Wireless Home Networking - Index of

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Part III: Installing a Wireless Network
USB adapters
If you purchased a USB adapter, it’s easy to install in your USB port. All new
PCs and laptops come with at least one USB port (and usually more). Most
USB adapters attach to the USB port via a USB cable. Many come with a base
and an extension cable that allow you to move the USB adapter into a better
position for its antenna. (See Chapter 8 if you’re a Mac user.)
Here are the general guidelines for installing a USB wireless NIC:
1. Insert into the CD-ROM drive the CD that accompanied the USB adapter.
If the CD’s AutoRun feature doesn’t cause the setup program to start, use
the Run command from the Start button (in Windows) or open Windows
Explorer to run the Setup.exe program on the CD.
2. Install the driver software for the device.
In most cases the software will ask you to attach the USB device as soon
as the drivers are installed. When finished, you see a confirmation in the
lower-right task menu in Windows letting you know your USB network
card has been installed and configured for use with Windows.
3. After the wireless station software is installed, restart the computer if
the installation software requires it.
You see the wireless adapter as a new network adapter in your system,
and you have a new icon in your task tray indicating that the wireless is
working correctly.
Wireless Zero Configuration with XP
Windows XP makes connecting to new wireless networks easier through a
service that Microsoft has dubbed Wireless Zero Configuration. Although the
Microsoft claim of zero configuration is a bit of an exaggeration, configuration
is pretty easy. When you’re installing or configuring a wireless adapter that’s
supported by Windows XP, you don’t need to use software provided by the
manufacturer. Instead, Windows XP itself recognizes the adapter and installs
its own driver and configuration software. That does not mean you don’t use
the drivers that come from the manufacturer with the hardware you purchased.
In most cases the manufacturer will have given to Microsoft the
latest drivers for the device, or a pointer so the OS can download and install
the drivers directly from the manufacturer’s Web site.
Most 802.11n draft 2.0 adapters require specific hardware drivers to be able
to take advantage of the advanced features of the standard.