Menu
homeGames

Step-by-step guide on how to make Wi-Fi on your computer. How to connect a regular (desktop) computer to Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi routers are an indispensable thing in the life of a modern person. Saving on tariffs, using the Internet from several devices at once and the absence of annoying wires have made them welcome guests in all homes. The problem can only arise when connecting to a desktop computer that does not know how to work with wireless networks.

There is no need to despair and call a computer specialist: you can connect your computer to Wi-Fi on your own. There are three simple and clear ways to install Wi-Fi on a PC, which will be discussed in this article.

Method one: using an external adapter

To connect to Wi-Fi using an external adapter, you will first need to purchase this device. This is a compact device that connects to a PC via a USB input and looks like a flash drive or mobile modem. A Wi-Fi antenna is connected to the side of it, the task of which is to catch the signal from the router. There can also be two antennas.

An external adapter for connecting to Wi-Fi looks like this:

In order to configure the adapter and activate Wi-Fi on a PC, you will need to perform the following sequence of actions:

  1. Connect the adapter to your computer via the USB input and connect the antenna to it. Wait for a message that the drivers have been installed successfully.
  2. Insert the disk with drivers for the device into the PC drive and begin installation. Click “Next” before starting the installation, ignoring possible messages about an unknown driver manufacturer.
  3. When the drivers are installed, the wireless Internet icon will appear on the taskbar. Click on it to select the required network and enter the password.

Video review of the mini USB adapter:

If you have Windows XP, the icon will not appear and you will need to find the Wi-Fi network manually. To do this, go to the “Network Connections” tab, using RMB, select the “View available wireless networks” item. A list of networks will appear in front of you, in which you need to find the one you need and enter the password for it. It looks like this:

As you can see, setting up an external adapter is a simple task that even a beginner can handle.

Method two: using an internal adapter

With the internal adapter the situation is somewhat more complicated. To install this device, you will need to disassemble the system unit, which can frighten an inexperienced user. But you shouldn’t be afraid: it’s much easier than it might seem at first glance.

The internal adapter connects to the motherboard via a special PCI connector. Externally it looks like this:

To correctly install Wi-Fi on your computer using an internal adapter, you need to follow these step-by-step steps:


After the external adapter is installed on your desktop computer, it will need to be configured. To do this, you will have to repeat the steps used in the first method: install drivers for the device, wait for the icon to appear, or find the desired wireless network manually, enter the password.

Video to help you choose between 2 types of adapter:

After completing all these steps, the Internet without a wire should work.

Method three: using a router

Another way to connect a desktop computer to Wi-Fi is to use a router. For this method, you will need a stable working router and a cord to connect to your PC.

This video will help you understand Internet equipment:

As you can see, connecting a PC to the Internet without a cable is not a difficult task. The wireless connection is very convenient, and to set it up yourself, you just need to spend a little time studying the instructions.

Good afternoon, dear guests of the site!

The computer was created to exchange information, which means it must be connected to a network, be it just a local network or the Internet. A computer without a connection to the World Wide Web has long lost its relevance and cannot satisfy all our needs.

Until recently, when choosing a method for connecting a computer, we settled on connecting using wires. The fact is that wireless equipment was quite expensive. Fortunately, technology does not stand still!

Quite recently I moved to another apartment, which means I again needed to connect my computer to the World Wide Web. And if there were no problems with the laptop, since I use a wireless router, then I had no desire to run wires across the entire room to a desktop computer. There is only one way out - you need to install it on your computer wifi adapter.

Wi-Fi adapters come in two types:

  • external- connect via USB port;
  • internal- connect to the motherboard via a PCI or PCI-E 1X connector;

There are also motherboards with built-in wi-fi, but these are usually motherboards in the upper price range.
I opted for an external adapter. To be honest, I didn’t think long about which adapter to choose. In terms of technical characteristics, adapters differ in their support for different standards, which determine the data transfer speed and compatibility with new equipment, and also differ in their support for encryption methods.

Since I rarely use the local network, and the adapter will mainly be used to connect to the Internet, almost any speed suits me. Almost all modern adapters support WPA2 encryption. Therefore, first of all, I chose based on price.

So I bought myself an adapter D-Link DWA-127. Adapters with similar functionality at very low prices can be bought here - aliexpress.com

Specifications:

Maximum wireless connection speed
150 Mbit/s

Data protection
WEP/WPA/WPA 2

Transmitter power
17 dBM

Connection interface
USB 2.0

The price of the adapter is 550-650 rubles.

