How easy/difficult is it to set up a wireless connection?

Home Archive Serious Business How easy/difficult is it to set up a wireless connection?
jordo212000's avatar

jordo212000

Senior Member

10,664 posts
Sep 14, 2010 10:16 PM
I bought a wireless router last night at Wally World. I really don't know a whole lot of this kind of stuff, but I bought it so I could play ps3 without having running a really long cord all the way upstairs whenever I feel like playing online.

Is it very difficult? Do I have to call my ISP and tell them that I have a wireless router (I've heard that I do).

Once I get the wireless going... how do keep the internet going on my desktop? (I heard I had to buy some sort of USB thing). I ask because my desktop computer is probably 5 years old or so, and I'm not sure if it came wireless ready.
Sep 14, 2010 10:16pm
Fab1b's avatar

Fab1b

The Bald A-Hole!!

12,949 posts
Sep 14, 2010 10:16 PM
5 minutes just follow the intructions they are very simple
Sep 14, 2010 10:16pm
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Sep 14, 2010 10:19 PM
Very simple to do. You won't need anything else for your desktop. The ethernet cable from desktop will just be plugged into the router.
Sep 14, 2010 10:19pm
jordo212000's avatar

jordo212000

Senior Member

10,664 posts
Sep 14, 2010 10:21 PM
Sweet. Yeah thanks guys!

Haven't opened the box yet. I figured if I got some feedback that it was very complicated I'd just take it back. Laziness and convenience is the main reason I bought it :)
Sep 14, 2010 10:21pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Sep 14, 2010 10:23 PM
An intelligent person, 5 minutes. You, 3 hours. Just sayin'. :)
Sep 14, 2010 10:23pm
-Society-'s avatar

-Society-

Senior Member

1,348 posts
Sep 14, 2010 10:27 PM
....
Sep 14, 2010 10:27pm
j_crazy's avatar

j_crazy

7 gram rocks. how i roll.

8,372 posts
Sep 15, 2010 11:04 AM
if it's a cisco (or Linksys) it's idiot proof. follow the instructions and you'll be wireless in like 10 minutes.
Sep 15, 2010 11:04am
Automatik's avatar

Automatik

Senior Member

14,632 posts
Sep 15, 2010 11:06 AM
Instructions.....read them.
Sep 15, 2010 11:06am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Sep 15, 2010 11:27 AM
Pretty easy.
Sep 15, 2010 11:27am
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Sep 15, 2010 11:53 AM
One thing you might want to do is to copy the MAC address of your PC to your router. I had a problem with my ISP halting service because it didn't recognize the MAC address of the router.
Sep 15, 2010 11:53am
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Sep 15, 2010 1:21 PM
any updates here? Still working on it?
Sep 15, 2010 1:21pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

GOAT

29,506 posts
Sep 15, 2010 1:42 PM
Not hard at all. Im waiting for the update that you are online....the lack of udpate makes me think you are a moron :D
Sep 15, 2010 1:42pm
ts1227's avatar

ts1227

Senior Member

12,319 posts
Sep 15, 2010 1:51 PM
Only time consuming part could be if you have game systems that connect wirelessly and you set a password on the network (which you should be). Then you have to run around and plug the password into the settings on your gaming systems.
Sep 15, 2010 1:51pm
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Sep 15, 2010 2:18 PM
Laley23;484890 wrote:Not hard at all. Im waiting for the update that you are online....the lack of udpate makes me think you are a moron :D


I'm thinking the same thing.
Sep 15, 2010 2:18pm
jordo212000's avatar

jordo212000

Senior Member

10,664 posts
Sep 15, 2010 7:38 PM
Haha nah haven't got it out of the box yet. I've been busy with work the past few days. I'll probably look at the manual later on this evening and then plug everything in tomorrow night some time.

