would then access, again using Cat 5 cabling between PCs, the internet via your main PC. This would mean that your main PC would need to remain on all of the time that your other computer users want to access the internet. Inconvenient and a great waste of electricity – let’s get green now guys and girls!
Installing a Wireless Router – What is a router
So, what exactly is a router and what does it do?
Ok, a router – in simple terms – is a device that sends data between networks in the form of data packets (small chunks of data).
It is connected between at least two networks - in our case between our home network, which is called a LAN (Local Area Network) and the Internet, which is on the WAN (Wide Area Network) side of the router.
The router acts as a gateway between these two networks.
Hey, it’s all quite simple really; your wireless router basically acts as an interface between your broadband internet connection and your home PCs either wirelessly or via Ethernet cabling.
Your router will incorporate a switch, which acts like an intelligent hub, and controls data transfer between all PCs and devices connected to the router Ethernet RJ-45 ports (on our LAN side of the router) or router wireless access point - WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) allowing you to share files and data between devices on your home network.
The router takes note of which computer or computers are addressing particular sites on the Internet and ensures that data to and from the Internet is tracked back and forth to the correct computer on your network.
The router does all this using various protocols, headers and tables etc to allow correct communication between devices and between each device and the Internet.
NAT (Network Address Translation) allows all of your computers to share a single IP address on the Internet by combining the traffic from your PCs and laptops etc individual IP addresses into one single internet IP address.
So, from the outside, your individual computers appear as one. Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) does not need to provide individual IP addresses for each of your PCs – that would be very expensive!
Your router communicates with your ISP via a single IP address and has an internal ‘switch’ which assigns each PC or device on your network with a unique IP address allowing all to share the internet connection. The switch also provides communication between your PCs etc across your home network.
Your wireless router provides a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) to provide the same function for all your wireless connected devices such as laptops, wireless desktop PCs and wireless enabled game consoles etc.
Installing a Wireless Router – Recommended setup
Although we are discussing installing a wireless router setup here you should probably still configure your main PC using a permanent wired Ethernet connection.
Why? - Well initial setup will be carried out using a wired connection and we would recommend, especially if you have a PC situated close by your router, that you retain one PC with a direct connection as trouble shooting etc will be much easier using this connection.
Wireless signals can be greatly affected by the surrounding environment – microwave ovens, walls, floors, cordless phones etc can all have an impact on your signal. It is far easier to troubleshoot when you don’t have to worry about whether the problem is just down to a poor wireless signal.
Wireless signals can be greatly affected by the environment (microwave ovens, walls, floors cordless phones etc) can all have an impact on your signal.
Installing a Wireless Router – Typical wireless router and connections
Here is a typical router:
Connections at the rear
Note the various inputs and outputs as follows:
A port to plug in your telephone line if you have a DSL type router, or Ethernet input for a cable modem if you have a cable ISP service.
A number of Ethernet RJ-45 ports, typically four, to allow connection of your wired LAN (connection for each wired computer or device on your home network).
The remaining connector is the jack socket to allow connection of DC input power from the mains adapter.
Status Led’s giving you information on ISP, Wi-Fi and Ethernet port status etc.
A wireless capable router may also have one or two antennae attached to provide for your WLAN although on some makes the aerial may be integral to the device.
Installing a Wireless Router – Choosing a wireless router
To setup for Windows Wireless Networking as discussed you will need either a WAP (Wireless Access Point) and a separate router or a router with an integral WAP.
When installing a wireless router we would recommend that you choose a combined type of wireless router – by this we mean that your router has an integral switch, wireless access point and modem (DSL type ISP).
This will be easier to set up and there will be one less power cord and interconnection cable to contend with making for a far neater solution.
If you have a cable modem then you will need to connect this to your router via an Ethernet Cat 5 type cable. You will need to select a router that is suitable for use with a cable modem / set top box.
If you have your ISP provided via a phone line then you will have a DSL type modem and again you will need to select a router that is suitable for this type of ISP connection.
As we said, buy a combined DSL / Wireless router if possible and ditch your old modem.
Linksys, Netgear, Vigor and D-Link will all provide excellent results – our recommendation would be the Netgear DG834 combined wireless router for DSL type setups simply because we have had years of excellent service and trouble free operation.
Netgear’s WGR614 provides another excellent product with an input for cable modem users together with four Ethernet ports and 802.11g Wi-Fi.
When choosing your wireless router you should consider whether you will need a number of Ethernet ports for permanent or temporary hard wired cable connection as discussed earlier in this article.
Also look at the routers supported wireless standards. What does your chosen router support and is it compatible with your PC and laptop adaptors?
