How to Set Up a Wired or Wireless Home Network
Find an ISP (Internet service provider) such as Bell or Rogers., Receive the modem., Find a good place to set up your network station., Connect to the Internet with one device at a time. , Find yourself a router that will fit your specific needs...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find an ISP (Internet service provider) such as Bell or Rogers.
Do some research and look around on whom has the best deals for your specific needs.
Things to watch for are:
Speed, Usage, and most importantly price! -
Step 2: Receive the modem.
After you set up your ISP, they will usually give you a modem.
Modems vary in shapes and sizes, as well as functionality.
There are some modems that have wireless routers built in which will make it easy to set up a network because all you will need to do is plug it in.
Others will simply have one output jack, which you will then need to connect to your router.
Once you get a router from your ISP, the first thing you need to do is figure out what kind you have, I will be using a standard rogers modem for my examples but they will vary depending on your ISP. , Usually you want a place that is close to the center of your house so you will get the most range covered by the network.
You don't want to be walking up to your room with your laptop then realize that you have a weak signal there because your network station is on the other side of your house and in the basement.
A standard Rogers modem is simple, it will have a power jack, a cable jack, and a RJ45 Ethernet jack.
Common sense would tell you to connect the power cable to the power jack, a TV cable to the cable jack, and a standard Ethernet cable to the Ethernet jack. (HINT:
Connect the modems power cable directly to a wall socket for best performance) ,, As expected the higher quality routers will have a higher price.
To find a router you will need to go to some technology store such as Future Shop, Best Buy, or Staples.
There are many more and you can even find them in the Electronics department of most department stores.
Best advice is to shop around, see if you can find any sales because routers can get pricey! , Much like the modem routers are all different, they will have different amounts of antennas, different amounts of RJ45 output jacks, and different power/input options.
You will need to connect your Ethernet cable from the modem output jack, into the input jack of your router.
Then connect the power cable to the router after that. (NOTE:
You may need to reset your modem after connecting it to the router, simply unplug and replug the power cable to the modem.) , You will often see a wireless network show up on your device named after the brand of device you decided to get. , Use the CD in you computer and follow the on-screen instruction.
Usually, the device you get will say the CD is needed on every computer you use with the network, but i have found this is not the case. , To do this write the address (usually looks like an IP address which will be in the format
0.000.0.0.00 or something like that) that was given in the instructions for your router into the address bar of your browser.
This will open your routers home page, you will need to login.
To do this, use the default login information given with your router. , Once you have completed this, you are almost done! , Simply try to connect to the network and then enter your created password. , -
Step 3: Find a good place to set up your network station.
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Step 4: Connect to the Internet with one device at a time.
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Step 5: Find yourself a router that will fit your specific needs
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Step 6: the things to look for are: Wired/wireless
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Step 7: wireless type (such as G or N)
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Step 8: quality
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Step 9: and once again price!
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Step 10: Once you have a router
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Step 11: connect it to your modem.
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Step 12: Once your router is set up
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Step 13: connect to the network from a computer
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Step 14: ideally a close computer close to the router.
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Step 15: Once you can find the network
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Step 16: configure it
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Step 17: often the router you purchase will come with an installation CD.
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Step 18: Once you have finished the installation CD
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Step 19: proceed to configure your network.
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Step 20: Once you have logged into the router home page you can proceed to change the settings
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Step 21: such as a password for your network
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Step 22: as well as changing the login information to the router homepage.
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Step 23: Add the rest of your devices to the network.
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Step 24: To connect any devices with a wire
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Step 25: simply plug the Ethernet cable from the output jack of the router into your device
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Step 26: no passwords will be required for a wired connection.
Detailed Guide
Do some research and look around on whom has the best deals for your specific needs.
Things to watch for are:
Speed, Usage, and most importantly price!
After you set up your ISP, they will usually give you a modem.
Modems vary in shapes and sizes, as well as functionality.
There are some modems that have wireless routers built in which will make it easy to set up a network because all you will need to do is plug it in.
Others will simply have one output jack, which you will then need to connect to your router.
Once you get a router from your ISP, the first thing you need to do is figure out what kind you have, I will be using a standard rogers modem for my examples but they will vary depending on your ISP. , Usually you want a place that is close to the center of your house so you will get the most range covered by the network.
You don't want to be walking up to your room with your laptop then realize that you have a weak signal there because your network station is on the other side of your house and in the basement.
A standard Rogers modem is simple, it will have a power jack, a cable jack, and a RJ45 Ethernet jack.
Common sense would tell you to connect the power cable to the power jack, a TV cable to the cable jack, and a standard Ethernet cable to the Ethernet jack. (HINT:
Connect the modems power cable directly to a wall socket for best performance) ,, As expected the higher quality routers will have a higher price.
To find a router you will need to go to some technology store such as Future Shop, Best Buy, or Staples.
There are many more and you can even find them in the Electronics department of most department stores.
Best advice is to shop around, see if you can find any sales because routers can get pricey! , Much like the modem routers are all different, they will have different amounts of antennas, different amounts of RJ45 output jacks, and different power/input options.
You will need to connect your Ethernet cable from the modem output jack, into the input jack of your router.
Then connect the power cable to the router after that. (NOTE:
You may need to reset your modem after connecting it to the router, simply unplug and replug the power cable to the modem.) , You will often see a wireless network show up on your device named after the brand of device you decided to get. , Use the CD in you computer and follow the on-screen instruction.
Usually, the device you get will say the CD is needed on every computer you use with the network, but i have found this is not the case. , To do this write the address (usually looks like an IP address which will be in the format
0.000.0.0.00 or something like that) that was given in the instructions for your router into the address bar of your browser.
This will open your routers home page, you will need to login.
To do this, use the default login information given with your router. , Once you have completed this, you are almost done! , Simply try to connect to the network and then enter your created password. ,
About the Author
Dorothy Taylor
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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