Setting up a home wireless network - what do I need?

[Kid Charlemagne]

I'm interested in setting up a wireless network at home - what do I need?

I have a cable modem and a desktop PC, and would like to connect

-a yet-to-be-purchased PS3
-my work laptop
-the home PC (though I don't think it has wireless capability built in right now)

Fairly simple stuff. I just want to make sure I don't forget any basics.

 

[Pyrex]

You shouldn't need anything beyond a wireless router (I'd recommend Netgear) and a wireless adapter for each connected device.

 

[drothgery]

You shouldn't need anything beyond a wireless router (I'd recommend Netgear) and a wireless adapter for each connected device.

... though it's very likely that the laptop already has one built in (pretty much anything less than 3 years old will, and some older ones), and the PS3 certainly does. At least one PC will probably be sitting fairly close to your wireless router, and you can use the wired connection for that one (all wireless routers have at least one wired output, and many have 4).

 

[Redrobes]

You shouldn't need anything beyond a wireless router (I'd recommend Netgear) and a wireless adapter for each connected device.

I second that a netgear router is worth a few extra cents vs the sweat from other makes. You might just have to check your PC to see what spare internal sockets it has. Most are either PCI or PCIe. The PCIe ones would probably have short - say 1" type of connector often dark brown and the old PCI type is usually white and about 3" long but best look up pics on the web to check if your unsure.

Setting it up is usually not too much issue. I tend to set it up fully open with no security and get it working then add in the layers like hiding the SSID broadcast, WEP, and most importantly the MAC address filtering.

To get at your MAC address open a command prompt and type :-

ipconfig /all

and its the big hex number with about 6 pairs of digits called Physical Address. You get a MAC address for each type of network adapter. So its the WiFi one on the PC or the laptop that you need to add to the routers MAC address filter list.

Also, some cable companies set up the cable modems to allow only one PC to connect to the cable modem. Whatever PC you use do that ipconfig and get the PCs MAC address and write it down. When you configure a router you can usually tell it to fake its MAC address on the WAN side - thats the cable going to the modem. Then the modem thinks that the PC is still connected. You may or may not need to do this however. Try it without first.

What else ? Well traceroute is a handy utility to know too. Thats also a command prompt thing so try :-

tracert www.google.com

it should print up a list of the routers it passes through to get to google. You should see your new shiny router as an address in the top of that list.

You should switch on DHCP thought it should be on by default. Its likely that your PC is already configured to use automatic addresses in the network properties / TCPIP / Advanced but check that its all automatic when you have a router. Set the routers workgroup and ensure that all machines use the same workgroup. Thats on right click on My Computer / properties / computer name etc.

Bleh... thats about it I think.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

... though it's very likely that the laptop already has one built in (pretty much anything less than 3 years old will, and some older ones), and the PS3 certainly does. At least one PC will probably be sitting fairly close to your wireless router, and you can use the wired connection for that one (all wireless routers have at least one wired output, and many have 4).

Excellent - I was hoping that the PC could be hard-wired - the laptop does indeed have wireless, and one of the selling points (to me) of the PS3 is its wireless capability - I haven't bought it yet, but I plan on using it as a music server for my stereo system in addition to games.

 

[Thanee]

Setting it up is usually not too much issue. I tend to set it up fully open with no security and get it working then add in the layers like hiding the SSID broadcast, WEP, and most importantly the MAC address filtering.

Uhm... WEP?

Use WPA(2), not WEP. WEP is about as good as no security at all.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

As for the router, I'm very happy with my Linksys. Definitely get a decent one, not one of those super-cheap models.

Bye
Thanee

 

[drothgery]

Excellent - I was hoping that the PC could be hard-wired - the laptop does indeed have wireless, and one of the selling points (to me) of the PS3 is its wireless capability - I haven't bought it yet, but I plan on using it as a music server for my stereo system in addition to games.

What I'm likely to do when I get my Xbox 360 -- having picked up the HDTV a few weeks ago -- is to set things up so the console is using the wired conection and my PC (which is a laptop in a docking station) uses wireless.

 

[Arnwyn]

Does anyone know if the wireless "n" standard been made... uh... standard? I know they've been selling those 'n' devices for a while now, but from what I understand, they hadn't standardized it yet...

(Forgive any errors in the above, as I'm fairly illiterate when it comes to this sort of thing.)

 

[Jhamin]

Uhm... WEP?

Use WPA(2), not WEP. WEP is about as good as no security at all.

Good advice if you can. Unfortunatly not everything is compatable with WPA, forcing you to use WEP or nothing.

(I'm looking at you Nintendo DS & Wii)