Posts Tagged wireless router
Wireless Arrangement Cards
Network cards are the courage of any network. The Arrangement interface agenda or the arrangement agenda is a accouterments accessory that allows a computer to be affiliated to a network, and through the arrangement to added computers and devices. It is installed in one of the chargeless borderline affix interface (PCI) slots of a computer and includes a anchorage in which the networking cable is inserted. There are altered NICs for altered networks alike if the computer is the same. For example, if a computer is to be affiliated to an Ethernet LAN, it charge be able with an Ethernet arrangement agenda and if it is to be affiliated to a wireless LAN, a wireless arrangement agenda needs to be installed.
Wireless arrangement cards acquiesce you to do abroad with acceptable networking through cables. These are accepting acceptance as Wi-Fi hotspots are blooming all over the world. Most new laptop computers are now accessible with pre-installed wireless arrangement cards that are an basic allotment of the hardware. Wireless arrangement cards that fit into the PCMCIA slots are accessible for earlier laptops and agnate cards are additionally accessible for approved desktop computers.
A wireless arrangement agenda can acquaint alone with a wireless router or a wireless admission point. It is important that the wireless arrangement agenda or adapter should assignment at the aforementioned acceleration and with the aforementioned advantage as the wireless router. In accession to the advice software that is anchored in the arrangement interface card’s (NIC’s) ROM, the computer additionally requires networking software to be installed for the arrangement to be functional. Both the software and the NIC accept to attach to the advice protocols of the arrangement to which the computer is to be connected.
Wireless arrangement cards accept added the advancement by acceptance bodies to assignment from any area which is Wi-Fi enabled and accept additionally helped in accomplishing abroad with the hassles associated with accession of acceptable active networks.
Tags: accouterments, hardware wireless, interface card, laptop computers, network cards, networking cable, networking software, pcmcia slots, wi fi hotspots, wireless router
How to Defended Your Wireless Network
If you use a wireless network, affairs are acceptable it is not secure. If you don’t accomplish some important agreement changes on your wireless router afterwards installing it, your wireless arrangement is advanced accessible to hackers, analytical neighbors and bodies who would rather use your broadband internet account instead of affairs their own.
Several of my neighbors accept a wireless arrangement set up in their home, and from my active allowance I can affix to three altered networks in accession to my own. I do this easily, application no appropriate skills, software or equipment. All I do is bang on my wireless networking figure and baddest “view accessible wireless networks”. I accept one, bang “connect”, and in an burning I am application my neighbor’s internet affiliation instead of my own. Kind of creepy, isn’t it?
Following are 6 things you can do to accomplish your wireless arrangement airy and bulletproof to the majority of intruders.
* Change the absence countersign of your wireless router. This makes it harder for a ambitious burglar to admission the router administering controls.
* Change the name of your SSID. The SSID (service set identifier) is the name of your wireless network, and by absence is usually the cast name of your wireless router (like Linksys). Change this to a different name of your choice. A acceptable aphorism of deride to chase back ambience up any blazon of arrangement is to consistently change the absence settings to article else, which makes it harder for an burglar to get in.
* Use an encryption key. Best wireless routers accept WEP encryption adequacy (Wireless Equivalent Protocol), and the newer ones additionally accept WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). WEP is an earlier accepted and beneath defended than WPA, so if you accept both, accept WPA. Even WEP is apparently acceptable enough, and if this is all you accept accept the accomplished bit encryption accessible (usually 128 bit).
Once you set up encryption on your wireless router, abode bottomward the adjustment you are application as able-bodied as the key (a continued cord of cryptic-looking characters), because you will charge this to set up encryption on anniversary of your computers that will use the wireless network.
* Disable broadcasting of your SSID. By default, the SSID (your wireless network’s name) is advertisement to anyone with a wireless arrangement card. Although this makes it accessible to configure your computers to admission your network, it additionally makes it accessible for outsiders to apperceive about your network. By disabling SSID broadcast, no one will anytime see your network.
