Making the Most of Your Wireless Network

In the age of the wireless network, and with the widespread popularity of wireless routers, having to snake yards of network cable throughout your house in order to keep your computer connected to the Internet is a thing of the past. Setting up you wireless network so that it is reliable, fast and secure is simply a matter of knowing how to work with the equipment you have available. It takes two components to successfully connect to a wireless network.

You need one component to transmit the wireless connection, and one component to receive it. The transmitter, known as your wireless router, hooks up to your Internet connection, which is usually managed by a cable modem or a digital subscriber line. The router is used to broadcast that connection throughout your house. To receive that broadcast, your computer must be equipped with a wireless network adapter. Most new computers have them built in, though you can buy an adapter if you computer does not already have one. In order to obtain the maximum broadcast rage, make sure that the wireless transmitter is centrally located on an upper floor or on top of a piece of furniture such as a book shelf or entertainment center.

The radio waves that are transmitted by your wireless router spread out best when they broadcast from high to low ground. These wave travel best laterally and will be impeded if they have to travel around steep angles or through thick walls and metallic objects. You must also make sure to keep your wireless transmitter away from other devices in your home that can cause interference such as baby monitors, microwave ovens and cordless phones. Once you have determined that your wireless network is broadcasting efficiently, you must take some time to make sure that you have the property security enabled. Without proper security precautions, anyone within range of your wireless signal can tap into it, either using your connection to do their own surfing or, worse, intercepting the signal from your computer to your router and stealing your personal information.

To keep this from happening, you must access your wireless router's configuration interface. This is usually done by typing a specific address into your internet browser. Refer to the router's manual to find out exactly how to do it. Once you have done so, make sure to enable a security feature called W.E.P. By following the above instructions, you can be sure that you will have a secure, efficient and reliable wireless network installed in your home.