Steps:

1. Make sure that your wireless router is turned on and your computer is plugged into the LAN port of the router.

2. Now open up your favorite internet browser and in the address bar type in the IP address of the router. The IP address for D-Link routers are usually 192.168.0.1 and Linksys routers use 192.168.1.1. Refer to the owners manual for the default IP address of your router. After entering the IP in the address bar press Enter.

3. After pressing Enter the login screen will appear. Type in the username and password of your router and press Enter. Again, refer to the owners manual for the login details.

4. Now that you are logged into the router you can begin to setup the wireless router. Depending on your router and firmware number the location of the settings will be different. I will be using a D-Link router for this tutorial.

5. Click on the Wireless button. Now you will see all the options for the wireless connection. The first thing to do is the enter a SSID for the router. The SSID is just the name of the router so you can recognize it when you search for a network. Once you’ve typed in the SSID then move on to the encryption.

6. Next step is to setup the security type for your wireless network. For the average user I would choose WPA2 Personal with AES encryption. This setting is the most secure at this time and most new laptops and desktop are compatible with this setting.

7. Once you’ve selected the security type you must select a passphrase or security key. Always select a difficult passphrase because it will harder to crack then a simple one. Also, you’ll only have to input it once on your computer so you don’t have to worry about memorizing it.

8. Review all the settings and then press the Apply button. After pressing the Apply button your router will reset. This process can some times take 30 seconds so just waiting for the router to tell you it’s done saving the settings.

9. Now unplug the network cable from your computer and the router and connect to the router via wireless. You’re done.

Tips:

- The SSID will be broadcast, by default, to anyone within network range so don’t be too personal with naming your router.

- Before buying a router make sure that your computer is compatible with the wireless router.

That’s it! It’s really that simple. We hope the tutorial “How to Setup a Wireless Router” has helped you with your computer repair issue.

You can watch this tutorial on video by clicking the play button below. For the full screen version click the second button from the right on the video.

Video:

If you need more help regarding this “How to Setup a Wireless Router” tutorial then let us know by visiting our Repair Questions page.

Steps:

1. The first step is to buy a wireless router and setup the wireless SSID (or network name) and encryption.

2. Find the Network icon in your taskbar and right-click on the Network icon.

3. Once the network options pop-up appears, select the Connect to a Network option.

4. Now the Connect to a Network screen will appear and you will see a list of all the available network in your area. Find your network name from the list and click on it, then press the Connect button.

5. If your wireless network is unsecured then you will be able to connect automatically. If your wireless network is secured (like it should be) then you will asked to type in the security key or passphrase to connect to the network. Enter your security key and then click the Connect button.

6. Once the computer is connected to the wireless router Windows Vista will ask you if you want to Save This Network and Connect Automatically. If this is a home network or a network that you frequently will connect to then make sure to check both boxes. Now click the Close button.

7. Open your favorite internet browsers and start enjoying the internet.

Tips:

- It is not recommended to setup your laptop to connect to several wireless networks automatically because sometimes this will cause a conflict.

- A wireless signal can be affected by any type of electromagnetic waves within the same frequency so don’t be surprised if your signal strength changes without notice.

That’s it! It’s really that simple. We hope the tutorial “How to Connect to a Wireless Network in Windows Vista” using Windows Vista has helped you with your computer repair issue.

You can watch this tutorial on video by clicking the play button below. For the full screen version click the second button from the right on the video.

Video:

If you need more help regarding this Windows Vista “How to Connect to a Wireless Network in Windows Vista” tutorial then let us know by visiting our Repair Questions page.

Steps:

1. Go to the Start button and click it.

2. Now under the Start Menu go to All Programs -> Accessories -> and then click on Command Prompt.

3. Once you’ve clicked the Command Prompt icon you will see a black box with a flashing cursor called Command Prompt.

4. Now type in “ipconfig /all” and press Enter. You should now see a whole bunch of information in the black box.

5. Now look for the line that says Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection and search for the line that says Physical Address. To the left you will see a group of 12 numbers and letters separated by a dash. This is the MAC address of your ethernet adapter.

6. After you’ve noted down your MAC address you can close the Command Prompt by typing in “exit” and then press Enter. It’s that simple.

Tips:

- If you have a wireless card in your desktop or laptop computer then you will see two MAC address. One for the local area connection adapter and one for the wireless adapter.

That’s it! It’s really that simple. We hope the tutorial “How to find Your Computer MAC Address” using Windows XP has helped you with your computer repair issue.

You can watch this tutorial on video by clicking the play button below. For the full screen version click the second button from the right on the video.

Video:

If you need more help regarding this Windows XP “How to find Your Computer MAC Address” tutorial then let us know by visiting our Repair Questions page.