Adding PCs

Connecting Computers To Your Wireless Network

As strange as it may sound the first PC you set up on your wireless network is usually the easiest. Most people pop in the EZ Setup CD and follow the steps verbatim until they're connected. Once you get to that second PC though you need to know more about what you're doing because the router has already been set up and you can no longer use the CD.

At this point you're really at the mercy of whatever wireless adapter software you're using. A lot can go wrong here. It may be compatible with your operating system or it may not be. It may work with the encryption type you selected on the router or it may not. It may work well with devices from other manufacturers or it may not. You may be able to accurately retype your encryption key on the first try or you may not. If something goes wrong you need to know what and why so you can correct it.

Fumbling around and trying to guess what just went wrong in the middle of setting up a wireless network is not a fun place to be.

This is why it's best to have a consistent workflow and stick to utilities you're familiar with and know are compatible with each other. That's why I suggest using the wireless utilities that come built into the Windows Operating Systems.

In this course we focus on three methods of connecting to a wireless network:

• Manually
• Windows Connect Now
• Wireless Protected Setup

We go into great detail about each method so if one doesn't work you can always fall back on another.

Adding PCs Intro