WiFi home setup question...

Blades of Vanatar · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 4:42am

We bought a Kindle Fire. It needs Wifi. I don't have Wifi currently. But if I am going to setup Wifi, I will want to set it up for the Kindle, my PC and for my Blu-Ray player for my main TV in the home. I have a Blu-Ray player that will need a card in order to be hooked up to the Wifi, I guess it's "Ready" but not "Built-in". It's about 2 yrs old.

My questions are...

What type of Wireless Router do we need?

How hard is it to setup?

Blackthorne TA · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 5:30am

802.11n is the latest standard and the newer routers are typically backwards compatible with the older 802.11b and g. What you want to do is determine which standard your devices are using and make sure you get a wireless router that supports them.

Now: Is your PC a laptop or a desktop? If it's a desktop, I wouldn't connect it via wireless, just continue to use the wire you're using.

Setup is easy. Pretty much the same as a wired router but a few more things to configure, and everything's pretty much explained and often automatic. Some devices come preconfigured with encryption keys so you don't even have to come up with your own if you use the ones that came with it.

Blades of Vanatar · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 2:00pm

Thanks BTA.

PC is a Desktop. Blu-Ray needs WiFi for auto-updates. Kindle Fire Must have WiFi access. But if I want to stream movies to my TV, do I need the PC hooked up to the Wireless Router to do so?

Blackthorne TA · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 5:44pm

No, your wired and WiFi devices should all be on the same network; there's no need to split the two (though you could if you had some reason to do so).

Though "hooked up to the wireless router" is somewhat ambiguous.

If you mean hooked up by radio, then I don't see any reason to do so.

If you mean hooked up to the wireless router via the wire you are currently using, then I'd say that's probably what you want to do and would be the easiest. AFAIK all wireless routers have some wired ports built in.

If you already have a wired router and you don't want to just replace it with the wireless router, you can do that too, but it's a little more complicated to configure the two to be on a single network. You just plug a wire between the two.

Blades of Vanatar · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 6:05pm

I currently have no router, just DSL hard-wired to the PC. I plan on stopping by Best Buy tonight, I will ask the "Geeks" some questions as well. I am sure it's simple after reading a bit more about it today, I am just trying to envision it.

Blackthorne TA · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 6:35pm

Ah, yes. So. You will just get the wireless router, connect the WAN port of the wireless router to your DSL modem using the end of the cable currently plugged into your PC. Then plug another cable that came with the wireless router from one of the LAN ports of the wireless router to your PC's ethernet port.

Blades of Vanatar · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 7:02pm

Seems simple enough. Hopefully the software install is as well, thanks again for the input BTA!

T2Bruno · Wed, 15th Aug '12, 7:08pm

Just make sure you password protect your system.

Blades of Vanatar · Thu, 16th Aug '12, 4:27pm

I purchased the NetGear N600 last night at Best Buy. 75 Bucks. I will be setting up the network tonight.

Harbourboy · Thu, 16th Aug '12, 8:51pm

It's super easy. Even I have managed to do it. Usually just plug everything in and it's working within minutes.

---------- Added 0 hours, 1 minutes and 29 seconds later... ----------

It used to be harder in the old days but most of the vendors have figured out that the majority of their customers are not going to be techies these days, but average joes wanting to use their iPads at home, so they've made the setup process a lot more intuitive and plug n play than it used to be.

Gaear · Thu, 16th Aug '12, 9:27pm

In other words, prepare for it to fail, Blades.

Blades of Vanatar · Fri, 17th Aug '12, 3:55pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by T2Bruno

Just make sure you password protect your system.

Looks like they pretty much come with the PW already setup.

---------- Added 0 hours, 0 minutes and 56 seconds later... ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaear

In other words, prepare for it to fail, Blades.

Yep, nothing like word of encouragement to make a guy feel sure about himself...

---------- Added 17 hours, 13 minutes and 23 seconds later... ----------

WiFi is activated. It was a very painless excercise. Downloaded about a dozen apps unto th eKindle Fire for the kids to mess with. Thanks to all!

SlickRCBD · Sat, 18th Aug '12, 6:41am

I'd like to mention something else, even if I'm a bit late.
This goes hand-in-hand with the advice on password protection.
Make sure the encryption is enabled, and that it is using WPA2 and not WEP. Just about everything in stores these days should use it, and it was probably turned on by default when you password protected it, but it never hurts to make sure.

If you don't password protect it and encrypt it with WPA2, it is absurdly easy for somebody to camp outside your house in a car or van and snoop on everything you do over the wireless connection including stealing your passwords.

Topken · Sat, 18th Aug '12, 6:15pm

What Slick said and are routers still using a single default password nowadays? Turn of Wifi protected Setup as well as its no longer secure. If Routers are still using a default password you want to change it to something else.

Gaear · Sat, 18th Aug '12, 6:33pm

Or just stay wired.

Blackthorne TA · Sat, 18th Aug '12, 6:51pm

Quote:

...are routers still using a single default password nowadays?

Some of the consumer-oriented ones come with a card of numerical encryption keys that are unique.