I didn't get Cisco/Link Sys. I bought "Netgear" it cost around $80.00. It says "up to 270 + 54 Mbps" I have no clue what that means, but supposedly the router I bought is the best from the Netgear family.
Sep 15, 2010 7:38pm
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Sep 15, 2010 8:16 PM
Netgear is pretty easy as well. In the time it took you to type that post, you could have had your wireless up and running...
Sep 15, 2010 8:16pm
jordo212000's avatar

jordo212000

Senior Member

10,664 posts
Sep 15, 2010 8:31 PM
Netgear is pretty easy as well. In the time it took you to type that post, you could have had your wireless up and running...
True. I've been posting from my phone though and watching the Reds. There's really no reason to rush. I won't have a chance to play ps3 tonight and I won't be using my laptop either. I might still set it up later though
Sep 15, 2010 8:31pm
Fab1b's avatar

Fab1b

The Bald A-Hole!!

12,949 posts
Sep 15, 2010 8:33 PM
My freaking modem crashed this morning and Comcast sucks ass. I am exchanging for a new one tomorrow morning I just hope that is all it is.
Sep 15, 2010 8:33pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Sep 15, 2010 8:50 PM
They can be extremely simple if all you need to do is basic wireless internet.

When it gets tricky is when you're trying to share lots of media back and forth between computers or opening and closing ports for different programs. Setting what data gets preference etc. Although by "tricky" I mean mildly confusing if you aren't a tech person.

And then after that there are slightly more complicated things like DD-WRT which basically turns your $50-100 router into a $500+ router. Not useful for most people. I like it because I like tinkering with things.

Fab, please tell me you don't have one of those combo modems and routers from the cable company. Those tend to not work well and are expensive.
Sep 15, 2010 8:50pm
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Sep 15, 2010 8:53 PM
^^^

It's pretty easy to set up to play music/videos on your PS3 using windows media player though. I downloaded the Hard Knocks episodes and WMP streams them to PS3.
Sep 15, 2010 8:53pm
Fab1b's avatar

Fab1b

The Bald A-Hole!!

12,949 posts
Sep 15, 2010 9:25 PM
I Wear Pants;485346 wrote:They can be extremely simple if all you need to do is basic wireless internet.

When it gets tricky is when you're trying to share lots of media back and forth between computers or opening and closing ports for different programs. Setting what data gets preference etc. Although by "tricky" I mean mildly confusing if you aren't a tech person.

And then after that there are slightly more complicated things like DD-WRT which basically turns your $50-100 router into a $500+ router. Not useful for most people. I like it because I like tinkering with things.

Fab, please tell me you don't have one of those combo modems and routers from the cable company. Those tend to not work well and are expensive.

No I have my own router and the modem is from comcast and its old about 5 - 6 years old. It doesn't cost me anything to swap out the modem, the router is only about 2 months old.
Sep 15, 2010 9:25pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Sep 15, 2010 9:41 PM
Okay good. I just know the cable and dsl companies offer routers as services for like 5-10 bucks a month which is insane considering routers are like $30-80 usually.
Sep 15, 2010 9:41pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Sep 15, 2010 9:43 PM
karen lotz;485352 wrote:^^^

It's pretty easy to set up to play music/videos on your PS3 using windows media player though. I downloaded the Hard Knocks episodes and WMP streams them to PS3.
I meant like with a home server and with things like networked printers etc. But yeah, the PS3 and 360 are actually pretty straightforward as far as media features go.
Sep 15, 2010 9:43pm
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Sep 15, 2010 9:44 PM
Right, I was just saying the OP was trying to hook up his router for use with PS3 so maybe he'd be interested to know about the media streaming as well.
Sep 15, 2010 9:44pm
jordo212000's avatar

jordo212000

Senior Member

10,664 posts
Oct 10, 2010 7:00 PM
Ok, I finally got around to hooking it up and it was really easy. I got it to work for my ps3, but for some reason my laptop won't work. It says "wireless is unable to connect to the selected network. The network may no longer be in range. Please refresh the list of available networks and try to connect again."

Please help. I suck with this kind of stuff.
Oct 10, 2010 7:00pm