Introduction; Step 1: Connect The Router; Step 2: Configure The Pcs; Step 3: Configure The Router - Linksys Instant Wireless Series Fast Start Manual

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the Instant Wireless™ Wireless Access Point Router. This
Router will allow you to set up a network with your PCs and even share your
Internet connection.
How does the Router do all of this? By connecting your cable or DSL modem
directly to the Router and using the Router's Ethernet ports to connect your PCs,
it's almost as if each PC is connected directly to the Internet. In this way, you can
have several PCs utilizing one Internet connection simultaneously. Plus, because
it's also an Access Point, the Router can bridge your Ethernet network with your
wireless PCs.
But what does all of this mean?
Networks are useful tools for sharing computer resources. You can access one
printer from different computers and access data located on another computer's
hard drive. Networks are even used for playing multiplayer video games. So, net-
works are not only useful in homes and offices, they can also be fun.
The PCs you connect to the Router's four LAN ports, when properly configured,
create a LAN, or Local Area Network. They are connected with an Ethernet cable
plugged into your computer's Ethernet adapter at one end and into one of the
Router's LAN ports (numbered from one to four) at the other end. The term
"Ethernet" is used to refer to your network accessories, such as cables and
adapters, because Ethernet refers to the type of network you are setting up. In your
Router's documentation, Ethernet refers to accessories that transfer computer
data from 10Mbps to 100Mbps. (10Mbps and 100Mbps refer to the speeds used
by network devices. When transferring data at 10Mbps, you are moving the equiv-
alent of over seven floppy disks every second! Network accessories that function
at 100Mbps move data ten times faster!)
PCs can also interact with the Router wirelessly. By configuring your wireless PCs
with the same wireless settings as the Router, you can bridge these wireless PCs
while integrating them into your existing Ethernet network.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing the Router does is to allow you to share your
cable or DSL connection. This is done by connecting your cable or DSL modem to
the Router's WAN port with an Ethernet cable. (WAN refers to a Wide Area
Network.) The Internet is a network that, being global, covers the widest area of
all! The PCs connected to the Router share this connection.
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Instant Wireless™ Series
Wireless Access Point Router with 4-Port Switch
Use the instructions in this Fast Start to help you connect the Router, configure your
PCs, and configure the Router in your network. These instructions should be all you
need to get you up and running with a basic network, sharing your Internet access.
The Router also comes equipped with more advanced functions, but these functions
should not be utilized without a further understanding of routers and networks.
These and other issues are explained in the User Guide on the Setup Wizard CD-ROM.
This is What You Will Be Setting Up
The Router's setup is similar to that shown in the figure above for any Windows PC.
The Router lets you share your cable or DSL connection among several computers
in your home or business. This is called a Local Area Network or LAN.
This Fast Start guide gives you the "big picture" of what you need to set up a basic
home or business network. The next three sections explain how you will set up and
configure your equipment to enable shared high-speed access to the Internet.

Step 1: Connect the Router

This walks you through the process of connecting the Router to your cable or DSL
modem. Then, it shows you how your PCs are connected to the Router.

Step 2: Configure the PCs

This describes how your PCs are configured to communicate with the Router.

Step 3: Configure the Router

This step walks you through some basic Router settings, making it work with your
cable or DSL modem and your ISP's settings.
N N o o t t e e : : This Fast Start Guide will direct you how to set up the Router with
Ethernet cables. While the Router can be set up through a wireless connec-
tion, details about setting up the Router wirelessly will not be addressed in
this Fast Start Guide. Those who wish to set up the Router through their wire-
less connection should refer to the Linksys website at www.linksys.com.
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