Wireless Network Routers

The centerpiece product of many home computer networks is a wireless router. These routers support all home computers configured with wireless network adapters (see below). They also contain a network switch to allow some computers to be connected with Ethernet cables.
Wireless routers allow cable modem and DSL Internet connections to be shared. Additionally, many wireless router products include a built-in firewall that protects the home network from intruders.
Illustrated above is the Linksys WRT54G (compare prices). This is a popular wireless router product based on the 802.11g Wi-Fi network standard. Wireless routers are small box-like devices generally less than 12 inches (0.3 m) in length, with LED lights on the front and with connection ports on the sides or back. Some wireless routers like the WRT54G feature external antennas that protrude from the top of the device; others contain built-in antennas.
Wireless router products differ in the network protocols they support (802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11b or a combination), in the number of wired device connections they support, in the security options they support, and in many other smaller ways. Generally only one wireless router is required to network an entire household.

Router?

Routers are physical devices that join multiple wired or wireless networks together. Technically, a wired or wireless router is a Layer 3 gateway, meaning that the wired/wireless router connects networks (as gateways do), and that the router operates at the network layer of the OSI model.
Home networkers often use an Internet Protocol (IP) wired or wireless router, IP being the most common OSI network layer protocol. An IP router such as a DSL or cable modem broadband router joins the home's local area network (LAN) to the wide-area network (WAN) of the Internet.
By maintaining configuration information in a piece of storage called the routing table, wired or wireless routers also have the ability to filter traffic, either incoming or outgoing, based on the IP addresses of senders and receivers. Some routers allow the home networker to update the routing table from a Web browser interface. Broadband routers combine the functions of a router with those of a network switch and a firewall in a single unit.

What Is the IP Address of a Router?

Question
A typical home network router possesses two IP addresses, one for the internal home (LAN) and one for the external Internet (WAN) connection. How can you find the router IP addresses?
Answer:
The internal, LAN-IP address is normally set to a default, private number. Linksys routers, for example, use 192.168.1.1 for their internal IP address. D-Link and Netgear routers typically use 192.168.0.1. Some US Robotics routers use 192.168.123.254, and some SMC routers use 192.168.2.1. No matter the brand of router, its default internal IP address should be provided in documentation. Administrators often have the option to change this IP address during router setup. In any case, however, the private LAN-IP address remains fixed once set. It can be viewed from the router's administrative console.
The external, WAN-IP address of the router is set when the router connects to the Internet service provider. This address can also be viewed on the router's administrative console. Alternatively, the WAN-IP address can be found by visiting a Web-based IP address lookup service like http://checkip.dyndns.org/ from any computer on the home LAN.
Another way to identify the public IP addresses of routers, involves executing a ping or "traceroute" command. From inside a home network, the (DOS) command "ping -r 1" will send a message through the home router that will cause its IP address to be displayed. For example, "ping -r 1 www.yahoo.com" should result in a message like the following displayed on the command prompt:
Reply from 66.94.230.43: bytes=32 time=294ms TTL=56Route: 209.179.21.76... In this example, the IP address after "Route:" (209.179.21.76) corresponds to the router WAN address.
On corporate networks, network discovery services based on SNMP can automatically determine the IP addresses of routers and many other network devices.

How To Set Up a Network Router

This guide explains how to set up a router for home computer networks. The exact names of configuration settings on a network router vary depending on the model and whether it is wired or wireless. However, this general procedure will guide you through the process for the common kinds of home network equipment.

Here's How:

1. Choose a convenient location to begin installing your router such as an open floor space or table. This does not need to be the permanent location of the device. Particularly for wireless routers, you may find it necessary to re-position the unit after installing it as the cables / signals may not reach all areas needed. At the beginning, its better to choose a location where it's easiest to work with the router and worry about final placement later.
2. Plug in the router's electrical power source, then turn on the router by pushing the power button.
3. (Optional) Connect your Internet modem to the router. Most network modems connect via an Ethernet cable but USB connections are becoming increasingly common. The cable plugs into the router jack named "WAN" or "uplink" or "Internet." After connecting the cable, be sure to power cycle (turn off and turn back on) the modem to ensure the router recognizes it.
4. Connect one computer to the router. Even if the router is a wireless model, connect this first computer to the router via a network cable. Using a cable during router installation ensures the maximum reliability of the equipment. Once a wireless router installation is complete, the computer can be changed over to a wireless connection if desired.
5. Open the router's administration tool. From the computer connected to the router, first open your Web browser. Then enter the router's address for network administration in the Web address field and hit return to reach the router's home page.Many routers are reached by either the Web address "http://192.168.1.1" or "http://192.168.0.1" Consult your router's documentation to determine the exact address for your model. Note that you do not need a working Internet connection for this step.
6. Log in to the router. The router's home page will ask you for a username and password. Both are provided in the router's documentation. You should change the router's password for security reasons, but do this after the installation is complete to avoid unnecessary complications during the basic setup.
7. If you want your router to connect to the Internet, you must enter Internet connection information into that section of the router's configuration (exact location varies). If using DSL Internet, you may need to enter the PPPoE username and password. Likewise, if you have been issued a static IP address by your provider (you would need to have requested it), the static IP fields (including network mask and gateway) given to you by the provider must also must be set in the router.
8. If you were using a primary computer or an older network router to connect to the Internet, your provider may require you to update the MAC address of the router with the MAC address of the device you were using previously. Read How to Change a MAC Address for a detailed description of this process.
9. If this is a wireless router, change the network name (often called SSID). While the router comes to you with a network name set at the factory, you will never want to use this name on your network. Read How to Change the Router SSID for detailed instructions.
10. Verify the network connection is working between your one computer and the router. To do this, you must confirmed that the computer has received IP address information from the router. See How to Find IP Addresses for a description of this process.
11. (If applicable) Verify your one computer can connect to the Internet properly. Open your Web browser and visit a few Internet sites such as http://compnetworking.about.com/.
    Connect additional computers to the router as needed. If connecting wirelessly, ensure the network name (SSID) of each is computer matches that of the router.
12. Finally, configure additional network security features as desired to guard your systems against Internet attackers. These WiFi Home Network Security Tips offer a good checklist to follow.

Tips:

• When connecting devices with network cables, be sure each end of the cable connects tightly.
• Loose cables are one of the most common sources of network setup problems.

Home Network Setup - Networking Advisor

Home network setup can be complicated by many "what if" issues. To answer questions about your home networking needs, we've developed an interactive tool that explains what you need to know about building a new home network (or rebuilding an existing one):
Launch the Home Network Interactive Advisor Using this tool, you will learn whether a traditional hub, switch, router, or perhaps some wireless gear is needed for your home. Then, you'll get additional tips for assembling this gear into a functioning network configuration and maximizing its potential.
For best results, be ready to provide the following details about your home network:

• how many computers you want to network
• whether you have any mobile computers at home
• the operating system(s) running on your home computers
• the type of Internet service you have at home
• what you plan to use your home network for
• where networked computers will be located inside the home
  

and some of your personal preferences Choose one of the following to continue:

• Home Network Interactive Advisor
• Home Network Configuration Guide (non-interactive)