code that is part of the header for every packet sent over your
wireless network between a mobile device and the router.
Try to pick a network name that is a bit unusual and certainly not
one that is embarrassing; I can sit right here at the desk in my
office and read the name of the wireless network in use at my
neighbor’s house about 150 feet away.- Encryption.You have the option to select Wireless Encryption
(WEP), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), or no encryption. You’re
generally best off choosing WPA, if available, or WEP as a second-
best choice. If you’re connecting at a public hotspot, the operator
may insist that these encryption schemes be turned off and the
company’s own system used.
You may also be asked to type in a passphrase that the router
will use to generate encryption keys(a form of code) that protect
the security of your data. You don’t need to remember your
passphrase — it is there to see anytime you go to the router’s
configuration screen. You should, though, make the passphrase
complex enough that a hacker is not likely to guess what it is.
Don’t use your name or your birthday or your favorite sports
team. Instead, use a nonsensical combination of a word and num-
bers, something like 5217Dummies7021Rule. - Administrative Password.Here’s where you’ve got to choose a
complex password that you memorize or somehow track. You need
this password to make future changes to the router’s settings.
Once again, I suggest a combination of numbers and an unusual
word or phrase.
- Once you’ve made your settings, follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions to save them. - Reconnect the computer to the router and turn on the PC’s power.
Current versions of Windows should automatically detect the presence
of a new wireless adapter; you may have to install a driver from a CD.
The computer should communicate with the router and any other PC
on the wireless network (and on a wired network if it is attached to the
router as well). - Make sure that all of the computers are properly protected behind
firewalls and antivirus software.
Setting up a wireless network
A basic home or small office wireless network is based around an access point—
a transmitter/receiver that can communicate with laptops, desktops, and218 Part IV: Failing to Communicate