By Mitt Jones
(October 1, 2004)

A broadband connection brings the Internet into your home at blazing speeds. And with a wireless, or Wi-Fi, network, you can get that access on multiple computers throughout your home--and even outside it--without cords. What's more, today's wireless-networking products make broadband Internet sharing easy, inexpensive, and secure. In this Weekend Project, we'll show you how to distribute broadband Internet access among multiple notebook or desktop systems, and we'll walk you through the necessary steps to keep your network protected.

The core of a Wi-Fi network is a wireless router or gateway. We used the D-Link DI-624 AirPlus Xtreme G 802.11g router, which sells for $99 before a $20 rebate. You'll also need a wireless adapter for each system that connects to the network. We installed two D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G 802.11g wireless adapters: a DWL-G650 PC Card adapter for a Windows 2000 notebook PC ($65 before a $10 rebate) and a DWL-G520 PCI adapter for a secondary desktop running Windows XP Home Edition ($69 before a $10 rebate). The primary PC, connected to the router via an Ethernet cable, was running Windows XP Professional.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

Before you get started with this project, we recommend that you have the following:

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

You may need a few bits of information to set up your router correctly. Double-click the Network Connections icon within Control Panel and right-click the icon for your PC's Ethernet adapter. Then choose Properties > Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) > Properties. If "Use the following IP address" is highlighted, your Internet access uses a static IP address. Jot down the IP address, the subnet mask, and the default gateway. Then click "Obtain an IP address automatically." Click OK to apply your changes and OK again to close the dialog.

If you have a DSL connection, you'll probably need the username and the password your system requires to connect to your ISP. If you don't know the values, try looking within the software your ISP provided. You may need to uninstall the PPPoE connection software that your ISP provided. To find out, check your router's documentation.

Now is also a good time to collect the MAC addresses of any wireless-network adapters you'll be installing. The MAC address should be printed on the Wi-Fi PC Card or the PCI adapter.

You may be able to find ISP-specific router-configuration instructions within the tech-support pages of your ISP's Web site or your router manufacturer's site, especially if you use DSL.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

Before you install the router, power down your PC and modem, then disconnect the Ethernet cable from your PC and connect it to your router's WAN port so that the Ethernet cable connects the modem to the router. Now, you'll need to string a second Ethernet cable between your PC's Ethernet port and one of the router's Ethernet ports.

Turn on the modem and wait until it connects. Plug in and power on the router and turn on your PC. When your system boots, open a browser window and try a few Web sites to test your Internet connection. If all seems to be working, skip to step 5.

Configure the router
Using the PC connected to the router, launch your browser. In the URL address field, enter the router-configuration IP address provided in the documentation--192.168.0.1 for the D-Link DI-624. You'll also need to enter the configuration-utility ID (usually "admin") and the default password.

Next, enter the information you collected in step 3 as instructed in your router's installation guide. If you jotted down an IP address in step 1, set the router to use a static IP address and enter the address and other information. If you're a DSL user, you'll likely need to choose a PPPoE Internet-connection type, then enter the username and password you selected to log on to your ISP.

Leave other settings such as encryption and SSID at their defaults for now, exit your router's configuration routine, and check your Internet connection. If you still can't access any Web sites, check your router's documentation for troubleshooting advice and call the manufacturer for technical support, if necessary.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

Install the Wi-Fi adapter in each system that will connect wirelessly to the router. If you're using the D-Link PC Card and PCI adapters, install the software from the CD before installing the hardware, then shut down your system, install the adapter, and reboot. After Windows boots, the Found New Hardware wizard should appear and initiate the driver installation. Select "Install the software automatically" and click Next. If you see a message warning that the driver has not passed Windows logo testing, click Continue Anyway.

If you're lucky enough to have a notebook with built-in Wi-Fi, you won't need the PC Card adapter.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

If your wireless systems won't connect to the Internet just yet, you may need to take another step or two. On a Windows XP system, try disabling the Windows wireless-configuration feature to establish a connection. This step is also necessary if you want to use the bundled utilities. To disable this feature, click the XP Networking icon (it looks like two computer monitors) in the system tray at the bottom right of your screen. When the Wireless Network Connection dialog appears, click the Advanced button and select the Wireless Networks tab. Uncheck "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" and click OK to accept the change. Now reboot your system to bring the connection to life.

