Setting up a Linksys WRT54G or WRT54GS Wireless Router

Please follow these instructions to program the router, your computer and your laptop. Note, only the items that need to be changed or set are shown below. Leave all other settings as they appear - they are defaults and are ok as-is. Don't assume that anything else must be changed, they don't have to be.

Section 1: Program the Router

1. Power up the router and your computers. On your laptop computer, make sure that the wireless adapter is turned ON.
   After they all boot up, connect any one of the router's 1, 2, 3 or 4 LAN ports to the Ethernet port on your main desktop computer using the blue Straight Cable that came with the router.
2. On your main computer, click on Start - Control Panel - Network Connections. If you don't see this on your menu, click on "Switch to Classic View" on the top left side of the Control Panel, then click on Network Connections.
3. Right click on the LAN connection and select properties. On the General page, click once on the line "Internet Protocol TCP/IP" to highlight it, and then click on the properties button below it.
4. Click the top button "Obtain an IP address automatically" It may already be set to this, that's ok.
5. Click OK and then close up all open pages.
6. Open an Internet Explorer browser page.
7. Enter the following address on the Address line: 192.168.1.1
8. The Linksys router will present a login page. The username and the password are both admin
9. On the Setup Page, change the Internet Connection Type to Static IP and enter the following numbers:
   Internet IP Address = 192.168.0.10
   Subnet Mask = 255.255.255.0
   Gateway = 192.168.0.1
   Static DNS 1 = 68.94.156.1
   Static DNS 2 = 68.94.157.1
   Static DNS 3 = 0.0.0.0
10. Change the time zone to Central US
11. Click the Save Settings Button and then the Continue Button
12. At the top, click on the Wireless tab
13. Change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to your last name in lower case letters
14. Change the Wireless SSID Broadcast to Enabled.
15. Click the Save Settings Button and then the Continue Button
16. Click on the Wireless Security Tab at the top
17. Change the Security Mode to WEP
18. You are going to enter a value in the KEY 1 box. This value is a 10 digit string, which you can make up from the numbers 0 - 9 and abcdef. An example can be abc2468def. Write this key down as you will need it for your laptop setup below.
19. Click the Save Settings Button and then the Continue Button
20. Click on the Administration Button at the top
21. Change the password from admin to one of your choice, in two places. Using your last name will help you to remember it.
22. Click the Save Settings Button and then the Continue Button
23. Steps 12 - 21 above made your router secure. Anyone driving by cannot get into your router or your computers.
24. The router is now fully programmed and ready to use. Disconnect the Straight cable from both the computer and the router, and set it aside. Now connect the Crossover Cable that you purchased from the main desktop computer's Ethernet port to the WAN or Internet port on the Router.

Section 2: Program the Desktop Computer to share the internet

1. On your main computer, click on Start - Control Panel - Network Connections.
2. On the left side, click on the "Set up a home or small office network" line.
3. Click Next and then Next again.
4. Click the first button: "This computer connects directly to the Internet. The other computers on my network connect to the Internet through this computer" and then click Next
5. This page determines how your main computer gets the Internet. Select the Wireless Network Connection (or dialup if that's what you are using) line by clicking on it to highlight it, and click Next
6. Enter a name for your computer description. Click Next
7. You can use the MSHOME default workgroup. Click Next
8. Select Turn off file and printer sharing. Click Next
9. Click Next again
10. This will take a few moments while your computer sets up the files.
11. Select the fourth button: "Just finish the Wizard, I don't need to run the wizard on other computers". Click Next and then click Finish. If all has gone well, the Local Area Connection icon down by the clock should say that it is connected.

Section 3: Program your Laptop Computer to "talk to" the router

1. On your Laptop computer, click on Start - Control Panel - Network Connections. If you don't see this on your menu, click on "Switch to Classic View" on the top left side of the Control Panel, then click on Network Connections.
2. Right-click on the Wireless Network Connection and select properties from the list.
3. On the General page, click on the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) line to highlight it, then click on Properties below that
4. Click on the Use the following DNS server addresses button, and enter
   Preferred DNS server: 68.94.156.1
   Alternate DNS server: 68.94.157.1
5. Click OK
6. Click on the Wireless Network Tab at the top.
   
   Note: Some laptop computers with internal Wifi cards won't display a Wireless Network Tab, and you will have to refer to the dreaded instructions that came with your computer to find out how to set up a wireless network. If this is the case with your computer, then the rest of the instructions below will serve as a guide during that process. The following steps will create a Profile that your laptop will use to talk to the router
   
   
7. Click on the Add Button
8. Enter your last name in lower case letters for the SSID
9. Un-check "The key is provided for me automatically"
10. In Section 1, step 18 above, you created a network key. Enter it in the Network Key and Confirm Network Key lines.
11. Click OK
12. Click Close
13. Your laptop will now obtain an address from your router which may take up to a minute. After that, you should be connected.
14. Open Internet Explorer and start surfing the web!

That's it! You should now be able to get pages, send / receive email and do all this from just about anywhere in your house. Have fun!