O.K. It’s time to dispel the myth about networking! Although networks, (wireless or otherwise) used to be used primarily by businesses and schools, times have changed. There are now huge benefits to installing a network at home. The thing that put’s many people off is the fact that they are notoriously complicated to set up and get working. Well, as technology had advanced this process has become a darn sight easier and if you are interested in setting up your own network then don’t panic. As long as you have a little patience, you can do it. There is an abundance of information on the internet to help you get through any problems so, if possible, keep one computer off of your network, (but connected to the internet) to start with. This way you will still be able to connect to the web and get any advice and tips you need during your installation and set-up.
For those that consider yourself novices and are not sure why having a wireless network in your home is beneficial, let’s take a look at some of it’s uses. Many of us now have more than one computer in our homes. Whether you have children with a PC in their room, or a laptop that you use around the house and in the garden there are some great benefits to connecting them all together. First of all, Think about your printer. Why bother having a printer for every PC, or transferring documents to the computer that’s attached to the only printer, when you can use a network to let your printer receive information form all your computers? Of course the other bonus is that, with a wireless network your printer can be put anywhere in the house out of the way. If like me, you have a computer in your living room, then hiding the printer away in the cupboard is perfect.
So there’s one advantage. Now, what about music, videos and other media? There is no need to waste time and money putting music onto all of your hard-drives. By creating a Wireless home network you can store all you media on one hard-drive and access it via the network. Of course these are only examples. Another obvious benefit is the ability to access all of your documents from any computer in the network. If your chilling in the garden with your laptop and need a file from your desktop PC, no problem. Just access it via your wireless network. Now we’ve covered some of the more obvious benefits to installing a wireless network let’s take a look at how to do it.
The first step, without a doubt is planning. You need to know what you require from your network. How many computers you want to attach, where your computers are located, and any other peripherals, (such as printers). Once you have this worked out it will be much easier to determine what equipment you need. When looking at equipment I would recommend that you set up your network using the 802.11g technology, as it is the most compatible.
So, let’s take a look at what you will need. First of all, you’ll want a broadband connection. Secondly, you need a wireless router. And third, a wireless network adaptor for each computer that is going to be part of your network. For desktop PC’s, buy a USB adaptor and for laptops, get a PC card adaptor, (this will plug into your expansion slot). Before buying your wireless network adaptor, check to make sure your PC doesn’t already have this feature built-in. If it does then there is no need to buy an additional one. Also, buy your network adaptor and wireless router from the same company. This will make things far easier when setting up. Now you have your equipment, it’s time to get it up and running.
Unplug your modem and connect it to your wireless router. You will notice that your router came with a network cable. Plug one end into the back of the router, (the port labelled internet, or Wlan, or Wan) and the other end into your modem. If you are unsure which port to connect your cable to, you will need to refer to the instructions, as routers vary depending on the make. Now plug in your modem again and connect to the Internet. Next, plug in your router and turn it on. After a few 30-60 seconds you should see lights that indicate the router is connected to the modem. Now it’s time to configure your modem.
Your router will have come with an address. Open Internet explorer and type this in the address bar. You may need to enter the default password at this stage. This also comes with the router. You should now be looking at the configuration page for your wireless router. Don’t panic if it looks technical, you only need to change a few things. First of all you will need to give your network a name. Choose something that is not too easy to guess, as this will help with security issues, and type this in the SSID section. You should also see a section that asks for a WEP or a WPA. Choose something long and random as this will prevent hackers getting in, you don’t need to remember this anyway. Now you need to create an ‘administrators password’. Again choose something unique containing letters and numbers, (you will need to remember this one though). Now that’s done, disconnect the network cable from your computer.
Now you can connect your computers. Before doing anything, make sure you have “Windows Service Pack 2″. Now, repeat the following steps for each computer.
If you have purchased a USB network adaptor, plug this into a USB port on your computer. If you have a network card for your laptop, plug this in your expansion slot. Windows should now detect your new hardware and ask you to insert the CD that came with it. Do this, and follow the on-screen instructions. Once you have completed this you will see a new icon in your taskbar, (bottom right of main windows screen). Right-click it and select ‘View Available Wireless Networks’. You should now see the name of your wireless network, if you don’t, click refresh. Select that network and click connect, enter the network key you will have typed in earlier and wait for it to connect. Now you can close this window.
Finally you need to………..
Do Nothing, that’s it! Congratulations, assuming everything went smoothly then you just set up a wireless home network. If you encounter problems, then visit www.wirelessnetworkinstallations.com for more advice. Failing that, call the technical support that came with your router and they will be able to steer you in the right direction.
