In this project, you set up and configure a wireless access point/router. Configuration steps on various SOHO wireless connectivity devices differ, but they involve a similar process and require you to modify the same variables.
This project assumes that the router is brand new or that it has been reset so any previous configuration has been erased. (To reset the router manually, use the end of a paper clip or pen to press and hold the reset button on the back of the router for 10 seconds.) In addition, this project assumes you are working on a Windows 7 or 8.1 workstation logged on as a user with administrative privileges. The computer must have a wireless NIC (a USB wireless NIC can be installed if the computer does not have an onboard wireless NIC). Also, the project requires the installation CD that ships with the router.
From the installation CD, run the setup program on one of your computers on the network (it doesn’t matter which one). Follow the instructions on the setup screen or in the accompanying user’s manual to use network cables to physically connect the computer to the router, plug in the router, and turn it on either before or after you run the setup CD. A computer can connect directly to a network (Ethernet) port on the router (see Figure 6-28), or you can connect through a switch to the router.Figure 6-28Connectors and ports on the back of a Cisco home or small office router