How To Create A Wireless Network Connection

If you have a Broadband Connection a normal scenario is to connect your computer to the Broadband Modem, using a USB Cable and a Telephone Cable, in order for that broadband modem (with the aid of software) to then dial-up your broadband company (ISP - Internet Service Provider) and give your computer internet access. If you then want to share that broadband connection with another computer you normally connect the two computers together using an Ethernet Cable, so that the broadband connection is initially going through the main computer (the one connected to the broadband modem) at 100% before that broadband connection is halved in order to give each computer 50% of the broadband connection. That is a normal scenario for a Broadband Modem.

What the just said means is that if your broadband connection speed is 2 MegaBytes for example, each computer will have a 1 MegaByte broadband connection when they are both using the internet. However. If only one computer is using the internet that computer will have the 2 MegaBytes broadband connection to itself. That is the theory anyway. Meaning. When the two computers are sharing the 2 MegaBytes broadband connection one of them may become resource greedy and use up 75% of that broadband connection, leaving the other computer with only 25% usage. This normally happens when one computer is stronger/faster than the other computer.

These days the above scenario has changed with the evolution of faster broadband connections and the Broadband Modem and Wireless Router combined. A Modem is, as described above, the hardware that dials up your broadband company (isp) in order to give your computer internet access. And a Router is the hardware that routes (splits/directs) the broadband connection, coming down the telephone line and into the modem, either wirelessly or via ethernet cables attached to the back of it.

Once the Broadband Modem/Router has been installed the Modem automatically dials your broadband company (isp), with your broadband User Name and Password, in order to make the Broadband Connection. This happens each time you restart the computer or restart (unplug/re-plug) the modem/router. When the broadband connection has been made a Wireless Router can then give other computers in your network (group of connected computers) access to that broadband connection (telephone signal), either via an ethernet cable or wirelessly. If wirelessly; This will be done in the form of a Wireless Network (technically a Wireless Broadband Connection or Wireless Signal), that is beamed around the air waves in an area of approximately 50 Meters, so that any device/computer with wireless capabilities can see that wireless network, connect to it and therefore gain internet access.

This is why people across the road from you can also connect to your wireless network and gain free internet access, but only when they know the Network Key (wireless network security password) or when you have left your wireless network open for everyone (unsecure/not password protected). So to clarify. The wireless router can route the broadband connection (telephone signal) through one or more of its ethernet sockets (with Ethernet Cables) whilst still routing it through the air waves wirelessly (in the form of a wireless network). In this case the broadband connection (telephone signal) would be routed (split and then shared) between all the computers connected to the router, regardless if they are connected wirelessly or via an ethernet cable.

If you set up your Broadband Modem/Router using a Broadband Installation CD, as opposed to the Modem/Router CD, a Wireless Network should normally be created for you; that is named after your broadband company (i.e. TalkTalk) followed by a random set of letters/numbers (i.e. TalkTalk9j866). On top of this. The router should broadcast your wireless network name, by default, in order for it to be visible to devices with wireless network capabilities built-in (such as mobile phones) and to computers with a Wireless Network Card/Adaptor attached/built-in to them. This is so that those devices/computers can easily find your wireless network by name and connect to it straight away.....provided they know the wireless network's Network Key (Security Password), if it has one.

Regardless if a wireless network belongs to you or not, you will need a computer that has a Wireless Network Card/Adaptor attached/built-in to it in order to connect to that wireless network; and therefore be added to that wireless network. A Wireless Network Card/Adaptor comes in three formats - PCI for the computer, PCMCIA for the laptop and USB for either of them.

As the main computer is normally wired up to the modem/router, via a USB Cable and a Telephone Cable, the main computer should normally be left wired and a second computer should be used for wireless connectivity. Or so this is what people are lead to believe! The truth of the matter is you can set up your modem/router and a wireless network with the main computer, as described above (wired), and then unwire (unplug) the main computer from the modem/router in order to then connect to a wireless network. And once you have created your own wireless network you can even uninstall the Broadband Installation CD software.....because you can always connect to your own wireless network, wirelessly - It will still be using your actual broadband connection (telephone line), just wirelessly that's all. Hence the reason why wireless works on a second computer for example even though the main computer is switched off.

When a computer with a wireless network card inside it is up and running, the network card should be able to detect any wireless network that is within range (i.e. within 50 Meters). Unlike in Windows XP where you are informed of Available Wireless Networks via a pop-up window (balloon message) "Wireless Networks Detected", "Wireless Network Connection Is Not Connected" and so on, in Windows 7 you are informed of available networks via the Network Icon in the notification area instead.

Basically. If the computer was connected to a wireless network before you switched it off Windows 7 should automatically reconnect the computer to that wireless network upon computer start-up, but this depends on whether or not the wireless network is still within range and available. If it is, the Wireless Network Icons should be similar to Figures 2.3 to 2.5 above. At which stage the computer is connected to the wireless network locally (i.e. file sharing between computers within your house is allowed) but not globally (i.e. file sharing between computers within your house and a worldwide computer via the internet is not possible, due to no possible internet access - normally due to a weak router signal). So your computer could be connected to a wireless network but only locally. So really you are hoping for a signal strength of between 3 and bars (Fig 2.6 above) in order to receive a global, internet access, signal.

If the computer is disconnected from a wireless network, either manually or naturally, before the computer is switched off you will have to manually reconnect to that wireless network when the computer has been restarted.