Perhaps I was bribed by a rather large antenna :-), in the hope of better signal reception, although in practice I did not notice the influence of the antenna on reception.

All we need to do to connect the wi-fi adapter is to plug it into a USB port and install the drivers from the disk that comes with the kit.

After the drivers are installed, all we have to do is search for wireless networks within range and connect to our network, or not ours?


In general, the connection diagram looks like this:

The cable from the Internet provider enters the apartment and connects to the wi-fi router (a device that provides an Internet connection), then we connect other devices via a wireless data transmission channel.

This way we get all Wi-Fi devices connected to the network at once, save a lot of time, and don’t clutter the room with unnecessary wires.

That's all for today. I wish you to always stay in touch!

Hi all. If you are trying to connect your computer to Wi-Fi using the router that is in your apartment, but nothing works, then now I will try to help you.

What do we usually do? We go to Start - Control Panel, then Network and Internet – Network and Sharing Center - Change adapter settings. There we see the icon Wireless network, with which we connect to Wi-Fi.

Thus, any of you, most likely, have already connected to your Wi-Fi a hundred times, but this was only done on a laptop or phone. And now the question: How can I do the same on a computer? There's no icon there either Wireless connection!

It's actually very simple. By default, computers usually do not have a Wi-Fi module, as well as Bluetooth, so you need to install it yourself.

But naturally, the first option with a USB adapter is much more convenient, since there is no need to disassemble the system unit.

2. The Wi-Fi adapter that we used in this lesson can be connected not only to a computer, but also to a laptop. For example, if the laptop does not have built-in Wi-Fi ( this can only happen on very old laptops), or the wireless network module is broken, then in this case a Wi-Fi adapter connected via USB will be a lifesaver.

Connecting your computer to Wi-Fi is easy and simple. I think you are already convinced of this.

Bye everyone!

According to my observations, few of those who were able to independently connect wifi router, if there wired Internet, knew how to do it RIGHT. That is, use it to set up a wireless network and combine different devices into it. As a result, they subsequently encounter difficulties that could have been solved at the local network design stage.

How to connect a wifi router?

Before we begin the step-by-step description of connecting a Wi-Fi router, I want to draw your attention to one point.

To create a full-fledged local wireless network, you need to buy a device such as a ROUTER, or also called a ROUTER.

The fact is that there are a lot of devices similar in appearance and functionality for various purposes. For example, out of ignorance it is easy to confuse it with a wired router without WiFi, which also distributes the Internet signal to devices. But only with the help of cables - it does not have an antenna.

Another device similar in appearance is an access point. In general, her tasks are slightly different from ours. A characteristic difference between a router and an access point is the presence of several outlets for network cables. While at the point there is usually only one.


The point of connecting a router is that it is now it, and not your PC, that will connect to the Internet via cable. To do this, all the necessary parameters required to connect to the provider, which were once applied on your desktop computer, will now be specified in the router settings. And all other devices will already receive Internet via wifi from it and according to the rules that will be specified in it.

For clarity, look at the diagram:


In order to connect a router at home and set up a Wi-Fi network, I used a dozen models from completely different manufacturers. I can say with confidence that in terms of the actual configuration of the WiFi router and connection to the provider, the difference between them lies only in the details of the graphic design of the admin panel. Therefore, having mastered the principle once on one model, you can apply them to others. Today, as an example, I will illustrate with screenshots from two routers - TrendNet TEW-632BRP and ASUS WL-520GC.

How to connect a router to the Internet via DHCP?

The first setting we will look at is setting up a DHCP server.
If previously there was only one computer and it alone received an IP address from the provider, then we can connect many computers and gadgets to the router. This means that it is the router, instead of the computer, that will “communicate” with the provider’s equipment. And within the framework of our home network between these devices, it will itself assign an internal IP address to each computer, laptop, phone, TV and everything else.

Procedure:

  1. After connecting to the power supply, first of all you need to configure the router to communicate with the computer. To do this, insert the Internet cable into the WAN slot on the device. And we connect the other cable, with two plugs, which most likely came with the device, at one end to the computer’s network card. Where there used to be an internet cable. Others - in any of the LAN1, LAN2, LAN3 or LAN4 slots of the router.

