Does A PC have to be connected to a Wireless Router?

Question

I want to have a wireless Internet connection at home, and want to buy a wireless router (probably Linksys). Currently I only have my laptop right now with built in wireless capabilities.. I will add another PC or laptop to the network later but want to run only one machine now. My questions is:

After setting up the router (with my laptop connected by wire), Will I be able to unplug the wire and get a wireless internet connection with just the wireless router connected to the cable modem ? Must the router and modem be wired to a PC in order to work?

Answer 1

No it does not have to be wired, as long as its an actual wireless router. Remember what your typing goes through the air so make sure that you have your wep or similiar security encryption enabled to give a lil more piece of mind, not the securest but it helps.

Answer 2

No, if you have a wireless card in your labtop, then you can just disconnect the wire from the router. However, you should reboot your computer to that the wireless card can detect the signal off your router. PC shouldn't need to be wired to the modem and the router.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

While the computer and modem does not need to be connected to the Router via cable, (which is why it is called 'wireless') you will need an internal or external Adapter to connect wirelessly with the Router. Also, while most say you can mix and match Routers and Adapters, I do not reccomend this practice as compatibility issues have risen for me by mixing manufacturers. I strongly suggest buying the Adapter from the same manufacturer as you buy the Router.

Now, most new laptops these days have wireless capabilities built into the computer. So, just ensure which brand is inside your laptop. Then call the manufacturer and ask which Router brand they reccomend to be most compatable with what is inside your laptop, if it already has an Adapter inside of it.

If it does not have one already buy the same Adapter as the Router you choose. I prefer the Belkin brand, but this is just me, we all have our preferences. What is most important is the proper configuration of your connection and to ensure the safety and security is configured properly as well. It is of vital importance in establishing a reliable connection (or any connection) to set the security feature and passwork key exactly the same in both the Routers browser setup page and the Adapter. If these settings are off even one charactor you will not be able to attain a connection. When you do decide to add another computer to the network you will need to purchase an Adapter for it as well and set up the configuration exactly the same as the other or it will not be able to acheive a connection or be added to the network.

Linksys, D-Link, Belkin, all have good setup instructions, so read them all before attempting to set any of this up. Having a solid basic understanding of the process is important to make this as painless and as least frustrating as possible. While it is not really an onerous task, if you are not properly prepared it can quckly become a frustratingly hair pulling experiance! ;-)

Now, Belkin has a twenty four hour, seven day a week, technical support team. There is always three levels of technicians, one two and three, with the higher number reflecting a higher degree of knowlege and experiance, yet usually level one is good enough for most situations, and you have to go through both one and two to get to somebody at level three. So, the best thing to do is read all the information and call for additional support if needed. I don't usually bother much with the help pages or the most common questions on websites for this type of issue, as it is prone to cause more confusion rather than set it aside. If a person has difficulties with a hardware and/or software network installation issue and the answer is not readily available in the paperwork provided with the hardware and software just go straight to the phone and make that call.

I used a book which I found very helpful. It is not a large book yet is chock full of great information regarding networks and setting them up. It gives detailed instructions using the Linksys Router and Adapter. Though any hardware will easily lend itself to what the book contains. The book is:

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Networking, by Mark Edward Soper. While it says "home" networking, I used it to set up both my home and office networks. It contains both wired, wireless and mixed network configurations, plus additional information on other networking needs such as printers, game consoles, media such as TiVo and even configuring and automating a washing machine via romote conrtoll and servailance equipment, and phone line connections. It is just a great book over all and essential to anyone who is just starting out with networking. I just can't reccommend it highly enough and it is not that expensive either.

Now, if you just follow the instructions you will be fine. As a woman I read all instructions, regardless of how insignificant my husband may think them. I know guys tend to want to try setting stuff up without ever looking at ---------what? What instructions? What are you talking about? Me, Man, Me don't need instruction! ;-) LOL Kidding aside, it is not that difficult, but it can seem to be if a person just forges ahead without proper preperations.

