How To Configure Your Wireless Router

A wireless router is the most important piece of hardware in a wireless network, which means that learning how to configure the router is the most important part of setting up a network. Here is a general overview of the critical features you should change during the initial setup:

• Password for the configuration utility: Most wireless routers use common, default passwords that are well known to criminals. If you don’t change this default password, an intruder could easily access your router’s configuration utility and change your settings.

• Network name (SSID): At the time of their manufacturing, routers belonging to the same brand are given identical names (SSIDs).You should change your router’s SSID to increase your security and prevent conflicts with nearby routers made by the same company.

• Wireless channel: By default, many wireless routers have their channels set to 6. Although this should work okay, you might have some conflicts with neighboring routers that are using the same channel.To avoid potential problems, change your channel to 1 or 11.

• Encryption method: To prevent criminals from hijacking your wireless signals and viewing your private e-mail, passwords, and bank account information, you must use one of the security modes on your wireless router and wireless cards. For networks in a home or small office, use the WPA-PSK security feature. If that’s not available, use WEP.


First Time Configuration

Although your wireless router will probably work just fine using its default settings, you should configure it to boost its performance and increase its security.

Find Your Router’s IP Address

To change or tweak the features in your wireless router, you are required to use a special configuration utility that can only be accessed by typing the router’s IP address into your Web browser (like Internet Explorer). If you don’t know what your router’s IP address is, try one of the three methods listed below:

a. Consult Your Manual

Most user guides, manuals, or instructions that come with a router indicate what IP address should be used. If you don’t have these documents or if they don’t mention anything about IP addresses, try one of the other methods.

b. Try a Common Address

The first thing you should try is one of the common, default IP addresses used by many routers:
• 192.168.1.1
• 192.168.0.1
• 192.168.2.1

c. Look in Windows

You can determine your IP address by looking inside Windows. This requires you to be connected to your wireless network. Follow these steps to look up the address:
1. Double-click the wireless icon located in the lower-right corner of Windows. The wireless connection status window opens.
2. Click the Support tab.
3. View the Default Gateway value. This is the IP address of your router.

Set a Static IP for Your Router If Necessary

When you are setting up your wireless router, contact your Internet provider and ask them if they require a static, unchanging IP address. If so, you will have to enter it into your router before you can connect to the Internet. If you aren’t required to use a static IP address, make sure your router is using a feature known as DHCP. Fortunately, most routers have this turned on by default.

Follow these steps to set up a static IP address:

1. Log in to your wireless router's configuration utility, as follows:

a. Make sure you are connected to your wireless network.Test this by hovering your mouse pointer over the wireless icon located in the lower-right corner of Windows. A message should indicate your connected status.
b. Open a Web browser like Internet Explorer. If your router is not connected to the Internet, your browser will not find a valid Web page. Instead, it displays an error message that says something like "Page cannot be displayed" or "Page not found".
c. In your Web browser’s address window (the place where you usually type the name of a website you want to visit), type your router’s IP address then press the Enter key. Do not type http:// or www. Instead, only type the number for your IP address.
d. A login box appears. If you created a username and password when you initially set up your router, type them into the login box. If you didn’t create a username or password, look for the default ones listed in your wireless router’s instructions or manuals.
2. Find the Internet settings, which are usually listed under the WAN (Wide Area Network) heading.

3. Choose the Static IP Address option.
4. Enter the IP Address information provided by your Internet provider.
5. Save the changes by clicking either the Apply or Save Settings button located at the bottom of the screen.


Enable DHCP

DHCP-which stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol-is the process in which a wireless router gives a unique IP address to each wireless card or mobile device that wants to access the wireless network. If you encounter connection problems while setting up your wireless network or when attempting to access the Internet, it could be the result of your DHCP being disabled. To enable them, do the following:

1. Log in to your wireless router's configuration utility.
2. Locate the DHCP settings, which usually appear as a tab you can click.
3. Select the option to enable DHCP.
4. Save the changes by clicking either the Apply or Save Settings button located at the bottom of the screen.


Set the SSID for Your Router

The SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name used by wireless routers and cards to identify themselves. By default, most routers have a common SSID that is related to their manufacturer. To change the SSID for your router, do the following:

1. Log in to your wireless router’s configuration utility.
2. Find the section containing a box that says SSID (or similar). Usually it can be located under the basic wireless settings.

