Here is some general
information about wireless networks that you can use to improve your wireless
network.
• For your wireless network
to be functional, the high speed Internet modem and wireless router must both
be turned on. The computer nearest your network devices does not have to be on
for your wireless network to be up. In fact, no computer, smartphone, Ipad,
laptop, etc. has to be turned on for your wireless network to be
functional. Your wireless network is
independent of any operating system resident on the device you are using to
browse the Internet with.
• Occasionally, your
computer will be connected to the wireless network, but you cannot access any
websites on the Internet. Unplugging your high-speed Internet modem and
wireless router may fix the problem. Count to 20 and then plug the modem back
in. Count to 30 and then plug your wireless router back in. You may have to
reboot your computer to take advantage of the fixed connection. If you
need to do this procedure more than once a month, you may have a failing modem
or wireless router or you have an intermittent problem with the Internet coming
into your home.
• High-speed Internet access modems and wireless
routers last between 3 to 5 years. You may want to replace your wireless router
more often because wireless technology is evolving rapidly. A newer wireless
router may mean a faster wireless network with more area coverage in a more
secure environment.
• Never buy a gateway from your high
speed Internet access provider. A gateway is a combination high-speed Internet
access modem and wireless router. Many high-speed Internet access providers
charge you a monthly charge for the privilege of having a wireless network in
addition to renting the gateway. Most gateways provided by Internet
access providers are of low quality. You can do much better with buying your
own wireless router. Leading vendors for wireless routers are Cisco (previously
know as Linksys and D-Link).
• Like any piece of electronic equipment,
wireless routers will last longer if they are plugged into a surge protector.
The surge protector should have a built-in protection of at least 1000 joules
to be worthwhile. A better solution to protect your wireless router would be a
UPS. This is a battery backup that constantly monitors your electrical level
from your outlet. If there is a surge or spike in the voltage, devices plugged
into the UPS are serviced by a steady voltage level from the battery until the
voltage from the outlet stabilizes. Typically you buy a UPS and plug your
computer and monitor into it. A model rated at 300 volt/amps should have enough
outlets for you to plug your wireless router into it. (Please search my blog www.hthcatlanta.blogspot.com
for a more extensive blog entry on UPS.)
• Each device you use to browse the network
wirelessly has a limitation based on the wireless card built into that device.
There are currently three main standards for wireless networks (801.B, 801.G
and 801.N). Older devices will not be able to connect to a newer standard network.
Newer devices can connect to older standards. Most wireless routers have the
capability of broadcasting to all three wireless network standards, but may not
be able to broadcast to all three standards simultaneously. Typically, a
wireless router can be set up to broadcast to an 801.B and 801.G network
simultaneously or to just an 801.N network singly. Based on the devices on your
wireless network, you may have to dumb down your wireless router to
801.B/801.G so that all your devices can connect to the wireless network. New
wireless cards can be purchased for windows computers that can upgrade that
computers network access to 801.N, but it is rare to be able to upgrade older
Apple computers with a newer standard wireless card.
• Any wireless network should be made secure by
changing the administrator account password needed to access the wireless
router setup program. Default passwords for wireless routers are easy to find
out with a Google search or by downloading installation guides from vendor websites.
• To prevent unauthorized users from connecting
to your wireless network, your network needs to have a password key. You can set
this up when you configure your router for the first time. As wireless networks
allow more and more area coverage, it is not unusual to see four or five
neighbors' wireless networks from your home office. Amazingly, many of those
networks can be connected to by you because they are unsecured by a key. If you
have a label maker, create a label with the username and password pair to
administrate the router along with the key and tape it to the wireless router.
You will be glad you did. You can find out the key if you have the username and
password pair, but if you can't log in to the administrator account, you will
need to reset the router to the default factory settings and re-program it.
• You apply patches and updates to your computer
and smart phones. You need to do the same to your wireless router. Typically
those patches and updates are in the form of firmware. There is not an
automated way to be informed of firmware updates. You must periodically check
the vendor's website for firmware updates for your wireless router. In fact,
the first thing I do when I install a router is to check for a firmware update
before I configure the router. Follow the directions closely for the firmware
update. Typically, you want to apply the update from a computer that is
physically connected to the router (via an Ethernet cable), rather than
attempting an update from a computer connected wirelessly. It is possible the
update will wipe out all the original configuration settings, so be sure and
document all settings before attempting the upgrade.
• Wireless networks in college dorms and
off-campus college apartments are of poor quality and have poor support. If you
buy a wireless printer for your college student, have the printer physically
connect to the computer through a USB cable, rather than a wireless connection.
Your college student will grumble about having to connect the USB printer cable
to the laptop to print something but this beats not being able to print because
you could not get the printer to work wirelessly or to work consistently on the
wireless network. If you ignore my advice, remember that to program a wireless
printer to work on a wireless network, you must install the printer software
while connected to the specific wireless network that the printer will be
connected to. So after you got everything unpacked and the bed made,
remember you still have to install the wireless printer software.
