This article will help familiarize you with the basics of a wireless router. You will learn how they work and what you have to do to keep them working for a long time.

A wireless router is a device that will forward data packets from one network to another. It will use its internal routing tables to determine where it should send each data packet.

Connecting cables from a wired router to each computer in a network can create a huge mess. Using a wireless router means that you will no longer have to deal with wiring problems. In comparison to a wired router, a wireless router will allow notebook or portable computers to have greater mobility. This means that you can use your laptop in multiple locations in your house. However, a wireless router will not give you as much security as a wired router would. It is also much more expensive and will reduce the speed and reliability of your Internet connection.

A wireless router is actually a dual-fuction device. It is a wired router with a built-in wireless access point that will allow you to have wired and/or wireless connections simultaneously. The access point will connect the computers in your network to each other and the router will connect the network to a wired broadband Internet connection. There are also wireless routers that have a built-in cable or DSL modem. A wireless router can also act as a hardware firewall which means that it will not consume computer resources like a firewall program would.

If you recently bought a brand new notebook computer, then it will most likely have wireless technology built into it. This means that it has an integrated network card and antenna. If it does not, you can purchase a wireless network card at an affordable price and install it in your notebook. To faciliate the setup and ensure compatibility, you should try to purchase a network card and wireless router from the same brand.

When you go wireless you will be able to walk just about anywhere in your house and connect to the Internet. Depending on the signal strength you might even be able to get a connection from your patio.

Newer notebook computers are Wi-Fi ready which means they already have the wireless hardware and software built into them. If several people in your family have these Wi-Fi ready notebook computers, they can work on a project or play online games at the same time even if they are in different rooms of your house.

There are Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere you go including your own neighborhood. You probably also have a Wi-Fi network at work. You might even be able to steal bandwidth from someone else.

If you have a wired home network and want to convert it into a wireless home network, you will need a few things:

1. A broadband connection using a cable or dsl modem. A dial-up connection cannot be used for a wireless network.

2. A wireless router to broadcast the wireless signal

3. A wireless computer

The first thing that you should do is shut off your computers and broadband modem. You want to do this because when you turn on your computer it will automatically communicate with your router allowing you to get on the network without any confusion. The router and computer should not require any further configuration. The default settings should be sufficient. There should be an Internet connection present.

The wireless router will have two connectors. One connector is for the cable or dsl modem and the other one is for your computer. You should remove the ethernet cable that is connecting your computer to the modem and reconnect it to your wireless router in the WAN connector. If all of the cables are correctly placed, you will be able to access the Internet from your existing wired computers as well as your wireless computers.

A wireless router will allow you to access the Internet. A wireless computer can communicate with the wireless router. When the two are working together perfectly, you will be able to use your notebook computer wherever you want.

Routers Articles

Win-Spy Monitoring Software Monitor Your Home PC Or Any PC Within Your Wireless Network. Monitor A Cheating Spouse. Records Any Password. Monitor Any Email. Monitor Via Webcam And Mic.  Continue Reading... Computer Repair Home Study Course Learn How to Repair Your Computer Today! - Save money on costly repairs and even start your own business. Join thousands of others who learned new skills, jump started their careers, made extra money, and started their biz with this Computer Repair Course!  Continue Reading... Overclocking Your Cpu to the Extreme Who Else Wants To Turn There PC Into A Extreme Gaming Rig Without Spending A Single Cent On Hardware? Discover how to unleash over 900% of CPU performance from your PC in a just a few easy steps, then watch in awe as your game's frame-rates double overnight!  Continue Reading... PC Secrets How to make your computer boot up in mere seconds. Exactly how you can Instantly end any threat of Spyware, Trojans and Viruses destroying your computer from the inside out – for good! Secret Insider settings that with just a few clicks will speed up your computer MULTIPLE TIMES. Instantly And Easily Optimize and Speed Up Slow, Crashing, Freezing Computers Even if You Completely Suck at Computers! Fix For All PC Issues.  Continue Reading...

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Routers... How To Secure Your Wireless Network People have more flexible time due to wireless network. Thanks to the invention of wireless. People can now work from home while taking care of their kids or doing house works. No more stress from traffic jam anymore. Is this great? Well, there is something you should realize. Working from home while using a wireless local area network (WLAN) may lead to theft of sensitive information and hacker or virus infiltration unless proper measures are taken. As WLANs send information over radio waves, someone with a receiver in your area could be picking up the transmission, thus gaining access to your computer. They could load viruses on to your laptop which could be transferred to the company's network when you go back to work. Believe it or not! Up to 75 per cent of WLAN users do not have standard security features installed, while 20 per cent are left completely open as default configurations are not secured, but made for the users to have their network up and running ASAP. It is...