    I also want to note that it is better to connect the router to the network through an uninterruptible power supply. I had an unpleasant experience when a good Netgear device froze due to a power surge. It simply began broadcasting wifi not at 100, but at 2 meters. Of course, I had to buy a new one.

  2. Next, take the installation disk that came with the router. And we start installing drivers and software.
  3. After this, we need to configure the computer to work with the router. Now our network card is configured to connect directly to the Internet through the provider. This means that perhaps the control panel contains some data that is important for us to save and use later when working with the router. To do this, go to the settings of the TCP/IP v.4 protocol as shown in the diagram:

    For Windows XP: “Start > Control Panel > Switch to Classic View > Network Connections.”

    In Windows 7: “Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Manage network connections > Change adapter settings.”

    In the screenshot, I go to the “Wireless Connection” settings, but you don’t have it yet, and since we connected the computer to the router with a cable, you need to select the “Local Area Connection” item:

    If you have something indicated here, then write down this data on a piece of paper. This is especially true for those who have lost their contract for the provision of services and do not know the data for connecting to the World Wide Web. For a certain type of connection, which will be discussed below, this may be useful. After this, here, in the network connection settings on your computer, you need to set the IP, gateway and DNS to automatic. We will already enter these parameters in the wireless router itself.

  4. After that, go to the address “http://192.168.1.1”. Typically, configurations with the router occur here, if they did not have to be done at the software installation stage. But look in the instructions for the device to see which way to go to the router’s control panel. Since the default preset IP on different models may differ. Another popular place for placing brief instructions is a sticker on the bottom of the device. Look there too. If there are no instructions in the instructions, or it is lost, then go to the Control Panel, as I already described above. Only after right-clicking on “Local Area Connection” in the window that appears, click the “Details” button. In the window that opens, look for IPv4 Default Gateway - this is the IP address of the router.

  5. Now, finally, go to the address indicated there through the browser (http://IP ADDRESS OF YOUR ROUTER). And we find the DHCP Server item in the menu (in Trendnet it is combined with WAN) and set the range of values ​​​​for possible IP addresses of devices within your local network. For me it was like this: Start IP - 192.168.10.101, End IP 192.168.10.200. And of course, opposite the DHCP Server item there should be an Enabled parameter. Domain Name or Host Name is the name of the future home wifi network. Let me make a reservation right away that the screenshots below were taken from my devices, which are already working or have been working for several years. Their interface is in English, so it would be difficult for a domestic beginner to figure out what’s what without help - I hope these pictures will help you. Most modern firmware and software are already in Russified form, so it will be even easier to understand.

    This is what it looked like on Trendnet (highlighted in red):

    And here it is in ASUS:

Setting up a computer connection to the router via LAN

Now we will set the parameters for our wifi network at home - IP and router mask. For Trendnet this is the same item (see Figure 1, highlighted in green), for Asus - the WAN & LAN section - at the very bottom of the settings page. In the first case I set IP 192.168.10.1, in the second - 192.168.1.1. This is the address within the local network at which we can access the admin panel through a browser. And through which computers will access the Internet. Mask - default, 255.255.255.0

Connecting a WiFi router to the Internet via the WAN port

These were all the flowers, now the most interesting part is setting up the external connection of the router to the Internet.
There are several types depending on the provider settings. This happens in the WAN menu.



There are several other options for connecting to the provider’s equipment, but I didn’t come across them. Therefore, I will not talk about them for now.

How to encrypt your WiFi connection

If you did everything correctly and saved all the settings, then all devices that support wifi should now see the new network with the name you specified. However, the question of how to connect wifi at home is not yet closed. The home wifi network turned out to be open, that is, anyone can use your Internet access for free. In order to ruin everyone and make the wifi network at home accessible only to its owner, you need to protect the wireless network.

There are several methods, I have used two in my practice: WPE (or Shared Key) and WPA. The latter is more reliable, so I'll consider it. Go to security settings. In Trendnet this is the “Security” menu item, in Asus it is “Wireless > Interface”.

Select WPE or WPA Personal (PSK, TKIP) from the menu and set a password for authorization - from 7 to 64 characters. And we save. I show you how it was for me:



Well, now to access the Internet through your router, you need to enter a password. The final touch remains - so that there are no problems with connecting various devices to the router and with the operation of programs, we will manually set the DNS server. Setting this parameter is located in the same place where you entered the parameters for connecting to the Internet. We activate the function of manually assigning DNS servers and enter the IP from Google there:

  • DNS-Primary (or DNS Server 1):8.8.8.8
  • DNS-Secondary (or DNS Server 2): 8.8.4.4

You can also specify one of the Yandex servers (for example 77.88.8.8).