Installing a Wireless Router – Wireless standards
Generally the faster the better here, common standards for wireless networks today are as follows:
802.11a - 54Mbits/second at 5GHz operating frequency
802.11b - 11Mbits/second at 2.4GHz operating frequency
802.11g - 54Mbits/second at 2.4GHz operating frequency
802.11n - Up to 300Mbits/second at 2.4GHz
If starting your network from new you should only be concerned with the 802.11g and 802.11n standards really.
All of the above standards are generally compatible with each other with the exception of the 802.11a standard which runs at a different frequency to the others and cannot communicate with them (note that there are variants of the 802.11n that run at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz; look very closely at the specifications when selecting your router and adapters).
If you have devices with wireless adaptors that use the old 802.11b standard then 802.11g routers and some 802.11n routers are generally backwards compatible with these older 802.11b devices.
The 802.11n routers are theoretically capable of up to 300M bits/second data transfer rates but in practice you will be lucky to reach anywhere near this transfer rate! Typical maximums will be up to say 150Mbits/s.
For all standards the achievable data transfer speed will typically be up to one half the manufacturers stated speeds at best.
For across network transfer rates, your slowest device will dictate the transfer speed so if for instance you have a laptop with an 802.11b adapter fitted which only operates at 11Mbits/s maximum then this is all you will achieve even if your router is capable of working much faster.
As we said earlier, distances, barriers such as floors and walls, interference from mobile phones and microwave ovens etc will all act to slow down your wireless network speed – a wireless network will throttle back the transfer speed as your wireless signal strength decreases!
Installing a Wireless Router – Wireless router security
Check that the wireless router you select has adequate security features otherwise anyone within range of your wireless signal will have the opportunity to hop on to your network and surf the web for free not to mention gaining access to your home network with all of your files and data!
Ok, so you may not get hacked into but it’s quite likely that freeloaders or neighbors, maybe unknowingly as your signal is not encrypted, may make use of your internet connection for free thereby hogging your ISP bandwidth.
Check that your router supports as a minimum WEP encryption security and preferably WPA or WPA2 level security. To use WPA type security you will need to be running Windows XP Service Pack 2, Vista or Windows 7.
Check that your router can act as a DHCP server, which basically means that it can automatically assign IP addresses to your entire network PCs and devices allowing for much easier setting up. All new routers should be capable of doing this for you.
Before reading our guide to setting up a wireless router you may wish to read our installing a wireless router guide
Our aim here is to add a wireless router to allow sharing of your ISP internet connection between all of your home PCs, laptops and other wireless devices.
Your broadband internet connection will generally be supplied by either cable or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line).
Generally an ISP (Internet Service Provider) that provides your broadband connection in DSL format will be supplied by the telephone companies and cable format by the TV companies.
Therefore you should either have a cable or DSL type modem installed if you already have broadband in your home.
Setting up a Wireless Router – ISP / Broadband connection
Before setting up a wireless router the first thing you need to do is to gather up some important set up information, particularly if you have a DSL type broadband ISP supplier, so that you can get your ISP to router connection set up and working correctly.
Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) will have given you a number of configuration parameters to enter during initial setup – make sure that you have all of these details to hand in case you should need them.
Luckily, nowadays, a lot of routers will perform this set up automatically and only require you to enter minimal information required for your ISP account, i.e. ISP Login, Name and Password and ISP DNS (Domain Name Server) addresses if you were supplied with these.
Some ISPs may use a specific Multiplexing Method or a Virtual Circuit number for the VPI (Virtual Path Identifier) or VCI (Virtual Channel Identifier).
If so note this down. A VPI will be a number in the range of 0 to 255 and a VCI number between 1 and 65535.
Your Internet connection will be provided via one of the following types:
• DHCP - Dynamic IP Assignment
• PPPoE - Login Protocol
• PPPoA - Login Protocol
• Static IP - Fixed IP address assignment
Your ISP will provide details of the type of connection and if your router does not automatically detect this then you can instruct it manually and then once selected proceed to entering your Login and Password details etc as described above.
For further details you will need to refer to your router manual and ISP provider logon details.
Setting up a Wireless Router – Initial setup
Ok, now connect up your router as follows:
Connect your router WAN (Wide Area Network) port to your broadband line (if your router is a combined type with integral modem) or to your broadband modem.
If you are using a DSL type connection connect your modem to a phone jack.
If you are using cable then connect your modem to a cable jack.
The port labelled WAN or Internet is used to connect your cable or DSL modem using CAT 5 type cable.
Do not confuse this port with one of the Ethernet LAN ports!
Connect a PC or laptop to one of the routers Ethernet LAN (Local Area Network) ports using Ethernet Cat 5 type cable.
If you have a cable modem already installed then you shouldn’t need to configure your router, it should all be pretty much set up for you although you may need to ‘fake’ the MAC address – see later.
Most of the configuration for setting up a wireless router with a DSL service provider should be accomplished automatically as most modern routers only require you to input your login details.
