Wireless Routers

Wi-Fi is the trade name for a technology which is becoming more and more common all through out the world today. A wireless network which uses radio waves can be found in homes, mobile phones, video games etc. This Wi-Fi technology is now compatible with most computers, printers and even game consoles.

How does this technology work?

This technology involves communication between a computer's adapter and a wireless router. A wireless router receives information from the Internet through a physical wired Ethernet connection and it translates this information into a radio signal which is then received by the computer's wireless adapter through an antenna. This technology also works the other way when the computer's wireless adapter translates data into a radio signal and sends it to the wireless router which decodes it and sends it on its way. This connection between the adapter and router is invisible and reliable though users can lose connections and face situations when routers fail.

What is a wireless router?

A wireless router is a single piece of equipment which has a port for a connection to your cable modem or DSL modem, a router, an Ethernet hub, a firewall and a wireless access point. They are usually small box like devices which have LED lights on the front and connection ports that are located on the side or at the back. Some routers even have antennas on the top while others are equipped with built in antennas.

The router enables you to use wireless signals to connect your computer to the Internet and if you have more than one computer in your home, the wireless router enables you to use Ethernet cables to connect them to each other, a printer and the Internet. The range of a wireless router is usually 100 feet but objects like walls and doors can cause interference in the transmission of signals. One wireless router is usually adequate for a home network but if you live in a large home you may want to invest in a range extender or repeater to extend the coverage in all the rooms of the house.

These wireless routers generally differ in the various network protocols that they support (802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11n). Most people tend to use 802.11g standard because of its speed and reliability.

Wireless routers are basically plug and play devices which start working with their default settings once they are plugged in though they do allow you to change these default settings through a Web interface.

These settings include:-

The name of the network which is usually the manufacturer's name which can be easily changed to the name you choose for your network.

The channel that the router uses.

The routers security options most routers are by default setup for an open network but in order to prevent eavesdroppers and unauthorized use of your network you should secure your network with a username and a password.

Many companies manufacture wireless routers including DLink, Netgear and Belkin.