For operating system versions other than Windows XP, a simple reboot may be all it takes to get your Wi-Fi adapter running correctly after driver installation. Move on to the next steps even if you still can't connect after rebooting. They should solve the problem.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

To secure your new Wi-Fi network, go to your wireless router's configuration utility again by entering its IP address in your browser. Using the router documentation or built-in help, if necessary, find the option that lets you change the default password. With the DI-624, this option lives within the Tools page. Apply the change but leave the configuration routine open for the next step.

Set the SSID
The next step in securing your network is changing its name, which is usually referred to as the service set identifier (SSID). With the DI-624, you reach this setting by clicking the Wireless button. Change the default SSID to anything you like but avoid values that an intruder might guess, such as your last name. Apply the change without exiting.

Your router may also allow you to disable SSID broadcasting, which keeps neighbors or would-be intruders from seeing your wireless network among their Wi-Fi connection choices.

Enable encryption
Now enable encryption. If your router and all of your wireless adapters support it, use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption with a preshared key. This provides more than adequate security for most home users. If your hardware doesn't support WPA, enable Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption.

Most routers let you create WEP or WPA keys by entering a passphrase. You'll likely need to enter the passphrase twice for verification. Apply the changes without exiting.

Don't use a passphrase that's easy for an intruder to decipher. Mix it up; create one that's hard to guess, with a combination of numbers and letters.

Filter MAC addresses
As a final security precaution, consider limiting access to network adapters with specific MAC addresses. To use MAC address filtering, you'll need to enable the feature in your router's configuration routine. Look for a filtering button or a menu option. Then enter the MAC addresses you recorded in step 3 for your Wi-Fi adapters. Apply the changes and exit the router's configuration utility.

Most 802.11g routers come configured to work with both 802.11g and 802.11b clients. If you've purchased 802.11g devices for all of your wireless systems, choose an 802.11g-only mode to boost performance.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

If you've followed our instructions faithfully, your wireless systems will now be unable to connect to the router. To reestablish the connection, change the SSID within the wireless-configuration utility for each wireless adapter to match the value you entered for the router. You'll also need to enable the same type of encryption you enabled in the router and provide exactly the same passphrase. After you apply the changes to each system, it should connect to the router and the Internet.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

Sharing a broadband connection is the principal benefit behind most home networks, but installing a wireless network is a great way to share files and printers, too.

In Windows XP, go to Control Panel > Network Connections and click "Set up a home or small office network." When asked for a connection method, choose "This computer connects to the Internet through another computer on my network or through a residential gateway."

Unless you're networking only Windows XP systems, choose "Create a network setup disk" when given the chance. This creates a floppy you can use to run the wizard on non-XP systems.

Now run the wizard on each additional system on your network. On non-XP systems, browse the floppy and run the file netsetup.exe. When configuring each system, assign each PC a different name but use the same workgroup name.

The Network Setup wizard automatically enables sharing on any printer connected to a PC during setup, but before you can use the printer from a networked PC, you'll need to install the printer driver on that system.

Each system configured with the Network Setup wizard should also have at least one shared folder given the name SharedDocs. To access these shared subdirectories within Windows XP, choose Start > My Network Places. You can easily set up additional subdirectories for sharing, but the more directories you share, the more you expose your drive in the event of a security breach.

Cut the cords with a Wi-Fi network

For help setting up or troubleshooting your home network, try sites such as HomeNetHelp and Practically Networked. Both offer extensive how-to articles along with discussion forums and product information.

How secure is your new home network? The ShieldsUp site probes your system for vulnerabilities, providing detailed information about any weaknesses and what they mean. You can find similar security probes at Sygate Online Services and the Proxy Connection.

As usual, don't overlook Microsoft's Knowledge Base and other resources at Microsoft Help and Support. You'll find a wealth of information about Windows-specific networking issues there.

You don't have to look hard online to find good information about Internet security, either. For comprehensive coverage, try the CERT Coordination Center's Home Network Security overview. For a less technical overview, visit JiWire.