Wireless Network Setup

Our final section will look at the network setup features. The previous pages have examined the role of the router, how to choose the proper adapter to suit your needs, and why the 802.11g standard is so important. Now it's time to put all the pieces together.

Wireless g

By now the basic principles of wi fi should be obvious. Communication between your various devices can be established quite easily. The configuration of a wi fi network is helped by the fact that the setup procedure is almost completely automated. Only a minimal amount of input is required by hand, which makes the whole process available to many people without skilled technical knowledge. In the wireless g section, we'll cover a few basic tips to help get you started out on the right foot.

Wireless security

It almost goes without saying that a very important part of wifi is wireless security. In setting up your network, it's one of the few areas where you need to make decisions about how secure you want it to be. However, that doesn't mean it's complicated. You choose how strongly your system should be protected, then you enter information to make it so (mainly choosing passwords that can't easily be guessed). We'll touch on some of the terms used, and how they affect the ability of your network to resist attack from the outside.

Linksys wireless

While you can build your network by using equipment from various manufacturers, it's generally considered a good idea to keep everything in the same family. This assures that all the elements should be compatible. Throughout the preceding pages, we have shown examples of several brands. In our concluding section, we will look at Linksys wireless products, as an example of the types of devices from a single source for all your wireless networking needs.

The Wi-fi World

Connecting computers, printers, cameras and game consoles wirelessly throughout your house is not a complicated nightmare. It is not beyond the ability of anyone with even moderate technical skill. It is not priced out of reach of most families today. It is none of these things. It is easy, inexpensive, and available right now.