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TekSpek 's
Wi-Fi
Date issued:
At home, once the security settings have been chosen and entered, it is usually quite simple to get your devices connected. Today's modem/routers and other access points can work over a range of about 30m (100ft) and the better ones aren't much affected by signals having to pass through walls or floors. Old large, multi-storey houses can sometimes expose shortcomings but boost-range repeaters can be purchased and might also be required for those intending to work at the bottom of very long gardens.
Many access points can be set up over a wired network connection – you need to know (and the maker will provide) the default user name, password and URL – something like http://192.168.0.1. But that presumes you have a PC with a wired connection and are also sufficiently confident to make a few changes to the PC's own wired networking settings. Some access points get around the problem by having software in-pack that is installed on the PC and allows the initial set up to be carried out via that software and a USB port.
The supplied instructions are better today than they used to be but, just in case not, here are several steps that are important when setting up your network.
• Make sure you know the name of your wireless network –
its SSID in techie-speak. It's often set as the maker's name by
default – or as Wireless. Know that the name is case-sensitive
– Wireless is NOT the same as wireless – so if you misspell
the name when putting into the device you're trying to connect,
you could waste a lot of time. As long as you use alphanumeric characters
and no more than 32 of them, you can pretty much call the network
what you like – but don't leave it set at the default.
• Do enable some form of protection. You will be able to select
the encryption protocol and either choose the key yourself or have
the system generate one.
• Channel selection - if you live in a quiet suburban area,
you may never have to fiddle with the default setting. However if
wireless transfer speeds are slow, you may be suffering interference
from nearby WiFi networks and find that changing the default setting
bangs up the speed.
With all these settings taken care of at the access point, and with the device you want to connect set to match them, it should be a simple matter to scan for the access point, enter the right password when requested and get going.