3. Type a new SSID.
4. Save the changes by clicking either the Apply or Save Settings button located at the bottom of the screen.


Disable SSID Broadcasting

By default, most wireless routers broadcast the names of their networks (the SSIDs) over the airwaves so other computer users can see them and possibly log onto the network. This can be a security risk, because it alerts strangers that you have a wireless network just waiting to be hacked into. To help protect yourself, turn off SSID broadcasting. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your wireless router’s configuration utility.
2. Find the SSID Broadcast option. This may be located in advanced or basic wireless settings or in the advanced performance section.
3. Check the option to disable SSID broadcasting.
4. Apply the changes by clicking Apply or Save Settings on the bottom of the screen. After disabling SSID broadcasting, you may need to connect manually to your wireless network because it won’t be listed as an available network.


Change the Default Password

To access your router’s configuration utility, you must enter a password. By default, most routers are given a common password like 'admin'. If you don’t change your password, you run the risk of having a criminal hijack your network and alter your settings. To change your default password, do the following:

1. Log in to your wireless router’s configuration utility.
2. Locate your current password. Usually it can be found in the Administration or Maintenance section.

3. Type your new password into the box.
4. Save the changes by clicking either the Apply or Save Settings button located at the bottom of the screen.


Configure Advanced Settings

If your wireless network is used at home or in a small office, you probably won’t need to change any of the advanced settings in your router. However, if you want to tweak the performance of your wireless network, follow these guidelines:

• RTS/CTS (for wireless routers and cards): If two people are using wireless computers on opposite ends of a large home or office that has a wireless router located in the center of the building, the distance between those computers might cause them to have difficulty 'hearing' each other. As a result, they may send signals through the air at the same time, causing those signals to collide and produce errors. If both computers try to retransmit the data, the collisions will occur again. To fix this problem, turn on the RTS/CTS feature (which stands for 'request to send/clear to send'). Be advised that in order for this to work, RTS/CTS must be enabled on the wireless router and on the wireless cards in each computer.

• Fragmentation (for wireless routers and cards): If your wireless network is having difficulty sending or receiving data, it might be due to interference from other radio signals in the air. To fix this problem, turn on the Fragmentation feature in your router and in your wireless cards.

• Data Rates (for wireless routers and cards): If you always use your mobile computer near your wireless router, consider changing your router’s data rate to its highest setting (usually 54 Mbps). This will give you a steady, fast wireless signal. But be warned: if you increase the data rate and try to use your wireless computer too far away from your router, you may have problems sending and receiving signals. On the flip side, if you want to use your wireless computer as far away from your router as possible, consider changing the data rate to a very slow setting (like 1 Mbps).

• 802.11g Only Mode (for wireless routers only): If all of the wireless cards in your computers are 802.11g, then you can set your wireless router to '802.11g only' mode. This will prevent anyone with the slower 802.11b devices from connecting to your wireless network and slowing it down.

• DTIM Period (for wireless routers only): Another way to conserve power in your mobile devices is to turn on a feature called DTIM Period. But be warned: it could cause your wireless network to slow down.

• Protection Mechanisms (for wireless routers only): If you have a large wireless network with many users, consider turning on the Protection Mechanisms feature. This will prevent computers using the 802.11b wireless cards from interfering with computers using the 802.11g cards.

• Beacon Interval (for wireless routers only): If you are using a laptop computer or mobile device and want to extend its battery’s life, try increasing the Beacon Interval in your wireless router. But be warned: this could cause your wireless network to slow down.

• Authentication (for wireless routers and cards): Turning on this feature helps prevent criminals from sneaking into or hijacking your wireless network. There are several types of authentication: open systems, shared key,WEP, and WPA. Don’t use shared key, because it is easy for criminals to crack.Your best bet is to use WPA. If that option is not available, then use WEP. If you are setting up a wireless network known as a 'hotspot' that will be used by the general public (similar to the free wireless networks found in many coffee shops or bookstores), then use the open systems authentication. That way anyone with a wireless computer or mobile device can properly access your network.