Home Wireless Networking: Easy, Inexpensive and Convenient

Lose some of the wires and enjoy the ease of access for multiple devices from anywhere in your home. Behind most people's desktop computers, there is a dusty, twisted web of wires. Some are plugged into power sources and others to phone lines, cable connections or are simply connecting one device to another. Not all of these can be eliminated by switching to a wireless internet connection, but some of them certainly can!

A good wireless connection is every bit as reliable and fast as the hard-wired connection so many people still use.

To set up a wireless home network, you will need the following things:

1) A working internet connection,

2) A wireless adapter for each device you want to use (most newer devices have these adapters built-in), and

3) A wireless network router.

The wireless router is going to be either a Wireless "G" or a Wireless "N" type. Specific technical details notwithstanding, for most home users the important distinction is simply that the Wireless "N" protocols (operating standards) are faster than the older Wireless "G." If your hard-wired internet connection speed is slow, a faster router will not speed it up and the Wireless "G" router will do just fine. Those with a high-speed (Cable Modem, Fiber Optic or DSL) connection will probably get more satisfying results with a Wireless "N" router.

The wireless router can cost as little as $20 or as much as $200. The differences reflect the range and upper speed capacities of the routers. An inexpensive name-brand router is probably the most reliable and reasonable choice for the average home user. My personal favorites are from the LIKSYS line from CISCO. No matter what brand or cost or type, wireless modems all work, essentially, the same way.

Some will have one or more antennas on the back and others will not because the antennas have been built within the device. This does not matter.

The internet cable ("Ethernet" cable) that brings the connection to the computer is plugged in, instead, to the wireless router. Once set up according to the installation directions always included, every wireless enabled device in range will be able to pick up the signal from your new wireless router. It really is as simple as that!

Wireless routers also routinely have ports on them to allow for non-wireless enabled devices to be plugged in and access the signal in the old, hard-wired way.

Most modern laptops, tablets, smart phones, printers, multifunction machines and even many HDTVs now come with wireless adapters installed. If you are unsure whether or not your computer has a built-in adapter, it is easy enough to find out. For devices that do not have an adapter built in, after-market adapters are inexpensive and easy to install in most computers.

One person can use the desktop while another, out in the kitchen, can easily access the internet on their laptop or tablet. A wireless printer on your network can be accessed by any other device on the network. The possibilities are only as limited as the devices you own and connect.

All wireless routers offer the user security options. These are, generally, varieties of either "WEP" of "WPA" encryption. Always use the most secure setting available. For most, this would be the WPA-2 option. You must also establish a password (so the person next door or just driving by cannot access your signal and connection without your knowledge and permission.) This password can, of course, be shared with anyone you want to be able to access the internet from your wireless home connection.

Easy to set up and a great way to reduce wiring, untether your devices from hard connections at home and share your internet connection easily with multiple devices and visitors, setting up a wireless home network is clearly the way to go.