Assuming you have never connected to a wireless network before, the first thing you need to do is check to see if at least one is available. This is normally done by hovering over the wireless network icon, as in Fig 3.0 and Fig 3.1 below, but with Windows 7 you are shown the X icon when no wireless networks are available (Fig 3.0) and a Yellow Sun icon when at least one wireless network is available (Fig 3.1).

Once there is an indication of at least one wireless network being available click on the Yellow Sun icon, to bring up the Wireless Network Connections window (Fig 3.2), and from there select the wireless network you wish to connect to. The selected wireless network name will then expand to reveal a CONNECT button (Fig 3.3) which when clicked on will attempt to connect your computer to that wireless network. In this example there are two wireless networks available. My own TalkTalk9j866 wireless network and a BTHomeH2-69M3 wireless network.

If you have never connected to your selected wireless network before, or connected to it but never ticked its CONNECT AUTOMATICALLY option, you will always have to manually connect to it by manually clicking on its CONNECT button all the time (Fig 3.3 above). You can avoid this scenario by making your selected wireless network the default, automatically connected to, wireless network. Simply tick the CONNECT AUTOMATICALLY option and then click on the CONNECT button to connect your computer to your selected wireless network. Next time you do not need to do these steps because Windows 7 will automatically connect your computer to your, now, default wireless network. When you click on the CONNECT button you will see the following sequence of events.

If your selected wireless network is secured by a Network Key (wireless network security password) you will be asked for it before Windows 7 attempts to connect your computer to that wireless network. Always tick the HIDE CHARACTERS option before typing out your network key, just in case anyone is looking over your shoulder.

You will know if your selected wireless network is not secured by a Network Key because it will have a Yellow Shield/Exclamation Mark next to its name in the Wireless Network Connections window.

If a wireless network is not secured with a network key it can be accessed by anyone. Simply select it from the list of wireless networks and then click on its CONNECT button. A Windows 7 security requester might appear, depending on your security settings, asking you if you still want to connect the unsecure network. This is because an unsecure wireless network does not normally use Data Encryption when it sends/receives data across the network, which means that data could be visible to others (hackers) on the network. Examples not shown here.

Once you are connected to a wireless network you can use its broadband connection (wireless signal) as a normal broadband connection - You can use it with Internet Explorer (Web Pages), Windows Mail (E-Mail), for Uploading/Downloading and so on. Technically your computer (wireless network card/adaptor) is just relaying data signals wirelessly to the router which then passes them through the modem, uploading/downloading them through the telephone line.

NOTE WELL: It is illegal to use someone elses unsecure wireless network, intentionally or unintentionally. Just because the owner knowingly, or unknowingly, has their wireless network unsecure does not mean it is free for everyone to use - It is NOT free for everyone to use. Remember. That owner is paying their broadband bill each month for "up to 8 MegaBytes" of broadband usage for example. They do not need people watering down that usage by illegally using it. So if you do find out your computer has mistakingly been using someone elses broadband change your wireless network connection settings as soon as possible. And YES, you can be traced - Their router will record all connections.

When you successfully connect to a wireless network for the first time, depending on your computer's network settings, you might be asked what kind of Network Location you are in when using that wireless network - In the HOME, At WORK or In a PUBLIC LOCATION. This is so that the correct network settings can be applied by Windows 7. In this example I clicked on the HOME option - If I later want to change this setting I can do so using the NETWORK AND SHARING CENTER Control Panel (not shown here).

To disconnect from a wireless network first click on the network icon in the notification area to bring up the Wireless Network Connections window and then select the currently connected wireless network. From there, click on its DISCONNECT button to discount your computer from that wireless network.

Remember. If you have a wireless network set/ticked to CONNECT AUTOMATICALLY (Fig 3.3 above) Windows 7 will automatically connect to it again upon computer start-up. However. If you now decide to DISCONNECT that wireless network Windows 7 will switch off auto-connect and make that wireless network a Manual connection. Meaning. You will have to connect to that wireless network manually, as described above, in order to reconnect to it. Therefore. If you always want that wireless network connected to automatically upon computer start-up just leave it connected when you shutdown Windows 7.

To see how good/bad the wireless signal strength is between your computer's wireless network card/adapter and the router with the wireless network simply hover your mouse pointer over a wireless network name (Fig 5.0 below) or click on the network icon in the notification area (Fig 5.1). The signal strength is indicated by its Green Bar rating. Five bars means Excellent Signal Strength, usually because your computer is right next to the wireless router or a couple of feet away only. And one bar means Poor Signal Strength, usually because your computer is too far away from the wireless router or because some object for example is blocking/weakening the signal.

Two common reasons for not being able to establish a connection to a wireless network are 1) Because the network key (security password) is incorrect and 2) Because the wireless signal is too low/weak due to your computer being too far from the wireless router. If you need a list of Default Passwords associated with a particular modem/router click here.

Each time the wireless signal passes through a Thick Wall, especially one containing Concrete and/or Metal, it loses strength.
Household Objects and Yourself can all absorb a wireless signal, which can lead to a reduction in the signal's strength and range.
Try and place your modem/router in the center of the house. That way the signal is evenly spread.
Interference can stop a wireless signal. This could be caused by your Neighbour's wireless objects (Baby Monitor, Cordless Phone, Microwave, Modem/Router and so on) using the same frequency has your modem/router (2.4Ghz). If you do suffer from interference try changing your modem/router channel to 1, 5 or 9.
Setup a Network Key for your modem/router so that intruders cannot share your broadband connection and lose you speed.
Use WPA (i.e. WPA-PSK) encryption, instead of WEP, as it is more secure.

Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.

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