Installing a Wireless Network – 7 Top Tips

Installing a Wireless Network

Due to the layout of some offices and homes a wired network is not always the best or indeed the most practical way of installing a computer network.  If you are setting up in an office environment then it is recommended that you approach an IT network support company.  Otherwise, the following tips will give you some rules of thumb for setting up a more preferable wireless network.

1) To start with uou should make a list of your requirements and in particular the devices required for creating the network.The most common elements of a wireless network are: wireless routers, wireless network adapters, LAN cards, antennas, firewalls, cable modems, wireless bridges and cables.

2) Ensure that you have your broadband modem connected up to your wireless router.The modem should be connected to your network router by using an Ethernet cable or Cat5 cable.

3) The next job is for you to connect the wireless router with all of the computers to be included on the network.  Each computer will require a wireless network adapter or wireless LAN card.If the computers to be added do not have a LAN card then a USB Network adapter is highly recommended.  

4)  The wireless router should then be configured.In most cases an ethernet cable is provided with a wireless network adapter.You should plug one end of the cable to the LAN socket of the computer.The router's user manual will then tell you how to go about configuring the settings here.

5)  You then need to configure the wireless network adapter on each computer.Windows XP should automatically detect the hardware changes after the adapter has been connected.Other versions of windows may that a driver CV be inserted.

6) Ensure that your modem is hooked up to the internet.If not, the modem's user manual will talk you through the process.

7) Once all of the network devices have been configured, your operating system will display a wireless network icon at the bottom of the screen.

If you are looking to set up a wireless network in an office environment then you should consider approaching a professional IT support company as the above process is more complicated and requires the installation of additional security measures.  They will also be able to provide online backup services in case your data is lost or corrupted.