How to install wireless Internet at home. What types of Wi-Fi modules are there for a computer? Wireless Security

Not so long ago, a computer, and especially a laptop, was a luxury. Today, almost every family has a computer or laptop, and in many families almost every family member has these devices. Each such device must have access to the Internet, since a computer without the Internet is a “box”. With the development of technology, in order to divide Internet traffic into several devices, it is no longer necessary to connect a separate cable to each device; everything can be done over the air - using Wi-Fi technology.

Contents of the article:

Benefits of Wi-Fi

Considering that almost every family needs to install a Wi-Fi router, we will tell you how to set it up yourself, without calling a technician.

Setting up a Wi-Fi router

How to enter the router menu

Absolutely all Wi-Fi routers are configured using a WEB interface, this is a kind of website with settings. That is, in order to configure the router, you need to open the page with its settings in your browser. To do this, enter “192.168.1.1” in the address bar of your browser and press the “Enter” key. After this, a window will appear on the screen in which you will need to enter your login and password to access the router settings. Standard (by default) login and password from the router settings menu: “admin” - in small letters. After entering, click “OK” and get to the menu.

So, in order to set up a Wi-Fi router, you first need to reflash it. If you are a fairly experienced person and know what and how, then now we will tell you what you need to do for this. If you don’t particularly like to understand all the intricacies of computer technology, then you can do without flashing the router. Firmware is a kind of operating system of the router on which its operation is based.

Why is flashing needed? Reflashing the router is necessary to ensure normal and high-quality operation of the device. As a rule, every Wi-Fi router has the same firmware version from the moment it is released until it is discontinued. This firmware only passes internal tests, but when the device goes on mass sale, users find all sorts of problems in the operation of the device in various situations. Therefore, the “native” firmware is not perfect and you may have problems with the device: low speed, freezes, problems with Wi-Fi, etc. That is why it is better to install a new firmware version.

In order to reflash the Wi-Fi router, you need to download the firmware file. Of course, you can download it from the manufacturer’s official website. To do this, on the website of the device manufacturer, find the model of your Wi-Fi router, and click on the “Downloads” tab; this is where the list of available firmware should be located. Some manufacturers may send you to an FTP server where the firmware is stored. But do not rush to download the latest version of the firmware, first read the forums where users who installed this firmware wrote a review about its work and made a conclusion: is it worth installing or not.

After downloading the archive with the firmware, unzip it and copy the firmware file to the downloads folder. In the router menu, go to the Firmware section and in the available field, indicate to the router the path to the new firmware. You can find more detailed instructions on how to reflash the router in the instructions for the device.

After flashing, go to the Network / IPConfig / Network menu (depending on the model of your router) and first enter the provider settings.

• Dynamic IP / DHCP / Dynamic IP – select if the provider provides dynamic IP;


• Static ip / Statistical IP address - select if the provider is built on a local network, where to access the Internet you need to enter the IP address, subnet mask and Gateway.


• PPPoE – select if you need to enter a login and password to access the Internet.

DNS 1 and DNS 2 - it is advisable to leave them installed automatically, but if the provider requires their manual installation (which is very rare), then enter the primary and secondary DNS. It is not always necessary to enter the provider's DNS in the network settings; sometimes external DNS work better than the provider's.

Then go to the Wireless tab, which contains Wi-Fi settings.

How to set up a Wi-Fi network

Network name (SSID)

Network name is the name of your Wi-Fi router, which will be displayed when the device searches for a network to connect to Wi-Fi. We recommend that you set the name as original as possible to avoid coincidences. If you have 2 devices on the network with the same names, the Wi-Fi connection may not work correctly.

Channel

This is the frequency channel over which data transmission will occur. Pay special attention to this parameter, as this may result in low Wi-Fi speeds. Why? Each channel has its own, so to speak, data transfer volumes. The more of your devices are connected via Wi-Fi, the lower the Internet speed for each device - the same goes for the channel, the more devices use the same channel, the lower its bandwidth. Therefore, even if you have a high Internet connection speed, and the Wi-Fi channel is overloaded, the Wi-Fi connection speed will be very low.

