Setting up a Wireless network

I was wondering if someone has a user friendly process to set up a wireless home network for 2 laptops running Win7 and a third running Win XP, a wireless router and a printer.

I have no clue how to do this, so any suggestions are welcome.

I know this will sound like a smart ass response, but did you consult the router's user manual yet?

It should be pretty much plug and play. On your Windows 7 machines go to Network and Sharing center/Advanced sharing settings and make sure that Turn on network discovery is selected. Otherwise you should be good to go.

That's true... I forgot about that feature in Windows 7. Thanks for reminding us!

Router brand/model?

First, make sure your XP machine is at Service Pack 3 because that includes WPA2 which allows for a higher level of security (constantly changing encryption code so sniffers can't watch for repeating patterns to figure your key, if I understand correctly)

You will need to use the desktop/laptop that is physically connected to your cable/dsl line. Start by installing the software BEFORE making any wiring changes then WHEN THE SOFTWARE TELLS YOU TOO, you will unplug the network cable from your computer and plug it into the wireless router. The router comes with a second cable that you then run out of port1 to the computer (plug it in where you just unplugged the one you moved to the router input). And attach the power to the router and plug it in.

Try to access to the web on this connected machine. If you cannot access the web I usually call the router manufacturer (you'll be on hold for 20-45minutes but they tend to be some of the most helpful support you'll find (at least that's my experience with Linksys & Belkin). Note, one possibility if you cannot access the web at this point, it is possible the box you got from your phone/cable company is actually a modem/router and the new routers IP address matches the phone/cable companies - in which case you will need to change the IP address of the new one.

Now you need to log into the router.

There is a place to change the actual router password - change it so nobody can hack it from the web. (If you ever forget the router pswd you can do a hard reset on the router to set it back to default and start this all over again.)

At this point the software should ask you to name your network like KalsLAN and then it should ask about security, you want WPA2 and you will create a passphrase/keycodes/whatever - you will need the code to allow the laptops to connect. There is also an added security as to whether you want the network broadcasted - basically the router sends out a signal "Hey I'm KalsLAN!" - for now leave this to yes. After a few days with everything working you can go back and set this to no for some added security, as it's harder for people to sniff your LAN if they don't know it's out there.

Now the router is setup, on to the wireless ...

If the physical connection you used to setup the router is also a laptop with wireless capabilities, you can now disconnect it (only disconnect the cable running between the computer and the router, LEAVE the router on and plugged in and leave the cable connection from the router to the modem)

For the Win 7 laptops, run the Win 7 network wizard and since you should be broadcasting, look for KalsLAN and select it. Provide the passkey. It should tell you connected. Access the web.

It's been so long since I connected from an XP so see if this helps (I haven't read it but) it came up first in search and its from MS so...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u.../wireless.mspx

Thanks everyone. Will try to do it this weekend.

@nibiru: guys don't read manuals...did you not know that?

Nor do they consult maps when on road trips! LOL!

I guess I'm more left-brained than most. IF it is something that I know diddley squat about I'll consult the manual. In order for me the setup my Gigabyte EP45-UD3R mobo's BIOS settings for AHCI and eSATA plus the RAM timings that manual was a true life saver.

Nibiru you must have gotten lucky if your MOBO came with a manual that actually explained anything. Exampe: AHCI: Use this setting to enable or disable AHCI - it's like DUH but what is AHCI? You normally have to go search the web for every switch ...Wiki told me that's Advanced Host Controller Interface.

When I was researching my last system build, I spent about 6 months total researching the various hardware I was going to put into it. If I didn't what a term or spec meant I would look it up. Wikipedia and I became good buds after a while.

You're correct, my mobo manual has similar info, although Gigabyte's manuals are a little better than some.

I learned a lot from reading the specs about the hard drives I was going to buy and then I looked such things as: AHCI, PMR, NCQ, With RAM it was the CAS settings, PC8500, clock speeds, etc. I could go on but you catch my meaning.

One thing that I have learned through the years is that ALL computers on the network must be in the same GROUP in order to be able to see each other. For example, if one computer is in network WORKGROUP, and the other one(s) are in MSHOME, the one in WORKGROUP will not see any other computer on the router network, and the one(s) in MSHOME will see other computers in the MSHOME group, but will not see the computer in the WORKGROUP group. THEY ALL HAVE TO BE IN THE SAME GROUP TO INTERCHANGE DATA, and they must all be set to share drives as well.

I discovered this because I am an independent associate with AFLAC. I have a laptop that has proprietary AFLAC software on it that I use in submitting business that I have written to AFLAC. AFLAC's proprietary software requires the network setting group to be WORKGROUP in order to connect with AFLAC's server. If I change the network setting to MSHOME, the AFLAC software with not work, but I can see my desktop and interchange data.

The notebook is running XP Pro OS, and has not been upgraded to Win 7, because Win 7 has not been approved by AFLAC yet. It costs $150 (plus s&h to send it to them, and back) to have the laptop reimaged with their proprietary software, should I mess things up, and have to send it to them to have it reimaged. They will not send me the software so I can do it myself.

I have tried to set up my desktop on the WORKGROUP network setting so that I can access the laptop's harddrive, but have not had any success in doing that. I have not tried to do that now that I have Win 7 on my desktop. I simply use a USB flash drive to transfer data that I want to the different computers.

I solved my printer problem (I have a Brother HL-4040CN color network laser printer that I have setup with an IEEE IP address on my wireless home network. That way, I can print from either computer on the network printer.

I hope this contributes to the discussion and helps anyone who is struggling in trying to set up a wireless home network.

Regards,
Ed