Your wireless router, if it is a modern one, should have DHCP capabilities and will automatically assign an IP address to your laptop or PC so that the two can communicate correctly.
You will now be able to use your PCs web browser to access your wireless router configuration / setup page.
Note, if you are determined to have a completely wire free network that’s fine but initially we will set up the router with a laptop or desktop PC temporarily hard wired to the router using CAT-5 Ethernet cable.
Once the router has been configured and your WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) has been set up you will be able to remove the wired Ethernet connection and no further wires will be necessary.
However, our recommendation though, especially if you have a PC situated close to your wireless router, is to retain one PC with a direct connection as troubleshooting etc will be far easier. You see, wireless signals are prone to interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, walls, floors furniture etc and troubleshooting is far easier when you don’t have to consider whether your problem is simply due to or compounded by a poor wireless signal for instance.
Setting up a Wireless Router – Router setup
Ok, now we are all connected up go to your PC and open up a web page using your preferred web browser. Router configuration and set-up is accessed via a web browser page.
To logon to your router you will need to know your wireless router IP address and then you can type this in to the web browser as depicted below, for example:
http://192.168.0.1
Once you have entered this you will be confronted with a logon page where you will need to enter your default username and password.
Note - If you can’t find the router IP address, open up a command prompt from the Windows Start menu and type ‘ipconfig’ in the command prompt window. You will now see a listing and amongst this you should find reference to the ‘gateway address’ – this is the router address!
The username and password should be changed once you have logged on for the first time to something more secure – remember those online hackers you hear about!
For reference, popular router brand default login and IP addresses are as follows:
Make IP Address Username Password
Belkin 192.168.2.1 none none
D-Link 192.168.0.1 none none
Linksys 192.168.1.1 admin admin
Netgear 192.168.0.1 admin password
Now login and you will be presented with your router configuration page.
We shall be using a Netgear router for our example as shown below:
As discussed, configure your router using the ISP details you gathered earlier.
Firstly, set your router to obtain its IP address automatically using DHCP.
Note - if you have a separate cable modem it will already have all of the settings required to connect to the internet.
If you have a built in ADSL/DSL modem type router you may have to manually enter the internet settings you gathered earlier. Modern wireless routers should, upon first connection, auto-detect these settings for you but if not you’ll have to enter these manually specifying PPPoE or PPPoA, VPI and VCI values and PAP or PAP and CHAP authentication etc as described.
Some ISP / Cable providers will require the router to fake its MAC address, referred to as MAC spoofing or cloning. Use the MAC address of your original PC attached to the modem, now replaced by your router.
This cloning of the MAC address (a unique identification code) is required as the first time the account was set up the original MAC address was logged (your original PC connected directly to the modem) and the ISP requires all subsequent logins to be from the same MAC address. This verifies that you are one of their customers.
Once your settings are entered make sure that you save the set-up.
Logout of the router configuration page and you should now be able to open up a search engine web page using your newly installed router.
Congratulations! Hopefully you are now connected and can access the Internet.
Setting up a Wireless Router – Network name and Channel
Now we need to set up our wireless network. Log back into the main wireless router configuration page and look for the wireless setup page in the sub menu.
Enable wireless networking by activating the Wireless AP (Access Point) and give your network a unique name, know as the SSID (Service set identifier) which identifies one WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) from another.
There is an option to enable or disable broadcasting your SSID which makes your network harder for unauthorised users to find if you should wish. We find that this just makes it more difficult for you to connect to your network and if someone really wants to gain access to your network, they will!
You will need to set up the wireless channel that you wish to broadcast on and you should try to use a channel that is preferably not currently used by your neighbors in your local area to avoid interference.
For the US and Canada you will have channels 1 to 11 available to you and for Europe channels 1 to 13.
Channels do overlap and generally you will want to choose from the non-overlapping channels, i.e. 1, 6 and 11.
Setting up a Wireless Router – Encryption
Now you must setup your wireless signal encryption to provide security for your network and to prevent unauthorised access to your internet connection.
Make sure that you choose the level of encryption that is suitable for your entire network PCs laptops and other devices.
Basic WEP type encryption should be available on most PCs and laptop network adaptors but is not as strongly encrypted as the newer WPA or WPA2 standards. Choose WPA or WPA2 if possible.
Select WEP, WPA or WPA2 encryption and enter the same key or passphrase into your router and each PC, laptop or device connected to your network.
Your key will be made up of a set of numbers and letters and you should refer to the wireless router documentation for details of this.
When you have entered the key, click on the ‘Apply settings’ button to activate – now do this on all of your other devices attached to your network as follows.
Setting up a Wireless Router – Join the network
Now, the purpose of adding a router was to be able to share our Internet connection and also to use the router switch to be able to share files and printers etc between all of our networked PCs.
