Your home wireless network is dependent on your router. Here’s how to set it up and have the fastest Wi-Fi in your home.
Choosing a Wireless Router
Routers come in a variety of sizes. They all have different features that can make selecting a complicated process. You will need to compare the components and what each of the attributes means. These features include the wireless protocol, multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) support, range, and the capability of upgrading your router.
After you have picked the best wireless router for your needs, the next step is to find a location for it.
In case you haven’t chosen yours yet, I’d strongly suggest you to read this article, which covers top 10 current best wireless routers. With the help of this article you’ll choose the best fit for your needs.
Placement is Key
To have the best performance with all your devices, you will need to find a central place for your wireless router. This way, it will be within good range at whichever location you choose to sit in your house. You will want the signals to reach your device while they are still strong and not when they bounce off a wall, and you are in the dead zone.
Basic Set Up
If you are a tech newbie setting up your wireless router can seem like an ordeal. But manufacturers have made it easier with better instructions and color-coded ports that are well-labeled so that you can have it running as soon as you find the perfect place for it.
Your router will come with basic manufacture’s configuration to simplify the process. You will get browser-based user interfaces, smartphone and tablet apps that make the first-time set up fast and easy.
Your network provider will give you a cable or DSL modem to connect to your router. Most providers will not have considered which is the center of your home, even when you have a gateway that is installed around a perimeter wall.
But you can always find a CAT5e or CAT6e cable that connects to the gateways Ethernet port and your router.
But there’s a better option: A Mesh-Style Router
Such mesh routers include Google Wi-Fi, Netgear Orbi, and Eero. These systems come with nodes where you install one of them where the gateway is, and then you put the others where you need to use the network around your home. The data signal is then bounced around the nodes so that you can have a strong internet connection.
Connect your Router to your Gateway
This is a pretty simple process.
If your modem is connected to your laptop or PC, remove the Ethernet cable from the connected device.
· Turn off the modem and ensure the router is also turned off.
· Locate the WAN/internet port on your router and connect the Ethernet cable that runs from the modem. The WAN port may be a different color so watch out for that.
· Power on the modem and wait for two minutes
· Power on the Router and wait for two minutes
· Connect the router to your PC using another Ethernet cable.
· Finally, turn on your PC.
Your router is highly likely to be using DHCP to assign an IP address to your device. This should be an automatic process that ensures your laptop has a Wi-Fi connection after completing the basic set up.
If you have an ISP modem that comes with an integrated router, you will have to bypass the WAN IP address by disabling the router. This process avoids having a double network address translation (NAT). It is a bit complicated to perform the bypassing. You can configure it on your own by applying the bridge mode on the gateway’s configuration screen, or you can have the gateway provider do it for you.
Changing the Router’s Admin Password
This is the process of configuring your router. The router will have a default admin account, IP address, and password. The IP address might even be printed on the router.
To go to the management console:
· Open your browser and type the IP address on the search bar and hit ENTER. It can look like 192.168.1.1
· The IP address opens the router’s configuration page
· Input a new password for your router.
This process is a must-do if you don’t want to compromise your network’ security. Your password should be strong but not something you will easily forget.
Update your Router’s Firmware
You will need to look into your router’s booklet so that you can know where to click to update your router. This process not only ensures that your router is running the latest firmware, but it also fixes bugs and improves security and performance of your router.
This is a practice you should perform now and then especially if the company releases a new product every few months.
Set a Password for your Wi-Fi
Your router might come with an already assigned password for wireless connections. If not, the first time you will try connecting to the internet, you will be prompted to create one.
If your router has a default wireless password, you will need to create a new one.
You don’t want to create a very easy password that your neighbor will find out and start stealing your Wi-Fi. You should configure the router to use the WPA2 encryption. This is second-generation Wi-Fi Protected access because it is the hardest nut to crack in terms of hacking.
To set the Wi-Fi Password
· Ensure that your PC has an Ethernet connection.
· Go to the router’s configuration page where you set the password for the router
· Look for the tab that says connectivity or wireless (not the security tab)
· Turn on the wireless network if it is not turned on automatically
· When using a dual-band router, you will have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. They will need separate and independent passwords.
· Enter a password that you feel you will remember and is secure enough. It should include capital letters, small letters, numbers, and symbols/special letters.
· Set up the encryption by selecting WPA2. For any options listed under the WPA2, select WPA2-PSK(AES). As we said, WPA2 is the least vulnerable to hackers.
If you are setting a very complicated password, use a password manager to help you remember.
Optimize your Router
The setup is the easy part as there a lot of other things that you can explore to have even better performance.
To optimize your router to perform specific tasks first, go to the admin tab and hit the optimization tab. It should give you options of which ports and applications you need the router to prioritize. This process is known as quality of service (QoS) and is offered by many routers today.
There are lots of other features that you can use to have the best performance on your router. These include exploring media and backup servers using DNLA-discoverable service, creating a guest network, performing parental controls, and even setup of network-attached storage for more storage.
Finally,
Enjoy strong Wi-Fi because you deserve it. After going through our easy steps, we believe you can have your router ready within less than an hour after unpacking it. Remember to upgrade your firmware once in a while and also perform the best security measure for your wireless network.
