I have a friend who just switched to DSL from a cable-TV ISP. So, he has a DLS modem and a wireless router.
So do I, but I’ve always permanently connected the modem and router to a desktop PC and then had laptops and 2ndary computers around the house connected wireless.
His household only has one computer, a laptop, and that’s what he wants to connect.
So, how do you connect and set up a wireless network under those circumstances? Do you connect the laptop to the router with an ethernet cable, configure the router, and then disconnect the laptop from the router and modem?
Yup. That’s what I’d do. Some wireless routers (particularly linksys) come
with software to let you do the setup wirelessly, but if you don’t have that,
an ethernet cable is the way to go.
I watched a little news documentary where they showed how, with under $100 woth of electronics, you could drive around the neighbourhood and “listen” in on every wireless connection, picking up userids and passwords from all around you. There is encryption software available for wireless, but almost nobody uses it. I will not go wireless until encryption becomes a standard instead of an afterthought.
This would not be a problem if people used their brains when shopping. There are lots of wireless products with acceptable levels of security. All it takes is a bit of reading about the standards and then finding a product that uses the right standard.
About setting up a wireless network. First use the install disc that came with the router, without even touching the router yet. Most of the time there’s a walkthrough helping you set up, even helping with the security. IF that doesn’t work or you don’t have a disc, try getting the computer to search for wireless connections nearby, then turn on the router and press the setup/initialize/reset button on the router if it has one. If the computer doesn’t find the router, try making the computer search for it after the reset of the router.
I can see my neighbor’s wireless networks coming up on my computer, when I search for connections. However, as has been said already, I didn’t have any problem setting up a fairly high level of security, and I wouldn’t operate wireless without some security for obvious reasons. I have Belkin G Router hooked up to a DSL modem. My desktop computer doesn’t go through the wireless network but has a direct wire to the modem. The notebook computer can be used anywere in the house or yard on wireless, although it is considerably slower than my desktop computer with direct connection to the internet. Here is what Belkin says on the box about security:
“Belkin Wireless Routers are equipped with advance, easy-to-implement security features. They save you time by settin up quickly during the Router installation process. Belkin’s Easy Install Wizard helps users configure WI-FI Protected Access Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK) technology or 64-128 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption security in minutes.”
