Wireless Home Networking - Index of

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Part III: Installing a Wireless Network
to be installed, although the installation on different platforms may differ to
some degree. From most manufacturers, the initial setup procedure differs
somewhat depending on the operating system that’s running your computer.
In this section, we walk you through installing device drivers and client software
before addressing the typical setup procedure for various wireless network
interface adapters.
The installation procedure for most types of PC devices consists of installing
the hardware (the device) in your computer and then letting Windows
detect the device and prompt you to supply a driver disc or CD. With most
wireless network adapters, however, you should install the software provided
with the wireless networking hardware before installing the hardware.
Installing device drivers
and client software
Whenever you install an electronic device on your Windows PC, including a
wireless network interface adapter, Windows needs to know certain information
about how to communicate with the device. This information is a device
driver. When you install a wireless network adapter, depending on which version
of Windows you’re using, you may be prompted to provide the necessary
device driver. Device driver files typically accompany each wireless networking
device on an accompanying CD-ROM. Most wireless device manufacturers
also make the most up-to-date device driver files available for free download
from their technical support Web sites.
When you install the wireless adapter into your computer, Windows uses the
device driver files to add the adapter to your computer’s hardware configuration.
The new network adapter’s driver also must be configured properly for
it to communicate with other computers over the Windows network.
Even if you receive a driver CD with your wireless network interface adapter,
we still recommend checking the manufacturer’s Web site for the most recent
software. Check the manufacturer’s Web site and see if you need to download
the newest driver software as well as the newest firmware, which is the
special software that resides in the flash memory of your network adapter
and enables it to do its job.
The exact procedure for installing the drivers and software for the wireless
network adapters varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so read the documentation
that accompanies the product you’re installing before you begin.
Although the details may differ from the instructions that accompany your
product, the general procedure is in the following set of steps.