If you have not so advanced neighbors, then this parameter can be left at “Auto”. It’s very easy to check the Wi-Fi activity of your neighbors - call up the Wi-Fi connections menu list and look at the number of Wi-Fi routers that are available in your apartment: if there are few of them, then the channel is enough, if there are many, then it’s better to install it manually.

Since “Auto” selects the 6th or 7th channels, when manually selecting it is necessary to select the channels located at the beginning. That is, if in the future the Wi-Fi connection speed drops, but the cable connection speed is as stated, then it is possible that the whole problem lies in the Wi-Fi channel.

This setting sets the wireless network standard. Two factors depend on the wireless network standard: the ability to operate old-type devices in it and Wi-Fi speed. That is, Wi-Fi has its own standards of operation, and to make it more clear to you, let’s look at an example. In cellular communications, first the Internet was transmitted via WAP, then via GPRS, then via EDGE, etc., with each new type the data transfer speed also increased - in our situation everything is the same. The further a letter in the alphabet represents a communication standard, the higher the data transfer rate it supports. But here it is necessary to take into account one more point: not all devices released quite a long time ago and supporting work in Wi-Fi networks support the latest type of connection - and this must be taken into account.

When choosing a wireless connection type, set the type that will be supported by all your Wi-Fi devices. Newer types of devices can work with older types, but not vice versa. But don’t be upset, most modern Wi-Fi routers can work with several standards - which is very convenient; for this, set the value to “b/g/n” (if available).

Channel width

The channel width is indicated in megahertz. We recommend leaving this parameter at “Auto”, or setting it to its maximum value.

Maximum data transfer rate

This parameter sets the maximum data transfer rate - speed limit. Of course, it is best to set this parameter to the maximum value. If you are the main Internet user, and you need high data transfer speeds via a network cable on your computer, then you can reduce the Wi-Fi speed in this way.

Encryption type

Another important parameter when setting up a Wi-Fi router is the type of encryption of the transmitted data. The stronger the encryption type, the more securely your data will be transmitted. Today, the best type of encryption is WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK. But here you should also pay attention to the fact that not all devices support this type of encryption and therefore it is possible that when choosing it you will need to find a “golden mean” for all devices.

How to set up Wi-Fi on a computer and laptop

Sometimes, to connect a laptop via Wi-Fi, you need to separately enable the Wi-Fi module. As a rule, on laptops the corresponding button is responsible for this; it can be either separate or combined with the F7 key.

You can find out more detailed information about setting up a Wi-Fi connection from the video below.

Network devices of the home-small office class are represented by a very wide selection. A separate class is routers, that is, combined systems designed to connect to the Internet provided by your provider, and further broadcast (distribute) traffic to one or many network devices. A local network can be wired (100 Megabit or 1 Gigabit), and also wireless, working using the Wi-Fi protocol. We’ll look at how to set up a router at home in detail in this review.

The user has already decided on the choice of model, or, moreover, the purchase has already been made. This could be a 100-megabit, or “state-of-the-art” gigabit router model, with one Wi-Fi band or two. However, without proper configuration, it is unlikely that you will be able to unlock maximum functionality.

Installation and connection

First of all, it is worth deciding whether “wired” connections will be used, or whether the entire local network with Internet access will be organized entirely “via Wi-Fi”.

Based on this (that is, from the number of “wired” lines), the installation location of the router is selected. At the same time, the length of the cord “from the provider” (in the figure – “green”) should be as short as possible. But don’t rush to change anything: when you turn it on for the first time, the cable must “reach” the computer (from which the router will be configured).

Remember: the router, like other devices (for example, a modem), receives power from an external unit. A similar adapter is plugged into a 220 Volt outlet. When choosing a location for installation, you need to take into account safety rules.

