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HOW-TO Install a Wireless LAN and Share Broadband Internet Equipment List Base Station You need a base station for all of your wireless computers to communicate with. Since we want to setup shared internet access as well, you should purchase a base station with an integrated router as well.
Desktop PC Wireless Adapter For each desktop PC, you'll need either a PCI Wireless Adapter or a USB Wireless Adapter. If you are a neophyte and are uncomfortable opening up your computer, then you should opt for a USB Wireless Adapter. Actually, USB Wireless Adapters offer many advantages over PCI Wireless Adapters. The first advantage is ease of installation. Just make sure that your PC does not have Windows NT installed. Windows 98/ME/2000/XP are the only Windows flavors with proper USB support. The second advantage is price. USB Wireless Adapters are less expensive than PCI Wireless Adapters. The final advantage is range. USB Wireless Adapters are not bound to being located behind your computer. They can be placed in optimal locations that are up to 15' away from your computer (if you purchase a longer USB cable). While it may seem that USB Wireless Adapters are the only way to go, let me mention that the main advantage of the PCI Wireless Adapter is neatness. PCI Wireless Adapters have no external cables.
Laptop PC Wireless Adapter For each laptop PC, you'll need either a PCCard Wireless Adapter or a USB Wireless Adapter. USB Wireless Adapters offer many of the same advantages as in Desktop PC's, but a PCCard Wireless Adapter is really the only choice. One would not want to sacrifice the mobility of their laptop by adding an external adapter that would need to be toted around.
Mac Wireless Adapter Since Apple pioneered the consumer wireless market, their products offer greater support and compatibility. Whether your using a laptop or a desktop, your only choice is to purchase the Apple Airport Card from Apple. Modern Mac computers were designed to be wireless from the onset. Their range is therefore extended because they use the entire computer chassis as an antenna. They are also compatible with the Linksys Wireless Base Station.
Installation Procedure This procedure is specific to AT&T. If you already have AT&T broadband working, then your in good shape. If not, then go ahead and order the service. When ordering from AT&T, just go along with the procedure to setup one computer with a wired connection. Make sure you choose the Ethernet connection on your cable modem and not the USB connection. Once the service is installed and working, you'll always have a starting point to go back to if you botch things up. This tends to keep the spouse and kids happy. You should install the base station first. By doing so, it will be easier to later determine if you've properly installed each computer's wireless adapter. Furthermore, you should install all of the components you purchased with their default settings. By using the defaults, you can insure that tech support can help you with any problems. Connect the cable modem to the Wireless Access Point (WAP) by connecting the Ethernet cable to the WAN connection on the back of your WAP. WAN stands for Wide Area Network and is usually just another way of saying Internet Since AT&T dropped the @home service, installation is much easier. For most scenarios, you are now finished with the WAP install. You now need to install the adapter(s) in your computer(s). Follow the install procedure of each component from Linksys. If you've kept the default settings for the WAP, then the ESSID setting should still be 'linksys'. Also, each computer on your network should be set to automatically obtain an IP address. After you've installed an adapter in one computer, go ahead and try browsing the Internet With any luck, you should be connected. You may also check the settings on your WAP by pointing your browser to http://192.168.1.1. Remember that the default password is 'admin'. Here is a picture of my settings for my WAP:
The Linksys Access Point has many additional settings that should be explored. For one thing, you can secure your Access Point by setting the WEP Key. Make sure that you set each adapter to use the same WEP Key. DHCP settings should also be verified. Remember, each computer on your network should be set to automatically obtain an IP address. You can also change the default password of your Access Point. |
