Setting up a wireless network is not much of a big deal and comparatively easier than setting up a whole wired network. Installing a wireless network adapter is quite similar to installing a wired NIC, be it a laptop add-on wireless card, internal or an external USB device.
Introduction to wireless network installation
You just simply install the device and let the plug-and-play mechanism take over and handle rest of the work. Install the device’s dedicated driver when the pop up box is prompter and that is it.
But the careful work and most of your time will go into configuring the wireless network. This way the specific wireless node will be able to use it and secure the data that is being sent over the network, in the air.
WiFi Configuration
WiFi networks support both ad hoc and infrastructure operation modes. No get to get confused here, because which mode you need solely depends on the number of wireless nodes you need to support, the kind of data that will be on transfer as well as the management requirements.
Ad Hoc Mode
For any wireless network in ad hoc mode does not require a WAP. Only thing is required for a successful ad hoc mode for wireless network is that, each of the wireless node should be configured with the same network name, meaning SSID and also no two of the nodes use the same IP address. Other than this the only configuration you will have to make is to, ensure no two nodes are using the same IP address and that all the File and Printer Sharing service is running on all nodes. This step is not necessary if the nodes are using DHCP.
Infrastructure mode
For infrastructure mode wireless networking, it employs one or multiple WAPs connected to a wired network segment typically for some corporate networks, the internet or for both. Like ad hoc mode wireless network, infrastructure mode networks require the same SSID configured on all nodes and additionally on all WAPs.
Generally, most consumer WAPs have some sort of integrated web server and are configured through a browser-based web application which has the setup utility.
For this to work, you need to be on the same network and you open the application on a web browser with its default WAP’s IP address, for instance 192.168.1.1 which brings up the configuration page. But you simply won’t do much here without the credentials. You will be landing on the log in page. There you need to have an administrative password, which at first is included in your WAP’s manual or documentation.