Setup

Wireless Network Setup

As confusing and complex a topic like wireless home networking can be there are really only three key concepts you need to understand. Once you understand the purpose of these three settings you'll be able to quickly and easily set up a wireless home network whether you're setting up your router manually or using the setup CD that came with it.
  • SSID 
  • Encryption Type 
  • Security Key

Wireless Network Settings
SSID

An SSID is simply the name you give to your network. The more unique it is the better. By default a routers SSID is broadcast across the wireless radio waves so other wireless devices can identify it. For security reasons this can be turned off. Most routers come with a default SSID which is usually nothing more than the brand-name of the device. Leaving your router with its default SSID is like broadcasting to the world that you've done nothing to secure your home network and you may be potential easy pickings. Ideally you want to name your wireless home network something that's meaningful to you yet difficult to understand for others. For example if you are a New York Yankees fan you could put something like "NYYRNO1" for "New York Yankees Are Number One". Now that our SSID is taken care of we can move on to our encryption type.



Encryption Type

The next major decision you have is what type of wireless encryption you want to use. The purpose of your encryption type is to garble and conceal the data on your home network to outsiders and make it available only to those who have a special security key to your network. The choices are usually WEP, WPA or WPA2. WEP has become dated and less secure. Unless you have equipment that only works with WEP you want to go with WPA or WPA2. Many times you'll be given the option to use both WPA and WPA2 with the same security key. 


Security Key

Your security key should not be confused with the password you use to logon to your router. They are two different things. Your security key can be either a password, a pass phrase or a long string of randomly generated numbers and letters. Using a password or pass phrase that you can easily remember or look up in the dictionary is less secure than using a randomly generated string of numbers or letters. Some routers have a built-in utility you can use to generate random security keys. Windows Vista provides a utility which creates a randomly generated security key and gives you the opportunity to either print it out or save it to a flash drive.



Now that you understand what a wireless networking SSID, encryption type and security key is you're better prepared to correctly configure any wireless router or wireless networking device you purchase

I'm not kidding! Go ahead and try it!

JJ