How To Use A Router

You have your router setup at this point so let's look at how to use a router and hook your computer up. You should be ready to connect to the Internet at this point, so let's get some computers hooked in. If you are using only a single computer, it should be hooked in and ready to go, and you can skip this section. If you want to learn to connect your wireless laptop or computer, read on.

Note: Make sure you save your router manual. It has instructions for troubleshooting and explanations for the other settings not covered in this guide. Put it somewhere where you will not lose it.

First, to connect another wired computer to the router, all you have to do is get another ethernet cable, and connect one end the the RJ-45 LAN port on the back, and the other end to one of the numbered ports on the back of the router. The easy answer to how to use a router...

Connecting a wireless is a little bit more involved, so we'll go through that here.

Note: Some laptops will come with pre-installed applications that manage your wireless connections.. What is below is how to connect through Windows. If you are using a different application, refer to the documentation for that application.

1. To start with, ensure that your laptop's wireless is turned on. This is usually achieved with a button that is either above or on the keyboard. It will usually have some sort of picture such as a tower with signals coming off it or something similar.


2. The next step is to find your router. If you look in the lower left of your desktop in the area of your clock, you should see an icon like the one shown here.
   


3. Right click on this icon and select "View Available Wireless Networks"
   


4. In the Wireless Network Connection window, you should see all available broadcasting networks in range. If you are broadcasting your SSID, you should see it listed here by the name that you gave it. Click your network and click the Connect button in the lower right of that window.
   


5. At the prompt, enter your network key that you setup previously. Click connect and give your computer a few seconds to make the connection. Once you are connected, you can close the Wireless Network Connection window and you are ready to surf.
   

Happy Safe Surfing...

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