Section 20. Install the Router


20. Install the Router

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

About Installing the Wireless Router


After you have unpacked the wireless router and taken a quick look at the installation instructions, you are ready to install the router. Installation is really a matter of connecting the router to your broadband device (a cable modem or DSL router) and then powering up the wireless router. You can then access the wireless router by connecting a computer directly to the router.

Install the Router


Power Down the Broadband Device

Turn off your cable modem or DSL router. This might involve unplugging the broadband device (many do not have on/off switches).

Note

Unplugging the broadband device, in effect, resets the device. Because the broadband device keeps track of information such as IP address "leases" (the addresses that have been temporarily assigned) for your computers, it is important to clear this information before setting up the wireless router, which will actually take over the duty of assigning IP addresses to the wireless and wired computers on your network.


Connect Wireless Router to Broadband Device

Connect the wireless router to the broadband device using a CAT 5 UTP cable (in most cases included with the router). Plug the cable into the wireless router in the Ethernet port designated for "Internet."

Note

No matter what brand of wireless router you are using, a port on the router will be designated for the Internet connection, which is the connection between the broadband device and the wireless router. Other ports on the wireless router are often labeled as "LAN" ports and are used to directly connect computers or other network devices to the router.


Connect Computer to Wireless Router

Physically connect a computer (either a laptop or desktop computer) by running a cable from the computer's internal network adapter to the wireless router using one of the router's LAN ports. This computer, which is now "hard-wired" to the WiFi router, will serve as the administrator's console for configuring and monitoring the WiFi router. It is also the computer you will use to initially communicate with the router and create the router's configuration using the setup CD or DVD that shipped with your WiFi router.

Note

You really should have a computer on the network with a "wired" LAN adapter so that you can initially configure the WiFi router's access point. If you don't have a wired computer on the network, borrow a laptop with a wired LAN adapter. Set up the WiFi router using the setup CD. You can then configure the router so that it can be accessed by any computer on the network using a web browser. However, this approach isn't as secure as having a "hard" cable connection to the router. If you already have a broadband modem in your home (before you decide to go WiFi), it is connected to at least one computer with a "wired" LAN connection. Use this computer to configure the router. For a computer that is not directly connected to the router by a wired connection to configure the router, you must turn on web access to the router, which opens up the router to the possibility of attack from outside the network.


Power on the Broadband Device

Turn on or reconnect the broadband device to the power source. Wait 2 to 3 minutes to allow the broadband device to communicate with your ISP and connect to the Internet. Make sure that all the ready lights are on the broadband device (particularly the Internet connection light, which is often labeled as "Online").

Power on the Router

Plug the wireless router into a power source. Watch the indicator lights on the front of the router. When you see activity on the Internet indicator and the LAN port connected to your PC, you have completed the installation of the wireless router and are ready to configure the basic settings for the router.

Tip

If you don't get an activity light for your Internet indicator on the WiFi router, check the cable connection between the router and the broadband device (such as a cable modem). If the connection is okay, reverse the cable anyway because sometimes this activity forces you to better connect the cable connectors into the appropriate ports on the devices. Your cable modem (or other connectivity device) will also show an Internet connection light; if this isn't on, shut down the broadband device and the WiFi router and repeat the steps in this task. Also check the power connection on the WiFi router. If you have LAN connectivity problems, check the LAN cable between the computer and the WiFi router's switch. For problems other than the obvious, check out About Network Connection Problems and Use Router Diagnostics.




Home Wireless Networking in a Snap
Home Wireless Networking in a Snap
ISBN: 0672327023
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 158
Authors: Joe Habraken

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