SON SON
A broadband connection brings the Internet into your home at blazing speeds. And with a wireless, or Wi-Fi, network, you can get that access on multiple computers throughout your home–and even outside it–without cords. What’s more, today’s wireless-networking products make broadband Internet sharing easy, inexpensive, and secure. In this course, you’ll learn you how to distribute broadband Internet access among multiple notebook or desktop systems, and take the necessary steps to keep your network protected.
You’ll find your Ethernet adapter’s IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway within its Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties.
The core of a Wi-Fi network is a wireless router or gateway. In this course, we’ll use the D-Link DI-624 AirPlus Xtreme G 802.11g router (click here to check current prices). If your computer doesn’t already have a wireless network adapter built-in, you’ll need to install one for each system that connects to the network. We’ll install two D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G 802.11g wireless adapters: a DWL-G650 PC Card adapter for a Windows 2000 notebook PC (check prices) and a DWL-G520 PCI adapter for a secondary desktop running Windows XP Home Edition (check prices). The primary PC that we’re using—connected to the router via an Ethernet cable—runs Windows XP Professional.
Before beginning the installation process, you may need a few bits of information to set up your router correctly. Double-click the Network Connections icon within Control Panel and right-click the icon for your PC’s Ethernet adapter. Then choose Properties > Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) > Properties. If “Use the following IP address” is highlighted, your Internet access uses a static IP address. Jot down the IP address, the subnet mask, and the default gateway. Then click “Obtain an IP address automatically.” Click OK to apply your changes and OK again to close the dialog.
If you have a DSL connection, you’ll probably need the username and the password your system requires to connect to your ISP. If you don’t know the values, try looking within the software your ISP provided. You may need to uninstall the PPPoE connection software that your ISP provided. To find out, check your router’s documentation.
Now is also a good time to collect the MAC addresses of any wireless-network adapters you’ll be installing. The MAC address should be printed on the Wi-Fi PC Card or the PCI adapter.