Topken · Sun, 19th Aug '12, 1:58am

BTA that is good to hear.

SlickRCBD · Sun, 19th Aug '12, 3:59am

Never use the default passwords outside of a test environment.

Blades of Vanatar · Mon, 20th Aug '12, 3:52pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaear

Or just stay wired.

Well, the whole reason I got a router in the first place was because of my wife's Kindle Fire purchase. You must have a router in order to download apps, there is no USB connection.

Wed, 15th Aug '12, 4:42am	#1
Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,557 Like: 36 Liked 41 Times in 29 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,788 Level: 29 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 55.13% Daily Activity 181.55% Weekly Activity 60.85% Monthly Activity 84.99% Achievements Awards	WiFi home setup question... We bought a Kindle Fire. It needs Wifi. I don't have Wifi currently. But if I am going to setup Wifi, I will want to set it up for the Kindle, my PC and for my Blu-Ray player for my main TV in the home. I have a Blu-Ray player that will need a card in order to be hooked up to the Wifi, I guess it's "Ready" but not "Built-in". It's about 2 yrs old. My questions are... What type of Wireless Router do we need? How hard is it to setup?
	__________________ "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road, or a secret gate." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Wed, 15th Aug '12, 5:30am	#2
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	__________________ Who put the rapist in therapist?

Wed, 15th Aug '12, 2:00pm	#3
Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,557 Like: 36 Liked 41 Times in 29 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,788 Level: 29 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 55.13% Daily Activity 181.55% Weekly Activity 60.85% Monthly Activity 84.99% Achievements Awards	Thanks BTA. PC is a Desktop. Blu-Ray needs WiFi for auto-updates. Kindle Fire Must have WiFi access. But if I want to stream movies to my TV, do I need the PC hooked up to the Wireless Router to do so?
	__________________ "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road, or a secret gate." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Wed, 15th Aug '12, 5:44pm	#4
Blackthorne TA SPS Account Holder Administrator Master in his Own Mind Attack of the Tweety Zombies Champion! Balloon Bomber Champion! Barrel Jumper Champion! Belter Champion! Birdy Champion! Blast the Enemy Champion! Bubbles Champion! Color Boxes Champion! Counterstrike Champion! Emergency Champion! Fishy Champion! Galagon 2004 Champion! Grand Slam Shredder Champion! Helicopter Champion! Home Run Champion! Jackhammer Rampage Champion! Micro Machines Champion! Moon Lander Champion! Odd World Champion! Pingu Sports! Champion! Sheep Dash Champion! Snake Champion! Space Rescue Champion! Ten Pin Bowling Champion! The Viking Champion! Tiny Pinball Champion! Reaction Game Champion! Wilie Coytes Rocket Factory Champion! Storm The House Champion! aim and fire Champion! Batting Champ Champion! Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: San Pedro, CA, USA Posts: 9,723 Blog Entries: 18 Like: 19 Liked 45 Times in 32 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 22,006 Level: 41 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 38.24% Daily Activity 62.5% Weekly Activity 26.81% Monthly Activity 50.16% Achievements Awards	No, your wired and WiFi devices should all be on the same network; there's no need to split the two (though you could if you had some reason to do so). Though "hooked up to the wireless router" is somewhat ambiguous. If you mean hooked up by radio, then I don't see any reason to do so. If you mean hooked up to the wireless router via the wire you are currently using, then I'd say that's probably what you want to do and would be the easiest. AFAIK all wireless routers have some wired ports built in. If you already have a wired router and you don't want to just replace it with the wireless router, you can do that too, but it's a little more complicated to configure the two to be on a single network. You just plug a wire between the two.
	__________________ Who put the rapist in therapist?

Wed, 15th Aug '12, 6:05pm	#5
Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,557 Like: 36 Liked 41 Times in 29 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,788 Level: 29 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 55.13% Daily Activity 181.55% Weekly Activity 60.85% Monthly Activity 84.99% Achievements Awards	I currently have no router, just DSL hard-wired to the PC. I plan on stopping by Best Buy tonight, I will ask the "Geeks" some questions as well. I am sure it's simple after reading a bit more about it today, I am just trying to envision it.
	__________________ "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road, or a secret gate." - J.R.R. Tolkien

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Wed, 15th Aug '12, 6:35pm	#6
Blackthorne TA SPS Account Holder Administrator Master in his Own Mind Attack of the Tweety Zombies Champion! Balloon Bomber Champion! Barrel Jumper Champion! Belter Champion! Birdy Champion! Blast the Enemy Champion! Bubbles Champion! Color Boxes Champion! Counterstrike Champion! Emergency Champion! Fishy Champion! Galagon 2004 Champion! Grand Slam Shredder Champion! Helicopter Champion! Home Run Champion! Jackhammer Rampage Champion! Micro Machines Champion! Moon Lander Champion! Odd World Champion! Pingu Sports! Champion! Sheep Dash Champion! Snake Champion! Space Rescue Champion! Ten Pin Bowling Champion! The Viking Champion! Tiny Pinball Champion! Reaction Game Champion! Wilie Coytes Rocket Factory Champion! Storm The House Champion! aim and fire Champion! Batting Champ Champion! Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: San Pedro, CA, USA Posts: 9,723 Blog Entries: 18 Like: 19 Liked 45 Times in 32 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 22,006 Level: 41 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 38.24% Daily Activity 62.5% Weekly Activity 26.81% Monthly Activity 50.16% Achievements Awards	Ah, yes. So. You will just get the wireless router, connect the WAN port of the wireless router to your DSL modem using the end of the cable currently plugged into your PC. Then plug another cable that came with the wireless router from one of the LAN ports of the wireless router to your PC's ethernet port.
	__________________ Who put the rapist in therapist?