Fastening

Almost every router can be installed in a horizontal position (on a table, on a shelf). On the body, specially for this purpose, rubber inserts (“legs”) are provided. At the same time, not every device allows for a vertical installation of the case. If you install a horizontal case vertically, overheating of the internal hardware (and various other troubles) is possible. How to install a router at home - the user decides first, and only then, chooses a specific model. A definite advantage will be the ability to attach to a vertical surface (that is, to a wall). Be careful when choosing.

Connection

Any router, as a rule, contains 4 hardware ports for the local network. It is necessary to determine which devices (computer, laptop, TV set-top box) will be connected “via cable”, and all others will be able to access the network exclusively via Wi-Fi.

Port assignment

Let's look at how to connect a router at home yourself (without violating the warranty rules).

1. Connect the LAN cables (ports 1-4), if any, that will be used.
2. Connect the provider cable to the router’s “Internet” port (another name is the “WAN” port).
3. Then, connect the router's power supply, plug it into a power outlet.

That is, turning on the power supply is the last thing to do.

Settings

Any kit supplied at retail, in addition to the router itself, includes two “devices”: a power supply, and also a power cord (patch cord). During the initial (first) setup, we recommend using the supplied cord. That’s right, you will make sure the router is working.

Before you connect a wifi router at home, the first time you connect it “next to the computer”.

If the router is new, the next step is skipped. Turn on the power to the router (it is not necessary to connect the power cords). After 2-3 minutes, press “reset” (hold for 5 seconds or more - read the instructions), all settings will be reset to factory settings.

Also, you need to check that the PC’s network card is set to “auto” mode (IP, DNS). You need to look: “Connection properties” – “TCPIP protocol (v4)” – “Properties”. It should look like in the picture (install, click “OK”):

Setting up a network card

Now, with the router's power off, you connect its port (from 1 to 4) to the PC's network card. What is done using a patch cord.

Then, turn on the power. It is advisable to restart the computer. How to set up a router at home is described in detail in the instructions.

After turning on, you need to wait 2-3 minutes. Then, the local connection will be established (which means the device is working):

Open your browser. In the address bar, you type the IP address of the router (web interface address):

What it is equal to (for your router) - see the instructions. In the same place, they provide “login” and “password”:

Without knowing the “login with password”, you will not get to the settings page, and you will not be able to further configure the router.

Note: if you want to set up a connection with your provider, you need to connect the cable to the “Internet” port (to the “WAN” port). What is done before power is applied.

Port assignment

Web interface

All settings are performed by the user in the web interface. This is a set of tabs (pages) displayed by the browser. Each page configures one thing: Wi-Fi network (name, range, etc.), Internet connection (WAN port properties)…

Note: Once you've made all your changes in one tab, save them before moving on to another. Saving many settings “at once” leads to damage to the device!

However, the advice given above does not apply to modern models. You need to remember that some types of settings will “take effect” after a reboot. You can reboot the router by clicking reset “in one click”.

In conclusion, let's look at how to set up a WiFi router at home, where the wireless network is “seen” only by you. Necessarily:

• 1. Come up with a name for the Wi-Fi network (by setting it in the SSID field):

Wi-fi settings

The name can then be “hide” (check “hide access point”).

• 2. Setting the “country” - will change the list of available channels (there are 14 in total, for the 2.4 GHz range).
• 3. Wi-Fi network, can operate in “b/g” or “n” mode (it is the fastest), if you don’t know, “mixed” is recommended.

In this model, you can set the maximum number of Wi-Fi users (zero means “auto”). Perhaps you have different settings (read the instructions in detail).

Hiding the name is a method to protect your network. Traffic encryption (WPA2, WPA), password login (PSK) are considered “advanced” methods. To install them, there is a separate tab (“Wi-Fi Security Settings”).

We hope the information will be useful.

Practice

To ensure optimal signal reception in all rooms of your apartment (from 1 to 3 rooms) and adjacent rooms, follow a simple rule: the fewer walls between the router and your gadget, the better. If you think about how to achieve this result, you will quickly realize that very often optimal place to place the router - this is hallway or corridor(although the layouts now, of course, are different).

