A step-by-step guide for home WiFi network setup.

How to get WiFi at home – home WiFi network setup guide

If you are searching for how to get WiFi at home and going to setup a home WiFi network for the first time, then you have probably hit upon the right article for your assistance.

Before I show the steps for home WiFi setup let me first give an overview of WiFi technology for a better understanding of the wireless home network.

What is WiFi technology?

Let’s first know what WiFi stands for. WiFi is an acronym for Wireless Fidelity and a trademark of the WiFi Alliance. It is a technology and a set of standards that allows connection between devices without wires or cables.

To go wireless, WiFi has now become the preferred mode of internet connection almost anywhere be it at home, at work, in libraries, or at schools. WiFi technology has not only helped us to break away from wire connections for internet access but has also made it possible for different users to share an internet connection all at the same time.

What is a wireless home network?

Now, what is Wireless networking? Wireless networking is a method by which homes or business installations avoid cables for connections between various equipment locations. A wireless home network allows your devices such as personal computer, smartphone, tablet, video-game console, etc. to communicate with each other with the help of a tool called WiFi Router. The home WiFi network has a limited range which depends on the WiFi router being used. A wireless home network having a typical Wireless Access Point (that allows other WiFi-capable devices to connect to a wireless network) with a stock antenna, normally supports a range up to 15m indoors and 30m outdoors.

Data transfer frequency of wireless home network

The wireless home network normally transmits data at a frequency level of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. In order to communicate with each other freely, the devices using radio waves are tuned to a specific frequency. This allows them to avoid interference from any other wireless device in the vicinity. However, the transmission frequency level of 2.4 GHz used by most of these devices creates network congestion and interference. Because of this problem modern WiFi routers use a frequency level of 5 GHz, which is less crowded and provides better transfers as compared to a 2.4 GHz router. Nevertheless, as the frequency level of radio signal rises, its range becomes shorter and hence a 2.4 GHz router covers a larger area than a 5 GHz device.

There are several versions of WiFi. The most common WiFi standard is known as 802.11a, which was released in 1997. At that time WiFi only supported connections of up to 2 Mbps. With each iteration, the speed has improved drastically – 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, and most recently 802.11ac (also known as Gigabit WiFi). WiFi has come a long way since then, with the latest standard (802.11ac) supporting speeds up to 1,300 Mbps (although the actual speed is often closer to 200 Mbps). On top of speed, the maximum number of connected devices has also increased with 802.11ac, boasting up to 4 simultaneous devices.

How to get WiFi at home – a step-by-step guide

Now that you know the basics of WiFi technology let me show the steps about how to set up WiFi at home.

For a home wireless network setup, you will need a wireless Router, a computer or laptop with wireless capabilities, a Modem (cable, fiber, DSL, etc.), and two Ethernet cables.

Here are the steps to follow for home WiFi setup:                                     :

Step 1. The first thing about how to get WiFi at home is to find the best location in your house to place the wireless router. Its optimal placement is in a central location of your house, free from obstructions that could cause interference to wireless signals;

Step 2. Turn off the cable or DSL modem provided by your Internet Service Provider.

Step 3. Connect the wireless router to your Internet modem if they are separate devices. To do this plug an Ethernet cable provided with the router, into the square port in the back of the modem, then attach the other end of the cable to a square port in the back of the router;

Step 4. Power on your modem (wait for a minute or two) and next power on your router (wait for a minute or two). When starting up, router and modem lights will generally blink;

Step 5. Use another Ethernet cable to connect your PC to the router’s LAN port and turn on your PC. This connection is temporary;

Step 6. Open a browser and enter the router’s IP address provided in the router manual, which will look something like 192.168.0.1, into the browser’s address bar and press enter;

Step 7. You will see the router’s login screen asking for the default administrator username and password, which you will get in the router manual;

Step 8. Change the default administrator username and password for your router to secure home network. Keeping the default password compromises your wireless network security and can leave your router exposed to anyone;

Step 9. Make sure your router is running the latest firmware released by the manufacturer. This is a good practice because you never know how long the router was lying in the shop before it made it into your hands. Also, firmware updates can address many potential issues before you ever encounter them;

Step 10. Add WPA2 security before you set up the home network. WPA2 security is essential for your home wireless network setup. You can find this setting in the wireless security section, where you’ll select which type of encryption to use and then enter a password.  The more characters and the more complex the password, the better.

The most advanced method of encryption to secure your home WiFi network setup is, the newer WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), which is the best wireless encryption standard currently available.

Note: WPA2 encryption has two modes – Personal mode and Enterprise mode.

Personal mode: It is meant for home networks and networks for small offices which do not require the complexity of an authentication server. Here wireless network device encrypts the network data using a 256-bit key and allows users to set a strong password.

