Modern communication relies heavily on wireless networking, which is gaining popularity among home and business networks. Wireless Networking offers the advantage of mobility and eliminates the use of cables. It can easily connect computers at home or in a small office.
Set up Wireless Router Network
Setting up a secured network through a Netgear or any Router will keep your data free from spying and avert entry of any uninvited user into your network. You must follow certain guidelines to set up a Secured Wireless Network that will be provided either through Wireless Protected Array (WPA) or Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP).
GUIDELINES
Connect to Modem
- Power off your modem. Next connect one end of the Ethernet Cable to the ‘input’, marked at the backside of the router, and another end to the modem. Now Power Modem back on.
Generally, waiting at least a minute before continuing to the next step is a good rule.
Connect to Computer
- Connect one end of a second Ethernet Cable to one of the router’s available ports. Most modern Routers include four ports.
Power your Router
- Plug your Router into a power source and wait until your Router’s LED signals that it is connected to the internet. Generally, Routers have a green LED indicator that turns solid when connected.
Install Software and Drivers
- If your Router includes a disk to install Drivers, insert the disk and continue following the disk’s instructions to install Drivers and set up your Network.
- If your Router does not include a disk, continue to the next steps.
Configure your Network
- Take note of the Router’s IP address selected automatically (default) and mentioned in the user’s guide. Most Routers by default use, http://192.168.1.1 as the default IP address
- Open your default web browser and type in the router’s address in the provided empty search field.
- Insert a valid Username and Password. If you have not set one up and it requires one, the default for most brands of Routers is, Username: Admin, Password: Password.
- You can also access your Routers (Homepage) by going to Start Menu\Control Panel\Network and Sharing Center. Click the center icon at the top, which usually has the house as an icon if you saved your Network as a Home Network. On the next page, you should see your Router listed under Network Infrastructure. Just Right-Click your Router Icon and you should have a menu option to view the homepage.
Basic settings
- Choose your Basic Settings such as Router Name and IP Addressing
Wireless Security Settings
- Locate Wireless Security or Wireless Settings. Choose an easily identifiable name(SSID) for your Network and whether you wish to broadcast your Wireless Signal.
- Select the channel to broadcast on. By default, a Router usually has this set to Auto, which is fine for most users.
- Select Wireless Mode. This is your speed for your wireless. Example: 54Mbps, 145Mbps, and 300Mbps.
For your Wireless Security settings, most modern Routers include the following types of security:
- None – No security. Not recommended if you are in an area where someone who lives next door to you could use your Wireless Connection to connect to the Internet.
- WEP – Older security encryption used for Wireless Networks with better options now available. This option does not give a password but a unique key that users enter to connect.
- WPA-PSK[TKIP] – It has better security than WEP, and sometimes users still use this if they have issues connecting devices. It is still a great Security Option. However, this connection using Legacy G has a 54Mbps limit.
- WPA2-PSK[AES] – This is a newer security option using N support. If you have no issues with devices connecting, this is the recommended Security Option as it gives you the best security.
- WPA-PSK[TKIP]+WPA2-PSK[AES] – If you have issues with devices connecting you can use this setting as it gives you a combination of WPA and WPA2.
Another thing to note outside of setting up your Router is setting up Sharing for Computers and Devices connected to your network. Windows has come a long way in making this easier for users and most users can do this by following the walk-through in Windows.
That’s all! Hope this guide helped you to set up your router.
How do I set up my NETGEAR wireless router step by step?
To set up a NETGEAR wireless router on Windows 11 or Windows 10, you can go through the aforementioned guide. Although it is not rocket science, you must keep a few things in mind while setting up a NETGEAR or any other wireless router on your computer. This article explains all the aspects so that you can set things up as per your requirements.
How do you connect a wireless router to a computer?
To connect a wireless router to a computer, you have two main options. First, you can use the Wi-Fi adapter to connect to the Wi-Fi network. This is the most common way to get an internet connection from the router. However, if you do not have a Wi-Fi adapter, you can use an Ethernet cable.