By: Dawn Smith
Posts Tagged ‘Time And Money’
A Novice Guide To Setting Up A Wireless Network
March 9th, 2010Home Computer Business – The Dirty Dozen – Mistakes To Avoid (Mistake #9)
March 2nd, 2010
This article is one of a series, collectively titled “The Dirty Dozen: Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Business.” Making these mistakes can be very costly in both time and money, but all of these possible mistakes can be easily avoided by some advance knowledge and planning ahead. Although I think the information in this series of articles can be very valuable to home business operators, it is very important for you to know that I am writing this series of articles solely from a “lessons learned” perspective. I am not a legal, tax, or accounting professional. You should consult an appropriate professional for detailed advice that is specifically relevant for you and your business.
In this article, I am going to discuss the potential problem area of not keeping adequate records.
I cannot overstate the importance of keeping clear, accurate records. If you have never filed a tax return for a business before, you will probably be pretty surprised by how much detailed information you will need. If the IRS ever audits your business tax returns, you could be required to explain and show proof of every single one of your business expenses.
Don’t throw away anything away until you are positive it no longer matters. In general, many tax specialists suggest keeping all business financial records for at least seven years after the date of your tax return. So if you are filing a tax return that includes business income and expenses for the tax year 2007, you need to keep all of your expense receipts, income statements, etc. until at least 2014.
Don’t freak out. Although maintaining detailed business financial documentation is crucially important, it is also pretty simple. Here’s one easy and inexpensive, but perfectly effective, way of keeping track of your business records. Go to a housewares or office supply store and get one or two little plastic trays that are a good size for holding regular, white letter-size envelopes. Start labeling envelopes with categories of business expenses: office supplies, professional education, computer hardware and software, etc. Put all of your receipts in your tray of envelopes at the end of every day. Once a week, put all of your receipts in the appropriate envelopes. When you come across a receipt that doesn’t already have an envelope, make one right then. Do the same things for all business income that you receive.
If you are comfortable with scanning, you could also scan your business receipts and organize them electronically. I still have sort of a paper-and-pencil brain, so I just do the envelope thing, and it works just fine.
Remember that you may be able to claim business mileage for your car. This can really add up to a nice deduction for you – but it’s also easy to lose track of it. Here’s one easy way to stay on top if it. Get a lined index card (decide what size is best for your handwriting). Make columns labeled, “date, destination, purpose, begin mileage, end mileage, and trip miles.” Leave the index card and a pencil in your car (you could attach it to a small clipboard). Every time you go somewhere that might count as business mileage, just quickly fill in one row of your index card. When the card is full, take it inside, and file it in an envelope labeled “mileage.” Even if you don’t calculate the “trip miles” every single day, as long as you record your beginning and ending mileage for each trip, you will have the information you will need at tax preparation time to help your tax professional verify that your mileage is allowable.
Note: You can’t mix business and personal mileage. Let’s say you head off to Kinko’s to do some business copying, and then, since you’re running errands anyway, you decide to get your grocery shopping done too. If going to the grocery store adds mileage beyond what your Kinko’s trip would have taken by itself, you must subtract that “personal” mileage from your business mileage claim. Again, talking to a tax professional early in the tax year can help you a lot!
Mileage on your car is not the only type of travel expense that you might be able to claim as a business expense. Let’s say you fly somewhere to attend a professional conference or to take a class that is relevant to your business. All your travel costs (transportation, hotel room, meals, etc.) might be deductible expenses for you. You might also be able to claim the costs of conference registration or class fees, educational books, etc. as legitimate business expenses.
The key here is to keep complete and detailed records, including receipts for all expenses. You can always discard records that you don’t need. Finding supporting details for a “claimable” expense can be time-consuming, frustrating, and could eventually disqualify you from claiming legitimate expenses just because you can’t document them.
Aside from documenting your business finances if you are ever audited, this careful record-keeping also helps ensure that you get to take every business deduction to which you are entitled. Again, please consult with a tax specialist about all of this.
Be Sure Your Business Expenses Are Allowable: Consult with a professional tax advisor to confirm that all your business expense claims are within IRS guidelines. (Write down all expenses that you think might count – just verify them with a knowledgeable professional.)
Another possibility is keeping all of your business records electronically. Intuit offers the Quicken and QuickBook series of products for both PC users and Mac users. It will take some time to learn if it is all new to you, but once you are familiar with them, electronic checkbooks and business record keepers can save you a lot of time – especially when it’s time to do your taxes.
One more time, please remember that what I am giving you here is only my personal understanding of these topics. I advise you to get professional assistance.
By: Cindyann Williams