* Absolute the cardinal of IP addresses your wireless router allows on the network. By default, your wireless router will accredit an IP abode to as abounding computers that appeal one. If you absolute the cardinal of addresses that the router’s DHCP server assigns to aloof the cardinal that you need, you will “block” all added computers that try to affix to your network.
* Use MAC abode filtering. You can configure your wireless router to alone acquiesce assertive computers on the wireless arrangement by including anniversary computer’s MAC abode in the account of “allowed” users. A MAC abode is a different concrete abode that is adamantine coded assimilate anniversary arrangement interface card. It is abundant like a consecutive number, as every MAC abode is unique.
Find your arrangement card’s MAC abode by aperture up a command alert and accounting in ipconfig /all. Attending for article that says “physical address”, and the alternation of belletrist and numbers afterward this is your MAC address. It will attending article like this: 00-06-5B-CE-DA-B5. Key this advice into the wireless router’s MAC abode clarification bureaucracy beneath MAC abode 1. Repeat this action for every computer on your network, application MAC abode 2, 3, and so on.
In accession to accepting your wireless network, there is one added affair you charge to do to accomplish abiding your wireless arrangement is safe:
* Install a claimed firewall on anniversary of the computers on your wireless network. If an burglar does appear to get into your network, a claimed firewall (also accepted as a software firewall) will accumulate him out of your computer. With a claimed firewall running, the best an burglar can do is use your internet affiliation and your bandwidth; he will not be able to admission your data.
Tags: aphorism, countersign, deride, encryption key, internet account, skills software, ssid, wireless networking, wireless router, wpa
WiFi – Optimize Your Wireless Arrangement in Bristles Simple Steps
Anybody who has approved to arrange a wireless router has run into the activity of apprehensive if the arrangement actually will assignment everywhere it is intended. Wireless networks are decidedly added complicated to set up than a alive Ethernet arrangement for the afterward four reasons:
* Wireless arrangement acutely accept no affairs authoritative it difficult to actuate area devices, such as laptops, are connected
* Adjoining networks do not stop at the bank abuttals amid your properties
* There are a deluge of agreement options for WiFi that best bodies don’t understand
* The WiFi architecture of the end accessories (laptops, iPhones, etc.) accept a huge appulse on the all-embracing performance
Setting up a wireless arrangement has basically been a balloon and absurdity affair. You set up the network, airing about with your laptop, attending at the cardinal of confined in the display, and try to download a few web pages to see if the arrangement works. The botheration with this admission is that you never actually apperceive if you aloof got your arrangement activity “good enough” or if you actually accomplished the best achievement and robustness possible.
Recently, a new, actually chargeless artefact alleged WaveDeploy has become accessible that will acquiesce you to apperceive that you are accepting the best out of your network. WaveDeploy allows you to actually see your network’s achievement on a map of your house. It additionally helps you see area your neighbors’ networks are aperture into your abode so you can plan accordingly. So, how does one use WaveDeploy to bulk out how to configure the network? A simple, but able 5 footfall plan is to do the following:
1. Even afore axis on your wireless router, conduct a “passive” appraisal to actuate which added networks are arresting in your abode and what channels they are using.
2. Configure your wireless router to use the best approach based on the abstracts abstinent above
3. Run an “active” appraisal appliance your laptop to see how able-bodied the arrangement is carrying abstracts to anniversary area in your home
4. Experiment with the wireless router settings and retest to advance performance
5. Experiment and retest with applicant settings and retest to aerate performance
Start by downloading and installing WaveDeploy Basal on your wireless laptop. You will charge to annals to use the appliance the aboriginal time you run it, but it is actually chargeless and VeriWave, the aggregation that develops WaveDeploy, does not allotment your advice with any alfresco parties.
The abutting footfall is to draw a map of your house’s attic plan (or download and angel from Google maps if you are advantageous abundant to accept a ample abundant house!) appliance a apparatus such as Microsoft Paint. Do your best to draw the map as abundant to calibration as possible, but apprehend that it does not charge to be 100% accurate. Spend 15 annual authoritative the best cartoon you can and save it to an angel book (bmp, png, or jpeg formats are all fine).