Go to each of your wireless enabled PCs and or laptops and right click on the wireless network icon in your taskbar (you should see a little picture of a PC with radio waves in the bottom right corner of your taskbar).
Choose ‘View Wireless Networks’ or ‘Connect to a Network’ and double click on the SSID name, broadcasted by your wireless router, that you entered during your wireless router setup.
You will now be prompted to select the encryption type and enter the encryption key or passphrase. Select and enter the key and click ‘Connect’. Your router will, via DHCP, allocate your PC or laptop with a unique IP address and you should now be able to surf the internet and are all set to start sharing files and printers etc after performing some simple steps to enable sharing.
Connect up any other PCs etc that you wish to add to your network and check that they can all access the Internet.
Providing your PC and laptop network adapters have been set to:
‘Obtain an IP address automatically’
And;
‘Obtain DNS server address automatically’
and the router has been configured as a ‘DHCP server’ then each PC should be automatically assigned its own unique IP address upon connection and you will immediately be able to gain Internet access.
Setting up a Wireless Router – Positioning your wireless router
Make sure that you position your wireless router to give the strongest signal available to all of your wireless PCs, laptops and other devices.
Generally this will mean placing it as close to the center of the house as possible.
Choose a location that is off the floor and away from walls and any metallic objects such as radiators or filing cabinets and the like.
Ensure that your router is situated away from microwave ovens and cordless phones which typically operate on the same 2.4 GHz operating frequency causing interference and disruption to your wireless signal.
Configuring your wireless router security is key to ensuring that your wirless network is 'locked down' against attack from hackers and other online nasties!
This guide assumes that you already have a home wireless network and router installed.
A wireless network is a neat and convenient method of networking your home PCs and laptops – no trailing wires and cutting holes to route messy cables around your home.
But along with this convenience comes a wireless radio signal offering anyone within range of your network the opportunity to access your internet connection free of charge!
Anybody with a wireless laptop for instance can cruise down your street looking for an unsecured wireless signal to hop on to and take a free ride on. But that’s not the worst of it, what about someone with more sinister ideas in mind – your wireless signal can give hackers the opportunity to get into your home wireless network and access all of your files and data – maybe even password and account details!
It is vital to provide your home wireless network with some form of security and that can all be set up very easily by taking some simple setup and configuration steps.
Your wireless router lies at the heart of your home wireless network and is the key component to setting up your wireless network security.
Your wireless router sits between the internet and your home wireless network and provides the connection, via the built in wireless access point, between your wireless PCs, laptops and other wireless devices connected to your network.
You may say you don’t have any sensitive data on your network or you don’t mind your neighbour taking a free ride on your internet connection but let’s take a look at that statement shall we?
Firstly, the more people accessing your broadband internet connection the slower your connection speed will be and secondly, you may not have any sensitive files or data but what about your browsing activity?
Anyone with a wireless enabled PC or laptop within range of your wireless signal could use your network to download movies illegally, software or worse! Now, don’t you think you’d better do something quite simple to safeguard yourself?
If your connection is used illegally who do you think will be held responsible?
To be fair, if a hacker really wanted to gain access to your home wireless network they could do so quite quickly with a little persistence and time but we are going to show you how to take some easy steps to ‘lock down’ your home network to all but the most persistent of hackers who frankly really wouldn’t be interested in your little home network – they will be after far bigger fish.
Ok, not to worry – it’s all very easy to set up your wireless router security settings.
Wireless Router Security – Router Setup
Ok, let’s get down to business. We need to go into our router setup program and configure a number of settings to enable us to lock down our home wireless network.
To do this we will need to open up a web browser page and type in the router IP address in the address bar at the top of the browser page – for example, http://192.168.0.1
Once you have entered this you will be confronted with a logon page where you will need to enter your default username and password.
Note - If you can’t find the router IP address, open up a command prompt from the Windows Start menu and type ‘ipconfig’ in the command prompt window. You will now see a listing and amongst this you should find reference to the ‘gateway address’ – this is the router address
The username and password should be changed, once you have logged on for the first time, to something more secure.
You want to ensure that only you can logon to your router and change the security settings etc – if you leave them at their default settings it’s an open invitation to anyone with wireless access!
For reference - and to prove a point - popular router brand default login and IP addresses are as follows:
Make IP Address Username Password
Belkin 192.168.2.1 none none
D-Link 192.168.0.1 none none
Linksys 192.168.1.1 admin admin
Netgear 192.168.0.1 admin password
Now login and you will be presented with your router configuration page.
Ok, now we are logged on and we have our router configuration page in front of us look for the password settings section and change your password to something that is memorable to you but impossible for someone else to guess!
Use a mixture of numbers and letters for the strongest security.
Hmm – best write it down somewhere safe – don’t want to be locked out of our router configuration page in the future do we!
