Set up or fix a wireless network

Network basics
Although wireless networking replaces cables with radio waves, the principles of both types of networking are identical.

Network traffic travels through various ports, and when more than one computer or device is connected to the same network, it is the job of a router to ensure that data is transferred to the PC that requested it.

This is done by assigning every networked computer or device (such as a games console, file server or printer) a unique IP address and ‘routing’ the traffic between them.

For this to work, each device needs to be told to connect to the router and use this information to connect to the internet and other computers. You may well find that PCs and other devices do not need to be configured on an individual basis, but if you are experiencing problems, it’s sensible to check a few settings.

On the computer you want to connect wirelessly, open Network Connections from the XP Control Panel and double-click the icon representing your network. You can find this control panel by going to the Start menu and clicking on Control panel. Click the Properties button, before selecting ‘Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)’ and clicking Properties in the dialogue box that pops up.

You will probably find that the option labelled ‘Obtain an IP address automatically’ is selected and that all other options are greyed out. If you select the option labelled ‘Use the following IP address’ you can enter network settings manually. Before doing this, you should check that the same address is not being used by another computer on the network.

The IP address will vary from router to router, but if your router has an IP address of 192.168.0.1, for example, you could assign one computer an IP address of 192.168.0.2 and another 192.168.0.3. We’d suggest you only change the last group of numbers, as we have done.

Another thing to keep an eye on is the field marked subnet mask, which will be automatically filled in for you as 255.255.255.0. In the Default Gateway field, you will need to enter the IP address of your router – the same address should also be entered into the ‘Preferred DNS server’ field. Your router will most likely be set up with a default address, which should be published in the router’s manual.

Wireless software
There can be problems with the software used to establish the connection in the first place. Windows XP likes to be in control of a wireless connection using its Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) service. However, if you have added a wireless adapter after buying your computer it may have come with its own connection software that will take over from WZC.

If you’re happy to use the software that came with the wireless card, ensure that you are using the latest version by checking the manufacturer’s website for updates. It may be easier to use Windows’ built-in controls, but you should first uninstall any additional connection software and leave the required drivers in place.

If you have opted to switch from your network card’s connection software to Windows XP’s alternative, you will need to check that the relevant services are started. Click Start, go to Run, type ‘services.msc’ and press Enter. Towards the bottom of the list double-click the entry labelled Wireless Zero Configuration and set the Startup type to Automatic. You should also click the Start button in this dialogue box if the service is not already running.