How to Use WiFi and Get the Most From it

How to use Wifi If you’ve got a fast internet connection, I’m sure you’ve thought about going or are planning on going Wireless like many other people, but how simple is it? Is it really as simple as just opening a box and plug in and go ?

Many people would have you believe it is, and it really can be if you want to do it wrong. Setting up your WiFi network properly can be quite involved for the average non techie, but it’s not overly difficult for most people, there are lots of articles around, including our how to setup wiFi guide, that will guide you through what you need and need to know about how to use wifi .

The first points we need to understand are the following which will help you create a safe and secure network.

Security is a big point when it comes to Wireless networks, without security anyone in range of your Wireless router can connect and browse the internet through your internet connection, which is called leeching.

This in itself can be pretty harmless, but you have no control over the leechers browsing habits which must be considered dubious. The next point is does your router have sufficient security ? otherwise your actual routers configuration is at risk, from here the leecher can take control of your router and enforce his or her own security, they can also see any devices connected, and may be able to gain access to your computers if they are also not adequately protected.

When I comes to setting up your Wireless security you have a number of choices, these include WEP & WPA security, WEP offers some security, but is not 100% safe, but WPA is much more secure and as they are both as easy to setup WPA is the best choice, on top of this we also have a few extra’s we can add such as MAC address security (A MAC address is the serial number of your network card, you find this by typing CMD at the Start Menu, then typing IPCONFIG /ALL) using WPA with MAC address security simply reinforces the security)

And on top of this remember to change the Routers login details from the manufacturer default as this offers no protection.

The thing we need to do is setup your computer so it only connects to your preferred networks, otherwise it will roam and connect to any network available, and we really only want it to connect to known and trusted sources.

Placement of your Router is a big thing, place it at one end of your house and you might not receive a sufficient signal at the furthest corner, so make sure you place centrally as much as you can, it’s also worth taking into account items that will cause signal problems, such as thick walls and floors. Devices that operate at 2.4ghz may also cause interference issues, this can include, Cordless phones, Microwaves & even baby monitors

Make sure all the Wireless hardware is compatible, if the Router is 802.11g then make sure that all wireless network card are 802.11g compatible, an older technology 802.11b is still available, but it’s slower than 802.11g so make this your choice.

Check for updates frequently, firmware updates help you improve the performance of your router

If you find that you simply can’t receive a good signal at certain locations around your house, bridge the gap between your router and computer with a Wireless access point, this is placed between your router and your computer, this then increases the Wireless range.

After our how to use WiFi , checkout our how to setup WiFi explanation page

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