Now make sure that you save your settings before moving on to our next security task.
Wireless Router Security – SSID Name
Ok, the next important security factor to look at is your SSID (Service Set Identifier) which is a name given to help identify your wireless network from other close by networks.
Manufacturer’s set the name to a default name which usually reflects their brand name, i.e. Netgear, Linksys, D-Link etc.
Changing the SSID to something unique to your network will add a further level of security to our network and make life a little more difficult for anyone attempting to break into your network.
Look for the SSID setting option in the ‘Wireless’ section of your router configuration page. Change the default name to the name you have chosen and once again save your settings.
You should also see an option to ‘disable broadcasting’ of your SSID.
This can be useful once your network is set up and running as this option hides your home wireless network from anyone looking for a network to break into.
Our preference is to leave this ‘broadcasting’ enabled as you are making life much harder for yourself should a problem arise with your wireless network – a lot easier to diagnose if you can see it!
Wireless Router Security – Wireless Signal Encryption
Next step is to set up your routers wireless signal encryption to enable basic wireless router security.
This is where we really start locking down our home wireless network to any potential intruders!
Now we will be able to secure our network to all but the most determined of hackers who, frankly, probably won’t be the slightest bit interested in your home network!
You need to enable WPA (Wifi Protected Access) which is a method of securing your home wireless network by means of password and data encryption of your wireless signal.
Basically any data sent across your network gets encrypted (scrambled according to a set code) before being sent across the airwaves and then decrypted (descrambled) at the receiving end so that anyone intercepting the signal without the password cannot make sense of it.
This encoding and decoding of the signal does slow the process down a little but not so that you will really notice.
Now, the latest version of WPA, WPA2 would be our recommendation of choice for the best wireless router security levels protection level if your router supports this. Newer models should have this super secure option available for you and you should opt for this if possible.
You will though need to check that all of your PCs and laptops wireless adapters support this encryption method.
Older routers and PCs etc may only have the much less secure WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) level of encryption and if that is the case then you will need to activate this as any level of protection is better than nothing and to be honest WEP will probably do you fine especially if you do not live in a city or in a built up area.
So, to set up the encryption you will need to look in your router setup page menu for the ‘Security’ section, select the security type (i.e. WEP, WPA or WPA2) and then your password etc.
A note now to user’s of Windows XP and Windows Vista – before going any further make sure that you have downloaded and installed the latest Window Service Pack updates available on the Microsoft website.
For Windows XP that means installing Service Packs 2 & 3 and if you intend using WPA2 then possibly the Windows XP WPA2 update.
'How to obtain the latest Windows XP Service Packs'
For Vista users check that you have Service Pack 1 installed.
'How to obtain the latest Windows Vista Service Pack'
Windows Service Packs contain important security updates which make Windows Networking easier and more secure.
Right, select WPA or WPA2 encryption and choose the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) as the cipher type for WPA2 or TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Program) as the cipher type for WPA.
For both WPA and WPA2 you will now need to select an ‘Authentication’ type which will be referred to as Pre-Shared Key or PSK.
Now select your ‘Passphrase’ (password) using a combination of numbers and letters as directed (between 8 and 63 characters – the longer the better!).
Remember, choose wisely, something you will remember but no one else will guess!
Note down your passphrase for when you come to entering this data into each of your PCs and laptops wireless adapter setup programs.
Yes, you will have to visit each and every one and enter all of the above information before they can talk to each other across your wireless network!
If WEP is the only option available to you then select WEP and the ‘Authentication type’ as ‘Automatic’.
Now set the ‘Encryption Strength’ to 128 bit and finally input your WEP Key ‘Passphrase’.
So, now your wireless network can be considered secure – you can breath easy!
But there are a few other steps we can take to make our network super bullet proof – well, pretty much anyway!
Read on to discover further methods of improving your wireless router security.
Wireless Router Security – MAC Filtering
Most routers will give the option to only allow connection to devices with specific MAC (Media Access Control) addresses which you can specify in a table on the router configuration setup page.
Every PC and laptop wireless adapter will have its own unique 12-character MAC address code.
Setting your router to only allow access to specific MAC addresses will give you even greater security and could be worth the effort if you feel you want the added peace of mind this gives.
First you will need to visit all your PCs and laptops to make a note of their individual MAC addresses.
Simply power up your PC or laptop and go to the ‘Start’ button then click on ‘Run’. Now type ‘cmd’ in the window that appears and then press the ’Enter’ key.
You will now be presented with a command window and you need to type in ‘ipconfig/all’ and again hit the ‘Enter’ key.
Next you will be presented with a screen and you will need to search through the list of information for the ‘Physical Address’ which has a set of characters (6 sets of 2 hexadecimal numbers) which is in fact your PC or laptops MAC address.
