One of the most essential tasks in setting up a computer is connecting it to a network. Fortunately, many networks are built to simplify this task by automating the acquisition and setup of network addresses. It does not matter whether the network is wireless or wired. The process of configuring the network on a computer is usually automatic in either instance. In most cases, a few minutes is all that’s needed to setup networking on a computer
Wireless Network Setup
To get onto a wireless network, a wireless SSID is needed. A wireless SSID is the name of the wireless network. In some cases, a passkey may be needed as well. If a passkey is needed, find out which security protocol is used (eg. WEP, WPA, etc.). Get all of this information from the person or organization that administers the wireless network. Sometimes the wireless SSID can be found by browsing nearby wireless networks.
Put in all of the above information into the computer’s wireless settings and attempt to make a connection to the wireless SSID. The computer and the wireless network should be able to automatically setup the network addresses that are needed. Once the computer is connected to the wireless network, it should be possible to use the computer to browse the internet.
Wired Network Setup
If the computer is being connected to the network with an ethernet cable, put one end of the cable into the computer’s ethernet port. Connect the other end of the cable to a port on the network switch or network hub.
Once both ends of the ethernet cable are connected, turn on the wired connection on the computer. In some cases, the rest of the network settings needed for connection will be configured automatically by the computer and the network. After the network has been activated, try to access the network. If the computer cannot access the network, then the computer needs addresses to be configured by hand.
Manual IP Configuration
If network addresses need to be setup manually get the IP address, subnet netmask, default gateway address, and DNS server address for the network. This information should be requested from the person or organization that administers the network.