Create Always-On Networks with the best wireless router.

The best wireless router we found can help you easily and quickly create an always-on network. Unfortunately, when it comes to using a wireless network with Windows' built-in Internet Connection Sharing, there is an aspect to consider. In fact, if the computer your modem is connected to has not been turned on before, none of the other computers will have access to Internet. And, believe me, but it can get quite frustrating after a while.

So what to do? Well, a wireless router is what you need.

What Is It?

A router is a little, low-powered computer whose job is only to make Internet access available to your whole wireless network. In other words, having a wireless router enables you to connect any of the computers on your network to the Internet independent of having other computers switched on! And the good news is that you don't usually have to do any configuration to get started, as this is the only purpose of wireless routers.

Choosing The Best Wireless Router

When it comes to choosing a wireless router, you will have to take into consideration the same stuff as with all other wireless equipment: range, speed and standards.

However, you should keep in mind that in the case of a router, speed is far more important than for any other equipment. In fact, providing Internet access to more than one computer at a time requires a router to have the necessary speed to share between them. As far as the standards and range are concerned, nothing will improve by getting something better than what your current wireless equipment already has!

You may be interested to know that the Linksys WRT54G router is quickly becoming the standard. It's not only the most widespread router, but also the easiest to use out there. However, since it's not as cheap as some of the others, it's still a good idea to shop around. Again, read lots of reviews before you actually purchase something.

Installing

Wireless routers usually work easily out of the box, and very often you only need to plug the router into the power outlet and then connect it to your cable, DSL or other modem. In other words, in most of the cases, you shouldn't have any problems when it comes to using your wireless Internet for the first time.

However, occasionally you might need to do more things. In fact, very often your ISP makes use of special software to verify who you are before allowing you to access the Internet. This is called PPPoE, meaning Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet and it is essentially a method of giving you broadband access but requiring you to enter a username and password first. Unfortunately, you have to do certain things to be able to use a PPPoE connection with your wireless router.

Even though most routers support PPPoE, I suggest you read the manual and get the latest updates for your router's firmware (on-board software) from its manufacturer's website, if necessary.

Problems with Wireless Routers

Although wireless routers solve more problems than they will cause, let's consider some problems you may need to consider.

One of the most common problems is that some programs need a direct Internet connection for some tasks. Even though using a wireless router instead of Internet Connecting Sharing can allow you to use these functions if you configure it, it can still be a frustrating process. In fact, wireless routers contain built-in firewalls that close certain ports and only allow data through on some of them . for example the email port, 110 and the web port, 80).

In spite of the fact that these programs become less popular day after day, you still might need to open ports at some point. If this is the case, read your router's manual for instructions on how to do this.

I'm sure that once you've tried it, you will certainly enjoy your new wireless router!

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