Make a note of these as you go round to each in turn and then input them into you router MAC address filtering table.
Note that once done all devices will be blocked from connecting to your network unless their MAC address has been added to your router MAC address filter list.
Wireless Router Security – Hardware Firewall
Your wireless router contains a ‘hardware firewall’ – this si not the same as the ‘software firewall’ that comes with Windows or as part of an Internet Security Suite.
Your hardware firewall provides protection from hackers on the internet and you should check that your router firewall has been enabled.
A hardware firewall on its own should be enough to protect you but we recommend using both for full security and of course any laptops should always have a software firewall installed as security for when using ‘Wireless Hotspots’ or other wireless networks when using your laptop away from home.
Wireless Router Security – Router Placement
An admittedly small but very simple step to helping contain our wireless signal within our home and garden is to try and situate our wireless router centrally within our home as far as possible.
This not only gives the best coverage for our home but it will minimise the spread of our wireless signal outside our home for the wireless signal.
Are you suffering from some annoying dips in your wireless network reception or can’t quite reach the furthest extremes of your house and home with your wireless signal?
Worry not – there are many simple ways available for you to boost your wireless signal and we will show you how to implement these with the minimum of effort. It can be very annoying when you’ve set up your lovely wire free network only to find that the signal doesn’t reach all of your favorite surfing spots around your home. All sorts of objects can affect the strength and quality of your wireless signal such as walls, floors, doors etc – each of these objects between your wireless access point and your wireless PC or laptop will have an effect on your signal level and can quickly add up to a severe loss of signal strength. Other sources of interference such as microwave ovens, cordless phones and metallic objects such as radiators or filing cabinets can all act to cause a weakness of your signal. Do try to make sure your wireless router or wireless access point is situated away from these objects and is placed as central to your home as possible to give the highest all round coverage.
Wireless Booster - Upgrade Your Antenna
The simplest upgrade you can do to improve the strength and coverage of your wireless network is to change your wireless router or wireless access point antenna for a high gain type.Antennas are available to boost your wireless signal strength for internal and external use. Before going out and purchasing a new antenna you will need to perform a few checks on your router or access point first. Access your wireless router configuration page via your router web page login and confirm that the wireless power setting is set to maximum and that any range boost settings - if your router has this function available - are also enabled. If you have an old 802.11b standard router consider upgrading it to an 802.11n model with extra transmit power and range capabilities. Note that before doing this you should ensure that all your other wireless devices are compatible with the 802.11n standard first.
Wireless Booster – Antenna Types
Extending the wireless coverage range in a specific direction can be accomplished best by adding a uni-directional antenna which will provide a strong signal over a set area of your home.For general ‘all round’ area coverage improvements you will need to choose an omni-directional antenna. External antennas are available for use outside – these are designed to be used in all weather and mounted on a wall for example to provide coverage for your garden, pool or patio maybe.
Wireless Booster – Repeater/Extender
You can also purchase a wireless repeater / wireless range extender to increase the coverage of your wireless network.Purchase one from the same manufacturer as your wireless router to avoid potential compatibility problems. Please note that using a wireless repeater or extender will reduce your network data transfer rate even though you are extending the range of your wireless network. A handy tool for locating the areas of poor signal strength around your house and home is the Net Stumbler program available fromwww.netstumbler.com/downloads/ - install and run this program on a wireless laptop and walk around your house and home and note the change in your wireless networks signal strength. This data can be used to produce a rough map of your signal strength which you can use to see where you need to add a high gain antenna or wireless repeater.
Wireless Booster – Repeater Installation
Installing a wireless repeater is fairly straightforward.You will setup and configure operation just like you did for your Wireless Router – via a web page on your internet web browser program. You will need to set up your wireless repeater / extender to have the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) network name as the rest of your wireless network and the same encryption and password as the rest of your wireless network. Check the requirements for your repeater / extender regarding DHCP and confirm that it has leased an IP address correctly from your wireless router.
Wireless Booster – Antenna Installation
Upgrading your antenna is a simple task and just requires unscrewing your old antenna from your wireless router or access point and replacing it with the new one.Connection is made with a screw or SMA type connector and finger tight will be perfectly adequate – do not apply unnecessary force here! Now position your antenna according to the survey that you performed earlier and use your wireless enabled laptop with Net Stumbler running to confirm that you have indeed boosted your wireless signal strength. Note that your wireless signal strength is measured in dBm (decibels per metre) and this may be a negative number – note then that -40dBm is a stronger signal than -60dBm for instance.
Wireless Booster – Troubleshooting
If you are still experiencing signal interference then once again use Net Stumbler to check for other local networks transmitting close by on the same or adjacent channels.Using channels 1, 6, or 11 will help here as they have the minimum overlap between one another and are therefore less likely to interfere with one another. So - if you neighbor is using Channel 11 for instance then you should try setting your own wireless network to use Channel 1 or 6 for maximum immunity to adjacent signal interference.