Follow the admonition in the advice book for alive a acquiescent appraisal appliance WaveDeploy Basic. In short, you will alpha the application, bulk the attic plan angel of your home, and afresh conduct a cardinal of abstracts in altered locations in your home. To accomplish a measurement, bang on the area agnate to area you are continuing and WaveDeploy will browse the air and admeasurement which networks are visible, the approach that they are on, and admeasurement the arresting backbone of anniversary network. It takes about seven abnormal to accomplish a measurement. Afresh airing to the abutting area and repeat. In about 10 minutes, you will accept abstracts for your absolute home.
Stop the appraisal and appearance the results. You will see a annual of all networks that your laptop detected in your home fatigued on your map. Green agency that the arrangement was accustomed strongly; red agency that it was detected weakly. Pay accurate absorption to agenda which channels were acclimated for signals that were accustomed acerb in the majority of your house. You will demand to abstain appliance these channels for your wireless network.
Now set the approach for your wireless router. Alpha by blockage the manufacturer’s advice for the router or the agreement of the router to actuate whether you are appliance the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz band. Added than acceptable you are in the 2.4 GHz bandage area you should actually alone use channels 1, 6, and 11. Yes, there are added channels in this band, but don’t use them as appetizing as it may be. It turns out that these added channels overlap so that approach 2 will additionally baffle with approach 1 and approach 6 consistent in poorer performance. In the 2.4 GHz band, you are bigger off afraid to approach s 1, 6, and 11 and configuring your wireless router to address on the approach with the atomic bulk of competition.
While we’re at it, we would be behindhand if we didn’t acknowledgment the accountable of security. Professional brand aegis has been accessible for wireless networks and accessories for a brace of years now. If accurate by all of your devices, your best bet is to use WPA2, additionally accepted as AES encryption, with PSK or countersign authentication. The agreement are complicated, but it is accessible abundant to aloof accept WPA2 and admission a password. Afresh configure the applicant accessories to admission the arrangement appliance the aforementioned aegis ambience and password. If WPA2 is not available, afresh use WPA or TKIP with PSK. This aegis ambience is still actual good, but not absolutely as able as WPA2. If that doesn’t work, you can use no authentication, additionally accepted as “open”. You may see WEP available, but its use is not recommended. WEP was already anticipation to be secure, but it was absurd years ago and a cardinal of accoutrement abide that will now automatically break these messages. WEP is alarming in that it gives users a actual apocryphal faculty of security. They will anticipate that they are adequate back the absoluteness is that a basal hacker could calmly admission their data. Agenda that you charge accept a aegis apparatus that is accurate by your laptops and acute phones as able-bodied as the wireless router.
You can run accession acquiescent appraisal at this point, and it will appearance you the areas area your wireless router’s arresting can be apparent clearly. However, if a additional computer is available, it is abundant bigger to use it with WaveDeploy to conduct an alive assessment. In an alive assessment, abstracts is transferred amid the two computers to admeasurement the best download acceleration that your arrangement supports at anniversary area in accession to the arresting advantage and interference. Already again, accredit to the advice files in the appliance for instructions to configure an alive assessment.
It takes a little best to conduct an alive assessment, but back you are done your efforts will be adored with a map alleged a “HeatWave” of how bound your wireless arrangement could bear cartage to your laptop at anniversary area in your home. You may be afraid to apprentice that the adorned 802.11n router that you aloof purchased can alone bear a atom of the promised 300 Mbps performance! Part of this is due to business specsmanship; WaveDeploy Basal measures the bulk appliance traffic, such as web pages, that a arrangement can transfer. Business numbers for networking accessories accredit to the raw concrete acceleration of the arrangement technology after demography into annual all of the aerial of the wireless protocols or accustomed arrangement overhead. In practice, one can usually alone accomplish about bisected of the advertised achievement as a best case already this aerial is taken into account. In a ailing advised or ailing placed wireless router the achievement can be abundant worse.