Respectively, It is NOT recommended to place a Wi-Fi router:

• In places with limited space - niches, behind cabinets, sofas, on a bookcase shelf, etc.;
• Below - on the floor, under the table, and so on;
• Next to the equipment there is a TV, a refrigerator, a computer, a microwave oven, and a home wireless telephone. Maintain a distance of at least 1-2 meters;
• Near radiators and in any other places where the air temperature exceeds 40 degrees - otherwise the router will heat up and will not be able to cool down;

Another useful tip - install a router as high as possible, ideally, hang it on the wall or place it on a shelf at a height of at least 2 meters. This way you will get ideal Wi-Fi coverage in your apartment.

By the way, place the router as far away from you as possible... pretty much good for health:). After all, even today scientists and doctors have not come to a final conclusion about whether wireless Internet is harmful to the body. But enough facts have already been collected that make you at least think about it. For example, at one time the so-called "Copenhagen" experiment Danish schoolgirls. In 2013, five girls germinated plant seeds for 12 days, both with and without Wi-Fi radiation. As a result, the seeds in six trays standing in an isolated room grew normally, while their “buddies” standing next to the Wi-Fi routers were unable to grow. And several sprouts even turned brown and withered! And in 2010, Dutch scientists tested trees for the effects of Wi-Fi. After three months of irradiation with a Wi-Fi signal, the ash trees “participating” in the study began to exhibit signs of radiation sickness(“lead” reflection on the leaves)!

Today is a review on quickly setting up a Tp-Link router. As an example, I will use the TL-WR841 model, but I want to say that other routers from this company will be configured in the same way.

Actually, I am writing this article with the aim of answering a question that a young girl asked me yesterday through the feedback form: “Ask a question.” You can also ask me any question related to computers and software, and I will give detailed answers as soon as possible.

How to set up a TP LINK router

The essence of the girl’s question was that she was trying to set up a router, not only to work with a wi-fi network, but also to simultaneously connect Internet access to a personal computer (system unit). Based on several tips, she was able to connect the cable and access the Internet on her PC, but the Wi-Fi network remained inactive.

I wanted to help the girl in text format, but for some reason her parents disposed of the box from the router, which still contained the instructions and installation disk. Based on this problem, I will try to describe in detail the solution to the situation with several options. And at the end you can watch a video review where I will show you all the necessary actions and settings on my laptop.

So, let's start solving all the questions in order, but until I begin to describe in detail the necessary actions, I advise you to read the article, what is wi-fi. This will allow you to be more competent in solving issues on this topic.

Setting up a router with a complete set

In order to start installing the router, check the necessary components and prepare them so that you don’t have to run around later. To set up you will need: router, power cable, power cord, installation disk

(if the installation disk is missing, then you first need to download the disk image. To do this, go to the next section, and then return here).

The order of actions may vary slightly, but I do it in this order:

Watch the pictures carefully and repeat the same thing for yourself.

We launched the disk; as a rule, it contains several settings for different routers. Choose your model.

In the next window, select the language and click start installation.

After other windows appear, always click next. A check and configuration of parameters will appear, and the checkboxes indicating successful installation will light up.

Carefully fill out all the pop-up windows or check the box “I didn’t find the settings I needed.”

If you see such a window, then you need to select the connection type. You can find out what type of connection you have by reading the contract you entered into with your provider. The most popular is PPPoE. But to be sure, be sure to check, or you will simply not complete the installation.

Now let’s move on to the most unpleasant part: look for your login and password for access in the agreement with the provider and enter it in the appropriate windows. Click next again (if such a window does not appear, then just move on).

In the next window, write the name of your network in English letters.

We come up with a password to access our network.

Now we confirm our data.

Let's be a little patient and just wait, at this stage the final setup is underway.

So in about 5 minutes we completely configured the router and the network is ready for use. After successful setup, you can close the program. Remove and remove the installation disk and disconnect the network cable that connected the router and computer.

We check the wi-fi network using any supporting device (smartphone or laptop), make sure that the network is working and you can access the Internet. Now you can place the router in a place convenient for you.