So, you’ve got a laptop, its wireless capable, and you’re all set to connect up to the Internet but how so?
Well, there are several options open to you to obtain laptop wireless Internet access depending upon where and how you wish to connect and we will endeavour to cover most of these in detail thereby allowing you to make an informed choice that suits your needs and budget.
Wireless Internet access can be via your laptop or notebooks own built in wireless adapter, via an add on wireless adapter which connects via your USB port or by adding a Mobile Broadband USB dongle which again connects to your USB port and will allow you to surf the web almost anywhere that you can obtain a standard cell phone signal.
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – Wi-Fi Connection
At home or office your Wi-Fi connection will allow you to connect, via a wireless access point or broadband wireless router to a broadband Internet connection as long as you don’t stray too far away from the wireless signal.
The range for this type of connection will vary greatly depending upon many factors such as walls, floors, nearby cordless phones or other interference but for most people this method of connection is perfectly adequate for home and office use with a typical wireless signal range of up to 300 feet.
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – Wireless Hotspots
If you are a frequent traveller say or maybe you just like to have the option of using your laptop when out and about you will find that more and more businesses, airports, railway stations, hotels, coffee shops etc offer free or paid laptop wireless Internet access via a wireless ‘hotspot’.
Hotspots are popping up everywhere!
A wireless hotspot is simply a wireless access point that has been made public.
Available networks will show up via the wireless icon in the ‘Notification Area’ on your Windows desktop – look at the bottom right hand corner of your screen for the wireless icon and left click to view available networks.
A good tip here for obtaining the strongest signal, and therefore the fastest connection speed, is to ask the staff at the hotspot of your choice where the wireless access point is located and make sure that you locate yourself as close as possible for the best reception.
Room layouts can play havoc with the signal and it’s worth checking this out and making sure there are no walls etc between you and the wireless signal.
When connecting up you may need to enter a code which the staff will be able to supply you with.
When surfing, if you leave your laptop or notebook alone for a while, you may find that your session keeps ‘timing out’ and you need to log back on to reactivate your connection.
This can be annoying when you stop browsing to chat or drink that coffee – to stop this happening simply run your fingers over the touchpad every now and then to alert the connection to the fact that you are still using it.
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – Hotspot Security
There is a downside to using a public hotspot though and that’s lack of security!
To enable one and all to connect simply to these handy hotspots means that the signal is delivered without any form of security or encryption or if there is encryption then everyone else who has used or is using the hotspot knows what it is.
So, big warning here, this means anyone else who has wireless access can gain access to your laptop or notebook unimpeded unless you take the necessary measures to prevent this – the onus is with you!
You will need to ensure that you have your Windows Firewall or third party software firewall enabled and correctly set up and that your firewall is set to disallow the sharing of files and printers.
See our Windows Firewall guide for further information regarding this important but easily configured option.
If you are using a wireless hotspot to connect to your office via a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection then you will be protected by the fact that the data will be encrypted.
Otherwise, you must make sure you take steps to secure your connection.
For Vista and Windows 7 users you can do this by right clicking on your wireless icon in the ‘Notification Area’ of your desktop (bottom right hand corner of your screen).
Now select ‘Open Network and Sharing Center’ and click on ‘Windows Firewall’.
Select ‘Change Settings’ and then ‘Block all incoming connections’.
For Windows XP Service Pack 2 right click on your wireless icon in the notification area and select ‘Change Windows Firewall Settings’ and then click on ‘Don’t allow exceptions’ and then click ‘Ok’
Vista and Windows XP users must make sure to turn off ‘File and Printer Sharing’.
Do not enter any sensitive data such as passwords, account numbers, bank details, credit card details etc and ensure that you use a secure SSL type connection for accessing your email.
Try to use Google mail when you are on the move as it provides a secure connection by default.
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – Free Hotspots
Now, not all wireless hotspots offer free connection but search around and you can usually find somewhere that will.
Before going on a journey spend a little time surfing the web to check out the available hotspots and whether they offer free access or not.
Try ‘My Hotspots’, ‘JiWire’ or ‘Hotspot Locations’ and do a search for hotspots with free access.
Connecting to a public Wi-Fi hotspot is easy – just turn on your laptop and provided your wireless is enabled on your laptop (some laptops and notebooks have a switch to turn wireless capabilities on and off), your laptop should indicate that it has found new network.
Select the correct service – there may be several in the local vicinity so you need to check which service name you are looking for - usually the strongest signal,, select it and click ‘Ok’ to connect.
You may need to enter a username which the staff at the hotspot will be able to give you.
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – Mobile Broadband
Laptop wireless Internet access can also be achieved by using the same wireless signal that your cell phone uses.