As you can see, connecting wifi through a router and making a wifi network at home is quite easy. I hope everything works out for you too!

Now for the traditional video for dessert on connecting a router, which will tell you even more clearly about the typical settings for working with the network.

Some users are interested in the question of how difficult it is and whether it is even possible. In fact, connecting a PC to the Global Network “wirelessly” is a completely feasible task.

A stationary computer is called such because, due to its permanent residence, it involves connecting all relevant communications to it using wires. Of course, if necessary, the PC can be moved to another location, but this action involves a radical revision of the route of wires, the location of sockets, and so on. In this regard, wireless connection becomes an ideal solution.

Wireless connection methods

Wireless networks that allow you to connect a PC to the Internet using Wi-Fi technology do not surprise anyone today. But how to connect your computer to wifi to provide additional convenience and get rid of unnecessary cables, which, at a minimum, get on your nerves? Let's talk about this in more detail.

To connect your computer to Wi-Fi, you can use three methods:

1) using an external adapter;

2) using an internal adapter;

3) via a router.

Each method has its own characteristics.

External adapter

Before how to connect a computer to wifi via an external adapter, you should purchase one. This device is connected via USB, so you don’t need to disassemble the system unit to connect an external Wi-Fi adapter. In addition, you can use external devices with a USB connection for a laptop, in particular to provide a broadband connection or to replace a faulty laptop Wi-Fi module.

The external adapter looks like a simple flash drive. But on one side it has a USB socket through which it is connected to a PC, and on the other there is an input for connecting a Wi-Fi antenna. You can use a USB cable: one end is inserted into the above socket, and the second is intended for flash drives, and in our case, for the antenna.

To know, how to connect a computer to wifi, use the instructions below.

1. Connect the adapter to the computer (via a cord or directly) via the USB input. If the PC reports that the drivers have been successfully installed, ignore the message, since you need to install them yourself from the disk that is sold with the receiver.

2. Insert the disk into the PC and run the “Setup Wizard” utility. When it opens, find your model in the list and click on the “Install drivers” line.

3. After this, you will have to go through several windows, clicking on “Next” everywhere. If Windows tells you about an unknown driver manufacturer, ignore it and click on “Install anyway...”.

4. When the process ends after a couple of minutes, you will see an icon on the taskbar, which means that the receiver is ready to connect your computer to Wi-Fi. Click on this icon and select the desired Wi-Fi network.

All you have to do is enter your password and click “OK”.

Internal adapter

Before how to connect a computer to wifi through the internal device, you will have to disassemble the system unit. The device is connected to the motherboard via a PCI interface, plugged into a connector specially provided for this.

Connection through the internal device is carried out as follows.

1. Open the cover of the system unit and find the slot for the Wi-Fi module on the motherboard (this is any PCI, which is usually located under the sound card, at the bottom).

2. Connect the adapter.

Router

A router, or router, is another option for how to connect a computer to wifi, and the router must be located within the range of the signal. You can connect the router to your computer as follows.

Connect one end of the power cord to the LAN socket on the router, the other end to the PC’s network card. When you connect your PC to the router, the indicator on the latter will light up, indicating that the device is connected. Then proceed like this.

  1. Go to the router interface - in the browser, in the address bar, enter the IP address of the router, adding http://. You can read the address on the back of the device.
  2. Enter your login and password - usually “admin” and “admin”.
  3. Go to the settings and find the item “Network”, and in it - “WAN”. Here you need to specify the network type. If you don't know which connection is right for you, ask your provider. Then click "Save".
  4. Go to “MAC Clone” (in “Network”) and click on “Clone MAC Address”, and then save your changes by clicking on “Save”. Save").
  5. Go to “Wireles” -> “Wireless Settings” and enter the appropriate values ​​there, creating a name for the network. Don't forget to indicate your current region. Save.
  6. Enter “Security”, specify the type and encryption algorithm and create a password for the “freshly created” network. Save your changes.
  7. Find “System Tools” -> “Reboot”.

This completes the procedure for setting up the router, and you can connect the Internet to your PC “wirelessly”. To do this, go to “Available connections”, select the network you created and connect to it. Now you can start enjoying your wireless Internet connection.