What is important is first setting up the Router. Routers use a browser page as its configuration setup, so you will need to keep your ability to connect to the web while doing this. It is important you do not install the Adapter prior to the Router, and you must first install the software and drivers for the adapter before actually putting the adapter into its slot. If you do decide to go with Belkin you will be using what looks like a notebook adapter in the desktop later on, so don't get confused. The desktop and notebook adapters are nearly identical. Belkin requires the installation of the slot the adapter slides into, in the computer but it is very simple and easy to do. I do it, so anyone can!! lol

After you have connected the Router to the Modem you will need to get into the browser setup page at 192.168.2.1
Just type that into your browser address bar and click enter and the setup page will appear. It is important for you to do some security configurations, but don't do those until you have set up and established the connection with the Router and the Adapter. Doing so just confuses the issue so do one step at a time. When you first go into your setup page, you are asked for a password, just click as though you had put one in as it is not set yet, you will do that later. It is important you set one just not yet. Follow the directions on establishing your SSID which is the name of your network. It can be any name you wish, you just want to change it for security reasons, but again, don't change it until later during the security configuration stage. Depending on your ISP you may or may not need to have a password from them. A page with ISP names should have been included with your instructions, just look up yours and see what it says. If it says you need a password and one is not provided on that page, call your ISP to set one up, easily done. Write it down and put it in a safe place as you will need it.

The basics you need to do is establish the connection between your modem, which is your ISP and the Router, which will place your laptop and any other comptuers behind the router and give your computers private IP Adresses, with the Router having the Public IP adress which will be seen from the net. This is a great safety feature as it basically establishes a sheild between your private network and the world. Most Routers have a hardware firewall, so anyone attempting to get in first has to get past the hardware one before ever getting to your computer.

Once you have established your Router has a connection go ahead and put the Adapters software CD into the drive and it should automatically put the startup page on your screen. Decide what type of encryption you will be using and ensure all your nodes are compatable witth it. If you have a Security Suite with a firewall ensure the firewall is compatiable with WPA encryption as this is the best there is right now. If it is not compatable then you have to decide whether or not to use the softwhere firewall or use the WEP encryption instead. I choose to remove my software firewall, and use the hardware one in the Router and the Widows one instead of giving up my Panda Suite, which I highly reccomend by the way. Now it works with WPA encryption so I have re-installed the firewall on Panda and am happy as a clam. WPA is the BEST encryption and I strongly reccommend using it unless you have no other choice.

When you have went through most of the software and driver setup (if using Belkinn you will get a warning of an unsigned driver but dont'worry it is fine) you will come to a section providing a choice between the Adapters configuration or using Widnows Configuration Utility for the Adapter. I use the Windows Configuration Utility as it is a part of Windows OS and works really well with all of the help files and troubleshooting tools for networking problems and it has served me better over time than the adapters utility did. It is a personal choice however, so use what you think you will get the better use of and/or what you feel most comfortable with. Click finish and you should be done with all that. Make sure you took out the cable when told to do so. You should now be able to get online wirelessly.

Now, go back to the Routers Configuration Setup Page via your browser at 192.168.2.1

Now you will put in your own password for accessing your page. This is vital in ensurring nobody else accesses your setup. Even though it seems that this page is very public it isn't. Your Router has its own serial number which is added to the back of its name as its own distinguishing setup page and Network Name or SSID. (You will change this though too). However, it is not difficult for a hacker to computer generate random access codes to break into these pages as all they need is the manufacturers name and then allow the comptuer to start putting in random serial numbers until one matches. The hacker doesnt' even need to stay with the computer while it does its work. So, for security your first job is to set a password to your personal setup page. make it something not easy to hack, but not something you will easily forget either. Don't use children's birthdays or names or mothers maiden name or any such easy to abtain name. hackers go for these always. I put in a long ago deceaced pets name and when I say long ago, I mean LOOOOng ago!! lol

Click set password or whatever wording is given. Now, you will want to set up your SSID, that is change it to a name of your own. After you do this you can decide if you want to hide it or not, I don't but most say to do so. I just don't like not finding my own network when I do a local network search, and I use other strong means of security so I am comfortable leaving my personal name on the airwaves. Now, make sure you do not have a cordless phone causing interferance. It took me nearly a week to figure out my phone was knocking out my connection! I had to change from a 2.4Ghtz to a 5.8Ghtz phone to fix the problem. The directions said just keeping the phone away from the Network area would do the trick, but it didn't, just having the battery installed knocked out my connection. Microwves, iron beams, refrigerators, large T.V. and brick walls can cause interferance as well, but not the same as the phone situation. Sometimes if you live in a densly populated area you need to change the channel your Router uses, I use channel 2, not a common one but it works well for me. usually we are told to use 7 or 11.

