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Setting up a wireless network
In this articleGetting the right equipment
Setting up the modem and Internet connection
Positioning the wireless router
Securing your wireless network
Adding computers to your network
Sharing files and printers
Enjoying your freedom
Imagine sitting on the couch in your living room browsing the web, or chatting w
ith 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 th
an you might think. This article walks you through the steps to set up your wire
less network and start using it.
Getting the right equipment
Before you can set up your wireless network, you'll need the following items:
Broadband Internet connection and modem
A broadband Internet connection is a high-speed Internet connectionin contrast to
a dial-up connection, which is slower and not powerful enough to support a wire
less network. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable are two of the most common
broadband connections. You can get a broadband connection by contacting an Inte
rnet service provider (ISP). Typically, ISPs that provide DSL are telephone comp
anies and ISPs that provide cable are cable TV companies. ISPs often offer broad
band modems and might even install it for you. Some ISPs also offer combination
modem/wireless routers. You can also find these at computer or electronics store
s.
Typical cable modem (left) and DSL modem (right)
Wireless router
A router sends information between your network and the Internet. With a wireles
s router, you can connect computers to your network using radio signals instead
of wires. There are a few different types of wireless network technologies, incl
uding 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. We recommend using a router that supports 8
02.11g because it is fast and provides a strong wireless signal. For more inform
ation about wireless network technologies, see Wireless networking: frequently a
sked questions.
Typical wireless router
Wireless network adapters
A network adapter is a device that connects your computer to a network. To conne
ct your laptop or desktop computer to your wireless network, the computer must h
ave a wireless network adapter. Most laptopsand many desktop computerscome with a
wireless network adapter already installed. To check if your computer has a wire
less network adapter, follow these steps:
Click to open Device Manager.? If you are prompted for an administrator passwor
d or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Double-click Network adapters.
Look for a network adapter that includes "wireless" in the name.
Device Manager showing a wireless network adapter
If your computer needs a wireless network adapter, you can purchase one from a c
omputer or electronics store and install it yourself. The universal serial bus (
USB) type are a nice choice because they are small, easy to install, and they ca
n be moved around to different computers. Make sure you get the same type of ada
pters as your wireless router. The type of adapter is usually marked on the pack
age, typically with a letter, such as G or A.
Typical USB wireless network adapters
Setting up the modem and Internet connection
Once you have all of the equipment, you'll need to set up your modem and Interne
t connection. If your modem wasn't set up for you by your Internet service provi
der (ISP), follow the instructions that came with your modem to connect it to yo
ur computer and the Internet. If you're using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), con
nect 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 broadband (DSL or cable) connect
ion.
Positioning the wireless router
Put your wireless router somewhere where it will receive the strongest signal wi
th 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 t
o the center of your home as possible to increase the strength of the wireless s
ignal throughout your home.
Position the wireless router off of the floor and away from walls and metal obje
cts, such as metal file cabinets. The fewer physical obstructions between your c
omputer 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) rad
io frequency. This is the same frequency as most microwaves and many cordless ph
ones. If you turn on the microwave or get a call on a cordless phone, your wirel
ess 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.
Securing your wireless network
Security is always important; with a wireless network, it's even more important
because your network's signal could go beyond the boundaries of your home. If yo
u don't secure your network, people with computers nearby might be able to acces
s the information stored on your network computers and use your Internet connect
ion 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 d
efault network name. Someone could use this information to access your router wi
thout you knowing it. To avoid that risk, change the default user name and passw
ord for your router. Check the information that came with your device for instru
ctions.
Set up a security key for your network. Just as file cabinets have keys and safe
s have combinations, wireless networks have a network security key to help prote
ct them from unauthorized access. To set up a network security key, follow these
steps:
Click to open Network and Sharing Center.
Click Set up a new connection or network.
Click Set up a new network, 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 or WPA2) security. We recommend that you use WPA2, if possible, because it o
ffers better security than WPA or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security. With
WPA2 or WPA you can also use a passphrase, so you dont have to remember a cryptic
sequence of letters and numbers. For more information, see What are the differe
nt wireless network security methods?
Create a network security key
Write down your security key and keep it in a safe place. 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 co
mputer from hackers or malicious software. Running a firewall on each computer o
n 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 this version of Windows. For more information,
see Firewall: frequently asked questions.
Adding computers to your network
To connect your laptop or desktop computer to your wireless network, follow thes
e steps:
Click to open Connect to a Network.
In the list of networks, click the network that you want to connect to, and then
click Connect.
Enter the security key. You can either type in the key or insert a USB flash dri
ve that contains the security key into a USB port on the computer.
Sharing files and printers
Most people have a wireless network so they can access the Internet from any roo
m in the house, but they also want the freedom of accessing files and printers w
irelessly.
Sharing files
The easiest way to share files on your network is to set up sharing with a homeg
roup. If you don't have a homegroup, you can share files by placing them in one
of the Public folders. Any file or folder you put in a Public folder is automati
cally shared with the people connected to your network. To turn on Public folder
sharing, follow these steps:
Click to open Advanced sharing settings.
Click the chevron to expand the current network profile.
Under Public folder sharing, click one of the following options:
Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Pu
blic folders
Turn off Public folder sharing (people logged on to this computer can still acce
ss these folders)
Click Save changes. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confir
mation, type the password or provide confirmation.
You will need to repeat the previous steps on each computer that you want to sha
re files from.
To share your files, save them or copy them to a Public folder on your computer.
There is a Public folder for each type of library (Documents, Music, Videos, an
d Pictures). Every person with a user account on the computer shares these folde
rs. For example, to open the Public Documents folder:
Click to open the Documents library.
In the navigation pane, under Libraries, double-click Documents, and then double
-click Public Documents.
The Public Documents folder
Sharing a printer
If you have a printer attached to one of your computers, you can print to it fro
m any computer connected to your wireless network. The easiest way to share a pr
inter is to select the Printers check box when you set up your homegroup. If you
don't have a homegroup, you can follow these steps:
Log on to the computer that has the printer attached to it.
Click to open Advanced sharing settings.
Click the chevron to expand the current network profile.
Under File and printer sharing, click Turn on file and printer sharing, and then
click Save changes. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confi
rmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Note
If you have password-protected sharing turned on, people will need a user accoun
t with a password on your computer to access your printer.
To access the printer from any computer on the network, follow these steps:
Click to open Network.
Double-click the icon for the computer that has the printer attached to it.
Double-click the icon for the printer. Windows will automatically add the printe
r to your computer and install the printer driver.
Enjoying your freedom
And thats ityour wireless network is ready to go. You can relax on the couch or ou
t on the deck while you browse the web, send e-mail, or do some online shopping.

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