Enterprise mode: It is designed for Enterprise networks and needs an authentication server. This mode requires a more complex setup, but provides advanced security and is not recommended for home or small office use;

Step 11. Change the wireless network name (SSID).  Choose a descriptive name for your SSID (Service Set Identifier) to make it easy for you to identify your network;

Step 12. After saving the above configuration settings on the router, you can unplug the temporary connection of your computer to the router. Now plug your USB or PC card wireless adapter into your laptop, if it doesn’t already have a wireless adapter installed or built-in (a lot of older machines do not have one). Your computer may automatically install the drivers or you may have to use the setup CD that came with the adapter to install it;

Step 13. Finally, connect to your wireless home network;

Note: In the earlier days, the broadband modem and the wireless router were always separate devices. Your ISP used to provide the modem, and you used to buy the router. But today, most ISPs offer a combined device that is both a Modem and a wireless Router.

However, it is suggested to use a separate Modem and WiFi router, as routers with a built-in modem can get unstable due to overheating under heavy load conditions.

How to choose the Router for wireless home network setup

For wireless home network setup, a WiFi router is an essential hardware. A WiFi router is an electronic device that sends data from the internet cable to a device and also functions as a wireless access point so this data can be shared through radio signals instead of another cable. Therefore, choosing the best Router is very important for how to get WiFi at home.

While choosing a WiFi router that will best fit your home WiFi, there are certain things you should keep in mind. Figure out for what purpose the router will be used (i.e. for gaming, video streaming, etc), the number of devices to be connected to it, the desired range that the signal will need to go, etc. Most of today’s laptops, smartphones, and connected home devices use 802.11n. Therefore, an 802.11n router is a good fit for households that have a handful of these devices sharing Internet access.

Difference between Single band and Dual-band routers

Single-band routers use a frequency band of 2.4 GHz and do not support 5 GHz. Its range and speed are limited compared to dual-band routers, which support both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands but can work with only one band at a time. Dual-band routers are faster, have a longer range, and are less prone to interference from other wireless devices in the vicinity. However, the efficiency of Dual Band Routers maximizes when using devices compatible with 5 GHz. When 5 GHz gadgets are not within range, only the 2.4 GHz frequency band gets used. There is another type of router called ‘Simultaneous Dual-band Router’, which works with both frequency bands at the same time and is faster and more flexible.

Following are different types of Router to choose from:

Basic router

If you want an entry-level simple router at a reasonable price, the Net-gear WGR614, which is an excellent performer, will get your job done. However, in case you need a router with a built-in modem, the cheapest one which can fulfill your basic wireless needs is the TP-Link TD-W8951ND, which has many of the features that we would only expect on more expensive routers.

You may also like to read: How to setup Netgear Extender to extend range of your wifi network

WiFi Router with USB support

If you want a router at a reasonable price, with USB support so as to connect a printer without the hassle of wires then the Asus RT-N13U WiFi router that comes with a USB port looks to be a great unit. You can also use the port to connect an external hard disk to make it possible to access the contents of the disk from any device that is connected to the same WiFi network. The router USB port also supports wireless internet dongles from mobile operators to connect to WiFi networks making the router a portable WiFi Hotspot (an area with an accessible wireless network).

WiFi routers with a built-in modem

Normally, broadband connections to households are provided via ADSL or DSL modems connected to a phone line. WiFi routers with built-in ADSL or DSL modems are available in the market, which takes away the need to purchase modem and router separately for broadband connection for WiFi system for the home.

Now that I have explained how to set up WiFi at home and the steps to follow for setting up a wireless home network let me also answer some related questions often asked by people.

Frequently asked questions

How do I setup a private home network?

For private home WiFi setup, first, open your Windows Control Panel and select the ‘Network and Sharing Center’ icon. Next, select your current network connection and click ‘Customize’. Now choose ‘Private’ for your network type.

Can I get WiFi without an Internet provider?

Public WiFi hotspots are great options to access WiFi without an internet provider. There may be several public WiFi hotspots available around you. Depending on where you live, you can even access them from inside your home. These hotspots may belong to businesses such as restaurants or coffee shops.

You may also like to read: How to get WiFi without Internet Provider

Conclusion

Now that I have explained all you need to know about WiFi technology and how to get WiFi at home, here are a few important points to note before you go for a home wireless network setup through a broadband connection:

• If you connect several gadgets such as streaming videos, music, etc. to the router all at a time via your wireless home network, a basic router may hang due to overloading;
• If you want to connect more than 8/10 devices to your home WiFi network you should go for a Dual-band Router;
• For connecting devices like streaming HD videos or gaming videos which require speed and a lot of bandwidth, it is advisable to go for a Simultaneous Dual-band Router;
• Since WiFi technology has gained wide popularity you should not go for buying a 2.4 GHz router due to increased possibility of interference from surrounding networks in the vicinity;
• In order to ensure that there is no interference from other WiFi networks nearby, for home WiFi setup, you should buy a router that supports the 5 GHz frequency;
• However, in such a case, before changing over to this frequency band exclusively, make sure that all your gadgets support the 5 GHz band;

You may also like to read: My internet keeps disconnecting every few minutes – how to fix