Accumulating computer gear is a way of life for me. A hundred miles of tangled grey spaghetti can link it all together but the mess drives me mad. If you can follow straightforward directions, you can ditch those cords like I did and create a wireless home network. All you need to invest is a few dollars and a Saturday afternoon.
With today's wireless-equipped laptops, a wireless router and, if you need one, a wireless adapter card, even the technically-challenged can create a network in a heartbeat.
Getting Started
Desktop workstations and some printers need separate wireless adapter cards, but that didn't throw me. They're easy to install. I removed the casing from my desktop computer, followed the adapter card's directions, and easily identified the slot the card fit into.
On a laptop, the card slot is on one of the outside edges of the keyboard half. The card only fits in one way. I installed it in two seconds, no problem. Once I set the adapter into its slot, Windows' setup wizard stepped me through installing the driver. I got the familiar message, "Windows found new hardware," and followed the prompts.
The current wireless protocol is 802.11. Wireless cards costs between $20 and $130. They can be found at any computer store or online outlet. The $20 card should be adequate. For a few dollars, weak-kneed users can get a pro to install the card and drivers.
Buying a Wireless Router
Going in search of wireless routers at an office supply megastore, I found them from $39 and up. They come with four Ethernet ports plus a wireless access point. The Ethernet ports are sockets for setting up a "wired" network, but since I was going wireless, I didn't use them. The wireless access point is the sort of radio thing on the router that talks to my computer to make the wireless connection. It doesn't require me to plug anything in.
Spending extra money buys more speed between router and computer, but for home use, on a small network, it's not really relevant. Usually, a router that transfers data at 100 megabits per second is fast enough. The package will tell you the speed.
Extra Protection
By the way, an important fact about wireless routers is that they act as "firewalls." A firewall is software or hardware that prevents hackers from hacking into your system. The router puts an extra layer of security between you and them.
Some people claim the protection is negligible but a techy friend of mine, with every piece of security known to man, tried to hack my network to demonstrate how feeble my router's protection was. He said, "In ten minutes, I'll have your data."
Three hours later, cussing a blue streak, he threw in the towel.
Back to Networkology
To install the router, I relied on manufacturer's directions. All routers are slightly different. I plugged my basic Netgear router into an electrical outlet, then went back to my computer and navigated to Control Panel -- Network Connections. The wireless network connection icon said I had succeeded and was connected. My router was talking to my computer. That's it.
Now, I chose to enable encryption, which is a way to assigning a security key, like a password, to the network's access to keep neighbors or anyone else from using my network. My gurus encouraged me to do this. It's not difficult to figure out. The manual directed me to type 192.168.0.1 into the address bar of Internet Explorer. Every user manual has a similar IP address (Web address) to an administrative program for each router. It was easy to follow menu selections on the page that came up. The help files were user-friendly and tech support was available by phone as well.
Making the Connections
Now that I have a wireless network set up, I can buy and connect security cameras, printers, shared storage or anything else that can accept an adapter card or comes with network capability. Each item added -- printer, camera, computer -- needs wireless capability or a card and each shows up on my network with a name I've assigned like, "My photo printer" or "Dan's laptop."
I work solely from my home office, so budget is a real issue for me. By networking some of the equipment I use, I can share it with my husband or my helpers and avoid the expense of multiple printers or expensive data storage units for each user.
The best part of the whole set up is that the wireless signal goes through most walls, allowing me to work almost anywhere in my home. I can take my laptop off my desk and out to the patio on a nice day. My chaise lounge becomes my desk. Ice tea by my side, I am the envy of my neighborhood.