Wed, 15th Aug '12, 7:02pm	#7
Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,557 Like: 36 Liked 41 Times in 29 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,788 Level: 29 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 55.13% Daily Activity 181.55% Weekly Activity 60.85% Monthly Activity 84.99% Achievements Awards	Seems simple enough. Hopefully the software install is as well, thanks again for the input BTA!
	__________________ "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road, or a secret gate." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Wed, 15th Aug '12, 7:08pm	#8
T2Bruno SPS Account Holder The only source of knowledge is experience Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Chicago -- far west suburbs. Posts: 9,315 Like: 20 Liked 78 Times in 59 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 22,265 Level: 41 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 57.88% Daily Activity 62.5% Weekly Activity 43.83% Monthly Activity 41.75% Achievements Awards	Just make sure you password protect your system.
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Thu, 16th Aug '12, 4:27pm	#9
Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,557 Like: 36 Liked 41 Times in 29 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,788 Level: 29 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 55.13% Daily Activity 181.55% Weekly Activity 60.85% Monthly Activity 84.99% Achievements Awards	I purchased the NetGear N600 last night at Best Buy. 75 Bucks. I will be setting up the network tonight.
	__________________ "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road, or a secret gate." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Thu, 16th Aug '12, 8:51pm	#10
Harbourboy SPS Account Holder Take thy form from off my door! Join Date: May 2003 Location: North Harbour Posts: 13,221 Like: 54 Liked 11 Times in 10 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 28,188 Level: 45 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 71.87% Daily Activity 62.5% Weekly Activity 9.79% Monthly Activity 15.57% Achievements Awards	It's super easy. Even I have managed to do it. Usually just plug everything in and it's working within minutes. ---------- Added 0 hours, 1 minutes and 29 seconds later... ---------- It used to be harder in the old days but most of the vendors have figured out that the majority of their customers are not going to be techies these days, but average joes wanting to use their iPads at home, so they've made the setup process a lot more intuitive and plug n play than it used to be.

Thu, 16th Aug '12, 9:27pm	#11
Gaear SPS Account Holder Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,683 Like: 49 Liked 69 Times in 45 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 4,759 Level: 21 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 68.58% Daily Activity 62.5% Weekly Activity 26.81% Monthly Activity 83.31% Achievements Awards	In other words, prepare for it to fail, Blades.

Sat, 18th Aug '12, 6:41am	#13
SlickRCBD Gems: 15/31 Latest gem: Waterstar Join Date: May 2005 Location: in front of a computer Posts: 726 Like: 16 Liked 17 Times in 17 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,542 Level: 16 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 49.76% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 16.53% Achievements	I'd like to mention something else, even if I'm a bit late. This goes hand-in-hand with the advice on password protection. Make sure the encryption is enabled, and that it is using WPA2 and not WEP. Just about everything in stores these days should use it, and it was probably turned on by default when you password protected it, but it never hurts to make sure. If you don't password protect it and encrypt it with WPA2, it is absurdly easy for somebody to camp outside your house in a car or van and snoop on everything you do over the wireless connection including stealing your passwords.

Sat, 18th Aug '12, 6:15pm	#14
Topken Gems: 11/31 Latest gem: Bloodstone Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: USA Posts: 400 Blog Entries: 4 Like: 1 Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,172 Level: 11 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 73.55% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 4.04% Achievements	What Slick said and are routers still using a single default password nowadays? Turn of Wifi protected Setup as well as its no longer secure. If Routers are still using a default password you want to change it to something else.
	__________________ Love Knows No Bounds!

Sat, 18th Aug '12, 6:33pm	#15
Gaear SPS Account Holder Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,683 Like: 49 Liked 69 Times in 45 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 4,759 Level: 21 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 68.58% Daily Activity 62.5% Weekly Activity 26.81% Monthly Activity 83.31% Achievements Awards	Or just stay wired.

Sun, 19th Aug '12, 1:58am	#17
Topken Gems: 11/31 Latest gem: Bloodstone Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: USA Posts: 400 Blog Entries: 4 Like: 1 Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,172 Level: 11 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 73.55% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 4.04% Achievements	BTA that is good to hear.
	__________________ Love Knows No Bounds!

Sun, 19th Aug '12, 3:59am	#18
SlickRCBD Gems: 15/31 Latest gem: Waterstar Join Date: May 2005 Location: in front of a computer Posts: 726 Like: 16 Liked 17 Times in 17 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,542 Level: 16 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 49.76% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 16.53% Achievements	Never use the default passwords outside of a test environment.