Broadband Guide

Set up a wireless connection

Updated: Tuesday 04 January, 2011

By Editorial - news@consumerchoices.co.uk

A home wireless connection allows you to access the internet no matter where you are at home and lets the whole family get online at the same time. Below are a few of the things you need to consider when setting up your wifi network.

Which routers are available?

Many ISPs offer a free wireless router when you sign up to them, such as BT (www.BT.com) with its HomeHub, Sky Broadband (www.Sky.com) which offers a free, pre-configured Netgear router or Be Broadband (www.BeThere.co.uk) with its Be Box.

Otherwise you can buy your own router from any high street computer store. Belkin, Linksys and Netgear are all reliable brands.

Connecting to your router

Follow the instructions on your set-up disc and manual and you should be up and running in no time. Wifi networks are easy to set up but make sure that you configure your router with a password so that unauthorised users can’t use your internet connection.

Use our free Wireless Key Generator to find a suitable WEP or WPA password.

Wifi streaming around your home

As well as connecting all your PCs, games consoles and laptops to the internet, you can now also stream content from your PC to your TV, or from internet radio stations to speakers around your house, using your wifi network.

D-Link, Freecom and Netgear all offer media streaming devices.

Hotspots

You can also take your wireless-enabled laptop out with you and connect to hotspots like The Cloud - which is used by O2 (www.O2.co.uk), or one of the many T-Mobile (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) hotspots in cafés and airports.

You can also sign up to Freedon4wifi (www.Freedom4wifi) which allows you to connect to more than 40,000 hotspots across the world on a pay-as-you-go, pre-pay or subscription basis.

Wifi providers

Although there’s no such thing as a “wifi provider”, some ISPs such as O2, AOL (www.AOL.co.uk) and BT, Sky Broadband and Be There, already mentioned above, do offer their own wireless routers to new customers.

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