New Wireless Router

[Bigaldoc]

I'm gonna get with "technology" today when my new wireless router arrives! Since I now have a wireless equipped laptop, I'm tired of "cabling" it every time I use it, AND my two grandsons have a Nook. I thought it would be good when the kids visit for them to be able to get to the web on their new toy.

I bought a Belkin since I had some experience at my son's home helping him set his up and it was pretty straight forward. My question is about the "wired" part of it.

According to an advance peek at the user doc, pop their CD into the laptop and I should be on the way. But, then when I want to connect my wired desktop and printer, do you think I need to also use that setup CD? I would think not, but seeking opinions. Thanks.

[StuartR]

You really don't need to use the CD at all. I assume that your PCs are already configured to use DHCP to get their IP addresses from the existing router, if so then this bit should just work with no changes.

After you configure the router you should make sure that you know

• The SSID of your wireless network (this is like a name for the network, so you know it is the right one)
• What type of wireless security you have enabled (ideally this should be WAP or WAP2)
• The security key (for WAP this could be a quite long and complex phrase)

You then need to turn on the wireless in your laptop (there is often a button for this and a corresponding blue light). The laptop should automatically find the wireless network, and you can use the SSID to distinguish your network from anything your neighbours have. When you try to connect to the network it will prompt you to enter the security key.

[Bigaldoc]

Thanks, Stuart. I had searched here and saw (your) info in the past about the preferred security. I believe this Belkin says it's pre-configured for WPA2.

I also think I saw in the doc that the SSID and password can be changed. That's probably true 'cause when I fire up the laptop now, it shows me nearby (neighbors?) routers like "Don's Network," etc.

Thanks again for the input!

[stuck]

It doesn't add to the security of your network but if you configure the router to NOT broadcast the SSID it means that your network doesn't show up on next door's list of available networks.

Ken

[Bigaldoc]

Since I've not been down this road yet, Ken, I'm not sure about that one. If my 10-year old is sitting here with his Nook, he might need to see me in order to connect. I'll just have to do a test the next time my son and the boys come to visit. Thanks...

[DaveA]

Yes, they will NOT see the connection, but once you have set it for them and saved the connection, every time they are there it should find and connect automatically. At least this is how my laptops and Kindle Fire works.

[Bigaldoc]

Yes, they will NOT see the connection, but once you have set it for them and saved the connection, every time they are there it should find and connect automatically. At least this is how my laptops and Kindle Fire works.

Thanks, Dave. UPS hasn't arrived yet so I haven't started my new adventure.

What makes me wonder is the Nook is (right now) setup to access the wireless router at my son's home. If I add mine after I get it setup and running and THEN hide the SSID, will their Nook know what to connect to when they're either at home or at my house?

Bear with me, please...

[JoeP]

I can't speak for the Nook directly but PCs track multiple networks and can automatically connect to whatever is available.

Joe

[StuartR]

I never bother to hide SSIDs. It doesn't add any real security because any basic scanning software can still see them, and it makes connecting slightly less convenient for inexperienced users.

[DenGar]

I also think I saw in the doc that the SSID and password can be changed. That's probably true 'cause when I fire up the laptop now, it shows me nearby (neighbors?) routers like "Don's Network," etc.

Reminds me of reading somewhere a suggestion (I think tongue-in-cheek) that you can add another level of security by naming your network "FBI Surveillance Van."

[HansV]

That could also lead to an increase of hacking attempts...

[Bigaldoc]

Well, I've a reasonable amount of comfort now. I'm up and running with the new wireless router. I have both the laptop (wireless) and this desktop (wired) running.

The only "trouble" I had was in changing the SSID and password. The router kept saying it couldn't connect to the internet. But, when I went back to the beginning in the Belkin software, it HAD in fact changed my SSID and password to the desired settings.

So, it wasn't too "painful" after all. Don't think for right now that I'm gonna worry about hiding the SSID.

[Bigaldoc]

Since I am an admitted newbie at this wireless stuff, it's obvious that I don't know the vagaries of dealing with it.

Last evening I shut the laptop down while I had supper because I wanted to make sure it would auto-connect when restarted.

Lo and behold, when I booted up later, the little tray thing had the name of the network, said I was connected to the SSID but also said "no internet." Sure enough my browser wouldn't display any pages. After going through several screens of the troubleshooter, saying it could find no problems, I DID have internet access. I don't know if that was a fluke or something we put up with ...

This morning on first boot I didn't have that problem, so I'm in the dark on what the problem may have been.

[DaveA]

Did you "Shut Down" or did it go into the sleep/suspend/hibernation mode?

Also recheck the power settings on the Wireless device, as it may have been reset to power down during the sleep mode.

[Bigaldoc]

It was a true shutdown, Dave. I'll check the power settings too.

Thanks.

Edited to add: Oops, I had already done the power settings per an earlier suggestion from Hans about sleeping.

[Bigaldoc]

This is just for "grins." It's no wonder the "average user" is snowballed by all this technology stuff. My new Belkin router has this as the router settings page when you put 192.168.2.1 into the browser. I took a long vertical list and split it into two so the graphic would display OK here.

[Claude]

On our home network, all wireless connections are blocked unless the mac address matches the list of authorised addresses which means friends of our daughters, (who know the router password and could get that info from them) still can't connect to our network.

[StuartR]

...wireless connections are blocked unless the mac address matches the list of authorised addresses...

This is another security feature which only keeps out people who don't know what they are doing. Every Wireless adapter has a feature where you can specify a MAC address for it to use, and it is easy to work out what MAC addresses will work by scanning the airwaves to see what is already connected.

[jonwallace]

Let's be honest about this. If anybody REALLY wants to connect to your network, they can. All we can hope to do is make it so difficult that it would be easier to connect to next door's instead (like the outrunning-the-lion joke). I've found that a good deterrent is the huge key that I generated on Steve Gibson's site. Yes it's a pain when you actually want to create a new connection, but no-one is likely to remember it and pass it on to casual acquaintances. (although my grandson has connected his xbox so often that he's committed 70% of the key to memory )

[stuck]

my grandson has connected his xbox so often that he's committed 70% of the key to memory )

That's quite a feat. Don't think I even know the first character of the monster key I got from SG's site.

Ken