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Archive for the ‘Wireless Networking’ Category

Holiday Tech Tips: Welcoming Guests Into Your Home and Your Network

In this, the first post of a three-part series of this week, we will discuss how to make it easy to keep your visiting family connected with a dedicated guest wireless network.  A guest network not only makes connecting all those devices a snap, but also separates your personal network from the family’s devices.  This helps keep your data, and your peace of mind, safe and secure.

Connect for the Holidays

So, how did you spend your Holiday Season last year?  Trying to connect the 10 different devices of 10 different relatives to your home network?  Wrestling with a new digital camera or smartphone?  Trying to understand what you’re going to do with an iPad?  If you’re tired of being overwhelmed by an onslaught of new technology every year, we have glad tidings. It is our mission to help the holidays go smoothly and help the excitement of your shiny new toys last beyond reading the first page of that poorly written instruction manual.

“Grandma, I want to use the internet.”

Every year more and more devices are designed to connect to the internet.  Handheld gaming devices, iPods, laptop computers, and digital cameras are just a few of gadgets your extended family may be bringing to your house this holiday season.

Let your relatives share their ugly sweaters on Facebook, watch their favorite YouTube videos after dinner, and keep things simple and secure by creating a wireless network specifically designed for visitors.  A “Guest Network” is a small section of your home’s wireless network that is set up for use by temporary guests in your home.  Perfect for your holiday gathering!

What do I Need? 

Setting up guest networks can be easy, but you have to have the right gear.  Almost all dual-band routers support guest networks, as well as a few newer routers that do not have dual band capability.  You’ll want to check your wireless router’s specifications to verify it supports a guest network.

What do I do?

Setting up a guest network is actually easier than configuring a wireless router, and routers that support guest networks have all the tools you’ll need, already built in! To start your guest network, you’ll need to visit your router’s configuration page, specifically the page for wireless settings.  IF your router supports guest networks, you’ll see an option under the wireless settings to enable a guest network.  You’ll be able to turn on a guest network, set up a password to control who is allowed to connect to it, and even limit the number of users connected simultaneously.  By setting up this guest network, utilizing a simple password, you won’t need to share your encryption key with your family.  This second network will keep your network isolated, protecting the information on your computers, and helping to keep everything safe and secure.

If diving into your router’s configuration doesn’t sound like something you want to try, fret not!  Geek Squad Agents are standing by 24/7/365 to configure it for you.  For help with setting up your guest network, contact us at 1-800-GEEK-SQUAD or visit GeekSquad.com.  We set up guest networks in our sleep and would be glad to help!

-Agent Laura M.

Every day, Counter Intelligence Agent Laura M, of Precinct 329, heroically removes malware and saves the personal lives of computer users in Maple Grove, MN.  She has a vitamin D deficiency from playing too many video games.  She likes animals and books.

Geek Squad 2MM: How to Use MobileMe

Claire is the host of Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix (Saturdays at 12:30pm) and Food Network Challenge (Sundays at 8pm).

Geek Squad 2MM: How to Connect Your Home Theater to the Internet

In this Two Minute Miracles video Geek Squad Agents Lee Weisbecker and Mike Nelson explain different ways you can connect your home theater components, such as a Blu-Ray player, to the internet.

Geek Squad 2MM: Wireless Internet for Students of all Ages

DIY: Wireless Network Troubleshooting 101

This can happen from interference from other devices or your phone / cable company making adjustments to their systems.

Not to panic… most connection issues can be resolved by following a few simple steps.

Roam with Wi-Fi

Many major US airlines have begun offering passengers a wireless internet connection in-flight. As long as your device has a wireless internet card (wireless B or G), you should be able to connect while in-flight (usually for a fee). But what do you do when you are jetting at 35,000 feet and have a connection issue? Here are a few quick tips that might get your WiFi up and running. And they will even work if you’re having trouble connecting in other public WiFi spots (like Starbucks for example).

In the Know About On-the-Go

It’s vacation time! When I was deciding how to spend it, I knew there were two things I needed to think about in my hotel selection:

• Location – a hotel close to the attractions I wanted to visit

• Features – WiFi for the laptop. After all, even vacationing geeks like to have Internet access at the end of a long day touristing.

Here are a few things that may help simplify your travel this summer:

Wireless Networking Basics

In this “Two Minute Miracle” video, Agent Hymans shows you the basics of a wireless network including the necessary parts and types of wireless networks.