This can be extremely useful if you need to get fast easy access wherever you may be - provided of course there is cell phone coverage for the area you are in!
Wireless ‘hotspots’ although extremely handy for checking your emails etc are limited to access in just one ‘spot' – your chosen ‘hotspot’.
Mobile Broadband however offers you a permanent broadband connection pretty much wherever your cell phone signal exists.
No more having to search around for the nearest wireless ‘hotspot’ as you move around the city and you can forget it once you are out on the road!
Now, Mobile Broadband, although wireless in nature, does not use the same technology as your home wireless network or the wireless networks available at the public hotspots for instance.
Your home wireless network runs on the Wi-Fi Alliance 802.11b, g or n standard which only transmits and receives over short distances.
Mobile Broadband makes use of the same wireless networks that your cell phone uses – pretty much a nationwide coverage with continuous connection as you roam around the country seamlessly switching from one local cell to another with no loss of signal.
So who supplies the service? Your cell phone company of course via their cell phone networks!
Initially, pricing for Mobile Broadband was quite high but the prices are rapidly falling to the point where this technology is fast competing with your home network ISP provider!
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – Accessing Mobile Broadband
How do you make use of Mobile Broadband?
Most laptops and notebooks are now wireless capable straight out of the box but this is for use with the Wi-Fi 802.11b, g and n type networks – not mobile broadband.
To be able to use mobile broadband you will need to obtain a USB, PC Card or ExpressCard mobile broadband aircard which you will obtain when you sign up with your supplier.
The USB type broadband cards look just like your USB memory stick but in actual fact they are really cut down simplified versions of your cell phone!
Yes, a cell phone minus the battery, keypad and screen but with all the electronics required for transmitting and receiving your cell signal crammed inside!
USB type mobile broadband cards are the most compatible for laptops as all laptops nowadays have a USB port.
PC Cards or PCMCIA cards used to be widely available on laptops but these are now being replaced by the newer ExpressCard slots for laptop expansion devices.
Mobile Broadband is also available via ExpressCards which fit into a slot on the side of your laptop providing a much neater solution over the USB types as they are less prone to falling out or being knocked out.
Do ensure though to ensure you have the correct size – mobile broadband uses the 34mm wide card types and not the wider 54mm type although the 34mm card should fit into the 54mm slot happily. Do make sure you check before you buy!
Ok, off you go now and check out the latest deals from the cell companies, make your choice and away you go!
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – Mobile Broadband Speed
Once you’ve selected, installed and set up your mobile broadband card you will achieve pretty fast operating speeds due to the use of the latest 3G cell phone networks.
Note though that these network speeds can vary greatly between service providers and you will need to spend some time selecting carefully.
There are other services which may offer faster connection such as HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) but most people should be happy with the standard 3G service which will allow you to surf the web, email, social networking etc with no real holdups.
Another service that is appearing recently is WiMax (or 4G) which promises high speed internet access just like you would expect to achieve using your home broadband connection.
WiMax is currently only available in a few cities across the USA but is sure to catch on due to average speeds of 5Mbps and peak speeds of almost twice this figure!
Laptop Wireless Internet Access - MiFi
Another cute little device that’s making its way on to the marketplace is MiFi.
Just what is Mi-Fi? Well it’s a very clever idea brought to you by a number of companies such as Novatel, D-Link and Sierra Wireless. It’s basically a mobile broadband access point!
It receives a mobile broadband cell signal and then converts it into a standard Wi-Fi signal which can be picked up by your laptop using it’s built in wireless network adapter.
What’s the benefit? Simple, it’s a self contained wireless access point that can be accessed simultaneously by all of your wireless devices such as your notebook, laptop, ipad etc all sharing the same mobile broadband cell signal!
And this little beauty is completely wireless! Yep, battery operated, self contained, mobile broadband to Wi-Fi all in one cute little package the size of an iphone!
Laptop Wireless Internet Access – FON
Another great way to obtain a Wi-Fi connection for free or for a small fee is through the FON network.
FON, founded in Spain, is a growing network of like minded individuals who allow other FON members to use their FON Wi-Fi router internet connection for free.
How does this work?
All you need to do is purchase a Wi-Fi router from FON, which you can set up at home; allowing other FON members to gain access through when they are in range of your signal.
Why would you do this?
Well, as part of the FON community you will also be able to jump on the FON network wherever you may be provided there is a FON signal within reach of your laptop wireless adapter.
FON is catching on big time and the aim is to eventually be able to access the internet for free wherever you may be!
Even in smaller residential areas a quick search of the FON network will show users all over the country.
Plus, you can charge non – FON members a small fee in exchange for using your connection!
Well, we hope that’s given you a taster of what’s on offer out there to enable you to obtain wireless internet for laptop, notebook and all you’re other wireless devices wherever you may be.
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