If “Use
the following IP address” is highlighted, that means 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.
Step
#3 - Installing the Wireless Router
Before you install the router, power down your PC and
modem, then disconnect the Ethernet cable from your PC and connect it to
your router's WAN port so that the Ethernet cable connects the modem to
the router. Now, you'll need to string a second Ethernet cable between
your PC's Ethernet port and one of the router's Ethernet ports.
Connect
your modem to the WAN port on the router and open your PC to an open
Ethernet plug on the router.
Turn on
the modem and wait until it connects. Plug in and power on the router
and turn on your PC. When your system boots, open a browser window and
try a few Web sites to test your Internet connection. If all seems to be
working, go to the next step
Step
#4 - Configuring the Router
Using the PC connected to the router, launch your
browser. In the URL address field, enter the router-configuration IP
address provided in the documentation. For the D-Link KL-624, the IP
address is 192.168.0.1. You will also need to enter the
configuration-utility ID (usually admin) and the default password.
DSL users
likely will have to choose a PPOoE
Connection type.
Next,
enter the information you collected in step 1 as instructed in your
router's installation guide. If you jotted down an IP address in step 1,
set the router to use a static IP address and enter the address and
other information. If you're a DSL user, you'll likely need to choose a
PPPoE Internet-connection type, then enter the username and password you
selected to log on to your ISP. Leave other settings such as encryption
and SSID at their defaults for now, exit your router's configuration
routine, and check your Internet connection. If you still can't access
any Web sites, check your router's documentation for troubleshooting
advice and call the manufacturer for technical support, if necessary.
Step
#5 - Installing the Wireless Adapters
If you’re using the D-Link PC Card and PCI adapters, you must install
the software from the CD before installing the wireless adapters (these
adapters will connect wirelessly to the router). Next shut down your
system, install the adapter and reboot. After Windows boots the Found
New Hardware wizard should appear and begin the driver installation.
Select “Install the software automatically” and click “Next.” If you see
a message warning you that the driver has not passed Windows logo
testing, click “Continue Anyway.”
Install a
PCI card in each desktop system you want to connect to your network.
Note: If you have a notebook with built-in Wi-FI you won’t need the PC
card adaptor.
Step#6
- Configuring the Wireless Systems
At this point, if you are unable to connect your wireless
systems to the Internet you might have a couple of more steps to go
before completing your wireless networking project. If you’re using a
Windows XP system try disabling the Windows wireless-configuration
feature in order to establish a connection. This step is also necessary
if you want to use the bundled utilities. To disable this feature, click
the XP Networking icon (it looks like two computer monitors) in the
system tray at the bottom right of your screen. When the Wireless
Network Connection dialog appears, click the “Advanced” button and
select the “Wireless Networks” tab. Uncheck “use Windows to configure my
wireless network settings” and click “OK” to accept the change. Finally,
reboot your system to bring the connection to life.
If
your wireless systems won't connect to the Internet, try disabling
Windows XP's wireless connection utility.
If you
are using an operating system other than Windows XP, a simple reboot may
be all that’s necessary to get your Wi-Fi adapter running correctly
after driver installation. However, if a simple reboot doesn’t solve the
problems, the next steps probably will.
Step
#7 - Setting the Password
To secure your new Wi-Fi network, go to your wireless
router's configuration utility again by entering its IP address in your
browser. Using the router documentation or built-in help, if necessary,
find the option that lets you change the default password. With the
DI-624, this option is located within the Tools page. Apply the change,
but leave the configuration routine open for the next step.
The
Tools page in the DI-624's configuration utility allows you to change
the router's password.
Step
#8 - Setting the Service Set Identifier (SSID)
To put the finishing touches on securing your network,
you must change its name. This is usually referred to as the Service Set
Identifier (SSID). When using the DI-624, you can reach the SSID setting
by clicking the Wireless button. Change the default SSID to anything you
like. However, avoid entering values that a thief might guess such as
your last name. Apply the change, but do not exit. Note: Your router may
also allows you to disable DID broadcasting. This will keep your
neighbors or potential intruders from seeing your wireless network among
their Wi-Fi connection choices.
The Tools page in the DI-624's configuration utility allows you to
change the router's password.
Enable Encryption
Now it’s time to enable encryption. If your router and all of your
wireless adapters support it, use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
encryption with a pre-shared key. This provides more than adequate
security for most home users. If your hardware doesn't support WPA,
enable Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption.
Most
routers let you create WEP or WPA keys by entering a pass phrase. You'll
likely need to enter the pass phrase twice for verification. Apply the
changes without exiting.
Tip:
Don't use a pass phrase that's easy for an intruder to decipher. Mix it
up; create one that's hard to guess, with a combination of numbers and
letters.
For added
security, choose WPA encryption over WEP if you have a choice.
Filter
MAC addresses
As a final security precaution, consider limiting access to network
adapters with specific MAC addresses. To use MAC address filtering,
you'll need to enable the feature in your router's configuration
routine. Look for a filtering button or a menu option. Then enter the
MAC addresses you recorded in step 3 for your Wi-Fi adapters. Apply the
changes and exit the router's configuration utility.
Tip:
Most 802.11g routers come configured to work with both 802.11g and
802.11b clients. If you've purchased 802.11g devices for all of your
wireless systems, choose an 802.11g-only mode to boost performance
Step
#9 - Configuring, Part 2
If you've followed our instructions faithfully, your
wireless systems will now be unable to connect to the router. To
reestablish the connection, change the SSID within the
wireless-configuration utility for each wireless adapter to match the
value you entered for the router. You'll also need to enable the same
type of encryption you enabled in the router and provide exactly the
same pass phrase. After you apply the changes to each system, it should
connect to the router and the Internet.
Enter the
SSID and the encryption pass phrase into each system that you want to
connect to your network.
Sharing
Files and Printers with Your Wi-Fi Network
You can
do more with a home wireless network than merely sharing your broadband
connection. Installing a wireless network is also a great way to share
files and printers. In order to share files and printers go to (in
Windows XP) Control Panel > Network Connections and click "Set up a home
or small office network." When asked for a connection method, choose
"This computer connects to the Internet through another computer on my
network or through a residential gateway."
Unless
you're networking only Windows XP systems, choose "Create a network
setup disk" when given the chance. This creates a floppy you can use to
run the wizard on non-XP systems.
Now run
the wizard on each additional system on your network. On non-XP systems,
browse the floppy and run the file netsetup.exe. When configuring each
system, assign each PC a different name but use the same workgroup name.
The
Network Setup wizard automatically enables sharing on any printer
connected to a PC during setup, but before you can use the printer from
a networked PC, you'll need to install the printer driver on that
system.
Each
system configured with the Network Setup wizard should also have at
least one shared folder given the name SharedDocs. To access these
shared subdirectories within Windows XP, choose Start > My Network
Places. You can easily set up additional subdirectories for sharing, but
the more directories you share, the more you expose your drive in the
event of a security breach.
