Computer column: Wireless, Part II

Bruce previously wrote about what to look for, when buying a wireless router. Here, he walks through the set up.
By Bruce Richardson
Your modem and router have no moving parts, so you mechanics can put your tools away and please don’t try to open either. If you have trouble connecting with the Internet you need to start at the source first and then work your way back to the computer. Remember that your Internet connection is wired to your house and then goes to the modem. On all of your modems, Qwest and Coast, the Internet comes into your house on a wire and you should check the modem first to make sure that you are getting all of the signals.

Most modems have a ‘standby’ button on top that temporary disables your connections. It will turn your lights off on the modem, except the power light. You will usually never use this button, but if your modem is on the floor, and you have cats…well, it has happened and it is easy to check.  A note on your Qwest modems, all of the lights can be on, but if the ‘power’ light is red – the modem needs to be replaced.  Both your modem and your router will have indicator lights that it is receiving the Internet signal and they should be on.
I can also tell you from experience, that occasionally you may need to reset your modem and your router. This can occur after a power outage or a spike in the signal. You know when the power has gone out, but probably don’t know when there is a spike in the signal. You just may have those cases where you can’t connect to the Internet and everything appears normal. In either case, you should reset your system. The weird thing is most modems and routers don’t have a power button. I can’t tell you why.  Here is what you do, in order: unplug your modem and then unplug your router. You should wait about 1 full minute. Then plug in your modem and let it cycle through until all of the lights are steady. Then plug in your router. In most cases, your connection will be re-established.
If you are sure that the modem and router are properly working and you still can’t connect, then we zero in on the machine.
For all of the laptop users out there, almost all laptops now have a button or a function key that turns the wireless on and off. You may not know that you even have one unless you actually read the manual for your machine, or you ran into this before. I have fixed many wireless problems by finding the button and pushing it. Barring all of these obvious things, if you are having trouble, you may need to get some help. Sometimes it involves re-establishing your network setup, sometimes you may have conflicting programs trying to control your access, and sometimes it can be your own security program blocking Internet access.
I want to also give you some advice about wireless security. Every time you set up a wireless network, you are given the option to make it secure. Most of the time, people just blow pass that screen and get the network up and running. Making a ‘public’ network is actually pretty safe. You are not broadcasting very far, say about 1500 feet, and the truth is it takes a talented hacker to get inside of your machine via a wireless network. But if you look at it from a speed perspective, you should set up a secure network so that no one else can use your connection. If you are broadcasting a public network and you have neighbors, they can jump on the connection and use the Internet. If you open up your network connections and see other wireless networks, then you know that your signal is reaching your neighbors. The display will also tell you which networks are secure and which are security-enabled. On all Windows computers, you will have an icon on the right of the bottom toolbar which looks like a computer monitor and ‘waves’ moving from it, or an icon that looks like two monitors. If you move the mouse over the icon, it will tell you that you are connected to a network. If you right-click on it, you will have the option to view the wireless networks that are available.
In the end, wireless networks give you a great amount of freedom and the ability to have more than one computer get on the Internet in your home.  Once they are set up, you don’t have much trouble with them. When you do, just follow the path of the signal and you should get connected again.

Ocean Shores computer consultant and Web designer Bruce Richardson can be reached at 360 – 500 – 3643 or info@purpletreefarms.com