Once you change the SSID, enable your firewall, and if you want maximum security use your MAC Addresses of each node to keep out any but your own nodes on your network. I have not needed to use the MAC Address filtering as yet, but expect to in the near future as my family is coming in mass and I want to ensure there is not any hanky panky going on with my younger guests. With MAC Address filtering you can allow, disallow individual nodes connection, and set up certain times of connections. So, I will put in each node of family who brings a comptuer and then shut off access to the net when I go to bed at night. This way I don't have to worry about one of the kids bringing a virus into my network by going to "bad" sites like porn. I could also use the parental/employer controls on it, but the MAC address filtering is easier for a shorter period. What it does is ensure only your nodes are connected to your network. No other node can ever connect if they are not on your list of allowed MAC Addresses. Very easy to set up and manage.

Once you decide on using this feature, you can get each MAC address by using the IPCONFIG program that comes with the Windows OS. Open a command prompt and click Start-Run, in the small dialog box type cmp and click Ok. In the command prompt window type in ipconfig/all and click enter. That computers network information will appear. The MAC address is teh serial number and is in the form of 1d-34-k5-d5-3y-9u- I think just five groups of numbers. But it is in groups of two numbers with - seperating them. You write this down and put it in the Routers configuration page for the MAC Address filtering. Wired/wireless printers, print servers, game consoles, TiVo units, Sterios, media adapers, all nodes have an MAC address and you can get them easily and then put them on the page I just mentioned.

Once you have done all the setup it is time for the encryption. Now, when you first put the encrption into the Router you will lose your connection with your computer. So, be sure you write down your key (password) before putting it into the Router and clicking Ok. or update or the wording your configuration pages use to update information. Once you click that button your connection will be lost until you put this into your adapter as well.

If you are using WPA you will also use a pre-shared key of PSK and TKIP. Network authentication: WPA-PSK and Data encryption is: TKIP. These go as written. Then put in your key or password and make it very difficult, the longer the better and use both numbers and letters both upper case and lowercase. The more difficult this is the safer you are. I have a very strong key and as such am very safe. Safe enough to not feel a need to hide my SSID from the world or use MAC filtering at the moment.

Once you put this into the Router you go into your Network Connections and right click on your icon in the system tray to open your network connections window. Right click on the Wireless connection, select properties, then select the Wireless Networks Tab. Click on your network name to highlight then click PProperties". On this page you will repeat putting in the information your just put into the Router. The WPA-PSK on the top line the TKIP on the second, then type in the key or password then verify by retyping it in. When you are done click Ok and then click OK again to finsih the configuration.

Now, if your network icon in the system tray is not yet showing a valid connection ( a red X is through the computer icon if no connection is between the adapter and Router) right click that icon and select "Show available wireless networks" on the shortcut menu. A window will appear with all the close networks in range. Now, click to select your network and click Connect. A dialog box to enter your password will appear, just fill it in twice again and click connect. You should now connect.

You should be good to go now. I strongly suggest following all instructions in your user manual and calling for help bypassing the help page online if needed. It is not difficult but can be confusing when you first get started on these things. It can be a bit intimendating when setting up and configuring your first network. The book I mentioned is a great resourse and I strongly reccomend you getting it.

You can print this out if you want, but the book is your best bet. I just wrote all this down for two reasons: 1. It will give you a good ida what you are needing to do and 2. It gave me a chance to write down for somebody else what I learned not so long ago. Often learning is best done by trying to explain how something is done, or how something works, or what something is, to another person. I do this as much as I can to instill in my own head what I learn. I do write long answers, but this is the longest ever! I hope you don't mind too awfully much. ;-)

I wish you much success on setting up your wireless connection and placing more nodes on your network as your needs dictate. Have a great day and enjoy the network experiance!