What to do if you have lost the installation disk from your router?

To emerge victorious from this situation, you will need to download the image or utility for this installation disk from the manufacturer’s website.

To do this, go to the website and look for the model of your router. Go to the search tab and type in the model of your router; on some sites this may be a support section. By the way, you can download the installation disk image from other sources, but no one knows whether you will get a couple of viruses.

As an example, I go to the Tp-Link website, go to the search field, enter the router I am interested in.

Several search results will appear below, select the one we need and scroll through until we see something like this line, in which there is a “downloads” section.

In the download section we need to find the software and download the version of the utility we need.

To find out which version you need, turn the router over and on the back you will see a sticker with the version of your equipment.

Once we have decided on the version, click on the desired section and scroll almost to the very end of the page. Until the moment where it will be possible to download the utility to your computer.

Now we return to the first stage of setup. When you need a disk, simply run the utility or disk image file and safely continue with the quick setup.

Connecting the router to the PC system unit

If you have successfully completed setting up your Wi-Fi network, you can move on to the next step. Namely, connecting the router to a personal computer where it is not possible to work via a wi-fi network.

To do this, you just need to take the network cable that was included and insert one side into the slot of the router, and the other into the network slot of the PC or other equipment. Wait about a minute and check if there is an Internet connection on your computer.

By the way, most likely the included network cable will be very short, which will cause some inconvenience. I recommend purchasing a cable of the length you need, they are not expensive.

Video review of setting up a router using quick installation

If you have additional questions on the topic, do not hesitate to write them in the comments of the article. Only with your help will it be possible to timely add and update information on the site.

In this article I will tell you how to set up wi-fi from scratch. First you need to set up a wireless network on your router, and then on your laptop. With the help of simple step-by-step instructions, even a beginner can set up the Internet on TP-Link and D-Link routers, which are most common in the CIS.

Setting up a wi-fi router

Step 1. We connect the router to the network using a power supply. Turn on the power with the ON button, if the router has such a button.

Step 2. We connect the router to a laptop or computer using an ethernet cable (patch cord), which comes with the router. You need to connect the cable to the port of the computer’s network card and to the LAN1 port of the router. (In no case to the WAN port - you won’t be able to configure it through it)

Step 3. We check that on the computer in the properties of the network card we have selected automatic acquisition of an IP address. To do this, go here: “Start” -> “ Control Panel» -> « Network and Sharing Center» -> «» -> « Local network connection»

Attention! In the section " Changing adapter settings» You may have multiple connections displayed. For example, Local Area Connection, Local Area Connection 2, Wireless Network Connection, Bluetooth Network Connection 2 etc. How to find the right one among these connections?

Firstly, By default, a wired connection in Windows 7 and 8 is called "Local Area Connection". If no one managed to rename it manually, then it will be called that way. Unless there may be a number at the end - most often “2”. This is the case if the computer has several network cards installed (relevant for desktop computers, because in 99% of cases a laptop comes from the factory with only one wired network adapter)

Secondly, the connection we need should be active, since you connected the computer and the switched-on router using a cable: the connection icon should glow bright (usually blue if your Windows uses a standard icon pack), i.e. the icon should not be grayed out. See picture:

Here, we have found the desired active wired network connection.
Step 3.1. Right-click on the active wired connection we need and select “Properties":

Step 3.2. In the window that opens, click the “Properties” button:

Step 3.3. Select with the left mouse button “ Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) « and click the next “Properties” button at the bottom:

Step 3.4. We set both switches to the upper positions so that it is “ … … … automatically»:

Step 3.5. Click the “OK” button to save the settings.

Step 4. Open the connection window again:

Step 4.1. Click the “Details” button:

Step 4.2. In the window that opens, we find out the IP address of the default gateway:

In most cases it is 192.168.1.1

Step 5. Open the browser to go to the router’s web interface.

Step 5.1. In the address bar, enter the gateway address and press Enter:

Step 5.2. Enter your login and password:

Attention! You can find out the login details in the instructions for your device. The router may include instructions on paper or in PDF document format on the included disk.