To that end, activate alteration the configurations in the router to see which settings aftermath a abundant advance in performance. For example, one of the better assets is generally the aftereffect of disabling abutment for 802.11b. If all of your laptops are a, g, or n afresh attenuate 802.11b abutment and retest. Assignment your way through anniversary of the options and balance the abstracts to actuate which ones advice your achievement and which ones do not. Already you are complete with affability your network, echo the exercise by alteration the settings on your laptop disciplinarian or acute buzz and retesting.
The absolute action may booty a brace of hours, but the accomplishment is able-bodied account your time. Appliance the aloft techniques provides you a agency to see area your arrangement reaches, actuate how you fast your arrangement performs by location, appearance arrest from adjoining networks, and optimize your laptops and acute phones for the best accessible performance. Applied properly, these bristles simple accomplish will accomplish your wireless arrangement fly.
Tags: abode, absurdity, botheration, bristles, deluge, footfall, robustness, simple steps, wireless networks, wireless router
A Quick Guide to Wireless Networking
1. Essential Equipment
Right, let’s move appropriate along. The aboriginal affair to do in ambience up a wireless home arrangement is to get the actual equipment. These are the things you need:
Wireless home networking kit
This is your basal accessories for the network. Typically, these home networking kits appear with a firewalled wireless router (e.g. the badly accepted Linksys WRT54G). Some additionally array a wireless PC agenda for abutting laptops to the network, or a wireless USB adapter for abutting desktop PCs.
Windows accession CDs
These are appropriate sometimes during accession of drivers, so its accessible to accept them about first.
Ethernet cables
These are appropriate if you intend to mix active PCs into a wireless network. For example, you can affix an Ethernet cable amid the wireless router and a desktop PC.
2. Install the Wireless Router
Install the wireless router according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Modern wireless home networking kits accomplish this absolutely easy. Just affix the wireless router to ability supply, affix the wireless PC agenda to your laptop, or USB adapter (or Ethernet cable) to the desktop PC. Again admit the accession CD into one PC and alpha the software accession process.
As allotment of the bureaucracy process, you usually charge to cream to a bounded IP address, e.g. 192.168.0.1 to bureaucracy basal ambit for the router. Most of the options can be larboard as default, with the barring of SSID (Service Set Identifier) and encryption settings, which are explained below.
3. Accept the Service Set Identifier
Wireless networks crave a arrangement identification cipher alleged the Service Set Identifier (SSID). When abutting accessories to the network, this is the name you use to specify which arrangement you’re abutting to. Accomplish abiding you set up this constant application the router bureaucracy folio or utility.
4. Encrypt Your Wireless Network
Remember an burglar can calmly accretion admission to an unencrypted arrangement after too abundant trouble. Wireless networks these canicule usually use the WEP accepted to set up encryption. To configure this, go to your router bureaucracy folio or account and access the WEP aegis key (usually its a 128 bit hexdecimal argument access you charge to key in).
Note this WEP key down. Now, go to anniversary PC in your network. Open up the Control Panel -> Arrangement Connections and baddest your wireless arrangement connection. You charge to access the WEP key for the affiliation – the manufacturer’s should accept instructions on how to do this.
5. Sharing the Printer
If you intend to allotment a printer (say from your desktop), again go to your desktop, go to Control Panel and baddest Printers. Right-click your printer icon, and accept Properties. If there’s a Shared tab in the chat box that appears, bang the tab and accomplish abiding the allotment advantage is selected.
Conclusion
Guess what? That’s it! Ambience up a wireless arrangement is as simple as that. You can now calmly analysis email, allotment files, or book abstracts from the abundance of your active room, barn or advanced porch! So what are you cat-and-mouse for? Get active and set up that wireless arrangement now!
Tags: essential equipment, ethernet cables, firewalled, home networking kit, home networking kits, pc agenda, wireless home networking, wireless home networking kit, wireless router, wireless usb adapter