If the instructions are lost, you can try to download it from the manufacturer’s website. For example, http://dlink.ru, http://asus.com, http://tplink.com.

Often in a new device the default login = admin and password = admin. It also happens that login = admin and the password is empty.

Step 5.3. After you have logged into the router’s web interface, open the wireless network (wi-fi) settings:

(illustrated using the example of TP-Link TL-WR841ND and D-Link DIR-300 NRU)

Step 6. The actual setup of the wireless connection.

Step 6.1. We disable WI-FI protected setup, because This feature is a serious security hole and could allow an attacker to hack your Wi-Fi network and gain access to your information.

Step 6.2. We check that the Wi-Fi network is enabled: the “Enable wireless” checkbox is checked if it is D-Link.

Step 6.3. Let's set a name for our wireless network.

If the default is dlink or home, then it is recommended to specify some original name to avoid confusion with neighboring networks of the same name.

Step 6.4. Set security parameters. We strongly recommend using the following options:

• security mode WPA2 ;
• encryption type AES;
• key type PSK(aka Personal Key).

After specifying all the parameters, do not forget to click the save settings button!

On a TP-Link router:

in D-Link:

Setting up Wi-Fi on a computer (laptop)

In this section we will show you how to set up Wi-Fi on a laptop with Windows 7.

Step 1. Find it on the taskbar near the clock network connections icon and click on it with the left mouse button once. A list of available wireless networks will open:

Step 2. Find your wireless network in the list (it will have the name you specified in the previous paragraph) and left-click on this network.

Step 3. Leave the “Connect automatically” checkbox checked and click the “Connect" button:

Step 4. Enter the Wi-Fi network security key. This is the character set that you specified in the “Network Key” field. After entering the key, click "OK":

After clicking “OK”, the connection to your wireless network occurs.

After a few seconds, the previous window will disappear, and the network connections icon near the clock will change its appearance.

Now, when you click on the network connections icon, you will see that the computer is connected to your wi-fi network, but at the top you can see the inscription “ Without Internet access", because We have not yet configured the Internet on the router:

Setting up the Internet on the router

We set up a wi-fi network on the router and connected to it from a computer. All we have to do is help the router see the Internet so that the router can distribute the Internet to any devices that connect to it via wi-fi or cable.

Step 1. In order for the Internet to appear on computers, you need to set up a connection with the provider on the router. We show the example of the same D-Link

Step 1.1. Type the IP address of the router in the address bar

Step 1.2. Enter your login and password and click “Log in”:

Step 2. Go to the Internet settings section. Different router manufacturers may call it differently: WAN Setup, Internet settings, etc. In our D-Link this section is called “Internet Setup”:

Step 3. We get to the WAN port settings section.

Step 3.1. Uncheck “Enable Access Point Mode”.

Attention! For other manufacturers, this option may be called “Disable NAT”. The bottom line is that the “Access Point” mode disables NAT and turns the router into an access point. This option will be useful if this router is connected not to the provider, but to another of your routers.

Step 3.2. Select the type of connection with the provider.

To find out what settings you need to select to connect specifically to your provider, you can:

• in the contract;
• on the provider's website;
• by calling your provider's hotline

The most commonly used type these days is Dynamic IP.

Step 3.3. If your provider allows connections only from a registered MAC address, you have 2 ways to resolve the issue.

1. Go to the provider’s office with your passport and register a new MAC address;
2. Enter in the MAC address field the MAC address of the network card of the device from which you successfully accessed the Internet before purchasing the router. Typically, this is the MAC address of the computer's wired network card.

Step 3.4. We specify the DNS server if the instructions from the provider require it.

Step 3.5. Select the MTU value. If the provider does not require you to change this value, we recommend leaving it as it is: 1500.

Step 3.6. Saving the settings

Attention! If you have lost the agreement document with your provider, which contains the details, then, as a last resort, you can always go to the office of your provider with your passport and find out all the comprehensive information: connection type, MAC address, login, password, MTU, etc.